Snowdrop Episode 7

1987…Spring…

Eun Young Ro (Kim Ji Soo) is willing to stay if everyone else is released. Lim Soo Ho (Jung Hae In) aims his gun at Young Ro. She screams at him to get out of their dorm. Soo Ho puts his gun to her head. She begs him to let the others go. She pushes his gun down. She identifies herself as Chang Soo’s daughter.  Soo Ho smiles. He refuses to let everyone go, instead he maintains 9 hostages will be released. He sends Young Ro to the window so the snipers see her.

Soo Ho talks to Mistress Pi Seung Hee (Yoon Se Ah) about which girls to release. She informs him Young Ro was being evicted from the dorm because she hid him. She points out Young Ro has been defiant and unwavering in her support of him, whom she incorrectly believed was a protestor. Secretary General, Nam Tae Il and Director Eun Chang Soo can’t believe what they are hearing through the wiretap. Soo Ho says he doesn’t care. Mistress Pi asks to use the restroom before returning to the cafeteria. Soo Ho calls Comrade Joo to guard the restroom while he returns to the cafeteria.

In the restroom, Mistress Pi retrieves a walkie talkie she’s strapped to her leg but doesn’t have a chance to use it before Comrade Joo orders to exit.

Agent Jang Han Na (Jung Eugene) begs Soo Ho to let the doctor treat Kang Moo. Soo Ho doesn’t agree. Han Na snaps he promised. Soo Ho counters she’s broken multiple promises to him too.

Soo Ho goes to talk to the doctor to learn the state of Comrade Choi. Doctor Kang Chung Ya (Yoo In Na) motions to the wiretap device in the wall. She shows her arm where she’s written the dorm is wiretapped and the swat team will be coming soon. He locks eyes with Chung Ya. He declares Kang Moo should be treated. Chung Ya agrees.

Chief Ahn Kyung Hee watches the dorm, irked that Mistress Pi didn’t let him know what was really going on. Chang Soo and Tae Il arrive. Chang Soo spots his daughter in the window. She sees him and looks away. Then she looks back at her father. Tae Il scoffs that Chang Soo and now his daughter are liabilities. Tae Il tells Chang Soo he’s a disgrace.  Chang Soo glares at him.

Cho Seong Sim (Tae Il’s wife) and boutique designer and owner Choi Mi Hye discuss if the priest’s prophecy meant exactly 13 virgins need to be sacrificed. Seong Sim says the priest was clear – exactly 13 virgins must be sacrificed. Mi Hye notes some hostage will be released today by the spies.

Soo Ho takes the mask off Agent Lee Kang Moo (Jang Seung Jo) and asks about Chang Soo. Soo Ho says his daughter is one of the girls in the dorm. Soo Ho informs Kang Moo that bombs are thorough out the building and if the south doesn’t do as they promise, he’ll blow up everyone. Kang Moo asks if Soo Ho will lead his men to death. Soo Ho counters dying as heroes is a better fate than capture.

Tae Il tells Chang Soo they need to proceed and rescue the hostages before the spies blow up the building.

Flashback…Tae Il tells Han Na that Chung Ya will drug two of the three spies. Her job is to remove the bombs. Then the SWAT team will kill the last spy.

Chang Soo isn’t happy with Tae Il’s plan. It puts his daughter at risk.

Kang Moo returns to the cafeteria. Han Na hugs him in relief. She whispers there is a gun in the medical back. Comrade Joo pulls her away from Kang Moo. He says the agents killed one of their comrades. Han Na snaps the man took a cyanide pill just like he’s told to by the North. That doesn’t go over well with Soo Ho. He pushes her against the wall and warns her not to speak ill of their fallen comrade. Kang Moo interrupts the tense moment and calls Han Na a fool to lead with emotion. Chung Ya tells Kang Moo she’ll see him now. Soo Ho tells Han Na he’ll release some hostages.

Han Na leads the selected girls to the front of the dorm. The girls exit. Anxious parents watch. The police and paramedics help the girls.

