Based on the New York Times bestseller of the same name, Pachinko is a masterful sweeping saga chronicling the hopes and dreams of a Korean immigrant family across four generations.
One of Apple TV+’s most overlooked gems, the show delves deeply into themes of generational trauma, survival, and legacy across several decades and divided timelines. Even though it is based on the critically acclaimed book by Min Jin Lee, it takes great pleasure in telling the book’s original tale in fresh, captivating ways.
Episode 3 of “Pachinko” season 2 is currently available on Apple TV+. We previously followed Sunja’s life in the second season, which took place a few years after Isak’s arrest. She was selling kimchi and supporting Mozasu and Noa on her own.
She continued to hope for Isak’s return while struggling to make ends meet. Isak came home one day, but he was not well. She, therefore, asked Hansu for assistance in getting Isak better. In return, Hansu requested that she move to a different town because Osaka was under imminent threat from bombs.
Isak’s condition was fatal, unluckily. But Solomon, for his part, tried in vain to secure money for this new endeavor. In the end, Solomon discovered information regarding Han Guem-ja’s location in Japan that he could use to restore Katsu Abe’s chances.
In the third episode, Sunja, Kyunghee, and the kids move with Hansu’s assistance. To make a generous offer, Solomon contacts Tom Andrews at Shiffley’s. In his relationship with Naomi, he also makes progress.
Pachinko Season 2 Episode 3: Sunja and Her Family Escape the City
In Episode 3, the story starts in almost complete darkness, making it hard to see at first. Despite this, the sounds of planes and air sirens indicate that the war has reached the city. Sunja and her family are seen struggling to stay together, and Hansu (played by Lee Minho) gathers them to tell Sunja and Kyunghee that they need to leave right away. Sunja reassures Kyunghee that Hansu is a family friend, which isn’t exactly a lie.
Hansu’s right-hand man, Mr. Kim, helps them pack, and they rush to leave the city. Sunja asks for help from her friends, but they cannot stop. People plead for mercy as explosions fill the background.
The family arrives at the countryside house arranged by Hansu. When they ask about returning home, Hansu responds, “I doubt your home is even standing now.” None of the women wants to stay. Sunja is afraid to accept Hansu’s assistance, and Kyunghee doesn’t want to live with Mr. Kim or be far from her husband, worrying about owing him even more now.
Will Noa begin to question Hansu’s real identity as well? Sunja talks about how much has changed in 14 years since she first met Hansu in a self-reflective moment: “I am no longer the girl at the cove… Similar to my mother, I am now a widow.” As is customary for Sunja, she leaves while weeping softly and accepting her fate.
In later scenes, Hansu makes more appearances and brightens things up for Sunja and Kyunghee. He brings newspapers, candy, and a radio for the family. Hansu also gives the boys a kite, creating a lighthearted moment before numerous planes take off.
Mr. Kim reassures the terrified family that they are heading north, away from them and Kyunghee’s husband. The weight of war seems to always find a way to return, even in the brief moments when they can escape it.
In Pachinko Season 2 Episode 3, a stakeout creates excitement
Mosazu appears unaffected by the move to the countryside, even though a thief is stealing their eggs. Mr. Kim suggests conducting a stakeout to catch the thief. While waiting, the boys question Mr. Kim about his background, and he shares that he first met Hansu on the docks about fifteen years ago, believing that Hansu helped him escape a difficult life.
When the Japanese seized control of Mr. Kim’s family farm in Korea, a clerk misreported the property’s area. As a result, the land was taken from them because his father couldn’t pay the tax bill. His parents’ marriage broke down, and his younger siblings were sent away. One day, his father left for the fields and never returned. Mr. Kim says, “I buried him there, where his potatoes once grew.”
The narrative offers insight into a private man; his sincerity about his background moves Kyunghee. The crew discovers a group of boys stealing eggs. One of them is Noa’s former classmate, who used to bully her.
