Episode 9 Recap
Choi Yoo Jin, Choi Sung Won or Park Kwan Soo? Allegiances aren’t so clear following Ko Anna’s exposure to the media. Only Choi Sung Won, his mother and father-in-law knows the truth about Ko Anna’s relationship to Jang Se Joon, but Choi Sung Won’s plan to “kidnap” Ko Anna puts the current president in a possible future pickle after losing the support and cooperation from the Chief of Police as he moves to give his support to Park Kwan Soo.
The episode begins with Ko Anna waking with the sun in her eyes, recalling the smile on Kim Je Ha when he gave her encouraging words to face the media the previous day. He’s had quite an effect on her. No longer does Ko Anna fear/dislike being around people. The morning has her head down to the kitchen where her maid and Jang Mi Ran are and suggesting they have breakfast together. At the breakfast table, she thanks them for their efforts in protecting her. This gratitude is also because of Kim Je Ha. He had pointed out to her that he and the others agents may be bad people in her eyes for keeping her confined, but they also keep her protected from harm.
To show them her gratitude, Ko Anna tells them she’ll make sure they all are able to leave their post without harm coming their way. She says this not knowing how impossible that really is. J1 tells her that plans for anyone who knows about her is disposal at the end of it all. This is what Chief Joo told him before he accepted the post to keep watch over Ko Anna. So, everyone must protect her at all cost as their lives depend on it.
What appears to be another reminder of how ruthless Choi Yoo Jin is when it comes to protecting her interests, J1’s mention of this well-known fact is not for the sake of reminding us viewers. It’s to develop Jang Mi Ran and J1’s relationship. A scene, which comes towards the end of the episode, has Jang Mi Ran so touched by J1 accepting the post despite knowing such fact, she kisses him. Jang Mi Ran crushing on K2 no more. It’s Jang Mi Ran and J1 now!
With Ko Anna no longer fearing social contact and free to be seen in public, she heads out to JSS Headquarters for some sleep medication after she poses for a photo with her fans outside her house. Arriving at JSS Headquarters, Ko Anna runs into Song Young Choon at the headquarters’ hospital. She is offered a brief self-defense training at his training hall which has all the JSS agents in training all head for the door in fear.
It is at the training hall Choi Sung Won makes his approach. Ko Anna has no idea who he is when he strides across the hall to take her into a hug. “Anna, you’ve saved me,” he tells her. Ko Anna becomes yet another person’s means of survival.
Whilst Choi Sung Won is outside recruiting Ko Anna, Choi Yoo Jin is down in Cloud Nine with Kim Je Ha. She’s called Kim Je Ha down to have him answer to his actions with the exposing Ko Anna to the media. Perhaps she knows she can’t afford to lose his support (he has superior skills and there’s that email containing evidence of her evil doings after all) or she’s developed a soft heart, but she’s uncharacteristically forgiving when it comes to him.
Sending her men on Kim Je Ha is no use, since time and time again it’s been proven they are no match for him, but she had the opportunity to record the conversation that was about to take place—one which talks about his goal of going after Park Kwan Soo and having him die by his hands. It would’ve given her a good sound bite to present to the authorities when she finds herself in a tight corner; but, she holds herself back from discreetly pressing that ‘on’ button to her microphone.
On to the discussion relating to Park Kwan Soo. Not much more is revealed about the nature of Park Kwan Soo’s visit to Iraq. However, Choi Yoo Jin does find out about an oil-related deal he was making with the Kumar leader. The hiring of Raniya as translator has her suspect that there’s more to the meeting than it appears. She suspects that it had to be Raniya because she spoke the right combination of languages (Korean and Kumari—the latter being a language not many can speak or understand it seems) that ensured absolute privacy, suggesting its highly confidential nature and something that she believes affects Park Kwan Soo’s chances of winning presidency. She tells Kim Je Ha that all he needs to do is find that evidence and Kim Je Ha will have achieved his revenge on Park Kwan Soo.
Kim Je Ha rejects this kind of method, though, expressing that such revenge isn’t the kind he wants. It must be death by his hands. Choi Yoo Jin, who seems to enjoyed the prolonged, self-inflicted kind of death, tries to get him to see that such a death is not revenge because death isn’t what a politician fear. However, making a politician unable to be in politics is. She explains that Park Kwan Soo’s dream is being a politician and winning presidency. Crushing that dream and then having him realise he can never return to it is what real revenge is. He will want to end it all himself upon this realisation. As he does so, he will also bitterly regret killing Raniya. This is a much more satisfying, effective kind of revenge.
We’re not shown whether there’s support from Kim Je Ha. Guess is there was no agreement if Kim Je Ha’s response to Choi Yoo Jin’s warning to be careful is anything to go by. Kim Je Ha misunderstands it as a threat and tells her he won’t die and will continue to delay the send date of the email containing her evildoings. Choi Yoo Jin denies the warning being anything about the email.
