According to Nielsen Korea, episode 3 of the Korean drama “When the Phone Rings” aired on MBC recorded an average nationwide rating of 6%, up 1.3% from the previous episode. This is also the highest rating of the drama since its broadcast.
Episode 3 reveals more attractive actors, related to the past of female lead Hong Hee Joo (Chae Soo Bin) and the identity of the person who threatened to kidnap her.
In particular, this episode makes romance movie lovers crazy, because the main couple Hong Hee Joo and Baek Sa Eon (Yoo Yeon Seok) have many emotional interactions.
At the beginning of episode 3, after receiving a private photo of his wife sent from the kidnapper's phone, Baek Sa Eon suspects that Hee Joo is behind everything. He intends to check the mole on his wife's leg, but faced with Hee Joo's weakness, he softens and does not do so.
Worried about his wife's safety, Baek Sa Eon made a bold decision. He took the initiative to sleep in the same bed with his wife, even though for the past 3 years the two have been very cold towards each other.
Se Eon also showed his "domineering" side when he did not let Hee Joo turn her back on him. He reassured Hee Joo that the day she was kidnapped should be considered a dream and that what he said at that time (When you dispose of the body, let me know) had no meaning.
At the end of the episode, Hee Joo panics when the kidnapper threatens her father's life while he is in the hospital. He also knows that she used his phone to threaten Se Eon to divorce her. He forces her to continue doing so, saying that they have the same goal.
On the way back from the hospital, when hitching a ride with two policemen, Hee Joo recalled the horrifying memories, she ran out of the car and burst into tears. She was desperate because her life had been filled with so much suffering.
Then, Baek Sa Eon suddenly arrived in a private car escorted by priority police cars. When asked what Hee Joo's relationship was with him, Sa Eon surprisingly confirmed: "She is my family, my wife."
During the 3 years of marriage, Se Eon did not let Hee Joo reveal her identity, but when she was in danger, he broke the rule. The male lead's "domineering" scene of accepting his wife went viral on social media, also helping the film's rating increase significantly.
