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The Impossible Heir Ep 11-12 Review: Lee Jae Wook, Lee Jun Young's final battle for power gets fitting yet predictable end
Business thriller K-drama The Impossible Heir starring Lee Jae Wook, Lee Jun Young, Hong Su Zu released its final two episodes-11 and 12. Let’s take a look at the finale episodes as we review them .
Name: The Impossible Heir (로얄로더 in Korean)
Premiere date: February 28, 2024
Cast: Lee Jae Wook, Lee Jun Young, and Hong Su Zu
Director: Min Yeon Hong, Lee Hyang Bon
Writer: Choi Won
Number of episodes: 12
Genre: Thriller, Business, Drama, Political
Language: Korean
Where to watch: Disney+
The Impossible Heir plot
The Impossible Heir narrates the tale of three underdogs who unite to create a plan and take over Korea's biggest conglomerate Kang Oh. Lee Jae Wook portrays Han Tae Oh, the son of a murderer, while Lee Jun Young takes on the role of Kang In Ha, the illegitimate son of a chaebol chairman. Hong Su Zu plays Na Hye Won, burdened with debt due to her mother's gambling habits.
Quick recap of episodes 11 and 12 of The Impossible Heir
Episode 11 opens with a fiery clash between Han Tae Oh and Kang In Ha. Later, Gi Jun, upon hearing from In Ha, meets a tragic end at the hands of a prison guard, following In Ha's orders. Tae Oh extends invitations to both Seong Ju and In Ha, and later reveals himself as the co-CEO of Gold H Investment company. Seeking revenge against Tae Oh, In Ha orchestrates the release of his father from prison, who then visits Tae Oh's mother, who is now a monk. During a confrontation between Tae Oh's father and mother, the latter slips, resulting in her death. Elsewhere, Geum Suk is arrested, prompting Seong Ju to bail out his mother. Meanwhile, In Ha sin the press conference organized by Seong Ju declared himself as the acting chairman. Later, Seong Ju attends a heartbroken Tae Oh's mother's funeral, stressing the need for them to unite against their common enemy, In Ha. The next day, In Ha finds himself arrested by the prosecution for the murders of In Ju and Gi Jun, with Tae Oh revealed as the mastermind behind the arrest.
In the finale, Episode 12, we witness In Ha's arrest, while Tae Oh mourns his mother's death and reflects on his choices. Seong Ju confronts his mother, refusing to be her pawn any longer. In Ha's arrest halts his schemes. During his questioning, it's revealed to him that Gi Jun is alive, saved by Tae Oh, and now ready to confess their wrongdoings. While he is in prison, In Ha receives a notice changing his surname to Baek. Tae Oh is later called by Hee Ju and he learns that Chairman Kang survived. In court, In Ha is sentenced to life and later has a final conversation with Tae Oh, finding closure before he commits suicide. Fast forward three years, Tae Oh rises as chairman of the Kang Oh group, with Hye Won assisting the president, and Hee Ju traveling abroad, some finding solace, others facing consequences, and concluding the story.
The Impossible Heir episode 11-12 review
The plot of the finale was all over the place. Some characters popped up randomly, while others vanished without a trace. It felt like the storyline was pulling in different directions, leaving gaping holes. What was the deal with In Ju and Park Sa Jin’s daughter? Their relationship was brought up as Park Sa Jin’s daughter talked about it to his father, but never explored it, leaving us scratching our heads. And let's talk about the court’s verdicts: Tae Oh got a death sentence, which seemed extreme. But then In Ha gets a life sentence for the same crime? That doesn't add up at all.
Character development was a mess too. In Ha went from being a psychopath to suddenly regretting everything, and Seong Ju, who spent the whole show following his mother's orders, suddenly decides he's had enough. Where's the middle ground? People don't just flip a switch like that; it takes time to build up to those changes.
And adding to that, what about Hee Chan? He was introduced as Hee Ju’s fiancé, and then... nothing. We're left hanging with no clue what happened to him. Even In Ha's death felt unnecessary since he was simply sentenced to prison as the main antagonist. Similarly, Tae Oh's reveal as the final "Impossible Heir" lacked the expected impact as the ultimate final twist in the story. Overall, while the loose ends were tied up in the end, the plot could have been much better written. It needed more coherence and development to truly satisfy the audience.
The Impossible Heir acting performances
Lee Jun Young's acting in the role of Kang In Ha truly stole the spotlight. He delivered an outstanding performance, capturing the essence of such a complex character with incredible finesse. Despite the somewhat inconsistent plot, Jun Young's portrayal injected depth and intrigue into the storyline. His subtle smirks and intense eerie gazes sent shivers down the spine, evoking a range of emotions for In Ha from hatred to pity, despite the plot's changes. He undeniably shone as the star of the show, even in the role of the antagonist.
Lee Jae Wook too captivated audiences with both his striking looks and remarkable acting throughout the show. His portrayal of intense emotions, particularly during his mother's death and his struggle to prove innocence while in jail, left a lasting impact, bringing tears to many viewers' eyes. Despite being relatively new to the industry, he excelled, with his expressions and gazes while portraying his character, always making his audience root for him. Even though the storyline's ending may have seemed rushed, his convincing portrayal made it believable, simply because it was Lee Jae Wook. Han Tae Oh's character owed much of its depth due to Lee Jae Wook's stellar performance.
Hong Su Zu's performance, unfortunately, fell short, appearing stiff and lacking compared to her real-life persona which we witnessed in behind-the-scenes of the show. However, considering her relative newness in the industry, there's hope for improvement in the future. On the other hand, Choi Hee Jin, despite her limited screen time with Lee Jae Wook, quickly became a fan favorite, with audiences rooting for her happy ending. Other characters, portrayed by seasoned actors, were somewhat underutilized but still delivered solid performances, contributing to the overall success of the show.
The Impossible Heir- overall review
Overall, the show had significant potential with its star-studded cast and intriguing plotline. The first two episodes set a promising tone. However, instead of solely focusing on making Kang In Ha the villain, the writers could have delved deeper into the dynamics of the lead's bromance and power politics, which would have added depth to the storyline as they could have taken down Kang Oh together. Even their being against each other as enemies didn't have much impact and was only believable due to the acting of Lee Jae Wook and Lee Jun Young. This could have been written much better.
The predictability of the plot, with the unexpected death of In Ha at the end, felt unnecessary, making it a drawback. There was missed potential in exploring the power struggle among the main trio in a more compelling manner. Despite the show tying up loose ends neatly, it ultimately became bogged down by slow pacing and inconsistencies in the plot. With such a talented cast, the show had the opportunity to be something truly remarkable but unfortunately fell short of expectations.
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