The Husband Episode 2 Review: Twisted and Thrilling

Episode 1 genuinely pulled us as we immediately had a genre shift. We first saw a lovey-dovey couple who later turned into two individuals in a broken marriage. Just when we thought it was a marital melodrama, things heated up when an unexpected kidnapping happened because the husband mistakenly asked a random guy to get rid of the wife, ouch!

The Husband Episode 2 has a runtime of 70 minutes.

The Husband Episode 2 Review

Tae-ju Lives a Nightmare

The episode literally begins with Tae-ju waking up after he was tased by someone. And he literally wakes up to his one billion fire burnt up. Yes, literal fire burnt it up. Now the kidnapper is pissed and raises the stake to 2 billion won. At this point, Tae-ju can’t afford it, and all he can do is probably rob a bank.

Despite everyone around him thinking he is the suspect, Tae-ju tries his best to save Se-yun and everyone starts to feel he’s innocent. But is he?

A Love Story Hidden Inside a Nightmare

We finally get to see how cute these two were once upon a time. Tae-ju was a socially awkward student at the university, a loner, to be explicit. Then comes Se-yun, who wastes no time but immediately asks him to date her because she likes him: love at first sight.

These flashbacks don’t just reveal what happened, but it also creates sadness as these once a sweet couple are now throwing knives at each other. Well, Tae-ju did try his best to make it work out, but Se-yun has her reasons to give him his worst nightmare.

Se-yun Refuses to Be a Passive Victim

Se-yun realises she’s kidnapped and doesn’t sit like a damsel waiting for her prince to save her. She tries to sort things around and figure out what’s going on. She tests her surroundings and looks for an escape. That’s when another hostage is introduced. So the driver isn’t a guy who randomly accepted Tae-ju’s drunken offer. He genuinely seems like a bad guy who kidnaps for a living or fun.

Between the hostage’s cryptic warnings about “Red Riding Hood” and the snow, it’s obvious there’s a much bigger story unfolding inside this hideout than we currently understand. Is she just another victim, or does she have a huge role to play in this kidnapping storyline? We’re yet to find out.

Everyone is Acting Suspicious… Literally Everyone

At this point, everyone in the story seems off. Tae-ju shows his in-laws the videos of Se-yun being kidnapped. He cleverly deletes the video of him actually saying the driver to kidnap. Despite Tae-ju telling his family not to call the cops, Se-yun’s mother does. Dong-chan immediately thinks Tae-ju is the guilty one.

And the worst part is the kidnapper is aware of what’s going on with Tae-ju and his family members. How does he know that? Who is telling him? The cops also think Tae-ju might be the villain, but they also feel he genuinely wants his wife back.

The Kidnapper is Terrifying

The kidnapper still remains anonymous, and it adds more darkness to the mystery. Despite all the actions to stop him, he is always one step ahead, and it is frightening. The police prepare an elaborate phone trace, but he uses bouncing signals.

The family tries negotiating, but he gets pissed and even strangles Se-yun’s neck in a video call to show how money shouldn’t be a concern for them if they want their daughter. Even after an eight-minute call, the police gained absolutely nothing.

Meanwhile, the kidnapper gains everything. He again sends the video of drunken Tae-ju apparently hiring him to kidnap Se-yun, and he completely flips the narrative.

That Ending, Argh

Just when you think things can’t possibly get worse, Tae-ju is arrested. The evidence against him gets stronger, his emotional weakness and breakdown make him look like the criminal, and his trying to escape and failing at it closes the investigation, showing that he is the bad guy. But that’s when the lights flicker.

An anonymous man emerges from the shadows and says, “I know the truth.” And boom, the episode closes, and I’m like, excuse me? I have to wait a whole week. No!

Final Thoughts

Episode 2 proves that The Husband isn’t interested in solving the mystery soon, but is ready to mentally torture the viewers to wait an eternity to know the truth.

Rather than rushing through twists, the drama tries to add layers of story to let the viewers grasp what’s going on. After just two episodes, one thing is certain. The drama isn’t about husband and wife hating on each other, but somebody outside is trying to make their life feel heavy. Why is that? Who is that?

Husband is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.