In the season 1 finale of “Queen of Tears,” i.e., episodes 15 & 16, we witness redemption. Hyun-woo has escaped death twice; each time, it was for Hae-in. Eun-seong has become an obsessive person with psychotic rages as nothing is going as per his plan. Eun-seong’s only hope is Hae-in’s love. Seul Hee’s dramatic side is revealed along with her inhuman nature. Hong’s family is where they always belonged. Hyun-woo’s and Hong’s families have nothing but affection and love towards one another.
This article contains spoilers.
Queen of Tears Episode 15 Recap:
The episode begins with Eun-seong finding Hae-in’s diary she had given Hyun-woo before the surgery. Eun-seong reads the content. She is unhappy and throws it in a fire. Unfortunately for Eun-seong, it starts snowing, and the diary is not ruined. Meanwhile, the hospital staff is confused by Eun-seong’s claims of being Hae-in’s fiancé.
Eun-seong’s lies
Hae-in cannot remember anything, and Eun-seong takes advantage of her situation. He tells Hae-in that her ex-husband stalked and followed her to Germany. Eun-seong also mentions that Hyun-woo tried to persuade Hae-in to change her will before the surgery. Eun-seong tries to gain Hae-in’s sympathy by saying that they got into an accident before the surgery. Thankfully, nobody was hurt, and he tried to break the car window with his bare hands and, in the process, hurt himself. Hyun-woo was responsible for causing the accident. Eun-seong also says Hyun-woo had an affair and wanted to divorce her, and Hae-in tried to kill herself because of that.
The police question Hyu-woo about the murder, and he denies murdering Mr.Pyeon. Hae-in remembers something in her dreams about the time the cars almost hit her after finding out about the divorce papers. Hae-in and Eun-seong flew to South Korea, and Eun-seong was prepared for what would come. Subsequently, Hae-in is cold towards her family, as Eun-seong had informed Hae-in prior, saying her family would lie about him taking over the Queens Group and that Hae-in didn’t have a good relationship with her family. Hae-in believes Eun-seong over any of them. Eun-seong also convinced Hae-in to marry him. Additionally, Eun-seong discovers Seul-Hee’s involvement in the German accident, and she threatens him by saying that Hae-in’s life will continue to be in danger if Hae-in is by his side. Eun-seong threatens to publish the video of her poisoning Man Dae.
Hae-in meets Hyun-woo
Hae-in visits Hyun-woo in prison. She believes in Eun-seong’s lies and is cold towards Hyun-woo. He tries to tell Hae-in not to listen to Eun-seong, but she doesn’t care to listen. Hyun-woo also worries about her, and Hae-in feels emotions she cannot understand. Returning to work, the employees thank Hae-in, whom she has helped in the past. Hae-in meets Secretary Na, but she can’t reveal anything because of the NDA the staff had to sign. Eun-seong asks someone to plant a tracker in Hae-in’s car. He is anxious when Hae-in moves around without his knowledge, fearing getting caught or her memories returning.
Hyun-woo’s trial
Hyun-woo has prepared his friend and lawyer, Yang-gi, for the trial. He tells them where to find the loophole and evidence proving his innocence. During the trial, Yang-gi argues that the killer put on gloves and stole Hyun-woo’s knife, as green fabric was found on the knife. Hyun-woo was not wearing anything green, and Yang-gi showed a video as evidence. Eun-seong attends the trial, and every new piece of evidence provided worries him.
To strengthen his argument, Yang-gi also provides a video that shows the killer has burnt a lot of clothes, and upon analysis, the fabric matches. The final blow comes when Yang-gi shows videos of the killer murdering Mr.Pyeon, and it isn’t Hyun-woo. The private detectives hacked into the killer’s phone to get the footage. The real killer is arrested and claims to have murdered by his own will. As a result, Hyun-woo is released from prison.
Hae-in stalks Hyun-woo
Hae-in takes Secretary Na’s help and waits for Hyun-woo’s release. Hyun-woo’s siblings greet him and are in tears. They try to feed him tofu, but Hyun-woo refuses. Hae-in makes notes about Hyun-woo’s likes and dislikes. They drive back home, and Hae-in asks Secretary Na to follow them. Hyun-woo and his siblings return to the village, and Hae-in sees his family and villagers happy to see Hyun-woo. Hae-in tells Secretary Na that Hyun-woo’s parents seem kind. Secretary Na tells Hae-in she cannot reveal who Hae-in loves because her job is on the line. Instead, Secretary Na tells Hae-in that when you love someone, you should listen to where your body is taking you. Beom Ja comes with presents to the villagers and confesses her love to Yeong Song. Meanwhile, Beom Ja’s microphone is on, and the village people hear Beom-ja’s confession. Beom-ja is embarrassed and runs away.
