Despite being a high-budget production with over 50 billion KRW in production costs, “When the Stars Gossip”, which wrapped up with a mere 2% viewership rating, gained attention only after its finale
The 16-episode tvN Saturday-Sunday drama “When the Stars Gossip”, which concluded on Feb 23rd, ranked No.1 in the “Today’s Netflix Ranking” on the integrated OTT content search platform KinoLights on Feb 26th.
Filmed over a year from 2022 to last year, “When the Stars Gossip” had a five-year preparation period and a production cost exceeding 50 billion KRW, making it a large-scale project. However, it failed to meet expectations in terms of production scale and ended with a “disastrous ending”. Its viewership ratings remained unimpressive throughout, starting at 3.3% for the first episode and ending at 2.6% for the final episode.
Yet, on Feb 26th, the drama claimed the No.1 spot on KinoLights’ “Today’s Netflix Ranking”, surpassing strong competitors such as “Melo Movie”, “The Witch” and “The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call”. The ranking for this day included: 2nd place – Melo Movie, 3rd – The Witch, 4th – Secret: Untold Melody, 5th – The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call, 6th – Love in the Big City, 7th – Doctor John, 8th – Lim Young-woong: I’m Hero the Stadium, 9th – Solo Leveling, 10th – You Will Die in 6 Hours, 11th – Love Scout, 12th – The Tale of Lady Ok.
“When the Stars Gossip” is an SF romantic comedy set on a space station 400 km above Earth. OB-GYN doctor Gong Ryong (Lee Min-ho) embarks on a secret mission for the chairman of MZ Group and visits the space station as a space tourist. There, he meets the perfectionist commander Eve Kim (Gong Hyo-jin) and falls in love. The drama also features characters with strong personalities such as fruit fly research scientist Kang Kang-su (Oh Jung-se), twin sisters Mina Lee and Dona Lee (Lee Cho-hee) and space scientist Lee Seung-joon (Heo Nam-jun), drawing attention.
However, from the beginning, the drama faced criticism for its convoluted setting and scenes. The final episode on Feb 23rd further shocked viewers with an unexpected and bizarre turn of events. It depicted Eve Kim giving birth to the first human baby in space but dying two days later due to a fractured pelvis, despite delivering a healthy daughter.
The storyline following her death also left viewers unsatisfied. Gong Ryong, despite warnings about “fatal risks of organ damage, muscle loss and eye deterioration”, stubbornly insisted on returning to Earth with their daughter. The ending implied that he had suffered disability as he appeared in a wheelchair. Adding to the confusion, a cryptic monologue was included, “Byeol (the daughter) was born here, and Eve lived one more day. She kissed Byeol’s soles a hundred times in that single day. That day felt so long. Eve did so much in that one day. Space became both a tomb and a womb.”
Due to this abrupt development, what should have been an emotionally resonant tragic ending instead became an “awkwardly tragic ending”.
Despite the controversy, the actors expressed deep affection for the project after its conclusion. Leading actress Gong Hyo-jin reflected, “Among all the works I’ve done, this was the most difficult and longest. Since it was my first pre-produced drama, the emotions I felt during filming were new and unfamiliar. However, it was an unforgettable experience in many ways. Just seeing it finally released after such a long filming and post-production period makes me feel like I’ve accomplished everything I wished for.”
Kim Joo-hun, who played veteran astronaut Park Dong-ah and had passionate romance scenes with Gong Hyo-jin in the early episodes, said, “Like every project I’ve been part of, ‘When the Stars Gossip’ was a work that brought me new experiences and lessons. I hope it was an enjoyable drama for everyone. Thank you for watching.”
Han Ji-eun, who portrayed Gong Ryong’s fiancée Choi Go-eun, also shared, “It’s sad to let go of Go-eun, who stayed with me for so long. I hope our drama served as a place of comfort and inspiration in viewers’ daily lives. Thank you to everyone who waited for and supported Go-eun throughout this long journey.”
Meanwhile, the drama’s successor, “The Potato Lab”, is set to air starting on March 1st. Set in a mountain valley at a potato research center, “The Potato Lab” is about a woman named Kim Mi-kyung, a potato-crazy researcher who is starting a fresh life again, and So Baek-ho, who energizes her fighting spirit. The show will air every Saturday and Sunday at 9:20 PM, starring Lee Sun-bin, Kang Tae-oh, Lee Hak-joo, Kim Ga-eun, Shin Hyun-seung and Yoo Seung-mok.