Abyss – Netflix Season 1 Episode 12 Recap & Review

It Must Be Love

Abyss return for episode 12 and another decent slice of drama this week. After going through the motions for a few too many episodes, I have to say, Abyss is really starting to fire on all cylinders for its final few episodes and it’s certainly a welcome sight. The romance between Se Yeon and Cha Min has been given enough time to grow and feels realistically depicted while the sins of a father coming back to haunt Oh Yeong is certainly satisfying too.

We begin with Se Yeon confronting Prosecutor Seo over his true identity, letting him know that she suspects he’s really Tae Jin. He sneers, un-phased  by what she proposes and tells her that if he’s Tae Jin then she’s Se Yeon, with a knowing smile. Clearly rattled by this, he heads over to Hee Jin’s where he reveals his true identity to her. After some deliberation, this prompts Seo to head back to his apartment where he finds Oh Yeong casually sat in his chair.  Struggling to contain his biological father, he’s confronted with more stress as Dong confronts Seo too, suspecting that he’s actually Tae Jin. To settle things, he agrees to do a DNA test and while they wait for the results, Cha Min and Se Yeon do some shopping.

Here, the episode swings back to romance as Cha and Se Yeon have a tender moment together. In the midst of their trip, they get the DNA results back, just as Dong is forced to hand his badge in thanks to press attention of the case. It turns out Seo is a 100% match to the real Prosecutor Seo, prompting her to question her own sanity. However, Cha swoops in as the knight in shining armour, comforting Se Yeon under the moonlit sky. They share some more heartfelt moments together before kissing. 

At this point, Oh Yeong puts his plan into motion. He blackmails Hee Jin into trapping Se Yeon, holding her Mother as a bargaining chip. However she cant go ahead with it and tells Se Yeon everything via text. She refuses to his face, threatening to stab herself with a needle. However, Oh Yeong has a trick up his sleeve and reveals that Hee Jin’s Mum is being kept inside the same building. In the chaos, he takes advantage and snatches the needle from her, forcing her to revive him again. It turns out it was all a double bluff and she actually tricked him too. The Abyss returns to its original owner when the temporary owner dies – meaning Cha Min is back in possession of the abyss.

We then find Oh Yeong in hospital on life support, where he’s faced with Seo who unplugs him and walks away. Meanwhile, Se Yeon and Cha Min are called out to a crime scene where they find (I assume, but may be wrong here so please do correct me,) Hee Jin’s mum dead, having seemingly been stabbed in the neck. The abyss floats back to Cha Min and he clutches it softly, debating about whether to use it or not.

I have to say I really enjoyed this week’s episode. The romance between Cha Min and Se Yeon is really well handled and seeing Cha snapping photos of Se Yeon while she’s asleep or reading out cheesy lines to her under the moonlight help add some authenticity to their relationship. If there’s one shining orb of hope here, it comes from their characters. It’s just a pity that the story itself doesn’t quite follow suit. Oh Yeong feels like a pretty archetypal villain although the familial bonds between Hee Jin and Tae Jin certainly do play host to some fascinating dynamics.

There’s four more episodes to go and I hope Abyss builds on its work here and finishes strongly. A good episode this one, I just wish there was more backstory and lore around the abyss which feels like its taken a backseat for much of this drama. For now though, Abyss finishes on a positive note this week which makes this reviewer optimistic that Abyss will finish strongly. Let’s hope I’m not proven wrong!