THE SHORT VERDICT:

Big-budgeted, glossy and peppered with big-name stars, Tempest was poised to be Disney’s big kdrama hit of the year.

Unfortunately, it does feel like, whichever camp you’re in – whether you’re in this for the romance, or the politics, or the mystery-thriller aspect of things – you’d likely come away from this one feeling not completely satisfied.

Also, whichever camp you’re in, you’re also likely to agree that Show seems to have been rather too ambitious, resulting in a rather uneven watch experience.

Not terrible, overall, but still a regrettable waste of potential.

THE LONG VERDICT:

I feel like I have to preface this review with a confession:

I am in the camp of viewers that came into this show actively looking for romance. 😅

Yes, I know that could be a little controversial, since I understand there’s a pretty sizable camp of viewers who watched this show actively hoping that Show would not lean into romance between our leads.

If you’re in that camp, we’ll likely not agree on a lot, in this review – but it’s ok, we can still be friends, yes? 😁

OST PLAYLIST: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

Here’s the OST playlist, in case you’d like to listen to it while you read the review.

Overall, I do think that the soundtrack is suitably atmospheric and well-applied, to amplify the mood of each scene.

HOW I’M APPROACHING THIS REVIEW

First I’ll talk about how to manage your expectations going into this one, and what viewing lens would be most helpful.

After that, I talk about stuff I liked on a more macro level, before I give the spotlight to selected characters and relationships, in a separate section. Finally, I spend some time talking about my thoughts on the penultimate and finale episodes.

If you’re interested in my blow-by-blow reactions, &/or all the various Patreon members’ comments during the course of our watch, you might like to check out my episode notes on Patreon here.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

Here are some things that I think would be helpful to keep in mind, to maximize your enjoyment of your watch:

1. Suspension of disbelief is required

..and sometimes, in spades. 😅

Show tends to play a little fast and loose with the logic, so being ready to just close one (or both 😁) eyes and just roll with whatever Show is serving up, is helpful.

2. There is romance in this

Whether you’re pro-romance or anti, there is romance in this story, so knowing to expect it, helps.

3. The viewing lens

I would highly recommend the makjang lens, for your watch of this show.

I honestly believe that the makjang lens is the one that would give you the easiest, most enjoyable time, because that way, you wouldn’t be wrestling with the logic of it, too much – if at all. 😁

4. Buckle up for the ride

Show has a very strong rollercoaster quality about it, the deeper you get into the story, so much so that you don’t really have time to question the logic of everything too much.

A lot tends to happen, and quite quickly, so not questioning stuff too much, and just buckling in for the ride, seems to be the wise thing to do.

STUFF I LIKED

The client-bodyguard tension

Can’t lie; the main reason I decided to even start this show, is because of the client-bodyguard tension that the trailers promised.

It’s my shallow fangirl coming out, what can I say? 😁

I’d watched Blood Free (review here!) and Red Swan (review here!) for the same reason – though I would say that the intensity and crackle between Jeon Ji Hyun and Kang Dong Won trumps the pairings in both those shows. 🔥😁

I’ll talk more about the bond between Mun Ju and San Ho (Jeon Ji Hyun and Kang Dong Won) in a later section, but for now, I will say that while the chemistry between them was excellent, I would have liked the writing to have better supported the burgeoning connection between them.

This still qualified as a highlight of my watch, though.

Casting English-speaking actors who can act

If you’ve around Dramaland for a while, you’d likely have come across the thing where just about any time an English-speaking (usually Caucasian) character comes onscreen, they can’t act or speak properly, for the life of them (see Squid Game – review here, for a great example 😁).

So, it does seem worth mentioning, that this is absolutely not the case, in Tempest.

In fact, we have a cast that includes known American actors, like John Cho, who plays Anderson Miller.

I thought that was very nice.

STUFF THAT WAS OK

The politics

I have to admit that I was not truly interested in the politics of this story; after all, I’d signed up mainly for the whole client-bodyguard crackling dynamic, like I’ve mentioned.

And so, as far as I was concerned, it wasn’t terribly important to understand the intricacies of the situation at hand, other than that [BROAD SPOILER] there was a war that was imminent, and there are those who are for the war, and those who are against it. [END SPOILER]

Logic stretches

Show definitely takes some liberties with logic, as it weaves its story.

I do think that if you tried to make sense of everything in this show, that it would likely give you a headache.

Rather than fight with Show on this, I opted to just roll with it.

But yes, it would have been nice if Show could’ve maintained a coherent sense of logic – which is why I’ve put this in the neutral zone.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-3. Does it make sense that San Ho’s barely hurt, even though all he’s able to do, is lift himself towards the ceiling of that train, to get himself out of the direct impact of the blast?

