Summary
Private Lives episode 7 still has the series trying to be too clever — convoluting the stories to an extreme degree and not allowing the story to settle.
This recap of Netflix K-drama series Privates Lives episode 7 contains significant spoilers.
We will be recapping this weekly — check out the archive.
The opening
As Lee Jeong-hwan navigates around a hotel, he is surrounded by a team of security guards who wanted to see his VIP card. He asks Choi Yoon-seok to hack the system and lock the elevator in “exactly a minute”. Lee Jeong-hwan runs off and manages to get to an elevator and Yeon-seok tells him where to escape. When Lee Jeong-hwan meets up with Yeon-seok, he asks him who went inside the VIP section of the hotel after director Mr Kim — they learn it was Kim Jae-wook.
Episode 7 sees Lee Jeong-hwan slowly unravel a conspiracy that he was a part of but it also gives the audience context to Mr Kim and Kim Jae-wook’s relationship.
Back to 2019
Episode 7 then flashes back to 2019 with Kim Jae-wook in his residence. He texts Mr Kim who now looks concerned. The pair have a phone call — it’s been ten years since they last spoke. A brief flashback sees Mr Kim under pressure due to a large fire — he secretly tells Kim Jae-wook to take responsibility. Back in 2019, the pair meet in a church. Mr Kim asks Kim Jae-wook where President Choi’s ledger is — he gives him a copy.
While fishing with Kim Jae-wook, Mr Kim asks if they should try to make Jeong Yoon-kyung commit suicide, however, she manages to escape — Mr Kim believes someone is helping her.
Mr Kim’s order due to disobedience
8 months later, someone has entered Kim Jae-wook’s estate and he is worried. He checks his safe for President Choi’s secret ledger. The person on his estate is Lee Jeong-hwan. Kim Jae-wook rings Mr Kim — he makes him aware that Lee Jeong-hwan is marrying someone and he wants Kim Jae-wook to deal with it as he’s being disobedient. After Lee Jeong-hwan supposedly dies, Kim Jae-wook is sceptical. Kim Jae-wook asks Mr Kim if he’s accepting the police investigation over Lee Jeong-hwan. Mr Kim doesn’t want to speculate and wants to know why Kim Jae-wook gave him the secret ledger. Kim Jae-wook says he has Yoo Byung-jun in mind as the “Kingmaker”. Both men seem to be on the same page.
Does Lee Jeong-hwan have a secret connection to GK Technology?
After a lot of background to Kim Jae-wook, Cha Joo-eun enters the episode and she tells her friend Jang Min-jeong that she believes that Lee Jeong-hwan has a secret connection to GK Technology. She’s still not over him, remembering a time she ate with Lee Jeong-hwan and he showed her a certain way of eating food.
Episode 7 shows how Cha Joo-eun’s grievance and despair is powering her through — she believes by following Lee Jeong-hwan’s footsteps will bring her closer to the truth.
Taking over the company
Cha Joo-eun decides she’s going to take over Lee Jeong-hwan’s spy company but Ms Ko is sceptical. Cha Joo-eun reminds her that if she shuts the company down, Ms Ko will have no job. Ms Ko agrees but as long as she’s called “Chief Ko”. They then rearrange the office to their style.
Walking into a trap
Episode 7 then gets explosive, literally. This K-Drama really does enjoy the action-sets.
Cha Joo-eun meets up with Bok-gi for food. She tells her she is going to get to the bottom of Lee Jeong-hwan. Both women check out Kim Jae-wook’s house. Cha Joo-eun breaks in and asks Bok-gi to enter. In one of the rooms, Kim Jae-wook has planted a gas explosion as a trap and Cha Joo-eun has to quickly flee so she isn’t killed. She’s in a bad position as the house is now on fire and she’s hurt from the explosion. Bok-gi enters with a fire extinguisher to save her.
The ending
Bok-gi takes Cha Joo-eun to hospital. Kim Jae-wook asks his men to go to the hospital and bring both women to him but when they get there, Cha Joo-eun and Bok-gi are already fleeing. The men manage to catch them but then Lee Jeong-hwan turns up on his motorbike with his helmet on and distracts them — he fights them all.
Bok-gi and Cha Joo-eun reside at a hotel. Kim Jun-beom heads over as he is concerned. He gives Cha Joo-eun a remedy for a gas explosion. As the episode ends, Lee Jeong-hwan is tending to a wound from the fight. Meanwhile, Kim Jae-wook believes the “helmet guy” is Lee Jeong-hwan.
Private Lives episode 7 still has the series trying to be too clever — convoluting the stories to an extreme degree and not allowing the story to settle.
