The Penultimate Plunge
Episode 13 of Penthouse Season 3 begins with rapturous applause. It’s Logan and Su-Ryeon’s wedding but as they walk together, the latter receives a call from Dan-Tae, telling her to head up and face him. Realizing there are bombs wired everywhere, Logan rushes off to sound the alarms, as all our main characters help the wedding guests to safety. With the remote due to be set off at any time, Dan-Tae falls to his doom but manages to set off the remote in the process — all of this of course, a flashback to what happened last week. As he falls, Dan-Tae’s entire life flashes before his eyes as he falls to the fountain below. Su-Ryeon meanwhile, is saved by Logan who grabs her just before the whole building blows. They both get in the elevator together and race to the bottom – so that’s how they survived! With Hera Palace completely destroyed and Dan-Tae dead, Korean news is abuzz with this big tragedy. The suicide bombing has caused quite the stir around the country, with many protesting at the Blue House against Dan-Tae being granted a funeral. However, there’s more to come. The police have managed to obtain more incriminating files against Dan-Tae in Secretary Jo’s house, including an entire laptop which further cements what a despicable man Dan-Tae is. With Dan-Tae dead, Seo-Jin reveals that she’s actually been faking her amnesia all this time. She no longer owes money to the loan sharks – given this is Dan-Tae’s debt to begin with – and Seo-Jin is allowed to travel again now too. As we see through flashbacks, she knew exactly what Eun-Byeol was up to. She actually used this as a ruse all this time, playing up being mentally insane so she couldn’t face criminal prosecution. Meanwhile, Yoon-Cheol awakens from his comatose state but he’s not in a good way. He’s lost his eyesight and there’s only so much surgery one can do to stifle the pain he’s feeling. He does learn that Ro-Na is okay though but Eun-Byeol however, is not. She tries to make money out in the street (no, not like that guys) but who should show up? Ma Du-Ki, Eun-Byeol’s old teacher. Ugh. Anyway, knowing that their family is broke, Mr Ma offers her a job that pays 1000 dollars in cash each time. This job just so happens to be her singing and recording an album. Of course, Ma is going to make money off this too. But hey, cash is cash. On her way home, Eun-Byeol takes a detour to the hospital where she greets Yoon-Cheol, who has woken up from his ordeal. He questions Eun-Byeol about Seo-Jin’s condition but she breaks the news about the pills and confirms she doesn’t remember anything. Of course, that’s not actually true but neither of them are the wiser to this revelation right now. Eun-Byeol is not thinking straight and eventually leaves, telling Yoon-Cheol to be Ro-Na’s father instead. Yoon-Cheol eventually finds out Seo-Jin has been faking her test results, something which more of our characters start to find out in their own way. Su-Ryeon and Logan search through Seo-Jin’s rubbish and find the pills have been thrown away. In the middle of all this though, Ro-Na and Logan end up having dinner together. There, we learn Ro-Na is studying abroad and has been accepted into a school. She’s not sure how long she’ll be gone but it could well be a brand new life for her. As the pair struggle to hold back tears, they both begin crying as Yoon-Cheol tells her to have a good life. Unfortunately, Yoon-Cheol’s deteriorating eyesight takes a turn for the worst. He does give Ro-Na his pen though, a gesture to symbolize the passing of the torch, so to speak. Meanwhile, Logan holds a meeting with the Cheon A group and decides to re-brand the entire company into the Simoon Group, including a construction branch. Of course, all of this is to allow Su-Ryeon to have her name back before Dan-Tae tarnished everything. Yoon-Cheol tries to find Eun-Byeol but instead finds Seo-Jin instead, who stalks the guy. As the pair argue, Seo-Jin ends up throwing him off the edge of the apartment block. Yoon-Cheol falls to the ground, bleeding out on the floor. As Seo-Jin heads down to see her ex, Yoon-Cheol reaches out and touches her face. “I loved you…Yoon-Hee” Seo-Jin’s face drops and she’s enraged by his last words. As Seo-Jin escapes, Su-Ryeon and Eun-Byeol arrive at the scene and immediately phone the police. He’s definitely dead though, as we cut to the coroner’s and see Yoon-Cheol’s cold body. Well, Logan and Su-Ryeon break the news about Seo-Jin to Eun-Byeol before ringing Seo-Jin and deciding to play her at her own game. Setting her up, Eun-Byeol listens from afar as Su-Ryeon forces a confession out of Seo-Jin. Upon hearing this, Eun-Byeol phones the police and brings them in. With the police closing in, Seo-Jin throws Su-Ryeon into the water below. Eun-Byeol is beside herself with shock while Logan tries to save Su-Ryeon, whose fate hangs in the balance.
The Episode Review
Penthouse has been one wacky, crazy makjang. At times this show has bordered on absurdist comedy and some of the big, dramatic cliffhangers have been good fun to try and predict. Like many people I’m sure, I was convinced Yoon-Hee was still alive while Su-Ryeon’s tumble off the cliff doesn’t actually look that life-threatening. Hey, if Logan can survive a car bombing to the face, I’m sure she can survive a little splash in the lake. Either way, with no Dan-Tae and Eun-Byeol significantly phoning the police and reporting her Mum, it looks like the “good guys” are going to win after all. Yoon-Cheol surviving, only to be blinded and then killed seems like a bit of a cop out though and seems to b the one big blemish away from the obvious plot contrivances and issues there. Surely it would have been better to see him die on the staircase for dramatic effect? There’s one more episode to go though and with all the big plot points falling into place, this messy, messy show looks like it’s mercifully coming to an end. But hey, this as been one big enjoyable ride nonetheless!
