Tempest Season 1 Episodes 4 and 5 Review: A Whirlwind of Drama and Action

Tempest Season 1 Episodes 4 and 5 ramp up the action and drama for a whirlwind two episodes that unfortunately sacrifice character development for shock value.

Episode 4 brings a much more intense look at the threats that creep closer and closer to Munju, who continues to be just as boldly committed to finding Junik’s murderer as before, but this quest has become increasingly dangerous.

Jun Hi-jyun remains unperturbed as Munju, rarely ever showing moments of weakness except when she learns what is likely the most devastating secret of her life: Junik had a secret family for years who he hid from everyone but her.

Hi-Jyun portrays Munju’s overwhelming rage in a way that feels convincing, and her scene with Lee Mi-sook is appropriately intense. Unfortunately, the show doesn’t linger long enough for us to understand just how shocking this is for Munju before it moves quickly into another dramatic turn: Junik’s other partner wants to sue Munju for her inheritance.

All of the family drama threatens to overshadow the political, whose stakes are difficult to understand until the very end of Episode 5. We still don’t know exactly who it is that is so intent on killing Munju and her team, or why the U.S. and China are so invested in the possibility of war in the Korean peninsula. 

Those watching for the obvious romantic sparks between Munju and Sanho will leave these episodes satisfied.

Sanho is very reserved, and Gang Dong-won portrays his slight shifts in expression with care. However, he is still far too much of a mystery for viewers to be invested in his story.

He clearly cares a lot about Munju, and not just because he is her bodyguard, but his true motivations are still murky. His character still has not progressed beyond the trope-y bodyguard who cares too much about his assignment.

Part of the issue with Episodes 4 and 5 is also the editing – it jumps too often between completely different scenes, and simultaneously does not do them enough justice. We move too quickly from the cliffhanger end of Episode 4 into the growing realization of impending war in Episode 5. 

John Cho’s Anderson Miller does get his moment to shine though, as he becomes the whistleblower. Which reveals that there is no real evidence that North Korea did have nuclear weapons.

The show is drawing a comparison between this allegation that North Korea has weapons of mass destruction with the actual allegations that led the U.S. to invade Iraq.

Tempest reflects broadly on the growing threat of war in a world that has increasingly more advanced weapons at the disposal of people and nations that should not be trusted with them, which deserves some more exploration in future episodes.

Both episodes bring new, jaw-dropping reveals, namely that Junik had a secret family hidden from Munju for years. All while the rest of his family was informed of their existence. This is a realization that destabilizes Munju completely, but we aren’t given the proper space and time to understand the grief she feels for her lost child and husband. 

In Junik’s son, Munju sees what she could have had with him, and this is something she grieves deeply. However, the betrayal has also revealed anger in her, which could be compelling to explore in future episodes.

Tempest Season 1 Episodes 4 and 5 introduce too many elements in the story for their runtime to cover, but they set up high stakes and compelling storylines for future episodes.

 

---

What did you think of these episodes of Tempest? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!

Critic Rating:

Audience Rating:

 

Tempest airs new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+ and Hulu.

Check out our latest TV recommendations, updated weekly!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!