Oasis 2023 Recap Episode 3

Episode 3 of Oasis begins with Jung-shin’s aunt and uncle Jung Guk-young recalling the fortune teller who predicted that they will have a big change and wonder if they will become chaebols. Jung-shin storms off after throwing their visiting card which Du-hak picks up. An angry Jung-shin goes to Young-ja’s restaurant for a drink. She finds out that her aunt is none other than Geum-ok, the theatre owner in Gwangju who helped her out.

Meanwhile, Captain Oh tells Mrs. Choi that Hwang has become a deputy director in Namsan while helping her move to Seoul. She hopes Cheol-woong will visit her and Captain Oh wonders about the boy. Hwang visits her in her new home and tells her that he can find her a job. She laughs at the idea but he tells her not to waste her degree while addressing her by her first name, Yeo-jin.

Geum-ok spies Jung-shin waiting outside her theatre early the next morning. Jung-shin brings her an expensive cognac and tries to imitate the Godfather as she says she has an offer that Geum-ok cannot refuse. Jung-shin tells her to buy her Namhae theatre and take up her debt of 70 million won. In exchange, she will help Geum-ok become the whole country’s entertainment promoter.

Geum-ok finds it amusing but tells her to get lost. Jung-shins runs after her out on the street and apologises for acting arrogant. Geum-ok then makes Jung-shin an offer – get down on her knees to listen to the offer, become her maid and then she will buy the Namhae theatre when the time is right. Jung-shin is humiliated but agrees.

Elsewhere, Yeo-jin goes to the college to look for her son and finds him sleeping. She tells him to stop with the protests since he has already finished his military service and to focus on his bar exam. He finds it funny that Du-hak said the same thing and she is surprised that the two boys met. She tells him to stay away as they have no connection to the ‘murderer’. He says that’s not the truth and she slaps him.

Meanwhile, the scammers aren’t doing so well as they cannot find a target to sell their fake Seongjin title deed. Du-hak tells them about Jung-shin’s aunt and uncle and they start their plan.

They meet with the Jungs on the pretext that Cheon-ja is selling her building, Seongjin for half the price and it will make them rich. But the Jungs pull an UNO reverse as they say they are short of the cash and offer the Namhae theatre instead. They add an extra 30 million won to sweeten the deal and the scammers accept it. 

The scammers celebrate by dividing the money amongst themselves and plan to go their separate ways. They don’t give anything to Du-hak since he is a newbie. But when they come to the Namhae theatre title deed they are confused. Du-hak shows interest and Poong-ho gladly gives it to him.

As the group tries to leave, the local gang approaches them and takes the money. The scammers silently acquiesce but when the gang leader takes Du-hak’s title deed he gets angry. He beats them all up and takes the title deed back which impresses the scammers.  The gang runs back to their boss, Kwang-tak who is angry that they got beat up by one man. He tells them to bring him Poong-ho and the one that beat them up in 3 days.

The scammers, aware of Kwang-tak’s penchant for holding grudges follow Du-hak to his place. When the Jungs find out that they have been scammed, the scammers ask for Du-hak’s protection against the couple and Kwang-tak. The boy is least interested as they never considered him family but they say they were kidding and make him their boss. He laughs at their antics but accepts them which finally makes them leave.

However, that night, his sister and mother show up. They have a meal together but Du-hak gets angry when his sister, Jung-ok reveals that their father made her quit school to work in a Seoul factory. Later, Mrs. Lee tells him not to be too angry at his father despite him never visiting him in prison. She reveals that when he was transferred to Gwangju, Lee put all of his money into Du-hak’s detention fund and walked back home.

As for Jung-ok, she has a hard time at the factory and it is revealed that she has been taking pills to stay awake. One night, while walking home, a tea shop owner who knows her, tells her about night school. She wonders if those in night schools are communists and he laughs at the idea. 

Meanwhile, Cheol-woong meets with Captain Oh who tells him that they have bigger plans. He tries to refuse but the captain beats him up and tells him that he will kill him if he doesn’t listen. He tells him to find the protestors’ main hideout in a week. In a flashback, we see that Cheol-woong was arrested during one of the student protests. Hwang had thrown him into the military and told Yeo-jin that he had enlisted on his own.

Captain Oh makes him a deal, to be a mole among the protestors or be killed. Cheol-woong at first refuses but he is tortured till he agrees. It is then shown that he is discharged early and he rejoins his old protest group and often eavesdrops on them. But he refuses to give any information to Captain Oh who tortures him. 

As for Jung-shin, she begins her work under Geum-ok, reading out film scripts and advising her on what to invest. Geum-ok reveals that she cannot read and she memorizes everything she is told which impresses Jung-shin. They discuss a movie about poverty and while Jung-shin doesn’t think it will do well, Geum-ok invests in it. At that time, Du-hak and Jang-deuk visit Namhae to do some recce and they spot Jung-shin.

Du-hak is flustered but he follows her as Geum-ok drops her at her new Seoul apartment. The boss tells Jung-shin that she is to live in Seoul as she will be the new branch manager. Jung-shin is surprised at the quick developments but gets to cleaning the apartment. Outside, Du-hak silently calls her multiple times to hear her voice and smiles as Jung-shin scolds the caller for prank-calling her.

Elsewhere, Cheol-woong’s club is broken up by some cops who chase them with the intention of catching spies and communists. He breaks his ankle and is caught but Captain Oh comes to his rescue. Cheol-woong is not too happy to see him and tries to attack him for targetting the club. Captain Oh calmly points his gun at him.

Upset, Cheol-woong goes to Du-hak for a drink. The older boy is surprised but agrees. Cheol-woong gets drunk and as Du-hak takes him home, they see several of the students and the protest leader waiting for him. They take Cheol-woong away while Du-hak waits for him all night.

He gets worried and goes to the college only to find the students interrogating Cheol-woong. The leader connects the dots between Cheol-woong’s early military discharge and not being caught despite an injured leg. Du-hak tries to get to him but hordes of students beat him up.

He, however, keeps on going till the leader stops them and tells Cheol-woong to leave. As they walk away, Du-hak deduces that the leader was right but Cheol-woong tells him that despite the torture he never gave any information to Captain Oh. He cries and falls down and Du-hak carries him on his back.

The Episode Review

Looks like Du-hak is not our only tortured hero (no pun intended). But it does feel very karmic to see that Cheol-woong’s life did not turn out how we had predicted after he made Du-hak take the fall for him. Neither is he rich and powerful nor is he an idealist and patriotic protestor. Sure, he wished he was the latter but circumstances don’t allow him.

However, that feeling of anger on behalf of Du-hak doesn’t last long, especially after we see what Cheol-woong has gone through. In fact, it is quite heartwarming to see the two resume their friendship even though their dynamic may have changed now.

Cheol-woong may listen to Du-hak out of guilt, but he genuinely is thankful for their friendship. As for Du-hak, he pretends to keep Cheol-woong out of trouble so he can pay back his debt, but for someone who has been looking after him as a younger brother all his life, those instincts just don’t go away.