Da-hye confesses her love for Soo-Cheol
Eun-seong meets with his board members, who tell him that they need to bring Hyun-woo back as the murder charges have been dropped, and there isn’t any reason to fire him. They also tell Eun-seong that if he can’t submit legitimate financial documents, the directors will have to vote to remove him from the chairman position. Eun-seong uses the secret fund to buy more stock. Seul Hee is preparing to be the Chairman of the Queen’s group. Da-hye helps Hyun-woo by giving him the USB.
Da-hye meets with Jun-ho and gives him money. Jun-ho tells Da-hye that she will be killed because Seul Hee is tired of her. Soo-Cheol breaks a car window, and a car chase ensues. Unfortunately for Jun-ho and his men, there is a railway crossing, and they must wait. Soo-Cheol stops them but gets beat up. Despite being outnumbered, Soo-Cheol remembers his boxing training and manages to punch the thugs, and other villagers also help him. Soo-Cheol feels dizzy and collapses. Da-hye rushes to his aid and tells him to wake up and that she loves him. Soo-Cheol wakes up and says he loves Da-hye as well.
Hae-in remembers Hyun-woo
Hyun-woo is back at work, and Hae-in asks him to resign as she does not want to see his face. However, Hae-in gets an invite from herself from the past to an aquarium where Hyun-woo proposed to Hae-in. Hyun-woo received the invite as well. Hae-in and Hyun-woo try to discover what is happening, and their wedding video is played. The staff tell them that Hae-in booked the place a month ago. Hyun-woo tells her that Hae-in would have never done this if he had cheated. He unquestioningly asks Hae-in to doubt everything and everyone and not believe in Eun-seong. Hae-in notices bruises on Hyun-woo’s hand.
Hae-in speaks to a drunk Eun-seong, who asks her to move to the US with him as their family has abandoned them both. Moreover, Hae-in notices that Eun-seong does not have bruises on his hands. He also sees some video thumbnails on Eun-seong’s tablet. Hae-in has a parcel from the hospital in Germany in her diary. Hae-in reads it, and in the beginning, it is addressed to Hyun-woo. She asks him not to mourn her if Hae-in does not wake up and move on with his life.
The next part is written for Hae-in, where she talks about how important Hyun-woo is and the only reason she didn’t want to lose her memories or have the desire to live. Hae-in calls Hyun-woo and rushes to where he is. Meanwhile, Eun-seong, alerted by a car tracker, realizes where Hae-in is going. Hyun-woo crosses the road to run toward Hae-in when Eun-seong hits Hyun-woo with his car.
Queen of Tears (Season 1 Finale), Episode 16 Recap:
The episode opens with a frantic scene as Hyun-woo tries to find Hae-in before crossing the road. He rushes to the other side, and a car hits him. The police ask the man behind the wheel to get out, but the man is not Eun-seong. Meanwhile, his worried family arrives to visit him, only to discover his bed empty. Hyun-woo has left the hospital by taking a cab. Hae-in wakes up in a strange place and desperately looks for an escape.
Hae-in rushes out of the room and finds Eun-seong cleaning his rifles. He is rude and arrogant towards Hae-in. Hae-in realizes that Eun-seong has abducted her. He caves in and pretends to have misunderstood Eun-seong after reading her diary. Hae-in was going to confront Hyun-woo about the same before getting abducted. Eun-seong asks Hae-in to fly with him later that day so they can get married. Hae-in reluctantly agrees as she is afraid of Eun-seong.
Hyun-woo rescues Hae-in
Determined to rescue Hae-in, Hyun-woo seeks Grace’s help, informing Seul Hee about Hae-in’s disappearance. Seul Hee knows where Eun-seong is and visits him. Meanwhile, with Yang-gi’s assistance, Hyun-woo heads to the Hong family villa, convinced Hae-in is being held captive there. Seul Hee meets Eun-seong and asks for the money and the video of her killing Man Dae—Eun-seong regrets keeping a secret from his childhood. Seul Hee killed Hae-in’s brother by breaking a boat and letting him drown on the beach. Hae-in overhears their conversation and is scared.
A sudden power outage creates an opportunity for Hyun-woo to sneak into the house and take Hae-in away through the nearby hunting grounds. Eun-seong sees Hae-in and Hyun-woo escaping, grabs his rifle, and drives to stop them. Hyun-woo is struggling to walk through the snowfall because of his injuries. Hae-in asks Hyun-woo to lean on her and apologizes for not recognizing him sooner.
Is Eun-seong dead?
Yang-gi is waiting near the gate for the police to arrive, worried about Hyun-woo. Hae-in and Hyun-woo reach the road and find Eun-seong waiting for them with a rifle. Eun-seong questions Hae-in about being with Hyun-woo. Eun-seong has become psychotic from disappointment, regrets, and rage. He asks Hae-in to join him as she has promised to leave with him.
Eun-seong promises to forgive and forget everything if Hae-in is by his side. Hae-in expresses that despite losing her memory, she has always felt uneasy around him. Hae-in also says she will be with him over her dead body. Eun-seong is infuriated and decides to shoot Hae-in. Furthermore, the police arrive and warn him to drop his rifle. Eun-seong shoots, Hyun-woo blocks Hae-in from getting shot, and he gets hit instead. The police shoot Eun-seong, and he dies.
