By Jae-Ha Kim
Kocowa.com
January 30, 2021
“Penthouse” is one of the hottest K-dramas — and for good reason. While the over-the-top storyline could’ve worked against them, the superb actors went with the flow and made even the most unbelievable plot twists dramatically watchable.
After ending its debut season on January 5, the makjang series returns on February 19 to continue the saga of the immoral elite who rule over Hera Palace. They form illegal alliances, backstab each other at the drop of a hat, and coddle their messed up spawn (who cheat and lie, while attending the exclusive Cheong-ah Arts High School).
The first season finale left viewers with the deaths of two of the three female leads. But since the actresses are both accounted for in the cast credits for this new season, we are left wondering: Who really died, who kinda sorta died, and who is going to come back in a surprise I’m not dead yet! moment.
I’m going to be talking about some spoilers from the debut season, so if you haven’t seen it yet but want to get caught up, check out the previous season of “Penthouse.”
This is the trailer for the second season, which promises as much chaotic drama as the first.
SPOILER ALERT:
The biggest question for diehard “Penthouse” fans is: Did Su-ryeon (Lee Ji Ah) really die? It’s rare to kill-off the lead in a series, but that’s exactly what “Penthouse” appears to have done. Her cruel husband, Dan-tae (Um Ki Joon), tricked her into returning home from her hiding place and stabbed her multiple times. He set up the crime to make it appear that Su-ryeon’s frenemy, Yoon-hee (Eugene), murdered her. They even held a funeral for her.
But, bear in mind that anything is possible in this series. Remember that Su-ryeon had staged the death of her daughter, Hye-in, to throw Dan-tae off track. Maybe Su-ryeon really is dead, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she was wearing a protective vest underneath her dress, which was rigged with fake blood packets to trick Dae-tae. It also wouldn’t come as a shock if Lee Ji Ah returned to the cast playing Su-ryeon’s twin, a completely different character, or was shown through flashbacks. But a list of the casting credits shows that she will be playing Su-ryeon again in the second season, so, hmmm.
And what about Yoon-hee, who was last seen basically stabbing herself in the neck and apparently dying, while Logan Lee (Park Eun-seok) looked on in horror? I could end up with egg on my face, but there is no way this woman is dead. The puncture wound was in the same spot where Seo-jin (Kim So-yeon) stabbed her in the throat in a jealous fit of rage when the girls were in high school. Yoon-hee survived that and she’ll live through this just fine. When she recovers, she will be eager to get revenge on Dan-tae.
Also, what’s to become of everyone who left Korea for the United States? Dan-tae sent his twins Seok-hoon (Kim Young-dae) and Seok-kyung (Han Ji-hyun) to take a gap year off and get over the trauma of their stepmother’s death. Though they gave Su-ryeon a hard time and said she wasn’t their real mother, they also grew to appreciate everything she did for them, which was more than their father ever did. It’s likely they’ll return from the U.S. early and be torn between wanting to avenge their stepmom’s death and not wanting to rock the boat. After all, they still enjoy the perks of their father’s wealth and power.
Then there’s henpecked Yoon-cheol (Yoon Jong-hoon), who Seo-jin had married because she knew it would break Yoon-hee’s heart. (Yoon-hee had worked to pay his way through medical school.) When it was clear he still loved Yoon-hee, Seo-jin set out to ruin his life. She had him kicked out of the hospital run by her family’s foundation and shipped him off to train in the U.S. He’s going to come running back for two reasons: his daughter and Yoon-hee (assuming I’m correct that she didn’t actually die).
What do you think will happen on this new season? Do you agree with my predictions? And before you get set to watch the second season premiere on February 19, remember that you can get all caught up with the first season of “Penthouse” right here on KOCOWA. I’m rewatching it now to catch what I have missed during the first go round!
