Do y’all remember when I dropped The Impossible Heir?

Well, in an unexpected turn of events (which MC will fill you in on, in this post), my Dropped post (here!) actually somehow intrigued MC enough, that she ended up checking out – and then finishing! – the show.

Meanwhile, I found her ranting on the show so entertaining and inspired, that I asked her if she’d be willing to write a rant post on the show for us.

Y’know, to provide solidarity to others who’ve also trudged to the finish line – and also, to satisfy the morbidly curious among us (myself included 🤭)!

Thanks, MC, for taking one for the team – and then for making your suffering so entertaining. 😁

I had a whale of a time reading this, and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did!

KFG ❤️

PS: If you’d like to read more of MC’s writing, you could also check out her posts on: her trip to Korea, her drama origin story, &/or her 2023 year-end review.

The Impossible Heir – a rant post

SOOOO. First and foremost, my gratitude to Fangirl for allowing me this space to rant about The Impossible Heir.

Yes, you read that right, this is a rant post. Expect lots of frustration, annoyance, sarcasm, etc.

If you loved this show, I suggest you exit right now and keep your love untainted.

Also, this is really my personal take on this show. There were things that confused me but it’s entirely possible that I missed it and the show was way smarter than I am. Maybe I was too dense to get it?

But if you dropped it halfway/ have a morbid curiousity as to what happened/ just want to hear my take – read right on!

A little bit of background as to how I even came to watch this show.

I was reading all the glowing reviews of the first 1-2 episodes and found myself intrigued. Then Fangirl dropped it at episode 5 and I thought to myself “oh yes I will stay far away from this mess.”

But… the curious cat in me bit and I ended up starting the show. “Just give it a try, right? See it for myself?”

When it went downhill, somehow I just needed to know how bad it could get (and my completest self appeared again). Anyway, I made it through and here’s what I think…

The good (to be fair, there WERE some good parts of the show)

1. The first 2 episodes

So very compelling, it was what kept me going. In retrospect, did they have multiple writers that caused the downhill trajectory for this show?

2. The OST and cinematography

I really liked the soundtrack and cinematography for this show. Moody, gritty, pretty fitting for the show that it was trying to be.

For the OST, sadly I can’t find it online (my favourite is the song that Tae Oh’s mum liked as well as the song that featured heavily in episode 12, but here’s the intro theme.

3. Lee Jae Wook and Lee Jun Young’s acting

Actually, Lee Ji-hoon was good too (what’s with all the Lees?). I have not watched Lee Jae Wook and Lee Jun Young before (travesty, I know! I need to watch Alchemy of Souls!) and was impressed.

I also liked Lee Ji-hoon since I watched him in Go Ho’s Starry Night and liked him here again too.

Funnily enough I also started watching Beyond Evil and I was amused to see Chairman Kang (Choi Jin-ho) also in Beyond Evil as Yeo Jin-goo’s father (Han Ki-hwan).

4. Choi Jin-ho’s shirts

Just look at that! I love those outfits!!!

5. Bisunjae

The hanok/ olden style house with modern furnishing is gorgeous. I couldn’t find many pictures online and I can’t take screenshots but trust me when I say that the hanok was GORGEOUS.

I would LOVE to stay in it for a holiday (without the dysfunctional family relations though…!)

The bad

1. Hong Su Zu’s acting

Yes it’s true. She’s not ready for a lead role and in many instances the other actors outclass her. Yes, sometimes it was painful and awkward to watch.

But she doesn’t deserve the hate that she’s been getting on the interwebs, especially on her social media pages and on Disney+’s social media pages.

Many of the comments were really cutting and mean. I do think she did her best. Knock it off, people! And in my attempt to not add fat to the fire, this is all I’m going to say about her and her acting.

2. The writing

This, friends, is what TRULY bugs me THE MOST about this show. IT WAS NOT WRITTEN WELL.

I can deal with bad acting, cheap production values (ahem Perfect Marriage Revenge) so long as the show is written well, with consistent characterization, logical plot progression, consistent pacing…. None of this was in this show.

I even came up with a formula for what makes a good thriller type show.

Logical and exciting plotting + believeable, understandable characters (to ground the action) + great actors to carry it off = a fantastic thriller.

Some shows have one but not the other.

Reborn Rich was a rollicking ride with weaker characterization but it was ok coz the plot was so well done it was fun.

Beyond Evil and Stranger/ Forest of Secrets are strong in plot, but underpinned by rich characterization. Some shows have great action scenes.

But for The Impossible Heir…Let’s break it down. We’ll skip the great actors, because I do think our male leads qualify as great actors. The other two parts, not really.

