Good Casting: Episode 5

by Sunny

Nothing takes the wind out of one’s epic rescue mission sails more than a fallen comrade. It doesn’t slow our lady spies down, however, and they quickly uncover a lead that could not only help them retrieve the stolen data but bring them another step closer to Michael. Unfortunately, they’re not the only ones after the data.

 
EPISODE 5 RECAP

Having rescued Ye-eun, the team is distraught to find Gwan-soo has been shot. Chan-mi takes off after Secretary Goo, stealing the delivery bike and engaging in a high-speed chase. After placing Moo-hyuk in charge of calling an ambulance, Ye-eun and Mi-soon jump into the van. They catch up just as the first pair cut a tight U-turn, and Ye-eun’s reluctance to break traffic laws frustrates Mi-soon almost as much as Ye-eun’s execution of a clumsy U-turn.

Secretary Goo swerves into a construction lane, sending debris flying. It doesn’t slow Chan-mi down for long, though, and the women continue to fly down the highway. Ye-eun and Mi-soon somehow end up in front and swerve to cut them off. Secretary Goo shows no signs of slowing down and thankfully swerves just before T-boning the van. Chan-mi manages to pull ahead and shoots out a tire, jumping from the bike as the car hits it and flips.

Hearing the crash, Ye-eun and Mi-soon leap out of the van as Chan-mi drags Secretary Goo from the wreckage and cuffs her. As the women catch their breath, none notice Chief Tak speeding past, gripping his wheel anxiously. Instead, they reconvene at the hospital and Mi-soon chides Chan-mi for ripping out her IV when she should be resting. Chan-mi sighs she feels uncomfortable lying down while Ye-eun sobs, blaming herself for Gwan-soo getting shot.

Attempting to cheer Ye-eun up with a story of a gunshot wound she’d received that nearly killed her, Mi-soon only succeeds in making Ye-eun sob harder. She needn’t worry, however, as Gwan-soo walks up and asks what’s wrong. The bullet only grazed him and once he learns they caught Secretary Goo, he orders Chan-mi and Mi-soon back to HQ while Ye-eun is tasked with guarding Woo-won until he wakes up.

Chan-mi slips an embroidered handkerchief to Ye-eun before stalking off. Smiling, Mi-soon tuts at Chan-mi’s tough act and pats Ye-eun fondly as she also leaves. Pausing by a window, Chan-mi checks her side in the reflection and winces. Remembering the ointment Seok-ho had given her, she dabs some on the injury.

Back at HQ, Gwan-soo is appalled when Kook-hwan says the incident will be chalked up to an “obsessive fan.” Gwan-soo argues a fan wouldn’t kidnap Ye-eun but Kook-hwan counters Ye-eun shouldn’t have been in Woo-won’s house. Kook-hwan wants to let Woo-won’s agency and the police handle the mess. Insisting on keeping Secretary Goo for the full legal confinement, Gwan-soo vows to get her confession and storms out.

Chan-mi grows antsy watching Mi-soon interrogate Secretary Goo, but Gwan-soo warns her to trust her team. We see he’d learned from Ye-eun Secretary Goo was searching for a watch Woo-won’s manager had. Now, Mi-soon tsks at Secretary Goo mistaking Woo-won for Cheol-woong, wondering if Secretary Goo needs glasses. Recovering from her initial surprise, Secretary Goo is confident the agency doesn’t know what she was after.

Holding up the watch, Mi-soon gives her 10 seconds to explain its significance. Secretary Goo smirks as Mi-soon starts to count down… only to panic when Mi-soon speeds through the remaining numbers, grabbing Mi-soon’s hand just before she drops the device in a glass of water. Secretary Goo stammers there’s a chip inside and Mi-soon leans back with a triumphant smile.

To Secretary Goo’s horror, Mi-soon reveals there are two watches – a real one belonging to Woo-won, and the fake the chip was being transported in – and Cheol-woong absconded with both the real watch and the chip. The theory is proven when Secretary Goo opens the compartment to find it empty, but she still refuses to talk. “Chief Tak,” Mi-soon adds, “Do you think we couldn’t get him… or chose not to?”

