review: Spy Episode 9
I like a bad-ass Jae Joong. Those who have been patiently keeping their faith with Spy – your patience is paying off. Seon Woo discovers his mother’s true identity and tries to start piecing the picture together. The narrative is being to flesh out nicely and with pace, with all the players being aware of each other. And everyone bent on out-spying each other.
Flashback to 1980s China. HR finds out she is pregnant. She doesn’t inform WS just yet – he was worried because she disappeared without a word earlier. Anyway, she confesses her pregnancy to KC who doesn’t give a hoot and instead, asks her to get rid of it. HR attempts to blow him up in return but we all know he manages to live.
Back to the present – SW is in stunned speechless to see HR chatting with KC. He tries to chase after the car – some nice moves from JJ (if that isn’t a body double) – but fails. Disturbed, he heads back to the office and pulls out the file on HR’s hometown again with that candid pic of her. He runs the pic in a face-matching programme and voila. The pic is a good match for everything SW doesn’t want it to be a good match for. He starts to recall his mom’s rather suspicious behaviour recently and his conversation with SY, where she said that KC got into trouble back in North Korea because of a woman, who is presumed dead.
Meanwhile, KC gets hauled up by his fellow comrade – younger than him but higher than him in ranks. Comrade wonders why SW hasn’t been taken care off yet – SW has to die. We can tell KC isn’t too comfortable with the idea. Comrade demands to see KC’s wallet and he hands it over obediently. When all he sees are cash and cards, Comrade comments that KC should at least have a girlfriend since he’s in Seoul.
Comrade brings up HR and berates KC for being so good to her – even now. Why? Does he love her? KC points out his burn scars – he knows he caused him to become this way. And he promises he’ll kill SW when the time calls for it. Comrade takes off. KC is reaching for his gun but halts when lackeys file in. Comrade reminds KC he is now in command since he is here.
When Comrade leaves, KC relaxes a bit and picks up his wallet. He reaches in and digs out a picture of HR – he has been crossing out the number of days he has left to see her. Thanks to sublime acting by Yoo Oh Sung in that few poignant seconds, you know that he does love HR in his own way, as a man. I do think he lost his thirst to kill SW after finding out he was HR’s son. Who wants to bet he may sacrifice himself for both HR and SW later?
SW is grappling with the truth of HR’s identity and ignores her calls. HR is anxiously pacing at home fretting over SW when KC texts her saying he’s holding things for a bit and asks her to rest. SW doesn’t go home that night and when his colleagues arrive at the office and HJ asks him what happened the night before (SW had cut him off midway through a call and said he that saw something), SW delivers a half-truth and said he thought he saw KC’s van.
SW excuses himself and it’s HJ’s turn to be suspicious. Not of SW, but of HR, though he thinks he is nuts that he is being this way. SW passes EA the pill he found in HR’s bathroom and requests she check out what kind of medication it is – secretly. He can’t trust anyone else but her.
YJ’s at work at the travel agency and receives a booking addressed to her: it’s HR, giving her the details of the bus and time she wishes to meet YJ. Comrade comes in and YJ is oblivious to the fact that he is a fellow comrade until she flips open his passport and sees a picture of her family in it. Yikes. Comrade warns her with a sick smile to do her job well.
SW visits his dad at work and asks questions about HR, commenting that she has been acting strangely lately. WS does his best to keep his composure but SW picks out his unease. When he leaves, WS quickly calls HR to inform her that SW is starting to be suspicious of her. HR states something is definitely going since KC has asked to stepped down temporarily and SW hasn’t been home since the night before.
SW heads home, upset. When he realises HR isn’t home, he starts sweeping his room and belongings for bugs, and finds them. YS returns home and is surprised to see her brother. KC is brooding at his hideout when his computer beeps, he has lost signal of one of SW’s bugs. He switches to another input device. We see SW wrapping the bug in gum and tossing it away. HEH.
SW asks YS to describe the “uncle” she met and shows her a photo of KC – she confirms it is KC. Meanwhile, KC listens in through the bug in the living room lamp. He calls SW, who knows instantly who is on the other line. KC offers to tell SW the truth about everything if he agrees to meet. SW does. He instructs YS not to tell anyone of their conversation – he plans to hold a surprise birthday party for HR. He goes out to his car, grabs and loads his gun sitting in the trunk. He drives off with a cool determination, his gun riding shotgun.
JS gets told off since he has failed to hack into WS’s company system – another plan is needed. YJ meets HR as planned. But when HR demands to knows whether something is going on, YJ stubbornly replies she can’t tell the older woman anything. When HR says she was wrong for believing that YJ was sincere towards SW, YJ answers she does love and want to protect SW. But she has a family back home she needs to protect. And if it comes between choosing SW and family, she’ll choose family. Before YJ gets off the bus, she tells HR that someone high up in the North Korean ranks has arrived in Seoul. HR thanks her gratefully for the intel.
JS charges into WS’s office and slaps his National Intelligence Security badge on the table – WS is needed to help with some national security affairs. SW finally reaches the rendezvous point. KC walks out and both men stare at each other. KC rubs his scar on his deliberately – like SW needs further proof of his identity.
Another good episode. In between all the plotting and espionage, I appreciate the few unguarded moments of KC, SW and HR. These three are struggling the most in terms of balancing mission versus family versus feelings. I feel a little mean for saying this but the drama runs soooo much better without any emphasis on the SW-YJ loveline. Which we will have to re-visit soon since SW should be finding out about her real identity soon.
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