No, it does not. But that’s a logic leap I’m willing to accept, because at this point, all I care about is that we get San Ho and Mun Ju into the same orbit on a regular basis, and for that to happen, we can’t have San Ho in the ICU for months on end, right? 😁

[END SPOILER]

Show being a rollercoaster

The deeper I got into my watch, the more I saw that Show is, indeed, a rollercoaster of a makjang.

Each pair of episodes seems designed to outdo the previous pair, in terms of twists and reveals, often leaving me breathless and not actually sure which way was up.

I will say, though, that I don’t think I have the stamina that Show requires.

At first, I was firmly buckled in for the ride, in the exact same anticipatory, unquestioning manner I’d have on a real rollercoaster, and I had fun, riding the crazy waves of makjang.

But by our final stretch, I found myself quite tired out from all the twists and turns, and couldn’t stop myself from mentally checking out, a bit. 🙈😅

Your mileage may absolutely vary, of course, depending on your personal appetite for rollercoaster-esque plot development.

For a front-row seat to me trying to make sense of stuff while watching this show, feel free to check out my episode notes on Patreon. 😁

Show’s use of symbols & motifs

This wasn’t super important to me (which is why it’s in the neutral zone), but I thought I should mention that Show does make use of quite a few symbols and motifs, in the telling of its story.

I personally didn’t feel that these symbols and motifs added that much to our story in terms of depth or meaning, but maybe it is very deep, and I’m just not seeing it. 😅

If you saw a lot of meaning in the symbols and motifs, feel free to share your insights, in the comments!

In this spoiler section, I’m just listing some of the key ones, off the top of my head.

[SPOILER ALERT]

1. Dreams. Our characters are often positioned as having woken from a dream (probably not literal)

2. There are regular voiceovers, where in said dream, Mun Ju says, “I was a man,” or San Ho says, “I was a woman,” which I take to be Show’s way of highlighting the idea of gender roles &/or identity.

3. Necklaces. Portrayed as gifts, and which then act as both symbols of protection and betrayal.

4. Polaris as a symbol of guidance and hope.

[END SPOILER]

STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH

The watch experience works out to be pretty uneven

Unfortunately, I think Show works out to be quite the uneven watch.

If you’re in this for the loveline between San Ho and Mun Ju, then there’s very little focus on the loveline, in the penultimate stretch.

If you’re in this for the espionage stuff, then you might find the existence of the loveline distracting and unnecessary. Also, you might feel that the espionage stuff is cheapened by the way Show leans into the personal and family stuff, in its later stretch.

It seems to me that Show tries to do too much, and in so doing, ends up not doing enough of any single thing, if that makes sense.

SPOTLIGHT ON SELECTED CHARACTERS / RELATIONSHIPS

Jeon Ji Hyun as Mun Ju

I have to admit that I’ve only really seen Jeon Ji Hyun in lighter, more comedic roles, like in 2013’s My Love from the Stars (review here!), and what little I saw of 2016’s Legend of the Blue Sea.

This was my first time seeing her in a more meaty, serious kind of role, and I really enjoyed seeing her in this kind of space.

I really liked Jeon Ji Hyun’s character Mun Ju, right away.

The way she plays it, there’s a quiet vulnerability mixed with resilience about Mun Ju that shines through, that I very much appreciated. 🥲

Here are a handful of Mun Ju-centric highlights from my watch.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-3. Mun Ju’s passionate about her work, but gives it up, in order to support her husband’s (Park Hae Joon) presidential bid, even though she doesn’t seem intrinsically invested in the presidential bid itself.

I like that Mun Ju appears to have her priorities pretty clearly sorted out, and as someone who values the emotional side of things, I really like that Mun Ju seems to value that too.

We can also see that from that snippet of that speech, where she talks about (and I paraphrase) many people in South Korea having family in North Korea, and how she hopes that, when they look back, they’ll be able to say that they did the right thing for the people of North Korea, who deserve to live decent lives, just like everyone else.

And when push comes to shove, she has the ability to choose courage, like in that moment when Jun Ik’s been shot, and the gunman’s advancing, to shoot him again; she doesn’t hesitate to shield Jun Ik with her own body, while trying to talk the gunman down.

The defining moment for me, though, is when Jun Ik’s family members all try to bully her, when they realize that Jun Ik’s left everything to her.

Instead of cowering in the face of their harsh words, or crying at the unfairness of it all, she takes it all very calmly, but makes her stand very clear; that she’s not going to tolerate this nonsense, and they are currently living in a house that belongs to her, by the way.

