The Spies Who Loved Me: Episode 5

by TeriYaki

Our happily married designer is shocked to learn that for the second time, she has a husband who isn’t what he seems. As she continues to work with her ex-husband to get justice for her friend, her diplomat husband is watching both of them very closely and it’s only a matter of time before they discover just how dangerous he is.

 
EPISODE 5 RECAP

Flanked by Derek and Ji-hoon, Ah-reum gasps when the light fixture in the store window explodes. Staring at Ji-hoon, Derek announces, “We meet again,” and suggests that his wedding plans must have hit a snag if he’s at Areumdam Dress after hours.

Ah-reum blurts out, “He’s not a groom,” and finds herself introducing Derek to her ex-husband. Derek extends his hand and when Ji-hoon takes it, he thinks, “You dare to come here? What nerve.” The handshake turns into a contest as the men squeeze harder and harder until Ji-hoon pulls his hand away.

Ah-reum explains that Ji-hoon asked her for a favor but when asked for details, they’re silent. Suspicious, Derek suggests going out for dinner together to sort everything out.

In spite of Ah-reum’s objections, Ji-hoon accepts Derek’s invitation and soon the unlikely trio is seated at a table in an upscale restaurant. When it’s time to order, Ji-hoon and Ah-reum have selected the same dish, making Derek the odd man out.

After some small talk about Ji-hoon’s work as a travel writer, Derek bluntly asks, “So what kind of favor did you ask my wife?” Ji-hoon sees an older man’s dentures fall out of his mouth and his hand flies to his mouth as if in pain.

Ji-hoon claims that he needs a dental implant after an accident but he doesn’t have the money which is why he looked up Ah-reum. Derek seems convinced and when he assumes that Ji-hoon must feel awkward around them, he denies it, “In other countries, I’ve seen dads get together on the weekends to trade info on good programs for their kids.”

Derek credits Ji-hoon’s travels for his enlightened attitude and asks if he’s been to any dangerous hotspots. Ah-reum cringes and Derek laughs when Ji-hoon claims that he once fought off 17 crocodiles in the Amazon River.

Derek excuses himself to wash his hands and Ji-hoon notices his phone and signals Ah-reum to check Derek’s napkin. She’s shocked to see that it’s recording them but she manages to play along when Ji-hoon moans about his tooth. When Derek returns, Ah-reum watches the men eat and asks herself, “What am I dealing with here?”

Ji-hoon heads for the restroom after dinner while Ah-reum walks outside with Derek. Seeing that she forgot her scarf, Ah-reum returns inside and Ji-hoon passes her on his way out and whispers, “Wait until I call you.” In an effort to soothe Ah-reum’s concerns, Ji-hoon adds, “It’s understandable. I would have done the same if I were him.”

When Ji-hoon joins Derek, the two men secretly admire each other’s wheels. After Ah-reum returns, Derek warns that he doesn’t like to see her in a difficult situation and he’s surprised when she protests, “I can take care of myself.”

Ji-hoon leaves first and he’s painfully aware that his helmet isn’t at all cool looking. Ah-reum is quiet when she and Derek get into his car and he admits, “He was a lot different than I expected him to be.”

Ah-reum understands that the evening must have been difficult and Derek admits that seeing them together made him sad. But he admits that Ji-hoon was right, “…if you had a child together…you two would’ve met regularly. And I would have accepted that.”

Derek is okay with Ah-reum’s desire to help Ji-hoon, as long as she cuts ties with him afterwards. Ah-reum nods and thinks, “I’ll return to my place soon. I have to catch the guy who murdered Sophie.”

Back at Gulliver Publishers, Ji-hoon asks Young-gu about the suspicious car that he noticed just as their surveillance feed shows that it’s returned. Ji-hoon shares his suspicion that Derek is having him followed and when Seo-ra worries that their investigation could be compromised, Ji-hoon explains how he prevented that — he convinced Derek that he’s so down on his luck that he had to ask Ah-reum for money.

