Review: ‘Happiness’ – Episode 1 & 2 (The Beginning)

On November 5, tvN’s highly anticipated drama ‘HAPPINESS’ finally premiered. The drama stars Park Hyung Sik as Detective Jung Yi Hyun and Han Hyo Joo as Yoon Sae Bom, Corporal of Seoul Police Special Operations Unit.

‘Happiness’ is an apocalyptic thriller that takes place at a high rise apartment. The building is abandoned due to the spread of a new infectious disease that emerged in the city which causes the infected person to suffer from an insatiable thirst for blood. The drama depicts the apartment residents’ distrust and fear, the psychological battles and class discrimination within the closed-off building. 

 

EPISODE 1

Do You Want To Be My Girlfriend?

The first episode unfolds with the iconic first meeting between the two leads during their teenage years. Jung Yi Hyun, a baseball player rests at the school rooftop to relieve his frustration after having to give up his baseball dreams due to an injury. However, the police are called up by the school management because they think that he is going to commit suicide. Yoon Sae Bom, who is also stuck with Yi Hyun on the rooftop, hops to the edge to complain but unexpectedly pushes him off into the inflatable safety mat. Due to the incident, Yi Hyun instantly falls for Sae Bom and asks her out for a date.

Insatiable Thirst For Blood

After 12 years, Sae Bom works as a Corporal of SOU and Yi Hyun as Detective. Yi Hyun in baseball uniform arrives at the motel murder scene where the manager is brutally murdered. While investigating. Yi Hyun finds the killer covered with blood and drugged. Due to his insatiable thirst, the killer had sucked the blood of the victim.

Yi Hyun gives Sae Bom more information about this case as the culprit mentions getting drugs from SOU’s newbie Jong Tae. Soon, Sae Bom and Seung Young find Jong Tae chomping on an officer and the place is covered with blood. His eyes turn cloudy and he acts like a wild beast yearning for blood to quench his thirst. After knocking Jong Tae down, Sae Bom leaves to clean the blood on her. Later, she notices a nail scratch mark on her hand. Lieutenant Colonel Han Tae Seok informs that Jong Tae is affected by infectious disease and therefore Sae Bom must also be quarantined.

The No-Way Out 

Sae Bom is taken to Wonjung University, which is currently being used as a confidential military dorm for the blood test. Yi-Hyun updates the murder case to Han Tae Seok. However, seeing the connection between the two cases, he tries to search the motel for more clues and finds a pneumonia pill that had failed medical trials due to side effects.

Yi Hyun checks the pharmaceutical database. Meanwhile, at the dorm, Sae Bom is examined and tested. She wonders if she’ll become like Jong Tae and describes his appearance when he got infected. Tae Seok denies the theory of pills and says Jong Tae is recovering well. She is locked in a room from where she is able to hear screeching and banging coming from the nearby rooms. Every dorm is occupied by infected people.

Confession Is Just A Joke

Sae Bom is tested negative and is the first to have antibodies to the virus. Yi Hyun finds that the pill was developed due to COVID-19 and has nothing to do with this case. Sae Bom spots Jong Tae strapped to a muzzle-like shield and locked in a room. She asks if he’s okay and then about the incident. He goes non-responsive and pounces on her. The soldiers rescue her and electrocute his neck to control him.

Tae Seok explains that the conditions of the infected people are slow heart rate, fast healing, and inability to feel pain. Sae Bom is also asked to undergo blood tests for a couple more weeks. Sae Bom agrees on the condition that she has to get the highest evaluation so that she can get a unit. Tae Seok can’t deny it as her records are strong, however, she lacks marital status. Yi Hyun visits the dorm to handle the pills to Tae Seok and check on Sae Bom. To seal her ultimate dream of owning a place, she asks Yi Hyun to marry her. He recalls their high school moments and sighs that his confession was just a joke.

EPISODE 2

Mysterious Pills

Episode two unfolds with the infection spreading in the homeless shelter. Many were found dead and the pills ‘NEXT’ are found scattered everywhere. Seung Young informs Sae Bom that a reporter has offered money in exchange for disclosing information about the quarantined dorm. However, Sae Bom refuses since she has signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and is also on 6 months paid leave. Meanwhile, Officer Jung Kook congratulates and shares the background check on Tae Seok, revealing that he’s an infectious disease expert and returned to the military to serve in the Central Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters.

Seyangsoop Le Ceil Apartment

Yi Hyun seals the deal of marrying Sae Bom and both move to the Seyangsoop Le Ceil Apartment. Sae Bom is surprised to see their photo taken during high school. While Yi Hyun continues unpacking, Sae Bom goes to promote the rice cakes made by Jung Kook’s wife. She gives it to Park Seo Yoon, a little girl next door. She also stops by lawyer Gook Hae Sung house, but he throws it away because he does not trust food from strangers. She hears a strange noise from Unit 601 and has an icy encounter with Park Min Ji and her husband Oh Joo Hyung. Sae Bom constantly hears a strange noise from their house. Sae Bom confronts Joo Hyung but he replies he was moving the furniture and apologizes saying that it won’t happen again.

Mission To Catch The Drug Dealer

Yi Hyun heads out and meets Tae Seok in the lobby. He informs Yi Hyun that the government will announce ‘Next’ as illegal goods and hereafter both will be working together to arrest the pill dealer. Yi Hyun disguises himself as Jong Tae to catch the drug dealer at the car wash.

He knocks down three of the dealers and asks about the drug. When he opens the trunk, an affected person who acts as a guard dog pounces on him. The person gets shot by Tae Seok who recalls a woman chained in the hospital bed with the same condition.

Refrigerator Trucks – Patients Home

Seung Young ends up cutting his wrist and lies to Sae Bom that he got scratched. She drives him to the quarantine site and assures him he’ll be fine. After being examined by Ji Soo, Seung Young escapes from the place. He convinces himself everything will be fine and teams up with the reporter to make some money. Seung Young sneaks around the campus and hides in refrigerator trucks, which are the home for the critical patients. He calls the reporter to deposit 100 million won upon receiving his exclusive video clip. He gets locked while recording the patients and wakes them up. He calls Sae Bom to tell her that the patients are no more humans and the line gets disconnected. When Ji Soo orders the soldiers to open the truck, Sae Bom stops them mid way.

All the patients try to crash out and Sae Bom sees Seung Young’s eyes go white. The episode ends with a growling sound by Seung Young.

Verdict 

If you are a fan of thriller dramas and you’re searching for a good one to vibe along with, then you must add ‘Happiness’ to your watchlist! The first two episodes have already aroused curiosity among the audience and made them love it.

Why you should watch it?

The series contains a suspense storyline and a mysterious plot. It shows how miserable life can turn when a new disease spreads. The zombie characters are sketched out well than mere fantasy thrillers. It points out the struggles people face due to class discrimination. The series is also the highly anticipated comeback of Park Hyung Sik and Han Hyo Joo.

Haven’t watched Happiness yet? Then you are missing out on a good series! Do watch and share your thoughts with us.

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Written By Keerthana