"With this, I am buying your soul" - this drama is an object lesson why you don't work for the Mob
In ep 4 we go from this:
To this:
Episode 4 was the best so far - the first word that pops to mind when describing Swallow the Sun is solid. The acting is solid, the pace is solid and the writing and character development is rock solid. It's less ambitious then e.g. East of Eden (which tried to cram in politics and revolution and unions in) but unlike EoE it is also not wildly uneven. It's a very good, occasionally dark, twisty story about betrayal and revenge and twisted relationships and redemption.
Oh, and after this episode I want the Mob Boss, his Secretary and Rich Boy to all die die die die die die die die PAINFULLY and HORRIBLY. I was yelling at my screen.
Hero is left brooding on Mob Boss' considerate offer to have Hero kill someone for Mob Boss. I really love how he struggles with this issue for most of the episode - the fact that he can even consider this shows how damaged and 'not good' he is, but the fact that it is huge is never hidden either - you can see his internal freak-out.
He continues his internal debate when meeting his friends. They all have jobs in Mob Boss' organization thanks to him.
He tells Secretary he will do it, looking sick, and I want to scream!
Meanwhile in Seoul, Heroine and her Roommie are adorable together.
And she is still being wooed by Rich Boy.
Early in the morning after his decision, Hero drives to the orphanage where he was brought up.
He remembers first seeing Heroine - she was a little rich princess at the time, doing a bit of charity and he was a violent messed-up little boy who threw the food he was handed out down and stomped all over it.
Dimple!!!
Head orphanage person comes out and Hero actually gives her a huge chunk of money he earned so far. Awwwww. His duality continues - he is willing to do murder but he cares for those in his circle fiercely.
Ahhh yes, Mob Boss. In his ginormous house he has an atelier and is painting a woman's portrait which for some reason leads him to have a total breakdown/ragedown and trash his studio. No, I have no idea.
Mob Boss meets Hero and hears from his own lips that he agreed to commit murder. His comment? "With this, I am buying your soul." Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh die die die horrible scumbag. He then adds that he will make it worthwhile for the Hero, but somehow I doubt that.
Heroine comes to Jeju and Rich Boy calls Hero to pick her up and escort her.
She is excited to find he is a native and asks him to drive her to a pretty remote, obscure spot. When he asks why, she tells him it's her parents' death anniversary and that is where they are buried.
She does her duties by the graveside and he waits. And they have a conversation - they find it easy to talk to each other. We find out that not only did her parents both die in a car accident, but somehow after it gradually all their wealth disappeared - all their house and land. But she means somehow to get it back. (In a way even if they started differently, they are equals - both broke orphans with determination to succeed). She wonders a little why she told him all this because she never even talked about it to her best friend. Yup, they definitely click. Also, I am just betting Mob Boss was somehow implicated in their deaths!
Later, Hero sneaks into a casino where his target is. The man, nicknamed Jackson, is a mercenary, so won't be easy to be rid of (Mob Boss wants him whacked as a favor to a lender. Lender hates this guy because lender's daughter disappeared after being involved with Jackson). I have a confession to make - I really like Jackson from what little we've seen of him and I peeked ahead and he's part of an awesome secondary OTP.
Rich Boy arrives on Jeju with his scummy friends and they all, plus Hero and Heroine go on a yacht ride.
While rich idiots are fishing, Hero and Heroine chat - I have never seen either one this happy before. Oh, and she asks him to teach her to swim. Please please please, drama, give me a scene of him teaching her, please!
Too bad the pleasant jaunt ends on a horrible note - one of Rich Boy's rich friends tries to molest Heroine and also offer her his 'protection' once Rich Boy tires of her. Ugh.
Rich Boy is in an ugly mood because Heroine left pissed off and shoves his friend hard against a fountain. Oops, he kills the man. That's right, freak, let your inner psycho out.
Guess who gets talked by Mob Boss and Secretary to take the blame for the murder. Guess. Guess? RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE. They are all 'now, Mob Boss will REALLY owe you. And we'll find someone else to do the murder.' (I wonder if, in part, Hero agreed so readily because it freed him from committing actual murder?)
Detective who knew Hero from childhood is heartbroken.
I want Secretary to die in a pit! Even though it was him and Mob Boss who organized the frame-up, he implies to Secondary Girl (who not only harbors some feelings for Hero but, more importantly, grew up with him in the orphanage and they are as close as siblings and she owes him a lot) that if she sleeps with him, he will do his best to help Hero in exchange. Ugh ugh ugh ugh - and the worst is she does it.
Another part of Mob Boss' and Secretary's evil plan is this - guess who they got as replacement killers? That's right, Hero's friends. They lured them by saying in exchange they will do their best to get Hero out. The evilness of it just boggles my mind. Boggles. Hero is desperate for them not to do it but they are all 'for you, anything' and argharghargh.
Oh, and the Old Grandma who dumped Hero all this time ago is dying and Detective takes Hero to meet her and reveal finally the name of his mother and her picture.
