[First Impressions] On the Way to the Airport Eps 1 - 2

My love for airport dramas first started back in 2003 with Triumph in the Skies, a Hong Kong drama centered around two pilots, a flight attendant, and a young woman with dreams of working at the airport. For many years after that, I seriously considered a profession in that field and, although I've long since grown out of building dreams and ambitions based on dramas, a part of me still thinks it would be an interesting profession to try one day.

In any case, it's an unfortunate circumstance that, since then, it's been difficult, if not impossible, to find a good airport drama since they are so few and far between.

Which is why I was excited when I heard about On the Way to the Airport. Very excited.

Then, it got even better. An entire cast of talented actors and actresses that I adore and love? Yes, please! But I'll admit, it still didn't prevent that small trickle of fear from creeping in. The acting could be perfect, but the plot, the directing, and the editing could be another story altogether. Would I end up disappointed after my initial excitement? After my long, long wait for a decent airport drama?

Now, after having watched the first two episodes, I'm happy to say that I've nothing but praise for this gem and I can only hope each episode will be better than the last.

Choi Soo Ah (Kim Ha Neul) is a veteran flight attendant and her husband, Park Jin Seok (Shin Sung Rok), is a pilot for the same airline. Their relationship is odd because, despite working at the same company, none of their co-workers know they are married to each other. It's a secret well hidden, but it's not surprising when there's not an ounce of love to be felt between them.

Their biggest source of conflict is their daughter, Park Hyo Eun (Kim Hwan Hee), due to their parenting differences. He's cold, detached, and strict while she's emotional, warm, and caring. He wants nothing more than to send his daughter away to boarding school. She simply wants to keep her daughter by her side.

They bicker like all married couples do, but it's entirely apathetic. Park Jin Seok has the tendency to berate his wife and has a short temper when dealing with her. He does what he wants when he wants without a care for what Choi Soo Ah or his daughter thinks, which is why Park Hyo Eun ultimately gets sent away to Kuala Lumpur, where she meets and befriends Annie Seo (Park Seo Yeon).

Stoic or angry seems to be the only two emotions Park Jin Seok can portray in front of his wife. Yet, he's fully capable of turning on a hundred watt smile for everyone else.

Choi Soo Ah's close friend and fellow veteran flight attendant, Song Mi Jin (Choi Yeo Jin) is well aware of their disintegrating marriage. When a co-worker asks Song Mi Jin about Captain Park, her immediate question was, "did you sleep with him?" She didn't ask in surprise, anger, or disgust, but factually, as if it had happened before. As if it was a normal occurrence.

Seo Do Woo (Lee Sang Yoon) is an architect and a part-time university instructor. His wife, Kim Hye Won (Jang Hee Jin), works with her mother-in-law in Korean knot tying, a traditional handicraft. Unlike Park Jin Seok and Choi Soo Ah, Seo Do Woo and Kim Hye Won have a good relationship with each other. Their skinship comes comfortably and naturally, they eat breakfast together, talk warmly with each other, and are perfectly at ease.

Their daughter, Seo Eun Woo, also known as Annie Seo, lives abroad for school and enjoys her independent lifestyle so much, she refuses to go back home - even to visit. At least, that's what Seo Do Woo thinks.

What he doesn't know is that Seo Eun Woo was constantly being talked into, threatened, and verbally abused by her mother into not going home. For some reason, Kim Hye Won seems to absolutely despise her own daughter. Could it be because Seo Eun Woo is not Seo Do Woo's biological daughter? But he loves her as if she were his own, which is usually what any mother would hope for. Well, except for Kim Hye Won, apparently.

For her grandmother's birthday, Seo Eun Woo finally decides to take the plunge and go home, only to get stopped by a single phone call from her mother. Hurt, upset, and heartbroken, she meets her tragic end as she runs out of the airport and blindly into oncoming traffic.

In one instant, their lives were forever changed.

Seo Do Woo must now learn how to cope and he finds friendly comfort in Choi Soo Ah, who empathizes with his loss, and Kim Hye Won must learn to continue feigning heartbreak and guilt over her daughter's death as to not arouse suspicion that something is amiss. Regardless of how she acts or behaves, however, their daughter's death has already driven a small wedge between them.

