The finale of The Penthouse: War In Life aired on 10 September, 2021, bringing to an end the story of the Hera Palace residents and their crimes. The final episode left fans with mixed feelings – several people were unsatisfied with it, and it’s not hard to see why – all adult main characters died, even those who finally deserved a happy ending merely for shock value. On the other hand, it’s also very on brand for a show like Penthouse, so really, should we have been so surprised?
So here’s a brief explanation about the events of the Penthouse season three finale. Was it a good ending? A disastrous one? You decide.
Death, death and… more death
AT THE END, all the pivotal adult characters met tragic deaths. Oh Yoon-hee, Ha Yoon-chul and Joo Dan-tae were killed off in the earlier episodes, and in the finale, Seo-jin, Su-ryeon, and Logan die, too. Su-ryeon jumped off a cliff and framed Seo-jin for her murder. Logan was diagnosed with cancer, but he refused to get treated and died two years later. Seo-jin is also diagnosed with cancer, and after she sees her daughter Eun Byeol one last time, she overdoses on pills and dies.
The finale takes place three years after the tragic events. Ro-na, who is now a world famous singer, is holding a concert in Seoul and all the remaining characters arrive to see her. Seok-hoon is a famous pianist and Seok-kyung teaches singing and works at a BBQ place, building a honest life for herself without anyone’s help, and is on good terms with Ro-na now because she comes to the concert as well. Kang Mari works for the chairwoman and donates to charity, and Minhyuk just came back from the military as a better person. Eun Byeol conducts the choir at a church Everyone has moved on with their lives and are doing well.
What happened to Su-ryeon and Logan?
During the first half of the episode, we’re led to believe that Su-ryeon and Logan had a happy ending, but it was false. In the finale, we see Su-ryeon drive a car towards Logan, supposedly to pick him up so they can start a happy life together. But we find out that Su-ryeon drowned inthe river three years ago, and Logan wasn’t actually at Ro-na’s concert venue like we were led to believe when Ro-na talks to him – she was actually looking at his photograph. He died of cancer, but his spirit was at Ro-na’s concert to see her. When he sees Su-ryeon’s spirit in the concert hall, he runs after her to find her waiting in the car. They smile at each other and drive away together into the afterlife, where they hope to see their beloved Min Seol A again. They deserve to live a happy life together, but at least they are together after death.
What about Cheon Seo-jin and Eun Byeol?
When Seo-jin was convicted for murduring Su-ryeon, she pretends to have dementia, but Eun Byeol can’t stand it any longer and testifies in court that she saw her mother kill Yoon-Hee and Su-ryeon. Claiming it’s her fault that her mother committed heinous crimes, she stabs herself in the neck and says she’ll never sing again.
Three years later, we see that Seo-jin has cancer and took leave from jail to see Eun Byeol, who now conducts choir at a small church. She’s practicing hard because the choir will perform at Seo-jin’s jail, but unbeknownst to her, Seo-jin committed suicide not far from her church – she wanted to see her daughter one last time before she dies. This scene is particularly tragic, because Seo-jin died thinking Eun Byeol never wanted to see her again, while Eun Byeol was on her way to see Seo-jin.
So did anyone get a happy ending at all?
Not everyone met a tragic end in Penthouse season three. Ro-na and Seok-hoon are thriving in their careers and finally go on their pasta date. Seok-hoon gives Ro-na the key to his apartment in Austria, and their future seems bright and filled with happiness. Seok-kyung is no longer an arrogant brat who’s living a lavish life, but is working two jobs to stand on her own feet. When she offers free food to a homeless man outside the BBQ place she works at, we see that she’s turned into a good, kind person. Eun Byeol is happier and calmer too, conducting choir at a church and leading a simple life.
The Movie Culture Synopsis
In a show like Penthouse, it can’t get any better than this, to be honest. And since Logan and Su-ryeon drove off into the sunset and are together in the afterlife, wishing to meet Min Seol A, we can hope they’ll finally get their happy ending too.
