At the Moment explores ten different and unique stories of love that develop during the COVID-19 pandemic. The series is now streaming on Netflix.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Episode 1: Reality Dating Show
In June 2020, Hsia Wei-ting auditions for a dating reality show called New Tenants. Her boyfriend, who is in Melbourne, doesn’t approve of it. She attempts to convince him that it’s just a show, and even though he knows that she is someone who won’t give up on work or love, he makes her choose between the show and him.
When Wei-ting points out that he is the only one who feels different about their relationship, he backs off and ends the call. Wei-ting joins the show, in which she develops a bond with Chiang Chun-to.
Seven days later, a new tenant, Chang Yung, joins the show. Chang Yung and Wei-ting had crossed paths with each other during her auditions. Chang Yung had gotten lost looking at her performance and had also offered her a mask when she tore hers.
The producer of the show had noticed Chang Yung that day. Everyone is on the show for their career advancement and not really to fall in love.
Wei-ting is in show business, and she is looking for more opportunities, while Chang Yung is here because he has been offered a lot of money by the producer. Furthermore, the cafe he works at is now getting customers because of him too.
Wei-ting and Chang Yung develop a bond of their own as they regularly start meeting at a convenience store. On Wei-ting’s birthday, when Chang Yung feels sick, she accompanies him to the hospital.
When Chang Yung learns from her that she wrote a song for someone on her birthday and didn’t get a chance to sing to him as he won’t pick up the call, he takes her guitar and sings with her before her birthday ends.
On the show, Wei-ting and Chun-to’s relationship flourishes. While some viewers adore it, others like to believe they are pretending. Meanwhile, Chang Yung becomes a villain when he rejects Tzu-yin, a fellow contestant on the show.
As per the producer’s instructions, Chang Yung creates more drama on the show by acting frustrated and angry towards other contestants who won’t talk to him properly.
Wei-ting learns about love at first sight and ends the show promising a relationship with Chun-to. However, when she proposes to Chun-to, she mentions the nights she spent at the convenience store, which is a nod to her time with Chang Yung.
Wei-ting and Chun-to both know that this relationship that they had was only for the show. They part ways. Wei-ting and Chang Yang, on the other hand, stare at each other for 8 seconds, which suggests love at first sight.
The two express their desire to be with each other. In the finale, Wei-ting and Chang Yung end up marrying each other.
Episode 2: The Night in Question
Chen Chun-pin, a food delivery employee who can’t hear without his hearing aid, has saved up money to finally sleep with somebody. He also feels that he is in love with this person. He keeps dreaming about the experience and finds himself in an accident.
Even with some minor injuries, he visits the massage shop, where a sex racket is being run. Unfortunately, the person Chun-pin planned to sleep with has left the job, and he is stuck with Yang Chien-chien, a single mother working hard to raise her daughter.
Chun-pin pays the money he has collected to Chien-chien but wastes time trying to get everything right. The two find themselves on a run when police raid the massage shop.
Despite all this, Chien-chien gives Chun-pin a massage, and they get to know each other on the roof of a building. The two understand each other’s struggles, and since Chun-pin has paid her, Chien-chien is still ready to sleep with him.
They fail to get together at Chun-pin’s residence, as his roommate has friends over. Chun-pin apologizes for the trouble. Though they don’t get to sleep together, he still lets Chien-chien have the money as a loan, as she desperately needs it for her daughter.
Chien-chien’s abusive husband comes demanding more money from her after stealing her ATM card and money. Chun-pin helps her get rid of him.
Chun-pin and Chien-chien eat together after that, and now Chien-chien expresses her feelings and desire to sleep with Chun-pin. They fail again, but Chien-chien develops feelings for Chun-pin.
Chien-chien learns sign language for Chun-pin to surprise him. Chun-pin waits for April 1 to go by before seeing Chien-chien again and asking her out so that she won’t think that he is joking.
The two communicate in sign language, and Chien-chien expresses that she is willing to sleep with him. Chun-pin replies by saying that he has found it. Whatever that ‘it’ is, it’s a secret. The finale shows that Chien-chien and Chun-pin end up opening a restaurant together.
Episode 3: The Color of You
Chun-pin’s roommate, Pei-ming, a hairstylist, tries to help an old woman get a seat on the subway. While doing so, he accidentally makes a blind girl, Pao-lin, give her a seat.
The moment he learns that Pao-lin is blind, he runs after her. To make up for it, he takes Pao-lin where she wants to go. The two spend some quality time together.
It is revealed that Pao-lin is not blind. She wanted to exact revenge on Pei-ming for being a social justice warrior by having him on her social experiment video, but she ended up having a great time with him because Pei-ming made efforts to make her happy.
