Pandora Beneath the Paradise (판도라: 조작된 낙원) is a Korean thriller action drama that brings the story of a woman who has to reach the top to protect her family. Directed by Choi Young-hoon, the drama stars Lee Ji-ah, Lee Sang-yoon, Jang Hee-jin, Park Ki-woong, Bong Tae-kyu, and Shim So-young, alongside other cast members.
The show will have 16 episodes and takes over tvN’s Saturday-Sunday 9:10 PM KST timeslot previously held by Crash Course in Romance. Pandora Beneath the Paradise episode 16 has a run time of 60 minutes.
Disney+ synopsis of the show reads:
HONG TAERA LEADS A LIFE ENVIED BY ALL, WITH A PERFECT HUSBAND AND A LOVELY DAUGHTER. HOWEVER, HER LIFE TAKES A TURN WHEN REPRESSED MEMORIES RESURFACE.
-Pandora Beneath the Paradise Episode 16 Recap Contains Spoilers-
Pandora Beneath the Paradise episode 16 shows Jae-hyun experiencing confusion as he is taken to prison while everyone calls him a madman who is looking for his supposed wife and daughter. Jae-hyun is unable to understand what is happening and takes Sung-chan’s help to escape the prison.
Later, he sees a news broadcast information about the new chairperson of Hatch who is none other than Kyo-jin, and his wife Mun Ha-gyeong who is none other than Tae-ra. Jae-hyun is stimulated by this and soon escapes and arrives at the Townhouse which was his previous home.
There he sees Tae-ra with Kyo-jin and rushes inside with anger as he claims that she is Hong Tae-ra and his wife while creating a chaotic scene. Soon the security arrives and shoots him which makes him lose consciousness, however, he wakes up at the shore where he carried Tae-ra after their car dashed into the river.
He once again sees someone approach him before he loses consciousness and wakes up in prison, however, this time he is confused following which he experiences a different kind of death. Once again, Jae-hyun wakes up at the shore next to Tae-ra.
As these scenes continue to play in his head, it is known that this is the punishment designed by Kyo-jin and the others for Jae-hyun. When he lost consciousness at the shore, Do-jin injected the chip inside his head which caused him a heart attack hours later. Tae-ra and Jae-hyun were taken to the hospital by the police where Tae-ra confessed Jae-hyun’s crimes.
She is soon given the news of her husband’s death and promises the police all evidence against Jae-hyun and other material that can help them in the investigation in exchange for her husband’s body. Recalling these events, Tae-ra controls her emotions from flowing as she steps away and is approached by Kyo-jin who apologises to her for being the only one alive.
Tae-ra asks him about her brother’s final moments and he tells her that while escaping, Su-jeong gave up on the way while Pil-seung pushed him out while staying inside the laboratory before it exploded. Tae-ra once again gets hold of her emotions and faces the following days that are filled with chaos for Tae-ra and everyone related to Jae-hyun as his deeds were brought to light one after another.
Tae-ra pleaded to the nation through the media to take pity on her daughter while opening up about her husband’s crimes. To add on, it had been known to all that Tae-ra too was a victim of Jae-hyun’s plans which bought her the sympathy of many around the nation. And soon, her wish to live by her real name too is fulfilled.
Tae-ra then discusses her plans to move to Switzerland with Jiu and advice Hae-soo against her divorce so that she too can live in peace and happiness. Do-jin then arrives and tells her that her flight leaves the next morning for which Tae-ra thanks him and goes to Jiu to tell her about the upcoming plans.
Jiu asks about her father but Tae-ra reveals nothing while distracting her by letting her know that Hae-soo and Leo will follow them soon. Elsewhere, Do-jin tries to meet his father but is refused by Geun-mo so he asks the guard about his well-being and finds out that his father has already shown his dominance and is living rather well.
Do-jin then visits Kyo-jin and updates him about Geun-mo before asking him when he would meet Yeon-hwee, however, Kyo-jin refuses to meet his mother after what she did. To add to this, Yeon-hwee has hidden too well and her whereabouts remain unknown.
However, what the two don’t know is that Yeon-hwee’s secretary has already found Kyo-jin and Yeon-hwee is soon to come visit her son. Soon, she arrives and Kyo-jin is surprised but anger overtakes him as he refuses to talk to her. Yeon-hwee too sees the burn scars on his face and is saddened by what happened to her son.
