Vagabond: Episode 1 Live Recap

And we are finally heeeeeeere! Wait, wait, did it get pushed again and no one told us? Because that would just be mean. It is airing today right? RIGHT?! Alright y’all, our recap will start as the show airs. We try to catch as much as possible, which puts us a little bit behind as the minutes progress, but hopefully not too far behind! I am excited to see what Vagabond has to offer and if it is as mega a blockbuster as it is touted to be!

Recap starts at 22:00 KST!

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Caution: Be wary of typos

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Watch on: Netflix

Shorthand Character Chart: Vagabond Character Chart

How we do this: We update the post around every 10 minutes. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later depending on the scene. There will be typos which we have fantasies of fixing once the episode finishes airing. Also, there might be lovely updates at the bottom, so check back in!

Recap Countdown: Recap starts at 22:00 KST….check Twitter for updates!

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KOREAN DRAMA VAGABOND EPISODE 1 RECAP

——-dramamilk.com——-

#1

KINGDOM OF KNIFE, NORTH AFRICA

We open on a desert scene. There is a man on a mountain area, a military man. It is only one.

He is talking to a Russian military man on the phone. This man looks like he is Lee Seung-gi who is on top of this hillock. But the Russian just curses at him.

A limosine comes up driving along the desert which takes this military man’s attention. People get out of the limosine and wait for another group to show up. But then we see that one of the people is Go Hae-ri (Suzy). Her scarf blows off, revealing that it is her. She moves to pick it up and we see her in the snipers sights. 

On the radio, the man tells Lee Seung-gi to take the shot! Shoot the target right now! 

Dal-gum has her in his sights.

2006 AUGUST 5TH

Dal-gum is auditioning for a martial arts team. he says that he used to compete in Taekwondo for Seoul. He is a 5th degree in Taekwondo and 5th degree in Judo and also does Kendo and Kickboxing, he does a lot. He says that he has 18 degrees all together, and that is a consercative estimate.

We looks at him as if this is a video of him at his audition. The camera cuts to him trying to kick something of a mans head, but he hits the mans head instaead, lol. The guy gets knocked out. Then he tries to break a lot of bricks with his head. He misses it on the first time, but he breaks it all on the second time.

However his head starts to bleed pretty heavily. His little nephew starts to cry so Dal-gum tells him that he is okay, it is just a little blood. It isn’t bad. Uncle is okay. Then Dal-gum tells the judges that he is raising his brothers son. His brother actually died suddenly so he wants to do a good job raising him. So please take me on!

They end up hiring him and we see the same Behind the scenes camera capturing him as an extra on video shoots and a stunt double. he gets super injured on these sets. He also teaches Taekwondo to his nephew.

We see the nephew drawing on Dal-gum’s face with marker as he sleeps and then Dal-gum goes back to work as a stunt driver. he injured his neck but still gets to work. 

The behind the scenes camera goes back and forth between teaching his nephew Taekwondo (he is a genius, a natural) and his life as a stunt double. He jumps into a dump truck and breaks all his limbs, lol, his nephew feeds him in the hospital.

His nephew becomes a black belt at Taekwondo and Dal-gun is there to tie it around him. Happy times.

——-dramamilk.com——-

#2

CONFERENCE

Scene change completely to a conference where a woman named Jessica Lee is talking about a new fighter plane and how great it is. This is a military exhibit/conference for this new airplane. it is filled with people from various countries. the woman says that the Eagle figher is better than many planes in China and other countries.

Another man comes up and starts to talk about his airplane. This might be their competitor? This man says that the Eagle fighter costs 2 billion to make. With the price of one eagle fighter, you can get 10 F-70’s. So it looks like these are companies like Boeing or something like that competing on a bidding contract for fighter planes. Several companies are there competing for this contract.

The problem with the Eagle fighter is that it is so expensive. You would be paying a trillion won to buy on.

Elsewhere, Dalgun is a taxi driver and is annoyed at the radio that is talking about the Eagle fighter and how much it costs, he thinks that is stupid that it costs that much money. he is working so hard in his life, he doesn’t want to hear about it.

He drops his friend off. But his friend asks him if he really isn’t coming back? This was our dream, we didn’t do this for money, it was our dream, or hope, our vision. But Dal-gun asks, if I die while doing a stunt, will you take care of my Hoon?

