Season 2, Episode 2, titled “Chapter Ten,” of the Apple TV series, Pachinko, is directed by Leanne Welham and penned by Soo Hugh, Christina Yoon, and Melissa Park. The episode is heartbreaking and tragic as it depicts the consequence of war and what being powerless can feel like at its worst. The environment feels cold and silent during the 1945 scenes as if Osaka is already a ghost town waiting for the impending air raid. The scenes in 1989 also feel very chilling as Solomon is depicted as a person likely heading down a dark path. Although the ending of Sunja’s story is clear based on how she is still around in 1989, the one for Solomon is left unknown, leaving only the book fans to know what is to come.
The story also explores the theme of love vs. wealth. This is explained when Isak talks to Mozasu about what brings true happiness: Being rich or having love. Isak exemplifies how he once lived in a big house but he didn’t care for the house but for the people he lived with. Being loved is the most precious, valuable thing that can’t outweigh the value of money and power. However, when it comes to Solomon’s arc, he is going down a dark path in desiring revenge and power against Katsu Abe for ruining his career and turning away from the love of his family. If one continues to seek power and wealth, they may lose everyone they deeply cared for and will be alone with nothing more than the hollow wealth they have around them. This can be applied to Koh Hansu. Although he is wealthy, he is alone and isolated. The only people he cares for are his father, who is dead, and Kim Sunja who he cannot marry or live with.
The Consequence of War
In Osaka 1945, Noa (Kim Kang-hoon) returns home and sees how the city has become a ghost town as many of its citizens have fled and gone into hiding to avoid the eventual air raid committed by the U.S. Military. The air raid is remembered as the Bombing of Osaka but the devastation is nowhere close to the one in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Noa walks home and sees his brother Mozasu (Eunseong Kwon) playing war games with his friends. However, one of the friends hears about his father’s death during the war which shows how war breaks families and brings nothing but suffering and pain.
Sunja Reunites with Isak
The episode’s biggest surprise is when Baek Isak (Steve Sang-Hyun Noh) returns home. He is weak, sick, and dying. The first to find and take care of him is Isak’s sister-in-law Kyunghee (Jung Eun-chae). Noa and Mozasu watch in shock to see their father’s sudden return. It is what they wanted but not the outcome they desired. It is tragic to see their father dying when they are at such a young age.
Kim Sunja (Kim Min-ha) quickly arrives after being notified and finds her husband lying on the bed weak, dying, and helpless. The reunion between husband and wife was heartwarming, joyful, sad, and horrifying at the same time. Sunja talks about how the entire family missed Isak and was willing to wait for him. However, Baek Yoseb is sadly not here to see his brother’s return as he is in Nagasaki making money for the family as a factory worker.
Sunja and Hansu
Sunja later meets Koh Hansu (Lee Min-ho) at his home begging him to call a doctor for Isak. Hansu, however, coldly states that Sunja’s main priority is to get her and her family out of the city before the air raid happens. Sunja is upset at Hansu’s coldness but asks if he is responsible for Isak’s release. Hansu explains he did arrange for Isak’s release by making a deal with a prison official: He will release Isak and the Yakuza will grant safe passage for the official and his family out of Osaka to avoid the bombings. This was the only time Hansu could get Isak out after many attempts of failing in the past.
Hansu is still frustrated that Sunja has not left Osaka with her family. As a result, he makes a deal in which she and her family, including Isak if possible, will leave with Hansu out of Osaka in exchange for hiring the best doctor left in Osaka to treat Isak. Hansu wants to personally ensure Sunja and her family’s safety even if it means helping her. Even after all this time, Hansu cares for Sunja and is willing to do anything to help her. This help might still be present in 1989 as there was a scene in Solomon’s youth in which some higher power prevented Solomon from getting into trouble with the police.
Love vs. Wealth
One night, Mozasu reads his father a story of how a man worked hard for so much money to the point of becoming extremely wealthy. However, Isak questions how being rich is of such importance. Mozasu argues that being rich will allow the family to get a proper doctor for Isak, get a good home, and buy and make lots of sweets. It may seem nice but Isak doesn’t believe being rich and wealthy brings true happiness. He explains how he used to live in a big house with many rooms but he does not miss it. He only misses the people who lived with him in it. In other words, true wealth is to be loved. Isak is right but Mozasu makes the point that one can be rich and loved.
