[Drama Review] 'The K2' - Episode 3

The newest action drama 'The K2' is back at it again and filling our weekends with nothing but pure excitement with episode three. I must admit, I was eating a bowl of bimbimbap and let it go cold as my jaw was wide open and eyes glued to the screen with each and every scene. This time around my attention was captured and unbreakable.

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Episode three blew me away as it was overflowing with action, conflict and more personal stories developing. As we left off with Je Ha pointing a gun at Assemblywoman Yoo Jin's head and Anna screaming for her to be killed, viewers could only anticipate what would happen next. Fortunately for Yoo Jin, it became a simple game of blackmail and a hostage situation.�

May I just say that Je Ha wows us all with his constant preparation and attention to detail? The hidden phone in the houseplant recording every word of Yoo Jin's was utterly left-field! As Yoo Jin and Je Ha are escorted out of the house, Assemblyman Jang Se Joon arrives soon after.

I make this face when I run out of milk but already poured cereal.

This scene would seem crucial, but viewers still can't understand Anna's relationship with her father. Is she pining to see him or merely afraid of him and his reactions towards her? While everyone is putting on a show, YoonA, who plays Anna, is still getting paid millions of won to cry in her room all day. You can see in Jang Se Joon's face that he loves his daughter and he makes it obvious he wants Anna safe. Yet, when provided the opportunity to see her after Anna is brought back to Korea, Se Joon turns it down quite easily - leading Anna to cry (again) in her dark room.

I know the plot is holding back in order to reveal something bigger later on, but I, alongside the viewers I'm sure, are impatient creatures. Anna seems to be more than a way for Yoo Jin to control the Assemblyman and it is easy to see that a relationship will manifest between Anna and Je Ha. While we wait for Anna's storyline to come together, fortunately, the action of episode 3 was enough to satisfy viewers.

I have to say the directors really one-upped the usual car chases in dramas, as the scene where the assailants used a hacking device that increased Yoo Jin's car speed to over 150 mph right at the construction sight was killer (pun intended).

Like many, the wrath of assistant Kim Dong Mi was a bit terrifying. She seems to have an unbreakable loyalty to Yoo Jin which ultimately has many questioning "Why?" Her dedication to protecting Yoo Jin at all costs is admirable, especially when she lashes out and and runs over Yoo Jin's assailants in a SUV. The face she makes as she declares to plow them down is as priceless as it is spine-chilling.

If that were me I'd whisper 'Let's elope,' and let them think we died.

I was expecting Je Ha to get away easily and avoid messier problems than what had already occurred after taking Yoo Jin hostage, but the car accident was completely surprising. I enjoy Je Ha's constant righteous actions as he pulled out the hero card, saved Yoo Jin from a flaming vehicle and managed to hold Yoo Jin while taking a blow from some flying debris after the explosion. Storyline aside, moments where Je Ha's clothes are torn and tattered just make the scenes hotter and hotter as you can see his rugged body - Ji Chang Wook is a total man candy spectacle at some points and I'm lovin' it.

With that off my chest, once both Yoo Jin and Je Ha arrived to the hospital, I was more engaged by the character development that continued going forward. Je Ha's flashback came out of the blue and went right back into it. Who is Naniya and after saying, "I do," did they ever wed in Korea?�

Everytime he is in deep sleep, he seems to enter a trance and more is revealed about his human-like past instead of his secret agent life. This crafts the more emotional storyline expected in a drama, but it is well executed and refreshing to have it incorporated into later episodes than right from the beginning. His past is the main entree rather than an appetizer, sending us backwards instead of building up to something new.

Although, they still leave his relationship with the chief of J.S.S Security a bit foggy. The Chief gives the startling offer to have Je Ha join an elite team of Yoo Jin's body guards, which I'd pass as easily as a basketball, and a life in the Blue House. I smell more complications than what they were letting off in this scene. They both seem to want revenge on a person that wronged them earlier in their lives but "those bastards" are still unidentified. Could it involve Yoo Jin's assailants or maybe a character to be revealed later on?

As the suspense continued, viewers were also introduced to two new characters: Yoo Jin's younger brother Sung Won and political opponent Park Gwan Soo. Both share equally devilish looks and untrustworthy smiles hidden behind a friendly facade. However, 'The K2' is proving you can't simply jump the gun with your first hunch, as things (and people) change - and fast!�

It is easily assumed that Sung Won is arrogant and has some sort of ties with Park Gwan Soo judging from the way they meet in the hallway (maybe an attempt to stop his sister and husband from winning the election?), but his happy-go-lucky attitude masks his true intentions for now. It is clear that they both have something against Yoo Jin either way.

It is amazing how a drama can change the dynamics of a character and toy with our own emotions. One moment, you hope Yoo Jin gets what she deserves and the next, you start feeling some sympathy towards her. I'm sure viewers will find themselves hating her again, as she continues asserting power over Je Ha, despite him overpowering her and showing his ability to overthrow her plans - but for now, we sympathize.

When I'm about to tell off someone I hate, I'd like an audience like this.

Yoo Jin aside, Jang Se Joon had more of a role this time around as his parallel of acting within acting was brilliant, and if I had a grave I'd be rolling in it. 'The K2' was wise in also letting characters reveal their more cunning and dastardly sides, like Kang Se Joon during his "unexpected" speech, because it only enriches the plot each and every time. This drama also has an uncanny way of shedding light on the manipulation of politics, especially with scenes in the newsrooms, fake public announcements and finger pointing. It almost makes you wonder what kind of crazy is even going on behind closed doors with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. For now, let's stick to the evil politics of K-Dramas.

Once Park Gwan Soo decided to visit Yoo Jin in the hospital, you can see how he plays to the crowd and reporter's desires in a casual manner, making him appear unphased and hard to read. However, after having some few words with Yoo Jin in her hospital room and calling her a "difficult woman," Je Ha is found in the same elevator as this politician and putting on a more distorted face as if someone wronged him or farted in the elevator. Park Gwan Soo must be bad news as he is the second politician to end up with a gun pointed to his head by Je Ha.

I was caught off guard completely and my bibimbap was inedible at this point as I watched in awe until the credits began rolling up. Again, 'The K2' escalates our feelings and provided another restless night as we wait for the outcomes of the elevator showdown in episode four. Thank God they release two episodes every weekend!