Ok, she’s a lot more dignified than I paraphrased her to sound, but I just love that quiet resilience about her, and this was the defining moment, where I was like, YES, I SUPPORT MUN JU. 🤩

E1-3. I gotta say, I really like that Mun Ju doesn’t follow the scripted speech or Ok Seon’s (Lee Mi Sook) advice to cry, in order to win over her audience.

I honestly LOVE that she speaks off the cuff, but manages to sound so thoughtful, wise and authentic, while doing so. What a star! 🤩

I definitely got a stab of satisfaction, to see Ok Seon actually applauding her, and pronouncing that she’s succeeded in landing her triple axel. 😁

E4-5. Kudos to Mun Ju for managing to keep her composure in front of Han Na (Won Ji An), because most people would have crumpled under the weight of such world-tilting information.

We only see her lose her grip a little bit, when she tosses the necklace that Jun Ik had given her, and then loses her step and falls – but of course, San Ho’s right there to help her up, which is exactly what he does for her, not just in this moment, but in the wake of her learning about Jun Ik’s secret family. 🥲

Not that Mun Ju is weak, to be clear.

I kinda love that she marches right up to Ok Seon to confront her, and break off their contract.

And then, when Grandmother-in-law (Jung Young Sook) steps in to add her disdainful voice to the fray, I love that Mun Ju just calls Mi Ji (Lee Sang Hee) and tells her to immediately proceed with their plan to donate her entire inheritance from Jun Ik.

This turns out to be a bluff, which tells me that Mun Ju had been sincere in her deal with Ok Seon, in promising Ok Seon her entire inheritance from Jun Ik, in exchange for her help and support in Mun Ju’s presidential bid.

E6-7. Poor Mun Ju; that look in her eyes says so much, in this moment, as she listens in on San Ho giving in and surrendering to Director Yoo (Yoo Jae Myung), while basically appearing to throw Mun Ju under the bus, in order to save his grandmother.

Horror, disbelief, betrayal, bitterness, hopelessness; it’s all there, in spades. 💔

I can understand her instinct to leave the cabin and run away as far as her legs will take her, even though she has no idea what to do or where to go; what she knows, in this moment, is that the cabin is no longer safe – and that San Ho is also no longer someone she can trust. 😭

I have to say, the way Jeon Ji Hyun plays that scene where Mun Ju just allows herself to drop to the ground and cry, while looking hopelessly up at the stars, is just so real and so raw.

Really good. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Kang Dong Won as San Ho

I have to confess that this is the first time I’m properly watching Kang Dong Won in something, because this is only his 4th drama in his very prolific career, and I haven’t happened to watch any of the movies in which he’s starred.

I did sample a bit of 2003’s “Something About 1%” where he plays the male lead, but the show wasn’t very good, and I was also hugely distracted the very big eye bags that he sported, during the show. 😅

Which means that yes, this is my first proper introduction to Kang Dong Won, as overdue as it is 🙈 – and I love him, in this. 🤩

I feel that he’s perfectly cast as San Ho.

He makes San Ho appear so stoic and badass, while looking earthy and gritty; I found it easy to believe that San Ho had been through some really rough times, in his life.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-3. I love how mysterious and gritty San Ho is, as a character, and I feel like Kang Dong Won blends seamlessly into character, being all stoic and a man of few words, but with a gaze that hints at hidden depths.

I also am very impressed at how well he’s doing in the action scenes. I have no idea if any body double was used, but from what I can tell, Kang Dong Won’s doing a good amount of the action himself, and I love how lightning fast and slippery smooth his movements are.

That really does add to my confidence in San Ho as being capable of protecting Mun Ju, y’know? 🤩

San Ho’s a very mysterious character, and even though Show does tell us some stuff about him, I still come away feeling like I don’t really know anything about him at all.

We do see that he’d noticed Mun Ju from long ago, since he’d first seen her make that speech in her capacity as UN Ambassador, so.. could he have perhaps stationed himself there, knowing that she would be there..?

But that doesn’t quite seem to be the case either, because, when he’s first offered the Valkyrie job, of protecting her while also spying on her, he declines, saying that he doesn’t see the need to get involved.

At the same time, I can’t help but get the sense that he’s drawn to her, from the observations that he makes about her, after observing her as groundwork to decide whether or not he’d take the job; that she hides her emotions well, but also, tends to get a little careless.

The fact that he sees through her measured, efficient, busy facade, and sees her vulnerability, somehow makes me reach for the idea that he’s drawn to her – but I could be just overreaching, at this point.

But then, there’s the thing where he takes the trouble to return that necklace to her, all fixed and cleaned up, which he absolutely didn’t have to do; that’s the kind of detail that makes me think that there’s a personal dimension of interest, on his part.

There’s also the possibility that San Ho’s at the church because he’s aware of the secret goings-on that Jun Ik has gotten involved in, and that Father Yang’s also been drawn into.

E1-3. I do believe San Ho when he says that he has a personal interest in stopping the war.

After all, we’ve seen that his grandmother is in North Korea, and once Father Yang realized that things were about to get very dangerous, he’d urged San Ho to return to North Korea, in order to protect his grandmother.

However, as we’ve seen, that does not go as San Ho had hoped, because security on the China-North Korea border has been tightened such that it’s now impossible for San Ho to sneak into North Korea.

..Which is why his only other option, in terms of protecting his grandmother, is to stop the war from happening altogether.

..Which is why he decides that protecting and helping Mun Ju is the way forward.

E4-5. I kinda love that San Ho checks out with such glowing credentials, with his Valkyrie reference even stating that if he had to choose one of their own to protect his own mother, he’d choose San Ho, without question.

I can’t help it; I just like it when San Ho’s competence and badassery is proven &/or acknowledged. 😁

And we get up-close-and-personal proof soon enough, as San Ho assumes his new roles as Mun Ju’s personal bodyguard.

I have to say, even though I’ve only seen a couple of other bodyguard-centric shows (like Blood Free and Red Swan), I feel like San Ho’s on a whole other level, in terms of how detailed he is, and how much foresight he has, when anticipating potential danger.

Just look at the way he directs the set-up of Mun Ju’s new residence, where he’s insistent that he sleep in the room directly adjacent to Mun Ju’s room, so that he can get to her quickly in the event of any danger.

And then there’s the way he insists on opening every door first, and on checking her room every day, for potential bugs, hidden cameras or other nasties.

He even states that he’d prefer her not to put photographs next to her bed, because those would make easy targets for bugs or hidden cameras.

On first watch, I’d 100% believed that this was a purely professional statement, but on revisiting the scene for these notes, and realizing that San Ho’s grown feelings for Mun Ju somewhere along the way, I can’t help but think that there’s at least a little bit in there, of him not wanting Mun Ju to pine over her late husband.

Am I over-reading into this? 😅

Plus, there’s how he insists on preparing all her food, using only ingredients from a monastery that he trusts, because he recognizes that her food could be messed with, otherwise.

While watching San Ho set all these things in place, I couldn’t help but marvel at his thoroughness and professionalism, because many of these details hadn’t even occurred to me – and I’m pretty darn sure that the bodyguards in “Blood Free” and “Red Swan” didn’t cook for their charges in order to ensure food safety.

To my eyes, there’s something very cozy about him carefully preparing food for her, and serving it to her.

Admittedly, my fangirl heart also imploded a bit, at San Ho displaying such a different competency, where he’s not fighting off attackers, and looking effortlessly capable anyway. 🤩

It also appears that San Ho’s got the new residence bugged, because he’s able to hear everything that Ok Seon and Chang Hee are talking about, even though Ok Seon clearly doesn’t mean any of it to reach San Ho’s ears.

..Which means that San Ho’s doing his capable bodyguard thing, getting this intel, while doing his capable chef thing, and I’m drowning – just a little bit – in fangirl appreciation. 🫠😁

Clearly, Mun Ju and her team aren’t accustomed to San Ho’s level of attention to detail, which is why we see them chafing at some of San Ho’s standards, like not opening the windows, or that beat when Mun Ju looks so perplexed, when San Ho tells her not to roll down her window in order to wave at that kid in the next car.

But, perhaps because I’m fully expecting Mun Ju to encounter a great deal of danger, I found myself fully on San Ho’s side, and therefore, feeling rather bad for him, that Mun Ju seemed to misunderstand him so, when he’s only doing his best to keep her safe.

That all changes, though, when they encounter that massive tanker truck explosion, and it’s San Ho’s early vigilance and quick reflexes that prevents their entire car from blowing up, along with the truck.

I do love how calm and surefooted San Ho comes across, even in the thick of a literally explosive situation like this.

[END SPOILER]

Mun Ju and San Ho

As you would likely know by now, this client-bodyguard tension and connection was the whole reason I signed up for this show.

I do very much love the chemistry between Kang Dong Won and Jeon Ji Hyun; it’s very crackly and sparky, and there’s a sense of depth about it too, which I credit more to actor delivery than the writing.

[VAGUE BROAD SPOILERS]

Objectively, I do think that Show ramps up the connection between Mun Ju and San Ho rather too quickly, and then makes it deep, without sufficient narrative support to make it feel organic and believable.

However, I rationalize that constantly facing danger together can work to accelerate and intensify the connection between two people, and I tell myself that that’s exactly what happens here.

Regardless, I enjoyed the crackly OTP moments that Show served up, and here’s a collection, in this next spoiler section.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-3. I appreciate that Show creates opportunities for Mun Ju and San Ho to be in the same space, even before this partnership happens, at the end of episode 3.

First, there’s the assassination at the church, and then there’s the occasion when she tries to talk to him but is being followed, and then again when they meet at the church, the night Father Yang is murdered.

Each time, San Ho helps, protects &/or saves Mun Ju, and these steadily increases her trust in him, despite the fact that she basically knows hardly anything about him.

And of course, there’s the whole situation with the bomb in the train, which he risks his life to save her from.

Which, might I just say, is quite possibly the sexiest scene we get these episodes, with so much hyper-promixity and hyper-awareness simmering amidst all that danger. 🔥

Also, San Ho’s absolute stillness and calm while under pressure, is quite possibly the sexiest thing about him. 🔥🫠

Well, that, and his single-mindedness, when it comes to protecting and saving Mun Ju. That’s pretty darn hot too. 🫠🫠

Of course, there’s also the thing where he doesn’t blame her at all, even though he’d told her, over the phone, to specifically NOT sit down in that train; all he does is focus on getting her out of danger, and I’m just flailing over here, at the kind of steadfast, calm and safe presence he exudes. 🥰

E1-3. I’m glad that Mun Ju seeks out San Ho at the church, to ask him if he’s ok as well as thank him for saving her.

I honestly kinda love that San Ho comes right out and tells Mun Ju to hire him as her bodyguard, even though, in the earlier scene where San Ho had first been offered the assignment from Valkyrie, he’d been told that Mun Ju had to hire him thinking it was her idea.

I also love how confident he is about it all, telling Mun Ju that she can do a background check on him, and have him followed, if she wishes.

There’s just something about the way he agrees that she’s the boss – unless it’s an emergency, in which case, he’s the boss, that I find utterly charming.

Such languid, matter-of-fact, quiet confidence! 🫠

I cannot wait to see how their dynamic continues to evolve, as he officially becomes her bodyguard, while danger continues to mount, and I am officially looking forward to more episodes of this. 🤩

E4-5. I very much love that throughout every stage of their getaway, San Ho’s constantly giving Mun Ju what I’d call reassuring skinship.

From holding her around the shoulders, to holding her hand, he’s always keeping her as close to himself as possible, while getting her to safety, and there’s just something very reassuring to me, about that. 🥲

Based on how San Ho angrily calls off the deal with Valkyrie, it’s clear to see that this isn’t just a job, to San Ho, and that he really has Mun Ju’s safety as a priority.

This definitely signals that it’s not just business for San Ho anymore, and as a fangirl who’s on board with the idea of a crackly connection between Mun Ju and San Ho, this does give me a bit of a thrill.

Later, when Mun Ju wakes up from those disturbing dreams, and San Ho opens the door to check on her, the subs say that he asks her what’s wrong and why she’s up, but in the original Korean dialogue, he actually approaches, asking her if she’d had a bad dream – which she’d absolutely had.

I felt like I had to point that out, because this beat is another indication of how tuned in San Ho is, to Mun Ju. 🥲

Another indication of how much he understands her, is that when he sees that she’s troubled, he asks if she’d like to go running.

She’d never told him that she’d loved running, I’m sure.

I do believe, though, that as he’d observed her at the very beginning, when he’d first been offered the job by Valkyrie, to spy on her while acting as her bodyguard, he’d taken note of her habit of running.

Not only that, I think that he’d seen for himself, how running had been therapeutic for her, given that she’d shed a few tears during her run, when she usually kept such an unruffled, impassive sort of composure.

Which is why he knows to suggest running to her, at a time like this, when she’s feeling suffocated and troubled.

I really did enjoy watching them run together, and seeing that San Ho has no difficulty letting her take the lead, and keeping pace with her, while still being her security anchor.

I also appreciated that it’s after running together, that their bond seems to have deepened.

It’s while taking a breather on the riverbank, that Mun Ju asks about the house, and San Ho admits that Catacomb had provided it, and it’s also here, that Mun Ju verifies that San Ho if someone had actually shot at her, he would have taken that bullet for her.

I have to admit that on first viewing, I’d thought it was a sweet gesture, that Mun Ju returns the patron saint necklace to him, saying that she doesn’t need it, because he’ll be the one watching over her.

On revisiting the episode for these notes, however, it really does look like Mun Ju had bugged the necklace, which is why she’s able to listen in on his prayers, later that night.

E4-5. I really like San Ho’s approach to supporting Mun Jun in this very trying time, when she’s trying to process the fact that Jun Ik had had a whole other family.

He doesn’t offer any of those “I’m so sorry” kind of spiels that I think most regular folks would likely reach for, nor does he suggest anything specific for her to do, to take her mind off things.

Instead, he lets her take the lead, and then supports her in whatever she wants to do.

When she says she wants to go somewhere where there isn’t anyone else, he brings her to that quiet spot near the water.

And when she says she wants to shoot a gun, he quietly teaches her.

One thing that I noticed, through all of this, is that the words that San Ho speaks, aside from actually teaching her to do what she wants to do, are words that are affirming, and that point towards a future.

Like the way he tells her that she’s off to a great start, after she fires her first few shots.

There’s also the way he wordlessly supports her, like the way he puts his hand on her shoulder to help gird her for the recoil, after setting her up for success, by adjusting her stance and her aim.

All of these might appear to be smallish things, but to my eyes, they speak very deeply, about his general attitude and approach towards her, and I really like what I see. 🥲

I also can’t help but notice that after this point, the way they address each other goes from the more professional terms of address, to the much more personal “San Ho-sshi” and “Mun Ju-sshi.”

I don’t think it’s as apparent in the subs, but I do love how this one detail reflects such a fundamental shift in the way they relate to each other. 🥲

It kind of adds a whole new layer of meaning, to the things that San Ho does for Mun Ju, like the way he massages her hand, because it’s hurting after her shooting practice; that now feels a lot more personal than before, I think.

E4-5. It literally feels like things start falling apart at the seams, even as Mun Ju desperately urges her audience to spread the word, to help prevent war.

Of course, I love that San Ho’s right there, and swings into action right on time, to whisk Mun Ju to safety.

I couldn’t help but notice that he shields Mun Ju with his own body, as they make their getaway on that speed boat, which brings me back to Mun Ju’s earlier query, about him taking a bullet for her.

In this moment, I absolutely believe that he’s ready to take that bullet for her, if it came down to it.

And how telling, that when Mun Ju’s arm gets grazed by a bullet, and she assures him that she’s ok, he’s the one who tells her, with his voice a little shaky, that he’s not ok.

This is a big shift from the time he’d saved her from the train bomb, isn’t it, where he’d informed her that the more pressing the situation, the more calm he is.

He’s very much affected by her now, and it shows.

Part of me is gratified by that (coz I am rooting for this loveline after all), while the rest of me is concerned, because we can’t have San Ho operating at less than his best, right? 🥹

As the rest of the world goes into a frenzy, that safe cabin that San Ho brings Mun Ju to, feels like such a bubble of quiet calm.

It’s here that we get more significant OTP moments, with San Ho cooking for Mun Ju, and even washing her hair for her, in that gentle, studied sort of manner that makes me feel like Mun Ju is all that he sees. 🫠

I have to confess that I was quite mesmerized, when San Ho says that if a nuclear bomb were coming, he’d want to be with the person he loves – and when Mun Ju asks if he’s unable to be with his family in North Korea because of her, he clarified that he just wants to be right there (with her).

Ahhhhh. My fangirl brain basically imploded right here, at the realization that he’s basically confessing his feelings for her, right in this moment. 🫠🫠🫠

I do love that he lets her set the boundaries, with how he asks her if he shouldn’t be saying things like this.

It’s only when she indicates an openness to him, in when she says that she’d never wanted to be happy again, that he slowly leans in to kiss her.

And again, he backs away after that first kiss, to let Mun Ju set the boundaries, and she again indicates her openness to him, by laying her head on his shoulder. 🥲

BUT THEN. The strains of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” start playing on the radio, signaling evacuation of US citizens from Korea, and thus, impending war, and it feels like such a heavy blanket of unknown horror, coming over them.

It’s so affecting, to hear San Ho ask Mun Ju, as he holds her face in his hands, to just think of this as an ordinary day, one last time, and to then see Mun Ju lean in to kiss him, with so much sadness in her eyes.

Augh. This mix of sadness, despair, solidarity and longing, expressed in their kisses, is just so very affecting.

It makes my heart go out, so much, to these two souls; I dearly hope that this won’t be the last pocket of happiness that they have, in our remaining episodes. 🥹

E6-7. We get a legit bed scene between Mun Ju and San Ho at the top of episode 6, and I can believe that in a situation like this, where a lot of death seems to be inevitably looming on the horizon, people could tend to reach for something life-affirming, and sexytimes are, indeed, life-affirming.