Inside the war room tent, Chief Ahn reports the injured girls have been taken to the hospital. Chang Soo’s wife brings food for all the agents in the war room and claims to be worried. Tae Il declares Chang Soo is a lucky man. The agents dig in. It’s pleasant until a news report about the rumor Professor Han was killed while defecting to the North is aired. The report states they have a voice recording with Professor Han and the North spy (Soo Ho) where the spy informs Professor Han his son is in the North voluntarily and he must come North to retrieve him. The reporter states this mess was green lighted by the current administration per the opposition presidential candidate. Tae Il is livid. He blames Chief Ahn. Chang Soo tells his wife to leave. Tae Il declares they must fabricate evidence to counter the less than flattering news report. Chang Soo counters fabricating won’t work. Tae Il counters they can’t let the opposition presidential candidate win. The current president calls and orders Chang Soo to come report by 5pm. Tae Il freaks out. Ae Ra reveals she’s been listening and suggests they tell the press everything about the hostage situation. Chang Soo points out that could trigger the North spies to blow up the dorm. Tae Il and Ae Ra believe it could be an effective smoke screen for the Professor Han story and garner sympathy for the current president dealing with the crisis. Chang Soo agrees to talk to the North Director Lim. Tae Il orders the SWAT team to stand down.

Chung Ya tends to Kang Moo’s wound. When Comrade Joo steps away, Kang Moo asks for the gun in the medical bag. Comrade Joo returns before Chung Ya can give it to him.

Hye Ryeong frets she’s missing a date. Other students worry about not being able to study. Boon Ok and Hye Ryeong argue. Comrade Joo tells them to be quiet.

Comrade Choi tells Comrade Director Lee (Soo Ho’s father) that he can’t get the 300 million from the south and rescue his son given the current state of events. He won’t agree with her assessment. Internally she scoffs that being a father cloud his reason. Chang Soo calls and explains the sticky situation. He says they’ll have to make the hostage situation public. Director Lee declares he wants the North spies home. Chang Soo suggests they’ll have to kill the trio of spies. If Director Lee agrees, the south will send the 300 million. Director Lee yells the spies must be returned unharmed. He hangs up. Director Lee’s secretary informs him the secretary’s office wants to see him. Director Lee leaves. Comrade Choi calls Chang Soo and identifies herself as the deputy director. She declares Director Lee is out of the loop and future conversations will be with her. She agrees that killing the North spies will give them an honorable death. She hangs up. Director Lee’s secretary has eavesdropped on the conversation and hurries down the hall to report the conversation to Director Lee. He smiles and chuckles.

Chung Ya finishes tending Kang Moo’s wounds.  She tells Comrade Joo he should hold the gun on her. She fumbles with her medical bag. Comrade Joo gets suspicious and opens the bag.  He finds the gun.  He strikes Chung Ya.

Tae Il is upset that his lover is the situation.

Soo Ho brings a boombox in the cafeteria and plays the music loud rendering the eavesdropping devices less effective. He’s shocked when Comrade Joo brings in a bloodied Chung Ya and reports her treachery. Soo Ho advises Comrade Joo to forget about it. That doesn’t sit well with the hot head Comrade Joo. Meanwhile Kang Moo takes a scalpel from Chung Ya’s medical items. Comrade Joo pushes Young Ro out of the window and puts Chung Ya there instead. He raises his gun to her head. Soo Ho yells at Comrade Joo. Frustrated, Comrade Joo breaks the window.

The snipers report that Chung Ya is in danger. Chief Ahn ascertains the sniper’s location. Kang Moo reenters the cafeteria and sees the situation. Comrade Joo yells out the window that they can’t trust anyone, everything they are told are lies. He points his gun a Chung Ya. She begs him not to kill her. Tae Il watches through the binoculars having moved to a vantage to see the window. He screams at the snipers to kill the North spy. The snipers state the Chung Ya is in the way. Tae Il yells his frustration. He declares he’ll kill everyone if Chung Ya is hurt.