Then Hoon calls and asks his uncle where he is. He says he is at the filming set. Hoon tells him that they don’t have water, if they don’t pay the utility bills then they will cut the gas also. Dal-gun tells him not to worry, he is a stunt man, he can do it! But Hoon says his salary day is fara away.

His friend says, yes, we are filming now! So Dal-gun tells Hoon not to worry! Make dinner! Then they hang up. But it looks like Dal-gun is not doing stunt things anymore. Dal-gun asks for some money fromhis friend, his friend gives him $10 and they do some playful Chinese martial arts things as his friend gets out and says he doesn’t need change.

At home, Hoon takes out the trash and then looks in the trash that Dal-gun threw away. it looks like he threw away all his Hing King movies and all his martial arts things. It looks like he basically gave up on his dream nd threw away everything that reminds him of it.

Hoon calls someone and asks them if they are the action center? Do you see Dal-gun there? The actioin center tells him that he quit, are you Hoon?

Hoon hangs up and looks off as he thinks.

Later on, Hoon and Dal-gun eat ramen. But Dal-gun asks why he asked to eat ramen? He wanted to buy him meat. Then Dal-gun asks him what he needs from Morocco. But Dal-gun says he is not going. Dal-gun thinks this is a good opportunity for him! A lot of poeple cannot even join the performance team, but Morrocco invited you. It is free.

Hoon says the ticket and boarding fees are free, but I have to pay for the rest. Dal-gun says that he can pay for it for him, don’t worry about that. But then Hoon yells at him and tells him that he has to behave like an adult. You don’t know anything. He walks off angrily.

Dal-gun is all like, E-no-ma! Your uncle will make a lot of money. I will make it so you can eat meat all day and only wear good clthing. This is a good opportunity. The 50 year anniversary of the diplomatic relationship!

——-dramamilk.com——-

#3

MOROCCO

Go Hae-ri is driving a red open tip jeep in Morocco.

There is a meeting at the diplomatic office where a man says that they will take care of the entire schedule of the kids in the Taekwondo event because it is a very important relationship for this anniversary.

Then Hae-ri comes in happily and says that she had a car accident, it was a motorcycle that just flew in front of my car! Here is the schedule! She starts to put the data on the desk with everyone. But they already have the schedule and the man says that their meeting has ended.

Then her mother calls so she has to tell her mother that she will call her later, while in front of everyone. A man speaks up and says that the morocco reporters are there for an interview now.

The boss starts to talk bad about Haei-ri and asks why their intern is so relaxed. He then gets up and leaves along with everyone else as she bows them out. She is the last one in the room and locks the door. then turns serious as she gets on the phone.

She is in full on spy mode as her demenour and everything changes. She is able to hop on a chair and grab something from the wall. then someone tries to come in so she rips her stocking. When the door swings open, Hae-ri shows her ripped stocking in a very seductive and yet innocent way and says that she has to change it. SO the man gulps and tells her to do it and come out right away.

Hae-ri then finished getting the memory card from the hidden camera and puts it in her lipstick.

Cut to Jessical Lee who is talking to her secretary as she walks thorugh her hotel room. He says that the F-70 actually has better functionality than their Eagle fighter. She asks what the Blue House says about this (The presidents House). the secretary says that the VIP cannot ignore the publics opinion. You know him, he is a careful guy.

Jessica wonders why they lobbied him then? He is not a careful guy, he is betraying us. She drops her things and tells her secretary to keep the line open until they have the final decision, otherwise, they are done.

She then goes to meet with Michael and tells him, do you know why I put a bad sales person as Vice President? Because you worked for the CIA. He says that he was fired from the CIA because he was not good enough. She says no, you did not have the chance to show your ability. Do you know how difficult it is for me to be in this position as an Asian woman? We need to get this deal no matter what, otherwise. We are dead. You and me. We are so F*cking dead. Got it?

——-dramamilk.com——-

#4

ONE WEEK LATER, SEOUL

Hoon starts to get ready to leave and is packing all his things into his luggage. Dal-gun tells him, lets eat and then I will take you to the train station. But Hoon tells him that he will not go with him, and he will not eat, he will just take the bus.

Dal-gun asks him why he is so crank? Because I didn’t buy yo those shoes? I wanted to buy them for you, it is just hard for Uncle to raise you. Hoon says that he does not want to live with him, so Dal-gun snaps and tells him to go to the orphanage then! But he changes his mood and tells him to just eat the eggs, I can take you.

