Actor Ha Jiwon returned to the small screen through ENA's new Monday-Tuesday drama 'Climax'.
In the ENA 'Climax' that premiered on the 16th, Ha Jiwon played the role of Chu Sang-a, an actress who was once revered as the 'nation's first love' but suddenly fell amid a tax evasion controversy, delivering a striking change in her acting that drew attention.
In that episode, Chu Sang-a (Ha Jiwon), who is keeping a low profile, attended the first birthday party of her agency's co-CEO and, while embarrassed by rude guests who pleaded for her to sing, appeared to restrain her emotions for the sake of a comeback, which drew attention. In particular, in front of Lee Yang-mi (director Cha Joo-young), the wife of WR Group, the third-ranked conglomerate by corporate ranking, and a power broker in the entertainment world, she even forced a humiliating smile, vividly portraying the character's desperate struggle to climb back to the top and leaving a strong impression.
The chemistry with her co-star Ju Jihoon (as Bang Tae-seop) was also impressive. Chu Sang-a, who at the peak of her career had chosen a strategic marriage to Bang Tae-seop, a "dirt spoon prosecutor," continued her married life while hiding interests that were the exact opposite of her husband, who holds WR Group's scandals, creating a strange tension. After entertaining Lee Yang-mi and returning home, Chu Sang-a, facing Bang Tae-seop at home, confessed her hidden feelings, saying, "I clearly could go further, but it feels like this is the end and I'm so scared. I thought you could go all the way with me," and the couple shared a fierce kiss, signaling the start of an unusual marital narrative.
In the latter part of the episode, Chu Sang-a's desperate anguish and past wounds were revealed, deepening immersion. When she learned that her agency junior Bae Yoon-sung had promised sexual bribery to Nam Hye-hoon, a close friend of Lee Yang-mi and the mayor, Chu Sang-a headed to the hotel herself to stop it, confronting her past trauma and mentally collapsing. Moreover, when her husband Bang Tae-seop burst into the hotel to raid the scene and they briefly brushed past each other in the elevator, her frozen reaction hinted at unpredictable actions ahead and raised tension.
Episode 2 airs at 10 p.m. on the 17th (today).
[Photo] "Climax"
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