Actress Ha Ji-won returns to the small screen after four years.
In the ENA Monday–Tuesday drama Climax, which premiered on the 16th, she plays actress Chu Sang-a, a character who falls from grace following a tax-evasion controversy, drawing viewers’ attention.
At the start, Chu Sang-a, living in seclusion, attends her agency co-CEO’s child’s first-birthday party. Despite rude demands from guests, she endures the situation in an effort to return to the industry. She also forces a smile in front of Lee Yang-mi (Cha Joo-young), the wife of WR Group’s third-ranking chaebol family and an influential figure in the entertainment industry, highlighting her determination to make a comeback.
Her relationship with prosecutor Bang Tae-seop, played by Joo Ji-hoon, also stands out. Coming from a modest background, Bang holds key information about WR Group and is also Sang-a’s husband. The two maintain a tense relationship while keeping their differing intentions hidden. After meeting Lee Yang-mi, Sang-a confides in Bang, expressing her fear that her career may be nearing its end and hinting at their complicated dynamic.
In the latter half, Sang-a’s inner conflict and past trauma emerge. She learns that a junior at her agency has agreed to provide sexual favors and goes to a hotel to stop it. As she confronts her own past, she breaks down emotionally. A subsequent encounter with Bang Tae-seop in an elevator heightens the tension and raises questions about the story’s direction.
Meanwhile, episode 2 of Climax airs on the 17th at 10 p.m.