Misty is a JTBC drama from 2018 starring Kim Namjoo and Ji Jinhee. The drama is a thriller that tackles numerous themes ranging from marriage and workplace equality to corruption and crime. With Kim Namjoo at the helm, Misty puts a woman at the forefront and gives us a character that equally challenges and inspires us.

Synopsis

Misty follows the story of famous news anchor Go Hyeran (Kim Namjoo). Hyeran has been an anchor at JBC’s News Nine for seven years, but it appears that her time as the station’s lead anchor is about to end. The station’s director, Lee Gyuseok (Lee Geungyoung), plans to let junior anchor, Han Jiwon (Jin Kijoo), take Hyeran’s place, but Hyeran is not willing to let go of her position. She therefore offers to bring in pro golfer Kevin Lee (Go Joon) for an exclusive interview and in exchange, she gets to secure her job. Eager to get the first ever exclusive interview with Kevin Lee, Gyuseok agrees to Hyeran’s proposal.  

Unknown to anyone, Hyeran and Kevin Lee have a past together. They used to be a couple, but Hyeran left Kevin because she did not think he would be able to give her the future she wanted. Hyeran meets Kevin and his wife, Seo Eunjoo (Jeon Hyejin), a former classmate and friend of Hyeran. Hyeran takes advantage of their previous friendship and asks Eunjoo to help her get an interview with Kevin. With this, she is able to secure her job at JBC. Kevin, however, makes things complicated for Hyeran by reminding her of their past together.

Hyeran is also married to former prosecutor turned lawyer Kang Taewook (Ji Jinhee). Theirs is a complicated marriage since Taewook feels resentful toward Hyeran for aborting their child in order to keep her job. With things between them already at its worst, Kevin’s reappearance presents yet another hurdle to their relationship. That is, until Kevin dies in a mysterious car accident and lead detective Kang Kijoon (Ahn Naesang) insists on it being a murder case. He points to Hyeran as the killer, so Taewook decides to put all his effort in defending his wife. How will this situation affect their lives?  

Review

Misty is a rare drama in terms of how the story unfolds as it offers numerous surprises from beginning to end. The suspense will leave you impatient, but hopefully wanting for more as we try to solve the mystery of Kevin Lee’s murder.

Kim Namjoo as Go Hyeran is undoubtedly the most exciting thing about Misty. She confronts every situation head-on and refuses to back down in the face of adversity, no matter the status of the opponent. Having fought her way to the top, she represents the true essence of feminine strength, a truly inspiring character that every woman can look up to. When Kevin Lee’s death becomes a murder case, Hyeran is thrown into the chaos as his killer. The ensuing scandal is a threat to her position at JBC, and we expect to see her lose everything, but she proves us wrong by how she is able to overcome the battle and emerge stronger than before.

Kang Taewook presents yet another interesting character. He is dismissible at first and can only be identified as Hyeran’s good-looking husband, but he slowly takes on an important position in the drama and turns out to be the person we should all be watching out for. His support for Hyeran in the face of a scandal that threatens to end what is left of their marriage makes him an admirable husband and partner that everyone deserves to have. Instead of breaking him and Hyeran apart, the Kevin Lee scandal ends up strengthening their marriage as the two lean on each other and rekindle what was once gone. Taewook’s actions, however, leave many questions pertaining to his character but it also represents a realistic take on humans that we rarely get to see in dramas. He protects Hyeran with everything he has but refuses to compromise himself while doing so. It is easy to judge him but in the end, he is an authentic representation of what it is to be human. He epitomizes the gray area between good and bad and somehow seems to find a balance.

Misty leaves a lot of questions unanswered in the end, but this presents an opportunity to ponder more on values pertaining to life, work, and the overall decisions that we make. Misty writer Kim Jaein gives us a wholesome story with well-rounded characters who make us see beyond the surface and look past the obvious in a murky situation.