That same mix of sadness, despair, solidarity and longing, expressed so eloquently in their kisses, carries through to the entire scene, and I do feel that we can see how desperate they are, to cling to hope, in a this time of trouble.

I also appreciate that through this scene, we get glimpses into Mun Ju’s and San Ho’s thoughts.

How she’s putting aside her usual reservations and questions to trust him, and how he truly is invested in her safety, because he genuinely cares for her. 🥲

Given that it seriously looks like there’s an unavoidable war impending, and that she’s done everything in her limited power to stop it, to no avail, I can believe that Mun Ju would be serious in agreeing to San Ho’s expressed desire to run away with her.

Although a lot of stuff happens these episodes that result in Mun Ju not running away with San Ho, I still am of the opinion that she’d been serious and sincere, when she tells him in this moment, that she would like to run away with him.

E6-7. We go from such a high to such a low, as Mun Ju goes from trusting San Ho implicitly and surrendering herself to him, to now (very understandably) regarding him with a gaze that is filled with a mix of betrayal, sadness and suspicion.

Given what she’d heard, when San Ho had been threatened with his grandmother’s safety, and had essentially looked and sounded like he was choosing to save his grandmother while throwing Mun Ju to the dogs, I honestly can’t blame Mun Ju for not trusting him, when he shows up in front of her, at the port.

It’s understandable yet still sad, to see her pointing that gun at him, while quoting what he’d taught her, about how the one that shoots is the one who gets to go home.

The silver lining her, I guess, is that she doesn’t get rid of the phone that he slips into her pocket. I think this indicates that there’s a part of her that still wants to trust him.

E6-7. It’s very dramatic, the way San Ho breaks that window and jumps out of it, cradling Mun Ju, and turning around, so that he’d hit the water first, thus breaking the impact for her.

In that moment, it seems like all the questions that have been haunting Mun Ju all this time fall away the way we see that net fall off her foot, as San Ho finds her and embraces her, before bringing her to the water’s surface.

This definitely feels heavy with symbolism, like she’s cutting loose all of her cares and concerns, and only holding onto San Ho. 🥲

I have no idea what our finale holds in store for us, but in this moment, my fangirl heart is pleased to see that Mun Ju and San Ho are finally on the same page again, as they embrace in the water.

[END SPOILER]

Lee Mi Sook as Ok Seon

I thought that Lee Mi Sook being cast to play Ok Seon was pretty perfect.

[SPOILER ALERT]

In the first half of our story, I just felt that the role suits her to a T, because Lee Mi Sook’s just excellent at playing coolly snooty chaebol royalty.

I thought Ok Seon’s cold logic almost always had a sense about it, and I weirdly find that cold logic about her quite appealing, despite her cutting, dismissive sort of manner.

Like, she doesn’t get caught up in hysterics like Jun Ik’s grandmother, for example.

From pretty early on in my watch, I decided that kinda admired her, because when she sets her mind to something, she’s mostly pretty darn effective.

Like when Mun Ju approaches her to make a deal with her – that she’ll give Ok Seon all of the assets she’s inherited from Jun Ik, if Ok Seon will help hetr launch her presidential campaign – my jaw did drop quite a bit, from the elaborate groundwork that Ok Seon does, to ensure that Mun Ju will be received as a political darling.

Later in our story, when Ok Seon emerges as the real Stella Young, and our entire story world shifts into high makjang gear, I thought that Lee Mi Sook played Ok Seon’s brand of madness very well.

[END SPOILER]

Special shout-out:

Lee Sang Hee as Mi Ji

I just wanted to give Mun Ju’s assistant, Mi Ji, a quick shout-out.

I really like Lee Sang Hee, whom I find so appealing in her own slightly quirky way.

Additionally, I also love how Mi Ji’s utterly loyal to Mun Ju, and basically fearless. 🤩

Yes, she can be a bit reckless, which makes me glad that she’s got some plot armor protecting her.

But I just love how gung ho she is, about doing stuff to help Mun Ju out, and I adore how passionate and enthusiastic she is, about hyping up Mun Ju, because of how much she believes in Mun Ju.

She’s the perfect wingwoman, and I’m glad that Mun Ju has someone like Mi Ji on her side.

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

E8-9. To be brutally honest with you guys, my interest in this show had already faded somewhat, by the time I started watching these finale episodes. 😅

And so, while Show serves up a rollercoaster of a finale, chock-a-block with plot developments, it was all a little.. mind-numbing, for me? (If you loved the finale, I’m sorry! 🙈😅)

I very much think that this is the kind of finale where your mileage may vary, depending on where your interest lies with this story, and what kind of expectations you have.

