Shark: Episode 17

by gummimochi

Yep, I’m back for more Shark because there’s something intriguing about Oppa on a one-way warpath to revenge and ignoring everyone who’s telling him to take the next exit already. This tank is swimming with those who would love to see the other guy go belly up, but I suppose that’s the thing about war—you have to be ready when things don’t go according to plan.

EPISODE 17 RECAP

The blackmail conversation continues over the phone as Yi-soo laughs at the idea that he’s clouded by love. He dares Grandpa Jo to reveal the photo so that he in turn can expose Gramps as a fraud.

Yi-soo is confident that the files are enough to bring the old man down, but Grandpa Jo disagrees, saying that they’re merely a work of fiction written by Junichiro. That doesn’t faze Yi-soo, who counters that people love to take fiction as fact.

It’s a good thing for Grandpa Jo that he believes that the public won’t be easily fooled, but Yi-soo is willing to put that belief to the test.

Then Grandpa Jo plays the Hae-woo sympathy card, since she’ll be the victim in all of this. Yi-soo falters a little at the mention of how Hae-woo has chosen her path to ruin for his sake.

As the stand-up grandfather he is, he’ll keep the photo to protect his pitiful granddaughter. “But keep this in mind,” Grandpa Jo levels, “Hae-woo isn’t my weakness anymore, but yours.”

Yi-soo retorts that he’ll make sure that Grandpa Jo sees justice for his atrocious crimes where history will be his judge. At this, Grandpa Jo merely laughs, “History is written by the victor.”

Once they hang up, Grandpa Jo presumably calls Clicky with the reminder that there cannot be any more mistakes. At the same time, Yi-soo recalls the photographer who captured The New Picture and warned him to be careful of “that woman.”

Hae-woo thinks back to what she learned about Clicky—like how he’s a former police officer who’s been off-the-grid. Which also means they’re unable to find a number associated with their kidnapping suspect, so she has Soo-hyun look into her grandfather’s call history.

Meanwhile, Yi-soo meets with Joon-young, who greets him with two right hooks to the jaw and grabs him, hollering, “How could you use Hae-woo? How?!”

He asks if all the havoc that Yi-soo has wreaked thus far has justified his own past suffering. “Do you expect me to forgive you?” Yi-soo tells him not to.

Joon-young raises his fist, ready to strike, but perhaps a shred of their past friendship still remains because he then lowers it and lets him go. Joon-young calls after him, saying that he once did the same thing and waited for the bastard who killed his brother outside his house every night.

But he couldn’t bring himself to avenge his brother’s death because he couldn’t stand the thought of exchanging the countless memories they shared together for a thirst for revenge.

Yi-soo makes it clear that he’ll see this to the end, to which Joon-young sympathetically remarks that the old Yi-soo used to shine so radiantly. “Now there’s only darkness about you.”

It doesn’t matter, Yi-soo tells him, since he’s more accustomed to the darkness now.

And this is where their friendship ends, Joon-young says, since Yi-soo will eventually face the repercussions of his wrongdoings. He offers Yi-soo a last word of advice: “Don’t drag Hae-woo into the darkness with you.”

Dong-soo is in the middle of a spat over drinks with the hotel bartender when Junichiro and Secretary Jang’s sudden arrival forces him to hide beneath the counter. He listens as Junichiro informs her to resume her hotel duties after the opening as he’ll have someone else keep tabs on Yi-soo.

Junichiro chuckles at her attempts to convince him to let her stay in her current position since he thought that Secretary Jang didn’t like what she was doing for him.

Secretary Jang informs her boss that she intends to plant a bug in Yi-soo’s office as well. With that, she entreats him to trust her and leave it to her. Junichiro agrees.

And beneath the counter, Dong-soo gapes incredulously at what he’s just overheard.

Hae-woo calls Yi-soo and asks that he hands the documents over to her. They both know that they can’t prove anything with the documents alone, but she’s looking for the evidence they need to incriminate her grandfather.

Yi-soo says that he can’t because he can’t trust her with it, so she asks for a copy so that she’ll at least know its contents. But he answers that it’s not the right time and hangs up.

Hae-woo checks with Soo-hyun for an update on her grandfather’s call history on the day of Yi-hyun’s kidnapping. He tells her that it’s unlikely that she’ll get through, but Hae-woo replies that she has a plan.

