This is one of the make it or break it episodes of a long drama. This is when the kid actors are shuffled off to Buffalo and the adult actors come in to take over the roles. If the adults drop the ball, I drop the drama.
Kid Hae Joo jumps off the cliff and into the rough seas. She sinks like a stone. Hae Joo thinks back to the happy times with her father, which gives her strength to start swimming back up to the surface. In no time at all she was carried out pretty far, but the shinning lights of the shipyard guide her back to shore.
Skip forward a whole 15 years. This would make Hae Joo (now played by Han Ji Hye) about 28 years-old. She's a steel town girl on a Saturday night looking for the fight of her life. She's a well-respected (if not well-paid) welder and she drives a motor bike. She's still living with her family. Dal Soon runs a not very successful sidewalk restaurant. Sang Tae is still an idiot.
Back in Ulsan, a fleet of vans arrive outside of a business building. Men in suits pour out, including Prosecutor Park Chang Hee (now played by Jae Hee). He's with the Special Force Squad, which apparently gives him the legal right to throw a fire extinguisher through a glass door. They're here to serve papers and break stuff.
Chang Hee drives home to a big mansion. No, it isn't his. This is Jang Do Hyun's big spread. Gi Cheol still works for him and they still live with the bastard. At least Cringer has gotten a new haircut. As Chang Hee goes to change out of his work clothes, a text message comes in on his phone. Gi Cheol checks it for his son and sees the message is from "The Chief." Dad quickly informs his son. Chang Hee looks serious as he goes outside to call the chief back.
Turns out "The Chief" is Hae Joo's code name, so Gi Cheol doesn't know his son is still in contact with her. She's calling with exciting news. She's got a job interview with Cheon Ji Shipbuilding (a division of Do Hyun's company) and may be moving back to Ulsan.
Here come the Jang clan, all in separate cars for some reason. Do Hyun has changed toupees. In Hwa (now played by Son Eun Seo) owns a restaurant. Il Mun (now played by Yoon Jong Hwa) still gives Chang Hee the evil eye. Do Hyun asks Chang Hee to take it easy on President Ko (the old man served papers earlier and got his door broken) as this may damage the local economy, as well as Do Hyun needs the old guy. Since Chang Hee is living in his house, I guess the bastard thinks he's got the prosecutor's office in his back pocket.
As the menfolk talk business, Il Mun mentions the name of Ryan Kang, a young whiz kid in the shipbuilding business. In Hwa is walking by at that moment and catches the name. She obviously recognizes what the men don't: Ryan Kang is Kang San.
Cut to a yacht (a real one, not like that puny "yacht" of Do Hyun's that sank with the kids) filled with bathing beauties surrounding Kang San (played by Kim Jae Won). They head back to the dock and pile into his sleek convertible, cruising down the street and blasting Oppa Gangnam Style. Their destination is the office of Il Mun. It appears Il Mun sent the girls to "Ryan Kang" as a gift, and Kang is returning them. (And I don't blame him. None of these gals are what you would call Korea's Next Top Model material.)
Kang San dons an electric pink suit and goes to a lame nightclub where he is constantly hit upon by random white girls. Time for a Korean woman to show them how it's done, as she's all over Kang San like a bad suit. Too bad this is Young Joo, Hae Joo's little sister, and here comes big sister to haul her underage ass outta da club. Kang San tries to intervene (neither one recognizing the other one) and Hae Joo has no choice but to flip him over her shoulder.
As Hae Joo forcefully drags Young Joo out, they pass In Hwa who is going in. Damn, after all these years her Kang San radar is still working. Now it's In Hwa's turn to forcefully drag someone out. Kang San/Ryan Kang manages to escape her clutches and jumps into a getaway car.
Back at the Chun hovel, Young Joo announces she's not going to college. Look at idiot Sang Tae. He graduated from college (how?) and he's no better off. Young Joo has the grand plan of latching on to a rich man. Anna Nicole Smith did and look how well it turned out for her. Hae Joo reaches her boiling point and spills over. She cries and screams of how she couldn't even finish high school as she had to drop out and support the family. She dreamed of going to college and now Young Joo wants her opportunity away.
Chang Hee does as Do Hyun requested and gives President Ko an easy out from the charges of tax evasion and smuggling. Chang Hee knows his boss won't like it so he tells Do Hyun to have a talk with their boss's boss to smooth things over. Turns out the Deputy Chief Prosecutor is Yoon Jeong Woo and he doesn't look like himself at all. In fact I had to go back and rewatch the scene, I was so clueless. Jeong Woo was wanting some prison time for President Ko. Chang Hee breaks it to him that the Chief Prosecutor is a-okay with the way things have turned out.
