someonesoo

Fair warning, I think I'm reading too much into this because of the edits:

I think that scene in the car park is probably the one of the few times we've seen Tae Oh this soft. And the conversation between them is probably the frankest one he's had. After the 3rd timeskip the only time I've seen his mask slip slightly is when he's around Hee Jo. He meets Hye Won secretly but he's very straight faced and composed even when he calls her out for wanting to marry In Ha.

If I didn't know better I'd have guessed something has happened between them in the last 10 years. Because she's not arguing with him to like/love her, she's arguing with him that they can be together. It's almost like she skipped a step from the time we last saw them talking. I dunno, maybe its just the rich girl determination, lol. She wants who she wants even if he doesn't like her.

But yes, he could do a better job at shutting her down. Ngl, I was convinced she had given up on him when cried in the car.
I don't know if anyone in the family listens to her for her to be an actual threat to him, but its probably not worth the risk to see.

Well yes, that is the other direction these stories go, lol. I've been choosing to ignore the fact that she alluded to dying twice in the most recent episodes. That gives Tae Oh's pep talk to her an ominous turn.

I do hope it's not her. Although who would be the man with her? The fiance?

Oh she's constant in her feelings, no question. And from the conversation between her and Tae Oh in Episode 4, you can tell this is a conversation they've had many times over the ten years, which is why some of the beats almost seem rehearsed between them. His tired "go home", her "you know I can do this all night" and when she accuses him of never taking her seriously. (I swear the number of times I have seen that scene because its everywhere I look on social media, lol.)

And like you said, she doesn't know him well enough to actually be 'happy ever after' in love with him. It's why the new potential fiance is an interesting addition- for a change she'll be the one being pursued. How is that going to change her?

I'm completely willing to give up ownership of this idea if they promise to also keep it entertaining, lol.

I dunno, I've been thinking of the idea that in powerplay stories sometimes the person left holding the 'crown' is the person who wants it the least. Hee Joo just wants to marry a guy.

It would be a bit of cosmic retribution to everyone (interestingly they're all women: In Ju's wife, the mother and Hye Won) who has suggested using her as a pawn that she becomes the one with the power.

I think this is also my bias towards spoilt, emotionally chaotic girls who generally mean well. They better not make Hee Joo turn petty and vengeful, is all I'm saying.

When the whole family was making a scene in the chairman's hospital room during his fake coma. Tae Oh comes and makes them leave, Hee Joo was the only one he bowed to when she passed by him (after that moment of eye contact).

He also knelt to put her shoe on, which is why one of my crazier theories is that Hee Joo is really the impossible heir (as noone is even considering her as a possibility) and Tae Oh will ultimately 'bend the knee' to her (in a power way, not necessarily in a proposal way, lol).

Lol, to be fair even calling Hee Joo's feelings love is pushing it a little. It's entertaining and I'm cheering for her and her feelings are genuine but its very early stages infatuation.

There's also the brief clip where he holds her hand. Hm.

From the setting of the opening scene it looks like there had been some kind of celebration going on. Surely they're not just some randoms they introduce just to be killed.

I wondered if the pause in the investigation was a cultural thing? In a couple of the dramas I've watched lately prosecutors seem to get into trouble for any harm that comes to the people they're investigating (by coming off too forceful). And I assumed it was a case of them not wanting to look like their investigation killed the chairman.
I do think its weird that they haven't considered that they could still get dragged into the investigation. Its not like the chairman's hands are clean

I did assume that In Ha was born during her marriage but you're right- more than actually resenting the chairman for being unfaithful she probably hates the optics of the infidelity.
I've assumed that In Ha is the youngest son- is that wrong, do you know?

I don't know if they've been explicit about it, but I do get the vibes that the oldest is her stepson. It's a little surprising though that she's so obvious about Hee Ju being a pawn through marriage and isn't even pretending that it's a good match for her daughter.

