With a tightly wrapped happy ending that won over viewers, the drama bowed out to widespread praise and deep public resonance.
JTBC’s Saturday–Sunday drama We Are All Trying Here starring Koo Kyo-hwan and Go Youn-jung signed off on the 24th with ratings in the 5% range. According to Nielsen Korea, the finale drew 5.3% nationwide and hit 6% in the Seoul metro, marking a new personal best.
In the episode, Hwang Dong-man (played by Koo Kyo-hwan) grows anxious when his debut film’s shoot faces a delay. But Noh Kang-sik (Sung Dong-il) flips the situation by rejiggering schedules and proposing an early crank-in. Steeling himself with the vow, "I’ll go all-in and make it hilariously bold," Dong-man has a breakthrough at the first ritual shoot—and ultimately takes home the New Director Award at the Korean Film Awards.
Meanwhile, Byun Eun-a (Go Youn-jung) works to break free from past wounds and learns how to regulate her negative emotions. Couple Park Kyung-se (Oh Jung-se) and Ko Hye-jin (Kang Mal-geum) navigate a near-divorce and emerge stronger. Elsewhere, Hwang Jin-man (Park Hae-joon), after finally hearing news of his missing daughter, begins writing poems about awaiting spring—signaling a hopeful fresh start.
Right after the finale, viewers reacted, saying, "I loved the perfectly closed ending," "I’m thrilled Hwang Dong-man succeeded in the end," and "The iconic lines were a huge comfort."
By following each character’s determined journey to reclaim their life, 'We Are All Trying Here' tackled the modern struggle with feelings of worthlessness through a realistic yet warm lens—ending its run to strong empathy and acclaim.