"Woman with a Suitcase" wastes no time in moving past introductions and getting to the heart of the show: the alliances and the battles that Geum-joo has to forge and wage along her long road up. Ma-seok gets more than a few minutes of screen time and we see Geum-joo's telltale smarts and tenacity carry her through her transition back into the real world.
After serving a year of jail time, Geum-joo comes back to divorce papers, no home, and no money. She has to begin again in an unforgiving career with unforgiving people, fighting her way through the legal ranks and for a paycheck to put food on the table. In a twist of irony, she discovers her expensive bag was fake, and has to keep it with her, a physical reminder of the fleeting success that was no more real than her bag. What was real was her work ethic and her ability to see through cases and make her clients trust her. It is this gift that she uses to help her persuade Ma-seok into taking her on as his paralegal. She promises him big bucks if he lends her the power of his attorney's badge. It is this team that Bok-geo relies on to get him out of a celebrity scandal, a rape scandal. This is a brave subject to broach with so many rape scandals in Hallyu news, but the drama does it tastefully. Ma-seok and Geum-joo are a delightful pair. She finds in him a protege, and he finds a teacher. I have a feeling he'll have a few things to teach our jaded jailbird as well.
Another great comment on Hallyu culture is the case that Ma-seok and Geum-joo work for Bok-geo. They utilize the incredibly intimate and frightening nature of extreme fans in order to prove that a star lied about rape. These highlights of the unhealthier and more unsavory aspects of the Hallyu waves are appreciated and I hope the show continues to highlight it.
As for the sweet relationship between Geum-joo and Hye-joo, it was too good to be true. That streak of jealousy won out and Hye-joo cast aside her sister so that her reputation wouldn't be tarnished. They seem to get on, but we'll see what further decision Hye-joo makes. She has already joined the law firm of Attorney Goo, a woman who severely dislikes Geum-joo, which should make for some interesting conflict. Geum-joo's other major relationship, that with her husband, hasn't been very well explored. We're catching glimpses of their home life, but we don't really know what she feels about being cast aside for a younger woman. I'd like to see more of that emotion come out.
Bok-geo is an interesting man. He most definitely was a steel-headed lawyer with how he behaves in the courtroom. But what took him from the law? Or why did he leave the practice? He has an eye for excellence and he gives Geum-joo the opportunity she's been needing since her last test failure. He asks her to take her exam again. It's her burden and I'm glad he did ask, but why isn't he practicing law himself?
Stay tuned for next episode to find out more!
Source:HanCinema