He holds up the eggs for Hoon to eat, but Hoon is upset and wont eat,e ven when Dal-gun counts down to eat it. Hoon leaves instead, Dal-gun complains about his families temper that hoon inherited. 

On the calender we see that Hoon’s birthday is the 20th, he thinks he should not have promised to give him his new shoes on his birthday.

LISBON, PORTUGAL

It is night and a man is running through the city. He is trying to call someone as he goes in and out of alleys. An assassin follows him calmly. the man sees the assassin and runs another way, then he sees someone else and changes to go in anther direction.

He runs into a club. The music is loud and the lights flash on and off like its a rave, which lets the man escape out the side. There were about 3 men following him, but the man was able to escape on a street trolley. In the trolley, he calls the Incheon National Airport police and tells them that there will be a plane crash. B357 departing today. hello?

He looks at his phone, it was highjacked! Someone had hacked his phone so he wasn’t able to make the call.

AIRPORT, SEOUL

all the taekwondo kids and parents do cute kid and parent Taekwondo things as they wait for the plane. But Hoon is alone and sad. He tries to call his uncle and has him saved as (Poopy dog/dumb) in his phone.

Meanwhile, the coach talks to his wife about the long trip and what will he do without her? She whispers that she has a baby. He is happily shocked and asks, will I be an appa? Yay! He picks her up and bounces her several times.

Another man talks to his sister, they bicker back and forth about mundane things like money and things like that.

It is time to get on the plane, so Hoon calls Dal-gun and tells him, if you miss me then look in the cloud, I will leave you a video message. he heads on the plane.

At the same time, the man in Portugal is able to call the Incheon National Airport and tells them that B357 to Morocco has to be stopped from departing! The woman speaks English and asks him what he is talking about? He tells them that it will crash! There is not tome for identity, you have to stop it now!

But the assassins get to him and his phone drops. The woman is alarmed and pulls the red bell to signal that something is super wrong. Or maybe somebody else pulled the alarm? The fire alarm goes off and the water all comes out as this woman tries to call her superior and tells him that there is a possible terrorist attack on the plane!

But an assassin got to her! She got stabbed or something with poison and passes out/dies (not sure yet).

AIRPLANE

On the airplane, Hoon goes to his seat and everyone talks happily. Hoon sees a suspicious man and accidentally bumps into him. But he keeps looking at him as he gets to his seat. In the pilot lounge, ne of the pilots talks about all the kids on the plane and also talks to a girlfriend? he might be cheating on his wife, not sure.

——-dramamilk.com——-

#5

PORTUGAL

The man that was trying to warn Incheon is in a car with a gun to his head.

Later on, a person walks on a rainy dark street in Portugal to another person waiting in a car with a huge cigar.

MOROCCO HARBOR, TANGIER PORT

It is daytime now and a woman is walking through a street. This is Hae-ri. A man calls her name and is stunned to see her there. It looks like it is one of her colleagues, she says that one of his friends is coming here so he came to pick him up. Also, she may not know this, but their boss was arrested by the national security team bcause he got money from drug dealers! (flashback of this happened). The drugs where smuggled into Korea.

Hae-ri is all like, wow, no wonder his eyes looked like that. The colleague says that he didnt’ do the drugs, he just got the money, but it is bad for us. The Taekwondo kids come in today.

Hae-ri says it sounds like a whistle blower, do you know who did it? He asks why she is asking him that? She mentions something about her eyes and how they are so pretty so he says okay and mentions that interns like them don’t have anything to worry about.

But he asks why she went to Portugal, do you – have a boyfriend there? She asks why men are always like that? How can he have an affair and leave someone like me? he aws good looking, but he was crazy, if I had a gun I would just, boom. Ugh. She walks away.

He thinks that she has too hot of a temper and then yells at her that there are a lot of good guys in the world, take heart! Rest well!

In her apartment, Hae-ri tells her contact that she is back from Lisbon, it was a suicide by gun. But nothing will happen. The autopdy will not change the result.

She has her gun on her coffee table and changes into black clothing. She drops her jacket on the chair and walks out. The camera holds on this jacket for a moment.

AIRPLANE

Meanwhile, it is night over the Ocean and everyone is sleeping. The coach playfully tickles different kids noses to wake them up. then we see the bad guy walking to the bathroom. He asks the fight attendant for a coffee.

While she goes to get it, he gets to work doing his secret dastardly deeds under the cover of night. He gets to a part of the airplane where he should not be and starts to plant bombs and lets out some gas on a tank. 

