29

ATHENA: Episode 9

OH MY GOD WE HAVE MOVEMENT! On the romantic front, and the nuclear energy front. It did border the State of Cheesy but I guess the good thing about the slow and long build up of Hye In and Jung Woo’s romance is that it justifies his actions in this episode. Sort of. Not that I agree with his decisions, but I can’t yell “Where’d that come from!?” at my computer.

Warehouse. Jung Woo screams. Hye In writhes in pain at being electrocuted within a water tank. He cries out that he’ll do it – he’ll steal back the SNC as long as they don’t hurt her anymore. Well that was easy.

It’s funny that the terrorists apologize to Hye In later for hurting her so – it was all for the sake of being believable. Son Hyuk enters for a private moment, and gently asks if she’s OK. He’s clearly so into her, but she responds with blank eyes, unmoved by his concern.

Jung Woo returns to the NTS headquarters in Japan, pissed that he couldn’t save Hye In and is forced to betray his country. But in the end, it’s not that hard – he just goes into the room where it’s being kept and unlocks it from the safe. The room is also under surveillance, and Kwon witnesses Jung Woo’s act of treason through the cameras. Agents rush in, and bring him to Chul Hwan for questioning.

He is aware that Athena has moles within NTS and was warned not to mention of Hye In’s kidnapping. Therefore, he’s unable to explain himself properly to Chul Hwan about why he’s stealing the SNC. Chul Hwan suspends him from his duties and arranges to have him sent back to Seoul.

Jae Hee is smarter; her hunch is that Jung Woo is acting strangely because of Hye In, who oh-so-coincidentally is now unreachable. Something is fishy! Jae Hee wants to let him go, and take the SNC, because he just might lead NTS to the people who kidnapped Dr. Kim. Kwon allows for Jae Hee to take over the case.

She visits Jung Woo in his holding room and starts off with expressing her disappointment in his inability to admit what is going on. Jung Woo keeps mum and Jae Hee begs for him to just talk, or else she will be put in a difficult position. She reaches out to hold his hand in comfort, gets up, and then touches his shoulder. She tells him that Jin Seok is at home and about to leave with the SNC, and then exits.

Jae Hee had palmed a paper clip to Jung Woo. He pretends to go into shock and topples out of his chair, causing guards to rush into his room. He knocks them out and handcuffs them together. He takes out everyone in his way and runs out. And guess who drives up with his getaway car?

KI SOO! WHEE! My bromance is back. Jung Woo is suspicious as to why Ki Soo is in Japan, but he also has no time with men chasing after him. He gets in the backseat and let’s Ki Soo drive him off. Jae Hee follows in pursuit.

Ki Soo and Jung Woo arrive outside Jin Seok’s apartment and split up. Guards rush up to protect Jin Seok, but they’re of no match. Despite having a gun trained on him, Jin Seok refuses to release the briefcase from the handcuffs around his wrist. In less than five moves, Jung Woo disables Jin Seok and unlocks the case. He runs out the balcony, and when cornered, leaps off the balcony, grabs hold of a cable line, descends far enough and jumps into the water. Ki Soo comes up to him in a speedboat, and as Jae Hee watches overhead the two of them speed off. Cute.

Hye In wakes up from a nightmare with Son Hyuk beside her bed. She’s having the same dream of being locked under a deck and how she was always saved – but this time around, no one came for her. (Prophetic? Nah – Jung Woo will come!) Son Hyuk apologizes for having her involved in all this, but she tells him it was her choice. He has nothing to be sorry for.

Pachinko parlor – Ki Soo can’t seem to win as many mini balls as the old man next to him. When the old man asks Ki Soo to watch his winnings as he goes to the restroom, Ki Soo decides to switch machines. While I’m yelling at the computer screen for him to just steal the old man’s winnings, Ki Soo plays again, and the output is very little. The old man returns, sits at Ki Soo’s original machine, and hits the jackpot. I TOLD you to just take the old guy’s winnings! You’re too upright!

Jae Hee and her agents arrive at the parlor. At the same time Ki Soo calls in to report to Chul Young; he’s in Japan and still trying to figure out what is up with NTS’ activities. He finishes up the call before Jung Woo sits beside him. Jung Woo has one request – for Ki Soo to get a rifle. Ki Soo also notices that there’s a tracking pin on Jung Woo’s collar; he takes it and puts it on a random guy while Jung Woo makes his escape.

When the agents report that they’re tracking the wrong person, Jae Hee rushes into the parlor and finds Jung Woo. She threatens to shoot him if he doesn’t cooperate with her, but he walks anyways, knowing she doesn’t have the guts to do it. And she doesn’t.

The other agents spot Ki Soo too late, but now they know who Jung Woo is working with.

