Paramount+'s 'Yonder' Episode 2 showcases the power that memory holds over a person
Spoliers for 'Yonder' Episode 2
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In this new age of streaming, the content ranges from regular comedy to out-of-the-box genres. And one of the streaming platforms, Netflix, has proven from time to time that quality content from around the world will be appreciated, no matter where it originates from. And some of the best examples of it are shows like 'Money Heist' and 'Squid Game.' This led to several streaming platforms expanding their bases.
After the massive hit of 'Yellowstone' and the recent 'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies,' Paramount+ joins the ongoing trend of streaming platforms by releasing series from various cultures and languages. Paramount+ is set to release several Korean dramas, including 'Yonder' and 'Signal.' This is a step forward for the streaming platform in expanding the content by including a diverse range of content. 'Yonder' tells the story of life beyond death, where one can interact with the memory of a dead person through virtual technology. The series stars Han Ji-min as Cha Yi-hoo and Shin Ha-kyun as Kim Jae-hyun. And while each episode of the mini-series tries to explore some kind of life philosophy, Episode 2 showcases the power that memory holds. Let us take a deeper look.
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The lonesome Kim Jae-hyun is haunted by the memories of his wife
After donating the organs of his dead wife, Cha Yi-hoo and after the process of Euthanasia, Kim Jae-hyun feels lonely at home. Everything in his house, the paintings done by his wife, the reminder that Yi-hoo had left for Jae-hyun to water the plants and the mere point of being in the house takes Jae-hyun back to the memories of his wife. He tries to rearrange the things in the house by packing all the stuff that would remind him of her. He boxes away all her clothes, paintings she did, stuffed toys, phone and all other things away in the closet. He tries to rearrange the furniture in the house and even tries to sleep it off, but to no avail. The memories of Yi-hoo follow him through a message sent by her.
The power that memory holds
Throughout this episode, Kim Jae-hyun reminiscences on the cherished memory that he had shared with his wife. This starts to haunt him as he has still not started to process the death of his beloved yet. And when Yi-hoo sends him a video through BY N BY (the company that offers life after death), Jae-hyun thinks of it as spam and ignores it. He opens it only after receiving it constantly. Jae-hyun is surprised and shocked at the notion that the memories of his wife are alive and he can interact with her through VR.
Jae-hyun is presented with the chance to cherish his older memories with his wife and also to create newer memories. But he wants to hold on to the real moments that shared with his wife because it was precious and can not be recreated. And that is, according to Jae-hyun, the power that memory holds. It gives someone the sense of a past and the notion of a shared, irreplaceable moment. When that very notion of memory is threatened to be expanded and altered through the virtual worlds, it makes him not believe the messages that Yi-hoo sends through BY N BY.