It’s here, it’s here, it’s heeere! Tis the season to be drunk with happiness because “Moonshine” premiered, and it did not disappoint. Hyeri and Lee Seung Gi knocked it out of the comedy park as we were swept into this bustling yet dangerous prohibition world of Joseon. Now let’s get into what happened in the first two episodes of “Moonshine!”
EPISODE 1 RECAP FOR MOONSHINE
We open the episode to a bootlegger ship collecting alcohol for an obscene price. The people selling it wonder why anyone would pay this much for alcohol. The bootlegger mutters that, after ten years of prohibition, they will pay almost any price for alcohol.
Welcome to the world of “Moonshine!”
A Quick Hilarious Introduction to our Hero and Heroine
Cut to our plucky heroine Ro Seo (played by Hyeri), who will do any odd job for money. We first see her chopping down a tree for wood, and then she finds a lost ring in manure. She washes herself off in a picturesque river, happy with a good day’s coin.
(Let me also take a moment to pause and say that this show is gorgeous, OMG).
We are introduced to Nam Young (played by Yoo Seung Ho) next, fresh off a boat and giddy-eyed at the bustling Joseon, which is how he gets got by some thieves who cut his purse sack right off of him. But he and his servant are highly capable of tracking down pickpockets and get the money back. We also get a nice taste of Yoo Seung Ho’s archery skills and smarts as he cleverly captures the thieves.
The Meet-Cute That Dreams are Made Of
Our meet-cute happens when Ro Seo is being harassed by some thugs in a market. Not one to back down, she gets into a tug of war scuffle with the head thug, which is when Nam Young comes in to break this fight up. But things happen, tempers flare, someone’s hair gets pulled out, an arrow gets shot, and Ro Seo is spun right into an embrace with Nam Young.
Le sigh…yes show, you know what we are here for.
This opening meet-cute is very hilarious, with Ro Seo not being a pushover at all, which throws Nam Young for a loop. A definite must-watch!
Nam Young Takes the Police Test and Ro Seo Discovers Bootlegging
The rest of the episode is spent watching Nam Young take the National exam, getting an introduction to the prince, who is a rascal that loves alcohol, and Ro Seo discovering speakeasies (places where they sell alcohol illegally) and how much money can be made.
However, a police raid at the speakeasy sends everyone running, which runs Ro Seo right back into Nam Young in a high-flying tackle that places them both on the ground (with one on top of the other, of course).
Ro Seo has had a horrible day of falling in poop, getting into a fight, learning that her brother racked up a huge debt, finding money surreptitiously at the speakeasy, then losing it all when she basically gets tackled by Nam Young. Plus, she goes home to the aftermath of thugs destroying their house for 20 coins a month. Her life cannot possibly get any worse, can it?
(Of course, this is the perfect K-Drama moment for it to rain buckets.)
The Ending Twist
Ro Seo is tired, out of luck, and in need of money…badly. Which is why she starts to make a jug of alcohol exactly the way her father taught her to.
If only her brother hadn’t rented out their spare room to Nam Young, the 1st place winner of the National Exam and future prohibition enforcement officer for the palace.
EPISODE 2 RECAP FOR MOONSHINE
At the beginning of episode 2, we find out straight away that Nam Young had to stay at Ro Seo’s place because he had to pay for a stolen horse (a situation that happened in the 1st episode) and only had enough left to afford this shabby place. He does not want to be there, and she does not want him to be there. Hey, at least they’re agreeable!
The bigger problem is that Nam Young is a royal inspector who enforces the laws of the King, and if anyone gets caught with alcohol, they get turned directly into a slave (plus lots of other horrible things for their family members). This is bad, bad, bad for So Reo.
(Also…hilarious)
Nam Young Finds Trouble in the Palace
Nam Young is getting it on both sides, though, because, at the palace, the prince does not like him very much (due to a situation that happened in the 1st episode), so he is on his most polite behavior.
Luckily, the King and the King’s right-hand man love Nam Young and are grooming him for greatness.
Meanwhile, Ro Seo is trying to find out if her alcohol is good to sell and for how much. She enlists the help of a servant with the promise that the servant can become a commoner with half the money they make in a month. It’s a bootlegging partnership!
Ro Seo Figures out This Bootlegging Thing
This episode is filled with the trials and errors of Ro Seo learning the bootlegging ropes while simultaneously trying to keep her precious alcohol secret from Nam Young. And it is comedic gold!
But this bootlegging is a dangerous game. Ro Seo not only has to worry about the police, she also has to watch out for the powerful mobsters who have this alcohol game on lock and will not hesitate to kill anyone else coming in to mess up their money.
To make matters even more heightened, due to an unfortunate situation at work, Nam Young must find five bootleggers in one month, or he will be fired.
It’s a Rooftop Chase at the End of the Episode!
After almost getting caught by the cops, Ro Seo and her friend decide to make a “mobile bar” and take their alcohol business on the road to towns close to Han Yang (an old-time name for Seoul) and sell directly to the people without an intermediary. It works gangbusters!
But by the end of the month, the mobsters have caught wind of a merchant selling insanely delicious alcohol in a mobile cart…and, with Inspector Nam Young only one catch away from being fired or not, the situation for Ro Seo is even more precarious than ever!
By the end of the episode, Ro Seo is literally in a foot chase on a rooftop, on the run from mobsters and inspectors at the same time.
But Nam Young catches her first and is only a second away from pulling off her mask!
Y’all, “Moonshine” is checking all my boxes. Have you had a chance to watch it yet? If so, what did you think of it? Like it, love it, want more of it? (ahem, me).
Or were you left with more of a meh feeling? Let us know in the comments!
Also, if you would like us to do weekly episode recaps and preview breakdowns of “Moonshine” like we do with “Young Lady and Gentleman,” let us know that in the comments as well!
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