Episode 2 continues to mix realism and symbolism. While the first episode set the tone and we saw the internal struggles of Dong-man and Eun-a, this episode seems to thrive on quiet moments and pain that is unspoken.
We Are All Trying Here Episode 2 Review has a runtime of 65 minutes.
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We Are All Trying Here Netflix Cast
Koo Kyo-hwan, Go Youn-jung, Oh Jung-se, Kang Mal-geum, Park Hae-joon, Bae Jong-ok
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We Are All Trying Here Kdrama Director
Cha Young-hoon
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We Are All Trying Here Series Screenwriter
Park Hae-young
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Original Title
모두가 자신의 무가치함과 싸우고 있다, Everyone Is Fighting Against Their Own Worthlessness
We Are All Trying Here Episode 2 Review
Quick Recap
We see a flashback revealing how aggressive Dong-man was and how he attacked Dong-hyun. However, he didn’t actually hurt Dong-hyun, but the latter injured himself by falling onto the table. This reveals the episode’s main core, that is, things are not always what they seem. Dong-man’s emotional vulnerability remains the same. He is still hurt by Dong-hyun’s words, and so he isolates himself.
Dong-man even screams his own name from a cliff, showing how internally he is messed up. Eun-a seems to hear Dong-man in her sleep, and it shows their emotional connection. As the episode goes on, Eun-a finds Dong-man’s script and tries to work on it so she could make him pursue his dream.
At the bar, Hye-jin is disturbed by Dong-man’s presence and even confronts him about it. She tells him that he drains and asks him to stay away from her. She also puts a sign in her bar that ultimately bans Dong-man from entering. Meanwhile, Eun-a’s struggles are seen. She faces mockery at work, suffers a nosebleed and even hears her colleagues gossiping about her. At the clinic, when they ask about her condition, she calls it self-destruction, showing how much anger and despair she’s going through.
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We see Jin-man and Dong-man’s sibling bond as well. Interestingly, Dong-man later reveals that his injuries were fake, adding another layer to his character’s complex nature. The episode ends on a softer note. Eun-a gives Dong-man a lunch box at the railway crossing, and his pure, childlike joy is something to cherish.
Themes
More of isolation and self-perception is explored in this episode. Both Dong-man and Eun-a are going through hard times, but in two different ways. Dong-man’s pain is shown very externally, let’s say his random outbursts, him screaming and his impulsive actions. Meanwhile, Eun-a is someone who internally cries and mourns, which eventually consumes her.
Dong-man’s behaviour shows how lonely he feels, and he wants attention. Him faking his injuries and constantly lashing out, shows his need for warmth. Whilst Eun-a’s self-destruction habit shows she just wants to be alone and destroy herself.
Performances
The performances in this episode are quietly powerful. Koo Kyo-hwan has done really well as Dong-man, delivering a great performance. He captures the character’s rough behaviour and the inner child traits. From being an aggressive guy to smiling like a child when he got the lunch box, Kyo-hwan has really captured the personality well.
Go Youn-jung has also equally performed well in a much subtler way. Given Eun-a’s character is all about a woman who keeps her tough times to herself, Youn-jung seems to capture it promisingly. Her detached response at the clinic really strikes a chord, showing Youn-jung’s accurate representation of emotional withdrawal.
Direction
The direction is focused on the mood and atmosphere. Good pacing, and it works well with the show’s premise. We get to see the struggles of the lead and the way they’ve colour graded the episode, which shows the differences in their emotions. The silence is also powerful, meaning dialogues aren’t needed to emphasise a painful event.
The cliff scene and the clinic scene really stand out. The bar is also a key part of the show, showing how people’s mental health can be messed up and not respected.
However, the storytelling can feel slightly broken at times. The transitions between past and present, as well as between different character arcs, aren’t always smooth. But it’s not that terrible, as it still feels they’re trying to show the contrast between reality and illusion.
Cons
Every series has its flaws, and so does this. Though the pacing of the episode builds the atmosphere well, it does feel slow for some viewers. Some scenes tend to linger long when it can be shortened. The narrative is also an issue. We see Dong-man’s fake injury plot, but it wasn’t explored much. The scene feels half-baked.
The vibe between Dong-man and Eun-a seems fresh, but it is underdeveloped. Very importantly, the episode’s focus on mental health can become overwhelming to handle.
Wrap Up
Episode 2 of We Are All Trying Here is deeply focused on mental health. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s a meaningful one. Through Dong-man and Eun-a, the episode explores themes of pain, perception, and self-destruction with honesty and nuance.
The final scene, with Dong-man’s simple joy at receiving a lunch box, serves as a gentle reminder that even in the midst of chaos, small acts of kindness can still make a difference.
Ultimately, this episode doesn’t try to provide answers. Instead, it invites viewers to sit with its characters’ struggles. Let’s wait and see what happens next.
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