The boy explains they are refugees and constantly hungry. Despite initial disapproval, Noa shows kindness by letting the boy go and giving him some eggs. Mr. Kim praises Noa’s decision, saying, “It’s better to have an enemy owe you than the other way around.”
Pachinko Season 2 Episode 3: Solomon’s struggle for achievement
The elder Sunja is approached by an older man named Jun Kunimura at a supermarket. He compliments her grandson’s courage, making Sunja uneasy. Later, she runs into the man again while feeding the birds in a park.
Solomon is a good boy, but he’s struggling at the moment. The man asks, “You can’t blame him for not living in a world gone mad, can you?” This is the ideal way to compare Sunja’s previous timeline with 1989, both taking place in a world where the struggles of Korean Americans are downplayed and ignored.
Sunja admits she had assumed Solomon’s life would be much simpler. The man responds, “Life is never easy… unless we’re gods.” Then, he chases the birds away as the scene ends, and the birds soar into the sky.
Solomon tells Tom that Abe-san is the new target when he returns to Shiffley’s. Tom is initially reluctant to assist, but Solomon convinces him by acknowledging his desire to see his children more frequently and persuading him to potentially help return to the United States.
Solomon tells Naomi that the landowner has chosen to sell. He also believes that Naomi should be running the place due to her intelligence and work ethic. After expressing his support for her, tension grows between them in the elevator. They later decide to date, and Solomon takes her for yakitori at a small restaurant.
Solomon decides to be honest with Naomi, declaring that he is tired of living a lie. However, he does not want Naomi to believe she is being tricked into entering a relationship.
He says, “You’re free to walk away, no hard feelings,” but he also adds, “I’m not always going to be this low,” which is an open admission of Solomon’s feelings about himself. After contemplating, Naomi raises a glass to him with her beer. It’s a subdued acknowledgment of Solomon’s words and the real beginning of their relationship away from work.
Pachinko Season 2 Episode 3 “Chapter Eleven” Ending Explained:
I. Why does Noa choose to forgive his former classmate for stealing eggs?
Sunja plays kites on the farm with Hansu, Noa, and Mozasu. All of a sudden, they all see planes taking off and landing. In Nagasaki, Kyunghee wonders if her husband is the target of these. Chang-ho makes an effort to decompress. He explains to her that to prevent her husband from being killed, the planes are heading north.
Even so, Kyunghee can’t stop thinking about him. Hansu warns Noa before bed that he must never forget his father, and Isak worries about Hansu’s ever-present influence. Young Mozasu discovers shortly after that some of their produce’s eggs are frequently missing. To catch the offender, he intends to set up a trap. Chang-ho proposes a scheme to apprehend the offender right away.
Chang-ho and Noa, Mozasu, and Kyunghee keep an eye on the produce location at night. They discover a Japanese boy who steals eggs for his family is the culprit. He was the classmate who made fun of Noa for being Korean. Chang-ho thus lets Noa choose the child’s penalty.
Noa extends mercy to him in light of Isak’s lesson and the pastor taught him. After learning that, Chang-ho offers him every egg he has come to steal so that his family won’t go without food. Solomon tries to defend his professional plans against Abe during a date with Naomi 1989. She responds to his proposal without saying anything. She is aware of the motivation behind his actions, though.
About Pachinko
Pachinko is a 2022 Korean drama from Apple TV+ directed by American actor-director Justin Cho and Kogonada, a South Korean filmmaker. The series is based on a trilogy of the same name written by Lee Min-jin, who also serves as an executive producer.
The drama stars history-making Academy-award winner Youn Yuh-jung, veteran Lee Min-ho, Jin Ha, Anna Sawai, Soji Arai and debuts Kim Min-ha.
The emotional rollercoaster of an epic saga, Pachinko lays bear the generational journey full of struggle, love, betrayal and choices by following the life of a Korean immigrant family.
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