Critic’s Rating: 5 / 5.0
5
Save some story for the rest of the season, Pachinko!
After a few seriously slow, water wheel-spinning episodes, Pachinko Season 2 kicked into gear and is no longer riding the clutch (although Sunja could still use some practice with that).
A ton of action was packed into three very different evenings during this episode.
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A sweltering, sleepless night in the countryside finds everyone paired off outside in a firefly-lit darkness that leaves them more exposed than the sun ever could have.
The evening’s various events and revelations have consequences in the moment that will continue to resonate far down the road.
Sunja’s Wild Ride
Koh Hansu interrupted Sunja’s nighttime walk by coasting next to her in his fancy car, giving them the youthful air of teenagers out for a stroll on a school night without their parent’s knowledge or permission.
It was a reminder of how quickly these two have had to grow up in their individual lives and how circumstances have caused them to remain mature beyond their years.
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Rather than end their moonlit chat, Koh offers Sunja a driving lesson, a totally random suggestion that he (of course) pulls off smoothly like it was his plan for being out there all along.
Sunja initially grinds the gears and kills the engine but quickly catches on. They are soon flying down the almost completely dark road in giddy delight until they run off the road into a muddy ditch.
The exertion of pushing the car out of the mud brings them back into their bodies, a visceral reminder of what physical accomplishment feels like. They soon kiss between the car’s glowing headlights and embrace for the first time in over a decade.
Until a branch snaps.
It is only that — an innocent sound of nature — but it’s enough to bring Sunja back to her widowed senses. All of the laughter from learning to drive and pushing the car is gone, and her face is back to its resting mask of distrust.
Koh’s expression is placid, but his frustration with Sunja erupts in a torrent of words that sting.
He is tired of waiting for Sunja to realize that they belong together and can’t believe she truly had no idea how much he had thought of and worked for her and Noa behind the scenes all these years.
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He is tired of (and perhaps feeling guilty for) Sunja not allowing herself any pleasure or hope in her life. But he is especially exasperated at her continued loyalty to Isak, even now: “How much longer must you serve that grave?”
When Koh casually points out that Isak is gone and she owes him nothing, Sunja’s response contains her entire world: “You are wrong. I owe him everything.”
Koh left her pregnant and alone to fend for herself while he returned to his family and home. He may have spent the past decade and a half accumulating wealth as penance, but Sunja’s trust is something he’ll never be able to buy back.
An Unexpected Guest Arrives
It was a surprise (at least to me) when Koh Hansu brought Sunja’s mother to the farm for a truly touching reunion.
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Sunja likely never thought she’d see her mother again, making the emotion evident in this scene even more heartwrenching.
Sunja’s mother is initially hesitant and deferential but takes little time to establish her place in the family. Moz, with his characteristic good cheer, adapts quickly to suddenly having a grandmother.
But it was bittersweet when he saw nothing but adventure in her harrowing tale of the hardships of her sea crossing.
Sunja now found herself caught between the roles of mother and daughter, which seemed to bewilder her a bit.
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She still did a great job of smoothing this new family dynamic, like gently reassuring her self-sacrificing mother that there was enough food for all without embarrassing her.
Her mother’s presence will continue to be an added blessing and test for Sunja, who is still balancing the subtle shift in power between her and Kyunghee now that both are farm workers.
Kyunghee Takes A Stand
It’s painful to watch Kyunghee fidget uncomfortably as the foreman talks to her, leaning too close. Mr. Kim can see what’s happening from yards away and intervenes, giving her a graceful way out.
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Kyunghee later waits at the pier where she saw Mr. Kim before the storm on Pachinko Season 2 Episode 3. It’s a gorgeous shot as he approaches, the mist off the water making the two of them seem to float on top of clouds.
Kyunghee is still using the excuse of carrying mail to the post to be out there, just like Mr. Kim could drink beer literally anyplace else. They have a moonlit moment of connection that transcends their class issues.
Mr. Kim, unfortunately, bungles this moment with a cheesy line about how Kyunghee’s sadness oppresses him because there’s nothing (even Noa could read between the lines here) he can do about it.
Kyunghee is fed up after a full day and now night of men coming on to her very married self, and she reverts to their class difference to dress Mr. Kim all the way down, basically telling him not to forget himself around 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 smoother moves after watching his silver-tongued employer all these years.
Solomon Has A Win
For perhaps the first time this season, Solomon’s storyline comes alive as he gets good news about his business deal and watches his worlds collide at a dinner with Naomi and his grandmother.
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Sunja 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.
She can now double her passive-aggressive snipes at their cooking and housekeeping skills in just one evening.
Naomi wins Sunja over with a childhood story about her absent father. Her praise for Solomon’s bravery in business seals the deal, much like Mr. Bow Tie’s praise did in the grocery store previously.
Solomon gets a visible rush when he learns his plan is working.
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But his excitement and detailed questions at the news of Naomi’s own big business deal raise a red flag that he may use this confidential information for his own benefit at her expense.
Naomi seems to believe that she is in the camp of people that Solomon won’t be ruthless with business, but I get the feeling she might soon discover otherwise.
Koh Hansu’s Mask Slips
When Koh told Sunja he was still around because he had a matter to attend to, I thought it surely was to avenge Kyunghee after Mr. Kim must have notified him of the foreman’s disrespect.
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How silly of me — Koh was there to discipline the foreman over stolen chickens!
Noa has been running around with his bully-turned-friend (who is still kind of a bad influence, making him sneak out of the house at night). The two are out watching fireflies when they witness Koh beating the foreman almost to death.
A tree branch snap (another one!) alerts Koh that Noa has seen the violent side he’s kept hidden so well until his anger at Sunja’s rejection made him careless. The boys run off, but the sight of Koh’s actions will definitely follow them.
All That Work For Nothing
The rice harvest is celebrated with paper lanterns set adrift on the water. Their orange lights in the darkness call back to the fireflies earlier in the episode and the lanterns when they escaped Osaka.
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The next night features the orange light of flames from the burning rice shed that held their entire harvest.
The family and other workers stand in varying states of resignation and disbelief as they watch their efforts of the past few months vanish into smoke.
Even without the (kind of on-the-nose) shot of a snake slithering through a field of dry rice husks, this seems like a retaliatory crime by the foreman designed to hit his employer Koh where it hurts: his money.
This event completely breaks Kyunghee’s core belief systems. She cannot grasp how so much work can be lost.
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Mr. Kim follows her into the woods, where Kyunghee finally allows her fear, frustration, and need for support to show.
This time, his words are quietly eloquent as he states his philosophy that there is no reward after death or even sometimes after work.
There is just the now, and striving to make each current moment matter.
A Lot To Process
Moz’s irritation at Noa always being the first for everything became a hilarious callback at dinner, when Noa was indeed served his food first.
We also learned that Noa’s being first in grades at school was a factor in his bully-turned-friend getting beaten by his father.
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Solomon and Naomi became lovers, which is definitely going to complicate things when he invariably steals her business deal. Oh you just know he’s going to do that!
Elder Sunja’s friendship with Mr. Bow Tie seems to be progressing nicely. Maybe she won’t need Solomon as an excuse to visit Tokyo anymore.
This episode gave us a lot to chew on — what parts stood out the most to you?
Did Koh ruin his relationships with both Sunja and Noa in one night?
What do you think will happen next?? Drop your ideas in the comments!
You can view the original article HERE.
