‘Work Now, Drink Later’ season two review: a heartfelt new chapter of chaotic friendships and soju shots

When most avid Korean drama viewers think of Work Now, Drink Later, a specific scene comes to mind: Three best friends sit around a table in a packed neighbourhood pub, half-empty green bottles of soju, beer cans and numerous shot glasses strewn across the table’s surface. But it’s not the liver-threatening amounts of alcohol consumed that is most memorable about this series. Rather, it’s how these three different women, whose lives lean in different directions, gather to form a magnificent friendship and support system for each other.

Work Now, Drink Later’s long-awaited second season retains the aspects fans loved about its first – the refreshingly candid representation of messy, unpretentious, hilarious female camaraderie – while spinning an entirely new chapter of our main trio’s journeys. Lee Sun-bin returns as Ahn So-hee, a broadcast writer with workaholic tendencies; Han Sun-hwa as yoga instructor Han Ji-yeon, who at the end of season one was diagnosed with breast cancer; Jung Eun-ji as Kang Ji-goo, a YouTuber.

Following the events of season one, season two reveals that Ji-yeon opened up to her best friends about her desire to live life one last time before chemotherapy threatens to take that away from her. So, they embark on a week-long adventure ticking things off her bucket list, from paragliding to (even more) drinking. After finding out that Ji-yeon’s tumour actually shrank after their reckless escapade, the trio decide to dig even deeper into this alternative – to say the least – approach to treating Ji-yeon. They set off into the woods together, living in a cabin they built themselves for an entire year. Once they return to the hospital for her check-up, the doctor assures Ji-yeon of a positive prognosis, meaning she can hold off on treatment before she’s due to check back in the following year.

The subsequent readjustment to (capitalist) society after such a prolonged period in isolation is a learning curve for all three ladies. So-hee is extremely behind on the latest entertainment trends, which is detrimental to her work as a screenwriter, while the responsibility of being the household breadwinner is thrust upon Ji-goo’s shoulders. Ji-yeon finds a new job as an instructor at a yoga centre but is faced with a superior who is especially hard to please. In true Work Now, Drink Later fashion, our trio reunites at the very end of their hard day and has a round of drinks to wind down.

Much like the first season, the electric on-screen chemistry between our three leading ladies – Lee, Han and Jung – is the bread and butter of Work Now, Drink Later 2. The playful jabs, side-splitting laughs and their heart-warming rapport is felt so vividly through the screen; the three actresses’ depiction of an unwavering friendship is bound to resonate in some capacity with each and every viewer. While their friendship is at the heart of the series, none of them is defined by their relationship with each other. In this realistic portrayal of women in their thirties trying to grapple with life, each character iscomplex with much left to unravel and discover on her own, but they are better when they come together. Women-centred friendships are relatively scarce in the realm of Korean dramas, where overarching romances or men in action usually occupy the spotlight, so to see Work Now, Drink Later’s charming second season continuing to explore this premise is a relief.

Only four episodes are out so far but Work Now, Drink Later season two has already found its groove and settled in. It returns to the familiar blithe tone viewers loved from the first season while offering a change of pace to our protagonists’ lives. While watching season one – where much of the characters’ personalities, backgrounds and motivations were established – is a recommended prerequisite to this new season, it isn’t compulsory viewing. Much like the first season, Work Now, Drink Later 2 carefully and astutely balances the humour and the more sincere and emotional aspects of the plot – that’s something new viewers don’t need to watch a full prior season to grasp or enjoy.

Work Now, Drink Later 2 isn’t flawless, though, what with tacky and arguably unnecessary CGI, confusing narrative beats, and a criticism that carries over from the first season: its romanticism of alcoholism. So far, though, Work Now, Drink Later 2 is unfolding to become a heartfelt second chapter premised on platonic love, trust – and unbridled chaos.

Work Now, Drink Later airs two new episodes every Friday on TVING and every Saturday on tvN Asia.

The post ‘Work Now, Drink Later’ season two review: a heartfelt new chapter of chaotic friendships and soju shots appeared first on NME.