What does Issey's family have to do with Alexandre Léger? A flashback episode in the show 'Drops of God' provides the answer to this question and immerses viewers even deeper into the world of oenology.
We'll take a slight detour from the central wine competition for the inheritance in an episode titled 'The Foundation' to focus on the backstory of this captivating saga.
Flashbacks of Alexandre (Stanley Weber) and Marianne Léger (Margaux Châtelier) as they head to Tokyo for a new life coincide with the early days of the tumultuous relationship between Honoka and Hirokazu.
Previous recaps:
Warning: The following text contains spoilers for the fourth episode of the series 'Drops of God'
The Beginning of the True Rivalry
The fourth chapter of 'Drops of God' primarily focuses on the past, but we start in the present. Issey (Tomohisa Yamashita) and Camille (Fleur Geffrier) face off for a photo shoot. Their competition has become big news in Japan, and the press is capitalizing on their popularity.
Meanwhile, Issey's father Hirokazu has gone missing, and his wife Honoka receives his belongings in a large envelope. Inside, she finds a wallet, phone, and wedding ring. There is also a piece of paper, presumably a suicide note.
How Did Alexandre and Honoka First Meet?
To distract from the grim reality, we are taken back to 1990. Young Honoka (Nanami Kameda) and Hirokazu (Kotaro Uchiyama) travel to France to visit the Chassangras vineyard. Alexandre acts as the rock star of oenology, organizing a tasting tour for wealthy Japanese tourists.
Honoka's reserved but sharp personality is evident from the start – literally within the first minutes of meeting, she challenges Alexandre. The Japanese woman asks to try a rarer and tastier wine. Alexandre selects the perfect alternative, and Honoka likes it so much that she orders 50 (!) cases of this wine to be delivered to Tokyo.
At the party that same evening, it becomes clear that Honoka has her eye on Alexandre, but nothing comes of their initial flirtation. The timid Hirokazu makes a pass at Honoka but is quickly rejected. However, a backup plan is never a bad idea, if you know what I mean.
Why Did Alexandre Move to Tokyo?
A year later, Alexandre decides to move to Japan to become a professor of oenology in Tokyo. The young man's decisive step was prompted by his rejection of the modern French wine industry, which he considers stagnant and overly elitist. Feeling like outcasts in their own country, Alexandre and Marianne take a 'leap of faith'.
The first few weeks in Tokyo are tough. The couple has no money, and Alexandre's course gets off to a bad start: a minimum of interested students, and according to local laws, students cannot drink wine in class.
Alexandre decides to teach them after class at a wine bar. The students enjoy this experience and learn quickly. The star of the extracurricular classes, of course, becomes Honoka.
Marianne gets a job at the French embassy and at a party introduces Alexandre to publisher Jacques Fusier. Alexandre once again expresses his views on French winemaking, which offends the new acquaintance.
We are briefly brought back to the present, where Marianne receives Alexandre's ashes by mail. The urn is accompanied by a message from the deceased himself. He apologizes for not supporting her as she supported him, and for not making his wife happy. Léger wants his ashes to be scattered at the Chassangras vineyard.
In Tokyo, Issey asks Honoka about her past and her connection to Alexandre, showing her their shared photograph. Honoka clearly downplays their relationship, noting that she did not know the Frenchman very well. The mother asks Issey if he has seen his father (no), and does not hide her worry about Hirokazu's fate.
In further flashbacks, the romance between Alexandre and Honoka begins to heat up. Alexandre walks Honoka home after a seminar at the wine bar, but it doesn't go further than that. Hirokazu sees the couple together and gets drunk, jealous of their relationship.
Why Was Alexandre Fired?
The next day, Hirokazu is found sleeping near the university. Alexandre's extracurricular work with students becomes known, and he is fired from his position. Marianne convinces her partner to write his own wine guide, since he is out of work.
She arranges a meeting with Jacques, at which Alexandre proposes his revolutionary view on winemaking. Jacques reluctantly agrees to a book deal, offering him a cash advance to live on. Alexandre begins work on his first wine guide, which will soon become world-famous.
Honoka comes to Alexandre's house to deliver a letter of apology from Hirokazu. They kiss and begin a passionate affair, regularly meeting in hotel rooms. Alexandre manages both romances and finishing his wine guide simultaneously.
Soon we learn that Marianne is pregnant, and then Honoka is pregnant too. It is not specified that Alexandre is the father of the child, but the probability is high enough (ha-ha, intrigue).
When Camille is born, Alexandre spots Honoka and Hirokazu leaving the maternity ward together with Issey. The future rivals for the Léger inheritance were born almost at the same time.
In the present, Honoka flips through old photographs, remembering the time spent with Alexandre. Marianne hides Alexandre's ashes, refusing to fulfill his last wish – to scatter them at the Chassangras vineyard.
Issey and Camille ride in the same elevator, presumably heading to the next trial. Are these two half-brother and sister? It would be great if this cheap intrigue were not dragged out too much.
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