What lengths can one go to for ambition, power, and fame? Husband and wife duo Bang Tae Seop (Ju Ji Hoon) and Chu Sang Ah (Ha Ji Won) are unstoppable when it comes to serving their interests. Manipulation is second nature to them, and even as they stand on the brink of destruction, the two remain steadfast and unshakeable.

As we saw last week in “Climax,” Sang Ah’s sex scandal broadcast has derailed Tae Seop’s political ambitions. Lee Yang Mi (Cha Joo Young), the chief perpetrator, has proven that she is the one scripting their lives. But is she? It seems the husband and wife have yet another ace up their sleeve.

From mind games to psychological blackmail and intimidation, Tae Seop and Sang Ah prove that whatever the stakes, they are the ones calling the shots. Here are three shocking turns that happened in the finale episodes.

Tae Seop chooses his side

Tae Seop and Sang Ah are two sides of the same coin. The two play the victim card to the hilt when it suits them and gaslight when it does not. Both thrive on the premise that they have survived hell to achieve whatever they have, even if it means trampling over the other.

Sang Ah’s scandal is the top national headline, and for someone who has been violated, she looks unfazed. So much so that one wonders if she was in the know that she was being filmed. From what we have seen of Sang Ah, it is evident she can play and serve however it suits her.

But this time around, the infallible Tae Seop is down on his knees. His wife cheating on him hasn’t upset him as much as what he stands to lose because of the scandal. This is the first time one sees him broken. Through the worst of situations, he has had a know it all smirk on his face, giving us an inkling that he may be down, but never out. But this is the first time he looks utterly devastated. The party has asked him to step down, announcing his departure, and public opinion has turned against him.

He can no longer expose Guk Won, the rival candidate’s fraud. Even the investor, Lee Yang Mi’s former husband, sends goons to beat him up and withdraws his investment.

The blame game starts. Tae Seop accuses Sang Ah of being selfish. She turns around and tells him he only sees his interests over hers. She tells him that had he colluded with Yang Mi, all this wouldn’t have happened. Sang Ah reveals that Jeong Won had drugged her and filmed their intimate moments together, at the behest of Yang Mi.

Browbeaten for once, Tae Seop holds a press conference apologizing for the inconvenience caused and steps away from the campaign. Known to be adamant and unapologetic, he stands on the edge and needs to choose his side. He makes his way to Yang Mi, well aware that he has to do her bidding, and he will, whatever it takes.

From what we have seen of Yang Mi, she is a woman without an emotional radar or a moral compass. She makes her move first on Tae Seop, telling him she has always had a thing for him. It’s unexpected, yet inevitable. Yang Mi has had a Sang Ah complex and clearly wants anything she has. Tae Seop, who has never once cheated on his wife, given their own arrangement, succumbs to Yang Mi.

Soon after, she tells him to visit the ancestral grave of Guk Won’s family member and perform a ritual as informed by her fortune teller. In return, she will have him reinstated in Guk Won’s party. Tae Seop looks destroyed and helpless, but there seems no other way out.

Yang Mi, who is enjoying his suffering, tells him that if he makes one wrong move, things will get worse. Tae Seop has chosen his side, and he is not going to mess this up. But as of now, he is the one being controlled, and it is clear he hates it.

With Tae Seop on Yang Mi’s side and Sang Ah on the opposite, the battle lines have been clearly drawn. But in this charade, it is still unclear who holds the upper hand.

Sang Ah and Tae Seop regroup

The split between Tae Seop and Sang Ah is wide open. He has chosen to align with Yang Mi, and if you think this move has left Sang Ah bereft, it’s far from it. The couple is just leading separate lives.

Sang Ah has always been an unreadable sort, masking her emotions and weighing her responses. The few times she has acted out of character have been in front of Jeong Won, and it is clear her feelings run deep. But this time, Sang Ah wants to protect Tae Seop; she feels she owes it to him. She messages him that the two should look for a way to bring Yang Mi down.