Will Hyun-woo survive?
An ambulance arrives and takes Hyun-woo. Hyun-woo is unconscious, but his surgery has gone well. Hong’s family and Hyun-woo’s family spend all their time in the hospital desperately waiting and praying for Hyun-woo’s recovery. Meanwhile, Hae-in spends all her time right next to Hyun-woo. Hae-in has not slept or eaten for days and tries everything to help Hyun-woo gain consciousness. On the other hand, Seul Hee does not know of Eun-seong’s death yet and finds the secret funds and takes them. A police officer informs Seul Hee about Eun-seong’s death. Seul Hee mourns her son; nevertheless, she cares more about her money and position and asks her lawyer to transfer Eun-seong stocks to Seul Hee’s name.
Fortunately, Hyun-woo regains consciousness, and Hae-in is by Hyun-woo’s side. Hyun-woo asks about Hae-in’s health and says that he loves her. The entire family is joyful seeing Hyun-woo’s recovery and expresses their love for him. Hae-in and Hyun-woo start to bond like a new couple. At the same time, Beom-ja and her brothers are reunited and visit Man Dae’s grave, promising him they will avenge Man Dae.
Will Seul Hee be sent to prison?
With Hyun-woo’s help, Hong’s family devises a plan to take Seul Hee to court. Since Seul Hee has spent the secret funds to buy and increase her stock, it is considered illegal. Hyun-woo decides to file a nullity suit against Seul Hee. Additionally, Da-hye has a change of heart and wants to confess her crimes to the police. Furthermore, Da-hye tries to convince Grace to do the same and start fresh.
Grace contemplates the decision as she has worked hard to do the right thing after Hyun-woo’s request. On the other hand, Soo-Cheol is unhappy with Da-hye’s decision. Da-hye takes Soo-Cheol to her orphanage and confesses that he was her first love, and she always waited for him to visit when they were children. Da-hye requests Soo-Cheol to wait for her so she can atone for her crimes.
During the trial, Seul Hee is dramatic and fakes mourning her son. Seul Hee’s lawyer informs the court that the funds are Eun-seong’s, and the funds are automatically transferred to Seul Hee. Hyun-woo argues by presenting facts about double contracts and fraud. Seul Hee, without any remorse, blames it on Eun-seong. To strengthen their case, Hyun-woo calls upon Da-hye as a witness. Da-hye tells the court everything she knows, but the court cannot accept her verbal statement without proof. To Seul Hee’s surprise, Hae-in steps in as a witness and tells the court about the conversation she overheard between Eun-seong and Seul Hee.
Seul Hee’s lawyers ask Hyun-woo’s side to provide evidence for their claims. Fortunately, Hyun-woo is prepared and gives the court a USB containing the video of Seul Hee drugging Man Dae. Grace outsmarted Seul Hee as she replaced Eun-seong’s tablet with an exact duplicate and took all its footage. Consequently, the police immediately arrests Seul Hee and put her behind bars. They also arrest Da-hye and Grace for conspiring with Seul Hee. Seul Hee has a hard time in prison.
Queen of Tears (Season 1 Finale), Episode 16 Ending Explained:
Will Hae-in and Hyun-woo fall in love again?
Beom-ja meets Yeong Song, and they start dating. Hae-in is back to work and has ordered Secretary Na to make some changes in the Queen’s department store. Secretary Na is happy to realize that despite Hae-in losing her memory, her true nature remains, as she made exact requests before the surgery. Hae-in is back home, enters Hyun-woo’s room, and finds a glowing star. Out of nowhere, a part of Hae-in’s memory is back. The memory is about Hyun-woo and her lost child due to miscarriage. Hae-in and Hyun-woo spend some time together and start dating again.
Hyun-woo and Hae-in plan their future together, and Hyun-woo promises to be by her side. Da-hye and Grace are out of prison after serving their time. Soo-Cheol and Geon-u are waiting for Da-hye, and they embrace each other. Soo-Cheol invites Grace over to dine with his family. In a series of transitions, we witness Hae-in and Hyun-woo grow old together and have a child. Later, we see Hyun-woo, now an old man who is visiting Hae-in’s grave. As they promised each other, if one of them dies, the other will visit them so they don’t feel afraid.
“Queen of Tears” ends on a happy note as Hae-in and Hyun-woo get together. We are unsure if Hae-in will remember everything, but her recollection of one memory suggests that Hae-in may remember everything eventually. The ending for Eun-seong seems fitting as he had always loved Hae-in, and he did everything for her, and when he doesn’t get Hae-in’s love, he is killed. Seul Hee also gets what she deserves, as she spends time in prison to think about her crimes and mourn her son’s death more respectfully. The other inmates in jail beating her seems fitting. Every character in the series gets a perfect ending.