Kyo-jin gets angered by her and mistakenly drops liquid on the plugs connected to the system attached to Jae-hyun because of which the latter gains consciousness and wakes up from his nightmare. He then tries to hit Kyo-jin but Yeon-hwee protects her son and loses her life while Jae-hyun escapes.
Kyo-jin is stunned by this and grieves over his mother’s death. Elsewhere, Hae-soo and Do-jin break the news of their divorce to Leo who is saddened by this and runs away in anger. Hae-soo and Do-jin are left behind and hug one last time with tears in their eyes before the latter has to leave.
On the way, Do-jin gets the news about Jae-hyun’s escape from Kyo-jin and rushes to the townhouse as Hae-soo had told him that she would be helping Tae-ra pack for her departure. However, Do-jin is too late as Jae-hyun has already kidnapped Hae-soo and demanded Tae-ra in exchange for Hae-soo’s life.
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Do-jin rushes to Kyo-jin and tells him about what happened but is met with the news of Yeon-hwee’s death and a distressed Kyo-jin. He then tells him about what Jae-hyun did and rushes to stop Tae-ra.
Pandora Beneath the Paradise Episode 16 Ending
Pandora Beneath the Paradise episode 16 ends with Do-jin finding Tae-ra at the airport and telling her about what happened which shocks her as she agrees to go to Jae-hyun, however, she goes to him alone. Tae-ra finds Jae-hyun waiting for her at the cliff where he first saved her and someone who seems like Hae-soo tied to a chair with explosives on her.
Tae-ra tries to speak to Jae-hyun and save Hae-soo but when nothing seems to work, she takes out the gun she found in Do-jin’s car and tries to scare him. However, he continues to ask about Jiu and hopes that she does not know the kind of man he really is before falling to his knees.
Tae-ra sees this and rushes to Hae-soo but finds that it was a mannequin which stuns her as Jae-hyun takes the gun from her hand and points it on her head. Hae-soo and Do-jin soon arrive there and ask Jae-hyun to let go of Tae-ra while the latter accepts her fate and agrees to die together.
However, Jae-hyun is not the same person he was before and Tae-ra soon notices the change in him as she turns around to witness Jae-hyun shooting himself in the head and falling down the cliff. This shocks everyone present there as Tae-ra feels the loss of losing the person who was once her husband.
The time skips to a few years later in Switzerland where Kyo-jin arrives to meet Tae-ra and Jiu while Hae-soo and Do-jin are to arrive later that day. Tae-ra shows him to his room before leaving to let him freshen up. Kyo-jin thanks her but soon his expression changes after she leaves as he begins to undress.
Tae-ra soon realises that she hasn’t given him a towel and opens the door to see Kyo-jin’s back filled with the same scar that was on Jae-hyun’s back after he was struck by lighting.
As Jae-hyun’s face overlaps Kyo-jin’s, a new chapter awaits Tae-ra.
Pandora Beneath the Paradise Episode 16 Review
Pandora Beneath the Paradise finale is finally here and this has been one heck of a ride for every fan and viewer of this show. An overwhelming experience is what this show has been and the ending was no less than a cherry on the cake.
The mystery and thrill only got better with each episode while the ending made sure to not let the story of Tae-ra and Jae-hyun end with just this. And this brings me to say that while the obsessive character of Jae-hyun continues, the storyline can get a little too overwhelming for some as the show is no less than a game of tug-o-war.
Jae-hyun’s character is definitely one that you will enjoy in the show as he shows us many faces throughout the show, and this will continue right until the last scene. Meanwhile, the sympathy you will feel for Tae-ra is another thing that will keep you hooked throughout the show.
However, there are many questions left in this episode beginning with the story Kyo-jin tells Tae-ra about her brother’s death. As believable as he wants it to sound, there is no way Tae-ra has no doubts regarding his story.
And the biggest question from this episode has to be Jae-hyun’s return in the final scene and how that even happened. The final scene really got to me and I am really hoping for another season because this is one story that really needs a good ending.
What did you think of this episode? Let us know in the comments below!
Watch Pandora Beneath the Paradise on Disney+.
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