Beyond the Bar – K-drama Episode 1 Recap & Review

The Review Geek

2 days ago

Induction
Episode 1 of Beyond the Bar begins with an introduction to Yullim Law Firm. Ko Seung-cheol is the managing partner of the firm, while Seo Yeon-su, is the head of financial Law.
We also have Jung Ji-ung, who's the head of Antitrust Law, and Hong Do-yun, the head of Corporate Law. Finally, there's Yoon Seok-hoon, the head of Litigation.
These guys are viewed as the pillars for the business, and oversee their respective departments with a keen eye for detail. It's a big day at the firm though as a group of Entry Level candidates vie for a place in the firm.
Unfortunately, Kang Hyo-min doesn't make a great first impression. She's one of the recruits and she shows up late for the group interview. Her shoes are scuffed, she's got a stain on her shirt and she's flustered.
Unfortunately, time is money when it comes to these cutthroat lawyers and she's kicked out before it even begins, with Seok-hoon leading the charge in booting her out the door.
However, Hyo-min is no joke. She actually won the 12th National Law School Mock Trials and as we find out later on in the episode, her parents are also big players in the law scene.
She's the daughter of prolific Chief Judge, Kang Il-chan, while her mother is Professor Choi Eun-hee at SNU Law.
She's intelligent, eloquent and confident. She's also honest, but believes in justice. Hyo-min also has a keen eye when it comes to the law, and several scenarios (after being brought back into the group interview process) prove how intelligent she is.
Despite her virtuous traits, Hyo-min knows that moral and legal standards don't always align when it comes to judgments, and she never lets her own emotions get in the way of what the law states.
Hyo-min impresses the interviewers though and she manages to get invited into the Induction the following day. Team Intros are given by the various partners and out of all of them, Seok-hoon is the only one who doesn't sugar-coat what it's like working here. He gives a no-nonsense speech about how tough it'll be to work in Litigation.
Unlike the other lawyers and bright-eyed newbies, Seok-hoon reminds everybody that after the initial probation period, performance reviews will actually determine which half will stay and which will be booted out.
It's very much survival of the fittest and while everyone bemoans their chances and worries about their future, avoiding litigation like the plague, Hyo-min is the one who decides to take up the challenge. Seok-hoon is not happy.
The partner doesn't trust her and given she was two minutes late to the group interview, he immediately sees her as a liability.
Now, Seok-hoon isn't the only one in charge of Litigation. There's also Kim Yul-seong, who happens to be the division head of the litigation team. The team have had a decent win rate recently, courtesy of Heo Min-jeong, one of the associates, but for now we don't see a whole lot of these two characters. I'm guessing though, they'll be important in the chapters ahead.
The new recruits aren't limited to just Hyo-min though, and while the others haven't picked litigation as their first choice, they've been thrown into the lion's den all the same. Hyo-min's boisterous friend, Guk-hyeon is here, while they're also joined by Sang-cheol and Ho-yeon.
Hyo-min's first task comes from the Gangdong City Gas advisory case. After delivering a decent claim, she sits in on the shareholder meeting but notices a discrepancy in their numbers. Over the last seven years, only Onpyeong's revenue has dropped sharply.
Hyo-min shows up at Onpyeong Hot Springs to take a closer look, but she winds up neglecting work as a result. Seok-hoon is not happy when she shows up two days later, sporting wet hair and flimsy excuses.
Seok-hoon is ready to hit her with disciplinary measures for skipping work, but Hyo-min bites back, explaining what she's been up to. She points out that she's been 'working off-site'.
Hyo-min reveals that the bathhouses are the biggest consumers of gas and Onpyeong has been open for over 30 years. So why the sudden drop in revenue?
Well, given they're open 24 hours a day, she deduces that the usage amounts have been manipulated. Some of the gas has been stolen, which amounts to 2486839 cubic meters to be precise!
Hyo-min has the documents to back up her theory too, and the court case looks set to be settled in the region of 3.8 billion won. This puts Hyo-min in a very favourable light, and she even makes her mark at the courthouse too, while Seok-hoon watches on.
Despite getting the right outcome, Seok-hoon is quick to remind her that this doesn't excuse her absences and Hyo-min will need to tighten up her act if she wants to stay in litigation.
The Episode Review
Beyond the Bar is the latest law drama on Netflix and this first episode gets off to a decent start.
We've got the usual cold, confident male protagonist alongside the plucky underdog protégé, not to mention a whole host of different characters to bolster out the supporting group. What's here though has the makings of something really endearing.
The episode is nicely paced too and certainly doesn't drag on unnecessarily. The introduction to Hyo-min is a nice way of showcasing her talents, including her intelligence and tenacity to succeed. However, nothing here is over the top and it would appear that the show is going to play it straight rather than throw in a lot of comedy to lighten the mood.
There's already some interesting threads at work, including the nuggets about Hyo-min's family and her seedy boyfriend, whom I'd imagine she's going to break up with soon.
The concept in Beyond the Bar is interesting but we'll have to see whether Hyo-min is going to steamroll her through every case or if there will be some bumps along the way. Roll on the next episode.
Next Episode
Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!