Pei-ming has this habit of comforting people who are having a bad day. He can’t watch them in their misery. This has led to people falling for him time and again. Hence, he has so many flings. He knows that it is not the right thing to do, but he can’t see them sad.
With Pao-lin, it’s different. Pei-ming and Pao-lin began hanging out together, and when they kissed, he felt that he needed to be needed by her.
Pao-lin and Pei-ming develop their relationship. He is there for her when she is sick. However, at Pei-ming’s residence, when she sees another woman in Pei-ming’s lap, she concludes that Pei-ming is a cheater and deceiver.
The next day, she wastes no time in leaving but is caught by Pei-ming on the staircase. Pao-lin’s secret is out, but it turns out that Pei-ming had figured out that she isn’t blind the very day they met when she asked him the color of the sea.
The two argue over who deceived whom and part ways. All of Pei-ming’s flings end once Pao-lin exits his life. Pao-lin, on the other hand, deletes the video she has of her and Pei-ming.
Pei-ming and Pao-lin spot each other again at a supermarket store when the COVID-19 cases in Taiwan start rising again. They are in a crowd that is trying to restock supplies. In the finale, Pei-ming and Pao-lin are together. Pao-lin is seen shooting a video of them while Pei-ming is giving a customer a makeover.
Episode 4: From Beyond the Stars
Yao Chih-hsuan likes to think that she has time-traveled into the future. Two weeks ago, she was 22 and had just graduated from college. Now, in 2021, she is a best-selling author.
Chih-hsuan finds solace in the neighbor who lives in the apartment across from hers, Lin, who claims that he is an alien. Lin and Chih-hsuan keep each other company during the pandemic.
It turns out that Lin is a fan of her work because his ex-girlfriend loved Chih-hsuan’s books too. She uses what he has decoded from her books to get back to work again.
Everything begins turning around when one day Lin is telling Chih-hsuan about constellations. Chih-hsuan starts remembering that she has lived this moment with him before.
This is when Lin abandons her and doesn’t come home for days. When he does return, he claims that he was off to Pluto. Chih-hsuan demands the truth but Lin leaves again. This time, he also leaves behind a note, assuring Chih-hsuan everything will be alright, and a drive behind.
The drive contains a video in which he tells his story. It is revealed that Lin’s ex-girlfriend was none other than Chih-hsuan. Lin had a terminal illness and was scared to tell her the truth. Hence, he decided to break up with her.
On her way home, Chih-hsuan got caught in a car accident and lost her memory. It can be said that Lin only returned to calm her down but decided to leave the moment she started regaining her memories. He didn’t want her to remember their ugly breakup and live missing him.
Chih-hsuan writes a novel, which is a love story of a time traveler and an alien. It will be one of her few books that will have a happy ending. A scene shows Chih-hsuan and Lin meeting in 2012, which can be considered a part of that book.
Episode 5: The Perfect Dodgeball Game
Chia-hao is a successful employee working at a media firm who is having difficulty handling the new intern, Huang Shao-kuang, who is always fooling around.
Shao-kuang starts sleeping at the office after breaking up with his girlfriend. Since he has no home to go to, Chia-hao allows him to come to his house, as he starts liking him.
The two develop a great friendship, and Chia-hao dreams about how he might kick off a relationship with Shao-kuang.
Chia-hao has a theory about life based on the game of dodgeball. He likes to think one can only survive if they manage to dodge all the unexpected attacks.
Shao-kuang and Chia-hao don’t plan to tell everyone that they are staying together. However, during an online team meeting, Shao-kuang reveals that he is staying with Chia-hao instead of lying.
One day, when Shao-kuang returns after a fight with his girlfriend, Chia-hao comforts him, as Shao-kuang says that nobody will love him. Chia-hao takes the initiative and kisses Shao-kuang, who then pushes his superior away.
Shao-kuang immediately moves out and starts avoiding Chia-hao at work. Shao-kuang later finds Chia-hao at a gay club. He comforts a drunk Chia-hao, who apologizes for making him uncomfortable and claims that he is destined to be an unhappy person.
Shao-kuang takes Chia-hao home. The next day, Shao-kuang is going to start working as an employee. Chia-hao is asked to give Shao-kuang some encouraging words.
It is Shao-kuang who offers Chia-hao some encouraging words instead. Shao-kuang puts on a show in front of Ms. Hou. From the rumors he has heard, he thinks Chia-hao is marrying Ms. Hou. To save Chia-hao, Shao-kuang confesses that he likes Chia-hao and tells him that he doesn’t need to be unhappy forever by forcing himself to like women.
It turns out that Ms. Hou is just Chia-hao’s best friend, who is the only other person who knows Chia-hao is gay. Chia-hao feels nice to be accepted by someone. Later, even Chia-hao finds someone who can return the love he has to offer.