Having left Cloud Nine to return above ground, Choi Yoo Jin and Kim Je Ha run into Choi Sung Won. At his side is Ko Anna. The sight has Choi Yoo Jin on edge. He knows about Ko Anna’s relationship with Jang Se Joon and is now hoping to use Ko Anna to keep his position as JB Group Chairman safe. He initially mentions wanting to take Ko Anna out for a meal. This has Choi Yoo Jin forbid it. Choi Yoo Jin’s disapproval doesn’t stop them from going as she is threatened by Choi Sung Won that he’d reveal Ko Anna as Jang Se Joon’s daughter instead. He also makes the point that she doesn’t have the right to tell Ko Anna what to do.
Kim Je Ha has that right, though. Ko Anna’s given Kim Je Ha her trust and now allows him to advise her on what is safe to proceed with and what’s not. A meal with Choi Sung Won gets Kim Je Ha’s approval.
Getting pass Choi Yoo Jin, Choi Sung Won takes the opportunity to alter plans after Kim Je Ha and Ko Anna are in his car. He suggests going to the hospital for psychological assessment and enjoying a meal there. This has Kim Je Ha suspicious of Choi Sung Won’s motives. But after Choi Sung Won has him see the need for a psychological assessment, Kim Je Ha gives the go ahead for Ko Anna to make the decision on heading to the hospital.
A couple of new/fairly faces are introduced at the hospital: one known as Head of Psychiatry and Dr. Lee. The less than cordial greeting between the Head of Psychiatry and Choi Sung Won suggest the two have quite a bit of history in dealing with each other, but clues to any of it aren’t let out. It makes Choi Sung Won come off a bit suspicious at this point, is he really just trying to help Ko Anna? It’s clear he wants her by his side because she is key to his survival, but is there more he wants to use her for?
Ko Anna is taken to Dr. Lee following the uncordial meeting. She was introduced near the beginning of the drama as the psychiatrist who was in an interrogation room with her after her mother died.
The familiarity which Ko Anna uses to greet Dr. Lee takes Choi Sung Won’s suspicious status a few notches, but then he goes and pulls one over Kim Je Ha. He uses the situation to separate him from Ko Anna so he is able to have her leave with him. He does this by requesting Kim Je Ha join him for a chat about having Kim Je Ha join him and follow the same decision he knows Ko Anna will make. Think of the proposal as joining Ko Anna rather than joining him he suggests. He throws in the offer to do whatever Choi Yoo Jin is offering to do for him.
Kim Je Ha is unmoved by the proposal. Despite Choi Sung Won’s confidence in that Ko Anna will choose to join him, he has doubts. Doubts over not only his motives for approaching Ko Anna, but maybe also his ability to do what Choi Yoo Jin promised him. Choi Sung Won’s comment about being more powerful than a president who last only five years in comparison to his much longer term as a conglomerate chairman has Kim Je Ha look down on him. Kim Je Ha thinks Choi Sung Won won’t even last five years. Choi Sung Won laughs it off before he repeats what he believes as the decision she will make. He then let’s Kim Je Ha in on the fact that a plan to have Ko Anna leave with him is in progress.
The separation, the stalling of time, it all sounds like a suspicious plan to achieve a hostage-like plan. It sends Kim Je Ha bolting out of the office searching for her. It has Choi Yoo Yin frantic and promising any JSS agent who locates Ko Anna access to Cloud Nine.
The Chief of Police has rescinded support for the President and by extension Choi Yoo Jin, as well. This decision was not made because of Ko Anna’s disappearance, but simply he believes he is better off with Park Kwan Soo, the side he calls the right side. The loss of support means revoking access to the street’s CCTV control centre which was made possible because of the support and cooperation from the Chief of Police.
Fortunately for Kim Je Ha, the Chief of Police’s support is lost after locating the license plate to the car carrying Ko Anna before the feed is cut off. He heads straight to the location. She’s not there when he arrives. What meets him is one of Choi Sung Won’s people awaiting his arrival. His purpose is to ensure he receives a threatening message to come alone or have something happen to Ko Anna.
Kim Je Ha rushes to get there, thinking Ko Anna to be in danger. The real situation is very much the opposite. Kim Je Ha arrives to see a seated, comfortable Ko Anna. Her maid is there and so is Jang Mi Ran and J1. They’re carrying food and cutlery, readying for a nice meal together.
There was no danger. Ko Anna chose to leave with him. Why Choi Sung Won couldn’t let Kim Je Ha in on things has us wondering, but we suppose it allows situations to reveal itself this way—such as the Chief of Police cutting the feed and revealing he’s decided to place his chips on Park Kwan Soo instead of Choi Yoo Jin/Jang Se Joon.
There’s an insinuation that Choi Sung Won’s father-in-law might try take JB Group for his self in the future. During the search for Ko Anna, Choi Sung Won had his father-in-law’s Jin Han Security agents inform Team Leader Seo the contract with JSS as JB Group’s security company has been terminated. It doesn’t work, though, as Team Leader Seo simply tears it up before taking them all on. Jin Han agents end up having to pull out of JB Group Headquarters.
