Secret House (2022)

Gonna Make This Short

Don't start it. The end.

You're still here? OK...here's the deal. If you grew up on American Daytime soaps, especially the half hours from Search For Tomorrow to Santa Barbara, you will get hooked. A/The Secret House fills the 'it's so bad it's good' hole left empty by the slow demise of the daytime soap operas in the US. I specifically mention half hour soaps because if you watched them, you're used to the pace at which ASH moves. I'm not saying it's good or bad, but just typical. Telenovela watchers consider yourselves warned, too.

The writing could, no should have been better. They had too many storylines going all at once . There was no way to satisfactorily handle them and tie it up in a neat little bow as we all know they do. For me the ONLY saving grace was for the character Ham Sook Jin. Oh did I love to hate her! As I stated on the drama's page, I think the writer(s) had a thing for Agnes Nixon's daytime because Ham Sook Jin was like if Erica Kane and Dorinan Lord (look them up if you don't know) had a baby. She's deliciously conniving and unapologetic.

More than half of the 8 points (4 stars) I gave the cast were for HSJ's portrayer, Lee Seung Yeon. In the hands of a less skilled actress the character could have turned into a caricature. This entire drama was carried on the back of the more "seasoned" professionals. The ML has gorgeous teeth and is damn attractive. That's all the good I can say. The FLs (I supposed that's what they were) aren't the best actresses I've ever seen. The 2nd ML was a better actor than the other leads (if you don't count Lee) and he wasn't that good. Although, I will admit, he seemed to get better as the series progressed.

There was nothing music wise that is worth mentioning. The re-watch is zilch. If you catch me watching this again, someone paid me.

Overall, it's a typical revenge plot. Had the writers concentrated on that storyline instead of creating so many other unnecessary ones with obvious conclusions. A Secret House would have been a much better watch.

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