This preview article was written based on materials provided by the broadcaster.
Lee Young-ae and Kim Young-kwang shook living rooms with an exciting partnership in which they constantly deceive each other.
On the 27th at 9:20 p.m., in episode 3 of KBS 2TV weekend miniseries Walking On Thin Ice (directed by Song Hyun-wook, written by Jeon Young-shin), Lee Kyung (played by Kim Young-kwang), who learned Kang Eun-soo's (played by Lee Young-ae) secret, decided to return the medicine bag to Phantom to avoid risk. But Eun-soo deceived Lee Kyung with a bag full of peppermint candies instead of medicine, and she shocked viewers by choosing the final method of turning herself in to the police to win back his heart.
Episode 3 recorded a 3.7% rating (Nielsen Korea, nationwide households). In particular, the scene in which Lee Kyung, who had taken Eun-soo's daughter Su-a (played by Kim Si-a) home, checks the home address and calls the Phantom organization drove the episode's pull, with a peak minute rating of 4.3%.
In yesterday's broadcast, Eun-soo was advised by her doctor to take a non-covered immune anticancer drug for her husband Do-jin (played by Bae Soo-bin). Faced with the enormous expense, Eun-soo burst into a bitter laugh and expressed despair, and then was driven to the brink as more expenses piled up: a water leak at the apartment, a car breakdown and debt collection calls from the bank. Lee Young-ae captured viewers' attention from the start of the episode with blunt swearing and realistic everyday acting that conveyed the frustration and anger erupting from small daily life moments.
Cornered, Eun-soo begged Lee Kyung to start the business again. But Lee Kyung exposed that the new drug Phantom had lost and the item Eun-soo brought were identical, and coldly turned away saying he would return all the drugs to Phantom. Eun-soo knelt before Lee Kyung up to his knees, begging for one more chance. Lee Young-ae and Kim Young-kwang delivered a masterful acting battle with sharp lines and emotional explosions that drove each other into a corner. In particular, the scene in which Eun-soo, using her experience working at a bank, proposes a new sales method—"we can make 8 billion won in a short time by selling below market price"—was a moment that revealed the desperate instinct of a person fighting for survival.
At the same time, Jang Tae-gu (played by Park Yong-woo) began to suspect Lee Kyung's identity as he tracked club CCTV and SNS footage. Tae-gu went to find Min-woo (played by Park Yeon-woo) and threatened, "Do you want my attention for the rest of your life?" and cornered him, increasing the episode's tension. Park Yong-woo's relentless investigative instinct maximized the character's chilling side and etched a strong presence.
Meanwhile, Lee Kyung, who had received the bag from Eun-soo, met Phantom on the subway platform. But Lee Kyung realized not only the bag but also himself had fallen into a trap, and a life-or-death action struggle unfolded. After a fierce hand-to-hand fight, Lee Kyung barely protected the bag, but it contained only the peppermint candies Eun-soo had swapped in. Realizing he had been deceived, Lee Kyung was engulfed in anger, and Kim Young-kwang heightened the tension by conveying Lee Kyung's psychology with cold looks and facial acting that made the episode even more riveting.
Meanwhile, Eun-soo, who held the real medicine bag, left a voice message saying, "Since you won't change your mind, teacher, there's nothing we can do. Let's just die together, teacher," and then headed to the police station. Eun-soo's decision to turn herself in, chosen after the desperate desire to protect her family and the dilemma of needing to win back Lee Kyung's heart, delivered a powerful twist.
Viewers who watched the episode responded with fervent reactions such as "Lee Young-ae's acting from laughing as if she lost her mind to the tone of her lines is so good," "Even the supporting actors all act well here," "Park Yong-woo's expressions are so interesting," "It keeps getting more fun," "Today Lee Young-ae and Kim Young-kwang's acting really peaked," "She really turns herself in here? What an ending," "Direction and script are perfect," "A drama that makes you root for Kim Young-kwang," and "Let's die together. Today's memorable line."
In this way, Walking On Thin Ice gradually raised immersion to the highest level by intertwining Eun-soo, who reveals her true colors as she is driven by desire, Lee Kyung, who tries to control her, and the tightening pressure from the police and Phantom. With an unpredictable progression and the actors' overwhelming performances, the series completed a suspense that dominates the entire drama.
[Photo] KBS 2TV broadcast capture of Walking On Thin Ice
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