Air City: Episode 3

by javabeans

A cute episode, which sounds a bit strange given that it’s as action-packed as before. But with Lee Jung Jae and Choi Ji Woo‘s crackling chemistry showing through in a bit of flirty conversation, the cute factor rates just as high. The director of Air City has done a really wonderful job pacing the episodes, alternating between tense action and character moments nicely. And I’ve got to note once again how good Lee Jung Jae is. He’s really a cut above the rest — intense, strong, always just right on.

SONG OF THE DAY

Air City OST – “All In Vain” The ending credits song. I don’t really like Dong Bang Shin Ki, but their two theme songs for Air City are pretty good. [ zShare download ]

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EPISODE 3 SUMMARY

Ji Sung returns to the airport and runs into Do Kyung, who assumes he’s on his way out of the country. They’re interrupted by the arrival of the female NIS agent, and Do Kyung realizes that Ji Sung’s now stationed in the airport bureau.

The agent, whom I love because she’s so spunky, tells Ji Sung that Do Kyung must like him as much as she does. Do Kyung balks, but the agent reminds her that last time, after Ji Sung left, Do Kyung inquired about his whereabouts. But now, she can rest easy since she’ll be able to see Ji Sung everyday. Busted!

Ji Sung wants to get to work right away, but the bureau chief sends him around to familiarize himself with the airport. The female agent points out suspicious passengers — reading people is her specialty. One guy is attempting to slip through customs without declaring an expensive purchase (my mother SO got caught for this once, and it was also because of the box! HA), and another woman wears hidden contraband.

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Do Kyung mentions to Ha Joon that everyone hates her, and to prove her wrong, Ha Joon gets on his walkie-talkie to all the team managers and announces they’ll be holding a welcoming dinner for Do Kyung. Immediately, the managers call in over the line to say “I’ll be there,” “Me too,” etc. Sweet way of proving she’s not hated, but what would he have done if the responses were negative?

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At dinner, Do Kyung is pressured by the jealous Manager Jang to drink, despite protests that she isn’t much of a drinker. She steps outside and throws up her liquor, and Ji Sung, wandering out from his own dinner meeting, offers her a pat on the back.

Ha Joon goes looking for Do Kyung, who’s sitting on the beach with Ji Sung. Ji Sung guesses she’s an outsider, which Do Kyung admits. But it was worse living in the west; she felt like people saw her as a turtle, or simply the yellow girl. Ji Sung tells her it’s probably because of her aloof air, not her looks — “You know well enough that you’re pretty good-looking.” Do Kyung: “Is that what you call comfort?”

She asks why Ji Sung chose his profession — aren’t people weird about it? Why’d he choose that? Ji Sung: “Because it’s cool. I saw a movie where Robert Redford was a CIA agent, and he looked really cool. He carried a gun, too.” They share a laugh over how ridiculous that sounds.

They’re interrupted by Ha Joon’s arrival. Ji Sung’s a bit surprised to see Ha Joon and Do Kyung speaking familiarly, to which Ha Joon explains they’re grade school classmates. After an awkward pause, Ji Sung leaves, and Do Kyung calls after him, “Good night, Mr. Robert.” Ji Sung: “Good night to you too, Miss Turtle.”

Excuse me a minute. I’m scraping myself off the floor. I seem to have melted at the gooey goodness of flirty Lee Jung Jae and Choi Ji Woo.

That rapport doesn’t translate into daytime work affairs, though, as Do Kyung denies Ji Sung’s impassioned request to upgrade their safety alert level from green to yellow or orange. The airport cannot descend into chaos because of a hunch, without a suspect’s name or flight information. She won’t comply.

Do Kyung says he can’t expect her to take his side merely because they had a nice moment on the beach. Ji Sung doesn’t need her to take his side; he just needs her to take him seriously. How can they let a murderer escape with deadly new technology because she’s unwilling to lengthen boarding times? But without more information, Do Kyung can’t do anything.

However, the airport director and bureau chief come to a higher decision to raise alerts to orange. That makes everyone else unhappy with the increased burden, as security lines become chaotic and passengers grow angry. Everyone’s resentful of Ji Sung for making their lives so difficult.

Thank god it pays off, though, because a suspicious character is detained and brought in for questioning. Ji Sung sees the guy wearing the same black pendant his friend Young Jae had been clutching upon his death, and orders the team to investigate the perp’s cell phone and laptop. The increased security also forces the real bad guy, the mysterious American passenger, to change his escape route.

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Ha Joon makes a request of the female NIS agent (I need to figure out her name) to locate someone. Asked if it’s his first love, Ha Joon replies he’s already found his first love (leading me to presume he means Do Kyung); he’s looking for Do Kyung’s sister, Yi Kyung.

With information from the arrested suspect, they find ties to a contact in Busan. Angry at having the airport left in chaos, Do Kyung chases after Ji Sung to tell him she went along with his request because she felt sorry for him. He looked pathetic, so hung up on his one task, without anything else in his life driving him. He’s acting like a sad, foolish hero all on his own.

Ji Sung tells her that yes, he’s pathetic. He can only see one thing right now, and that’s to find his friend’s killer. He shows her the blood-soaked pendant and tells her that he’s unable to rest or do anything else until he finds out who it is that killed his friend right in front of his own eyes.

And off he flies (helicopter shot!) to Busan.

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Separately, we’re introduced to pretty doctor lady, who we can surmise is Ji Sung’s old flame. She sees someone in the halls who looks like Ji Sung, and chases after him, disappointed to find it’s a random stranger. (Note: She’s pretty enough, but she strikes me as rather on the old side. The way she walks, the way she holds herself — she’s like an ajumma. This love battle between her and Do Kyung ain’t going to be close, not by a long shot.)

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While in Busan, Ji Sung receives word from Ha Joon that they found information regarding the guy’s computer records. Ji Sung instructs his agent friend to reply, with the help of the anti-cyber-terror department, instructing the accomplice to make the exchange quickly, thereby forcing the meeting point toward Incheon Airport.

The strategy works, and the accomplice believes the message. The chief tells everyone to prepare for action, because they’ll be coming to Incheon soon.

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While working out that night, Do Kyung notices the guy from the airplane in episode 1, and goes over to say hello. On closer look though, she spies him wearing a black pendant just like the one Ji Sung showed her. Unfortunately, that also necessitates a closer look at his sweaty, hairy chest. David McInnis may be considered hot, but I didn’t need that close-up, thanks.

On immediate alert, Do Kyung rushes to the locker room to phone Ji Sung, still in Busan, to tell him she’s seen the pendant. It’s that guy from the plane earlier.

Alarmed, Ji Sung tells Do Kyung: “He’s dangerous. Be careful!”

With that, he races off.