Fifties Professionals Episode 3 opens with a look back 15 years into the past. Gong-bok, dressed as a butler, is being beaten by a group of thugs. Just when things seem hopeless, Beom-ryung arrives. After exchanging a few words with Gong-bok, he takes on the entire group by himself.
The story then returns to the present, picking up exactly where the previous episode ended. Once again, Beom-ryung rushes in to protect Gong-bok. Je-sun and Nam-il can only watch in shock as another brutal fight unfolds. They quickly hide while Beom-ryung deals with the attackers.
Ho-myeong soon arrives at the scene. As he observes the chaos, he recognizes Gong-bok, Je-sun, and Nam-il. Realizing who they are, he secretly takes photos.
Meanwhile, Gong-bok feels guilty as he watches Beom-ryung take a severe beating on his behalf. His apology falls on deaf ears. In-goo moves forward and prepares to chop off Gong-bok’s hand. Before he can do it, Beom-ryung steps in and begs for forgiveness instead.
The humiliation that follows is hard to watch. In-goo orders Beom-ryung to bark like a dog, and he complies. Gong-bok joins him, while In-goo and his men laugh at the sight.
The situation only ends when In-goo receives a call from a police officer responding to an assault report. Unbeknownst to him, Beom-ryung’s policewoman crush overhears the conversation.
Not wanting any trouble with law enforcement, In-goo’s group leaves. Before departing, they dump Beom-ryung and Gong-bok on the roadside. Je-sun and Nam-il are abandoned in a forest. The warning is clear: leave the house within three days.
Later, In-goo discusses the possibility of eliminating Beom-ryung in the future. However, his attention shifts when he receives news that Chairman Do has arrived at the casino. Deciding that caution is the smarter move, he chooses to monitor Chairman Do instead.
Back at the convenience store, Beom-ryung and Gong-bok clean up the damage. The atmosphere becomes emotional when Gong-bok apologizes for dragging his friend into danger. He says he’ll stop chasing Ho-myeong and abandon his plans for revenge. He also admits that Ho-myeong wasn’t responsible for ruining Capital.
Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Beom-ryung’s policewoman crush. Worried about his injuries, she checks on him. Beom-ryung downplays what happened and avoids mentioning the real troublemakers.
Watching her place a bandage on Beom-ryung’s hand, I couldn’t help smiling at how flustered he became. She even gives him a business card she designed herself and encourages him to contact her if he wants to make a report.
While this sweet moment plays out, Gong-bok watches through the store’s security camera. Quietly, he apologizes again and decides to finish what he started.
Elsewhere, Ho-myeong reports Bulgae’s existence to Mr. Jo. The parcel remains missing, and the tracker he placed on Bulgae still shows no signal. Remembering a fight from ten years earlier, he decides it’s time to investigate more aggressively, beginning with Gong-bok, also known as “Oldboy.”
At the same time, Young-ae returns home and discovers her front door unlocked. Expecting an intruder, she prepares for a confrontation. Instead, she finds her home completely trashed.
The most disturbing discovery is a knife stabbed into a photograph of her from her law school days.
Je-sun, meanwhile, receives a call from his coworker Ms. Lee. She warns him that repeated absences could cost him his job. Unfortunately, Je-sun is barely able to move after his recent ordeal.
Gong-bok appears to be preparing for a final mission. He says goodbye to the convenience store. Meanwhile, Beom-ryung remains distracted by thoughts of the policewoman and her phone number.
Before leaving, Gong-bok visits the elderly man who always talks about Seoraksan. He tells him he’s going somewhere far away and mentions that he ordered plenty of cigarettes for him. The emotional hug that follows feels very much like a farewell.
At the casino, Chairman Do finally meets In-goo. The conversation quickly becomes tense. Chairman Do asks about the recent fight and speaks mostly in English, which clearly irritates In-goo. Determined to handle his own affairs, In-goo leaves the meeting.
Afterward, Chairman Do learns from his assistant, Mr. Nam, that drug-laced beef jerky linked to In-goo is circulating around the casino. Rather than reporting it immediately, Chairman Do wants more information. He seems interested in taking over the operation himself.
When In-goo hears about the oversight, he takes out his frustration on his right-hand man.
Nearby, Gong-bok follows In-goo while carrying a knife. For a brief moment, it appears he attacks him. Then the truth is revealed, it was only in Gong-bok’s imagination. In reality, someone strikes him from behind, knocking him unconscious.
That attacker turns out to be Ho-myeong.
Meanwhile, Young-ae visits Mr. Hwang in prison. She questions him about the case that landed him there and asks whether Han framed him for Mr. Kwon’s murder. At first, he refuses to cooperate.
Young-ae changes tactics and offers him a chance at freedom if he helps uncover the truth. Eventually, he reveals one cryptic clue. According to him, the killer is “the dog that he raised.” He promises to discuss a deal only if Young-ae brings him the real murderer.
