Pandora: Beneath The Paradise – K-drama Episode 8 Recap & Review

Blood Is Thicker

Pandora: Beneath the Paradise episode 8 takes us back to when Tae-Ra was about to assassinate Hae-Soo’s father, former President Ko Taesun. Instead, Pilseung assassinates him. Director Seoun-dok ordered Pilseung to do so to save his sister, Tae-Ra, from dying. Tae-Ra rescues Pilseung, and they speed away, but Yoo-Tae hits them and runs over Pilseung, while  Tae-Ra is thrown off a cliff.

Back to the present, Pilseung explains that he has been obeying everything Director Seoun-dok tells him, which is why he killed Hae-Soo’s father. But, Tae-Ra embraces him and tries to take the blame for Ko Taesun’s death. Tae-Ra asks Pilseung to leave all of this behind them, and he asks her if she can leave Jiu and Jae-Hyun and be with him. Pilseung tells Tae-Ra that if she leaves her current life behind, he’ll do the same. But since Tae-Ra can’t, Pilseung tells her to mind her business, and he walks away, leaving Tae-Ra in tears.

As Pilseung is riding his motorbike back home, he remembers Tae-Ra not revealing to Hae-Soo that Pilseung killed her father when she confronted her during the special presidential interview. He becomes angry about Tae-Ra taking the fault for Hae-Soo’s murder.

Elsewhere, Jae-Hyun is with Director Seoun-dok watching a news report about Song Juman dying. The presumed cause of his death is said to be acute myocardial infarction. Director Seoun-dok reassures Jae-Hyun that No.105 (Pilseung) is good at his job and asks Jae-Hyun if she has now proved her loyalty to him. Director Seoun-dok also tells Jae-Hyun that evidence that Han Kyung-Rok received Song Juman’s money to the prosecutor so he won’t be off the hook that easily.

Jae-Hyun asks if they trust Pilseung, and Director Seoun-dok assures them they can because she has conditioned him to follow his order for the past 15 years. But, Jae-Hyun still has his doubts because Pilseung is Tae-Ra’s brother.

Pilseung finally reaches home and finds Director Seoun-dok waiting for him. She commends him for killing Song Juman and asks if he has any information for her. Director Seoun-dok warns Pilseung to be discreet around Jae-Hyun. She also tells him they plan to keep Tae-Ra alive until after Jae-Hyun’s presidential campaign. Pilseung asks Director Seoun-dok what will happen to Tae-Ra after that and if she’ll end up like Yoo-Ra.

Director Seoun-dok hits him with her cane and draws out her sword. She takes the hooded jacket Tae-Ra gave him as a gift and throws it down. It turns out, Jae-Hyun was right about Pilseung still being attached to Tae-Ra. Director Seoun-dok warns Pilseung that if he shows his affection toward Tae-Ra, she will have her killed.

Elsewhere, Do-Jin still finds it hard to believe what Sang-Bae told him about Kummo ordering him to kill Jae-Hyun’s father. Do-Jin asks Sang-Bae why he is telling him this, and Sang-Bae tells him that if this information gets out, Kumjo will be affected.

Meanwhile, Song’s death negatively impacted Han Kyung-Rok and his campaign. Han Kyung-Rok is interrogated when he is shown a picture of someone loading money into his car the night Song Juman died. But Han Kyung-Rok insists that he is innocent. Outside, the media is swarmed around Han Kyung-Rok, asking him questions about his involvement in Song Juman’s death.

He manages to enter his car and can’t help but think that there’s something fishy about Chairman Song Juman’s death when his assistant tells him that Chairman Kummo is about to hold a press conference about Jae-Hyun’s mother. They think that Kummo will also expose Jae-Hyun’s mother and that Kumjo is on Han Kyung-Rok’s side. But, that isn’t the case because, during the press conference, Kummo says that the claims by Han Kyung-Rok about Kim Sohye (Jae Hyun’s mother) pocketing research funds is a lie. Of course, Hae-Soo is shocked but Do-Jin knows his father said this because he was the one who killed Jae-Hyun’s mother.

Back at Kummo’s office, Hae-Soo confronts Kummo about changing the story concerning Jae-Hyun’s mother. She asks Kummo if Jae-Hyun had something to do with it. Kummo is angered by Hae-Soo confronting him and asks her to leave. She expresses regret for asking Kummo for help in the first place.

After Hae-Soo leaves the office, Do-Jin tells Kummo that he knows he killed Jae-Hyun’s mother. He asks him why he did it, and Kummo says he’ll do anything to keep Kumjo in his and Do-Jin’s name. Kummo asks Do-Jin to take over Kumjo so that they take Jae-Hyun. Kummo also tells Do-Jin that he knows that Ms Min bought Kumjo shares under Kyojin’s name, so they need to act fast, but, Do-Jin still rejects the idea.

