The 10th episode of Snowdrop begins in the aftermath of Kang Cheong-ya’s decision to push the detonator and blast off one side of the Hosu University dorm. She reveals herself as the North Korean spy Moran Hill 2 and puts a damper on the students’ escape plan. However, the blast ends up injuring not the students but one of their teammates, Comrade Lee Eung-cheol. Following this, she takes over charge from Lim Soo-Ho (Jung Hae-in). The news channel covers the explosion and naturally blames the North for it. While the ANSP agents are confused, the director Eun Chang-su’s wife Hong Ae-ra hopes that only 13 virgins have died in the explosion so that the shaman’s prediction comes true.
Meanwhile, Soo-Ho gets the evidence that he asked Han-ah for and tries to reason with Cheong-ya that the North might not save them. She, however, sticks to the orders given by her country and threatens to kill Soo-Ho if he doesn’t mend his ways. On the other hand, Yeong-ro completely detests him now and throws away the necklace given to her by Lim Soo-Ho.
A lot of other things are going on in the dorm of Hosu University besides the conflicts revolving around the unfortunate lovers. Comrade Joo, who has saved Bun-ok, the telephone operator on several occasions, seems to have taken a liking for her. Otherwise a harsh personality, he finds his behaviour softens when it comes to dealing with the latter. She tries to use it to her benefit and despite Miss Pi’s several warnings, is concerned only for her own safety. Meanwhile, it is also revealed that she was tortured by ANSP’s Chief Ahn and was forced to turn into a spy for them.
The episode had many emotional inducing points except the plight of the hostages. In another confrontation, Yeong-ro makes it clear that she hates Soo-Ho for how he is toying with everyone’s lives and throws away the pendant given by him. She then communicates with her father through the window and tells him to send off her dead brother well. Her helplessness coupled with her guilt makes it an emotional watch and Jisoo, surprisingly, is not bland as she has been in some of the previous scenes.
Soo-Ho also proved in front of his teammates that he has a soft corner for her when Soo-Ho saves her from Comrade Joo’s firing.
The 10th episode ends with the revelation that Soo-Ho’s father Lim Ji-rok, with whom South Korea had the deal is his adoptive father, who is planning to sacrifice him. Realising that either North or South are planning to save their respective people, Comrade Lim Soo-Ho joins hands with ANSP agent Lee Gang-mu.
Till now, the misdeeds of the ANSP were shown in moderate light and they were portrayed as an irritating version of their real-life counterparts. However, now the show has gone rogue with its depiction and gives a clear picture of why, in reality, the agency was slapped with human rights violations. However, the episodes take their sweet time to unfold and the slow pace fails to hold one’s attention. Even with so much happening, and new twists unveiling them with each episode, it becomes difficult to focus as the drama is all over the place.
What is refreshing to watch is the students of the Hosu university, albeit being held hostage for most of the runtime, show different layers to them and prove that they are more than what the situation has made them be. One of the characters that particularly stand out is Bun-ok. Her deeds are annoying and selfish to the core and often times she will make you scream at your screens. However, her presence manages to break the monotony of the ANSP-Hostage conflict.
Snowdrop is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
