[Drama Review] 'Man to Man' -- Episode 8

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MAN TO MAN -- EPISODE 8

Woon Gwang and Do Ha wrestle with their feelings for Seol Woo, now that he's hidden himself away, his location top secret, and forces them to sign a confidentiality agreement. Meanwhile, Seol Woo (in disguise) uses the black auction ring to get the invitation and the participation fee info. Mr. Seo is in custody. His attorney tells him not to talk if he wants to stay alive. But he taps out a code on the table, which Seol Woo knows because he is a ghost agent. The code turns out to be the location of Agent Yoon, who was killed attempting to obtain the carvings for NIS. But Do Ha's dad is implicated in the killing since he offered his services to the Congressman and snooped around Yoon's office. Deputy NIS director Jang is relieved of his position. Seol Woo's partner, Lee Dong Hyun, is arrested on trumped-up charges of corruption. Jang confronts Seung Jae, who informs him gleefully that Sharon Kim, the woman Seung Jae has been dating, is Mi Eun's best friend. Mr. Seo offers up the identity of Agent Yoon's killer, but only if Seol Woo kills a certain someone. Without NIS funding, Seol Woo won't be able to attend the auction. So he goes to Woon Gwang, who balks at the price tag of $5 million dollars...

It certainly looked like Seol Woo wasn't comfortable doing any of that either. Even his partner mentions it. He really doesn't deny it, but he refuses to acknowledge it either. It's sad because he has come to care for both Do Ha and Woon Gwang, but he won't let himself admit it. I'm not sure how I feel about that, since yes, as an agent, you must form and break attachments, but you should be allowed to feel. Even James Bond actually married once. They didn't let him stay happy, but at least he was for a short time. Maybe that's what he's afraid of.

Apparently, I'm not supposed to take Woon Gwang that seriously. When he's being patched up, he tells the wild tales of how he chop-socked the thugs and that's why he's wounded, and his entourage claims that he must have made Seol Woo mad enough to beat him up and that he got hit in the head. Still, that was no dream sequence -- he kept those goons busy until Seol Woo arrived and they mopped the floor with them. He annoyed me in the beginning, but he found his way into my heart eventually.

And for once, we see Do Ha break down and cry. Again, not entirely sure how I feel about that. On one hand, it's refreshing to see the tough nut crack a bit and let us inside. It stops short of being an old trope, though it also comes on the heels of her being a damsel in distress (both of those are cliche territory). At least it seemed more sincere than some other dramas which I won't mention. I do like that she seems to be a stronger character than many women in dramas, so her crying threw me for a bit of a loop.

I think it's interesting how we're only halfway through the series, and the whole thing falls apart. People in power get detained or fired and have no power at all to help themselves out of their respective jams. Although Seol Woo pulls through and keeps going. But I'm wondering exactly why? I mean, the jig is up, you have no support, and the mission is over. Although he still has some options. He's trying to get the carving, but is the info that dangerous to Seung Jae? Especially without the power of NIS behind him? He can assassinate whoever Mr. Seo wants to be killed, and potentially save Do Ha's dad.

I figured Do Ha's dad couldn't keep himself out of trouble, and I was right. After letting on that he was "Goldfinger," his days were numbered. Especially to the corrupt congressman. I'm guessing he has no idea of the man's connection to Seung Jae, and I know he doesn't exactly know what's at stake. He's always looking for the next scheme, and this time he's gotten in over his head. Here's hoping Seol Woo can save his neck without lowering himself to being an assassin.

And yeah, I'm still enjoying this show. The transition from action to the intrigue was a little jarring, but I like how they keep it interesting. They also kind of aired how they all need one another, which was nice. No one's going to come out of this one unscathed, and that makes me want to watch it even more. It's an absolute delight to see these people trip over themselves until they find what they're looking for.