Disney+Hotstar has yet again come up with a Korean drama, The Impossible Heir, that is a mishmash of a love triangle, friendship, family feuds, and a plan for revenge. From the first two episodes, it can be concluded that the series is supposed to have a power-packed plot, nurturing multiple subplots. The real fun begins when the illegitimate son of the Kangoh group becomes friends with a talented young man with no family backing to boast of. Will Taeoh be able to guide Inha to become an heir to the Kangoh group? What is to become of their mutual attraction for Na Hyewon? Let’s find out what director Min Yeon-hong (who has ably directed many K-dramas like Touch and Insider) has in store for us.
Spoilers Ahead
How Did Inha And Taeoh Become Friends?
Inha and Taeoh’s first encounter made us anticipate that the two would be arch-enemies. When Taeoh arrived in a rural area, he learned that Inha was the illegitimate child of the Kangoh group. Taeoh realized that Inha was a punk when he saw him stealing from a convenience store. When he approached Inha about his deeds, he said that everyone around the area chose to ignore his acts, as he knew that he was one of the most powerful men’s sons around. The first sign of aggression between the two young men is seen when Inha invites Taeoh to an MMA match. Despite not having proper training, Taeoh manages to win as his past traumas kick in. He saw his abusive father in Inha and trashed him as hard as he could, so as to vent all his aggression.
When Taeoh joined Kangoh High School, Inha tried monkeying around with him. But when he eventually realized that partnering with him would benefit him rather than being his enemy, he tried extending a friendly hand to him. Taeoh told him that he and his mother had been victims of domestic violence at the hands of his father at an early age. Later, his father murdered his mother and honed his skills behind bars. Both Taeoh and Inha came to a mutual decision to help each other. While Taeoh would help Inha with his studies (as he wanted to go to Hanguk University with him), in return, Inha would help him get recognition in society and not be just another outcast. The past traumas in Taeoh had pushed him to desperately seek someone who could protect him socially. I would say more than a friendship, the mutual understanding between the two young men was a partnership.
How Did Taeoh And Inha Help Each Other?
Taeoh and Ina’s friendship survived the test of time. Inha did Taeoh a favor by providing him with a part-time job as a tutor to his half-sister Huiju (as he was in desperate need of money). Meanwhile, Taeoh had submitted a report on the development of Kangoh in the future (at his university). His professor told him that he had gotten a thesis proposal from the Kangoh Economic Research Institute, and from his report, they narrowed it down to the development of a co-prosperity cooperation center in Kangoh. The professor told him that he would want to buy the report from Taeoh, to which he agreed. Later, he was seen selling the report to Seongju (the senior director) for the new power strategy for Kangoh Group. The report would open a new era for Kang Seongju and pave the way for him to get into Chairman Kang Joongmo’s good books. Eventually, Taeoh’s plan bore fruit when Seongju bought Kangoh’s wellness plan. This was all part of Taeoh’s plan to ensure Inha’s share in the Kangoh group.
Geumseok, on the other end, went behind the chairman’s back to get a property waiver signed by Inha. Taeoh had pre-determined the possibility of Geumseok coming up with something like this, and he had advised Inha to give up his shares. He knew that the chairman would someday come to know about it, and bingo, he already did! Joongmo was seen reprimanding Geumseok for getting a property waiver signed by Inha without his knowledge. He said this was the process that he had to follow to reach his required result. Taeoh wanted Inha to make the impression that he wasn’t greedy in front of his father.
Why Did Na Hyewon Want To Use Taeoh To Reach Inha?
A love triangle is suddenly introduced with the arrival of Na Hyewon in the plot. It is very evident that Taeoh had a soft spot for the girl, but that wouldn’t keep his spoilt-brat friend from hitting on her. Inha constantly tried to convince her to go out on a date with him, only to be turned down. We think that she is interested in Taeoh, but it turns out that she was just acting hard to get and was using Taeoh to reach Inha. She was tired of the leech of a mother, who would often come and extort money from her. Even though Taeoh tried comforting her, she was not convinced and nagged him to help her reach Inha.
How Did Huiju React Upon Being Heartbroken?
Huiju, the spoiled little princess of the Kangoh group, now had her eyes on her handsome math tutor, Taeoh. She tried flirting with him, but little did she know that he was interested in someone else. She would now often ask Inha to meet her, as she knew that Taeoh was his friend. However, when Geumseok found out that she was being tutored by one of Inha’s friends, his employment was immediately terminated.
After an altercation with Geumseok, the adrenaline-driven teenager ran away from her house. She called Taeoh to come and help her, as she had been stranded on the road. On his way to get Huiju, Taeoh informed Inha about his sister’s mischief and asked him to get her. While Inha had been preparing to drop Taeoh and then drop Huiju home, Na Hyewon came by. When Huiju came to know that both Taeoh and Na Hyewon were neighbors, her insecurity kicked in.
The very next day, she decided to bunk school and meet Taeoh to express her feelings for him. Taeoh, being the straightforward, reticent guy, told her off, saying that he was just one of her employees who was no longer working for her. The rejection did not sit well with Huiju, and she insulted him, bringing in the same old class gap that they had.
Why Did Na Hyewon Grow Closer To Taeoh?
Na Hyewon was approached by some goons at her university because apparently, her mother had stolen 50 million won from them. When she was being harassed, Taeoh stepped in and tried to protect her. Na Hyewon, however, told him that she did not need anyone to protect her as she was used to such incidents. Meanwhile, after Inha was unable to reach out to her on the phone, he went to meet her. Taeoh was shattered when he came across an intimate moment between Inha and Na Hyewon. However, the lack of expression on Na Hyewon’s face while Inha was kissing her proves that she was attracted to Taeoh, but her conditions were such that she couldn’t even stop Inha from getting close to her. All she wanted was someone with power to protect her!
When Taeoh was getting back home, he saw Na Hyewon leaving her house and going to stay with Inha. He tried to stop her, but she did not listen, as she was afraid that if she ended up with Taeoh, then her life would remain the same. She went away, only to come back to Taeoh after some time. The bond that she must have felt with Taeoh could have dragged her back to him, as she felt that things wouldn’t be the same with Inha.
Why Did Taeoh Join The Prosperity Cooperation Center?
After a gap of five years, we are directed to the opening ceremony of Seongju’s Prosperity Cooperation Center. Taeoh had joined the organization as an employee, working on the global leader training team. This was part of Taeoh and Inha’s game for Inha to enter the Kangoh group in the long run.
What Will Happen Next?
The third and fourth episodes of The Impossible Heir are likely to unveil the reasons as to why Taeoh entered the Kangoh group as an employee. There is a possibility that he would provide the internal information of the company to his friend, Inha, for him to gain an advantageous position within the Kangoh Group. Possibly, the messed-up narrative as a result of overlapping subplots will be resolved in the next episodes as Taeoh’s plan starts unfolding.
