[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Lost" Episode 1

The literal Korean title for "Lost" reads as human disqualification. The peculiar title is explained late in the first episode, when writer Boo-jeong (played by Jeon Do-yeon) unloads to her elderly father Chang-sook (played by Park In-hwan) about how she feels like a failure in life. Boo-jeong is in her forties and feels like she has nothing to show for it. The worst of it is, Boo-jeong has no strong emotions about life one way or another. She just feels emptiness for a lost sense of self. Consequently, she feels unqualified to be human.

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On a parallel path, Kang-jae (played by Ryu Jun-yeol) is a young man who works as an escort- not necessarily in a sexual manner, but his life of deliberate objectification appears to be sending him on a similar destiny. Kang-jae pretends to care about the social complications suffered by his clients. But in reality, Kang-jae feels little beyond constant emptiness. The disturbing news that a close acquaintance committed suicide is unnerving mainly because Kang-jae has surprisingly little reaction to it.

"Lost" is an intense and moody story about guarded characters. The pacing is deliberately slow, and a bit unsettling because we mostly see Boo-jeong and Chang-sook through their family, in Boo-jeong's case, and acquaintances, in Chang-sook's case. It doesn't really feel accurate to describe anyone they know as being friends. Neither Boo-jeong nor Chang-sook have anyone they can truly open their hearts too.

It's strongly implied, for example, that the only reason Boo-jeong is able to tearfully explain her precarious mental situation to her father at all is because he's borderline senile, and probably won't remember the conversation at all later. Boo-jeong and Chang-sook both don't especially like talking about their problems with the people they do know, because they're both seen as people who have their lives together. They need to be steady if only to help others guard against their bleakness.

"Lost" is shaping up to be a deconstruction of the strong, silent type- and what they talk about when not being so strong and silent. The first episode sets that dynamic up, with only the vague promise of further interaction between Boo-jeong and Kang-jae being hinted at through the truly passive-aggressive device of the expensive handkerchief. As both Boo-jeong and Kang-jae are used to being approached and being talked to, it's a change for them to more proactively express an interest in other people, rather than just passively listening to their worries.

Review by William Schwartz

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"Lost" is directed by Heo Jin-ho, Park Hong-soo, written by Kim Ji-hye, and features Ryu Jun-yeol, Jeon Do-yeon, Park Byung-eun, Kim Hyo-jin, Park In-hwan, Shin Shin-ae. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2021/09/04~Now airing, Sat, Sun 22:30 on jTBC.