Ji-hoon and Seo-ra exit the building arm-in-arm and pause on the street so Tinker can get good photos of them. Seo-ra drapes her arms around Ji-hoon’s neck and leans in for a kiss, only to slap him across the face.

Seo-ra directs Ji-hoon to act like a couple who’s fighting so he has her kick his shin. When Seo-ra storms off, Ji-hoon crawls after her and they pretend to make up while a jealous Young-gu watches them on his computer and whines, “I’m not okay with this.”

Tinker presents Derek with the photos of Ji-hoon and explains that the girl is a coworker he sometimes stays with. Derek scoffs when Tinker concludes that he shouldn’t consider Ji-hoon a threat and changes the subject by asking about EU representative, Max Hoffmann.

Tinker reports that Max Hoffmann is an environmental scientist who’s now the leader in his field after Sophie’s death. Derek suddenly zooms in on a photo of Ji-hoon smiling and notices that all of his teeth look perfectly fine.

The next day, Ji-hoon poses as a courier and makes a delivery to a business stall that’s actually Young-gu’s workshop. Young-gu has surveillance footage of Derek that shows him hard at work at his diplomatic duties, buying flowers for Ah-reum and playing tennis to stay in shape.

After adding that because Derek is loaded he’s able to travel to Dubai frequently to buy parts for his classic cars, Young-gu calls his life “perfect”. Ji-hoon warns, “There’s no such thing as a perfect life. It just appears to be perfect.”

Sensing that Young-gu is upset, Ji-hoon tells him, “You need to stop being suspicious. Seo-ra and I are not dating.” When Young-gu smiles, Ji-hoon warns, “Don’t be so obvious…The chief might fire you.” Ji-hoon then explains to Young-gu, “In our line of work, we…have to work as a team. But when emotions are involved, it complicates things.”

After the lecture, Young-gu hands Ji-hoon a wooden bead to give to Seo-ra. When Ji-hoon asks for a hidden camera detector, Young-gu hands him a pair of eyeglasses, “They will detect a hidden camera, even in a dense jungle.”

Doo-bong joins Seo-ra at a luxury watch store and when she places a watch on his wrist, she imagines putting him in handcuffs. Seo-ra hints that her work is illegal and when she takes Doo-bong to her hotel room, he protests, “I’m not that young…this is going too fast.”

Seo-ra explains the she’s using the hotel room as a temporary office because she has to move around often, which is why it’s sometimes impossible to get in touch with her, “I deal with some shady characters.” Seo-ra answers a knock on the door and while she meets with courier Ji-hoon in the hallway, Doo-bong digs through her suitcase.

Doo-bong finds a passport that confirms Seo-ra’s alias as “Jenny Hwang”. He also finds bundles of cash while Ji-hoon hands over some knock-off luxury watches and Young-gu’s wooden bead.

When Seo-ra returns, she pulls out two watches and asks Doo-bong to identify the fake one. Seo-ra raises her shoe to smash Doo-bong’s choice and when he protects it with his hand, the heel comes down on him. Seeing Doo-bong’s bloody hand, Seo-ra laughs apologetically and confesses that both watches are fake.

On his way out, Ji-hoon gets a call from Tae-ryong who reports that Sophie’s fiancé pulled out of an environmental treaty seminar almost a year ago and quit his job just before the wedding. He’s also on the committee that advises China which means that Sophie had access to China’s research.

At Areumdam Dress, one of Ah-reum’s employees reports that Mr. Ma returned for his phone late at night and scared off an intruder. Ah-reum gets a text to expect a courier and when Ji-hoon arrives, she leads him to a storage room hidden behind a wall covered by wedding dresses.

Satisfied that they won’t be disturbed, Ji-hoon instructs Ah-reum to contact him with the courier phone number so Derek won’t be suspicious. When Ah-reum insists that he’s a gentleman, Ji-hoon has to bite his tongue.

