I agree with you that the time jump created a disconnect. The thing I'm most interested in is the relationship between our three leads (yes, including Hye-won, I like her) and I really wanted to see the initial phase of Hye-won and In-Ha dating play out. How did they form a stable relationsip? How did Tae-ho get used to it? When did they start to include Hye-won in their schemes? These are all important moments.

Also, I wonder if In-ha is just playing Hye-won. He overheard her talking about is sister as a means to an end, so he should at least be suspicious of Hye-won's intentions.

All those GORGEOUS faces and young budding talents wasted on such a boring plot! SIGH. It’s so wasteful, it’s criminal.

thank god it wasn't just me being bored.... i want so very much to like and enjoy this drama, but 3 and 4......
*sighs sadly*

I'm not satisfied with the time jumping. Hye-won looks like useless characters here, why we need her? Even though we still don't know Hee-joo role, at least her character is so live and strong that I root her with Tae-oh

Oh yes! You’ve put in words what I couldn’t put my fingers on.

I LOVE chess like type of dramas and this one hints at one. But I wish LJW would be a bit more expressive so I’m in on his game even when none of the other characters are. Then I would be more invested in his success.

Isn’t this drama 12 episodes? Maybe it’ll do better as 16 episodes so the characters relationships are more fleshed out!

Thanks for the weecap @missvictrix
My face recognition skills are beyond bad so a minor character popping up usually causes problems for me. Can someone tell me if we have seen the hacker character before e.g. is he is from their school or university days? I thought these three were fairly isolated once they became the three musketeers so I wondered how they found a trusted fourth to join the plan.

Thanks for the recap missvictrix. I really needed it this week as the quick, successive time jumps at the start of the episodes lost me a little bit.
There was certainly a lot of plot development but I found I wasn't as emotionally invested in the characters in these two episodes because the focus changed from the individual to the revenge schemes/politics.
In- ha hardly appeared over the two hours and the ML leads didn't spend enough screen time together. They are where my interest lies and also where the show excels.
There is no chemistry between In ha and the FL which makes it hard to believe they have any kind of relationship.
The wedding proposal ? was lacklustre and unconvincing. There was zero physical intimacy, they were lying on a couch together with a marked gap between them. Surely after a proposal any normal couple would kiss or romantically touch one another but all we got was a tepid holding of the hands a few moments after the event.
 It's hard to believe after the time jumps Tae oh is still pining for the FL and there is any love triangle.
I struggle to see what both the ML's see in her as she has no chemistry with either and her . 
The FL's character is underdeveloped and the actor doesn't have the experience to match with the leads.  Is she supposed to be a femme fatale type character?
 Also I personally don't think the actor playing the patriarch father has the charisma or nuance for this role. It doesn't help with the shirts/jackets they make him wear. 
Kudos to the actress playing In - ha's step sister though as she is doing a really good job being an unlikeable, spoiled, rich brat. 
The leads are doing a good job but I just don't know.

I’m reminded of plotting by bullet points, jumping from event to event. You can write a decent airport thriller like that. And I surprised myself by finding *some* of the chaebol scheming interesting even if far too glossy, far too improbable. But if you don’t give the plot points room to breathe, deepen the story with texture, add emotional depth to the characters, I’m afraid you’ll leave this reader, err, watcher, cold.

Add to this some rather one-note characters, lack of chemistry between most characters, and some flat acting, it’s all adding up to a disappointing experience. I understood Tae-oh took the chairman’s memo not to show emotion to heart, but there’s a lot of ways to play that, robot is not my preferred method.

Sigh. I had such hopes. Perhaps they’ll course correct in the next episodes. I did enjoy some of the twisty plot, the chemistry between the chairman and Tae-oh, and some wonderful outfits. I’ll hang on for a bit longer to see.

I wish the actors are a bit more expressive. Just going to hang in there and watch the chess game.

Does the writer really think that we are interested to see rich people without moral compass fight each other? Because I'm really not...

The only interesting part was the 3 of them climbing the social scale and fighting against all the villains. But instead we got Tae-Ho becoming the man of the Chairman and the last 2 disapeared. Their reunions on the rooftop are not really interesting because it's Tae-Ho who speaks and the other who listen. I have no idea what HYe-Won's place is in this plan... She's useless and she can't thing by herself because her first reaction is to ask help from Tae-Ho. It's sad they made her like this. She chose In-Ha over Tae-Ho because it was better for her, but they could let her having pride and respect at least.