Yi-soo manages to hunt down the photographer and demands to know who his employer is. He ekes out, “Y-your secretary.” Oooh.

So Yi-soo rushes home and scans his apartment for bugs, checking every nook and cranny. He eventually discovers one beneath the TV stand and he grips it in his hand… before he puts it back.

With a deep sigh, he recalls how Junichiro once told him that they they shared the same goal to bring about Grandpa Jo’s downfall.

Dong-soo finds Secretary Jang in Yi-soo’s office with the product placement juice in hand. She asks if this means he met Yi-hyun, and he answers that he plans to drop by to see her after work.

After an awkward silence, she asks if he’s still upset about her rejection. He slaps on a brave smile to say that he’s fine, though he adds pointedly, “It’s really hard to live in this world, isn’t it?”

Once she leaves, Dong-soo sighs that it’s sure difficult to pretend you don’t know something when you do.

Hae-woo sneaks into her grandfather’s study and she remarkably gets through to Clicky on her first try. She asks that they meet so she can help him because he can’t stay in hiding forever, but Clicky hangs up on her without a word.

Mrs. Park tries to stall for time by engaging Grandpa Jo in conversation outside the door, but he catches Hae-woo on her way out anyway. Thankfully, he doesn’t outrightly call her out on suspicion, and asks to speak with him.

Before Hae-woo heads back inside, she hurriedly sends a text to Soo-hyun—who has discovered his stolen car—to trace Clicky’s number.

Grandpa Jo shows his granddaughter The New Picture, and acts like he worked a sweat to prevent it from going public, adding that he doesn’t know what Yi-soo will do on it on his end.

Taking her by the hand, he pleads with her not to get involved with Yi-soo any further because he’s simply using her. Hae-woo denies it, saying that she’s acting of her own accord.

So Grandpa Jo tells her to think of her poor, dutiful, and faithful husband then. Ooh, you manipulative bastard. But she turns right back around to say that it was her grandfather who tried to take Prosecutor Oh’s life.

Then Grandpa Jo looks at her with saddened eyes, aggrieved by the notion that his granddaughter is too swept up by her emotions to see the truth. Can we get this man an Oscar for his performance?

Hae-woo tells her grandfather that it saddens her too, and walks out.

But it seems the part about her husband stays with Hae-woo because she calls Joon-young from her car. She asks to see him and even suggests to visit his father at the hospital together, only to be told to meet him at home.

Hae-woo insists that it’s important, so Joon-young agrees to pick her up after work. Seriously, Best. Husband. Ever.

Junichiro meets with Yi-soo over drinks, and he shares how his father, Kim Yoon-shik, and Grandpa Jo were once close friends from the same hometown.

His father was the only one left who knew of Grandpa Jo’s true identity, but the old man didn’t trust him. “Because someone who harbors many secrets does not trust anyone.”

Then Junichiro reveals, “Chun Young-bo killed my parents.” His father was the one who buried The Truth about Chun Young-bo underground, but he didn’t have enough power at the time to bring Grandpa Jo down.

Yi-soo asks why Junichiro chose him to help exact his revenge, then. Junichiro answers that it’s the other way around—that Yi-soo came to him, and that Yi-soo reminded him so much of himself.

He understands why Yi-soo would have misunderstood his intention to help, given how they’re so similar. He explains that he’s maintained his distance because of his confidence in Yi-soo’s methods. Yi-soo thanks him.

Then he asks Yi-soo what he plans to do next since he’s now put himself in a vulnerable position. Yi-soo smirks, saying it’s the same for Grandpa Jo.

Yi-soo puts in a call to Daddy Jo, who isn’t happy about speaking with him. He takes Daddy Jo’s barks about how he’s not in the same league to discuss business with this almost-bored expression on his face that kinda cracks me up.

It does enough to rile Daddy Jo’s temper, though it’s quickly replaced by another devious smile. Uh oh, should we be wary of Daddy Jo’s temper tantrums?

We learn that Hae-woo will soon be reassigned, but she remains optimistic about how she still has a month left. She gets an update from Soo-hyun on Clicky’s possible location… but then we see him lurking by a nearby tree.

Alarmed at the news that Hae-woo has been sent on her own, Yi-soo races to find her. Thank goodness that he does, since watching Hae-woo roaming the streets on her own worries me, too.

