Recap Korean Drama "Hunted 2022" Episode 1

Hunted episode 1 starts in an idyllic countryside where local farmers are absolutely annoyed with the wild boars destroying their crops. Meanwhile, there’s an air of celebration at Young-soo’s place as he has finally won the lottery; his wife is ecstatic, but son In-sung looks nonchalant.

The family’s excitement brings them to where Jin-kuk and Man-seok are, and giddy with excitement, he asks the two men to gather everyone in a few days for a grand feast that they are about to throw. There’s an air of excitement about the family, and it rubs off on the others as well. For some reason, this happiness feels like an ominous tell that it’s not going to go well for these people in the upcoming episodes.

Still From Hunted Episode 1

 

After the title card, a group of kids are playing Red Light, Green Light (and if Squid Game has done some damage on you, you’d immediately feel uncomfortable) – it’s the feast day, and everyone is just so happy with the great food and the general good mood. Clearly, Young-soo and his family didn’t spare any expense to flaunt their win. However, Young-soo ‘s conversation with the villagers adds context to his character in this scene.

Just then, Ok-soon gets there with her grandson Hyun-min, and the latter seems to be friends with the reclusive In-sung. Seeing the two, Young-soo offers the boy some money for taking care of his ailing grandmother so well.

 

That night, the men discuss what to do about the boars in the potato fields when they hear a dog growling outside the home. When they go outside, they see the dog dead and the boar looking at them menacingly, almost like it’s staring them down. The next day, In-sung makes an odd and confusing comment – that since they are rich now, they should move. He doesn’t like staying here and every day is the same. Unfortunately, as most interactions with parents go, his parents dismiss his concerns and curiously, In-sung doesn’t say anything further.

Still From Hunted Episode 1

 

Later on, Young-soo and his friends go out to hunt some boar after having enough of their atrocities. After some intense chasing in the woods and missing it once, they find the animal again – this time, Young-soo sees some movement behind a bush and without verifying whether it’s a boar or something else, he shoots at it, and it makes an odd sound. He looks rather terrified, still not knowing what he shot down, and chooses to run off instead of going behind to look.

Back at the village, Young-soo cannot shake the feeling of having done something horrible. The doubt and worry eat at him, and while rushing home from a celebratory dinner with his hunting buddies, he starts to see things in the tall grass.

 

Later on, Young-soo wakes up from a nightmare and is horrified to find out that In-sung hasn’t come home. Although his wife doesn’t seem to be too concerned, Young-soo is terrified, wondering whether he was the one who shot his son. Panicked, he rushes out to find his son in the pitch black forest and is horrified to find out the Sobaek Sarang Alpine Club sign that he had missed in the afternoon.

Both Young-soo and Chae-jung rush to find their son but with little luck. Young-soo passes out in the forest and has more nightmares, and when he comes to, it’s already the next day.

Still From Hunted Episode 1

 

We then see Yeon-chae making her way to In-sung’s house. She talks to someone on the phone and mentions that she won’t mention “that” an ominous reminder that something more is going on than meets the eye. When she reaches In-sung’s house, she tells Chae-jung that her son might have run away from home. Furthermore, Hyun-min hasn’t come to school that day either, even though they both left together.

Yeon-chae and Chae-jung go to Ok-soon’s house next to check up on Hyun-min. Surprisingly, Ok-soon mentions that Hyun-min did go to school, but it’s quite impossible to say thanks to her Alzheimer’s. When realisation finally dawns on her that Hyun-min probably hasn’t come home for a few days, she is left inconsolable. The community comes together to find some clues about In-sung and Hyun-min. However, the search goes without much luck.

 

Soon enough, Doo-man joins their search, a police officer who has started tracking them from their school. He mentions that it is certain that the two boys are together since they were seen together on CCTV. Also, they didn’t get up on any vehicle and are, in all probability, still in town.

Hunted Episode 1 Ending

Still From Hunted Episode 1

 

Doo-man’s assurance helps ease the stress, although Chae-jung is angry at her husband for not being more concerned for their child. Young-soo laments that if something really does happen to In-sung, he will probably die of grief. That night, another horrible dream wakes him up, and he rushes out feeling devastated and guilty for not being able to tell his wife his fears.

He later receives a curious call from a withheld number, wherein the called breathes heavily into the phone and laughs, mentioning that they know why he has been going into the woods for the last few days – they know that he killed someone. Fear clouds over Young-soo’s face – someone knows the truth.

Hunted Episode 1 Review

Still From Hunted Episode 1

 

Well, what an interesting premise. Wild Boar Hunting episode 1 has me intrigued – we are yet to see whom Young-soo killed; mentioning that he killed his son seems to be a bit premature, but regardless, the thought that it might be true is enough to keep any parent awake at night. I wish he would’ve just checked it out for his own piece of mind. I can’t imagine his son’s dead body being exposed to the elements like that.

Anyway, I am really curious about the direction that series will take, and I really liked the fact that we got a good background of these characters before jumping into the mystery and thrill of it. The empty and huge fields and woods, as well as the horrifying boars in them, are horrifying themselves. Maybe killing your son in said vast woods is just worse.