9.9 Billion Won Woman: Episodes 21-24 Open Thread

by missvictrix

One huge operation brings all of our players together in what they think is a final battle — but really, it’s only just another chapter in the 9.9 billion won saga that continues to unfold. Our heroine is powering ahead, determined to win.

 
EPISODES 21-24 WEECAP

Seo-yeon is willing to put everything on the line for her money, and she’s leaving us in no doubt that she’ll even die in the pursuit of it. For her, the money is her fate. “It’s an order from above telling me to change my life,” she says. Even Grandma Jang tells her “the money was always yours,” and not to let anyone take it from her.

The fateful op where the 9.9 billion won will be transported and destroyed is HUGE. All the pieces of this drama are coming together so well, and this sequence pulls every player to the same scene. The buildup around Leon — and his return to punish the people who messed with his money — is intense, and has been for several episodes now. And, when Leon finally makes his appearance, we understand why.

Everything and everyone converge at a super creepy abandoned factory. We’ve got Kim Do-hak burning the (fake) 9.9 billion, we’ve got Hee-joo’s henchman, In-pyo with his favorite taser, and our hero Tae-woo. Whether they’re there to get the money or get to the bottom of the case and free themselves from Leon, this turns out to be a seriously fateful night.

It’s actually a great sequence, full of just about as many reversals as we’ve come to expect from this show. Not only was the entire operation an elaborate plan of Leon’s to uncover and dispatch all of his enemies in one quick swoop, but Seung-jae is the one masquerading as Leon through the factory, shooting people left and right.

Characters intersect and interact in the dark, but the best was Tae-woo overpowering Seung-jae. Though he’s in deep, his only concern is for Seo-yeon’s safety, and Seung-jae again asks Tae-woo to protect her. I can’t get over how much I love how these two men see eye to eye so easily because of her. Even though there is contention, they can’t see each other as enemies. And heck, I see them as brothers-in-law.

But poor Seung-jae — despite being in Leon’s inner circle, Leon is too sly for him. They have a crazy suspenseful encounter, but the cost of going against each other is that Seung-jae is shot and later dies. No, oppa! I wish his character was around for just a bit longer. His dynamic with Seo-yeon and Tae-woo was great.

Seo-yeon is on the run after the money, but stops to help a man wounded in the street. It’s far enough away from the scene of the action that she doesn’t think they’re connected, but it’s Leon himself — and she saves him! (It’s actually lovely — she does what she was unable to do for Tae-woo’s little brother). Little does Seo-yeon know he just shot her brother not ten minutes ago and has all the rest of them on his kill list, too.

Although Tae-woo and Seo-yeon say goodbye again and again, they keep meeting up by accident. It’s part of their fate, but it’s also a part of all the threads that this drama is knotting so perfectly together. For example, when Seo-yeon takes Leon to the hospital, she (fatefully) runs into Tae-woo… only to witness the passing of her brother.

From here, the threads just continue to intersect, overlap, and weave this saga that even Leon himself says can be nothing but fate. Grandma Jang’s deceased son was Tae-woo’s partner who died in their op three years ago. The person that sent them to Leon’s lair for the op was Hee-joo. Hee-joo’s the one who planted the marked bills to trap Leon. In-pyo (who has the money in his possession for a while this week) uses those marked bills to pay off his debt. It’s basically a giant web of awesome dramaness.

Leon is officially declared dead, but no one really believes it… and for good reason. He’s got a new look and a new identity, and he’s setting up yet another trap for everyone. He’s particularly interested in Seo-yeon, the “angel” who saved him, but he knows full well who she is and her connection to the money.

I have no idea where 9.9 Billion Won Woman is going from here, but it’s still as twisty and amazing as ever. Seo-yeon’s desperate clinging to the money is slowly shifting, and there’s a great scene with Grandma Jang where she urges Seo-yeon to let go of her greed and not become a slave to money like she did. I’m not sure where the show’s message will land, but I’m really enjoying the changing perspectives around money and its corrupting power.
 
PS: Tae-woo buying two plane tickets for them to Tahiti, but then hiding his?! My heart.

PPS: Was In-pyo really buried alive?! Time will tell.

 
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