Thorn Birds Episode 1 Summary – A Brief Introduction

Despite all the critics about Thorn Birds, I decided to give myself a try to watch it. And you know what, the critics do tell the right things. This drama is just too easy to read. It has all the drama cliches: the old pal turn to be arch villain kind of thing, the unsuccessful first date of the first love who turn to be future lovers, the complicated family issues such as mother resentments…Ohh, gee…you know what, all mothers in this drama have the same issue: they all resent their children! 

But let’s just see what we have here in the first episode.

The story began with a woman in an audition for a role. Her name is Seo Jeong Eun. She’s 31 and trying to get her old career back. She left the spot light for 7 years, and the audition was her first come back to the industry. Meanwhile, another woman was watching her from a far. She has a fierce look. I couldn’t describe the emotion she showed through her eyes, but I didn’t think it’s something good.Her name is Han Yoo Gyeong. And I bet she knew Seo Jeong Eun personally.

One of the audition team then came in rush to this man, Lee Yeong Jo. He seemed to know both Han Yoo Gyeong and Seo Jeong Eun. The report told him that both women were having a meeting. And from his firm expression, I didn’t think that’s a good news.

Both women sat together. Yoo Gyeong seemed pretty confident, while Jeong Eun was trembling on her chair. She failed to answer the director’s question about her dissapearance 7 years ago and the reason she came back again. And Yoo Gyeong asked her the same thing. I was pretty sure these women knew each other well. They could have been friends in the past.

Yoo Gyeong asked, “How are you doing? And how’s that kid?”

Jeong Eun’s shaking was worse hearing the last question. “That kid?” she asked as if it was an offense. “Yes, that kid,” Yoo Gyeong firmly replied.

Jeong Eun left the office still in trembling condition. Lee Yeong Jo saw her from down stairs with a worry look on his face, while Yoo Gyeong…she seemed to be content about the meeting.

I suspected a love triagle among them.

So then the story went back to the childhood era of the two women. Seo Jeong Eun was a child raised in an orphanage. Yoo Gyeong was her school friend. She helped Jeong Eun to find information about her birth mother.They both very determine. They got caught by the orphanage principal for breaking up the classified files and Yoo Gyeong taped Jeong Eun’s video for her mom.

Jeong Eun’s desire was to be a famous star. She thought if she became famous, her mother would see her and want her back. Yoo Gyeong said she’d probably be a director in the future.

Seo Jeong Eun met this oppa (Lee Young Jo) in an incident. He was having a fight with this bad guy who claimed to be his brother. But Jeong Eun ‘saved’ him from the bad guy, but the boy seemed to be cold and sent her away.

The girls were almost hit by a car. And they’re just very surprised knowing whose car that was. A legendary actress, Lee Ae Rin, came out of it and asked if they’re okay. Seo Jeong Eun was a big fan of her. She’d been keeping her old photograph and pretend that photo was a picture of her mother. She asked for an authograph before the star continued her way.

Lee Ae Rin was “elegantly begging” a wealthy old man to save her business. He seemed to be her father. She asked him to buy her movie company that’s going to bankruptcy. The man was Young Jo’s grandfather. Lee Ae Rin’s big mouthed manager slipped his tongue by telling Young Jo that her birth mom was still alive. He asked for the clarification from his granddad, but this man told him to stop his curiosity. He then ran to ask for a further confirmation to Ae Rin and then found out that his mom being alive was true and he had an older brother (his mom was a widow before marrying his dad). He recalled the bad guy from that night.

So he looked for the guy and fought with him. At the police office he asked to meet that guy’s mother.

And so there was, the mom. She came, but she refuse to take him as her son. They sat and talked, but the mother said to Young Jo to forget about this moment and to pretend they never met. She had her reason to do so.

Jeong Eun, who’s also at the police office to find out about her mom, accidentally saw the event.

Unfortunately, Jeong Eun had the same problem. Her mother refused to be contacted by her. She wept at the police office. And Young Jo found out that they had the same problem. So he asked her out to have dinner together. The two became close and before they’re parted, Young Jo asked her for a date on thursday at five. They’d meet again on that time to watch the movie together.

Spending the evening with Young Jo, Jeong Eun had forgotten that she had an appointment with Yoo Gyeong, who was bullied by three young bad guys. Thankfully Jeong Eun saved her, but Yoo Gyeong got her hand injured. They went to Yoo Gyeong’s place and found another surprise. Yoo Gyeong’s mom wasn’t actually her real mother and she had a financial problem so she’s about to kick her out. She’s on the phone with Yoo Gyeong’s dad when both girls came and overheard the conversation. Yoo Gyeong sent Jeong Eun away.

The next day at school, Yoo Gyeong found out there’s a bad rumour about her regarding the incident with the three bad guys. A couple of girls from her school saw the scene and turned out to spread a false story. Yoo Gyeong misunderstood the situation and blame Jeong Eun for it. So here their friendship started to crack.

Jeong Eun forgot her appointment with Young Jo that thursday evening. She’s late and Young Jo had gone. They never met again because that boy had to study abroad…

And then the scene jumped to the next 10 years…The pretty grown up Jeong Eun stepped into this particular office. She’s meeting the grown up Young Jo. She was there on behalf of other woman. When Jeong Eun asked did he knew the woman and Young Jo just asked her back casually, “Why?” Jeong Eun gave him a hard slap on the face. And coincidently, at the same lobby…Han Yoo Gyeong was there. She heard the name Seo Jeong Eun and turned around…and saw the scene before her eyes.

I really doubt this drama will be interesting. The premise is too cheesy in my opinion. Well… I’m taking a look at other dramas too.