Young-ae’s movements are being monitored by detectives. During her drive, she receives a mysterious phone call warning her about the surveillance. The caller gives her instructions at an intersection and then hangs up.
She follows the directions. Moments later, the detectives’ vehicle crashes into a cart. The cart owner is revealed to be Mr. Jo disguised as a street vendor.
A separate storyline introduces powerful international figures. Representatives from a Japanese yakuza organization and a Chinese triad-linked group arrive for a meeting with Han. Their main concern is the delayed acquisition of land.
Han assures them progress will accelerate if he wins the upcoming mayoral election. However, the Japanese representative questions his confidence, pointing out that the race remains close.
Han’s response is simple. He intends to investigate his opponent’s personal life and damage his reputation.
Back with Gong-bok, Ho-myeong interrogates him and threatens him with a dangerous truth serum. Despite the pressure, Gong-bok initially sticks to his story about visiting a restaurant for dumplings.
Eventually, he reveals everything.
He explains that he belongs to the Hwasan faction, which was devastated after the ferry incident ten years ago. He, Beom-ryung, and the others have been searching for the missing parcel to clear their former boss’s name. According to Gong-bok, Han and In-goo worked together to destroy the faction.
He also admits that they spent years waiting for Ho-myeong to locate the parcel.
Ho-myeong remains skeptical but sees value in the information. He orders Gong-bok to follow his instructions from now on. His first assignment is to monitor Bulgae, who is actually Je-sun.
When Gong-bok resists, Ho-myeong blackmails him with footage from the warehouse fight. Left with no choice, Gong-bok accepts a secret phone and agrees.
Elsewhere, Je-sun and Nam-il look for a place to stay. Je-sun eventually takes Nam-il to a tiny room connected to his workplace cafeteria. Nam-il complains loudly but ultimately settles in.
The next day, Ho-myeong and Gong-bok begin working together. Ho-myeong focuses on tracking In-goo while Gong-bok follows Je-sun.
As Ho-myeong investigates, he uncovers reports of In-goo’s organization intimidating debtors and seizing their properties. Gong-bok believes the scheme is tied to future redevelopment plans and higher land values.
Unfortunately for Ho-myeong, Gong-bok’s surveillance reports on Je-sun are completely boring. The photos show nothing more than ordinary daily activities.
At Je-sun’s workplace, Nam-il causes another scene while washing up in the kitchen. Their arrangement nearly falls apart when Ms. Lee catches them. Je-sun pleads for understanding, and she appears willing to look the other way.
Meanwhile, In-goo transports a large amount of money to Chinese gang members. Despite warnings from his subordinate, he remains convinced that the risk is worth the potential reward.
Ho-myeong secretly follows the transaction and watches In-goo exchange the money for drugs.
His suspicions about In-goo’s beef jerky factory grow stronger. During a discussion with Mr. Jo, he also shares concerns about Gong-bok and the broader situation.
Something feels wrong to him. The deeper he digs, the more convinced he becomes that both Je-sun and In-goo are connected to something bigger.
Determined to get answers, Ho-myeong decides to confront In-goo directly.
While In-goo celebrates the possibility of making huge profits from high-quality drugs, Ho-myeong makes his move.
Wearing a mask, he corners In-goo inside a bathroom and attacks him.
Ho-myeong repeatedly demands to know why In-goo is acquiring properties around Yeongseon Island. In-goo refuses to answer and receives another beating.
The scene becomes increasingly intense. I genuinely thought In-goo might break and reveal everything, but he refuses to talk.
Eventually, he manages to alert his men.
By the time they arrive, Ho-myeong finds himself trapped and surrounded. The episode ends with In-goo’s gang closing in, leaving Ho-myeong in serious danger.
Episode 3 Review
Episode 3 feels like the point where the story finally starts connecting its major pieces. The biggest development is Ho-myeong discovering the true identities of Gong-bok, Je-sun, and Beom-ryung. The mystery surrounding these characters has been hanging over the series since the beginning, and seeing that barrier fall gives the plot much more momentum.
The introduction of Japanese and Chinese criminal organizations also expands the scope of the conflict. Han’s plans appear much larger than a local political battle, and the involvement of outside groups suggests that Yeongseon Island sits at the center of something far more valuable than we’ve been led to believe.
I continue to enjoy the show, especially the balance between comedy and crime. Beom-ryung’s awkward interactions with the policewoman provide some welcome relief from the darker storylines.
That said, the series is juggling a lot of characters and parallel plots. There were moments when the constant switching between storylines felt overwhelming. A few scenes also ended on mini-cliffhangers that seemed unnecessary when the resolution arrived almost immediately afterward.
Even so, the episode moves the main mystery forward in a meaningful way and finishes with one of its strongest cliffhangers yet. Ho-myeong’s confrontation with In-goo raises the stakes considerably heading into the next chapter.
Fifties Professionals Episode 2 | Fifties Professionals Episode 4
