I think what I like the most about On the Verge of Insanity, other than the stellar storytelling, is the realistic way it depicts the paradox of what is needed to succeed in the professional world. One needs relevant experience to get a job. Still, at the same time, one needs a job to gain relevant experience. It does an excellent job laying out workplace politics: the power and authority involved or better required but more the necessity of having familial and social networks to advance regardless of professional competence.
They say when it pours, it rains. I felt for Ja Young this episode; she was getting it from all angles, professional and personal. I know how it feels to be the new clueless person amongst unfriendly faces in a seemingly toxic work environment. And, of course, it doesn’t help that she used to be the HR Lead, who tried to fire some of them just a few weeks ago. Throwing herself in a new field she knows nothing about, working amongst people who not only dislike her but are unwilling to help her navigate her new environment is challenging, but that said, I admire her perseverance.
I could understand Ban Seok holding a grudge which he isn’t, but Na Ri, I don’t get what she thinks she’s doing; whatever it is, it’s only making her seem even more insecure than she was before. I guess I will never understand someone like Han Se Gwon. One would think he would’ve learned from his mistakes, but now he comes back and is still the same pompous ass, trying to pick where he left off, with no shame or even remorse. But then again, I don’t blame him. I can understand having flaws, but he is just much more than that. He’s only doing what Hanmyung Electronics is allowing him to do. His lack of morals as a human being and a husband is harder to accept than a workmate or leader.
Besides Ja Young’s perseverance, I admire Ban Seok for not letting past grudges stop him from lending a helping hand to Ja Young when she needed it. I doubt any other person would’ve been as empathetic as him after the way she treated him at work. The fact that even Ja Young's dementia-afflicted father preferred Ban Seok over Han Se Gwon, the ex-son-in-law he mistook him for, and the one he's been calling out for despite Han Se Gwon standing right in front of him speaks volumes. Ban Seok continues to prove time and time again what an exceptional man and even more a human being he is; as they say, the mark of a great man knows when to set aside the trivial things to accomplish the important ones.
Nothing about Han Se Gwon is appealing. He continues to be rude, petty, selfish, insecure, immature, and ambiguous. Even in his guilt over what happened with his ex-father-in-law, he was self-centered, as genuine as his apology was. Everything always has to be about him. I knew the only reason he came back to Hanmyung Electronics and the product development team, in particular, was because he wanted to take revenge on Ban Seok, Ja Young, and President Han.
I'd say President Han deserves Se Gwon in a way for being so gullible enough to give him another chance to destroy him. If it weren't for the many others, he would harm with his revenge plan, and that I am such a huge President Han fan. But what I like most about Ban Seok is that he is direct, says what he means, and means what he says.
Besides Han Se Gwon, the picnic with Ban Seok, his daughter, Ja Young, and Jung, Ah was a refreshing watch from the constant bickering and antics of the office, especially since Han Se Gown's return. I think what I like, despite how things turned out with Ja Young and Ban Seok, is that they can still talk and work together even if they don't see eye to eye on things. They've always made a great team, beating Han Se Gwon at his pettiness.
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