Now it’s time to put their plan to action. The meeting spot is at a cemetery. Ki Soo rides up in a motorcycle and sets up his sniper position (putting the eyepiece the wrong way too. Teehee). Jung Woo arrives with the SNC. A minute later two cars drive up, one with the main captor and the other with the hostage, a hood over the face. Jung Woo hands over the SNC, and after it’s been confirmed, the captor gives the signal. One of his guys shoots the hostage execution style, and Ki Soo shoots that man in the head from the distance. Jung Woo and Ki Soo take out as many of the baddies as they can, just as Jae Hee and NTS agents arrive.

Jung Woo is sick with grief as he stands over the dead body. He cradles the body against his own and removes the mask… It’s Kim Myung Guk.

Hye In is watching the scene unfold from a distance. Guess having a flat chest means the guy who loves you can’t tell you apart from a man when the hood is covered.

Dr. Kim grabs Jung Woo and transfers a small crumpled piece of paper into his hands before he dies. Two terrorists manage to still get away but Jung Woo quickly chases after them. They report positively to Son Hyuk, and he orders for their warehouse headquarters to be cleared. Hye In thinks it will be difficult for her to return, so Son Hyuk takes out his gun, shoots two of his men dead, and tells her to use the bodies whichever way she chooses.

Damn. Well that was generous.

Ki Soo and Jung Woo arrive at the warehouse, where Hye In and the head captor are setting up bombs to destroy all evidence. Despite Ki Soo’s warnings of being cautious, Jung Woo prefers to go in guns a-blazin’. He shoots as many down dead as possible, alerting Hye In and the head captor. Jae Hee arrives as backup, and they notice that gas has been released into the air. But no matter, Jung Woo wants to find Hye In!

He yells out her name; Hye In is already out the back door (the head captor with the SNC already gone), and sees Sean Richard waiting for her in the distance. Son Hyuk is watching her from the car. She’s about to join them when she hears Jung Woo – he’s alive! She is absolutely torn that he’s working so hard to find her. The bombs count down and there’s only 20 seconds left.

Hye In makes her decision: she runs back into the warehouse. Son Hyuk looks absolutely morbid as he watches her run off.

With less than fifteen seconds before everything goes KABOOM, Ki Soo forces Jae Hee to get out of the building with him. With less than five seconds, Hye In finds Jung Woo and drags him out the back door, just as the warehouse explodes behind them.

Hye In is knocked out, but OK, and they are reunited with Jae Hee and Ki Soo. But Jung Woo isn’t done – now he has to go after the SNC.

He grabs Ki Soo’s motorbike and chases the terrorists, all of whom are on a motorboat. Jung Woo fires a few choice shots, killing a couple of them and making the motorboat leak gas. He drives the bike up a plank, lets it fly into the boat and causes it to explode. Jung Woo, having landed in the water, swims up to retrieve the SNC case floating in the water.

As NTS and Kwon make their way to the site, Sean Richard drives Son Hyuk away. The two cars pass each other on the road but neither side notices the other.

Jung Woo is a hero! But also a traitor. An internal investigation team arrives at NTS to interrogate Jung Woo, Hye In, and Ki Soo, also confiscating all of their belongings. Kwon orders Chul Hwan to take over matters in NTS – he’s going to step down as director and take responsibility for the recent fiasco.

Jae Hee overhears about this and arranges to meet her father. She asks him for a favor – to find out who is part of the Special Investigations Committee and where they are holding the “prisoners” for questioning. Her father can tell she’s still worried about Jung Woo, but she asks that Jung Woo be let go – he would never betray his country.

During a meeting with the President and all advisors, Jae Hee’s father calls for someone to be held responsible. Kwon steps up and announces his resignation. Of course, the president won’t let him go just like that, so he addresses Kwon privately. If the group behind the recent kidnappings is Athena, then he won’t let Kwon resign. Kwon must help in fighting off corrupt groups and regain his honor. I feel bad for the president – either he’s lax about security (which makes me feel worse for South Korea), or just plain unlucky to be hit with two rogue groups (IRIS and ATHENA) during his presidency.

Because everything has to happen in a warehouse or a big building in the middle of nowhere, the three prisoners are interrogated separately. One is suspicious as to why Dr. Kim was killed in place of Hye In, while Ki Soo tries to avoid getting caught for running a mahjong parlor. Another one grills Jung Woo about choosing to risk national security for the life of a fellow agent, and Hye In’s interrogator makes her feel guilty that Jung Woo would risk so much for her.

Son Hyuk on the other hand is in a really foul mood. Not only did he lose both Dr. Kim and the SNC, but he also lost Hye In. Sean Richard also couldn’t find out where Hye In is being held, so Son Hyuk grabs him by the throat and tells him to do it quickly.

