Drama “When the Phone Rings” Receives Strong Response in First Episode, Shows Signs of Top Ratings
The drama, which begins with a threatening phone call, explores the strained relationship of a couple, Baek Sa-eon (Yoo Yeon-seok) and Hong Hee-joo (Chae Soo-bin), in their third year of a political marriage, blending romance and thriller elements.
The first episode recorded a viewership rating of 5.5% nationwide and 5.4% in the capital area (Nielsen Korea, based on household ratings), with a peak rating of 6.1%.
What Is “When the Phone Rings” About?
“When the Phone Rings” is the follow-up drama to the recently popular “Doubt”. It is a romantic thriller that deviates from typical romance dramas by focusing on a marriage between a couple involved in a political arrangement, which starts with a threatening phone call.
Based on the novel of the same name, the drama stars Yoo Yeon-seok, Chae Soo-bin, Heo Nam-jun, Jang Gyu-ri, Yoo Seong-joo, Chu Sang-mi, and Jeong Ji-hwan.
Key Plot of the First Episode
The first episode depicted the disconnected daily life of Baek Sa-eon and Hong Hee-joo, a couple in their third year of a political marriage. Hee-joo is on an assignment at a broadcasting station, while Sa-eon works as a presidential spokesperson. Both focus on their professional roles, leading to a lack of emotional connection as a married couple.
Things take a turn when Hee-joo is kidnapped, and the kidnapper calls Sa-eon to threaten him. Initially dismissing it as a scam, Sa-eon remains indifferent. Hee-joo, furious, later uses the threat to turn the tables on him, beginning a counterattack.
The couple’s growing conflict raised curiosity about what would happen next.
Viewer Reactions to the First Episode
After the premiere, viewers flooded SNS and Naver Open Talk with praise, “The original novel was also great,” “I haven’t seen a drama like this in a while, and I love it,” “Can’t wait for the next episode,” “Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin both did an amazing job,” “I loved ‘Doubt’ too, and I’m definitely sticking with this one.”
“When the Phone Rings” captivated viewers with its unique premise of a threatening phone call and the dramatic unraveling of a political marriage, leaving them eager for more.
The second episode of MBC’s “When the Phone Rings” airs on November 23 at 9:50 PM (KST).
Source: Wikitree
