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[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Woman with a Suitcase" Episode 9

Episode 10 of "Woman with a Suitcase" has been pre-empted because of baseball season so we only get episode 9 this week. However, it's a powerful episode where we see Geum-joo grasping at a second chance in life. The case that landed her in jail and reset her life to be more difficult resurfaces and gives her chances she never thought she'd see again.

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The first chance she takes is trying to mend the relationship with her sister. Geum-joo offers a peace offering and is coldly, but predictably rejected. Hye-joo is obviously on a long, dark path and will most probably work her way towards redemption somehow. Until then, her soul has, like she feared, been swallowed by Oh Sung, and she is a cruel pawn who spits poison at her older sister and attempts to win over Bok-geo with futile feminine wiles.

The second chance at redemption Geum-joo takes is getting involved in Min-ah's case, the case that landed her in jail and almost killed the homeless girl who is now in Bok-geo's care. Working on the case and moving in with Bok-geo to care for Min-ah allows Geum-joo to see Bok-geo in a different light and vice versa. The cohabitation hijinks are supposed to be moving, but I find them to be dull. Bok-geo has been nurturing some serious feelings for Geum-joo and expressing them in the most immature manner possible and he shows a softer side around the fragile Min-ah, but it isn't enough to establish a romance that is shaky to begin with. Bok-geo's rivalry with Seok-woo is the same, completely underwhelming. Sadly, Seok-woo's one-sided love is also starting to lose its luster. Perhaps it's because he doesn't have the amazing scenes with Geum-joo anymore that crackled with energy.

Oh Sung's big mystery, the secret it was hiding that cause Bok-geo to drop out of the legal profession and Geum-joo to serve jail time has made its way to light. It's just more Oh Sung coverup with Scarface threatening young teenagers to get what Oh Sung wants. I suppose it would be much more moving if the show had made me care about the case, but it has failed to build true tension behind the case. Geum-joo isn't feeling that she's followed. Bok-geo isn't really acting scared for her well-being. There are so many small things that go into building tension and fear: music, lighting, staging. It's all lacking and not coming together.

One thing that remains strong, thankfully, is Geum-joo's will to live, to live happily, and to love what she does and do it with integrity. She's a model female character in that way and I greatly appreciate that. Hopefully baseball won't pre-empt any more episodes and we can build more on the story.

Written by: Lisa Espinosa AKA Raine from 'Raine's Dichotomy'

"Woman with a Suitcase" is directed by Kang Dae-seon and Lee Jae-jin-II, written by Kwon Eum-mi, and starring Choi Ji-woo, Joo Jin-mo, Jeon Hye-bin, and Lee Joon.

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