Showing her the club footage of Chief Tak with Cheol-woong, Mi-soon says they have plenty on him. Secretary Goo looks up at the two-way mirror and calls Chan-mi by her real name. “Do you think I couldn’t get you,” Secretary Goo smirks, “or chose not to?” Meanwhile, Ye-eun is still waiting for Woo-won to wake up when the CEO of Woo-won’s agency bursts into the room. He seems distraught… until he sobs Woo-won’s schedule is packed. Heh.

He’s relieved Woo-won is breathing, thinking they can work with him being unconscious. Appalled, Ye-eun points out Woo-won suffered a concussion but the CEO waves her off, saying Woo-won cracks walnuts on his forehead. He runs out to talk with the doctor and Ye-eun sighs, tucking Woo-won’s blankets around him.

At the golf course, Chief Tak reports to Director Myeong, cowering when Director Myeong raises his club against him for the mess. Satisfied with the fear in Chief Tak’s eyes, Director Myeong lowers the club and orders him to get the item. Answering his burner phone, Director Myeong suggests a meal and, on the other end, Kook-hwan hangs up.

He turns to the woman he’d initially reported the agents to, offering to meet or get rid of Director Myeong. She leaves the choice to him, saying she trusts Kook-hwan. He questions why she wanted a copy of Seok-ho’s computer, noting they’d found nothing suspicious. She coolly tells him the opposite of “to doubt” isn’t to trust, but “to know for sure.”

Head Secretary Woo-seok reports to Seok-ho that after looking into Chan-mi, he discovered she’d emigrated with her family and never returned – so the new secretary can’t be her. He continues she’s likely married and had children but trails off when Seok-ho gives him a death glare. Looking despondently out his office window at Chan-mi twirling her pen, Seok-ho flashes back 15 years ago.

Chan-mi twirls her pen as Seok-ho puts on some music while they study. She warns him to sit down before she throws her pen and he proudly declares he can evade it… only to squeal when the pen zips past him, knocking the record-player shut. Seok-ho cries she could’ve hit him and then fusses over discovering a rip in his jacket. Chan-mi tries to argue it was already there, but Seok-ho just wonders how a pen could’ve made such a gash.

Rolling her eyes, Chan-mi laughs and despite Seok-ho’s protests, removes his jacket. He watches in awe as she speedily repairs the hole, but his excitement fades when he realizes she’d embroidered a pretty flower over the hole. Seok-ho pouts that he can’t wear it but quickly buckles to Chan-mi’s warning tone. Smiling, she insists it looks good on him and he can’t buy stuff like this anywhere. Snapping back to the present, Seok-ho shakes off the idea with a smile.

Ye-eun is ecstatic when Woo-won wakes up but before she can fetch a doctor, he asks where his manager is. Turns out, he’s missing the last week of his memory and the doctor assures Ye-eun it’s not uncommon to experience short-term memory loss after a concussion. Woo-won barks at Ye-eun to fetch his clothes, his diva persona in full-swing. She reports to Gwan-soo and is told to stay with Woo-won and keep an eye out for Cheol-woong.

Leaving the hospital, the CEO of Woo-won’s agency muses he could’ve died if not for Ye-eun and “reminds” him he has an event in Taiwan tomorrow for Il Kwang. Woo-won is skeptical he hired Ye-eun sometime in the past week but she produces the contract he’d signed. He questions the repaired rips and Ye-eun fibs Poppy, his dog, tore it up. The CEO also confirms Woo-won called Il Kwang and personally requested Ye-eun on his staff in exchange for signing the contract… they even have a recording. Hee.

While Ye-eun has been with Woo-won, Moo-hyuk and Tae-hee have been watching her daughter. Moo-hyuk tries to comfort a wailing So-hui while Tae-hee dozes on the couch, exhausted from work. Wandering around the apartment with So-hui, Moo-hyuk happens to spot a photo of Ye-eun with Min-seok, thinking So-hui looks like him. Ye-eun arrives home and Tae-hee comments So-hui’s fussiness is nothing like Ye-eun while Moo-hyuk counters So-hui takes after her father.

