review: Spy Episode 2
Say what? My baby is a spy??? Hye Rim suffers the ultimate shock of her life when she discovers her warm, easy-going son has actually been keeping dangerous secrets from her and is quite the master of deception. Inherited genes, maybe? But now that she knows her beloved son is a spook, what then now for her? Seon Woo also realises being a spy is not only about being good at guns, bombs and keeping secrets. It is also about keeping one’s intellect separate from the heart. And making mistakes is not an option and unforgivable.
KC calls HR by her real name and she slams the door in his face in fright. She dashes back to the kitchen and grabs a knife just as the door opens and KC walks in like he’s the master of the house. Urgh. He knows the password for the lock and he does note that a knife is missing. He opines that she probably thought that he died all those years ago but he lives with the battle scars, which look like burn scars.
He pours himself a drink and strolls over to the family portrait – which is the exact same miniature SW carries in his wallet. KC comments that HR has been living quite the life since: she has changed her name, married and has two kids. He notes that SW is probably the baby she was pregnant with in China that time…hmmmmm…
She attacks him with the knife and after a short spar, KC gains the upper hand. He tells her he needs her help for one final mission, after which they will forever go their separate ways. Back at the spy HQ, SW is asking SY to describe her the person in charge who rounded up all the suspected turned North Korean spies. He prompts her with his own hazy recollection of KC and he realises that the same man is responsible. SY begs him to save her family’s life and JH informs SW that they can’t make such promises.
Back at home, KC is still going on about how HR’s hand in his present situation and picks up the phone to call SW, who is currently spying on his fellow spies. Heh. His mobile shrills and he quickly picks it up while pretending he was just walking by. KC is on the other line but doesn’t say anything. He cuts off the line and HR panics. SW returns the call and she shakily replies that she dialed him by mistake.
SW’s sister returns home from school just as KC is leaving. HE introduces himself as a old family friend of HR and gives her some pocket money before prancing off. HR nervously swallows down some pills and it’s flashback time. I’m sure we’ll get quite a number of these. KC sees the ultrasound scan and orders HR to abort the baby. She refuses vehemently, saying that the baby belongs to “that person”. I’m assuming it is her hubby. Anyway, HR kinda strapped her handbag with a bomb, which she leaves with KC, and hits the button when she is a safe distance away. Argh. Now I know why KC is blistering with revenge.
SW is unhappy that he has been re-assigned to work under intelligence expert, Kim Hyun Tae (HT). HT reminds SW that spies operate using their minds and not their hearts. After changing the password on her door, HR starts sweeping her apartment for bugs. She switches on the vacuum cleaner to full power to throw off KC, who is listening in. Eeeeeeks. She finally finds a bug in her fancy lamp but leaves it there. WS returns home and is surprised to see the mess.
SW has nightmares about his colleague’s tragic death in China and of KC. He shudders awake and he’s actually in bed at YJ’s place. YJ pleads with him not to put his life on the line under any circumstance. They chat about SW’s family and when SW comments that he and YJ will become family one day too, she replies carefully that might not happen. She may be a North Korean spy or someone bent on revenge… The first episode revealed that KC is watching her.
HR is thinking whether to tell WS what happened but she is wary that her bedroom may be bugged too. WS heads out of the bedroom to take a call and sees SW sitting in the dark alone in the living room. He asks his son whether he is having trouble at work and SW admits that he is sorta having a tough time at the office. WS sits next to SW and throws his arm about him warmly and gives him simple advice: do things without regret.
HR is in a parent-teacher event at school when KC calls her. She leaves abruptly and does as he says, which includes getting into disguise. Meanwhile, SW talks to SY again and assures her he wants to catch the culprit as much as she because KC killed his colleague. HR does her part, which is to drop off a briefcase at the subway. She phones KC and warns him to keep his promise, to which he drawls that he too wants her to lead a happy life. Yeah, right.
But the bag explodes. Yikes. The incident is all over the news that night. HR watches the news report with trepidation with her kids. CCTVS have captured HR but she her disguise is a pretty good one. But she gets sent a clip of herself in full view with the briefcase in the subway. She freaks out and KC calls her. Just as she is arguing with him, he informs her that SW is a South Korean spy. When she insists that SW is just a civil servant, KC shares that SW’s recent injuries were inflicted by him when they met in China. KC compliments SW: he is quick, strong and great at keeping secrets and deception.
In disbelief, HR stares at her son, who is calmly watching TV. It suddenly dawns on her – those numerous business trips now make sense. SW turns around and flashes his mother a warm smile…and HR is left caught between a rock and a hard place.
Phew. I loved that last scene of SW turning around to smile innocently at his mother just when she finds out that he is a spy for the country – HR suddenly realises her son may be just as good as keeping secrets as she. So technically, in KC’s mind, SW is his enemy and HR will be caught between two loyalties. Of course, her loyalty is with her son and family, but KC isn’t going to make it easy for her to protect them. If she follows his orders, she’ll be committing treason against South Korea and betraying her family. If she chooses to disregard KC, he is going to reveal she was behind the incident in the subway and most probably will hurt her family. SIGH.
The first two episodes of Spy went off without a hitch and do set the tone nicely for the drama. The cast are comfortable in their roles and the story is told with a steady, deft hand. I like it off-the-bat and to me, it more than delivered because I was engaged throughout. KBS’s Friday night dramas are becoming my staple of the week…
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