The emotional saga of Queen of Tears has finally drawn to a close after enthralling audiences for eight weeks with its touching narrative. The finale of the show touched viewers with the heartfelt love story between Hae-In and Hyun-Woo.
Their journey through illness, marital disputes, and the trials posed by a ruthless antagonist kept viewers engrossed, solidifying their status as a beloved on-screen couple, both in their roles and in real life. The last two episodes kept viewers at the edge of their seats as we all hoped there would be a happy ending for the sweet couple. While episode 15 left us on a horrifying cliffhanger, episode 16 went out with an emotional bang.
Episode 16 recap
Fortunately, after the events of episode 15, Hyun-woo survives the near-fatal accident and leaves the hospital to find his wife, Hae-in. To speed up the search, Hyun-woo uses a clever strategy and asks Grace to inform Eun-sung’s mother, Ms. Mo, that Eun-sung has abducted Hae-in. Ms. Mo is prompted into immediate action when she learns that her son has moved secret funds to leave the country. Meanwhile, Yang-gi drives Hyun-woo, who is still struggling with pain to find Hae-in.
The narrative shifts to Eun-sung holding Hae-in captive at a hunting ground. When Eun-sung’s mother arrives, a confrontation between the two reveals shocking truths about Hae-in’s brother’s death, and Hae-in overhears it all. Hyun-woo sneaks in to rescue Hae-in and the two run into the woods to escape. However, Eun-sung sees this and immediately pursues them with a rifle in hand. Eun-sung catches up to them and threatens to shoot if Hae-in doesn’t leave with him. Hae-in defiantly refuses to go with Eun-sung, and as tensions rise, Eun-sung aims his rifle at her.
The police arrive and point their firearm at Eun-sung in hopes that it will deter him. In his rage and jealousy, he shoots at Hae-in but Hyun-woo jumps in and takes the bullet. Eun-sung is then shot to death by the police. Hyun-woo is rushed to the hospital again, stirring memories for Hae-in and bringing the Baek and Hong families closer together as they await Hyun-woo’s recovery. After Hyun-woo wakes up, both he and Hae-in express remorse for past misunderstandings.
Meanwhile, Yang-gi takes legal action against Eun-sung’s mother, leading to her eventual imprisonment with the help of incriminating evidence from Grace. Grace’s actions also prove pivotal in the family’s reconciliation and reinstatement in Queens Group. Ultimately, the Hongs regain their company’s leadership, with reconciliation among family members. Beom-seok returns as chairman, and the family replaces a spy painting with a joint family photo. The family relationships and dynamics evolve positively as time goes by. Beom-ja finds love with the farmer Oh Eun-young and takes charge of the relationship.
A bittersweet end
Hae-in and Hyun-woo return to Germany and move forward with their lives. They become parents to a beautiful baby girl. Years later, Hae-in passes away in 2074, five decades after she was told about her cancer. Hyun-woo visits her grave, later joining her in the afterlife as promised. We watch as the two walk together toward eternity in a lavender field, marking the end of their story.
