High Kick 3 / Counterattack of the Short Legs: Episode 4

It’s bromance for the win!

EPISODE 4 RECAP

Jin-hee runs, not knowing why she is being pursued. But outnumbered, she eventually gets caught by the gangsters. As she gets carried away, she suddenly recalls the advice she heard on a TV program. When in trouble, it is much more effective to specify the person you’re seeking help from, instead of just arbitrarily shouting, “Help me!”

Although the streets are empty, Jin-hee yells each of the the store names and the license plate numbers of the parked cars they pass by. The screaming proves effective, and a light turns on in one of the stores as the shop owner calls the police.

Thanks to Jin-hee’s quick thinking, the police arrives to rescue her and arrests the drug dealers, although some manage to escape.

Meanwhile, the Ahn family arrives at the Yoons’ house, to the confusion of the clueless Ji-seok who bounces from one person to the next asking what’s going on but to no avail. Ji-seok gets worked up when he learns about what happened to Nae-sang’s company, condemning his brother-in-law’s business practice which allowed his partner to steal the company’s funds from right under his nose. But as soon as food goes into his mouth, he quickly forgets what he was saying.

Unlike the fiery-tempered Ji-seok, Kye-sang is the rational, even-tempered Yoon brother… and a gracious host. Knowing that Nae-sang’s pride is hurt by his current situation, Kye-sang carefully hands him an envelope of money to use as an allowance and asks that Nae-sang consider this his home and regard Kye-sang as his little brother. (Aww, how cute that they even have similar-sounding names!)

So touched is Nae-sang by Kye-sang’s kind gesture that as soon as Kye-sang turns to leave, he quickly runs after him and grabs him for a tight back hug (and umm… fondling of his chest). Nae-sang thanks Kye-sang and apologizes for misunderstanding him in the past.  (Kye-sang initially opposed his sister’s marriage to Nae-sang, and since then, Nae-sang has held a grudge against him.)

Although Kye-sang is taken aback at first, he quickly breaks into a smile as Nae-sang whispers to him, “I love you, brother-in-law.”

The next morning, Jin-hee is ready to start afresh at her new internship and is in high spirits as she heads to her first day of work. But her morning quickly takes a downturn when she gets spotted by one of the gangsters from the night before. He and his minions run after her to seek revenge, and she is forced to take refuge inside a dumpster. She just barely manages to avoid getting caught when her phone rings from her landlord.

By the time the coast is clear, it’s too late for Jin-hee to make it to her job orientation on time. The orientation starts without her, and the president notes her empty seat. To be “fair,” he gives her 10 seconds to make it to the orientation, just as she arrives at the company building and runs up the stairs. If she makes it, she keeps her job. If not, she’s fired.

Jin-hee is just inches away from making it, but just outside the door to where the orientation is taking place, she trips and falls. The ten seconds run out and she watches as the door shuts in front of her. Jin-hee knocks on the door and pleads for another chance, but is escorted out by the security guards.

Just as she thought her day can’t get any worse, it does. She arrives at her gosiwon and learns that her landlord has packed her bags and kicked her out for being two months late on her rent payment, and her room has already been rented out to another person.

Jin-hee wanders into the rainy night with nowhere to go. As she looks up to see a restaurant sign, the letters “Park Ha Seon” jump out at her.

Ha-seon is troubled herself for even after reporting him to the police, she has yet to catch the man who conned away the deposit money for Julien’s apartment. She hears her doorbell ring and finds Jin-hee at the door asking her to put her up for just one night.

Now in better terms with his brother-in-law, Nae-sang works up the courage to ask Kye-sang to grant three requests on behalf of his family. Kye-sang smiles warmly as he listens to Nae-sang’s requests for (1) a loan of $500,000 to get back on his feet again; (2) money to send Soo-jung back to L.A.; and (3) Kye-sang and Ji-seok to share a room together, so that the Ahn family can split the remaining two rooms.

Kye-sang nods in understanding, and asks for a moment while he thinks it over.

Then he proceeds to cover his head with his suit jacket. I half expected him to scream under cover, but Yoo-sun explains that this has always been Kye-sang’s habit when he’s in deep thought.

Not long after, Kye-sang returns from hiding under his jacket, having thought things through. With the smile still remaining on his face, Kye-sang gives Nae-sang three very polite rejections and his reasons for them. First, $500,000 is not enough money to pay off all the debts, and if he takes out a loan and things still go awry, they could lose the one house they have and have nowhere to go. Second, he thinks it would be best for Soo-jung not to go to L.A. Instead, she should stay here to learn the importance of her family as she faces the difficulties together. And third, he declares that he can’t share room with his brother, Ji-seok, because of their differing habits.

As Nae-sang trudges out of Kye-sang’s room, this time Kye-sang tightly grabs Nae-sang for a back hug and apologizes for not being able to grant his requests, oblivious to Nae-sang’s sour mood. The remaining three Ahn family members watch them and what they perceive to be a warm exchange, and mistake this to mean that their requests have been granted.

Instead, Nae-sang storms out of the room and fumes in anger alone, his pride greatly suffered by Kye-sang’s rejections.

Nae-sang and Kye-sang continue to butt heads later that evening when Nae-sang is caught using Kye-sang’s ball point pen. Kye-sang switches pens, and smiles as he explains that the pen was intended as a gift for someone else. Nae-sang, however, is once again offended.

With their requests denied, the Ahn family cleans out the storage room to covert it as an extra room to use. But just then they hear a commotion outside the house. It’s Nae-sang’s creditors, and despite Ji-seok’s attempt to hold them out, they force themselves into the house. In desperation, Nae-sang attempts to climb out and escape through the window. But he fails and falls instead, just as the floor gives away. His family turns around to find him gone, disappeared into the abyss deep below the house.

Lee Juck narrates, “It was the moment when that something that has been hidden away for a long time beneath Kye-sang’s house revealed itself.”

COMMENTS

I admit that after watching the first three episodes, I still had doubts about whether it was the “right” thing to do to recap such a long series (120 episodes!). But it was episode 4 that confirmed it for me that the third High Kick series will definitely be a winner, and dare I say, the best of the three High Kick series so far.

Often times, sitcom characters are portrayed like caricatures of people. But here, the characters feel relatable and real, even if they’re put in extreme situations or have quirky attributes. And in particular, I am truly impressed by how the writers have built such a rich and complicated foundation for all the different relationships between characters, just in the first week alone.

I already love many of the characters. My heart aches for Jin-hee’s story. I see real-life siblings in the relationship between the Soo-jung and Jong-seok siblings as they fight in English, “Shut up!” “No you shut up.” But of course, the most fun will be the bromance between the two “Sangs,” Nae-sang and Kye-sang, as they butt heads against each other. Let the good times roll!