Soo Ho wrestles with Comrade Joo for the gun. Kang Moo and Han Na creep closer. Mistress Pi watches the situation unfold. As Soo Ho and Comrade Joo struggle, the gun from the doctor’s bag drops onto the floor. Young Ro picks it up. She points it at Comrade Joo and Soo Ho. Comrade Joo positions himself behind Chung Ya. Soo Ho tells her to put the gun down. Kang Moo tells her to put the gun down. Young Ro demands the doctor be released. Kang Moo declares if the doctor dies, Comrade Joo will die because another won’t be sent. Soo Ho orders Comrade Joo to lower his weapon. A sniper fires through the window. Livid, Comrade Joo break more glass and begins firing at the snipers.

Soo Ho knocks the gun out of Young Ro’s hand and pushes her to the ground. The paper airplane he made from her note drops to the floor.

Chung Ya picks up the gun.

Soo Ho pulls the gun from Comrade Joo’s hands and tells him to stop wasting ammo.

Han Na rushes down the stairs unnoticed.

Young Ro picks up the paper airplane. She reads the note. She realizes he found and kept the airplane. She looks at him. He sees she has the paper airplane. He snatches it from her hand. He pulls her back to the window. He gives Comrade Joo his gun. He realizes the boom box is off. He guesses Han Na is gone. He pursues.

Han Na heads to the hut at the to of the secret stairway from the basement. She disables the booby trap. She’s about to step outside when Soo Ho arrives and tells her to stop. She declares the SWAT team is outside. He pulls out the remote detonator. He says either she stops the SWAT team or he’ll blow up everyone include Kang Moo.

She heads outside and yells at the SWAT team to attack. They stand and stare while she screams at them to attack. Soo Ho locks the hut and resets the bobby trap.

Meanwhile Tae Il is freaking out in the war room. Chang Soo returns. Tae Il is relieved Chang Soo spoke with Director Lee. Chang Soo informs him Comrade Choi, Director Lee’s deputy, is now in charge. Han Na charges into the war room and demands to know why the SWAT team did not attack.

The phone rings. Chang Soo picks up. Soo Ho demands to know why they were told lies and the SWAT team is poised to strike. Tae Il grabs the phone and yells that Han Na lied to make them capitulate. He orders Chung Ya be released. Soo Ho asks how he knew that Han Na spoke with the SWAT team. Tae Il hands the phone back to Chang Soo. Han Na is livid that they are not attacking decisively. Tae Il orders he taken away. Chief Ahn escorts her out. Chang Soo tells Soo Ho there was a mistake. Soo Ho doesn’t believe him. Chang Soo urges him to check the instructions from the North. Soo Ho points out that Chang Soo says that whenever he’s cornered. Soo Ho asks if the North leadership knows the South tried to kill them. Soo Ho guesses that Chang Soo has made deals with the North. He demands to know the details. He warns that he has Chang Soo’s daughter as the primary hostage. Chang Soo says that Soo Ho must follow orders. He urges him to check the instructions from the North. Soo Ho sighs and says since he won’t work with them honestly, he has no choice. He tells Chang Soo he’ll pick a random hostage and kill them in 10 minutes. He says that girl’s life will be on their heads. He hangs up. Tae Il is relieved a student will be killed not the doctor.

Comrade Joo asks if Soo Ho really meant that. Soo Ho assures him he meant it. Comrade Joo suggest they kill the student that called them communist scum. Soo Ho says that is Young Ro. He agrees she must die. Chang Soo is horrified. Then Soo Ho pulls out the eavesdropping device. The war room can’t hear anything in that room. Chang Soo demands they fix it. Soo Ho holds the eavesdropping device and tells Comrade Joo that Young Ro is Chang Soo’s daughter. He says she is their lifeline.

Soo Ho removes eavesdropping devices throughout the dorm. The war room goes crazy. Soo Ho enters the room where Kang Moo is being held. He pulls out the eavesdropping device. He exits the room.

Chang Soo calls Soo Ho. He doesn’t pick up.

Chung Ya murmurs to Young Ro. Comrade Joo appears and takes Chung Ya away.

