Two former best friends, burnt out from their fast-paced careers in Seoul, return to their hometown—and crash right into their past. Along with dusty memories and unresolved feelings, they also face an unflinching mirror: the comfort and chaos alcohol has brought into their lives.
Will the reunion help them rediscover purpose and confront long-held questions and unexpressed emotions?
abbyinhallyuland watches Second Shot at Love on Viu
Opening Week Rating: 
Second Shot at Love Opening Week Story
Han Geum-ju (Choi Sooyoung) is crushing it at work as a senior mechanical engineer. But her personal life? Not so much. Just before tying the knot, she learns her fiancé has been unfaithful—and has a baby on the way with another woman. Instead of confronting him immediately, she drowns her heartbreak in alcohol. When she finally meets him the next day, she calls off the wedding with brutal finality, using her drinking as both a shield and a sword.
Her mom, visiting from their small town, catches wind of the breakup and whisks Geum-ju back home. Geum-ju asks for a work sabbatical, only to be denied a swift return. As if things couldn’t get more embarrassing, word of her “boozy breakdown” spreads through the gossip-hungry town.
To top it all off, she reunites with Seo Ui-jun (Gong Myung), her high school friend—and maybe more. Their rekindling begins awkwardly, especially after she accidentally injures him with her car. Now guilt-ridden, she drives him to his medical house calls, learning that he, too, might be nursing wounds from a painful breakup. While Ui-jun seems calm and collected, rumors swirl—one even implying he left a top Seoul hospital due to a tragic incident.
Adding fuel to the fire, Geum-ju’s mom orchestrates an alcohol ban with the local shopkeepers, effectively cutting off the town’s booze supply to her family. This includes Geum-ju, her father, and her equally alcohol-loving sister.
Despite the ban, Geum-ju can’t stay away from alcohol—or unresolved emotions. A usual driver duty with Ui-jun turns into a hasty trip to Seoul, a confrontation with her cheating ex, and another spiral into intoxication. Ui-jun finds her wasted, and clearly, he’s not amused.
Little does Geum-ju know—Ui-jun hasn’t kicked his own drinking habit either. Inside his fridge are bottles of alcohol. While the rumor about him is not true, another rumor of him inadvertently killing someone seems to be the reason why he left the big hospital in Seoul.
Second Shot at Love Opening Week Musings
Second Shot at Love starts with familiar beats: a hometown reunion, career burnout, a failed engagement, and the slow burn of reconnecting with a past love. It aims to explore the emotional toll of high-pressure careers—and how alcohol becomes both an escape and a crutch.
While the themes have potential, the execution in the premiere week lacks spark. It doesn’t deliver any real emotional gut-punches or fresh narrative hooks. So far, it feels more like a mild hangover than a heady love story.
Still, there’s room for growth. If the drama can dig deeper into its commentary on emotional isolation and substance dependence—especially among overworked professionals—it might find a voice worth listening to. For now, though, “Second Shot at Love” needs a stronger pour to keep us coming back for more.
Second Shot at Love streams on Viu.
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