Soon after the broadcast, Jeong Won is ordered by Yang Mi’s people to disappear for good. She doesn’t budge, holding her ground. It is clear she has something on them. She coolly tells them, “If I spill what I have, we all go to hell.”

One would think Sang Ah would be upset that Jeong Won filmed the two of them together at Yang Mi’s orders. But it’s far from it. She sees this as a way to hit back at Yang Mi, well aware that Jeong Won has intel. She meets her, and not one to waste time on sentiments, asks her to divulge what she knows. Jeong Won tells Sang Ah it is best to let Yang Mi be and not get involved any further.

Yang Mi’s people have been shadowing Sang Ah, and Jeong Won, on seeing a hitman approach Sang Ah with a knife, turns around and takes the attack. She sacrifices herself for Sang Ah; it is clear she cares deeply for her. Despite the grim nature of the circumstances, Jeong Won has finally been set free, free from being constantly used and manipulated. Sang Ah looks shocked, and her expression is the same when Ji Soo had died, one of helplessness and regret.

However, at the questioning, Sang Ah appears calm and composed. When Tae Seop arrives, she testily asks him if he regrets that it wasn’t her. He looks pitiful, having turned into a Yang Mi stooge and hating his own predicament. This is a first for him, as he is usually the one plotting the moves.

As they walk out, they see Jeong Won’s aide, Woo Shik, being held hostage and charged for the murder. Sang Ah wants to shield him, but Tae Seop warns her not to. Taking on Yang Mi could prove fatal for all.

The couple, despite their differences and issues, are fighting the same evil — the rich who manipulate the underdogs. Tae Seop and Sang Ah, as we have seen, don’t play fair; they play dirty and they play rough. If we have learnt one thing about the two, it is that they hate their lives being scripted by others and dislike being secondary players. Though they can trample on anyone, they are co-dependent on each other, always keeping their cards close.

Tae Seop visits the mortuary and registers himself as next of kin to Jeong Won. As he goes through her belongings, he finds a pen drive, and the contents are explosive.

It clearly shows Yang Mi as the one behind Jae Sang’s death. We finally see the old Tae Seop surfacing. He shows the contents, carefully edited to his advantage, to Yang Mi. Though she says it is not incriminating enough, he insists it could be, and he has a deal.

Jeong Won, even in death, is dishonored, portrayed as an aspirational actor whose murky and violent past caught up with her. The so-called sex clip is showcased as a scene from the film “Four Seasons,” uploaded by someone to derail Tae Seop’s career and malign Sang Ah’s reputation.

Yang Mi reinstates Tae Seop’s career; he is now advisor to Guk Won. Sang Ah is back in business, winning praise for her acting. Even though it was used against her, it only went on to prove how wonderful an actor she is.

The toast of the town, Sang Ah attends the premiere of her film and wins acclaim for her performance. But victory doesn’t taste sweet, with Yang Mi still a thorn in her side.

She hands over a diary to Tae Seop which details the exploitation she had suffered at the hands of Oh Kwang Jae. It also lists several influential people who were involved and are now bankrolling the presidential campaign. She asks Tae Seop to use the proof in the diary. He looks visibly uncomfortable reading it, confronted with the extent of her exploitation.

We once again notice a rare flicker of emotion which comes and goes on his face. Does he possibly care for Sang Ah more than he is willing to admit? He is shocked since his usually disinterested and aloof wife has never stepped up for him, especially after she has got what she wants.

Tae Seop and Sang Ah may be back in the spotlight for all the right reasons, but their nemesis Yang Mi is the one calling the shots. So, they get ready to set the stage for their final act.

Climax set in motion

The wheels have been set in motion. Tae Seop and his legendary two-faced optics are back in business. Yang Mi has appointed him as advisor to Guk Won during the campaign, but Tae Seop’s own political ambitions come simmering to the surface. He has never been the kind to lie low, and it makes you wonder how he plans to play.