Comrade Joo brings Chung Ya into a room. Soo Ho stands at respectful attention then unties her hands. Soo Ho reports the eavesdropping devices are gone and she can speak freely. Comrade Joo asks what is going on. The phone rings. Chung Ya picks it up, hears Chang Soo’s voice, then hangs up. Chung Ya tells Comrade Joo she’s hear to get them back to the North safely. Comrade Joo is gobsmacked. Chung Ya says her code name is Moran Hill 1. Comrade Joo recognizes the name and apologizes for his behavior. Chung Ya states she provoked him deliberately.

A megaphone outside calls for Soo Ho. Chief Ahn declares Chang Soo needs to talk to him and he must pick up the phone. Soo Ho relays that Chang Soo told him to check the North’s instructions which he’s ready to do now. The phone rings. Chung Ya motions for Soo Ho to pick up the phone. Soo Ho does so and lays the phone on the table. Chang Soo tells Soo Ho to check the North’s instructions. He promises to get them out in 10 days’ time. Tae Il yells at Soo Ho to respond. Soo Ho hangs up. Chang Soo yells at Tae Il to stop escalating the situation.

Chung Ya tells Soo Ho to check the North’s instructions. Soo Ho deciphers the message. He shows it to Chung Ya. She reads “agreement with the South achieved. Do not kill any hostages. Guaranteed return to the North in 10 days.” Soo Ho asks if returning to the North is possible. The South has lied consistently. Chung Ya points out that Soo Ho failed to apprehend PK and get him to the North. Because of that failure, the North agents on the ship were killed. She states the new mission is to keep the hostages alive for 10 days then return to the North.

Comrade Joo and Soo Ho bring Chung Ya back to the cafeteria. Mistress Pi states they need to be fed. Soo Ho agrees. The cook toddles to the kitchen. Soo Ho moves Young Ro back to the window. Chang Soo sees his daughter is alive. He sighs in relief. He tells Tae Il that must alert the president. Tae Il scurries away to do so. Chang Soo follows.

During the car ride, an agent receives a call about Chang Soo’s son and Young Ro’s brother, Eun Yeong U. The agent yells that a clerk shouldn’t have been in that kind of situation. The car changes course.

Soo Ho pulls Young Ro away from the window. He unties her hands. He takes her to a room where food and water wait. She asks why a human shield merits food. Soo Ho wants her to eat to help them not her. Young Ro asks why he had the paper airplane. She asks if he came to the dorm because of the note.

The news report blares that during an operation at sea, Chang Soo’s son, Eun Yeong U was killed. Young Ro can’t believe it. Then Soo Ho’s picture flashes on the screen while the reporter identifies him a North spy that has been operating in Europe before returning to Korea and creating the current hostage crisis at the university. The reporter states Soo Ho contacted Professor Han for political reasons. She promises more details later. Young Ro stares at Soo Ho with tears running down her face.

My Thoughts

This episode hummed. Writer Yoo Hyun Mi hit the sweet spot with the hostage situation. The reveals, the hot head moments from Comrade Joo and Han Na mattered more than annoyed, the paper airplane moment, Chang Soo and Tae Il stepping on each other while they both tried to ensure the women the loved in the dorm survived, were woven skillfully. Director Jo Hyun Tak knit it together perfectly with highs and lows and surprises for all the major characters. Bravo!

Im Soo Ho (Jung Hae In) is no longer the highest-ranking comrade in the dorm.  The reveal that Chung Ya was their comrade and the infamous Moran Hill 1. Tae Il has been sleeping with the enemy! The North ordered the hostages be kept alive and their return in 10 days’ time.  The paper airplane moment was sweet and unexpected. Soo Ho had been all business with Young Ro. It was nice to see a moment of vulnerability.

Eun Young Ro (Kim Ji Soo) became a human shield. She admitted who she was and became a valuable pawn for the North. The scene at the window when Chung Ya became the human shield, when Soo Ho and Comrade Joo wrestled for the weapon, and Young Ro picked up the dropped gun was riveting.

The third song of the OST is a lovely ballad “Looks like a real thing” sung by Jehwi:

I rank this episode as almost terrific, 8.5 on a 10-point scale.

About KJT (aka kjtamuser)

Asian drama fan. I watch and blog dramas on https://kjtamusings.wordpress.com/.

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Tagged with: episode 7, Snowdrop
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