Yi-soo scolds her as soon as they meet—what does Hae-woo plan to do if she runs to Clicky on her own? He reminds her that Clicky’s a trained killer who could easily take her out.

Hae-woo calls out after him, saying that she knows that Yi-soo wasn’t the one who sent The New Picture. She asks if that’s the reason why he won’t give her the documents, and if her grandfather has something to do with it.

Yi-soo says that it’s because he can’t trust her, and she reassures him that he needn’t worry because she can handle herself.

Then Yi-soo pulls her into an embrace to cut her off, and tells her that she can’t get hurt or disappear because she’s the only one who can finish his revenge plan. He tells her to take care of herself.

She sees right past his words and asks what’s wrong, but he leaves her hanging. Wait a minute, what happened to the plan to take her away from the potentially dangerous area? Oh phew—Soo-hyun shows up a minute later.

Daddy Jo barges into his father’s study with determination, only to be met with the suggestion that he take a long vacation. He interprets this as another attempt to be rid of him, and demands that he be put in charge of the hotel instead, all, It’s about time you retired, Dad!

That works out just as you might expect, but Daddy Jo has grown a spine since his kidnapping and spits out that he isn’t afraid of his father anymore. He blurts out that he overheard the phone conversation with his kidnapper and the kicker: “My surname should be Chun, shouldn’t it?”

Grandpa Jo staggers in shock, but his son reassures him not to worry, since exposing the truth about his father won’t do any good for him either.

When Grandpa Jo cries that it isn’t in his power to hand the hotel over to his son, Daddy Jo hollers, “You’re a god! You make decisions that wager people’s lives, so that must make you a god!”

He shouts that there’s nothing a god can’t do, and now he finally understands why his father so cruelly abandoned his mother. Demanding that he be given chief authority for the hotel, he vows to be treated like a human being and live a proper life. Dayum.

Meanwhile, Detective Byun learns more about Clicky through a sunbae who finds it strange that there aren’t any present records about him. According to his knowledge, Clicky served some pretty powerful people in the past as a professional torturer. Eek.

Detective Byun realizes that there may be a connection between Clicky and Envelope Professor. He relays his theory to Hae-woo, saying that Envelope Professor’s capture during the student rebellion coincides with the gap in Clicky’s records.

That points to the idea that Clicky was the one who tortured Envelope Professor in the past. They decide to look into how Clicky came under Grandpa Jo’s employment, and Detective Byun insists that he take the reins of the operation.

Then Hae-woo has Soo-hyun look into getting in contact with Envelope Professor’s therapist.

Yi-soo returns to the office to do actual work. Gasp, I know—I’m surprised, too. In any case, he remains his professional rapport with Secretary Jang, but he stops her before she leaves to thank her for sticking by his side. She smiles warmly in return.

Then Yi-soo gets a call from Yi-hyun, who laments over how she’s being held captive at home. She’s calling just to check in with her brother, who’s like, I’m working right now. No you’re not, but it’s okay because you two are just adorable.

She asks if she can come visit his workplace because she misses him. He answers that she’s safer at home, and tries to appease to her with a present. Yi-hyun: “But I want to see you, Oppa.”

He asks her to be patient for now, and then he’ll come to play with her every day. He tells her to stay away from harm’s way and she tells him to take care of himself. I’m going to get a cavity from this sweetness overload.

After they hang up, Yi-hyun calls someone else for a favor. Next thing we know, Soo-hyun’s on the phone with Detective Byun, asking permission to take his daughter out on a movie date. Now that’s a real gentleman. Swoon.

There is, of course, the possible I’m-acting-as-a-temporary-bodyguard excuse, but I love that Soo-hyun comes right out with it and says that he does have feelings for Yi-hyun.

The formality has Detective Byun hilariously stutter in response, but he gives the okay.

And then it just gets even sweeter because Soo-hyun arrives at Yi-soo’s place with a bag of groceries and Yi-hyun pops out from behind him. So. Cute.

Yi-hyun marvels at her brother’s spacious apartment. I love the note when she comments on how pretty the fish are, and Soo-hyun quips, “You’re a little prettier.” HEE.

She notices the telescope in the corner and beams, saying that they have been together all this time, and runs off to make spaghetti. Yi-soo is just about to join her when Soo-hyun mentions that he has an update on Clicky. Aw, party pooper.

