In 1987, against the backdrop of an important upcoming presidential election, a young college student meets a charming young man on a blind date.  Little does she know he is actually a North Korean spy, getting ready to finish his important mission surrounding the election and head home.  But when his circumstances end up spiraling out of control, he finds himself  taking her and her whole dorm hostage in an effort to get home alive.  And as the situation builds, they will find the lines of country and allegiance blurred, as each of them faces betrayal and become pawns in a political game that is much more complicated than they realized.    

 Kim Ji Soo as Eun Young Ro

Eun Young Ro was raised by her grandmother after her mother died.  Her father is the Director of the ANSP, but Young Ro hides that fact from her friends and roommates. When she meets Soo Ho at a blind date, she is immediately attracted to him.  And she keeps meeting him in increasingly difficult situations.  When he shows up at her dorm with a gun and takes the whole group hostage, she is hurt by his lies about his true identity.  At first, she refuses to have anything to do with him, but she can’t help stepping in when he needs her. And as the terrible truth of their situation unfolds, she finds out that they have both been betrayed by fathers and countries that are more concerned with their own greed and power than either of them.  

Eung Young Ro is kind and generous.  She treats everyone with respect and care.  Even Boon Ok, who the other’s mistreat any chance they get.  It is this tenderhearted concern that draws Soo Ho to her, even in the midst of their horrible situation.  This is Kim Ji Soo’s debut acting role and she proved her potential as a talented actress.  She will only improve from here, and I look forward to seeing her continue to grow.   

Yoo In Na as Kang Cheong Ya

Kang Cheong Ya is a doctor who has been living undercover as a North Korean spy for 17 years.  Her latest mission involved getting close to Nam Tae Il so she could keep an eye on him and the ANSP.  But she has been in love with Soo Ho since a chance encounter between the two of them years ago.  Her cover is blown when she is sent in as a doctor for the injured hostages.  

 ♥ Villains

One of my favorite things about this drama is that there were lots of familiar actors in very unfamiliar roles.  Seeing actors like Yoo In Na,  Kim Hye Yoon and Kim Min Kyu step out of their usual roles to play villains was unexpected and interesting.  It gave each of them a chance to stretch their acting skills and show  sympathetic yet obviously flawed characters.  

 ♥ Kye Boon Ok

As much as I couldn’t decide whether I hated or pitied Boon Ok, I loved seeing Kim Hye Yoon in this role.  Her character was so incredibly complex and nuanced.  It would have been easy to make this character simply unlikeable in every way, but instead I found her at times humorous, desparate, and sadly misunderstood.  Kim Hye Yoon really showed a range of skill that I have not seen from her before.  

 Politician’s Wives

This drama took full advantage of the long episodes to include a huge cast of characters and plots.  But some of those stories felt largely unnecessary.  The snotty, petty politicians’ wives are an example of that for me.  I just didn’t care much about their ridiculous quarreling and constant competition.  And they were never really needed for the plot progression.  I would have loved to see that screen time given to other more interesting plots.  

Soo Ho’s Sister

While the cast was huge, there were a couple characters whose are mentioned, but we never get to hear their stories.  Most obviously, I would have liked to see a couple scenes, even if they were memories, of Soo Ho’s sister and Young Ro’s grandmother.  These two characters seemed pivotal in the lives of our leads, and it would have been nice to get a bit more of their stories and relationships. And more importantly, what happened to Soo Ho’s sister after he died.  We are told repeatedly that she will be killed, so are we to believe that after all that, Soo Ho’s death is doubly tragic because he couldn’t save himself or his sister? 

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So, it is easy to see from the beginning that “Snowdrop” was likely to end in tragedy, and it did just that.  Soo Ho had actually made it out of the dorm and was on his way home, when he decides he needs to go back and finish protecting Young Ro.  He is shot saving Young Ro’s life and dies in her arms, in a heartbreaking scene. The hostages are released safely, thanks to highly visible media coverage.  The political leaders involved in the ANSP all end up in jail and their belongings are seized.  Only Young Ro’s stepmother seems to make it out, taking off with all the money from their safe.  One year later, the dorm is back to normal. with Miss Pi and Boon Ok overseeing it.  Young Ro goes back to the cafe where she first met Soo Ho and listens to the cassette tape he put into her hands as he was dying.  As she listens to his confession of his feelings for her, she remembers their time together and cries, sitting alone at the table.