I believe folks expecting a high-octane espionage story might feel disappointed at the very kdrama-esque way that our finale is handled, because, well, everything boils down to ideas and themes that are very favored in kdrama, and also, many key beats that are  served up are very heavily kdrama flavored.

Like the fact that Ok Seon’s thirst for power and her desire to bomb the US, stems from her disadvantaged childhood, for example.

Or the fact that San Ho and Mun Ju have the inclination for passionate kisses, right in the midst of a life-or-death situation, where they’re actively trying to avoid getting killed, while trying to prevent a war. 😅

When I look back on the finale I just watched, I feel like Show was busily trying to tie up the various threads to make things make sense, and I was just watching the explanation unfold in its convoluted way, waiting for the “punchline,” in a manner of speaking. 😅

And it does work, in a makjang sort of way, down to Ok Seon giving permission to her security team to kill Jun Sang, her very own son, if they need to, and the way she offs herself so dramatically, in order to start the chain of events which she believes will result in the submarine shooting nuclear missiles at the US.

I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the right mood, or if I’d run low on goodwill with this show, but I found that I couldn’t quite appreciate what should have been the juicy makjang-ness of all our goings-on, including the highlights that I’ve just described.

I just.. didn’t find it very juicy..? 😅

One thing that I did find myself invested in, is whether San Ho survives.

Before I get into that, I also wanted to say that Show is clearly very into full-circle moments, because not only do we get San Ho once again in a position to save Mun Ju from a ticking bomb, Show also makes sure that we get one last serve of the “I had a dream” voiceovers that it’s been sprinkling through its story (and which I don’t find myself jiving with, unfortunately 😅).

I think it all lands as a little heavy-handed, particularly with the way Show makes sure to echo various beats, by intersplicing the present scene with flashbacks, like that moment when Mun Ju turns to look back up at San Ho, which echoes the way she’d once turned to look up in his direction, in the church, before Jun Ik’s assassination.

I will say, though, that I do feel that Jeon Ji Hyun and Kang Dong Won sell the emotion of the moment well, so much so that I found myself actually rather invested, and wanting San Ho to survive this crisis.

Which brings me to the key thing that’s lingered with me, after completing my watch: the question of whether San Ho is alive.

Show purposely leaves it ambiguous and open-ended, with various bits of information supporting both the idea that he dies in the explosion, and the idea that he survived it.

We’re told that there is a massive amount of explosives in the bomb, enough to put the entire ship at risk, and San Ho’s right there, with the explosives, and his body weight on the floor of that compartment, is required to keep the bomb from going off prematurely.

That pretty much makes him a goner, yes?

However, we do get that shot of the open door of the compartment, just before the bomb goes off, which indicates that San Ho could well have made it off the ship before the explosion occurs.

Plus, we are told that San Ho’s body was never found – another indication that he very likely managed to escape.

We also get that quick beat at the end, during Mun Ju’s voiceover, where we see San Ho in what appears to be a desert, and he buries Mun Ju’s cross necklace in the sand.

This is a very ambiguous scene, because one interpretation could be that this is all in Mun Ju’s heart of hearts, where she says that he will live on forever.

At the same time, this could also possibly be taken literally; that San Ho is somehow alive, and the more I think about it, the more I prefer this version of events.

I think there are a lot of possible interpretations for what it means, that San Ho buries Mun Ju’s necklace in the sand.

Personally, I’d like to think of this as him burying the past, because, to my eyes, this necklace marks the start of when everything had seemed to go wrong, in Mun Ju’s life, from Jun Ik getting assassinated, to herself becoming a target.

I’d like to think of this as him helping her to symbolically gain closure, by burying the necklace, and all the chains that had come with it, in the Gobi Desert, where he’d once promised to take her, where they would start over, and live free.

And as for whether or not San Ho and Mun Ju will be reunited? Well, I’d like to think that somehow, someday, love will find a way. 🥲

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Ambitious but works out to be uneven. Doesn’t live up to its potential, unfortunately.

FINAL GRADE: B

TRAILER:

MV:

PATREON UPDATE!

The next drama I’m covering on Patreon, in place of  Tempest is Typhoon Family [Korea].

You can check out my episode 1-2 notes on Typhoon Family on Patreon here.

Here’s an overview of what I’m covering on Patreon right now (Tier benefits are cumulative)!

Foundation Tier (US$1): Entertainment Drop (Sundays) + the first set notes of all shows covered on Patreon (that’s 2 episodes for kdramas and 4 episodes for cdramas)

Early Access (US$5): +Shin’s Project [Korea]

Early Access Plus (US$10): +Legend of the Female General [China]

VIP (US$15): +Would You Marry Me? [Korea]