Ah-reum tells Ji-hoon about the break-in and gets upset when she learns that the man who broke into Sophie’s office hasn’t been caught. Ah-reum perks up when Ji-hoon shares what he knows about Sophie’s fiancé and she mentions that it’s odd that Sophie’s plane ticket was for an island that’s a tax haven, not a typical honeymoon destination.

Ah-reum isn’t convinced that Sophie’s fiancé didn’t know she was involved in espionage but Ji-hoon reminds her that she didn’t know that he was an agent. Ah-reum concludes, “You have to be blind to get married,” and Ji-hoon mutters, “How could you go blind twice?”

When Du-rae calls out for Ah-reum, she jumps up in alarm and hits her head on a cabinet, causing a bolt of lace to unroll as it falls to the floor. Forced to freeze to escape detection, Ji-hoon stares through the lace into Ah-reum’s eyes. When Du-rae leaves, Ah-reum rolls up the lace and instructs Ji-hoon to leave.

At Dongpoomloo, Doo-bong shows off while preparing a meal for Seo-ra. She excuses herself and goes upstairs to the bathroom but she’s really there to to add Young-gu’s wooden bead to the beaded curtain.

Seo-ra struggles to secure the bead and by the time Doo-bong goes looking for her, he finds the curtain swaying and an empty bathroom. Seo-ra surprises Doo-bong when she sneaks up behind him and yells, “Peekaboo!”

Peter and Sophie’s fiancé get into separate taxis at the airport while Du-rae drives Ah-reum to a meeting with Dong-ran. Ah-reum tells her about Sophie’s fiancé and concludes, “You can’t trust your husband.”

Du-rae reminds Ah-reum, “I warned you he would be a handful. Derek can get very jealous and possessive.” She brags that she can figure out a groom in seconds but when asked about Ji-hoon, Du-rae refuses to say anything since he’s fallen on hard times.

Du-rae asks, “Let’s say you narrowed down your potential killer to Derek or Ji-hoon. Which one do you think would kill you?” When Ah-reum is horrified by the question, Du-rae makes her point, “Don’t be suspicious of your husband. He’s on your side.”

Dong-taek storms into the museum to challenge Dong-ran’s decision to use it as the venue for an upcoming charity event. Angry, Dong-taek reminds Dong-ran that she’s just the daughter of the mistress just as Ah-reum and Du-rae carry a dress up the stairs. When they see that the half-siblings are arguing, Ah-reum and Du-rae hide behind some crates.

Dong-ran flaunts the fact that her marriage will merge two corporations as opposed to Dong-taek’s failed biotech undertakings and he raises his arm to strike her. Du-rae whispers that Derek needs to cut ties with Dong-taek.

The siblings hurl insults at each other and when Dong-taek grabs a vase and waves it menacingly at Dong-ran, the women run out from behind the crates. Ah-reum introduces herself as Derek Hyun’s wife and jumps when Dong-taek drops the vase on the floor.

Dong-taek promises to call Derek soon as he walks away. When Du-rae presents the dress, Dong-ran matter-of-factly explains, “It’s not for me. I asked you to donate a few dresses for our charity event.”

On his way out, Dong-taek calls Derek and threatens to call off their deal for the nuclear fusion research but he’s advised to be patient. Before hanging up, Dong-taek mentions that Ah-reum brought a wedding dress for his sister and suggests that it should be black for her funeral.

Wearing a suit and tie, Ji-hoon plays the part of a scientist when he checks in for a seminar at a table staffed by Seo-ra. Outside of the hotel, Young-gu takes photos from inside a van while Tae-ryong sets out appetizers.

They’re all linked through their earpieces and Tae-ryong reminds the team that the six-nation partnership that Sophie was involved in is on the verge of collapse. Each member country is anxious to get their hands on Sophie’s research.

