Summary
Episode 1 is a calm, simple opener which allows the audience to become familiar with the characters. There’s nothing special about the series yet, but it does have potential.
This recap of k-drama Netflix series Run On episode 1 contains significant spoilers.
We will be recapping this series weekly — check out the archive.
The opening
Another month, another new k-drama series on Netflix and of course, the first episode is all about bedding in the characters.
To start with, Oh Mi-joo makes her way to work hurriedly; she’s heading to a film festival. Director Yook Ji-woo is taking many interviews, and she’s clearly popular. Oh Mi-joo is excited to be in her presence — she’s a super fan. Ji-woo’s son Ki Seon-gyeom doesn’t look as happy to be there. I’m sure the series will flesh this out in the coming chapters.
Creating English subtitles
Ki Seon-gyeom and his friends watch a film together at the film festival. Noticeably, Oh Mi-joo is on the credits as the translator; she translates Korean movies to English. Director Han, her ex, speaks to her after and there’s obvious bad tension between them.
Frustrated Oh Mi-joo stands her ground
At dinner, Professor Hwang catches up with Oh Mi-joo. He believes she’s still with Director Han, who is clearly successful, which irks her. Later in the night, the professor wants to continue drinking, but Oh Mi-joo is not in the mood. The professor throws a drink over Oh Mi-joo on purpose and tells her that just because she’s pretty, doesn’t mean she’s a good translator. This scene escalates rather quickly!
Oh Mi-joo asks him what her face has got to do with translations and accuses him of being sexist. The professor claims that when Oh Mi-joo said “you can’t get up”, he thought she meant that he had erectile dysfunction. What she really meant is that he couldn’t “get up” physically from his chair due to being too drunk. To make matters worse, his wig falls off. Oh Mi-joo has embarrassed him. But to be fair, after all the sexism, he deserves it.
Crossing paths
On the way home, Oh Mi-joo accidentally bumps into Ki Seon-gyeom. Director Han tries to grab Oh Mi-joo to return to the bar. Ki Seon-gyeom points Oh Mi-joo’s fake gun at Han to stop him from being erratic. This is the first time Oh Mi-joo and Ki Seon-gyeom have acknowledged each other.
She’s lost a role
The next day, Oh Mi-joo has been replaced by Professor Hwang from translations for Director Han — a typical storyline of sexism in the workplace going against a woman. She tries to visit him in his hotel room, but he isn’t answering. She’s lost a good role. When she tries to make amends with Hwang, he asks her to time travel, so she no longer embarrasses him. Of course, that’s impossible.
Bullied and beaten
On the track and field team, Ki Seon-gyeom is working hard to bring down his seconds. It’s a harsh team with the athletes getting berated for the slightest of flaws and reduction of physical attributes. In the gym, Kim Woo-sik has a bruise on his face, but he puts it down to something else. Ki Seon-gyeom tells Woo-sik that Yeong-il only cares about himself — he lifts Woo-sik’s shirt to reveal loads of bruises. He’s been beaten and bullied by Park Gyu-deok and Kim Gi-beom. Ki Seon-gyeom tells him to take photos of his injuries and go to a doctor.
A new opportunity
Oh Mi-joo and May visit Professor Hwang. They are trying to make up to him so Oh Mi-joo doesn’t lose a good opportunity. Oh Mi-joo apologises and asks if she can translate the remainder of the interview with Director Han. Hwang gives Oh Mi-joo a role to interpret a national athlete. We can all see where this is going in Run On episode 1.
Crossing paths, again
Oh Mi-joo likes gaming and meets another gamer face to face to buy a replica fake gun off him. He ends up mugging her, so she chases after him through the park. She ends up running by Ki Seon-gyeom, who is transfixed by her. He ends up stopping the mugger for Oh Mi-joo. He doesn’t want the police involved due to his high profile reputation. However, the police show up and believe the gun Oh Mi-joo is holding is real. Both characters end up at the police station to make a statement. Afterwards, Oh Mi-joo wants to thank Ki Seon-gyeom by going for something to eat — she assures him that she isn’t making a move and that she feels bad. The conversation turns awkward, and that meal never happens.
The new opportunity gets off to a sour start
When she gets home, Oh Mi-joo receives an important call. As she heads into the city, she sees visual posters of Ki Seon-gyeom, and concludes that he cannot be single. She heads to an office for a meeting where she will be discussing translation for the off-season training. A woman named Dan-ah calls her assemblyman Ki’s “special interpreter”. She seems jealous of her but asks Oh Mi-joo if she’s rich; she then reveals she owns the athlete she’s interpreting for.
The ending
Oh Mi-joo tells Dan-ah to take her frustrations out on Assembly Ki and begs not to fire her — she assures her that she will be the best temporary interpreter. Dan-ah asks her to kneel for it jokingly before telling her she can interpret for the athlete. And then it’s revealed that the athlete she’s working for is…drum roll, please…Ki Seon-gyeom.
Dan-ah reveals to Oh Mi-joo that Ki Seon-gyeom is a national track and field athlete. There’s a strange tension between them after recent events.
Run On episode 1 is a calm, simple opener which allows the audience to become familiar with the characters. There’s nothing special about the series yet, but it does have potential.
Additional points
- Dan-ah and her half brother have some serious issues to sort out.
- Dan-ah wants to rearrange a meeting with Ki Seon-gyeom.
