I’m going to skip my usual notes for Eps 4 and 5 because I know some posters and lurkers want to discuss Ep 6.

Key Developments:

1. Philip Yoo (PY) convinces GaGyeong (GG) to stick around using the tragedy of Soran’s child’s death

Against his better judgment, he goes after GG. But just in case, she isn’t convinced, he brings a gun to shoot her.

PY: “Geum Seohee.” Don’t you know what that name means to SoRan?
GG: (turns to leave)
PY: Her husband, that man you met today, refused to turn in his comrades. That’s why Sato killed his daughter. Right in front of SoRan’s eyes. (thunderstorm) Even if our cause doesn’t make sense to you, think about SoRan. Can’t you understand her goal? I know you think it’s crazy. But if one lost their beloved child overnight, anyone would have done the same. Please. Try to understand SoRan.

My comments:

a. The riff heard during the massacre scene is played during this scene. Not only does the background music subconsciously remind the viewers of that bloody scene, but it also instills in their minds that there’s a personal context in this independence struggle.

b. PY is appealing to her emotions. SoRan already figured out that the best way to convince GG to support their movement is to appeal to her pity and sympathy. GG’s emotions tend to override her logic and common sense.

c. As GG will admit a few scenes later, there’s also a bit of “transference” going on here. Because of GG’s unresolved feelings for her mother who abandoned her, she wants to help SoRan.

When PY returns to the house, he tells SoRan that this would be the last time he’d go after GG. SR had convinced him to bring GG back because GG’s usefulness to their movement.

SR: She did her job as a spy properly. Why should we kill her? We’re the ones who didn’t trust her. [PY shouted that GG wanted out.] She has no intention of betraying us. She said she’s scared of getting caught and killed. That means betraying us to save herself isn’t even on her mind. She’s terrified of dying if her cover is blown. But even in that situation, turning on us isn’t an option for her. Don’t you get it? She’s the spy we sent to kill Sato. We shouldn’t be trying to kill her right now. We should be trying to convince her to come back.

Two things:

a. SoRan firmly believes in GG’s loyalty.

b. I don’t know if it’s a mistranslation, but it’s interesting that SR just declared a different task for GG.

GG was originally recruited to work as a spy. She was sent to the General-Government Building to acquire and pass on intel to the freedom fighters. But now, it seems her job description just became harder without her knowledge nor consent. She must also “kill Sato.” I guess after many of the Gugukdan activists were either killed or injured during the shooting encounter, she’s the best that Gugukdan have in place to assassinate Sato.

The following morning, SoRan and GG have a talk.

SR: Did you sleep well?
GG: (ignoring her) Assassinating the inspector general. How long will you need? If you move quickly.
SR: (pausing) A month.
GG: All right. One month. A month. That’s it. After one month, send me to America, no matter what.
SR: (nodding) Okay. I promise. Thank you.
GG: Just one month. Don’t forget.

See SoRan’s deception? She doesn’t correct GG’s assumption that the older woman will assassinate Sato within a month.

2. Hideo as Sato’s son

It’s noteworthy how the characters have double names.

The Inspector General is Sato Shinichi. But his real name is Ishikawa Nobuyuki.
Sato’s son is called Sato Hideo. But his real name is Kim TaeUng (TU).
And Geum SeoHee’s real name is Lee GaGyeong. She lies and tells TU, however, that her real name is Lee Gaeddong (or Lee Dog-poop).

It’s also noteworthy that, as of Episode 6, Sato hasn’t been shown physically abusing TU. Except for the moment when TU was young and Sato had pulled a gun on him when his wife left them, Sato always professed great pride that his adopted son became “such a fine Japanese citizen.” I’m assuming that Sato had momentarily lost control back then because his wife – the one who gave him the Sato connection and surname?? – left them.

In this episode, Sato is seen congratulating TU for not showing any reaction to Fukuda’s face slap.

Sato: Even if you’re slapped, a true Japanese must show no emotion.

This is interesting because:

a. TU arrived home feeling frustrated. In fact, he lost his temper – which he’d never done before – when his young sister insisted on him reviewing her exercise book. True, TU didn’t show his emotion at that time he was slapped; he successfully repressed his anger. But he vented it out on his little sister instead with his outburst.

b. TU had a flashback of time when he was young, and Sato corrected his sitting posture.

Sato: Japanese people don’t sit like that. From now on, never let your thoughts or feelings show on your face. That’s what makes you Japanese and my son. Do you understand, Hideo? Answer me.
TU: Yes, Abuji.
Sato: (looking at him)
TU: Otosan.

I find it interesting that, given how he tried to establish respectability/legitimacy for himself by using his wife’s family name, he saddled himself with an adopted son who’s full Korean. I wonder if he was trying to make a point to the Japanese elite who looked down on his shogun family that he could “transform” a low-born Josenjing like TaeUng into a model Japanese citizen.