The first thing I noticed was that the cinematography is absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful. The scenery shots are amazing and makes me want to hop on the first plane available to that very destination. But more than that, each scene at the airport is filmed with such grace and creativity.

Part of why I love airport dramas so much is the representation it offers for airports in general. It's a place filled with endless possibilities: a final end, a new beginning, or the next chapter. Hellos or goodbyes. Reunions or separations. A place of fate and destiny or a place where things can come full circle.

On the Way to the Airport fully utilizes this aspect, which strikes all the right chords with me. I love all the shots of the flight attendant's organized walk as they got off the plane. I love, even more, the scenes with the use of the escalators and the perfect combination of far away shots and close up views when it mattered.

I also love the visual of the flight attendants red uniform. That pop of vibrancy is just the needed touch of something extra to please the eyes and, I have to admit, it complements Choi Soo Ah perfectly. It's better than the neutral colors she wears on her days off.

Essentially, everything was exactly on point and I am so satisfied that this was done so exceptionally well.

The second thing I realized was that the characters are real. They're so relatable and genuine and human. There isn't a single aspect that felt over dramatic. Even Park Hyo Eun's ability to wail loudly in the blink of an eye when things don't go her way can be contributed to the normal behavior of a child. Or Seo Eun Woo's words of wisdom to her father as a sign that her years of independence has made her mature early.

Seo Do Woo's grief was so gripping and deep, I felt it in my very bones. When he sobbed, I couldn't help but sob with him. I absolutely adored the relationship he had with his daughter and it tears me apart that it was so short-lived since I would have loved to see more of their interactions.

The scene where he scatters her ashes into the Han River was so poignant and meaningful, a reflection of the last time he had seen her and she had said, "It's good to miss something. I just have to wait. I'll wait and wait and wait. Then we'll meet again. I'm full of hope." In the end, Seo Eun Woo did meet the Han River she had missed so much again... and became one with it.

On another note, it wouldn't be a Korean drama without the role of the ever loyal, ever wonderful, and ever kick ass friend. Song Mi Jin works hard, but plays harder and she's amazing. She's intense, strict, and no-nonsense by day. Flirty, fun, and a complete social butterfly by night.

As Choi Soo Ah's best friend, she has no qualms about sticking up for her wherever and whenever needed, never hesitating to cut to the chase or put others back in their place. There seems to be more to her than meets the eye though, a little bit of mystery shrouding her, since it appeared to be more than offense when her co-worker asked if she had ever messed around with a married man too. The subtle shift of her eyes hints at having hit the nail on the head, but, at this point, it's all up in the air with mere speculation.

One thing is for sure though, I can't wait to find out!

Another aspect I also loved was how calm and comfortable Seo Do Woo's newfound friendship with Choi Soo Ah was. It's like they have this level of understanding and compatibility that built up overnight and became impenetrable. A connection that just naturally falls into place. It's the kind of solace Seo Do Woo needs when it's clear that his relationship with his wife has suddenly become uncertain, tense, and fragile, in light of her odd behavior and sudden breakdowns after their daughter's death.

Pair that with Choi Soo Ah's dull, controlled, and frustrating married, I'm interested to see how their friendship progresses... and how it will become something more.

I'm not one for infidelity, even in my beloved Korean dramas, but something has me rooting for Seo Do Woo and Choi Soo Ah already. That is, as long as Choi Soo Ah is ready to leave her husband to find some true happiness first and as long as Seo Do Woo realizes what a witch his wife really is.

But that's actually what I'm really curious about. What's the backstory here? Why does Kim Hye Won hate her daughter so much that she wants to erase every trace of her? Or is she actually mourning her daughter's death as much as she rejoices in it? Does Seo Eun Woo's biological father play an important role in why her mother essentially abandons her? I hope we get to find out soon.

The pacing of the first two episodes was perfect. Enough happened to keep me hooked and entertained, surprising me that an episode had ended when it only felt like it had just begun. Yet, it didn't move at such a fast speed that the events felt rushed and left me wondering how they were going to fill the rest of the episodes with meaningful events.

I'm feeling pretty confident about this one so far and, if all continues to go well, it may be my new favorite airport drama yet! And that is truly an exciting thought!