Next episode promises me a haircut!
To this:
Episode 4 was the best so far - the first word that pops to mind when describing Swallow the Sun is solid. The acting is solid, the pace is solid and the writing and character development is rock solid. It's less ambitious then e.g. East of Eden (which tried to cram in politics and revolution and unions in) but unlike EoE it is also not wildly uneven. It's a very good, occasionally dark, twisty story about betrayal and revenge and twisted relationships and redemption.
Oh, and after this episode I want the Mob Boss, his Secretary and Rich Boy to all die die die die die die die die PAINFULLY and HORRIBLY. I was yelling at my screen.
Hero is left brooding on Mob Boss' considerate offer to have Hero kill someone for Mob Boss. I really love how he struggles with this issue for most of the episode - the fact that he can even consider this shows how damaged and 'not good' he is, but the fact that it is huge is never hidden either - you can see his internal freak-out.
He continues his internal debate when meeting his friends. They all have jobs in Mob Boss' organization thanks to him.
He tells Secretary he will do it, looking sick, and I want to scream!
Meanwhile in Seoul, Heroine and her Roommie are adorable together.
And she is still being wooed by Rich Boy.
Early in the morning after his decision, Hero drives to the orphanage where he was brought up.
He remembers first seeing Heroine - she was a little rich princess at the time, doing a bit of charity and he was a violent messed-up little boy who threw the food he was handed out down and stomped all over it.
Dimple!!!
Head orphanage person comes out and Hero actually gives her a huge chunk of money he earned so far. Awwwww. His duality continues - he is willing to do murder but he cares for those in his circle fiercely.
Ahhh yes, Mob Boss. In his ginormous house he has an atelier and is painting a woman's portrait which for some reason leads him to have a total breakdown/ragedown and trash his studio. No, I have no idea.
Mob Boss meets Hero and hears from his own lips that he agreed to commit murder. His comment? "With this, I am buying your soul." Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh die die die horrible scumbag. He then adds that he will make it worthwhile for the Hero, but somehow I doubt that.
Heroine comes to Jeju and Rich Boy calls Hero to pick her up and escort her.
She is excited to find he is a native and asks him to drive her to a pretty remote, obscure spot. When he asks why, she tells him it's her parents' death anniversary and that is where they are buried.
She does her duties by the graveside and he waits. And they have a conversation - they find it easy to talk to each other. We find out that not only did her parents both die in a car accident, but somehow after it gradually all their wealth disappeared - all their house and land. But she means somehow to get it back. (In a way even if they started differently, they are equals - both broke orphans with determination to succeed). She wonders a little why she told him all this because she never even talked about it to her best friend. Yup, they definitely click. Also, I am just betting Mob Boss was somehow implicated in their deaths!
Later, Hero sneaks into a casino where his target is. The man, nicknamed Jackson, is a mercenary, so won't be easy to be rid of (Mob Boss wants him whacked as a favor to a lender. Lender hates this guy because lender's daughter disappeared after being involved with Jackson). I have a confession to make - I really like Jackson from what little we've seen of him and I peeked ahead and he's part of an awesome secondary OTP.
Rich Boy arrives on Jeju with his scummy friends and they all, plus Hero and Heroine go on a yacht ride.
While rich idiots are fishing, Hero and Heroine chat - I have never seen either one this happy before. Oh, and she asks him to teach her to swim. Please please please, drama, give me a scene of him teaching her, please!
Too bad the pleasant jaunt ends on a horrible note - one of Rich Boy's rich friends tries to molest Heroine and also offer her his 'protection' once Rich Boy tires of her. Ugh.
Rich Boy is in an ugly mood because Heroine left pissed off and shoves his friend hard against a fountain. Oops, he kills the man. That's right, freak, let your inner psycho out.
Guess who gets talked by Mob Boss and Secretary to take the blame for the murder. Guess. Guess? RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE. They are all 'now, Mob Boss will REALLY owe you. And we'll find someone else to do the murder.' (I wonder if, in part, Hero agreed so readily because it freed him from committing actual murder?)
Detective who knew Hero from childhood is heartbroken.
I want Secretary to die in a pit! Even though it was him and Mob Boss who organized the frame-up, he implies to Secondary Girl (who not only harbors some feelings for Hero but, more importantly, grew up with him in the orphanage and they are as close as siblings and she owes him a lot) that if she sleeps with him, he will do his best to help Hero in exchange. Ugh ugh ugh ugh - and the worst is she does it.
Another part of Mob Boss' and Secretary's evil plan is this - guess who they got as replacement killers? That's right, Hero's friends. They lured them by saying in exchange they will do their best to get Hero out. The evilness of it just boggles my mind. Boggles. Hero is desperate for them not to do it but they are all 'for you, anything' and argharghargh.
Oh, and the Old Grandma who dumped Hero all this time ago is dying and Detective takes Hero to meet her and reveal finally the name of his mother and her picture.
Next episode promises me a haircut!