3. Orders to Start Actively Deceiving

Both TU and GG are given orders to start actively deceiving the other person.

Sato: She’s going to rely on you a lot. Even if she’s dating an American reporter, she’s one of the few women in the Government-General and a Joseon person at that.
TU: I don’t really follow.
Sato: I assume everything she sees, hears, and thinks is passed onto him.

I’m sure TU overheard her phone conversation with PY that evening and assumed that she was “spying” for her lover. He was just pretending not to hear anything.

Sato: Get her to rely on you and trust you. But keep this in mind. She needs to trust you, but you must never trust her. Joseon people are an untrustworthy bunch. And Joseon women are bound to betray us. That’s exactly what your mother did. She promised to spend her life with me, only to leave me.

My two comments:

a. I assume that Sato is referring to TU’s adoptive mother – the one he was married to at the time he caught TU pickpocketing in the streets. She was Korean/Joseon. She left them.

After that, Sato remarried a Japanese woman from the Sato clan. He took on this woman’s last name, and this woman bore him a daughter, TU’s younger sister. From Episode 1, we learned that she passed away the previous year. Remember this conversation:

Fukuda: I apologize for not being able to attend your wife’s funeral last year.
Sato: Don’t worry about it. No need to come all the way from Keijo to Tokyo for something trivial.
TU: (instantly looking at his sister to see if she took offense at her father’s words)
Sister: (no reaction)

b. After Sato leaves the room, TU fingers the charm on the necklace he’s wearing. It resembles the charm that GG is wearing around her neck.

One Explanation/Theory: TU’s adoptive mother is GG’s biological mother. The mother left GG when GG was very young to marry Sato and live in Japan. But as it turned out, she didn’t stay married to him long enough either. She left Sato, and their adopted son, TU. This explains how TU and GG happen to wear similar charms: they got it from the same person but at different times.

It’ll be ironic if that 13-year old pawn ticket that GG is hiding from TU is relevant to her, too. Something was pawned by an individual named Sin TaeJin (a man?). It can contain some secret about her biological mother or some material that can incriminate Sato. Remember: thirteen years ago, the village massacre(s) occurred and afterwards, Sato was recalled to Japan to answer the formal inquiry about the incident following media reports. TU and his adoptive Korean mother went to Japan with Sato.

As for GG, SoRan gives her the same order to deceive TU.

SR: Win Sato Hideo’s heart. Get him on your side. The inspector general keeps people at arm’s length. But Sato Hideo is one of the few people close to him.
GG: Alright.
SR: But remember. Never let yourself have personal feelings.
GG: Don’t worry. That’s never going to happen.

My comments:

We have an interesting dynamic here:

a. While TU is ordered to win GG’s trust, GG is ordered to win his heart.

Win her trust = win his heart

b. While TU is warned not to trust GG, GG is warned not to fall for him.

Don’t trust her = don’t fall for him

c. But GG and TU can’t help it. Their trust and heart become connected when they bond over the horror of witnessing the torture and death of SR’s ex-husband.

d. It’ll be interesting to see if Sato will take up the textile factory owner’s not-so-subtle offer to match his precious daughter with TU.

4. Pneumatic Tube Project

I still remember drive-thru tellers use vacuum tubes, but now we have drive-thru ATMs.

I’m looking forward to seeing how this contraption will come into play in future episodes. I guess when they start using these pneumatic tubes, there’ll be less occasions for GG to steal materials or look at documents in TU’s desk. The internal tubes can directly shuttle documents from one room to another in the General-Government Building without needing assistant to hand them over. But then, I wonder if an explosive device can be transported using the pneumatic tube….

Noteworthy about the scene with the foreigner assessing the progress of the pneumatic tube –

Like GG aiding SoRan’s captured ex-husband, TU mistranslates the foreigner’s instruction in favor of the workers. His adoptive father is suspicious though. The fact that he addresses TU by his job title indicates that he means business.

Sato: Interpreter Sato.
TU: Yes, sir.
Sato: Did you interpret that correctly today?
TU: What makes you think I didn’t?

Given TU’s response, however, he’s addressing Sato as his father, and not the Inspector General. You see, a junior staff wouldn’t answer his boss’ query with a question of his own.

Sato: All right, I trust you. (walking away) Ah. Have the workers work an hour longer every day.
TU: (protesting) Aboji.
Sato: Why should we go easy on them? They must meet the deadline. That’s an order, Interpreter Sato.
TU: (sighing)

5. Death of SoRan’s ex-husband

Ugh!

6. Noteworthy: GG stops herself from crossing her fingers.

That’s a first and as we all know, this signals the turning point in their relationship.

TU: Ms. Geum-ssi. Are you okay?
GG: (about to cross her fingers) Yes. I’m fi…
TU: (staring at her)
GG: (whimpering) No. I’m not.
TU: (hugging her)
GG: (bawling)

After all she’s gone through the past couple of days, it must feel good to let it all out.

source: seoinguk’s tumblr