Summary
A tricky consent case gives Hyo-min and Seok-hoon plenty to do in Beyond the Bar Episode 6, and their relationship continues to evolve.
Consent is never a simple subject, and it’s the rare show that can do it justice without dipping into uncomfortable territory. Beyond the Bar gives a spirited go at it in Episode 6, using the case – a classic love story that turns rapidly sour when one half of the union (you can guess which) turns out to be a despicable playboy manipulator – to deepen the bond between Hyo-min and Seok-hoon against the backdrop of Yullim’s teething issues as Na-yeon adapts to life in charge after the last-minute revelation in the previous episode.
So far, so good, then. Hyo-min’s solo outing has given her some more confidence, but given the thematic underpinnings of the story are about women finding their own voice and speaking out for themselves, there’s some nice mirroring between plot and character arc as Hyo-min argues in favour of Eun-yeong, the former partner of a smug CEO named Jung Han-seok who scarred her physically and emotionally with antics in and out of the bedroom that very much exceeded the boundaries of sexy shenanigans.
Unfortunately for Eun-yeong, she signed a consent form for an athletic sex life, which makes proving that Han-seok’s actions were without her consent quite difficult. The most viable angle opens up the theme a great deal, since Hyo-min argues that the intensity of Eun-yeong’s feelings, exacerbated by Han-seok’s deliberately manipulative hot-and-cold behaviour, constituted a state of impairment that made true consent impossible. This seems especially valid since the sadomasochism stuff was conciliatory on Eun-yeong’s part. Han-seok, knowing she wasn’t into it, pressed for it anyway, using a variety of tactics, even after a breakup and reconciliation.
The women’s agency angle dovetails nicely with Na-yeon’s efforts to restructure Yullim from within, which are predictably met with resistance. This is understandable, both because she’s the first female to be leading the company, but also because what she’s noticing rather quickly is that the firm is hemorrhaging money on account of senior staff lining their own pockets with bonuses. It’s a guaranteed recipe for friction, but real change isn’t easy and requires a strong leader to bring it about.
Along with this, Beyond the Bar Episode 6 also finds Hyo-min and Seok-hoon’s relationship developing through the case, especially when it takes a more personal turn with Han-seok approaching Hyo-min. There are essentially two versions of this encounter, one with Hyo-min playing the game to get a better gauge of him – this is, predictably, the one Seok-hoon’s not very keen on – and another where she essentially tells him where to shove it, which is the fist-pump table-turning moment of the episode. It works on both levels.
What I’m noticing is that Beyond the Bar is pretty good at providing these even when the outcome of the case isn’t necessarily all that favourable. The outcome is essentially a payout and an NDA, which Eun-yeong has to sign, putting the matter behind her, but being unable to speak about it again. The “wins” come from the terms of the NDA being changed to more favourably represent her, Eun-yeong getting to stand up for herself properly, and the moral victory of only desiring enough money to cover her medical bills and legal expenses, even though Han-seok had offered a blank cheque. He comes out looking extremely foolish despite only being down a few quid. It’s unlikely the case will change his behaviour – even if Hyo-min knocking him back will have helped in that regard – but it’s important to understand that the story is about Eun-yeong and her ability to move on from her experiences, not necessarily about Han-seok receiving his comeuppance (Beyond the Bar is smart enough to recognise that the real world often doesn’t work like that.)
All told, this is another strong episode that ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, with Seok-hoon receiving an unexpected visitor. The case of the week format is continuing to work, both in the sense of providing interesting legal predicaments but also in how it informs the relationship of the leads, and there are ongoing subplots really beginning to develop now that knit each episode together. It might not be utterly charming the way The Winning Try is, but it’s building strong foundations for the back half of its run.
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