Yoo Yeon-seok is delivering both laughs and feels on "Phantom Lawyer" with fearless, full-body acting―even taking a bucketful of water―so the dead can rest in peace.
Episode 10 of SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama "Phantom Lawyer" (written by Kim Ga-young and Kang Chul-kyu, directed by Shin Joong-hoon), which aired on the 11th, ended with a jaw-dropping scene: Shin I-rang (Yoo Yeon-seok) getting drenched in the middle of the courtroom.
Shin I-rang’s daily life is basically an extreme job. He’s a “ghost-specialist attorney” who willingly lets spirits possess his body. In Episode 10, while fighting to uncover the truth behind the will left by master shoemaker Kang Dong-sik (Lee Deok-hwa), who died after living with dementia, a riled-up spirit suddenly possessed him in court. “Not now, seriously,” he pleaded, trying to hold it back. But against his will, he shouted at the judge, “I wrote that will!” throwing the courtroom into chaos.
A lawyer yelling at a judge in open court is career-ending territory. In that split second, his saviors were his partner Han Na-hyun (Esom) and his brother-in-law Yoon Bong-su (Jeon Seok-ho).
Na-hyun moved fast―she covered I-rang’s mouth and urgently asked for a recess. Bong-su then splashed him with water to force the spirit out. I-rang came to, soaked and stunned, which sparked big laughs. But it also underlined his harsh fate―and how much worse things could’ve gotten without Na-hyun and Bong-su’s quick cleanup.
This isn’t the first time I-rang has put himself on the line. When Na-hyun’s late sister Han So-hyun (Hwang Bo Reum-byeol) craved her mom’s kimchi stew loaded with pork shoulder, he preemptively took allergy meds―despite his pork allergy―and let her possess him so she could taste it again. He puts the wishes of the dead before his own pain or reputation. That dedication made Na-hyun truly feel his lonely fight and vow, “From now on, I’ll help.”
“The way I-rang breaks himself down, yet stays warm, to connect the dead and the living is the essence of his character,” the production team said. “With Na-hyun and Bong-su by his side, they’re now an inseparable one-team. After the courtroom water fiasco, watch how the ‘Okcheon Building trio’ flips a near-certain loss with a bold strategy, and look forward to a refreshing counterattack as new truths come to light this week.”
Episode 11 of "Phantom Lawyer" airs on the 17th at 9:50 p.m.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)