To give you a sense of my reactions, here’s my unfiltered write-ups on 7-8, 9-10, a short one for 11-12.

Blow by blow of 7 – 8

Ending of ep 6: Tae Oh and Hye Won kiss and it’s photographed. In Ju gets the pics and threatens Hye Won with it. Tae Oh wakes up to a murder scene

• Tae Oh confronts In Ju, they try to blackmail each other. In Ju says “I have photos of you and Hye Won kissing” “I have evidence of your embezzlement and other bad stuff” and i thought yay Tae Oh has a plan!!

• then In Ju just says “imma make Hye Won life a hell or kill her unless you kneel to me” and Tae Oh literally kneels down and becomes In Ju’s dog. omg.

• ⁠In Ju and his escort drug him, make him drink spiked drinks, Tae Oh wakes up and oh goodness they’re dead! so he gets arrested for murder and thrown into prison.

• ⁠eventually he’s convicted of murder and sentenced to death penalty

• ⁠Tae Oh thinks that In Ju’s henchman was behind his attack (correct) but he finds out that… the henchman is actually IN HA’s henchman (his name is Mo Gi Jun) and In Ha is basically the baddest baddie trying to kill off Tae Oh in prison.

• ⁠also In Ha threatens Hye Won in the bath, he tries to forcibly kiss her, she ain’t having it, they struggle in the bathroom.

• he knocks her into the bath, strangles her and says i know you two kissed and you belong to me i only got you coz i know Tae Oh was eyeing you you can never have him and you have to be mine blah blah blah

• ⁠stupidly Hye Won visits Tae Oh in jail and obviously In Ha finds out

• ⁠there’s some weird doctor (Park Jin-Gyeong) in the prison who helps Tae Oh make illegal calls out to Hye Won who helps him contact hacker friend who discovers the truth about In Ha and the henchman.

• 8 ends with Tae Oh being led out of prison cell in secret saying he has a visitor but the scene before is of the henchman, with In Ha beside him, calling a prison guard to get rid of tae oh.

• Earlier on In Ha says to a lawyer, can you ensure Tae Oh truly dies (coz the lawyer was saying like he can appeal coz he was on drugs and alcohol so diminished responsibility) so we can take it that in ha doesn’t believe the law will ensure Tae Oh’s death, he may want to ensure that himself

• In Ha finding the hacker guy that Tae Oh has been working with

Blow by blow of 9 – 10

Overall this pair of episodes 9-10 are … better than before? not that it’s great coz there’s a lot of logic gaps and FL’s acting is not any better. but i think my expectations are as low as it gets so it outperformed by that margin. lol.

or i knew how mad it would be so i was prepared? any how’s.

• last we left off, Tae Oh is being released from prison secretly and In Ha and henchmen were telling a prison guard to kill Tae Oh. also, hacker dude is discovered by In Ha.

• ⁠let’s do hacker dude first. his italian friend at the restaurant threatens him with a gun and is supposedly paid off by In Ha to do so. anyway eventually at the end hacker dude grabs the gun and injures/ shoots the italian friend. he is ordered to find Tae Oh but when he does, he doesn’t give him up and eventually helps Tae Oh.

• ⁠sooo Tae Oh is obviously not dead in fact he’s been rescued by Kangoh chairman Kang Joong Mo!!! he’s heard too much about henchman and discovered that In Ha was behind everything! so he’s pro Tae Oh!

• he releases him from prison, brings him back to level 151 and gets a doctor to check on him, ordered room service for 2, gets Tae Oh to help him plot how to deal with In Ha. apparently his level 151 office has a secret bedroom that nobody knew of.

• So Tae Oh just lives there and helps to plot against In Ha but the plotting is so funny cos he either broods alone in the secret bedroom and writes “In Ha —> Park Sa Jin” and crosses out In Ha’s name in a notebook lol. and talks to chairman Kang. doesn’t feel very powerful to me!

• ⁠speaking of Park Sa Jin maybe i wasn’t paying attention but it felt like he was a random new plot point shoved in to help In Ha take over Kangoh. anyway chairman Kang talks to Park Sa Jin and offers to take down In Ha. In Ha spends the rest of the time convincing Park Sa Jin to stay on his side.

• ⁠In Ha (and everyone – Hui Joo, Hye Won) all are looking for Tae Oh coz nobody knew where he escaped to.

• ⁠our favourite FL is soooo weird. she was choked previously remember. anyway she pretends to say yes to being fully In Ha and obviously doesn’t but she so illogically goes about openly to help Tae Oh.

• She goes to her gambler mum to help her find someone to find Tae Oh… mum calls In Ha, Hye Won gets kidnapped and forcibly admitted into mental hospital (she’s literally put in a straight jacket and strapped down).