After Yi-soo is filled in on the details, he helps Yi-hyun find some ingredients that suspiciously looks like a refrigerator showcase. But then he slips away to take a call from Clicky.

Yi-soo warns him that Grandpa Jo won’t let Clicky remain alive at the end of it all. But fear of death is the furthest thing from Clicky’s mind, and he tells Yi-soo to stop before he does something he’ll regret.

But Yi-soo vows that he’ll hunt Clicky down until the score is settled. So Clicky gives him that opportunity and instructs him to go to the bookstore and take something out of the bottom drawer. Ooh, did you just tell Yi-soo where the poisoned pen is?

Instead of going to the hospital, Joon-young takes Hae-woo out shopping for clothes and tells her to choose what she likes. Hae-woo replies, “It’s more important that you like it.”

They go for a walk afterwards and as he takes her hand, he asks if they should have a baby. His attempts to dissuade Hae-woo from addressing the real issue don’t work, and she admits, “I… met Yi-soo.” Finally.

But Joon-young doesn’t want to hear it—he knows the truth that Kim Jun and Yi-soo are the same person. He tells her not to mention it again because nothing has changed between them because of it.

She asks how long he’s known, and Joon-young replies in an exasperated tone: “What does it matter? What’s important is that Yi-soo is using you!”

He tells her that he understands that Hae-woo may pity and sympathize with Yi-soo, but he can’t let her be involved with him anymore.

He tries his best to block out Hae-woo’s words about how it’s not that she feels pity or sympathy for Yi-soo or how her feelings towards Joon-young has changed (boo), but that she can’t leave Yi-soo alone in the darkness.

Joon-young tells her to stop and says that no matter what happens, nothing has changed and nothing will change between them. They both brood on their own, and Hae-woo receives a call presumably from Envelope Professor’s therapist.

Yi-soo enters Clicky’s bookstore and searches through the bottom drawer as instructed, only to find nothing. But he does discover a book when he removes the drawer, and a picture falls out its pages.

He picks it up and his eyes widen at the picture of Clicky… with Dad. Ahhh!!!

Elsewhere, Soo-hyun drops Yi-hyun off, complete with more delightfully cute banter. But then he returns to his car… and there’s a gun pointed at his back. It’s Clicky.

Hae-woo meets with Envelope Professor’s former therapist, who’s shocked to hear that her client was murdered 12 years ago. She recalls his case well, since he was one of the worst cases of PTSD that she came across.

Hae-woo asks about Clicky, but she’s told that the patient only referred to his torturers by their nicknames. The name that he most feared: “Shadow.”

COMMENTS

It’s a good thing that things are starting to come full circle for Dad’s storyline, even if we knew that Dad = Shadow for a majority of the series now. We were given clues that indicated this early in the show’s run, such as Envelope Professor’s horrified reaction at Dad’s face and the brief flashback to Dad’s darker days.

But still, it’s important for Yi-soo to discover this clue, and I get this niggling feeling that Yi-soo will be the last one to find out because that’s just how it seems to work in this world. The burning question on my mind is why this connection is so important because we have yet to know how Clicky and Dad got on Grandpa Jo’s payroll, and what drove them to torture everyone they did over the years.

Now that we’ve got The New New Picture (or shall we call it The Picture 3.0? Picture3PO?), a part of me is in stitches at the fact that everyone in this dramaverse is deathly afraid of paper. In that same vein, it’s a pity that The New Picture (the one of Yi-soo and Hae-woo kissing outside the restaurant) was tucked under the rug so neatly. We’ll have to see if it comes into play again in the remaining few episodes, but it did seem largely unimportant after Hae-woo’s confrontation with Grandpa Jo.

Speaking of Hae-woo, it was long overdue for her to come clean to Joon-young, who has been by far, the most understanding husband I’ve come across in dramaland. Not only that, the guy got a few punches in and still acts as a light to Yi-soo’s metaphorical tunnel. Their friendship has long since been irreparable, which is a sad cost in this war of revenge.

I know that I should be prepared for the possibility of some lovable characters being taken away from us, since revenge dramas tend to have some casualties in the line of fire, but don’t you dare take Soo-hyun away, Show. Because goodness knows, the world can use more gentlemen like him.

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