Ye-eun pales and cuts off his mention of the photo, asking if they’re hungry. Not wanting to impose, Tae-hee waves her off and ushers Moo-hyuk out. Ye-eun sinks to the floor in front of Min-seok’s photo and a flashback reveals she’d ran to Min-seok’s funeral and froze when she overheard another agent gossiping something was off with Min-seok’s death – everyone on Min-seok’s team was being investigated by Internal Affairs. Tears in her eyes, Ye-eun now vows to discover the truth.

PART 2

While eating with Tae-hee, Moo-hyuk is still in awe of Ye-eun’s single-mother status. He wonders why she had a child so young without being married and where her family is. Tae-hee sighs that he’d be hard-pressed to find an agent without a backstory. Moo-hyuk excitedly asks for hers, but Tae-hee takes her leave, ignoring her pleas to talk more over drinks.

At another restaurant, Director Myeong tells Kook-hwan he needs someone released from custody. Kook-hwan laughs that he hasn’t changed a bit and then coldly replies he’s not someone to be ordered around for free. Director Myeong suggests he’ll be pleased with what he’s placed in Kook-hwan’s trunk, but Kook-hwan is unimpressed. Director Myeong asks if he’s aiming for Chief of NIS and Kook-hwan snorts at such a “small” position.

Likewise, Director Myeong says he won’t simply be satisfied with Director of Il Kwang Hitech but thinks the higher Kook-hwang climbs the ladder, the more he’ll need Myeong’s money. Kook-hwan doesn’t trust intangible promises and goes to leave but freezes when he opens the door to find Chief Tak kneeling outside. His face contorts as Chief Tak muses they haven’t seen each other in three years while Director Myeong just smirks.

Cheol-woong passes through airport security with a comically fake mustache as the NIS scours security footage. Unfortunately for him, the mustache falls off and facial recognition pegs him. The footage also shows his ticket to Taiwan and Mi-soon reports Chief Tak is suddenly taking a business trip to Taiwan as well. Gwan-soo tells them they’re on standby as Kook-hwan glares at him through his office window, shuttering the blinds when Gwan-soo turns to look.

Chan-mi confronts Gwan-soo about Secretary Goo being released and he sighs, repeating Kook-hwan’s words: there’s nothing linking her to a crime. Chan-mi argues they arrested her at the scene, but Moo-hyuk pipes up only Gwan-soo’s prints were on the gun. The similarity to only her prints being found on Min-seok’s gun, leading to her being fingered as his murderer, leave Chan-mi shaken.

The fact that Woo-won doesn’t remember the incident and therefore can’t testify sealed the deal. The interrogating agent three years ago had also pointed out Min-seok couldn’t testify whether Chan-mi allowed “Michael” to escape because he was dead. Furious, Chan-mi storms into Kook-hwan’s office, insisting Secretary Goo is a material witness. Kook-hwan counters she’s Chan-mi’s only lead on Michael.

Chan-mi argues apprehending Michael will reveal the leak in Il Kwang Hitech. Kook-hwan says she’d made the same argument three years ago, coldly asking if she needs to be reminded how that ended. Frustrated, Chan-mi demands why he put her on this case and Kook-hwan says humans differ from animals because they learn from their mistakes: “It’s about time you broke free from your past. Live your tomorrow… and envision your future.”

He starts to leave, but Chan-mi announces they’ve located Cheol-woong. Kook-hwan looks sick as Chan-mi vows to deliver Cheol-woong within 20 hours. Meanwhile, Ye-eun looks equally ill as her snide supervisor, Hyo-jin, informs her she’s going with Woo-won on his business trip. Ye-eun whimpers this is too short-notice but Hyo-jin waves her off, adding they’ve forgone hiring a translator as Ye-eun is fluent in Mandarin… thanks to the padding Gwan-soo and Moo-hyuk gave her resume.

While wheeling out Woo-won’s luggage, Ye-eun trips on the steps and Woo-won gallantly catches her… only to break the moment by fussing over his luggage. Ye-eun pouts the steps are steep and he points out the luggage has a handle for her to carry it. She lugs the bag out and loads the car, her annoyance dissipating when she sees Woo-won smoothing a blanket over the passenger seat.

