This week’s episodes of ‘Undercover Miss Hong’ have left me on the edge of my seat!
After the tear-jerking and somber episodes last week, this week serves as a welcome reprieve and marks the beginning of the mending arc for Miss Hong’s ambitions. The circumstances surrounding Hong Geum Bo are still precarious; however, they’re also becoming optimistic for her. I can’t wait to dive into this detailed review of Episodes 11 and 12!
Episode 11
Miss Hong has successfully swindled the swindlers, and I couldn’t be happier.
This episode is a perfect example of controlled chaos and the ‘lesser evil’ concept. Geum Bo and Bok Hee successfully accessed and cashed the slush fund without any problems. Shin Jeong U remains blind to Miss Hong’s capabilities due to his own preconceptions, and the Yeouido Pirates are going full pirate mode without restraint.
The episode was full of ‘cat-and-mouse’ moments, with the Yeouido Pirates taking center stage in the chase. In my last review, I mentioned that I had guesses about the Yeouido Pirates and their connection to Hanmin — and I wasn’t disappointed! Miss Hong and Miss Go successfully smoked out the ‘Captain’ of the Yeouido Pirates, and it turned out to be none other than Albert!
I laughed throughout the entire sequence of Miss Hong and Miss Go baiting potential candidates and eventually catching them. I had my doubts, but the way Albert ratted out Lee Yong Gi as his only ‘crewmate’ after being ‘kidnapped’ and ‘tortured’ by the ladies was unnecessarily funny (maybe it was just me?).
Overall, it seemed until the very last few minutes that Miss Hong had the upper hand. However, her disguise didn’t last long, as Albert crashed her birthday celebration and exposed her identity as Hong Geum Bo. The ending sequence featured Miss Hong and the Yeouido Pirates shaking hands to bring down Hanmin’s corruption together.
Episode 12
This episode had me holding in my laughter while trying not to jump in excitement. From the very first scene, plans were brewing and action was being taken. No one sat idle as they fooled, deceived, and manipulated the entire Yeouido circle, along with a certain Hanmin executive, into willingly handing over dirty money and stocks.
The overall vibe of this episode can be best described as ‘money heist,’ because that’s exactly what this team of four executed. The clever planning, tomfoolery, remorseless deception, ultimate betrayal, and chaos blended perfectly with the overarching spy theme. I did feel pretty bad for Albert as his own father couldn’t recognize him simply because he was wearing a mask.
This episode seemed like the start of Hanmin’s downfall and I’m not mad about it. I am, however, concerned about DK Ventures and Shin Jeong U’s involvement in Miss Hong’s carefully planned heist and how it might affect their plans. Chairman Kang is, for the lack of better words, an ‘old fox’, someone who is definitely unwilling to accept defeat.
Final Thoughts
These were feel-good episodes overall. The plot focused more on the stories of the side characters like Miss Hong’s parents and their daily life with Kim Bom, Director Yun’s internal struggles and reasons for taking Hong Geum Bo under his wing, and Oh Dok Gyu’s obliviousness and greed blinding his judgement. It added depth and made understanding each character’s personality even more enjoyable.
I also feel like it’s necessary to point out the tiny pockets of happiness that were depicted in this episode. Despite the amount of stress that each and every character is under, there’s always a glimmer of hope they keep holding onto. It’s beautiful in a tragic way. Each character is a victim of their circumstances, but they still steal and cherish that little bit of wiggle room to be themselves, which came off as very inspirational to me.
What stood out most to me were the subtle ways in which events kept aligning for Miss Hong. Whether by fate or coincidence, most developments seemed to play in her favor — and that’s a good sign. I don’t sense any immediate or inevitable romance in the air (though I am slightly concerned for our young lady Nora), and I hope it stays that way. If romance does develop, I hope it doesn’t become too overwhelming, as that might clash with the overall tone of the plot.
I don’t fully understand all the financial jargon used in the drama. Sometimes it’s even difficult to grasp the intricacies of the schemes executed by Miss Hong and her team due to my limited knowledge of economics. However, once the plans are put into motion, it becomes easier to follow — and enjoyable again. These moments actually turn my viewing sessions into learning opportunities (not by much, though — unless all I could learn is how to launder money? Not exactly a great field of interest, I fear…).
These episodes also signal the inevitable approaching end of the story. I’m glad to see the roommates of Room 301 reunited and going strong. Now, I’m eagerly looking forward to the ultimate battle of wits that’s sure to unfold in the coming episodes.
What were the most memorable moments for you in these two episodes?
Written by: N.V.S. Akanksha
Connect with us on Instagram | X | YouTube for more content, interviews, & news.