Lee Bong Hee stops by for a visit and she's another one I didn't recognize right off. I don't like her haircut. She's heard Jeong Woo is renting out a room in his house and she's upset he's renting "her" room. He argues she has her own nice house, why is she always crashing at his place? It's been fifteen years and they still haven't gotten anywhere with their relationship?
Chang Hee waits at the bus stop as Hae Joo arrives for her job interview. They're waving to each other as she rushes to him. Naturally she breaks a heel in the process. This gives Chang Hee an opportunity to take her shopping and buy her expensive clothes.
Gi Cheol is out with the Jang clan having dinner at In Hwa's restaurant. As she leaves to go get a bottle of wine, Geum Hee floats the idea of marrying In Hwa off to Chang Hee. All the menfolk have a shocked reaction to this, especially Il Mun. (Here's an idea: let's get In Hwa's reaction to this. It is her life you're talking about, after all.)
Chang Hee takes Hae Joo out for dinner. He warns her that the company she's interviewing for is run by Il Mun who may recognize her. She doubts he'll remember her from so long ago. Chang Hee is tired of keeping their relationship secret and wants to tell his dad the truth. Hae Joo is against it. She's afraid Gi Cheol won't accept her because she's so poor and a high school dropout. Hae Joo asks for more time, hoping she'll get this job and become more respectable.
When Chang Hee arrives home Dad is fairly busting a gut to tell him the good news about Geum Hee wanting Chang Hee to marry In Hwa. Chang Hee tells Gi Cheol to stop talking crazy. Meanwhile, Il Mun continues to stew in jealousy over golden boy Chang Hee. Geum Hee sees him making a mess with a glass of water and asks if he and his father had another fight. Il Mun confronts her with wanting to marry his sister to the son of a mere servant. Geum Hee points out that no one cares about status nowadays. Il Mun snarls that if In Hwa were Geum Hee's biological daughter she wouldn't marry the girl off to someone as lowly as Chang Hee. This hits Geum Hee hard. (A part of me is wondering if it was supposed to be a secret that Geum Hee was only a stepmother and her extreme reaction was because Il Mun revealed he knows the truth.)
Dressed to the nines, Hae Joo goes before the board (which includes Il Mun) for her job interview. Right away Il Mun notes that she didn't graduate from high school. How can they even think of giving someone like her a job? Others on the board bring up how well she tested, holds several engineer licenses, and is CAD certified. Il Mun still isn't impressed.
Then right in the middle of her interview here comes "Ryan King" bursting in. (Did I mention he also drives a motorcycle?) He's angry with Il Mun for not building a ship exactly to his designs. In disgust Kang San throws the blueprints on the floor. Hae Joo politely picks all the papers up to hand back to him. Only now when they're face to face to they recognize each other from Club Lame-O.
Back in Ulsan, a fleet of vans arrive outside of a business building. Men in suits pour out, including Prosecutor Park Chang Hee (now played by Jae Hee). He's with the Special Force Squad, which apparently gives him the legal right to throw a fire extinguisher through a glass door. They're here to serve papers and break stuff.
Chang Hee drives home to a big mansion. No, it isn't his. This is Jang Do Hyun's big spread. Gi Cheol still works for him and they still live with the bastard. At least Cringer has gotten a new haircut. As Chang Hee goes to change out of his work clothes, a text message comes in on his phone. Gi Cheol checks it for his son and sees the message is from "The Chief." Dad quickly informs his son. Chang Hee looks serious as he goes outside to call the chief back.
Turns out "The Chief" is Hae Joo's code name, so Gi Cheol doesn't know his son is still in contact with her. She's calling with exciting news. She's got a job interview with Cheon Ji Shipbuilding (a division of Do Hyun's company) and may be moving back to Ulsan.
Here come the Jang clan, all in separate cars for some reason. Do Hyun has changed toupees. In Hwa (now played by Son Eun Seo) owns a restaurant. Il Mun (now played by Yoon Jong Hwa) still gives Chang Hee the evil eye. Do Hyun asks Chang Hee to take it easy on President Ko (the old man served papers earlier and got his door broken) as this may damage the local economy, as well as Do Hyun needs the old guy. Since Chang Hee is living in his house, I guess the bastard thinks he's got the prosecutor's office in his back pocket.
As the menfolk talk business, Il Mun mentions the name of Ryan Kang, a young whiz kid in the shipbuilding business. In Hwa is walking by at that moment and catches the name. She obviously recognizes what the men don't: Ryan Kang is Kang San.
