Big Bet: Episode 1 (First Impressions)
by solstices
With such a star-studded cast, it’s clear that Disney+ has made a Big Bet (heh) on its latest release. I’m still not quite sure what to expect, but the drama is confident enough about its tale to set a leisurely pace in telling it.
Editor’s note: If there is sufficient interest, drama coverage will continue with Drama Hangouts.
EPISODE 1 FIRST IMPRESSIONS
We open in 2015, in the Philippines. Two men drive down a road, looking mighty shifty as they pull up outside a building labeled Min’s Consulting. As the driver jams to a jaunty tune in the car, the rider heads inside. Several gunshots later, the rider rushes out with a paper bag containing something worth a man’s life, while the sole witness — mercifully left alive — runs out screaming for help.
In contrast, our leading man CHA MOO-SHIK (Choi Min-shik) is enjoying a leisurely drive with his sworn brother YANG JUNG-PAL (Lee Dong-hwi). Or perhaps “enjoying” isn’t the right word to use, because Jung-pal misquotes a saying, much to Moo-shik’s exasperation. Jung-pal’s carefree nonchalance has Moo-shik heaving a long-suffering sigh, ha. And then I’m sighing too, because this is the only scene of Lee Dong-hwi that we get in this episode.
In any case, Moo-shik arrives at his usual restaurant, where he soon realizes something is wrong. His sharp intuition doesn’t fail him — it’s a trap, and policemen swarm in to arrest him for the murder of Min Seok-joon. Moo-shik swears at them in both Korean and English, but the handcuffs still end up around his wrists.
Later, at a press conference, Moo-shik displays an impassive placidity as he ignores every last one of the reporters’ inquisitive questions. He’s staunchly adamant that he isn’t responsible for the murder, but if that’s the case, how did he end up in this position?
To answer that, the drama rewinds to the past. Very far back to the past, in fact, because we’re taken to Moo-shik’s childhood days in Yangsan. Unable to escape from the clutches of poverty, his mother has no choice but to temporarily leave him to an orphanage. There, Moo-shik spends his days with his best friend Jong-hyun, getting up to all sorts of mischief together like catching fire ants for a small fee (and getting bitten all over).
Against all expectations, Moo-shik’s mother returns for him, but we soon see that life at home isn’t all that pleasant. Moo-shik’s father is a gangster with a violent disposition, and he frequents the prison cell like it’s his second home. Still, he does care about his son — when Moo-shik’s teacher complains that he’s miles behind his peers, Dad takes it upon himself to tutor Moo-shik.
Unfortunately, a leopard never changes its spots. Dad runs a gambling business in their living room, which means he soon ends up back in prison for beating a cheating gambler up. He’s sent to a prison in Daejeon, and both mother and son follow to eke out a living there.
A coincidental run-in has Moo-shik joining Jong-hyun in selling newspapers — and it soon becomes clear that Moo-shik is shrewd beyond his age. Not only does he upsell the newspapers so he can take a larger cut of the profits, but he’s also remarkably astute in targeting and convincing potential customers. Before long, both boys have sold a whole stack of newspapers, with the merry clinking of coins in their pockets to prove it.
Decades later, Moo-shik is now the founder of an English academy. He’s soon approached by old pal AHN CHI-YOUNG (Kim Min-jae), whose slot machine business hasn’t been generating the profits he’d envisioned. His buddy Jong-hyun — now grown up and played by Lee Moon-shik — advised him to seek out Moo-shik, and so Chi-young is here to make a proposal.
Moo-shik is very much intrigued by the casino business, and a visit to Busan — involving many, many games of baccarat — soon convinces him that there’s untapped potential in this field. Alongside Chi-young’s right-hand man LEE SANG-CHEOL (Heo Dong-won), Moo-shik buys a building, recruits dealers, and commissions carpenters. Moo-shik’s gathering all the ingredients for his very own casino, and he certainly isn’t cutting any corners or skimping on his investments.
And so, the premiere episode ends there, with Moo-shik gazing at the seeds of his future empire. We’re still nowhere near the opening scene, and I don’t know whether to feel excitement or trepidation about that. The drama is certainly taking its time to delve into our protagonist’s past, and while it’s certainly an interesting backstory, it does slow down the pacing quite a bit.
As such, I can’t quite decide how I feel about Big Bet so far. I’m very much endeared by little Moo-shik, but that doesn’t quite carry over to adult Moo-shik. The time jump between both was so wide that I can’t quite connect the two, even if they both display that razor-sharp business acumen. Perhaps the gap would have been better bridged with an appearance by Lee Kyu-hyung, who’s slated to play Moo-shik in his younger days — or maybe that’s just my fangirl side talking!
On that note, the other downside to the extended flashback is that we don’t get to see the rest of Big Bet’s impressive cast just yet. With names like Sohn Seok-gu, Ryu Hyun-kyung, and Heo Sung-tae attached to this project, I’m sure many viewers — me included — were looking forward to seeing them, but alas.
Of course, that just increases the anticipation for the following episodes — but the question is, are we motivated to get there? Unfortunately, I’m not quite sure. The premiere was decently entertaining, but it didn’t build up enough intrigue or emotional investment for me. Perhaps I might drop back in if I hear good things along the grapevine — I’m curious whether this big bet will pay off, after all.
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Big Bet: Episode 1 (First Impressions)
Source: Buzz Pinay Daily
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