• In Ha visits her numerous times and says threatening stuff to her. but eventually he releases her (why?!) and she’s free for the rest of the episodes to help Tae Oh.

• ⁠anyway everyone realised that Tae Oh was rescued by chairman Kang and is living in secret upstairs.

• end of episode 9, In Ha confronts chairman about Park Sa Jin, chairman is all like “you’re terminated get lost you’re no longer a Kang family member!!” and In Ha is all “what did i do to deserve it” and then conveniently chairman Kang has a true heart attack (i thought it was fake earlier?! but it’s real?)

• Anyway he staggers and falls into the bathtub and In Ha says some threatening stuff and leaves him there. he doesn’t give him his pills which have fallen to the floor but he doesn’t actively shove his head underwater. (if you have no qualms of killing people why don’t you just kill off chairman?) anyway Hui Joo discovers him and he looks dead

• ⁠episode 10 shows that he’s not dead but rushed to hospital where he remains unconscious till the end.

• back to Tae Oh. he … this is epically bad.. he remembers the escort filming everything, “that’s the evidence that will exonerate me” so he looks up the prosecutor from the past who is now in some boondocks town after being screwed over in the earlier sting.

• he gets into his car (remember he’s a wanted death row murderer going about in broad daylight) and eventually .. he convinces the prosecutor to check the evidence. the prosecutor goes into evidence, gets the phone brings it back to the car where Tae Oh has been handcuffed. “there’s no video” he says. but… Tae Oh amazingly (i’m being sarcastic) clicks onto another folder and TA DAH THE VIDEO is there. SERIOUSLY apparently in a murder case none of the police or prosecutors thought of checking the dead victims phone thoroughly.

• prosecutor takes the phone to the district attorney who uses it as evidence for re trial. and thanks to the re-trial, TAE OH IS EXONERATED ! HE IS FREE! He leaves prison and goes home and thinks about his time with In Ha. i guess i ought to feel sad but i don’t coz i don’t feel much for the characters.

• btw during the re trial the lawyer for Tae Oh gets all righteous and says lawyer “this is an opportunity for the judicial system to apologise to an innocent man…”

• judge “as a member of the judiciary i offer my apologies. defendant stand up. Tae Oh is innocent!!” ^bangs gavel^ . you can’t make this up man…

• ⁠ep 10 ends off with In Ha going to chairman’s hospital bed to take away his oxygen mask (aka kill him) but a hand stops him.. IT’S TAE OH! the two men stare at each other.

• i forgot to mention Seong Ju and mother are still trying to plot their way back to the chairmanship. they’re meeting with board members but there’s about it.

• ⁠last week Hye Won says “i want to be chairman” and this week that goes absolutely nowhere. i don’t know if they forgot that part.

• ⁠oh i totally forgot this one. suddenly in prison Tae Oh meets with milton lawyers NK hacker dude and Hye Won (can you have so many visitors acting as attorneys without your conversations being monitored)?

• anyhow. apparently Tae Oh had set up a paper company in Hong Kong called Gold H Investment (something like that) that nobody (even In Ha) knows of. he tells his soon-to-be-released cellmate (let’s call him “gangster”) about it.

• Hye Won meets gangster once he’s out and gets him to pretend that this company is his. they use that company to buy tons of Kangoh shares which makes In Ha and Seong Ju sit up.

• ⁠also the police catch henchman who confesses to the murders very quickly. prosecutor, who i thought has zero brain cells from not finding the video, has a few more cells now and doesn’t believe the henchman

• ⁠but my favourite part (one of the “best” parts) is that the video shows In Ha coming into the murder scene btw but Tae Oh tells prosecutor “let’s cut the video here, let’s not involve In Ha at this point in time” and the prosecutor… agrees like what the heck? but we’ve established there is zero logic in the prosecution and police and justice system in the show anyway so this, a prosecutor taking direction from a murderer on the loose, it’s ok

• ⁠i suppose the last 2 episodes will show their showdown on the Kangoh takeover and maybe In Ha tries to kill more people.

• also, remember Tae Oh’s monk mom and prisoner dad.. i expected him to meet prisoner dad in prison but no he doesn’t exist. all that scary in the start for nothing. Also monk mom tries to visit him in prison in the previous 2 eps and he refused to see her then she leaves crying, he has a change of heart, runs back but too late she’s gone, he cries, she cries outside. That one was pretty powerful and emotional no lie but she’s disappeared again these 2 eps

Blow by blow of 11-12

Well, this doesn’t let up.

• Chairman Kang remains in hospital throughout this episode. He didn’t die, obviously.

