Throughout 2020, I found myself developing stronger and more frequent emotional connections to TV shows and movies than I typically do. Forming a bond with a TV show is nothing new to me, but I certainly experienced it at a new level this year. There were the shows that I just could not let go of, so I went back and rewatched the final episode once or twice (or thrice). There were also shows that left me so affected that I sought out blogs, YouTube videos, and Twitter feeds where others were expressing the same feelings I had. Even as an anonymous fly on the wall, it was nice to be a part of a conversation where others “got me” and shared my love for whatever it was I had just watched.
However, despite all the emotional bonds I developed, I can truly say there was one show I viewed this past year that captured my heart more than any other …
Crash Landing On You (CLOY). CLOY is a Korean comedy-drama that’s essentially a modern-day Romeo & Juliet—set against the backdrop of the current geopolitical climate of the Korean Peninsula. It’s about a young, wealthy South Korean businesswoman who gets caught in a bad storm while paragliding and ends up in North Korea, where she’s found by a North Korean army officer who helps to hide her.
This fictional show has everything you could ever want: laugh-out-loud comedy, tear-jerker moments, heroes and villains, sibling rivalries, great friendships, and every romantic movie cliche you can think of. There was just so much I loved about this show. The acting was great, it had such heart, and all the characters, not just the leads, were given a chance to shine. On an emotional level, I became so absorbed in the CLOY world and wanted to be there to personally experience or be a part of the characters’ stories. And from an entertainment perspective, the show made me laugh, made me cry, and always left me wanting more. I was constantly looking forward to when I could turn the TV back on to continue watching it. And I’ll add that the show got better as it went on, which says a lot because I (and other viewers as well from what I’ve read) was hooked from early on in the first episode.
If you haven’t viewed it yet, I highly recommend it. It currently has an audience score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.7 on IMDb. It’s a single-season series with 16 episodes and is available in the U.S. on Netflix. The episodes are rather long (generally between 70 and 110 minutes each), so it’s kind of like watching a bunch of mini movies. If you check it out, do come back and tell me what you think. (Feel free to post your comments anonymously, it’s all good.) Enjoy!
(Note: In the spirit of Crash Landing on You, this particular post is intended to be light and entertaining, but it is in no way intended to trivialize the humanitarian crisis in North Korea.)