Summary
A Virtuous Business introduces a valuable dramatic wrinkle in Episode 9 that threatens the group dynamics.
Well, things are getting pretty dramatic in A Virtuous Business, aren’t they? Episode 9 is solid everywhere; it imperils the core group dynamic and adds a tinge of serious drama that one could argue has been lacking until now. It feels like the kind of episode that can only exist on a solid foundation that the Netflix K-Drama has spent several weeks building.
Jeong-suk and Da-hyun’s relationship is still a focal point, but the fallout from a hit-and-run that leaves Geum-hui’s husband in bad shape and Jong-seon and Yeong-bok crippled by guilt provides a darker tinge that, crucially, doesn’t feel pulled from out of nowhere for the sake of it. This is the proper final third business, and it’s welcome, after all the good work the show has done to get us here.
There’s still some levity though, especially in Jeong-suk and Da-hyun. Their fumbling relationship gets some of the romance sucked out of it when Da-hyun frantically refers to Jeong-suk as his “forever friend”, which is never a good idea, and it leads to some palpable tension. Neither character is necessarily sure of their feelings or what they mean, let alone whether they’re in the headspace to pursue them.
This builds into a theme park date that isn’t free from challenges – Da-hyun’s car breaks down before! – but ultimately ends up a success. I mean, everyone likes theme parks, right? But I admire the effort. Da-hyun dressing in a suit instead of casual attire, being desperate to make the date when his car gives him jip, it’s all good stuff. Sometimes the spontaneous stuff is the most meaningful, and the most memorable. Where would we be if everything ran smoothly?
But it’s very much the car accident that dominates A Virtuous Business Episode 9. Jong-seon and Du-seok end up hitting someone while fleeing the scene of the jewelry store robbery, and it turns out to be Geum-hui’s husband, Won-bong. Naturally, Jong-seon and Du-seok flee the scene, but this subplot quickly comes to involve everyone, including Da-hyun, who’s investigating the case. Won-bong isn’t too badly hurt, but that’s not really the point.
And Jong-seon knows this. He struggles mightily with his guilt, especially when Yeong-bok wants him to come help out at the hospital. Naturally, she senses something amiss, and he eventually confesses, which lands her right in the midst of the drama. It’s a sticky moral predicament since while coming clean is obviously the right thing to do, there will be serious repercussions for it, and since Won-bong is mostly fine…
I like this dilemma. It’s relatable. You can see both sides of the argument and even though you know what the ideal position is, life is rarely ever ideal, and one of the emergent themes of A Virtuous Business has been adapting to those kinds of less-than-ideal circumstances. It becomes a habit, after a while, almost a survival mechanism.
This is certainly the most compelling dramatic angle the show has come up with thus far. It doesn’t last long, though one expects its fallout will be felt through the remaining episodes. Yeong-bok can’t carry on as normal and is muted when the group discusses how meaningful their friendship is and how far it has come. She knows she’s hiding something that threatens to break them all apart, and, well, it does.
How long this fracture will last is anyone’s guess, but with Geum-hui declaring that none of the women should ever see each other again, it’s clearly going to be an issue. There’s a chance that it might be resolved in the very next episode, but we’ll have to see about that. Either way, A Virtuous Business Episode 9 introduces an intriguing dramatic wrinkle when the show was starting to need one, which definitely deserves some credit.
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