Reviewer Rating: 5/5.0
5
Save some stories for the rest of the season, Pachinko!
After a few painfully slow, waterwheel-spinning episodes, Pachinko Season 2 kicks into gear and no longer has the clutch pressed (although straights still take some practice).
In this episode, a lot of action takes place over three very different nights.
On a sweltering, sleepless night in the countryside, each pair up in the darkness illuminated by fireflies outside, leaving them more exposed to sunlight than the sun.
The events and revelations tonight have had an impact now and will continue to resonate down the road.
Shunzi’s wild journey
Koh Hansu gave them teenagers by interrupting Sunja’s nighttime walk, gliding next to Sunja in his luxury car and letting them go out for a walk on a school night without their parents’ knowledge or permission. Such a youthful atmosphere.
It’s a reminder of how quickly these two have grown up in their personal lives and how circumstances have kept them mature beyond their years.
Instead of ending their moonlight chat, Koh gives Soon-ja a driving lesson, a completely random suggestion that he (of course) pulls off smoothly, like it was his plan all along.
Sunja initially grinds gears and causes the engine to stall, but it soon becomes clear. They were soon flying with giddy joy along the almost completely dark road until they ran off the road into a muddy ditch.
The effort of pushing the car out of the mud puts them back into their own bodies, a visceral reminder of the feeling of physical accomplishment. They were soon kissing and embracing between the car’s glowing headlights, for the first time in more than a decade.
Until a branch breaks.
It’s just that—an innocent sound of nature—but it’s enough to restore Sunja’s widowed sanity. All the laughter of learning to drive and push the cart disappeared, and the mask of distrust returned to her face.
Xu’s expression is calm, but his frustration with Sunja erupts in a torrent of words that are stinging.
He’s tired of waiting for Sunja to realize that they belong together, and can’t believe that she really doesn’t know how much he’s thought about and done for her and Noah behind the scenes all these years.
He’s tired of Sunja (and maybe feeling guilty about it) not allowing any joy or hope in his life. But he’s particularly irritated by her continued devotion to Isak, even now: “How long are you going to serve in that tomb?”
When Goo casually points out that Isak is gone and she doesn’t owe him anything, Sunja’s response encompasses her entire world: “You’re wrong. I owe him everything.
Xu left her, pregnant, to fend for herself while he returned to his family and home. He may have spent fifteen years amassing wealth as atonement, but Sunja’s trust is something he can never buy back.
Unexpected guests arrive
I was surprised (at least to me) when Koh Hansu brought Sunja’s mother to the farm for a truly touching reunion.
Sunja probably never thought she would see her mother again, which makes the palpable emotion in this scene all the more heartbreaking.
Sunja’s mother was hesitant and respectful at first, but it didn’t take long to establish her place in the family. Moz has a cheerful personality and quickly adjusts to suddenly having a grandmother.
But it was bittersweet when he saw only adventure in the tragic tale of her travails across the sea.
Sunja now finds herself caught between the roles of mother and daughter, which seems to confuse her a little.
She still moderates this new family dynamic well, such as gently assuring her self-sacrificing mother that there’s enough food for all without embarrassing her.
Her mother’s presence will continue to be an additional blessing and test for Sunja, who is still balancing the delicate power shift between her and Kyung-hee now that both are farm workers.
Kyung Hee takes a stand
It’s painful to watch Kyung-hee fidget when the foreman gets too close to talk to Kyung-hee. Mr. King could see what was happening from yards away and intervened to give her a graceful way out.
Later, Kyung-hee is waiting at the dock, where she sees Mr. Kim before the storm in Pachinko Season 2 Episode 3 . Above the clouds.
Kyung-hee still uses delivering mail as an excuse to go out, just like Mr. Kim can drink beer anywhere else. Their connection under the moonlight transcends issues of class.
Unfortunately, Mr. Kim screws up the moment and delivers a cheesy line about how Kyung-hee’s sadness is oppressing him because there’s there is nothing (Even Noah could read between the lines) He could do it.
After a long day and now night, Kyung-hee is tired of the men courting her married self, and she restores the class distinction by dressing Mr. Kim loosely and basically telling him not to forget he’s there for her.
It’s not her finest moment, but it’s completely understandable, especially if she’s as frustrated as we are that Mr. Kim hasn’t learned to move more smoothly after all these years of watching his smooth-talking employer.
Solomon wins
For perhaps the first time this season, Solomon’s storyline comes to life as he gets good news about his business deal and sees his world come to life over dinner with Naomi and his grandmother collision.
Junko seems to have come to Tokyo more out of boredom than genuine concern for her grandson’s well-being, but boy, does she perk up when she meets Naomi.
Now, she can double her passive-aggressive cooking and housework skills in just one night.
Naomi wins Sunja’s heart with a childhood story about her absent father. Her praise of Solomon’s business bravery sealed the deal, as had Mr. Bowtie’s earlier praise in the grocery store.
Solomon was visibly excited when he learned that his plan was working.
But when he learns news of Naomi’s own big business deal, his excitement and detailed questions raise red flags that he might use the confidential information to his own benefit at her expense.
Naomi seems to believe she’s the one Solomon won’t be ruthless about in business, but I have a feeling she may soon find out that’s not the case.
Koh Hansu mask dress
When Go tells Soon-ja that he’s still around because he has something to take care of, I think it must be an attempt to avenge Kyung-hee, since Mr. Kim must have informed him of the foreman’s disrespectful behavior.
I was so stupid – maybe it was to punish the foreman for stealing the chicken!
Noah keeps running around with his bullied friend (who still has a bad influence that makes him sneak out of the house at night). When the two went out to watch fireflies, they witnessed Xu beating the foreman almost to death.
The snapping of a branch (again!) reminds Gao that Noah has seen a violent side of him that he had hidden well until his anger at Sunja’s rejection made him careless. The boys ran away, but seeing Gao’s behavior made sure to follow them.
All of this does nothing
People float paper lanterns on the water to celebrate the rice harvest. Their orange light in the darkness is reminiscent of the fireflies earlier in the episode and the lanterns they used to escape Osaka.
The next night, the rice shed where their entire harvest was stored burned with orange flames.
Families and other workers are in varying states of resignation and disbelief as they watch the efforts of the past few months evaporate.
Even without the (somewhat to the nose) shot of a snake slithering in dry rice husks, this seems like a revenge crime by the foreman, designed to hit his employer where it hurts: his money.
This incident completely shattered Qingxi’s core belief system. She couldn’t understand how so many jobs could be lost.
Mr. Kim follows her into the woods, and Kyung-hee finally lets her fear, frustration, and need for support manifest.
This time, his words were calm and eloquent, describing his philosophy: there is no reward after death or even sometimes after work.
only Nowand strive to make every moment count.
There’s a lot to deal with
Moz is annoyed that Noah is always the first to do everything, which becomes a hilarious callback at dinner when Noah is literally the first to serve the food.
We also learn that Noah being first in school was a factor in why his friends were bullied and beaten by their father.
Solomon and Naomi become lovers, which certainly complicates things when he keeps stealing her business. Oh you just Know He will do that!
Elder Shunzi’s friendship with Mr. Bowtie seems to be going well. Maybe she no longer needs Solomon as an excuse to visit Tokyo.
This episode gave us a a lot of Chewing – What parts stand out to you?
Did Koh ruin his relationship with Sunja and Noah overnight?
What do you think will happen next? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
