Same Dream

Uncle Samsik Episode 2 brings us back to San’s rousing speech. Afterwards, he’s invited to join the Democratic Party, but Yeojin spirits him away from the enthusiasm, then leaves to check on her father. As San heads home, he meets Samsik over a fallen apple cart.

Samsik asks whether San has really eaten pizza. He’s so impressed with San’s ‘3 meals a day’ bit that he leaves him his business card. Then Samsik heads to check on his gang. They caught everyone except the man they were supposed to – Yoon.

Dec 1, 1959, at the Ministry of Home Affairs, San buys a paper and like the rest of the office, sees his photo. He’s told he’s been moved to the Audit Department. Of course, it’s the speech. San will speak to the Minister himself. But spotting him with Kang in the hallway, he notices that Kang has his plan in hand.

Back to 1960 and the bunker, San recounts the incident to the officer and how Kang looked at him like he wanted to tear him apart. He explains how in that moment, he felt like giving up. And that’s when he met Samsik again, who’d read his plan. He’d received it from Home Affairs, noting he can get anything, from anywhere. And can also read any man instantly. Samsik offers San the presidency or at least a ministerial seat. But only if he’s willing to do what needs to be done.

San digs right into his plan details – can he make it all happen? Samsik says he must breakup with Yeojin first – he can’t rule as the son-in-law of Choo. Has Samsik really had pizza? Can he do what he says? After that night, Samsik pursues San in some way every day. From having him followed on dates to sending gifts to his family. He’s got a great plan for him, but now is not the time to reveal it. Having a full belly really does change your thinking, especially with his measly government salary.

On Dec 15^th, 1959, there’s a meeting at the Innovation Party HQ. A journalist asks Yeojin if she intends to be a housewife when she’d been top of her class. She could join him at his newspaper instead.

Choo addresses his audience, confirming he’ll run for president. Afterwards, he asks San to join him but San wants to think about it. Later, Yeojin asks about the chat with her father and wonders if they should postpone the wedding.

At Seongmin, Minister Choi and Kang discuss the upcoming election and ways to pump up the votes. Like changing local policy and attaining help with polling.

Dec 16^th, 1959, Kang visits Minister Pak Jiwook and asks for his help in influencing the police to help with the election secretly. He immediately agrees.

Samsik visits Yoon in the hospital, now that his leg has been broken. He tells him he’ll have to spy for Kang if he wants to survive, as there’s a hit on him. He’ll need to become part of the Innovation Party and keep an eye on Choo. And give his reign of Dongdaemun to the Seodaemun Gang who beat him up.

Kang attends the Federation meeting, having everyone sign confidentiality agreements and explains that they’ll need to hand over 30% of the complex budget to the election campaign. Ahn Yosub forces everyone to agree.

Afterwards, Samsik meets Kang, advocating to keep Yoon alive. But Kang suggests getting Taemin to help – someone they’d relegated over previous transgressions. Kang promises to send Taemin to Osaka if he succeeds in getting rid of Yoon.

San hears that the Reconstruction Bureau will be shut down. His boss says that all extra departments will be disbanded to work on the election instead. And that a planned economy is communist. San tells his colleagues he won’t give up on their National Reconstruction Plan.

In flashforward, San affirms that Samik had been watching him and aware that the department closed. Samsik had a telephone installed in San’s house and talks to him of his destiny. San explains that Samsik can forge a destiny.

Samsik meets Ahn with a plan to control the whole country by establishing a parliament and buying off the entire National Assembly. They start by fixing ballot boxes. He notes that by cleansing the military they can fix politics and vice versa. Korea is too small for them – they can control the whole world. But they need to shatter Korea first and create something bigger.

Back in the bunker, San sees a blindfolded Samsik brought in for questioning. The officer asks San if it’s Samsik who planned the coup d’etat.

The Episode Review

Samsik the rainmaker – who can control the earth’s rotation and revolution – claims he can make anything happen. How much is bravado? He does seem to know all the right people and be able to influence them. But how can he get beyond the Republic of Korea?

It’s interesting symbolism that San and Samsik meet over an upset apple cart – one that could greatly change San’s perspective and even his dream. Samsik, who’s goals know no bounds, sees a place for San in his schemes. While at first it seems like Samsik is courting San as someone he can raise to rule because of his talents, as we watch, we see that Samsik has much greater ambitions than a single Korean puppet leader.  San is merely a stepping stone to allow Samsik the next greater playing field.

Well, you gotta admire big fat far-reaching strategic thinking. But how far can he really go?

This episode is an easier watch as well as much more compelling. We can see the end, with the whole story in flashback. With San’s testimony of Samsik in a secret a bunker, we know he didn’t succeed, at least not for long. But still, who’s curious on how far he made it?

How did you hear about Uncle Samsik? Let us know in the comments below. 

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