• In Ha and Tae Oh argue on the rooftop, each threatens each other “I’m going to take you down!” “No, I’m going to take YOU down!”

• Mo Gi Jun is caught and in prison, taking the fall for In Ha. In Ha calls him in prison. Gi Ju is all “I’m scared of dying (that seems fair enough)” and In Ha reassures him “I’ll help you man” and the next thing we know Gi Jun is being led outside where he’s stabbed and presumably left for dead. Don’t be friends with In Ha, folks!

• Gold H Investment continues. Seong Ju and In Ha try to meet up with the boss of Gold H Investment. It was supposed to be gangster meeting up with Seong Ju and In Ha but when the meeting happens, they’re all there, it’s Tae Oh! (I have no idea what was the point of trying to prep gangster, I suppose fro the dramatic shock reveal of Tae Oh as the co-boss of Gold H Investment?????)

• In Ha does his best to trip up his opponents (Tae Oh and Seong Ju). For Seong Ju, he releases some news to the police and Seong Ju’s mum gets arrested (so does Mr Moon from Bisunjae) for embezzlement, hit and run, bribery, disposal of a corpse (I’m totally confused here, what hit and run is this? What disposal of a corpse?? I read reviews online that says Kang In Ju was the one who was doing the hit and run but I have no idea what instance this was referring to.) Seong Ju is supposed to go make an emergency Kangoh announcement (of what? Him unilaterally becoming CEO?) but he rushes to the police station instead.

• Tae Oh…this one at least is better (as in more devious). In Ha gets Tae Oh’s dad released from prison and sends a pic of monk mom, Tae Oh’s dad goes to the monastery, she sees him, he threatens her and she falls backwards (she’s climbing stairs when she meets him) and she dies.

• Tae Oh finds out about her death and rushes to the hospital and cries. This was semi affecting, but it should have been SO MUCH MORE, if we had gotten more scenes of mom and son together… Anyway Seong Ju visits at Tae Oh’s mum’s funeral and offers to be allies.

• Anyway, In Ha takes over the press conference, declares himself as acting Chairman. He’s feeling all good about himself till… he goes up the lift at work one day when they’re having an emergency shareholders meeting and the lift door opens – it’s prosecutor and friends again, here to arrest In Ha for the murder of Kang In Ju and Mo Gi Jun!

• Anyway episode 12 takes a more reflective, tender sort of tone. Tae Oh receives a letter from his mom and he reads it at the columbarium which tells him to not be angry anymore, to let go of hatred and be free.

• He goes back to his first home where he meets In Ha, reminisces on his and In Ha’s friendship over the years. He also goes back to his current apartment and takes down all the plotting on the windows (apparently it signifies his intention to let go of his plans to make In Ha the heir, but it just felt like he was packing up the set to go home. Lol).

• Seung Ju gets a change of heart and a redemption arc. He visits mum in prison. She’s all “you should go out there and work hard to turn things around!” but he’s like “no mum, let’s stop here, I’m tired, never got to live for myself, only did what you wanted me to” and they hold hands and cry. Eh… I like Seung Ju but this turnaround for both of them is too abupt for me.

• Back to the meeting where In Ha was arrested before he could enter the room. Actually … nothing happens. Everyone waits around, someone finds out and shouts out a large HUH?! (or something like that) and that’s how that part ends. I have no idea what happens to Gold H’s investment afterwards.

• Remember the weird doctor in prison… she helps Tae Oh. Apparently she’s Park Sa Jin’s daughter (huh how did THAT come about) and she says oh I’ve been tormented by the Kang family and daddy says I’ll be a good dad now and promises to help her. Did I fall asleep or did I miss it totally where we see her backstory, how life was so bad that she was a druggie (Ok I remember she was a druggie in a scene in earlier episodes but I don’t know why she became a druggie).

• Anyway, Park Sa Jin meets Tae Oh and decides to switch allegiance to Tae Oh and get Kangoh Energy in return.

• Sa Jin’s daughter the druggie doctor then helps Tae Oh, as I said. She found Gi Jun bleeding out in the prison and rescues him in time. Tae Oh meets Gi Jun and convinces him to sell out In Ha.

• In Ha is in the interrogation room… he and the prosecutor exchange menacing words and prosecutor is done so he says “here’s my evidence”. Gi Jun walks into the room, In Ha is shocked. Gi Jun threatens to beat up In Ha “I thought you were my friend and you ordered my death!” blah blah blah.

• Back to the courtroom. In Ha is sentenced to life imprisonment. He is asked “do you want to say any last words” he looks at Hye Won and Tae Oh (who are in the courtroom). Dramatic lighting spotlight on him and the two of them. He says some stuff but I forgot what but its shown that he imagined conversing with them. Ultimately, he doesn’t say anything aloud to them. In prison, In Ha and Tae Oh meet one last time. They say a bunch of stuff.

• The best part of this scene is when Tae Oh asks him, “why did you do that to me?” In Ha says “I don’t know… I can’t remember the reason, why I did all this and where it all went wrong.” Bro, that’s how we feel about this show too.

• Tae Oh says “I liked that you were my friend”. “I’m glad” says In Ha and they part like this. Huh? Didn’t he try to kill you numerous times…. Now you’re all forgiving and kind?

• Anyway, In Ha is in prison. He receives a letter showing that Chairman Kang has disowned him and renamed him back to Baek In Ha which makes him laugh like a madman. He eventually commits suicide in prison. Goodbye In Ha.

• There’s a 3 year time jump.

• Hui Joo goes on a trip on her own. She becomes tentative friends with Seung Ju. She sends pictures to Tae Oh of her trip and he smiles. I suppose that’s the scraps they’re throwing to the Hui Joo-Tae Oh shippers!

• Hye Won and Tae Oh have a drink. “You didn’t change” they say to each other. “You’re still fighting for your dreams”. She ends off as a political aide or something. I honestly have no idea what she does.

• Surprise surprise, the Impossible Heir is… Tae Oh! I’m sure NOBODY figured that out (sarcasm). Chairman Kang is alive and in a wheelchair. He and Tae Oh look out at the CGI-ed Royal Road (which just looks like a tall building, but what do I know…)

• Chairman Kang essentially says “I can’t continue, you’re the best fit, you take over. You love Kangoh and will protect it. You got Kangoh out of the mess when I was unconscious. You didn’t manage to protect your love, your family, your friends, your life” but somehow he can protect Kangoh, ok…. For a man who was all about blood ties, its strange he’s giving Kangoh to Tae Oh but ok.

• So Tae Oh is now owner of level 151. Seung Ju is the CEO of the Co-Prosperity Cooperation Centre and reports to Tae Oh. Tae Oh asks are you ok that I’m the Chairman. Seung Ju says not really but I trust Daddy Kang’s judgment so if he says you’re the best I believe it. But I will be watching you and I’ll fight you for that seat if need be. Tae Oh smiles and says please watch over me. They smile at each other.

• The show ends off with him watching fireworks from level 151 and Hye Won watching it too. The show ends with him thinking that his dream has come true and “I’m still dreaming for myself.”

Whew.

Give yourself a clap if you made it through this long writeup. This show had so many strange plot holes and strange characterization. Just a few off the top of my head.

• If In Ha was such a psychopath why did he allow Tae Oh to walk away when on the rooftop? If he tries to strangle Hye Won in the bath and lock her up in a mental hospital why does he let her go about afterwards living normally? Somewhere in 9-10 she leaves her wedding ring behind and… In Ha is ok with that?

• So… can anyone tell me what was Tae Oh’s actual dream and plan? What was Hye Won’s motivation? Apart from poor acting, they show Hye Won being a smart student. Where was her abilities? She was just this pretty face that caused the split of friendship between Tae Oh and In Ha.

• What happened to “I’ll make Hye Won as Chairman” promise that they made in prison?

• What is with Park Sa Jin and his druggie doctor daughter? Why did they only get introduced halfway?

• So Chairman Kang is ok for a non family member to lead Kangoh?? Huh?

• I thought Seung Ju truly wanted Kangoh for himself and suddenly it was all for his mother and he’s unhappy? He was the one sneering at Tae Oh and the whole Kang family is all about us with the Kang blood vs everyone else being dogs….

• I could go on, but there’s just too many plotholes and characters doing out of character stuff.

Honestly this show was a lot of people:

• Dressed in sharp suits

• Looking angry

• Drinking their alcoholic drinks moodily or angrily or throwing glasses around

• Talking angrily on the phone and giving/ taking instructions via phone

• Staring moodily out of full length glass windows

• Having angry face off and threats against each other

Um that’s about it. I heard it was a 20B won production. Redditors were joking saying that it was money laundering coz the script was so poor.

I think it’s the rental of Bisunjae, the expensive clothes, the alcohol that they had to drink, the gorgeous tall full length glass office scenes with beautiful Seoul night scenery.

And the drugs and alcohol in the penthouse scene. And the phone bills, as they spent a lot of time on their phones.  And maybe the bribes they had to pay to the Korean judiciary system and the prison system, given how poorly they were portrayed.

Thanks for sticking around with me on this. This was a long post!

Onwards to better shows for 2024!

~MC