“Love Next Door” is gradually reaching the most exciting part of the series and revealing many new plot details. However, the most notable issue is the steadily declining ratings. Specifically, Episode 7, which aired on the evening of September 7, saw a 2.81% drop in nationwide viewership and a further 3.2% drop in Seoul. This is quite disappointing and raises the question of whether viewers are turning away from the light-hearted, romantic motif of the show. Are they expecting something fresher and more engaging?
Episode 7 of “Love Next Door” introduced intriguing and anticipated plot developments, including the appearance of Hyeon Jun, Seok Ryu’s former fiancé, which causes her to reminisce about the past and struggle to listen to Seung Hyo’s declarations of affection.
Additionally, the much-anticipated encounter involving the “love quadrangle” of Seung Hyo, Seok Ryu, Hyeon Ju, and Tae Hui is a major highlight that fans have been eagerly awaiting. This unexpected meeting was expected to bring significant changes and surprises. However, this plot point has hit a “dead end” as it was spoiled beforehand, making the audience somewhat predictable about the upcoming content.
Despite its appeal, the ratings for this episode are notably low, even the lowest in the history of the series. This raises the question of whether the scriptwriters have failed to fully explore engaging plot elements or if this is a consequence of the spoilers. Spoiling content to retain viewers is a common practice in TV shows. However, if the series has left viewers with no new twists and has exposed all plot twists, it risks falling into a significant decline.
The teaser for Episode 8 shows that Seok Ryu has recognized Seung Hyo’s feelings and acknowledges that she was the one who liked him first. Hopefully, this scene will lead to more surprising developments in the upcoming episode, making it worth the viewers’ anticipation and enjoyment.
“Love Next Door” airs on Saturday and Sunday evenings on tvN.
Source: K14