Kummo then gives Do-Jin documents to a secret company he has, Jake Company. He tells Do-Jin that he knew Kyojin’s mother had something up her sleeve, so he has enough funds under this company’s name to take over Kumjo. Kummo also asks Do-Jin to leave Hae-Soo, but he refuses and asks Kummo why he resents Hae-Soo so much, considering she is the woman he loves and Kummo’s best friend. Do-Jin tells Kummo that he won’t leave Hae-Soo no matter what. After Do-Jin leaves, Kummo confesses that she can’t stand Hae-Soo because she resembles her father more each day.

On the other hand, Jae-Hyun receives a call from his campaign manager telling him that Chairman Jang-Kummo has cleared his mother’s name and might support his presidential bid. Of course, Jae-Hyun is happy about that. Just then, Pilseung arrives with Jiu, who tells him Leo will apologize for yelling at him in the last episode. Jae-Hyun notices how affectionate Jiu is to Pilseung. Tae-Ra walks in and asks Pilseung to join them for lunch and leaves with Jiu to go change her. Jae-Hyun then warns Pilseung to stop showing his affection toward Jiu and Tae-Ra.

Tae-Ra and Jiu return to have lunch and notice Pilseung isn’t there. Tae-Ra obviously suspects something is wrong. She receives a text from Sung-Chan telling her about the mysterious bike man meeting with Jae-Hyun. He also tells her that he is investigating to uncover his identity. Sung-Chan sends Tae-Ra a photo of the bike man with Jae-Hyun, and when she zooms in, she realizes that that is the bike man who’s been leaving Hae-Soo clues about No.50 (Tae Ra) being her father’s assassin.

Different presidential candidates hold campaign rallies, but Jae-Hyun comes and tops them all with a show-stopping rally. Do-Jin comforts Hae-Soo about what happened with Kummo but Hae-Soo says she didn’t expect much help from him anyway and that she only needs Do-Jin. Hae-Soo tells Do-Jin that Joon-Ho has found a list of those likely to have bought the sapphire necklace Director Seoun-dok was given as a gift for Hae-Soo’s father’s death. When Do-Jin looks at the list, he notices Jake Company is one of them and remembers his dad Kummo telling him about stashing money under a company with this name.

Elsewhere, Chairman Kummo goes to where he thinks Kyojin is, but he doesn’t find him. Just then, Ms Min walks in and asks Kummo if he thinks she could leave Kyojin there. They argue, and Ms Min walks away. Kummo is left wondering where Kyojin is and if Ms Min was helped to move Kyojin.

Tae-Ra visits Sung-Chan at Hatch, and he updates her on his investigation to uncover the mysterious bike man’s identity. He also updates Tae-Ra on Jae-Hyun’s movements leading up to Kummo having a stroke. Tae-Ra tells Sung-Chan about Jae-Hyun saving Sang-Bae on his phone as “uncle,” and Sung-Chan tells her that he will also investigate Sang-Bae.

As they’re talking, they see Jae-Hyun coming into the special lab, and Tae-Ra hides. Jae-Hyun asks Sung-Chan about the progress of Kyojin and subsequently goes to see him. He mentions they need Kyojin for the upcoming smart patch human trial presentation, so he urges him to wake up. Kyojin notices something in the area where Tae-Ra is hiding. It turns out Kyojin’s cranial nerve activity is normal.

Sung-Chan manages to leave with Jae-Hyun, and Tae-Ra comes out. Tae-Ra goes to see Kyojin, and as she leaves, Kyojin wakes up and stops her! Kyojin asks Tae-Ra not to tell Do-Jin, Jae-Hyun, and even Sung-Chan that he is awake. He then asks Tae-Ra to call his mother for him.

Concurrently, Do-Jin is pondering whether the Jake Company he saw on Hae-Soo’s list is his father’s. Kummo calls him to inform that Kyojin’s mother managed to move Kyojin to another location and asks him to find out where Kyojin is. Do-Jin sees Jae-Hyun and Sung-Chan arriving at Jae-Hyun’s home and asks them if Kyojin is at Hatch and whether they are testing the smart patch on him. Surprisingly, Do-Jin doesn’t know Kyojin is at Hatch. Of course, Jae-Hyun denies it.

At Jae-Hyun’s home, Sung-Chan expresses his fear of Do-Jin finding out they’re testing the smart patch on Kyojin. Jae-Hyun tells him he better hurry and wakes Kyojin up, considering the smart patch’s human presentation is coming soon. Jae-Hyun also proposes to Sung-Chan that he take over Hatch when Jae-Hyun becomes president.

