Why was the scene cut from the final episode of the prime-time drama controversial?

Jul 31, 2026

Entertainment
Why was the scene cut from the final episode of the prime-time drama controversial?

Hanoi [Vietnam], July 31: The final episode of 'Under the Bright Window' became the focus of debate when a scene was cut from the broadcast, even though it had appeared in the preview clip.
In the preview for episode 33 of " Under the Bright Window ," Duong goes to Trang's residence and emotionally rushes to embrace the "other woman" after learning she is pregnant with his child. However, when the episode officially aired on the evening of July 29th on VTV3, the scene of them embracing each other in tears was gone.
In the final two episodes of "Under the Bright Window , " Dieu reunites with Duong and tells her ex-husband that Trang is pregnant, and the child might be his. Previously, Duong and Dieu had longed for a child for many years without success, and their marriage broke down after Duong had an affair with Trang. Dieu's decision to reveal this can be interpreted as putting an end to any remaining resentment. It's also Dieu's way of moving on from her past marriage to free herself.
However, the preview for the final episode takes the story to a different level. Duong goes to Trang's house, breaks down in tears, and rushes to hug her. The preview, featuring Duong hugging Trang, quickly garnered millions of views and thousands of comments. The majority questioned the message of the ending, suggesting that the reunion scene seemed to encourage infidelity and that the third party ultimately found happiness without paying the price for the harm they caused.
"The film's message is that infidelity will lead to a happy ending"; "In VTV dramas now, infidelity is still forgiven, the 'third party' gets pregnant, and the legitimate wife, upon hearing the situation, feels sorry for her and gives up her husband. I don't understand the message the film is trying to convey"; "It should have been enough to just have a scene where Dieu informs Duong about Trang, there's no need for a scene of Duong and the 'other woman' hugging"... many viewers reacted after watching the preview of the final episode.
Perhaps due to audience reaction, the scene of Duong hugging Trang was omitted from the official broadcast. The segment only stopped at the moment the two reunited before shifting to other characters. Actor Tien Loc, who played Duong, later stated that removing the hugging scene was reasonable given the strong negative reaction from viewers.
Under the brightly lit window lies a perfect ending.
This change somewhat helps to lessen the feeling of "rewarding" the extramarital affair in the ending of " Under the Bright Window ." Duong's knowledge of the child and his search for Trang is understandable in terms of responsibility. However, the film no longer emphasizes the reunion with an emotionally charged scene, nor does it make the two characters the focus of romance in the final minutes. It seems the removal of the "sensitive" scene before the final episode aired stemmed from audience reactions to the preview. The production company has not yet responded to the reason for cutting this scene. Thanh Nien contacted VFC's media representative but has not received an official response.
Source: Thanh Nein Newspaper