Cut to a yacht (a real one, not like that puny "yacht" of Do Hyun's that sank with the kids) filled with bathing beauties surrounding Kang San (played by Kim Jae Won). They head back to the dock and pile into his sleek convertible, cruising down the street and blasting Oppa Gangnam Style. Their destination is the office of Il Mun. It appears Il Mun sent the girls to "Ryan Kang" as a gift, and Kang is returning them. (And I don't blame him. None of these gals are what you would call Korea's Next Top Model material.)
Kang San dons an electric pink suit and goes to a lame nightclub where he is constantly hit upon by random white girls. Time for a Korean woman to show them how it's done, as she's all over Kang San like a bad suit. Too bad this is Young Joo, Hae Joo's little sister, and here comes big sister to haul her underage ass outta da club. Kang San tries to intervene (neither one recognizing the other one) and Hae Joo has no choice but to flip him over her shoulder.
As Hae Joo forcefully drags Young Joo out, they pass In Hwa who is going in. Damn, after all these years her Kang San radar is still working. Now it's In Hwa's turn to forcefully drag someone out. Kang San/Ryan Kang manages to escape her clutches and jumps into a getaway car.
Back at the Chun hovel, Young Joo announces she's not going to college. Look at idiot Sang Tae. He graduated from college (how?) and he's no better off. Young Joo has the grand plan of latching on to a rich man. Anna Nicole Smith did and look how well it turned out for her. Hae Joo reaches her boiling point and spills over. She cries and screams of how she couldn't even finish high school as she had to drop out and support the family. She dreamed of going to college and now Young Joo wants her opportunity away.
Chang Hee does as Do Hyun requested and gives President Ko an easy out from the charges of tax evasion and smuggling. Chang Hee knows his boss won't like it so he tells Do Hyun to have a talk with their boss's boss to smooth things over. Turns out the Deputy Chief Prosecutor is Yoon Jeong Woo and he doesn't look like himself at all. In fact I had to go back and rewatch the scene, I was so clueless. Jeong Woo was wanting some prison time for President Ko. Chang Hee breaks it to him that the Chief Prosecutor is a-okay with the way things have turned out.
Lee Bong Hee stops by for a visit and she's another one I didn't recognize right off. I don't like her haircut. She's heard Jeong Woo is renting out a room in his house and she's upset he's renting "her" room. He argues she has her own nice house, why is she always crashing at his place? It's been fifteen years and they still haven't gotten anywhere with their relationship?
Chang Hee waits at the bus stop as Hae Joo arrives for her job interview. They're waving to each other as she rushes to him. Naturally she breaks a heel in the process. This gives Chang Hee an opportunity to take her shopping and buy her expensive clothes.
Gi Cheol is out with the Jang clan having dinner at In Hwa's restaurant. As she leaves to go get a bottle of wine, Geum Hee floats the idea of marrying In Hwa off to Chang Hee. All the menfolk have a shocked reaction to this, especially Il Mun. (Here's an idea: let's get In Hwa's reaction to this. It is her life you're talking about, after all.)
Chang Hee takes Hae Joo out for dinner. He warns her that the company she's interviewing for is run by Il Mun who may recognize her. She doubts he'll remember her from so long ago. Chang Hee is tired of keeping their relationship secret and wants to tell his dad the truth. Hae Joo is against it. She's afraid Gi Cheol won't accept her because she's so poor and a high school dropout. Hae Joo asks for more time, hoping she'll get this job and become more respectable.
When Chang Hee arrives home Dad is fairly busting a gut to tell him the good news about Geum Hee wanting Chang Hee to marry In Hwa. Chang Hee tells Gi Cheol to stop talking crazy. Meanwhile, Il Mun continues to stew in jealousy over golden boy Chang Hee. Geum Hee sees him making a mess with a glass of water and asks if he and his father had another fight. Il Mun confronts her with wanting to marry his sister to the son of a mere servant. Geum Hee points out that no one cares about status nowadays. Il Mun snarls that if In Hwa were Geum Hee's biological daughter she wouldn't marry the girl off to someone as lowly as Chang Hee. This hits Geum Hee hard. (A part of me is wondering if it was supposed to be a secret that Geum Hee was only a stepmother and her extreme reaction was because Il Mun revealed he knows the truth.)
Dressed to the nines, Hae Joo goes before the board (which includes Il Mun) for her job interview. Right away Il Mun notes that she didn't graduate from high school. How can they even think of giving someone like her a job? Others on the board bring up how well she tested, holds several engineer licenses, and is CAD certified. Il Mun still isn't impressed.
Then right in the middle of her interview here comes "Ryan King" bursting in. (Did I mention he also drives a motorcycle?) He's angry with Il Mun for not building a ship exactly to his designs. In disgust Kang San throws the blueprints on the floor. Hae Joo politely picks all the papers up to hand back to him. Only now when they're face to face to they recognize each other from Club Lame-O.
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