Tae-Ra meets Ms Min and tells her that Kyojin is awake. She goes and finds Kyojin awake and well, and they share a touching reunion moment. Ms Min proposes to take Kyojin to another place to recover but Kyojin believes Hatch has the best technology for him to recover.

Ms Min also asks Kyojin why he doesn’t want to tell Jae-Hyun or Sung-Chan that he is well. Kyojin believes they are responsible for how he is now, and Ms Min is shocked. Kyojin asks about Sujeong, and Ms Min tells her that she disappeared after Kyojin’s accident. Kyojin urges his mother to look for her since she knows the truth about his accident. Ms Min asks Tae-Ra why she’s helping Kyojin considering she is Jae-Hyun’s wife but in truth, he wants to protect Kyojin.

Kyojin tries to cure himself at Hatch and realizes that Sung-Chan and Jae-Hyun want to wake him up for smart patch’s human trial presentation. He also reveals that they stole Kyojin’s research so Kyojin vows to expose them.

At Do-Jin and Hae-Soo’s house, Do-Jin overhears Hae-Soo talking to Joon-Ho. It turns out they discovered Jake Company was the one that bought the sapphire necklace for Director Seoun-dok. While Hae-Soo is happy that she is about to find her father’s killer, Do-Jin isn’t because he knows it may be his father.

At Jae-Hyun’s house, one of Jae-Hyun’s campaign staff is helping Tae-Ra pick an outfit for the upcoming networking event she’ll be attending with Jae-Hyun. She checks the guest list and realizes Director Seoun-dok is also attending.

Han Kyung-Rok is still convinced that there’s something fishy about Chairman Song’s death when he receives an envelope with a picture of Pilseung at the restroom where Han Kyung-Rok was Song the night he died. This envelope looks like the one Jae-Hyun gave the mysterious bike man when Sung-Chan was watching him in the last episode. Hae-Soo anxiously waits for the documents with Jake Company’s information.

Meanwhile, Do-Jin happens to meet the delivery guy at their residence entrance, so he offers to take it to Hae-Soo. But instead, he opens them and discovers that the Jake Company connected to Hae-Soo’s father’s death is his father’s. So he calls him and asks to meet.

Hae-Soo talks to Joon-Ho, who tells her the documents were delivered, so Hae-Soo wonders why she hasn’t received them. Do-Jin meets his father, and he confirms he ordered Hae-Soo’s father to be killed. Do-Jin is devastated and tells Kummo not to tell anyone.

Elsewhere, Hae-Soo convinces Joon-Ho to have the informant send the information on Jake Company to her again via email. Meanwhile, Jae-Hyun and Tae-Ra attend the networking event accompanied by Pilseung. Han Kyung-Rok, who is also attending the event, notices Pilseung from the picture he received and confronts Jae-Hyun about it. This angers Jae-Hyun, and he asks Director Seoun-dok to get rid of Pilseung. Little do they know that Tae-Ra heard them and now knows they are partners.

Tae-Ra sees Pilseung being taken away. She tries to follow him, but, Jang-Hyun takes her to meet other people at the event. Meanwhile, Hae-Soo received the information on Jake Company and discovered it was under Chairman Kummo’s name. She also discovers that Do-Jin received the documents with Jake Company’s information earlier.

At the networking event, Tae-Ra finally gets away from Jae-Hyun and manages to find Pilseung just before he is taken away and fights off the abductors. Tae-Ra tells Pilseung that she’ll take care of everything, and it’s over now. Pilseung asks Tae-Ra if she’ll come back for him, and she assures him she will. Shortly after, someone cuts off the lights at the event, and when they come back on, Director Seoun-dok has been killed. Tae-Ra returns to Jae-Hyun as there’s commotion concerning Director Seoun-dok’s death and bloodstain on her sleeve.

The Episode Review

So now we know it was Pilseung who killed Hae-Soo’s father. I honestly feel bad for Do-Jin because now Hae-Soo knows Kummo was behind her father’s assassination, she may resent Do-Jin even though he wasn’t involved in his father’s evil schemes.

It’s great that Kyojin is awake, but, surprisingly, Sung-Chan and Jae-Hyun stole his smart patch’s research. Also, who is Sujeong? And why is she significant in Sung-Chan, Do-Jin, and Jae-Hyun’s past? And how does she know the truth about Kyojin’s accident? Well, Director Seoun-dok is now dead and I’m interested to find out if Tae-Ra or Pilseung killed her.