Paramount+ 'Yonder' Episode 1 Takeaway: Cha Yi-hoo accepts death but her memories continue to live on
Mild spoilers ahead for Paramount+'s 'Yonder' episode 1
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: During a time when only a few shows can be popular and can attain global acclaim like Netflix's 'Stranger Things', most of the popular shows were only in English. And after the phenomenon 'Money Heist', and the recent 'Squid Game', the consumption of content got wider and every streaming platform is currently on the global expansion of their content.
Paramount + is also a streaming platform now getting a newer and broader catalog of diverse content available on its streaming platform. From 'Yellowstone' to the latest 'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies', the newer and varied range of content is growing on the streaming platform. And 'Yonder' is one among them. With the blend of sci-fi and fantasy, 'Yonder' tries to evoke several philosophical questions among the audience. Even at the beginning of the series, we were shown one of life's crucial and heavy philosophies, the acceptance of death.
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The melancholy beginning
Titled 'The Remaining Person', 'Yonder' begins with the home of Cha Yi-hoo (Han Ji-min) and Kim Jae-hyun (Shin Ha-kyun) in the year 2032. The lovely couple has been married for some time now and is living alone. Yi-hoo, who is currently 38 years old, is counting her last minutes as she is diagnosed with terminal heart cancer for a year now. There is nothing to do now to keep her alive. In a world where Euthanasia is legalized, there is no option for Jae-hyun but to take this brutal option for his wife. And with a heavy heart, he signs off all the legal procedures for Euthanasia. While the show starts with Jae-hyun trying hard to do all the procedures for Yi-hoo, it is shown that Jae-hyun is still not ready to let his wife go. He is fighting off his tears and is in a devastating state.
Acceptance of Death
On the other hand, Yi-hoo is very well aware of the situation and is ready to accept her fate. Yi-hoo wants to make the process easier for her husband. It is to be noted that Yi-hoo's mother died in a similar way years ago, which made Yi-hoo prepare for her own death for a while now. It is Yi-hoo, who signs the legal process of Euthanasia by saying "I agree", whereas Jae-hyun couldn't bring himself to do that. Yi-hoo says to Jae-hyun that it is a good thing that they do not have a child and that she is finally ready to go. She is all in for Euthanasia and says goodbye to her beloved one. While Yi-hoo has accepted her fate, she wanted something to give to her husband to remember her by. This led Yi-hoo to sign a contract with Seiren (Lee Jeong-eun), to preserve her memories in a virtual world for her husband to visit. However, transferring her memories shows that Yi-hoo is finally ready to depart the real world and she can finally rest without experiencing everyday pain.