I’m kinda hoping Sean Richard will betray Son Hyuk, based on that bitter glare he gave him. Or, he’s just pissed Son Hyuk isn’t more interested in him…

But he does find out that Jae Hee’s father is in charge of the investigation. Son Hyuk immediately meets up with him – in a garage no less – and slaps him hard right across the face. He asks why Han Jeong Pil didn’t bother to report to him about the investigation.

Wait whut? Han Jeong Pil…works for Athena?!

Son Hyuk wants Hye In released immediately. No reason given. He doesn’t care whether it’ll be easy or not, he just wants Director Han to do it. Son Hyuk: “If you keep on disappointing me, things will get more difficult for you.”

With no choice, Director Han orders a halt on investigations on Ki Soo and Hye In. But for Jung Woo, he’s still stuck inside.

The moment Ki Soo’s out, he calls up Chul Young. He’s got information to share.

Comments:

Yes! I am so happy Kim Myung Guk died! I’ve never been so happy to see someone die. His death can propel the plot forward, because there are no more games to be played, no more, “He’s kidnapped!” “He’s rescued!” Now, it’s just straight up trying to finish the development of the nuclear technology (so that Kim Seung Woo can continue hounding the President) and finding Athena (so that NTS can stay busy).

This would have been a better time to introduce the BoA storyline because she could have had a connection to Athena, rather than the nuclear technology. Since the Kim Myung Guk story is done, we could have another “case” or “incident” like the Jo Soo Young kidnapping – something that seems kind of peripheral, but is part of the main plot.

I think Son Hyuk is putting himself on the line a bit too much. He’s so blatant about his feelings towards Hye In that whenever she’s hurt, he goes to great lengths to protect her. When he went to confront Director Han directly, I wondered how much longer he could go before he got caught. Doing the slapping, the killings, the threats all by himself… some camera’s got to catch him one day!

And as for Hye In-Jung Woo coupledom – he’s incredibly stupid, but he’s been stupid around Hye In for the past nine episodes. At least he’s getting some of those feelings reciprocated now. It’s nice to see Hye In so conflicted, because it allows for a bunch of betrayals and double crossings to be made. I welcome those with open arms – as long as we can see some sleight-of-hand passes like Alias did.

What was that?

RELATED POSTS

Tags: , , , , , , ,

29

Required fields are marked *

can't be excited about this show even though there is siwon

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Exactly. He's barely in it and I just can't get into the storyline.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Couldn't agree more.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Dude i hope hye in hurries up and gets together with jung woo!
If not give him to me :)

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Well said! Oh, how I look forward to reading your summary for Athena: the Goddess! :D And is Hye In flat chested? haha I never noticed! Oh, Dramabeans!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

''Guess having a flat chest means the guy who loves you can’t tell you apart from a man when the hood is covered.''

This really made me laugh.

Geez JW is really pissing me off. He is just too dense

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

omo, i think i'm gonna go back watching Athena =)

Thanks Kaedejun, for the recap with funny side comments, hahaha

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks kaedejun! I'm sure you know how much we Athenians appreciate these recaps that you're doing here in DB. I still haven't started watching this show yet because of school, but once I get a break I'll start on it so I can fangirl all over again on Jung Woo Sung (but not on Jung Woo).

But I'm glad that there has been some plot development because it's hard when the audience start to lose their interest when nothing seems to happen to the characters.

Thanks again. :)

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I totally dig the haps in this ep. The hero's actually being a HERO, (I know!) Ki-soo is back in action, everyone's alliances are shifty... They just need to go all suspense, all the time, 'cause when there's shooting and running and fighting, this show is awesome.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

The heroine is still a sociopath.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

But that's what makes her more awesome for the impending character development. And it doesn't hurt that the heroine is played very well.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree with you luraa...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

"Yes! I am so happy Kim Myung Guk died! I’ve never been so happy to see someone die."

HA HA HA !!! INDEED ! absolutly agree
Ha hahahhahahah

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

"Because everything has to happen in a warehouse or a big building in the middle of nowhere..."

Wow. This is so true. All types of shady business tend to go down in like... abandoned warehouses, shipping yards, or empty car garages. LOL.

Thanks for your recap! Can't wait until episode 10. I need some more of my Jae Hee and Son Hyuk - ness....

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

INCREDIBLY STUPID

The most fitting words for Hye In and Jung Woo

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

love it..i just want more of Cha Seung Won & Lee Ji Ah relationship..hihi^^

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you kaedejun for your recap. These days, I look forward to your recaps more than the show itself.