The fact Tae-Ho hide the truth about the Chairman from In-Ha was pretty mean.

Hee-joo was disapointing...

They can't write good female characters.

I liked episode 3 a whole lot less than the first two. After the time jumps, everyone is grim, glum, ponderous, and pretentious - except the FL, who is merely a dud. Are we really supposed to believe that she's an intelligent, scheming, active member of their long-term conspiracy? There isn't nearly enough of Jun and what there is doesn't have nearly enough of the volatility and charisma he showed before. Episode 4 was a little better, partly because everyone is finally in the present time and same place - but we missed a lot in those time jumps, especially anything that would invest us in the main characters. Even In-ha seems joyless and mostly just going through the motions again. I can’t see what he sees in Hye-won.

What I did like: um, the clothes? The chaebol women’s fashions with the meter-wide shoulders make me laugh even if nothing else does. Wearing lace gloves to hack meaningfully at the roses is definitely a look. The suits are sharp. One of the chairman’s shirts even matched the upholstery on his living room chairs. The wheelchair is no ToD, but it does have a certain presence.

There are some nice drama memories in the apartment that nasty big brother In-ju offers Tae-oh as a bribe - it’s the same one where the leads share a steamy night in Business Proposal ep. 11. They’ve changed out the sofa cushions, but everything else is the same, right down to the potted plants. Did I rewatch that scene in BP and forget to go back to TIH? Possibly.

I am pleased that I was not the only one to be 'bored to tears' by ep 3. I was scratching my head about what director and writer are trying to do with this good cast.

The story looks more and more like one of these makjang dramas that are tough to comprehend based on common sense and the moral standards of a normal people: The greedy chairman, his evil wife, the son hitting his secretary with a baseball stick and asking if it hurt, the spoilt daughter forced into marrying an equally spoilt chaebol and I am sure there is a birth secret as well! Without the two leading actors (both can do so much more!) this would be a straight drop for me, I will give it another week.

All plot, no heart. Yes, this is like watching a chess game, but it's like watching AI play against each other. The viewer is not a player in the game, so there is no investment or interest in the game itself. But the show doesn't give us anything to be invested in the players--not enough back story, not enough connection between the players--what if Queen's Gambit showed you the matches without showing anything to care about who wins or who loses?

Sure, LJW is a compelling actor. However, in this show, I haven't been given anything to care why he is playing the long game. His stated raison d'être, making Inha Chairman of Kangoh, is just that--stated. We have no idea why this is so important, just that it is. It feels like the show is using Tae Oh plot chart in his apartment as the driving force, but it forgot to put in how Tae Oh is connected in any meaningful way. The show should have put in scenes showing the relationship over the years between In Ha and Tae Oh to give depth, nuance or complication to the "I Iive solely to make you Chairman" plot line. But no, all we got were just time skips and a declarative statement at the beach.

The most interesting people in the show are the people who have shown some vulnerability. In Ha, even if I am not convinced he wants to Chairman position, I did believe that he wanted to be invited into the big house, have a seat at that dreary dinner table, and be acknowledged as the Chairman's son. As to why he trusts Tae Oh and doesn't question why Tae Oh only lives for him, the show gives us nothing other than Tae Oh is good at the chess game. Hui Joo also gives us something to care or be interested in--she was the only one who made Tae Oh deviate at all from his precision plot march forward when he came back to put on her car pounding stiletto. I don't know if that is enough for a relationship, and I don't know if I ship them, but at least it was some type of emotional moment.

There is too much hand acting (how many shots of slowly clenching fists can a show have?) and not enough heart in this show. It's so boring. Someone let me know who wins at the end--a box score will suffice since the characters and relationships don't seem to matter.

Thank you for the review. I am slightly disappointed that you didnt mention Kang Huiji in the article and her character arc. Huiji and Tae Ho have amazing chemistry together and I think her marriage will be important in the upcoming episodes. Personally, I enjoy the conversations between Huiji and Tae ho the most because its the only time we actually get a REACTION out of Han Tae ho. When looking at the Kang family so far, I am definitly seeing that they are people with hot tempers ( the Chairman and all his children can been seen losing their tempers) this is quite opposite to the cool and collected Han Tae ho or the robot Hyewoon.

Now, As for Hyewoon and Tae ho, I just dont see it happening. Even if there is feelings its 100% situation where that ship has sailed and they missed their golden opportunity. I dont see them together at all, I mean she was with his BEST FRIEND for like 10 years for Pete's sake. Them getting together now would seem out of place and gross. So I cant see them getting together at all. Now, on the other hand Huiji and Tae Ho make alot of sense.. Not because of her genuine feelings for him ( and she expresses it, unlike Hyewon). Its because we are starting to see Inha unravel a bit, meaning he may not have the mental stability to see this plan through which is what I think Tae Ho might be banking on. Tae ho STUDIES people and I am thinking that if Inha fails him, he will take the throne for himself. I think Tae Ho is the Impossible Heir ( not Inha), Inha may be just a means to an end. I hope that is not the case because I love their bromance but I wouldnt be surprised and if he marries Huiji that would actually give Tae Ho a level of legitimacy to take the throne. Remember what the brother said about him being Kang Tae Ho rather than Han Tae Ho.. I dont think these little jewels are being dropped for no reason. I also think that Tae ho is NOT as immune to Huiji and her antics as he pretends to be. Why was he staring at her like that in the hospital? Now, I am not saying it will be a happy ending for those two ( this is not a romance drama) but I really want them to have a happy ending TBH. However, I have a inkling that these two will be together for business reasons, for love, who knows but it just makes more sense overall to the story line.

Thanks for the recap @missvictrix. I too found the "The reason I exist is you" conversation way over-the-top. In fact it felt so bizarre I began to wonder if there's more to In-ha and Tae-oh's connection - something to do with their mothers? Or fathers?! Tae-oh did say the man in prison is not his biological father 👀.

Thanks for the recap @missvictrix, I rofl-ed at the ‘impossible to believe’. At that point my eyeroll worked very hard.

I wish the show spent more time on the friendship between the leads and their interactions. It really felt so jarring that In Ha throws a tantrum and Tae oh comforts him with ‘my existence is to make you chairman’ really? This is the core of their connection? I wanted more. More heart. More at stake.

I wish the show had embraced a makjang tone rather than trying to appear smart. Because it is not.

Best part of the these episodes
- LJW
- LJW’s suits
- LJW’s side profile
- in ha and sister smiling at the dinner table
- Tae Oh putting her shoes for her even after those tantrums.

Why are they still in the rooftop? Is he renting it out for nostalgia sake or did he never level up after 5 years????

The time jumps were weird. Tae Ho's reason for living being In Ha was weirder. Hye Won's non relationship with In Ha( she obviously doesn't like him) the weirdest. Huija still liking Tae Ho and Tae Ho being affected by her, interesting. The rest is just pretending intelligence, but I will still watch.

Tae-ho: The reason I exist is you!
In-ha:

Me: Now kiss. 🤷‍♀️

The appearance of Officer Orabeoni from The Matchmakers was, hands-down, the best part of the episodes this week.

Well, that and In-ha showing distrust of Tae-oh. I liked seeing the twisty-turns between the two of them start.

In this scene between Tae Oh and the chairman, I wondered if this was Tae Oh's real reaction? Was he really surprised at that moment that the chairman had checked his background? For someone like the chairman, finding such information is not difficult. Perhaps Tae Oh's reaction was intentional to make the chairman think he had information he could use against him. In this way, Tae Oh gained the chairman's trust. From the scene with Hye Won at her job, we saw that being a person without weak points is not welcomed, because such a person cannot be seen through and possibly blackmailed. A person who is difficult to see through is dangerous because that person can do anything and is out of control without knowing their weak points. I think this is one of the reasons why Hye Won's character is poorly received by viewers. All the other characters have weak points, but we don't know her weak points. Even Tae Oh doesn't know what really drives her. Even he, a "chess master", can't figure out Hye Won. This is an interesting element of this drama. The relationship between Tae Oh and In Ha somehow reminds me of the relationship between the "fake king" and the minister in "The Crowned Clown". For now, I'm watching the drama with the thought that Tae Oh really sincerely wants In Ha to become the chairman. Maybe it's because whenever I doubt his intentions, I remember the scene from the first episode where Tae Oh was looking at the Kang family residence and saw In Ha alone in the window. The two were watching the birthday party of the Kang family's eldest son. They were both not part of it, but could only watch it from afar. That scene seems important, as if at that moment Tae Oh decided to link his fate with In Ha's fate.

I'm wondering about the cassette of music that Tae Oh often listens to. I feel like I know this song. Is this something from the 70's or 80's? It's as if I'd heard this song in some other drama with a plot set in those times.
And I wonder if Tae Oh listens to this song because it relaxes him or because it reminds him of his goal, that he cannot stray from his path.
And I wonder if the sea for Tae Oh is something that really relaxes him or reminds him of his mother's death and that he has to get back at the Kang family for it.

I guess I'm glad to read that episode four is better, because after episode three completely bored and frustrated me, I thought this might be the end for me and "Impossible Heir." But I might be compelled to give it one more shot. I'm not sure why, honestly, but maybe it's the fact that all the wasted potential here makes me hope for some kind of miraculous turnaround.

For now, I can't help but feel that this show is extremely mediocre at best, and utterly pointless at worst. There is almost zero characterization (who are these people and why are they doing what they're doing beyond because the plot dictates that they do so? I don't know!) which means no one feels like a genuine human being with human reactions, impulses, and desires. Everything and everybody looks good and every scene is filmed as if Extremely Important and Thematically Profound Things Are Happening, but there's no there there.

I'll try not to rag on the FL because she's not the only one who seems like a robot, but how, how, HOW is it possible that she has no chemistry at all with either Jun or LJW?

I'm disappointed. The show is even too boring to enjoy on a train wreck level.

obviously I haven't read all the comments since it is already a lot but based on what I read this show is bad or at least the FL acting and the "Timeskip"? I am still trying to finish episode 2. And everyone's praising the chemistry with the 2nd FL and Taeho but nah I can't see it. Although her acting is better than the FL. I am not hating the FL that much, her acting is not great but it is not that bad although yeah it would been better if it was another actress instead. So I am wondering if episode 3 and 4 is better than the first two. Is it worth to continue watching this?

I'll keep it real, I have no idea what is going on with this drama and why. I'm just vibing with LJW and the lady playing Kang Hui-ju. they are the only reasons I haven't dropped this so far.

Look, I'm going to try to write this review without spoilers (because someone - not you guys - didn't have adult in them on a review I left elsewhere - dude the spoilers were covered like you asked!) anyways... but I want more of Inha. I get it, Taeoh is supposed to be like the main focus. But he's becoming too much of a main focus, like he's the only one we should like and we should just feel sorry for Inha. I mean, imagine what Inha is going through. The scene on the beach just had to confuse him even more.

And I hope this isn't considered a spoiler but when he raised a fist to hit someone again, he actually showed a little depth in his emotions in the way he held himself back. That looked like an inner struggle.

I want to see more of his background. What he saw in ep 4 was heartbreaking and made me want more of his past, something we haven't gotten yet. So far all we've known is that he's the illegitimate son of Kangoh's chairman. That's it. We know more of Taeoh and Hyewon (who of course I don't really like). Hyewon feels forced when she's on screen for even as little as she has. Like they bring her in trying to make her seem so important and it just fizzles like a cringey pick up line (seriously, that's what her parts make me think of. Hello, the roof scene? Ugh).

Overall I'm really worried that the writers are going to make Inha become an antagonist which in all honesty is one of the oldest tropes in the book. If that happens, I'm not watching anymore. It would just make it seem again like Taeoh is the highest of all characters and Inha couldn't handle it. I want to see him stronger, surprising Taeoh even.

On a side note, can I just say after the last few episodes I kinda feel bad for Seongju? Not in a good way but in a sad way. The guy is too hooked on his psycho witch mom that it's oddly disturbing. I don't think he can think for himself.

Last but not least Huiju. I like her. I like what the actress has brought to the field and I can't wait to see more of her. I'm not one for picking ships/relationships (except Hyewon - I really don't want to see her with either ML) but she has a lot of tenacity and strong will that I want to see where she goes with it.

Anyway, that's my review of episodes 3-4. If there's a spoiler in there somewhere you don't like, please have the decency to message me privately and I'll edit it. :-P That was a luxury the other place didn't give me! LOL.