Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born – K-drama Episode 11 Recap & Review

Episode 11

Episode 11 of Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born begins with Jeong-nyeon returning to Seoul. Maeran’s students are worried about their troupe’s status after Ok-gyeong’s departure but the mood lifts up when Jeong-nyeon enters. Cho-rok welcomes her with a warm hug but Joo-ran is forced to hang back.

Jeong-nyeon says she’s back to join the troupe although she doesn’t explain if her voice is back. She learns that Cho-rok, Yeong-seo, and Joo-ran are not trainees anymore, they are official actors.

Jeong-nyeon visits Sob-ok’s office and So-bok says she doesn’t have to take the entrance test again. But Jeong-nyeon says she wants to. Later, Yeong-seo tells Jeong-nyeon how Ok-gyeong left after the very first performance. Jeong-nyeon goes to Ok-gyeong’s house but only finds a distraught Hye-rang there.

Hye-rang taunts Jeong-nyeon about how Ok-gyeong lost interest in Jeong-nyeon the moment she lost her voice. Jeong-nyeon tells Hye-rang to let Ok-gyeong go. Jeong-nyeon returns to Maeran, where she and Yeong-seo have a friendly chat about their ‘rivalry’. Joo-ran sees them laughing together and Jeong-nyeon tries to call her but she walks away.

So-bok receives another blow when a scriptwriter says he’s leaving to work for the film industry now. At Maeran, So-bok announces a new play, The Queen of Silla. Do-aeng asks So-bok if they have the funds for such a big play and So-bok says they have a new investor, a woman named Hong-mae who once worked at Maeran.

However, this lead turns into a dud when Hong-mae reveals she only wants to buy the troupe’s building. She is still bitter about So-bok kicking her out of the troupe for selling her talents outside. In fact, she’s joined hands with Mr. Ko, who knows just how much debt So-bok is in.

She returns to Maeran to find two young trainees leaving for the film industry as well. So-bok passes out from the stress and Jeong-nyeon finds her. She tells Do-aeng about the girls who left the troupe.

Amongst the students, Cho-rok gets in a fight with a senior who also considers leaving. Jeong-nyeon breaks the fight up and the senior girl leaves. When Joo-ran avoids Jeong-nyeon again, Jeong-nyeon confronts her, saying that they are friends after all. Joo-ran is unable to respond.  

In the morning, everyone is still disheartened. Since no entrance test has been organised, Jeong-nyeon encourages the students to put on their own showcase in public and let the crowd be the judges for her test. Yeong-seo challenges Jeong-nyeon, saying she needs to attract more people than Yeong-seo to join the troupe again. Jeong-nyeon agrees.

The students hand out fliers and draw a crowd, many of whom are Yeong-seo’s fans. Yeong-seo begins to sing and the crowd cheers. Meanwhile, So-bok grows more frenzied and panicky. Do-aeng says there is something she needs to see.

It’s Jeong-nyeon’s turn now and only a few people have gathered to watch. She starts performing and begins singing The Blooming Autumn Field. Her voice starts out hoarse and a man shouts insults, but Joo-ran shouts him down.

A flashback shows Yong-rye asking Jeong-nyeon what she will use to fill the gaps in her voice. Jeong-nyeon says she will use her movements and acting. At present, the crowd around her grows and soon So-bok arrives as well. Jeong-nyeon receives a massive cheer in the end and passes her entrance test. So-bok praises her and finds more confidence in the troupe herself.  

Afterwards, Joo-ran approaches Jeong-nyeon and congratulates her. She then tells her the truth, that she didn’t audition with Jeong-nyeon because of how Jeong-nyeon’s performance would make her lose focus. Jeong-nyeon assures her this is all in the past and asks her to promise that she’ll keep doing gukgeuk and keep watching Jeong-nyeon perform.

So-bok finally decides to not do the Queen of Silla since it is expensive. She and her colleagues decide on The Legend of the Two Pagodas, which is a bit experimental and requires the male lead to play a deranged artist.

Elsewhere, Joo-ran tries on a wedding dress while her mother tells her to quit Maeran. Later, she and Jeong-nyeon discuss the new play and practise a scene, where the female lead, who is dying, tells her lover that she’ll wait for her. Joo-ran grows very emotional and Jeong-nyeon doesn’t realise this is real.

The next day, So-bok announces the audition for the prince and princess, Asadal and Asanyeo. Jeong-nyeon and Yeong-seo will audition for Asadal. Joo-ran drops a bomb on everyone by revealing she won’t audition for the princess because she’s getting married.

 Joo-ran tells Yeong-seo that she’s leaving the next day and the two exchange compliments, thanking each other for everything. Yeong-seo tells Jeong-nyeon that Joo-ran is leaving soon but Jeong-nyeon is angry with her.

But right before Joo-ran leaves, Jeong-nyeon runs out to see her. Both girls are upset and Joo-ran hugs Jeong-nyeon, saying she’ll never forget her “one and only prince.” She says one last tearful goodbye and turns to leave at the end of Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born Episode 11.

The Episode Review

Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born Episode 11 is long and a bit dragged but it reaches an emotional high and hits all the right notes. We get Jeong-nyeon’s triumphant return, a patch-up between her and Joo-ran, and Joo-ran’s tragic exit from the troupe. The ardent conversations between our main trio prove how far they’ve come and how things have changed.

The challenge between Jeong-nyeon and Yeong-seo is a particularly fun segment, bolstered by the fact that Yeong-seo challenged her in the first place because she knew Jeong-nyeon would deliver. Both performances are a delight to watch, showing how comfortable Yeong-seo has become with her talent while Jeong-nyeon is rediscovering hers.

Meanwhile, So-bok struggles with the increasing rivalry in the film industry. This isn’t quite as interesting a plotline but the upcoming performance will likely make for an exciting finale.