Divorce Attorney Shin (Season 1), Episodes 5 & 6 Recap & Ending Explained: “Divorce Attorney Shin” has its first indication of a bit of a lull in its latest two episodes. Currently streaming on Netflix, the K-Drama takes a breather. After two high-octane cases, “Divorce Attorney Shin” takes the frugal path in dishing out the drama through its latest divorce case. Instead, it concentrates on propelling the arcs of its eccentrically lovable recurring characters. As a result, it creates more mellow moments interspersed with the show’s now-signature eccentric humor. However, the anthology part of the series suffers a bit as the new divorce story is undercooked. As if it was added as an afterthought.
Divorce Attorney Shin (Season 1), Episodes 5 & 6 Recap
The Choi Jeong-Ho Case
The new divorce case for Shin Sung-Han (Cho Seung-Woo) is reminiscent of the opening case of this series. The case that introduced Lee Seo-Jin (Han Hye-Jin) to Sung-Han’s world. Here also, Sung-Han’s client is the one who has committed adultery. Choi Jeong-Ho (Jeon Joong-Yong) is an aged professor who falls in love with Kim Ji-Suk (Kim Si-Young)—leaving his wife, Park Ji-Yeon (Oh Yoon-Hong), bitter and vengeful.
Jeong-Ho is diagnosed with Liver cancer; the only way is a liver transplant. Jeong-Ho’s option is limited as only a relative can donate a liver for one’s transplant. Ji-Suk wants to donate her liver to her lover. However, the vindictive Ji-Yeon proves to be a massive hurdle. For Ji-Suk to donate, she needs to be a family member of Jeong-Ho. She needs to marry him for that, which cannot happen unless Jeong-Ho divorces his wife, Ji-Yeon. And Ji-Yeon disagrees with that proposal, even if that means the death of Jeong-Ho.
For Ji-Yeon, it is more about pride and vendetta. She was the “Professor’s Wife,” as she mentions every time she sees Ji-Suk. Ji-Yeon hates Jeong-Ho for taking that away. She also extracts as much money as possible for Jeong-Ho. All of these might stop once she is officially divorced. Things start to turn ugly when Jeong-Ho and Ji-Yeon’s son, Choi Min-Su, return to Korea. Min-Su faces a breakdown and tells them he would donate the liver to Jeong-Ho if they could just leave him to be.
Sung-Han’s strategy for Jeong-Ho works. It involves Jeong-Ho committing a felony. Jeong-Ho tells his insurance agent to cancel his insurance, knowing fully well that the agent is a friend of Ji-Yeon. Ji-Yeon is informed immediately by that agent, and Jeong-Ho records that conversation. Tapping his wife’s phone is illegal. But the countersuit proves to be a small price to pay as the recorded conversation reveals his wife’s vindictive nature immediately. As a result, Jeong-Ho gets his desired divorce.
Choi-Jun as Spy
In the last episode, Sung-Han’s musical fan, Choi Jun (Han Eun-Sung), left his internship with Keum Hwa law firm. To join Sung-Han’s office. The reluctant Sung-Han relents to hire him (primarily due to Choi Jun deleting Sung-Han’s drunken piano-playing viral video). However, Keum Hwa’s top lawyer, Sung-Han’s enemy, Park Yu-Seok (Jeon Bae-Su), quickly recalls Choi Jun. He threatens Choi Jun to work as a spy for him at Sung-Han’s office.
A broken Choi Jun immediately tells Hyeong-Geun (Kim Sung-Kyun), Sung-Han’s friend and paralegal. Hyeong-Geun tells Sung-Han. Later Sung-Han decides that Choi Jun should act as the spy. He tells him to pass his observations to Yu-Seok. So, Choi Jun becomes his double agent. Choi Jun also joins the Sung-Han, Hyeong-Geun, and Jo Jeong-Sik (Jung Moon-Sung) trio in their shenanigans. A camping trip with the four of them proves to be quite the adventure for Choi Jun.
Hyeong-Geun’s Divorce
Hyeong-Geun, on the other hand, also struggles with his wife’s rejection. His wife, Ji-Eun (Jang So-Yeon), no longer loves Hyeong-Geun. Both Sung-Han and Jeong-Sik advise Hyeong-Geun to let go of her. Especially as she is now pregnant, and the father is her boyfriend. But Hyeong-Geun simply could not. On the other hand, there is a hint of a budding romance between Hyeong-Geun and Kim So-Yeon (Kang Mal-Geum), the owner of the local noodle shop.
Things change when Ji-Eun calls Hyeong-Geun to take her to the hospital for a pregnancy-related complication. Hyeong-Geun meets her boyfriend, who seems to be a nice guy. Hyeong-Geun later decides to give Ji-Eun the divorce she wanted. To help her live her life with her boyfriend. He even gifts her a stroller.
Divorce Attorney Shin (Season 1), Episodes 5 & 6 Ending Explained
Who Called Ju-Hwa? Return of Ma Geum-Hee
This episode explores quite a lot of Sung-Han’s past—especially the episode about his sister, Ju-Hwa’s (Kong Hyun-Ji) death. Ju-Hwa’s death has always been the key event in Sung-Han’s life. The reason he left his passion, music, for a life dedicated to legal battles. Ju-Hwa’s ex-husband, Jeong-Guk (Kim Tae-Hyang), has remarried. Jeong-Guk’s mother, the formidable Ma Geum-Hee (Cha Hwa-Yeon), returned to Korea in the last episode.
Her first stop is Sung-Han’s office. She demands to know the location of Ju-Hwa’s resting place. A thoroughly disgruntled Sung-Han rebuffs her. Ma Geum-Hee does not seem too disappointed. She says she would find the place on her own and pay her respects. Geum-Hee also chastises Jeung-Guk’s current wife, the alleged villain of the story, Jin Yeong-Ju (Noh Susanna), for not letting young Gi-Yeong visit his mother, Ju-Hwa’s grave.
Involvement of Yeong-Ju in Ju-Hwa’s Death
It is revealed that Yeong-Ju did not appear in Jeong-Guk’s life after Ju-Hwa’s death. It is implied that Yeong-Ju had not only known Jeong-Guk before his marriage to Ju-Hwa. But she could have been his betrothed before Ju-Hwa came into the picture. At the moment, it is difficult to know where Ma Geum-Hee’s feelings lie. She had let Ju-Hwa know about her contempt towards kindness. However, she seems to harbor a respectful attitude toward her deceased daughter-in-law. And it does not seem that she is particularly spiffy with her new daughter-in-law.
On the day of Ju-Hwa’s accident, a phone call came to her phone. Sung-Han has kept that phone number. In this episode, we get to know that that phone number belongs to none other than Yeong-Ju. And Sung-Han now knows this.
As next week’s episode hints at a challenging case for Sung-Han, it also indicates a potential face-off with Yeong-Ju.