Armed with Sang Ah’s diary and the pen drive left by Jeong Won, Tae Seop devises his master plan. He reaches out to the opposition and hands over evidence of Guk Won’s financial misdeeds. Meanwhile, Sang Ah approaches a TV network with footage from the pen drive which clearly shows Yang Mi ordering Jae Sang’s death. Both husband and wife have their plan in place.

Tae Seop is not someone who puts all his eggs — in this case, evidence — in one basket. He is well aware that Yang Mi wants Guk Won to pass the inheritance bill, which will allow her illegitimate daughter access to Chairman Kwon’s wealth once he becomes President. This sets up his next move.

He tells Guk Won he will expose his scandal if he continues to work with Yang Mi. If he drops her and helps them expose her instead, his scandal will never be revealed. Of course, Tae Seop never does anything for free. In return, he should grant Tae Seop the position of Secretary of State.

One has to applaud this man and his ingenuity. Guk Won agrees. Yang Mi is arrested, along with her accomplices. Sang Ah, standing as a bystander as Yang Mi is being publicly humiliated, smirks as if goading her downfall. The ball is in her court for once. But you can’t help but root for Yang Mi’s downfall, since she is one of the most despicable characters, one who abuses her position and plays people.

The contents of Sang Ah’s diary lead to a wider investigation. Guk Won is seen as a man devoted to the well-being of the nation and both Tae Seop and Sang Ah as citizens who took the hit for truth and justice.

Guk Won wins the election, and Tae Seop is appointed Secretary of Civil Affairs. Sang Ah is winning accolades across the world for her work and delivers an equally unforgettable performance on stage as she receives her Best Actor nod. Playing to the galleries in typical Sang Ah style, she takes a dig at Yang Mi and the media for shaping her as an artist. However, the only time we see her break character is when she imagines both Jeong Won and Jisoo in the audience. Her eyes turn moist for a fraction — it is her way of acknowledging that her victory has been shaped by the sacrifices of these two women who loved her.

As Tae Seop climbs up the stairs of the Blue House, and he stops short to take in the view from the top. As he stands alone, it is clear he is not done yet; he hasn’t come this far to serve those who can still trample over him. Tae Seop has an insatiable greed, and somewhere within him is a son who has never been able to avenge his father’s death.

Tae Seop’s manipulations operate beyond anyone’s radar, and the way his mind works is almost incomprehensible. We see that in his next move when he approaches the WR Group and tells Kwon Jong Uk (Oh Jung Se) he is aware that Jong Uk has been engaging in malpractices along with his father’s doctor so that Chairman Kwon doesn’t wake up. Tae Seop would keep his secret, which he is an expert at, for something in return. This time he wants full control of the now headless WR Group, while Jong Uk would merely be a puppet CEO.

The table has been set. Both Tae Seop and Sang Ah are winning hearts and playing the perfect power couple, both on top of their game. Tae Seop is the new poster boy of politics and has been elected Mayor, while Sang Ah continues to rise. The two play the ambitious yet committed couple to the hilt.

But there comes another twist: Chairman Kwon has woken up from his coma. And Yang Mi has been granted a pardon and will be back soon. When bad news comes, it comes from all corners. Though Tae Seop seems unmoved, Sang Ah looks shaken after she gets a call from Yang Mi, saying she is coming for her.

The stress leads to Sang Ah overdosing at Tae Seop’s swearing-in; he finds her just in the nick of time. It is clear he is worried that he may once again lose everything because of his wife and her ways. As he gets her cleaned up, the two walk hand in hand for the ceremony with the camera zooming in on their backs as they enter the auditorium.

Is this the end, or the beginning of the hell that both Sang Ah and Tae Seop have always spoken about? Will there be a “Climax 2”? We can only wait and watch since Yang Mi may be down but not out.

Start watching “Climax”:

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Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yoo Yeon Seok and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.