Pio has nothing but love for Jeongyo’s return, while his family brings up old wounds of all sorts in Episode 7 of Four Hands, Two Sonatas.
Four Hands, Two Sonatas sustains the suspense as it enters its second half. Even though Jeongyo is now a conductor and Pio still a pianist, Pio’s toxic family dynamics still finds ways to pit these two against each other despite what should be a comforting reunion. And even without these outside forces, will their friendship survive the nine year separation? As Vogel said, is it even alive?
The following article contains spoilers for Episode 7 of Four Hands, Two Sonatas.
Meeting Luca Domenico
After the competition, Pio tries to meet Jeongyo backstage but is blocked by security. He follows him to his hotel and asks the concierge to tell him that his old friend Kang Pio is there, but the concierge says that Mr. Domenico does not know him.
The news breaks all over the world that the missing pianist Choi Jeongyo has returned. However, he evades questions about his past, saying that he doesn’t want it to define him and his music. Eventually, he says that he doesn’t remember anything about what happened to him nine years ago.
Pio finally meets Jeongyo/Luca through a director he knows. Pio is genuinely happy to see Jeongyo again, but Jeongyo, who can still speak Korean fluently, acts like he truly does not know Pio and cuts the conversation short when Pio asks about how he lost his memory.
Meanwhile, Seonju has arrived in Czechia on Seungwoon’s orders to recruit Jeongyo for the Hankook Symphony Orchestra.
The pains of the past
Jaein has also learned of Jeongyo’s return and checks in on Pio. She nudges him toward playing again now that he’s secure in the knowledge that Jeongyo is alive, but Pio pushes back against the idea.
He returns to his old high school to reminisce and finds Jeongyo in the stairwell where they used to meet. Jeongyo says he’s back in Korea for the orchestra and decided to visit his old school to jog his memory. He also apologizes for brushing Pio off before.
Since Jeongyo doesn’t remember anything from their high school days, Pio shows him around. Jeongyo asks if they were close friends before, and Pio says he thought they were. When they get to their old practice room, Jeongyo asks Pio to play one of the songs that they used to play together, but Pio is unable to do it due to his slump. Jeongyo then says a slump is something that Pio can overcome.
Jeongyo reveals that he can no longer play the piano at all because of an injury in his right hand, which is why he started conducting instead. Pio remembers seeing his mother that night in Prague and asks Vogel to track down the person who sent the orders for Jeongyo to be kidnapped.
Reunions
Seonju continues to negotiate an offer with Jeongyo about conducting the Hankook Symphony Orchestra, but he seems hesitant and wants to directly discuss it with Seungwoon. Seonju recommends Jaein’s agency, which leads to a meeting between Jaein and Jeongyo. Jaein vouches for Pio’s earnestness, saying Pio was the only one who never stopped looking for Jeongyo.
Unfortunately, Jihye finds out about Seungwoon’s bid for Jeongyo to join the Hankook Symphony Orchestra. She lashes out at her father to no avail, so she ends up redirecting her energy onto Seonju. Jihye threatens to pull funding if the orchestra doesn’t drop Jeongyo, but Seonju calls her bluff and says she can keep her money. They can attract more sponsors when Jeongyo joins them.
At the dinner table
Jaein asks Pio if he wants to be Jeongyo’s soloist for the concerto, but again, Pio refuses and says he needs more time to get back on track. They run into Seungwoon and Jeongyo back at the house, and they all end up sitting together for tea. Jihye, quietly enraged to find Jeongyo in her home, ends up joining them as well.
Jihye starts prying into Jeongyo’s amnesia, while Seungwoon asks Jeongyo if he really wants Pio to be his soloist despite his slump. Jaein tries to diffuse the situation by saying that neither of them are fully on board yet, but Jeongyo asserts that he really does want to work with Pio as Jaein sold him on the idea. Pio leaves, upset that Jaein talked to Jeongyo before discussing it with him.
Back at the hotel, Jeongyo receives a call from his “hyung” and goes back to the piano arcade. It is revealed that Jeongyo has been watching Pio’s interviews, where he says he made it through the Harmonie Competition without Jeongyo’s help. Jeongyo thinks back to Pio saying that he’s grateful to find him alive and clearly doesn’t believe a word.
Thoughts and What To Expect Next on Four Hands, Two Sonatas
It’s not a K-drama without a random amnesia plotline. However, it does seem like Four Hands is attempting to subvert this trope because Jeongyo is clearly only pretending to have amnesia in pursuit of some form of revenge. Pio’s characterization is also quite nuanced in that he might have done some hurtful things but he also genuinely loved his friend.
Again, it’s a testament to Song Kang and Lee Junyoung’s chemistry that a semi-predictable revenge plotline could be believable. Another actor that deserves praise is Seo Jaehee, who plays Seonju with such quiet regality.
In the next episode, we learn more about Jeongyo’s motivations for faking amnesia. It seems that he’s goading Pio into playing again by striking a connection with one of their former bullies. Whether that’s all part of the plan or not is something that remains to be seen.
Source: tvN Drama