Young-gu snaps photos of Derek welcoming Max Hoffmann while Jin-min meets with the CIA director in the hotel’s barbershop. Interpol still hasn’t been given access to Harrison Young and Jin-min places some of the blame for the stolen research on the CIA director, who was unaware that his agent was involved in corporate espionage.

When the director questions the integrity of Jin-min’s team, Jin-min stares at him coldly and insists that he’s never once doubted his team. With time of the essence, Jin-min pleads for an opportunity to question Harrison.

Sophie’s fiancé makes an unexpected appearance at the hotel while Derek gets into an elevator with Max Hoffmann, just as Ji-hoon walks by.

Derek scheduled a massage for Max and he’s surprised by an invitation to join him. Derek shows off his wedding ring but Max just wants to go over some points before a meeting. As Jin-min leaves the barbershop, he sees Derek and Max on their way to the spa.

Ji-hoon overhears a scientist mention that Sophie’s fiancé is in the hotel and he calls Tae-ryong with the news. When Tae-ryong informs Jin-min, the team is ordered to find him.

Ah-reum is at Areumdam Dress when Ji-hoon texts to ask the location of the crematorium with Sophie’s ashes. When Ah-reum calls him with the location, she learns that Sophie’s fiancé is back.

In the locker room, Max keeps sending Derek mixed signals as they undress. During the massage, Max falls asleep and Derek returns to the locker room to throw on his clothes and uses Max’s key card to access his suite. With Tinker’s remote help, Max’s laptop is copied onto the Helmes’ server. Once the information transfer is complete, Derek races back to the locker room, returns Max’s key card and removes his clothes.

By the time Max wakes up, an out-of-breath Derek is waiting with a pot of tea. Parched, Derek takes a big gulp from his cup and is surprised when Max pats his leg to explain, “Some people might get me wrong, but I love my wife.” Relieved, Derek confesses that he feels the same way about his wife.

Ah-reum meets Ji-hoon at the crematorium and they soon find Dr. Chen when they hear him weeping. When they sit down to talk, Ah-reum asks why he left so suddenly and Dr. Chen explains that’s what Sophie’s parents wanted.

Dr. Chen can’t believe that Sophie died of an overdose and Ji-hoon asks (in perfect English), “Were you two honest with each other about everything?” Dr. Chen insists that there weren’t any secrets between them and to prove his point, he volunteers that they invited Sophie’s ex-boyfriend to the wedding.

The ex-boyfriend financed Sophie’s company and when Dr. Chen adds, “…he worked for the UN…this good-looking guy with a thing for old cars,” Ah-reum and Ji-hoon know exactly who he’s talking about. Whoa.

Derek joins Tinker in the Helmes office just as Max’s video meeting begins. Max praises Korean skincare and after putting on a face mask, suggests, “Let’s continue this meeting tomorrow morning.” Tinker suggests it’s time to approach the Chinese.

Ji-hoon joins Ah-reum on a bench at the crematorium and she confides that Sophie never approved of Derek, “She said I was too good for him.” When Derek calls, Ah-reum doesn’t answer so he checks her location on his phone and is surprised by the address.

Ah-reum admits to Ji-hoon that she didn’t know that he was an agent while they were married and now Derek has a secret as well. Ji-hoon urges Ah-reum not to worry about their past but she insists, “…a marriage isn’t completely over even if it ends.”

Ah-reum wonders if she dropped the ball because she wasn’t prepared for marriage but Ji-hoon reminds her that striking out is part of hitting home runs, “You meet other people on your way in eventually meeting your soulmate.” Impressed by Ji-hoon’s maturity, Ah-reum smiles at him when he walks away.

At Gulliver Publishers, Young-gu brings something other than noodles for Seo-ra’s dinner and complains, “How can pretty looks still be used in the spy business?” When Peter interrupts Doo-bong’s mahjong game at Dongpoomloo, Young-gu and Seo-ra listen closely through the microphone embedded in the wooden bead.

