No. of Episodes: 12

Released Year: 2024

Main Plot:

The Impossible Heir follows Han Tae-oh, a poor but brilliant young man who joins forces with Kang In-ha, the illegitimate son of a wealthy conglomerate. Together, they plan to seize power and status, but their ambition leads them into a dangerous web of greed, betrayal, and love.

Main Cast:

Lee Jae-wook as Han Tae-oh

Lee Jun-young as Kang In-ha

Hong Su-zu as Na Hye-won

Choi Jin-ho as Kang Joong-mo

Jung Woong-in as Han Sang-il

Episodes Summary

Episode 1: Arrival in Maju 

A first episode of The Impossible Heir begins with Han Tae-oh exiting a bus and entering Maju’s peaceful streets. Even though the town might look nothing special and quite normal, the cautious eye of Tae-oh is surrounded by enigma. He has got a little bag with him, takes stealthy steps and is casting suspicious glances—all those traits are telling of the brilliance and the keen observation that are his. Tae-oh finds a little room at the rooftop and slips in, thus starting to undergo his gradual change in lifestyle.

Na Hye-won, with her mother nearby, occupies her own small space across the rooftops, revealing her private tragic landscape. Their lives take different paths, but appear parallel and possess independent struggles.

In the nearby streets, Kang In-ha emerges with an almost wild vigor. He takes minor goods while riding his motorcycle with bold confidence, making the villagers suspicious yet powerless to stop him. In-ha is obviously bold and an outcast, whose very presence is opposite to the reserved enclosure of Tae-oh. 

The first meeting between the two creates a scene of confrontation when Tae-oh accuses In-ha of shoplifting. He advises him that stealing is an art and that he should select bigger items if he desires to go that route. The following day they bump into each other again in the same class. In-ha immediately displays his power by pushing and provoking Tae-oh thereby causing a fight. The two are obviously linked through curiosity, competition, and recognition of each other’s power, despite their taking part in the fight.

Then, Tae-oh’s tranquil day is interrupted by a phone call. The anxiety that haunts his life becomes clear as he rushes to the convent where his mother has been hiding: his father has discovered her and poses a real danger . The tension is immediate and acute as men scour the neighborhood while she flees on a bus. In these scenes, the stakes are really important for Tae-oh and show his cunning, strategic planning as well as protection instincts.

The boxing ring scene heats up even more with In-ha’s challenge for Tae-oh to prove his value. Boxing is a contest where the combatants exhibit not only their brute force but also their mental smarts to a great extent. The fight’s winner has to be none other than Tae-oh. In-ha acknowledges this but is still not completely ready to join the winner’s circle. He extends a hand of friendship towards the already shocked Tae-oh.

 A little later, while they are at school, Tae-oh’s classmates pick on him for his family’s dark past and for being a murderer’s/ (the son’s) son. In-ha, however, unexpectedly steps in, although the punishments he metes out are light in comparison to Tae-oh’s reaction. That night, on a rooftop, he opens up to In-ha and suggests a partnership of sorts: he will assist In-ha in getting some influence over the Kangoh family while In-ha, in turn, will help him to gain a higher social status. Ambition makes them both active. Once again, the principle of reciprocity is working back and forth.

A private, quiet moment concludes the show. Tae-oh and In-ha are in the loft. They drink cocktails (again) and secretly engage in some planning for the future and look around. Then, Tae-oh sees Na Hye-won across the rooftops, and they exchange a quick look, but it is already full of gradually increasing love. The camera merely sticks to their faces so that the audience feels that the intricate and subtle story of unseen aspirations, unstable partnerships, and fragile connections has barely begun to unfold.

Episode 2: University life begins

Han Tae-oh is shown in the first scene of the episode standing at the door of his small rooftop flat, thinking about his future. He has lived a solitary and watchful life in Maju, but Kang In-ha’s entrance upends this peaceful way of life. In-ha’s wildness and non-conformity challenge the boundaries that Tae-oh has set for himself with great care. The tension between the two as well as the silent mutual understanding both ways result in a very complicated relationship between them.

Meanwhile, a university classmate named Na Hye-won gets involved in their lives. She faces Tae-oh’s rejection when she first asks for his help. But after she persists and finds In-ha, a mild competition develops between the two guys as they compete for her love and admiration. Because Hye-won’s objectives are yet unknown, the dynamics that are developing are made more intriguing.

The Kangoh family’s internal conflicts come into light as the story goes on. Within the family business, Chairman Kang Joong-mo’s offspring are vying for influence and power, challenging his authority. In-ha’s status as the illegitimate son puts him in conflict with his biological brothers, underscoring the intricate network of ties and goals that characterize the Kangoh power.

Tae-oh’s report captures Professor Chae Dong-uk’s attention, highlighting his academic expertise. Tae-oh’s talent is acknowledged by the professor, who gives the report to Kang Seong-ju, the second son of the Kangoh Group. With this deed, Tae-oh enters the Kangoh family’s sphere of influence and unpredictably entwines his destiny with theirs.

In the midst of these happenings, In-ha’s private life takes on a major role. A chain of events, which in turn lead to the characters’ relationships being more strained, is initiated when Kang Hee-ju, his half-sister, starts to have feelings for Tae-oh. A chaotic blend of emotions and reasons comes up as In-ha’s care for the family overlaps with her love for Hye-won becoming stronger.

As the episode reaches the boiling point, Tae-oh and In-ha try to predict the temperature of their relationships with Hye-won vs their aspirations within the Kangoh Family. This power struggles together with jealousy and the need for attention combine to form a situation that results in difficult and unpredictable cross-border rivalries. These rivalries are surprising and sometimes even impossible to forecast. The sly motives along with the burning desire to gain higher status of the involved parties indicate their readiness to go against their principles and morals to realize their objectives.

At the end of the episode five years had passed, as revealed by the time jump, with changes visible in Tae-oh and In-ha’s lives. Highlighting their scale, impact and strategic understanding, they celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Center for Co-Prosperity Collaboration, a joint venture they founded. Now essential to the business because of all of their preparations and unity of purpose. As the episode draws to a close, the suspense keeps on getting stronger, foreshadowing the next fights, the trust issues, and the intricate partnerships that will determine the future wars.

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