JW + HI = ZZZZZ
SH + JH = CHEEZZZZZ
JW + SH = HOTZZZZZ
Ki Soo = Saranghae
Si Won = GIMME GIMME

At Ep 9, this drama hasn't hit me yet and I don't it will ever hit me.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Nice recap, thank you so much.I think this is the first show I am watching in which the main leads are sooo silly and unattractive to me.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

this show is good in everyway,its the plot tht makes it really one huge big budget mess!!!!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you for the witty recap . I enjoy so much this drama with CSW,JSW and SA acting . The action parts are a real pleasure to forget every thing about the sad world we are living in , all the more as the heroes are always dynamic and ready to live at their utmost .
Ep 11 and 12 are awesome for the plot and the development of the characters : every thing deepens with nothing superfluous .

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I can't wait for recaps the following 3 episodes! ATHENA is finally picking up steam! So glad Kim Myung Guk is dead. That's the second person I am exited to see die in a drama.

The first one was the annoying laughing guy from "The Great Queen Seon Deok" (can't remember his name now...). I was glad when Bidam finally killed him :)

Wait, that sounds a little too morbid... hmmm

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

nooooo, DNW Hye-In with that dummy! :<

athena can be pretty boring at times. I hope they'll pack a lil bit more action (and siwon and sean richard please~).

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ah this drama is not cutting it for me! JW and HI will have to push me harder for me to watch this drama! More action pls, the talking is too much!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

"Guess having a flat chest means the guy who loves you can’t tell you apart from a man when the hood is covered."

oouuuuuch... I like, I like.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ehhh, This is episode while better than the past few broke my back and made me drop Athena. The action scenes in this drama are gorgeous and well-choreographed. The shootout in the graveyard is movie-worthy but the characters, especially Jung Woo are sooooo hollow and plain dumb sometimes.

Shootout was great but why why why does Jung Woo act dumber than the average action movie watcher (answer: I feel the writer needs to do more homework) I could abide his rookieness if he was... a rookie but he seems to be the goto field agent of NTS and has prior spy experience. He didn't confirm the hostage identity before the trade. He brought the SNC with NO LEVERAGE WHATSOEVER. The moment the SNC was revealed to be legit the bad guys should have just shot Jung Woo to pieces right there. What's to stop them?!?! (Sure Jung Woo brought a support sniper but theres no way he can cover Jung Woo if attacked from opposite sides, a scenario Jung Woo somehow couldn't comprehend) You confirm the hostage, you put the SNC in a separate location unknown to the enemy to safeguard your life and you trade knowledge of the location with the hostage, preferably as you are making your getaway with the sniper support covering your back... GAHHHHHH Jung Woo is such an idiot!!!

And I wish the drama put some effort in showing how big a deal it was to BETRAY HIS FRICKING COUNTRY for a girl. It should have been some struggle, but no... Jung Woo is way too much of a softie. Hell how did he pick espionage as a career choice (especially since the show has him being an operative during the whole IRIS debacle making him no newbie to loss of agent lives) when he can't take the idea of losing one agent's live for the sake of his country's security and future... Just one punch at the wall in frustration and I would have been good, but nope Jung Woo just runs off and betrays everyone ASAP like its the natural thing to do. Guy should have become a teacher or a baker or a clown, anything with a more cheery outlook on life.

Hyun Bin was such a better character to follow than Jung Woo. At least you could follow his thought processes and acknowledge he knows what hes doing. Dialogue still feels like it belongs more in a cheesy 60s spy TV show then something nowadays, but oh well.

At least Dream High is now awesome. Just caught up to episode 6 and now have a new Mon/Tues drama.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks kaedejun .

When they brought the hostage to the jap graveyard I knew it was not the black rose because suddenly the hostage become shorty and out of shape and not wearing high heels ? Reasons, all along even with all the killing actions in Italy and the explosions she was with high heels?.

Jung woo is so in love with Hye In but he hasn't seen her entire physical parts yet!!. ha ! ha ! so I will excuse his blur vision for now !.

Jae Hee did not trust his father in the 2nd episode so now we know what her father is doing to their country ?. Great loss for Jae Hee in the future ?.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Why did you stop after episode 9? the show is up to 15 already.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Jung Woo Sung's utter silly spy antics are worse than Eric's were in Invincible Parachute Agent...only with a more badass twist lol. And you KNOW somethings got to be up if I'm comparing these two dramas :P

Honestly though, I'm hoping that he's somehow secretly amazing and all this going crazy for Hye-In is just for show and his cold nature toward Jae-Hee builds up to something.

But I could care less for the pairings...

The only thing holding me to Athena right now is Kim MinJong and his layered performance as Ki-soo (along with all the badass pretty) :D

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Okayyy ...while watching this episode I was like "Lee Jung Woo is a stupid spy!" "Idiot" "dimwit" "incompetent spy" all the negatives that I can throw at him. ARGH!

The only reason why i'm putting up with Athena is because of KIM MIN JUNG!!! KIM KI SOO is such a fun character that I didn't mind him working with the North again. Heck I want him to destroy all those lame NTS agents!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *