Pachinko Season 1 Episode 6 Review: New Aspirations
Michael T. Stack
at
.
Solomon continued to deal with the downfall of his choices at work while also finally finding Hana.
Pachinko Season 1 Episode 6 added another layer to the story: Sunja's first son.
When we thought they planned on keeping this character out of the show, they brought in a strong book character towards the end of the season.
Sunja's second son, Muzasu, has been a supporting character on the show since Pachinko Season 1 Episode 1, but her other son from the novel, Noa, has been missing.
The timelines that the series sets itself in do appear after Noa leaves the family behind in the novel, so it makes sense that they'd use it as a twist.
Sunja's first son, Noa, is the son of Koh Hansu.
This means that the son that we see a lot of, Muzasu, is the legitimate son of Isak, Sunja's husband.
Grandma Sunja told the story of her other son and that she ruined his life, Hana.
Solomon (and his entire family) found Hana in a hospital: she was dying of AIDS.
At the end of Pachinko Season 1 Episode 5, Hana revealed to Solomon that she ended up in the hospital and was dying.
However, we learn that they had a closer relationship than previously revealed during this episode.
This throws a wrench into us thinking they would be good romantic partners because Hana's mom is dating Solomon's dad.
Hana's mother, Etsuko, fought the doctors to keep her in the hospital even though they wanted to refuse her treatment as an AIDS patient.
Pachinko already deals with many severe topics like familial trauma, racism, and unwed pregnancy in the early 1900s.
Making Hana a more significant character than in the book has proved to be a big difference, but a good one.
We are getting a little tired of the disjointed storytelling, and it got a bit distracting during this hour.
We understand that the characters are remembering things and that the story is being told from all different points of time.
But the jumping back and forth in the middle of conversations turned us off during this episode.
It didn't affect the main plot of the story or the quality of the episode entirely, but it was a bit distracting.
We were surprised to see young Solomon, but it did help establish the kind of relationship he had with Hana (and his father).
Mozasu decided to send Solomon off to America after getting caught shoplifting (Hana influenced him).
Solomon blames his family for many things, including him blaming his Grandmother for losing his job.
They argued about the true meaning of success, and it pulled at our heartstrings.
The performances in this show have always been incredible, but this segment provided us with some fantastic pieces of acting.
Seeing Hana in person was a real treat, and Mari Yamamoto proved an excellent addition.
One of the most beautiful parts of the episode came from Etsuko's (Hana's mother) relationship with her daughter.
Hana: Do I... look hideous to you?
Etsuko: I only worry that you are in pain. You are still my Hana. Nothing will ever change that.
No matter what, Etsuko vowed to stay with her daughter and care for her.
It was a beautiful moment, and it stems from a story not often discussed on modern-day screens.
We often do not see women as victims of AIDS in mainstream media, much less Asian women.
Seeing this side of the AIDS story from across the world was unexpected but greatly appreciated.
It adds another absorbing layer to this multi-layered show, and it's something that may prove to be a bit provocative (but in a good way).
The writers seem to be approaching it respectfully while also raising the conversation on AIDS to other parts of the world: It's not something that's seen too often.
We see many different AIDS stories from men in America or Europe, but it's rare to see it from a woman in Asia.
This is a brave story to tackle, especially because her diagnosis wasn't directly mentioned in Min Jin Lee's novel.
Making it a part of the main storyline, so far, has proven to become a necessary change to the novel, as it is brilliant.
We enjoy the non-serious parts of the show, but they handle the severe storyline with grace and respect.
Pachinko continues to amaze us.
The sweeping landscapes, great camera angles, and stellar performances combine to make a near-perfect series.
We seriously hope that the final two episodes of the season are not the show's last.
Every week we get more and more impressed by the storyline, direction, production value, and beauty of the series.
The book is rich with many more storylines and plot threads, and it does seem like an easy thing to extend (seeing as they just introduced a major book character more than halfway through the season).
Here's to hoping that we get to see many more seasons of Pachinko, but for now, let's celebrate these amazing segments.
So Fanatics, what did you think about the reveal of the other son?
Were you as shocked as we were?
Let us know in the comments below! Pachinko is presented in Japanese, Korean, and English and airs Fridays on Apple TV+.
Michael Stack is a former writer for TV Fanatic..