Then he hurries off and gets his things ready for the blast.

The bomb goes off. Everyone starts to wake up from the blast and the pilots wonder what is happening, the engine has something wrong with it, did it burst?

Out the window, we see the engine shooting fire from it!

Everyone inside the plane braces and buckles up. The oxugen masks come down. The plane starts to careen to the side. People hold on for dear life. The adults try to cover the kids with oxygen masks. The pilots call for mayday. They are losing pressure and going down!

A fighter jet shows up somehow.

The pilot says that everything is not working! We lost all controls. This is a B357 airplane so the pilots say that they cannot control it! 

Then everyone passes out. it looks like all the air was out? Hoon is sending a message to his uncle, but he passes out. He typed “Uncle I lo…” but he passes out before it is sent. Everyone in the airplane is passed out, including the pilots.

The plane continues to go down and then blows up under the cover of clouds.

——-dramamilk.com——-

#6

SHOOTING RANGE

Go Hae-ri is practicing shooting at an indoor shooting range. While shooting, she gets a message that things are in chaos. COme to the embassy.

Elsewhere in Seoul, we see Da-gun sitting at a soup place and looking at the shoes that he bought for his nephew. He happily thinks, jashigi and starts to eat. But then the news is put on the screen and talks about the airplane that crashed, B357, and how everyone died. This happened because of faulty machines.

All the people that died are on the screen. His nephews name crosses, Cha Hoon/11 years old. Dal-gun cannot believe what has happened as he stands in the restaurant.

BLUE HOUSE

A woman gives a speech to everyone about how the president is there. She is talking to a room filled with reporters. The presidents team starts to brief the president on how many people where inside and how many kids and how many causalties there are, but they do not have the complete number of casualties yet.

The Prime Minister, Hong Soon-jo, comes in to talk to the President Jung Kook-pyo, but the president says he is not done with his makeup yet. they tell him that it is okay int his kind of emergency. So they excuse themselves and Soon-jo talks to Kook-pyo. Kook-pyo says he has to be careful right before retirement.

The Prime Minister says that the plane B357 is built by Dynamic Systems. There is a high probability of faulty mechanics, so we have to investigate it. Based on what they said to air control, there is a chance that it is more than 90% change of faulty machinery.

The Prime Minister says that it is best not to say anything to the media until they have the results. the president adjusts his necktie and says he is thirsty, there is no water there.

Then he goes to address the nation.

President – My respectable citizes, today, I heard the most tragic and sad thing in my life. As a president, I did not do my duty of protecting my citizens, it is even difficult to stand straight now. To the family members who lost their family, I give you my deepest condolenses, and to our citizens also.

He bows to everyone, but it appears to be all for show.

HOME

At home, Dal-gun checks the cloud message that Hoon sent to him. He took a lot of photos. On one of the videos he says that he was sorry to get anry with him (but the man inblack is in the background). Hoon says he is sorry to get mad, he saw thta he threw away all his CD’s and movies and books, I put them all back. Don’t quit the action center, you said that you would be a famous director and go to Hollywood. You can combing Bruce Lee and Jacki Chan and make your name Bruce Chan. You are the coolest when you do action. When you come back, make me delicious fried eggs, two of them! 

Dal-gun starts to ball, like super ugly cry all over his coffee table. Boogers go everywhere as the camera scrolls to show pictures of him and his nephew.

PRESS CONFERENCE, DYNAMIC SYSTEMS

The Dynamic Systems team holds a press conference with their tagline that they are very sorry to Korea. But it is pandemonium as families an dloved ones yell and scream and make it so the conference cannot continue.

Jessica is there as well and looks pretty content at the event. She starts to walk out smiling as a voice over says that all the family members of the victims were upset at the press conference and it was revealed that the system was faulty with the plane. But it was revealed that Dynamic systems is a strong finalist for the next fighter jet, so this will be a big issue.

LISBON, PORTUGAL

In a church in Lisbon, they are having the funeral for the man who worked for the company. Jessica Lee is there laying flowers on him.

Jessica – Finally, you proved yourself after all, you saved all of us. Thank you Michael, goodbye.

AIRPORT

On the news, it says that some of the family members will fly to Morocco with a flight given to them by Dynamic systems. We see all the family members walking to the plane. the voice over says that they will have a combined funeral over the sea, because it is hard to recover all the bodies.

