With the hostage situation getting grimmer, the series takes a more dark approach and continues with the spy thriller. Characters from earlier episodes enter the scene and it seems that they can change the course of the story. Yeong-ro (Jisoo) is still recovering from the shock of Lim Soo Ho’s (Jung Hae-in) betrayal, but she takes it upon herself to protect her friends and help the trapped ANSP agent Lee Gang-mu (Lee Gang-mu) in whatever way she can, to ease her guilt. She also lets out a major secret to her former lover.
Spoilers Ahead
The people related to the ANSP worry about the safety of the hostages and also try to figure out the way in which their deal with the North can stay intact. Inside the dorm, Gang-mu leaves no stone unturned to find a way to rescue the students. He tries to lead them out of the cafeteria but is stopped by Comrade Joo. However, before he can capture him, Soo-Ho enters the scene and saves Joo. Gang-mu’s attack angers the latter who tries to kill him, but their leader Soo-Ho threatens him that if he fails to keep his violent behaviour in check, he will be cut loose from the team.
The tension between the two rises and Comdrade Joo can no longer trust Comrade Soo-Ho.
The fight between the ANSP agent and the North Korean spy leaves Yeong-Ro slightly injured, which Soo-Ho notices. Although arrogant towards her, he offers help as his guilt starts acting up. The romantic tension between them builds up when he applies medicines to her wounds. He tells her that he is planning to release her to return the favour and end their relationship once and for all.
In the last episode, we saw Professor Han’s death and Yeong-Ro’s brother getting injured. Their father and the Director of the ANSP, Eun Chang-su is still unaware of the incident. Tae-il, meanwhile, asks him to use the opportunity of Han’s death to malign the opposition party’s image. They tell the press that Han was killed while deflecting to the North.
Meanwhile, things are not going smoothly in the North as well. Soo-ryeon warns Ji-rok that Soo-Ho’s failure in the mission will cost them a huge sum of money, and the latter will be answerable to the party. in the previous episodes, it was revealed that Soo-ryeon had given a secret order to Comrade Joo to kill Soo-Ho if he notices any change in the ideology of the latter. When their leader refuses to blow themselves up along with the hostages, he considers it as a change in his ideology and picks up his gun to shoot him.
However, an alert Soo-Ho saves himself and shoots Joo in self-defence, which further breaks their trust in each other.
On the other hand, Tae-il sends his girlfriend and doctor Chung-ya inside the dorm to treat the hostages. Han-na is sent back with her to rescue the Director’s daughter Yeong-ro. Tae-il instructs the doctor to kill Comrade Joo and Lee with lethal injections and sent a coded message to the ANSP so that they can break in to rescue the hostages. She agrees to drug the spies inside of killing them. Han-na also places a gun in her bag and asks her to deliver it to Gang-mu.
Back at the dorm, Soo-Ho plans to release some hostages including Yeong-ro and her friends. This irritates other hostages, especially Bun-ok. Following a series of protests from the students, Soo-Ho finally snaps and threatens to kill them if they do not cooperate. Yeong-Roo, unable to tolerate it anymore, reveals her identity to Soo-Ho and tells him to leave her friends. The episode ends with the Norther spy in shock at the revelation.
Ever since the hostage situation, too many things have been taking place at the same time. What works for the episode is the coldness between the lead characters and Yeong-ro not falling into the trope of the damsel in distress. Not just her but the scared yet resilient women of the Hosu university are a delight to watch. Bun-ok, the phone operator of the dorm is already on her way to being the most irritable character of the series. However, certain flashbacks and the yet unrevealed secrets of her past can be used to justify her actions going forward. When it comes to having some nerve, she easily overshadows the lead, Jisoo.
On the other hand, the disagreement between the Comrades can cause a major hindrance in the way of their escape. Doctor Chung-ya, too, seems to know more about the spies that we are shown in the sixth episode. Yeoung-Ro’s secret can either save her friends or put them in more danger, but it is for sure that her father’s identity is going to put her in more trouble.
With these subplots developing, the series looks like a promising spy-thriller, if you can ignore the historical facts that still continue to divide Snowdrop’s audience.
Snowdrop is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