A meeting between Choi Sung Won’s father-in-law and Park Kwan Soo at a meeting hints at this as well. Sitting at a restaurant together, they are seen talking about Choi Sung Won and how a company’s owner isn’t permanent and that anyone can become its owner.
This connection between Choi Sung Won’s father-in-law and Park Kwan Soo can’t be good for Ko Anna, who, in a later scene admits quietly to herself in her room that she likes Kim Je Ha. The way things are going at the moment, Ko Anna can be seen to be on the side of Park Kwan Soo by siding with Choi Sung Won. Ki Je Ha and Ko Anna look to be on opposite sides.
Park Kwan Soo aside, Kim Je Ha intends to leave after he achieves what he needs to do. So, in response to Choi Sung Won’s invitation to join him, he declines. He seems to suggest he won’t be joining Choi Yoo Jin in the long term either. Once he achieves his revenge, he will pack up and leave everyone, including Ko Anna.
But, who knows? Kim Je Ha’s showing more signs he might just develop feelings for Ko Anna. After their dinner together where everyone toasts to Anna’s dream, Ko Anna walks out onto the balcony wanting to go the beach to cool her alcohol induced warm cheeks. Kim Je Ha stops her before going to feel her cheeks, not believing her description of her cheeks being on fire. The action has Ko Anna hold onto his cool hands to cool her cheeks.
The way she has him cup her face and the way he focuses in on her face and lips, it’s like he might just kiss her at any moment. But, he eventually comes to his senses. He turns his cupped hand into a pinch at the cheek and leads her inside to get her an ice pack instead.
A cute scene where Ko Anna and Kim Je Ha talk through walkie-talkies follow as Kim Je Ha goes around the property checking its security. Upon his return, Ko Anna is happy to keep chatting to Kim Je Ha, not ready to sleep. Kim Je Ha doesn’t look tired, but moments after he wishes her goodnight he is sound asleep.
Ko Anna voices liking Kim Je Ha at this point. Kim Je Ha on her mind, she thinks to check whether he had fallen asleep. Getting no response, she heads next door to the living room where Kim Je Ha lay asleep. She thinks to lay a blanket over him before noticing beads of sweat all over his sleeping face. He’s dreaming about the traumatic time he witnessed Raniya killed before his eyes—only this time, it’s not Raniya who lay dead in his dream, it’s Ko Anna.
Like the last time he dreamed about the past, Kim Je Ha is jolted awake. He doesn’t notice Ko Anna’s presence for quite a while. When he does, he immediately pulls her into an embrace, clearly pleased she was alive.
The episode ends with Kim Je Ha scolding himself and wondering whether to head to Ko Anna’s bedroom to (we’re guessing) explain himself after they awkwardly part ways. Back in her bedroom, Ko Anna is beside herself, happy about what had just happened between them. She, like Kim Je Ha, is also wondering whether she should head back out to Kim Je Ha.
And so the episode ends like that. Ko Anna on one side of the door, Kim Je Ha on the other. Will Kim Je Ha head in there? Will Ko Anna? Maybe they both make a grab for the door and make things more awkward.
That dream of Kim Je Ha’s and Ko Anna in place of Raniya, that sure was subtle. We missed it the first time, and thought maybe he was so traumatised by Raniya’s killing, he didn’t know who he was hugging. Maybe he needed someone to calm him and Ko Anna just so happens to be there at the right place, at the right time. Then to discover it was because he saw her in his dream—Oooh! What a great development.
We sort of feel sorry for Choi Yoo Jin. She’s ruthless when on the wrong side of her, but somehow, she still comes off deserving of pity when she is forced to relinquish control. When she was talking with Kim Je Ha up in Cloud Nine, Kim Je Ha had criticised her for being no different from Park Kwan Soo after Choi Yoo Jin criticised him for concerning himself over Ko Anna (she’s referring to his media stunt) and forgetting his revenge on Park Kwan Soo. Kim Je Ha’s judgement of her had Choi Yoo Jin reveal she thought herself as a victim in her situation.
She tells him that if the world consists of only wrongdoers and victims, where wrongdoers were Park Kwan Soos and victims were Raniyas, then she’d be Raniya and her father would be Park Kwan Soo. She doesn’t state who Jang Se Joon is, but she does say he made her that way. We like to think that maybe what she said is the truth of the situation. We’re hoping she really is being portrayed as evil but in fact she really is how she sees herself—a victim of the whole situation created by her father and Jang Se Joon.
She makes a point about Jang Se Joon being a wolf and how children of wolves aren’t sheep. They, i.e. Ko Anna, will turn into wolves themselves. Makes us curious if that’s where things will go with Ko Anna. She’s really timid and harmless at the moment, but she might just show her teeth later when she or Jang Se Joon gains more control and power over Choi Yoo Jin.
This episode is pretty good. On the surface, it comes off as pretty much of the same thing as past episodes. The things that were said, the flashbacks, we’ve seen and heard it all before. Nothing comes off as news. But then as we look more closely at the scenes, they’re actually developing quite a bit in terms of shifts in control and changes in allegiances which we’re hoping will bring in some really interesting drama for the main characters. Excited to see what Episode 10 has in-store.
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