[Drama Review] 'Man to Man' -- Episode 15

AKP STAFF

MAN TO MAN -- EPISODE 15

When Seol Woo hears about Dong Hyun, he grabs his sniper rifle and heads to a memorial service set up for Seung Jae's grandfather. He intends to solve his problem in the most direct way�but is talked down by Do Ha and Woon Gwang. It's been spread to the media that Dong Hyun was a spy along with Seol Woo, but Woon Gwang helps publicly discredit the story on the prosecutor. Mr. Jang confronts NIS Director Sook Hoon, who threatens him back. Seol Woo has Mi Eun find the info that will incriminate the NIS Director. Seol Woo goes into hiding�but emerges long enough to comfort Do Ha and Woon Gwang. Sook Hoon informs Seung Jae that Mi Eun is a former ghost agent. She makes a deal with the director to attain new identities for her and her kid if she turns evidence of his nefarious activities over to him. Woon Gwang and Do Ha infiltrate a talk show that Seung Jae is on, while Seol Woo outfits his mic with a bomb, advising Seung Jae to speak the truth or else...

Sniping at a memorial service? Probably a bad plan. And it's a good thing his friends talked him out of it. I was wondering, though, how he was going to get revenge if not through the direct route? If they're unassailable, and you're wanted by the cops, how do you get to them? If there's evidence against them the authorities are still going to weigh that against the fact that there's an APB out on you. But it looks like he found a plan...

They don't talk about the media a whole lot, like how to use it as a tool against your enemies. They talk about it some, a post is made, and that's it. Social media seems to be more useful than the real media�since journalistic controls aren't really in place over in South Korea. There's a lot of rumor and hearsay that gets passed off as news (and this has gotten really bad even in the U.S. with the rise of the internet) so you really need to know how to cut through the BS to get to the truth. Still, the smear campaign seems to have been effective.

Sook Hoon was the last person I would have suspected, and now he's showing his true bad guy colors. I wouldn't be surprised if he pulled out a black fright mask and a cape. I was kinda hoping maybe he would be a double agent, pretending to work for the Dragon Fogeys, but instead was trying to bring them down. Yeah, not so much. That guy is as corrupt as the day is long. I just hope they can nail him as well as Seung Jae. That said, he plays a great bad guy.

Do Ha takes a delight in mischief, and this episode showed that. When she has a mission she has this cute smirk on her face, and it's a thing of wonder to watch her go to work. Spiking the guy's coffee was a genius maneuver in any case, but I like the spunky take-no-poo Do Ha like we've come to expect. She's a much better character than lovestruck Do Ha, and it's nice to see her back�and continue to be the character we fell in love with at the beginning.

Mi Eun is on her own side, and it's never more apparent than here. I'm not sure exactly what was going on; whether she was serious or just trying to avoid his scrutiny and wrath. Whatever it was, it was clear she was trying to protect herself and her kid. Maybe by any means necessary. If dirty deals need to be made, well, that's what needs to happen.

I thought the talk show plan was a master stroke, and ingenious. Put a detonator in Seung Jae's microphone, and have Seol Woo with his finger on the button. That ought to ensure that his answers are truthful ones. I think. But it depends on how much Seol Woo and his cohorts know, really. They could ask a question and he could answer in such a way where it could sound truthful, but still be evasive. Despite all that, I think Seol Woo's plan was the bomb. �

It's wrap-up week: time to tie all the hanging plot threads together and give people their just desserts. And it seems like they're trying to do just that. I like how this show seems to set up situations right at the edge of the hour�and keep you hanging on to the next episode. This was nice and tight for a wrap-up episode. And we only have one more installment left before we bid the series goodbye.