Peter holds Doo-bong at arm’s length with the taser-pen and when he breaks down crying and admits, “Sophie looked stunning in her white dress…at her bachelorette party,” Seo-ra realizes that he’s the stalker they’ve been looking for. Grabbing a gun, Seo-ra instructs Young-gu to send Ji-hoon to Dongpoomloo.

At Areumdam Dress, Ah-reum points out her security cameras and asks Ji-hoon to determine the optimal placement of new cameras. When she goes to the accessory room, Ji-hoon walks past Sophie’s wedding dress on display in Ah-reum’s office to look around. Noticing something suspicious about the chandelier, Ji-hoon dons the camera detecting glasses which zeroes in on a hidden camera.

Ah-reum is on a step stool when she hears something. She gets down to investigate while Ji-hoon stares into the lens of the hidden camera, as Derek watches from his laptop.

 
COMMENTS

Even though both of Ah-reum’s husbands are spies, they are showing themselves to be very different men who express their feelings for Ah-reum in distinctively unique ways. As @LollyPip has already discussed, Ji-hoon loved Ah-reum enough to let her go, for her own well-being. Normally, I don’t approve of the whole noble idiot trope but in Ji-hoon’s case, he gave Ah-reum a graceful exit out of their marriage before he returned to Baghdad to rescue his source’s sister. Ji-hoon knew that he might not survive and unable, or unwilling, to tell her the truth, he did his best to spare Ah-reum the grief that his death would surely cause her. He wanted her happiness more that his own and Ji-hoon certainly didn’t want Ah-reum to marry someone like Derek, who is setting off all kinds of alarms in Ji-hoon.

On the other hand, I think that Derek treats Ah-reum more like a possession. While it can be argued that Ji-hoon didn’t give her enough attention, Derek gives Ah-reum too much attention but she’s been ignorant until now that he’s had her under surveillance. Because I don’t believe that the fact that Derek traces Ah-reum’s phone or has the ability to watch her in her office is because of Ji-hoon. I think that Derek has been watching Ah-reum for a very long time and I can’t imagine how she’ll handle that information when she finds out the truth. Do I believe that Derek loves Ah-reum? I’m not sure that he’s even capable of love because that involves a certain level of selflessness that may be beyond Derek. That could be why Sophie didn’t like Ah-reum with Derek.

I’m not convinced that Derek is aware that Ji-hoon is Interpol, but it’s an interesting possibility. I think that Derek may have married Ah-reum to control Sophie and when that didn’t work, he had her killed or killed her himself. With the help of her ex-husband, Ah-reum is making progress in her investigation into Sophie’s death, unaware that she’s edging closer and closer to danger.

I’m loving Doo-bong and Seo-ra because they bring a certain wackiness to the cat and mouse game of good spies vs. bad spies. I kind of want Seo-ra and Doo-bong to have a genuine romantic connection but that would crush Young-gu and put his team at risk. Look what’s happened to Peter since Sophie’s death. And knowing that Peter works for Helmes, that means he’s probably loved Sophie from afar for years, back when she was with Derek. Perhaps Derek used Sophie to keep Peter in line and with her gone, Peter finds himself adrift. With Seo-ra on her way to find Peter, will he aid Interpol to avenge Sophie’s death or partner with Doo-bong?

Everyone and everything is awfully connected and tangled at this point. I’m looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds and who ends up on the good side and who ends up being bad. For sure Ji-hoon and Ah-reum are on the side of good but they need more than that in common to find their way back to each other. They’re learning that they’re not the same people that they were when they divorced. Ah-reum’s bitterness is subsiding now that she knows the truth about Ji-hoon and it’s getting tougher and tougher for him to hide just how much he cares for her. And I’m okay with that. In fact, watching Ah-reum and Ji-hoon have their heart-to-heart talks and grow closer is the best part of The Spies Who Loved Me.

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