SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama Good Partner is facing criticism from viewers over the sudden romantic storyline between characters played by Nam Ji Hyun and P.O.
Good Partner revolves around Cha Eun Kyung (Jang Na Ra), a 17-year veteran star divorce lawyer, and her rookie partner Han Yoo Ri (Nam Ji Hyun). The main promotional focus of the series highlighted the “womance” between Jang Na Ra and Nam Ji Hyun, emphasizing the growth and camaraderie between their characters.
However, in the fourth episode aired on the 20th, a sudden bed scene between Han Yoo Ri and Jeon Eun Ho (P.O.) sparked a wave of criticism. The two were merely shown as colleagues with no romantic tension, making the scene feel abrupt and out of place. Viewers expressed their dissatisfaction, saying, “That was totally unnecessary,” “Stop forcing romance on us,” “It disrupts the flow,” and “We were expecting the womance between Jang Na Ra and Nam Ji Hyun.”
The controversy was further fueled by the fact that Han Yoo Ri, moments before the scene, had expressed her preference for staying single, saying, “If being alone is hard, imagine how much harder marriage would be. Humans aren’t meant to share everything.”
There was already skepticism about P.O.’s casting as a lawyer, given his cheerful and bubbly image, which some felt clashed with the intellectual persona typically associated with legal roles. The sudden romantic plotline, combined with viewers’ lukewarm reception of Jeon Eun Ho’s character, led to accusations of forced narrative choices.
Cultural critic Ha Jae Geun commented, “While romantic plotlines have been a long-standing convention in dramas, recent shifts in audience preferences have seen the rise of narratives without romantic elements. In the case of ‘Good Partner,’ the series gained popularity for its focus on womance, and introducing a romantic subplot can muddle the show’s direction. It’s crucial to align the storyline with what the viewers expect.”
Despite the backlash, it’s unclear how the romance between Han Yoo Ri and Jeon Eun Ho will unfold, especially after Han Yoo Ri rejected Jeon Eun Ho’s confession in the fifth episode.
In related news, Good Partner premiered on July 12th with a 7.8% nationwide viewer rating (Nielsen Korea), climbing to 13.7% by the fourth episode. The fifth episode, aired on the 26th, saw a slight dip to 12.1%. The series will take a three-week hiatus due to the Paris Olympics, with the sixth episode scheduled to air on the 16th.
>> Weekly TV Top10: ‘Good Partner’ Tops the List Ahead of Pre-emptions
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