TANJIER AIRPORT

The family members all land in the airport, hae-ri is there to great them along with her colleague. They tell them that they will stay in a hotel and they can go there now. they can meet in 10 minutes after they go to the restroom.

Dal-gun goes to the bathroom and sees a man washing his hands. It looks like he might remember him. He is shocked to see him, but the man just puts on his shades and walks out.

Dal-gun runs out of the bathroom and yells to catch him! Hae-ri holds his arm and asks wher he is going? It is almost time. But he breeezes by her and runs outside where he sees the man get into a car with someone else and drive off.

So Dal-gun hops into a taxi and follows them. He goes all the way to a market area. They both get out of the car and start to walk around this market. Dal-gun runs to catch up with him, but the man disappears in the alleys.

However, he tells this man that there is a weird turn on its access (wheels turn on its axis?) It sounds like that might be a password? Dal-gun turns around and sees this man, he sees the scar on his face and says that he is the ne! You are the guy!

The man pulls out a gun and their is a brief fight as Dal-gun kicks the gun away quickly and there is a struggle. But the man is able to pin Dal-gun against the wall and asks him which agency he belongs to? Dal-gun asks him how he survived! Everyone on that plane died! How did you survive! You did it! You killed my Hoon!

He pushes the man off and there is another scramble. But then the man sccer kicks Da-gun in the face while he is on the ground. Dal-gun picks up a wood piece with a nail init and hits the man. the man starts to bleed. But then the man hits him with a vase, which knocks Dal-gun loopy for a moment. This lets the man get away.

But Dalgun is not stopping, he looks around and sees access to the roof, so he climbs up and runs along the rooftops as he looks for him. However, he is at a loss, he does not see him. It is a crushing moment.

But then he sees him! He takes off running across the rooftops, hopping here and there as he hops along these jagged roof areas and interrupts peoples lazy afternoon meals.

He finally dos one last crazy jump to another building and sees the bad guy get into a car. Dal-gun takes off running in the direction where the car is going, he is lock step with the car as he races across the rooftop and finally jumps from the roodtop and lands right on the front of he car!

But it completely knocks him out momentarily, but he wakes up and tells this man to come out. COme out you son of a b**ch! But the man does not come out and reves the engine of the car to send Dal-gun flying aorund the alley ways as the car races along.

Dal-gun slides around the side of the car as he holds on by one hand. He finally climbs back up to the car and is on the rooftop. But he swings over to the other side and punches the guy inside the car. He is able to get ahold of the steering wheel, but the fight is back and forth as the driver does not want to relinquish control.

This sends them barreling into the side of the railing on the cliff and Dal-gun flies out of the car and over the cliff. He is the only one. The man comes to and starts to car right away, driving off quickly.

——-dramamilk.com——-

#7

HOTEL

the embassy people start to check names and show people to their seats. He tells the parents and loved ones that Dyamic Systems will come soon. But they do not know where Da-gun is. Hae-ri says he knows which hotel they are at, so he will come soon.

Cut to Dal-gun pulling himself back up from the cliff. He is all broken and beaten up and saddened at losing this man. He starts to yell into the air and crumbles to his knees.

Fade Out

——-dramamilk.com——-

COMMENTS

Y’all, this show is great so far! It definitely has the heart and the action and the pace of a blockbuster! I was into it from the beginning to the end and was definitely thrilled with the pace of the chase scene through the streets and building tops of Tangier!

If episode two is just like the ending of today’s episode, then I think a lot of people will like this show, if they like action movies. The ending was straight out of a scene from the Bourne series, literally. I think The opening of Bourne 2 was a rooftop chase scene in Tangier, so the person pulling these action scenes together has done their homework in how to make an action scene work and is possibly paying homage to Bourne (because it was so obvious that it was Bourne, right? Does anyone else think so?).

Loved the first episode, waiting happily for the second.

PREVIEW

DG – The plane crashed but one guy is alive, it is terrorism.

DG – This is the video footage before the airplane crashed

DG – Look at this video and remember his face. 

DG – You are partially responsible.

DG – All the video footage has disappeared!

DG – If you don’t want to die, tell me!

DG – What if what I said is true! You are co-conspirators with the terrorist!

HR – Because of you, I will also die!

DG – What is your identity? Who are you!

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• Suzy Promotions for #Vagabond
• Grainy Film Love for Behind the Scenes and Set Images of Lee Seung-gi’s Vagabond

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