The article contains spoilers for When the Stars Gossip series finale.The newest Netflix seriesWhen the Stars Gossiphas officially ended, and some viewers are calling the series finale one of the “worst.“Korean actor Lee Min-ho leads the seriesas Dr. Gong Ryong, an OB-GYN physician who goes to space as a tourist and falls in love with the space shuttle’s commander, Eve (Gong Hyo-jin). By the time the series gets to its end,Dr. Gong is caught illegally bringing a morula to Earth and Eve learns she’s pregnant. After a 16-episode journey, the series finally ended by revealing Dr. Gong and Eve’s tragic fates.
Now, the reactions are in forWhen the Stars Gossip, and unfortunately,viewers are not thrilled with the ending, which ranges from mixed to mostly negative.
User@daheeverseshared a meme of utter disappointment, giving sarcastic congratulations to the space series for already “topping 2025 worst dramas.”
Viewer@te3_tiais angry with the series finale and explained why it was “stupid” and “silly,” pinning the issues on the illogical fast pacing and writing.
The same commentator further elaborated on the story issues, such as the limited interaction between Eve and her biological mother and the lack of follow-up with Na Min-jung.
User@Heybae97shared a similar issue with the rushed ending and even suggested that some of the details could have been included in filler episodes. They ended their comment with, “The writer needs to be sued for this.”
Viewer@CallHerCupcakehad an issue withWhen the Stars Gossipbeing marketed as a romance comedy when the show unraveled serious topics about infertility and death. They attached the post with a meme of Tom spanking Jerry.
User@lavienjminmanifested their disappointment with the series, saying that the show had “so much potential.”
@hobiglittersregrets that they continued the series to the end, calling the ending “horrible.”
Another X user,@poorvi205, deemedWhen the Stars Gossipone of the “worst dramas in drama history,” even questioning how actors like Lee and Gong agree to take part in the series.
Another viewer,@itskeshia13,is happy that the series ended, calling it a"wild *** ride.” While they defended Gong’s casting, saying that “she did not deserve the hate,” the same leniency does not apply to the writer.
User@jvngsecommunicates a similar sentiment about the issues with When the Stars Gossip, calling the writing and the direction a “mess.” They end their review by saying that it was “painful to watch.”
While most reviews have been negative, viewers like@itzemmixkcdid enjoy the series, even calling it “Best Drama 2025.” They credited the series for the unpredictable and uncomplicated story and the convincing performances from the cast, including Lee.
@Sarrah1962is seemingly satisfied with most of the series finale, although they admit that their ideal ending was Eve and Dr. Gong in a happy family, referring to the dream sequence if Eve had survived. They then admit that they are a bit sad.
@sevennyLMHresponds with shell shock at the show’s finale. While questioning whether the finale was a dream or how they were tricked that the series was a rom-com, their final comment was that they “just want to cry.”
Viewer@nckthottestalso backs that the ideal ending should have been the dream sequence with Dr. Gong, Eve, and Byeol together on Earth. They admit that they were “clowned instead.”
@BluKimchiKdramais still questioning what the ending even means, with questions like whether Dr. Gong actually died.
Why Are The Reactions For When The Stars Gossip Troubling?
The Series Is Expensive, Yet The Audience Ratings Were Declining From The Start
Before the premiere on tvN and Netflix, there were strong expectations forWhen the Stars Gossipto be a major hit. This is considering that the network just last year gaveQueen of Tears, which is one of the highest-rated series on tvN. Despite a strong start,the ratings quickly declined after the first two episodes. The penultimate episode recorded the show’s lowest rating at 1.783% in Korea. These viewership numbers are startling by Korean series standards, given the impressiveWhen the StarsGossipcastand an expensive budget of 50 million won (equivalent to $34 million).
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Ultimately,many viewers checked out of the series due to its poor quality and execution. This stems from issues with the confusing plotline, illogical space portrayal, and lack of chemistry between the leads, Lee and Gong. The tone was also a major criticism, as noted by many X users. Despite being described as a romance comedy, the K-drama has a tonal imbalance with the story’s seriousness, especially since it tackles topics like infertility and the ethical issues of experimenting with fertility via zero gravity.
The nail in the coffin was unfortunately the series finale, as it tries to condense six months of Eve’s pregnancy into a 70-minute episode.
This remained an issue up to the series finale, wherethe story was rushed to resolve the matter of Eve’s pregnancy. This included two major time jumps and the shocking death of the show’s main lead. Furthermore, the series doesn’t clearly communicate what happened to Dr. Gong aside from the implication that he too could have passed away due to his overstay in space. As of writing, the series currently has a 6.9 average rating on IMDb and 6.9 on MyDramaList.
Our Thoughts On The Audience Reception To When The Stars Gossip
It Honestly Did Lose The Plot.
I have personally watched the series, and I agree with much of the feedback thatWhen the Stars Gossipis a tough watch. While I can forgive liberties with space exploration and its logic, there is a boundary when it starts to reach absurdity. It also doesn’t help that the love story of Eve and Dr. Gong wasn’t as fully developed and resonating, and by the time it started to gain potential, it was simply too late.
The nail in the coffin was unfortunately the series finale, as it tries to condense six months of events into a 70-minute episode. It felt completely rushed, so Eve and Dr. Gong’s fate felt very underwhelming. Considering thatWhen the Stars Gossipwas one of the first K-drama shows to premiere in 2025, it’s not the greatest start to the year. However, this is simply a bump, so, hopefully, we can see a rebound with other shows that will be dropping on Netflix very soon.