The Betrayal
Later, Noa visits his father who is still sick and traumatised from spending years in prison. Isak asks his son to bring Pastor Hu to him and Noa complies with his father’s wish. Noa arrives at the church and informs Pastor Hu of his father’s return. He even asks the pastor to come to his home and pray for Isak’s well-being. Noa is desperate even though Hu explains that merely praying for Isak’s improved health is not simple. Noa goes so far as to explain how he has always been good and followed God’s teachings in the Bible to the letter to gain favor and support for the wellbeing of his family.
Noa’s desperation convinces Pastor Hu and he follows Noa back home. When Hu arrives, a dark truth is revealed. Isak privately talks with Pastor Hu and asks Noa to stay and listen. Isak asks Pastor Hu if he is responsible for turning him in to the authorities. It turns out Pastor Hu is a cynical and bitter pastor who hated Isak’s preaching of how easy it is to receive love when Hu himself grew up with no love. Hu even admits he was jealous of how Pastor Yoo, his father figure, loved Isak more than Hu due to the former’s kind and gentle nature. This saddens Isak but Noa feels angry and betrayed. Noa does not wish Pastor Hu, who fell to the point of becoming like Judas, to ever see him or his family again. Pastor Hu sinned and he committed murder the day he reported Isak in and Noa is right to condemn him. The man turned in Isak out of mere pettiness and jealousy, the worst betrayal.
The Funeral
Soon, the doctor arrives and examines Isak. However, the doctor can do nothing to help and Isak only has a few hours left to live. Sunja is helpless but spends those remaining hours with her husband to comfort him. In the end, Isak passes away and the family begins to cremate him. However, the cremation and the funeral process are interrupted by the sirens blaring, warning the city of the coming air raid, forcing Sunja and the entire family to tragically leave Isak’s cremated body unprotected in the coming devastation.
Solomon Begs for Mercy
In Tokyo 1989, Solomon Baek (Jin Ha) begs Katsu Abe (Yoshio Maki) to stop attacking and asks how he can receive his forgiveness. Solomon doesn’t want his failure in the past to haunt him to the point of begging the person who condemned him for that failure. Unfortunately, Katsu Abe is not merciful and tells Solomon that he is an example of what happens if anyone crosses or fails him. This angers Solomon and he silently vows revenge, solidifying Abe as the main antagonist of the 1989 storyline.
Solomon Tries to Make Amends
With barely any hope left, Solomon returns to the origin of his failure at the home of the old Korean woman, the landowner, who refused to sell her home and land. Solomon notices her home was ravaged by thugs. He feels terrible and believes he is responsible for what is happening to her. He even discloses how the deal’s failure led to him being fired and jobless. It also resulted in Solomon’s visa in America to be revoked.
The landowner is angry and demands to know why Solomon feels sorry for the state of her home. Solomon admits he made a deal with someone to use his connections to force her out through threats and intimidation. The plan was to force her to sell the land and sell it back to Katsu Abe and Shiffley’s. Solomon really needs the money to continue his life and work his way back up in the financing business. The revelation infuriates the landowner for Solomon’s twisted and ruthless behavior, the behavior Hana encourages him to accept.
Nevertheless, the landowner allows Solomon to talk with her. She talks about how she struggled in her youth and easily bought the land. The land was an easy purchase because there were always strange rumors about her land. The rumors centred around how there used to be a military school on the land and how it was a graveyard holding the dead. This revelation shocks Solomon but it is also an opportunity.
Solomon tells the landowner that they can use the story of the corpses buried in her land to fight back against Katsu Abe and Shiffley’s.
Solomon’s Plan Comes into Play
The landowner is still annoyed at Solomon for still being a scheming businessman. However, Solomon tries to explain the details. The plan is to sell the land to Katsu Abe and later spread the rumors regarding the bones and corpses under the land. If this rumor comes to light, it will send the Colton Corporation packing, resulting in Katsu Abe being left with a substantial loan. This plan horrifies and disgusts the landowner as it is disrespectful to use the dead and this plan does nothing more but satisfy Solomon’s revenge against Katsu Abe.
Solomon then continues his talk with the landowner. He admits he grew up living an easy and simple life but he still worries about one day becoming poor, helpless, and starving as she once did in the past. He then encourages her to join in his plan to help defend her home from the corporation that plans to take it away from her. Solomon then asks about her life and why she wouldn’t fight back. The landowner explains she lived a fulfilled life and will stick to her decision to protect her home without fighting dirty no matter the cost.
After some convincing, Solomon can have her sell her land to Abe and Colton for 1.4 billion yen with a 10% fee. However, a hotel will never be built. Instead, the land will be sunk as a disaster for Katsu Abe and the latter will know that Solomon is responsible for his future fall and struggle as a businessman.
Rating: 9/10