The finale reveals that Chia-hao has found love in Chun-to. They get married to each other, and Wei-ting and Chang Yung are the witnesses.
Episode 6: Something Old
Chiao Kuo-sen, also known as Joe, the bank employee who was in New Tenants, sees his ex-girlfriend, Fang Jo-nan, on television. Her flatmate has probably caught COVID-19. Now, she has no place to go.
Joe wonders if he should give his relationship with Jo-nan a second chance and asks her out. The two eat together and Jo-nan once again moves in with Joe.
Staying together brings back memories from the past, how Joe and Jo-nan met the first time, how they started dating each other in a short period, and how things quickly fell apart.
Joe’s attempt to go back to how they were before their breakup does work, as the two kiss and end up sleeping together again, but not for too long. Jo-nan loses her job, and Joe takes the initiative to help her find one, which does not fit right with her.
Joe puts in lots of effort and is a good boyfriend, but Jo-nan once again starts feeling pressured and scared. The cast of New Tenants reunites, and Joe learns from them that every love is unique; going back to it might work or not, but if one only wants everything to be the same every day, they will suffer more.
Jo-nan decides to move out of Joe’s apartment the next day. Joe spends a night trying to win a stuffed toy that Jo-nan wanted before they began dating. Jo-nan had said that if she wins that toy, her life would be smooth sailing and he wants that to happen to her.
After gifting that toy to her, the two part ways. Both of them move on. Jo-nan ends up giving away the toy to Chun-pin after watching him stare at it on the street. She is later seen at Pei-ming’s, looking for a makeover. Joe, on the other hand, is last seen taking Chih-hsuan’s signature on her book.
Episode 7: The Promise of Karuizawa
Wei-hsi and Ting-yu meet while they are looking for their respective partners. Their partners are sleeping with each other and cheating on them. Both of them are in a dilemma about what to do about it.
On the opening night of Wei-hsi’s husband’s new restaurant, their partners lie to them once again and leave them all alone. This time around, Wei-hsi and Ting-yu end up sleeping together as well.
They share the dreams and plans that they have. Wei-hsi joins the staff of Ting-yu’s art gallery. They form a connection too. Soon, Wei-hsi, who has been trying to get pregnant for a while after a miscarriage, gets pregnant.
Ting-yu eventually confesses his desire to tell his wife the truth. Unlike Ting-yu, Wei-hsi doesn’t know how to tell her husband the truth. During the nights she spent with Ting-yu, she felt both guilty and happy.
Ting-yu and Wei-hsi tell their respective partners what they know and what they have done. Both receive two different reactions. While Ting-yu’s wife apologizes to him, Wei-hsi’s husband shouts at her and refrains from taking responsibility.
After divorcing each other’s partners, Ting-yu and Wei-hsi cross paths again. Ting-yu is going to Karuizawa, Japan, as planned, and he says he would like to invite her there if things go well. Wei-hsi says the two of them will be coming, including her child.
In the finale, Wei-hsi is seen going through an ultrasound to see her baby. Ting-yu meets Shao-kuang on his flight to Japan.
Episode 8: Head of the Family
Pai-jui and Wan-yu are ideal parents of two children. When Pai-jui becomes unemployed, their roles switch as Wan-yu decides to go back to work at Yungching Realty. She is loved there, and they are ready to have her back right away.
While Wan-yu gets back to her career, Pai-jui stays at home and takes on the responsibilities of their children, cooking, and keeping the house clean. He even joins a cooking class and learns to cook delicious dishes.
However, both of them fear how society will treat them once this comes out. Things become difficult for them when Wan-yu’s mother shows up at the house.
Wan-yu’s mother is already tolerating the antics of her jobless husband and doesn’t want the same to happen to Wan-yu and Pai-jui. The couple does their best to hide that Pai-jui has lost his job and that Wan-yu is working.
Wan-yu’s mother believes Pai-jui should be the one going to work, while Wan-yu must stay home and raise the kids. Wan-yu’s mother catches Pai-jui shopping with old women and learns that he has lost his job.
Wan-yu’s mother talks to Pai-jui disrespectfully and calls him a freeloader. Pai-jui talks back to Wan-yu’s mother and ruins things. Wan-yu stays mad at Pai-jui for a while but forgives him.
Pai-jui also apologizes to Wan-yu’s mother and promises her that he will find a job that will also help him look after the children. They don’t want Wan-yu to stop working either because the job has made her more calm, and she has a fresh look on her face because of that.
Later, in the evening, Pai-jui surprises Wan-yu by showing up at her office with dishes. He learns that Wan-yu hasn’t told anyone that he is no longer working.