Her disdain for him is especially odd since the chairman doesn't seem to particularly care about In Ha either. So In Ha shouldn't be that much of a threat to her (pre- Tae Oh atleast). I think she just doesn't want her husband's love child around her own family especially because she thinks he's a bad influence on Hee Ju.

The way I'm watching it the politics and business stuff is just details. I agree, the relationships between people and the motivations behind their actions is much more interesting. It's interesting, for example, that of his legitimate children the chairman doesn't have a favourite/obvious successor. Is it because he sees them as largely useless? Or is he just a massive egomaniac?

I generally don't enjoy triangles even outside of the romance/rom-com genre but I must admit that the triangle/square/pentagon here has the potential to be interesting.

This genre is also interesting in how unpredictable it can get. There's no formulaic love plot where the first leads end happily ever after at the end, and often with power struggle stories the one left standing at the end can be completely unexpected. This is why I really hope the twist isn't just "Tae Oh is actually the illegitimate son".

I still don't quite understand why the chairman was pretending to be in a coma. Maybe he just enjoys the drama, lol. Possibly he wanted his wife to make her move before he snatched everything from under her. But now he's pretending to be a delicate older man in public so maybe he's trying for public sympathy too.

Exactly! And there doesn't seem to be any real loyalty between the main trio so we're waiting for that to get messy, lol.

This is what I've been able to piece together, roughly:
In Ha wants to take over his father's business empire as revenge for how the family treated him for being illegitimate. Tae Oh will help him (why? we dont know). Hye Won is there for her own purposes (again we don't know why).

Tae Oh has gotten into the chairman's trusted circle (without the chairman knowing his connection to In Ha somehow?). The goal is to get In Ha to become the favourite son (Tae Oh convinces the chairman to do this by telling him that he can use In Ha to do his dirty work).

They've realised that the second son and his mama are making a play to take over by taking control over whatever that institute is (again, no idea what it does, or why). Hye Won works for the politician that the second son was working with so she gets them intel on this. They (Tae Oh and the chairman) basically get the second son involved in some kind of bogus corruption investigation (this is basically what all the talks and meetings and hacking has lead to, really). And meanwhile In Ha has stepped into the role of son.

The aggressive older son hasn't made any really big moves except for trying to buy Tae Oh's loyalty. The mother is also trying to marry off the daughter in some kind of alliance that will help her son.

Good point! Hopefully then they start showing the cracks from 5/6 with the climax building up around 7/8. Wouldn't say no to another quick flash forward though.
I really should have waited to binge, lol. Although I guess speculating is half the fun.

Same, I'm kind of ready for us to get to when the opening scene happens. I'm curious where in the timeline it happens, who the people are, etc.

I will be disappointed if it happens in last two episodes before things get wrapped up quickly.

Nope. I only get the overall theme that they're all fighting to be top dog but couldn't tell you the individual moves they are making. Also it seems like they're all just tussling each other- is anyone actually working working? Will there even be a company left at the end of this? The confusing timeline and the fact that everyone talks in subtext and riddles doesn't help.

I actually think thats one the reasons why the sister is becoming a favourite with people, lol. She's the only one who says exactly what she's thinking and what she wants even if you think she's going about it wrong.

I think he also realises that she's not like the rest of the family and therefore not really a threat to them.
If you notice, in the hospital scene when the family leaves, she's the only one he bows to. He knows she's relatively powerless surrounded by snakes who don't care about her beyond what she can do for them, which is why he warns her to focus on herself.

I think he also realises that she's not like the rest of the family and therefore not really a threat to them.
If you notice, in the hospital scene when the family leaves, she's the only one he bows to. He knows she's relatively powerless surrounded by snakes who don't care about her beyond what she can do for them, which is why he warns her to focus on herself.

My logic is that if he was another illegitimate son, he wouldn't be an 'impossible' heir. He'd have as much right as In Ha does. There's also something underwhelming about Tae Oh having basically the same motivation as In Ha.

They could go with the same old trope but theres very little pay off in keeping Tae Oh such a mystery when almost everyone watching has already considered the illegitimacy angle.