Ye-eun daintily slides into the car and Woo-won snaps she’s ruining the leather seats – the blanket is to protect it from dust. She asks if she should sit in the back, but Woo-won groans those seats are also leather, pulling out a handful of bills and ordering her to take a cab. He warns her not to make him unload the car himself, and Ye-eun slinks back out. As he peels out of the garage, Ye-eun growls she understands why Cheol-woong left.

The surveillance van pulls up to the airport and Chan-mi muses it’s been a while since they’ve been abroad. Mi-soon agrees a vacation would be nice and Gwan-soo snaps this isn’t for fun as the three saunter inside. Woo-won pulls up and Ye-eun runs up moments later, panting she’d paid the cabbie double but there was traffic. Woo-won just mutters she’s an idiot and walks off as Ye-eun picks up his bags, waddling after him.

A crowd of fangirls immediately swarm Woo-won inside, knocking Ye-eun to the ground in the process. She struggles to follow as Mi-soon pauses, thinking she hears her daughter in the crowd. Finally boarding the plane, Ye-eun looks up with surprise to find Mi-soon posing as a flight attendant. She follows Woo-won to first class and her enthusiasm is once more dampened when Woo-won corrects she’ll be flying coach.

On her way back to her seat, Ye-eun accidentally bumps into a pregnant woman and frantically fusses over the woman until she looks up to see it’s Chan-mi. Slipping an earpiece into Ye-eun’s hand, Chan-mi assures her she’s fine and continues shuffling towards the bathroom. From a compartment in her fake belly, Chan-mi pulls out a syringe and a weapon. Leaving the bathroom, she slips the syringe to a man dressed as a sheik and Gwan-soo is stunned she saw through his disguise.

A young flight attendant brings a snack tray to Woo-won and asks to take a photo together. Rolling his eyes, Woo-won pulls out his own phone and barks at Ye-eun to swat away the flies. The embarrassed flight attendant leaves and when Ye-eun arrives, Woo-won says it just flew away. He asks for headphones and when Ye-eun returns, he complains about the blanket, wanting his cardigan instead.

Ye-eun makes several more trips for slippers, an eye mask, and snacks. While placing the snacks in the tray, she notices the empty cookie bag. Seeing it contains pistachios, Ye-eun briefly worries about Woo-won’s allergy, but shakes it off, thinking he would know better. The frequent trips allow her to confirm Cheol-woong isn’t in first class, and as Mi-soon has already cleared business class, that leaves coach.

Head secretary Woo-seok watches Seok-ho shoot (and miss) at an arcade game to relieve stress. He hands over a list of attendees to the Taiwan event, finding it odd Chief Tak is suddenly among the guests. Woo-seok also points out while Chief Tak is flying into Taipei, he’s leaving from a different city. He assumes Chief Tak is conducting other business and sighs when Seok-ho misses another shot.

Seok-ho insists it’s hard to even land one out of 100 and tells Woo-seok to contact an employee Director Myeong ousted to Malaysia to act as a spy. He raises the gun again and Woo-seok tips his elbow just as he shoots. It hits the target and Seok-ho excitedly asks if he saw. Woo-seok deadpans Seok-ho finally hit one after spending 250 dollars. Seok-ho wonders if he’ll get better if he spends double. Curious if the game is defective, Woo-seok shoots all three targets, confirming to himself Seok-ho is just a bad shot.

The seatbelt light finally goes off and Chief Tak pulls out a paper with Cheol-woong’s seat number he’d received from Kook-hwan. He then pulls out a device that jams the earpieces. Ye-eun passes him on the way to the bathroom and frantically tries to tell the others… but all she gets is static. Chan-mi also finds her earpiece dead but Ye-eun is already on her laptop repairing the connection.

As soon as it clears, she tells them Chief Tak is on the plane and Chan-mi looks up to see him just as he spies Cheol-woong. A flight attendant insists Chief Tak sit down, but Chan-mi follows his gaze to where Cheol-woong is nervously guzzling water. Emptying the bottle, Cheol-woong rushes for the bathroom and flight attendants struggle to hold Chief Tak back. Unfortunately, the bathroom is locked and Cheol-woong is forced to scramble for another.