Wan-yu worries that she may have hurt Pai-jui, who then assures her that it’s okay. Wan-yu is ready to support Pai-jui even if he doesn’t have a job. It turns out that Pai-jui has found a job. He has acknowledged his cooking skills and has decided to start his own cooking classes.
In the finale, Wan-yu, like always, wins the title of top salesman of the month at her company. She decides to honor her husband Pai-jui instead for all the support he has showered on her.
Episode 9: The Ghost in Your Heart
Journalist Hsin-lan reunites with an old school friend of hers, Chih-chieh, during her husband’s funeral. Later, Hsin-lan’s friends end up inviting Chih-chieh over to Hsin-lan’s for dinner.
While they are alone, Chih-chieh tells Hsin-lan that the latter’s husband, Jih-chien, asked her to come. He contacted her a month ago.
Chih-chieh cared for Hsin-lan like no other. They used to play badminton together and talk about boys that they liked. Chih-chieh hasn’t changed. After looking at a picture of theirs from the past, she returns to Hsin-lan’s apartment and gets concerned when she doesn’t find her there.
Hsin-lan just had gone to take out the trash. The two discuss whether Jih-chien knew about them. Back when they were in school, they once kissed and liked it. They decided to be together in secret and had come up with some rules.
A time came when keeping their relationship a secret started getting difficult. Hsin-lan’s mother began suspecting. Hsin-lan then let Jih-chien into her life, and Chih-chieh started feeling like an outsider—more like a ghost.
Chih-chieh left a letter to Hsin-lan under her desk, which Jih-chein took instead. Jih-chein sent the same letter back to Chih-chieh to bring her back.
Hsin-lan quits her job, hoping to move on and do something of her own. Hsin-lan confesses to Chih-chieh that she was afraid of what people will think of her.
Chih-chieh tells her to trust her instincts more. The two reconcile and visit the places they used to. In Chih-chieh’s letter, she had mentioned that she knew Hsin-lan was trying hard not to be a ghost to her and that she hoped that she would reappear in her life again when she is ready to accept their relationship.
In the finale, Hsin-lan is seen hosting what looks like a podcast with the producer of New Tenants as a guest. Chih-chieh is supporting her.
Episode 10: Based on True Events
Producer of New Tenants, Chou Li-wen, continues to bring something fresh to her show. Her decisions are not usually appreciated by her colleagues and superiors. This time around, she has cast Wang Pi-na, a divorcee with a kid, in the show.
Wang Ko-chieh, who works under Li-wen, admires her a lot. Li-wen’s speech encouraged him to pursue a career in show business. Ko-chieh takes care of Li-wen a lot and makes sure that things go according to her.
Li-wen, on her side, continues to make daring choices for what they are showing on New Tenants. For example, she instructs Pi-na to pursue the person she likes in the show, even if it means that she is coming in between a couple.
Li-wen is delivering record-breaking viewership. Hence, nobody argues with her a lot, but they do talk behind her back. At the end of the day, she still believes in telling people’s stories, even though ratings matter too.
Ko-chieh supports her when it comes to telling these stories. He takes her to a gay club and helps her understand them more so that they can cast someone who is gay in the next season.
Ko-chieh and Li-wen end up having an intimate moment when someone hits on Ko-chieh. Li-wen pretends that Ko-chieh is her boyfriend, and Ko-chieh plays along. Ko-chieh continues to offer his shoulder to her and comes to her aid when she is feeling sick because of the vaccine.
Li-wen’s colleagues keep trying to sabotage her. Pan Shih-hung, with whom she had a fling once, expresses his desire to go back to how they were. She knows he is doing all of this because she is shortlisted to become chief executive producer, but not him.
At night, Li-wen shares with Ko-chieh the news of Wei-ting and Chang Yung getting married. While complimenting each other, Li-wen and Ko-chieh find themselves in a compromising position. They kiss and have sex. Everything gets captured on CCTV cameras.
Li-wen’s show is canceled. Ko-chieh and Li-wen’s video has been sent to the company’s sexual harassment box. Li-wen says it was consensual, but when Ko-chieh doesn’t say anything to defend her, she leaves in disappointment.
Even though Ko-chieh follows her, stops her, and assures her that he will tell the world that he does like her, she breaks free and goes away.
Li-wen meets Shih-hung again to give him her resignation letter. Shih-hung reveals that he was the one who sent that video to the sexual harassment box. Li-wen doesn’t entertain him by reacting.
Following that, Li-wen appears on Hsin-lan’s show and tells the world about The Best Love, her new dating reality show with an open script. It will be part of her new studio.
Ko-chieh interviews to join her. He says he was timid and scared in his previous job. He wants to prove himself to her this time. Li-wen allows him to join her team.
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