The second episode of Fifty Professionals continues the mystery of Bulgae, Black Pearl and the mysterious conspiracy of Yeongseon Island. The episode is a delicate balancing act of action, political corruption and emotional tension, revealing bits of a dangerous past that refuses to stay buried.
The story begins with a flashback to events that took place ten years before on a cruise ship. Black Pearl enters a cabin where she is to meet a Japanese general but is met by Bulgae instead. He quickly takes her down, looking for a USB drive and a set of diamonds when Shadow suddenly appears. Beom-ryung and Gong-bok show up looking for Black Pearl, finding her passed out, and the fight between them turns brutal.
In the chaos, Shadow tries to save Bulgae, but Bulgae is overboard with a tracking device attached to his backpack. The sequence sets up the long-running mystery that still informs the present timeline.
Back in the present day, Shadow and Bulgae meet at Heaven Capital. Their meeting immediately turns violent, old grievances coming to the fore. Later, Nam-gil finds Bulgae unconscious and secretly takes him home, not knowing the larger conflict surrounding him.
Meanwhile, prosecutor Yeong-ae continues to investigate the old Black Pearl case despite warnings from her superiors. The Chief Prosecutor pressures her to stop reopening closed investigations. However, Yeong-ae manages to avoid the serious punishment and secretly continues with her investigation.
This episode also makes the political side of the story more important. Han Gyeong-wook meets with Saehanjin Party leader Kim Jung-hyeok to discuss plans for Yeongseon Island. Han says the island is a future luxury tourism project which can make huge profits. He attempts to bribe Kim with an antique tea set, revealing bribery and corruption to be an integral part of the development plans.
Han’s organization is revealed to be far more dangerous than previously believed. While his team is busy buying up land around the island, some members are also involved in illegal drug deals. This adds another layer of criminal activity to the political conspiracy.
Meanwhile, Ye-sun’s memories of his past identity as Bulgae continue to be fragmented. He awakens from disturbing dreams about the cruise ship incident and is confused about what happened in Heaven Capital. However, Nam-gil is increasingly impressed by Ye-sun’s unexpected fighting skills.
Meanwhile, Ho-myeong grows more anxious in his effort to track down Bulgae’s identity. He asks Jo to check a suspicious license plate, while trying to stay out of sight of the people who are tracking his movements.
The Heaven Capital gang is eager to know who was involved in the fight recently. Their boss demands security footage in three days, and even hires corrupt police officers to collect information on Bulgae and his allies.
One of the episode’s highlights comes when Ye-sun returns to work. Again, while he’s washing a car, his boss attempts to humiliate him by throwing a baseball at him. Ye-sun immediately kicks the ball back with incredible accuracy, much to the shock of everyone in the area, suggesting that his fighting instincts are still there under the surface.
The episode also offers more insight into the softer side of Beom-ryung. His inept courting of the policewoman he likes adds a little light relief to the otherwise grim plot. But Gong-bok chastises him for losing focus, creating tension between the long-time partners.
The danger escalates quickly as the story moves forward. Gong-bok and Nam-gil eventually find Ye-sun’s men, Heaven Capital. The gang kidnaps and questions him to find out if Ye-sun is the legendary fighter of days gone by.
Meanwhile, Yeong-ae uncovers more tangible evidence linking Han Gyeong-wook to the ferry accident ten years ago. The witnesses don’t answer directly, but their reactions confirm her suspicions.
The final act includes another intense action sequence. Gong-bok is beaten up badly and the gang keeps testing Ye-sun’s powers. When all hope seems lost, Beom-ryung shows up and starts acting like his old gangster self. He fights his way through the attackers, saving Gong-bok from a grisly injury, and ends the episode with a dramatic vow to finish the fight himself.
Review of episode
Episode 2 effectively deepens the mystery and maintains an energetic pace. There is still a mixture of crime drama, action and political corruption that keeps the story interesting.
The best part of the episode is the slowly growing mystery of Ye-sun and Bulgae. Each scene with his hidden past ratchets up the tension, particularly when his instincts unexpectedly begin to surface. Oh Jung-se is once again excellent, playing the episode with a mix of humor, confusion and danger.
And this is where the political story of Yeongseon Island gets a whole lot more interesting. The fact that Han Gyeong-wook is manipulating politicians and prosecutors hints at a much larger conspiracy that will probably dominate the series going forward.
Episode 3 looks set to raise the stakes even higher with Ho-myeong taking on a new mission and Han pushing forward with his controversial island development project.