A cane flies out into the aisle and Cheol-woong trips. Chief Tak makes it to the bathroom, but instead of Cheol-woong, Chan-mi is waiting inside. With Mi-soon’s help, Chan-mi drags him in and they fight. Chan-mi demands why he didn’t oust her upon discovering her identity, accusing him of being Michael. In the aisle, Cheol-woong wets himself as an old man shuffles towards him. Meanwhile, a nosy flight attendant tries to investigate the noise in the bathroom.

Before Mi-soon can react, a hand chops the woman’s neck and she passes out. Ye-eun stares down in shock and Mi-soon praises her for doing it in a single hit. Chief Tak gets the upper hand but Chan-mi pulls out her weapon and sprays something in his face. The “old man” reaches Cheol-woong and injects him with the syringe he’d gotten from Chan-mi. Gwan-soo then slips the watch off his wrist and reports to the others: “package acquired.” Chan-mi manages to get on Chief Tak’s back, but he stabs her in the leg and gets away.

Epilogue — Following his trip down memory lane, Seok-ho had called Chan-mi into his office, asking if she had needle and thread. Seok-ho tells her she doesn’t need to repair his jacket for him, but Chan-mi proudly insists she’s good at sewing. He says she looks a lot like another fine sewer he knows, admitting he’d thought she might’ve been the same person. Chan-mi says that person may look completely different now.

Thinking of Woo-seok’s words, Seok-ho agrees she could be a wife and mother now. Chan-mi bristles, chiding him for assuming a 38-year-old woman would be married with children. Seok-ho insists he only meant Chan-mi was very popular. Chan-mi demands if he’s criticizing her messy dating life and poor Seok-ho can’t understand why she’s so upset. Chan-mi sniffs it’s uncomfortable to hear him badmouth someone behind their back.

Before he can say much else, Chan-mi sticks herself with the needle. Panicked, Seok-ho leaps up to offer a bandaid. Their sudden proximity becomes charged and Chan-mi excuses herself. Seok-ho laughs at himself for thinking he’d meet her again after 15 years… unaware a cute duck now adorns his suit jacket. Heh.

 
COMMENTS

The further we get into the show, the more I realize a suspension of disbelief is necessary for this zany plot. I find it ridiculous that Kook-hwan could find out Cheol-woong’s seat but our team – who had seen his plane ticket – could not. Of all the weird things that have happened in the show, this is the one I find the most unbelievable and irksome. I still don’t fully understand what Kook-hwan’s deal is. He’s joined hands with this woman, who is still unidentified so every time they show her… I just don’t care? But he also has a history with Director Myeong and Chief Tak. That makes more sense since I was already sure Kook-hwan’s interference three years ago was not for Chan-mi or the agency’s best interest. His end goal is unclear, but with his fingers in so many pies, he’s bound to get caught sooner or later.

I still think this show would benefit from not trying to take itself seriously. The darker plot points don’t mesh with the antics and it really feels like two different dramas being haphazardly smooshed together. The switch from Ye-eun fussing with Woo-won at the hospital to crying over her dead boyfriend’s photo and vowing to uncover the truth… is disorienting to say the least. And I’m not just saying that because I’m fond of the Ye-eun/Woo-won ship! (but really, I do think they’re cute and dead baby daddy makes it awkward). Amnesia is cliché, but I never complain when it’s used effectively, and I was so proud of Ye-eun for bluffing her way through. If anything, Woo-won can only blame himself for going through such an elaborate charade to be a jerk since his signature and the recorded call are what gave the lie credibility. Woo-won is a total brat but there have been glimmers of a soft boy underneath and Ye-eun’s earnest sweetness is sure to wear him down.

Still, Seok-ho remains my favorite puppy of the bunch. One minute he’s a cool CEO, making moves to catch the snakes in his company and the next he’s a big dork that can’t hide he’s still in love with the girl he’s had a crush on for 15 years. Woo-seok’s pitying glances and sharp tongue makes it all the more entertaining and I can’t help but wish this had been the central plot for the show instead of business espionage. The shooting gallery scene was short but it was easily my favorite part of the episode. I won’t ask you to make sense, Show, so long as you keep giving me plenty of Seok-ho.

 
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