Our drunken avengers are back for the second season of TVING Original series, Work Later, Drink Now. In this season, we watch Ahn So-hee (Lee Sun-bin), Han Ji-yeon (Han Sun-hwa), and Kang Ji-gu (Jung Eun-ji) get back to their normal lives after the struggles they had to face in season 1. They gave us funnier drunken escapades, more life lessons to remember, and lighthearted conversations over bottles of soju. Here are some of the best moments in Work Later, Drink Now season 2!
Drunken humor
The second season started with Kang Buk-gu PD-nim (Choi Si-won) going on a mission to find his missing main writer. Apparently, Ahn So-hee suddenly ditched the variety show they were working on with no proper explanation whatsoever. I find this opening narrative really clever as it serves its double purpose of reintroducing the characters and updating the viewers on what they are up to. The trio’s mountain life is hilarious, to say the least. The follow-up episodes even becomes funnier as they try to adjust back to the lives they paused for Ji-yeons’ treatment.
The friendship
So-hee, Ji-yeon, and Ji-gu’s friendship are now stronger than ever. They went through a lot in season 1 and they survived those tough times together. Most dramas that deal with friendship often show bonds formed by the years and moments spent together. But this season, they used the trio’s “togetherness” as the main conflict. As they ease back to their normal lives after isolating themselves in the mountains, the three girls slowly realize that they have been relying on each other a little too much and they have been missing out on some things because of their friendship. The build-up to this conflict is really well-written. When the series reached its pinnacle episode, all the emotional attachment I have for this friendship exploded because of the threat of a break-up between them. And friendship break-ups are sometimes more heartbreaking than romantic break-ups. Good thing, what they have is something that could survive even the harshest of confrontations. They just need some time off each other to learn and see more of the world. At the end of the day, anyway, they will always go back to each other. One of my favorite takeaways from this season is this: “Being alone after always being together made everything feel strange and scary. It was as if I had become a little kid all of a sudden. But as some time passed, I started noticing things that I didn’t get to see when we had been together. I started developing muscles that I had no need for when we had been together. And when we met up again, we had grown a lot more.”
Heartwarming moments
Aside from the comic antics in Work Later, Drink Now, what makes it a good watch are its heartwarming subplots. And in this season, it came in the form of “aftermaths.” Our girls had to deal with the question “what now?” all throughout the season and the answers they found were heart-tugging.
So-hee had to accept her mom was moving on from her father’s death. She had some growing up to do after selfishly thinking her mother should just “stop living” after her father died. Ironically, immature-looking Buk-gu PD was the one who shook some senses to her. It also led to So-hee seeing that Buk-gu was someone she could depend on.
The ever-independent Ji-gu, on the other hand, also gained some realizations this season. She made her world revolve around their friendship while struggling to figure out what she wanted to do in her life. When Ji-yeon provoked her in the latter episodes, it got more apparent that Ji-gu had been using her friends’ woes to distract herself from the internal conflict she had been escaping for a while. The answer to Ji-gu’s “what now?” isn’t as clear as So-hee’s or Ji-yeon’s but in the end, Ji-gu finally acknowledged she wouldn’t find an answer by tying herself up in one place. She’s a free-spirited person meant to explore rather than hide.
Ji-yeon, this season, was different from the Ji-yeon we saw in season 1. She’s still as bubbly and straightforward but there were scenes in this season where Ji-yeon would just stay quiet as she looked at the people around her. Meeting the Kim siblings – Kim Sun-jung (Yu In-young) and Kim Sun-kook (Joo Eo-jin) – gave her some moments to ponder. It was refreshing to see her get entangled in a platonic relationship and still enjoy it like the usual Ji-yeon.
The Romance
Although romance is only a subplot in Work Later, Drink Now, the girls’ love stories are as interesting as their night-outs. After watching them go through some hard times, I’m actually glad to see them getting their respective happy endings.
So-hee and Buk-gu finally cleared their “friends with benefits” status with So-hee realizing this wasn’t just a case of mistaking pity for love. She cares for Buk-gu and the latter cares for her too – to the point that he visited her mother while So-hee was away. They are still one chaotic couple but they have grown so much since season 1.
Ji-yeon went back from her overseas trip with three men in tow. Typical of Ji-yeon. But it is also implied that she is with Sun-kook. I think out of the men she dated, Sun-kook matched her the most. He balances her highly energetic side. Not to mention that Ji-yeon created a bond with Sun-kook’s sister, Sun-jung.
The most unexpected loveline this season is Ji-gu’s. Mr. Nice Paper/Han Woo-ju (Yoon Si-yoon) came back for this season more determined to pursue Ji-gu. He was so patient with her that even after she canceled their plans multiple times for her friends, he never wavered. Just like Ji-gu, Woo-ju was still trying to figure out what he meant to do in this world. One of the most romantic scenes, in my opinion, for this season is when Woo-ju and Ji-gu spent the whole night pouring their hearts out to each other while drinking soju. The dialogue in that scenes is beautiful and the execution feels like I was watching an arthouse romantic film. Their story’s ending – with Woo-ju and Ji-gu becoming globetrotters – is very apt for these “wandering-wondering” soulmates.
The Special Appearances
Just like in season 1, each episode became more fun with memorable cameos. Jo Yu-ri, Jo Jung-chi, and Lee Pil-mo were among those who became part of our trio’s lives this season. But among the many special participations, the cameo I enjoyed the most is Son Ho-jun’s Ahn Sung-soo aka the male version of Han Ji-yeon. His blind date with Ji-yeon was one hilarious scene to watch and I wouldn’t mind seeing him in season 3. And yes, I’m really hoping there would be a third season!
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