Jeongyo’s return forces Pio back into the spotlight in a tense episode of Four Hands, Two Sonatas, where things seem to be brewing just under the surface.
In Episode 8 of Four Hands, Two Sonatas, it is Jeongyo’s turn to lead Pio back onto the stage after a traumatic event. Whether Jeongyo truly intends for Pio to succeed or he has something else planned is still unknown, but things are slowly being set into motion as the show reaches its last two weeks.
Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers for Episode 8 of Four Hands, Two Sonatas.
The haunting past in Four Hands, Two Sonatas Episode 8
The episode starts with a flashback to five years ago at a monastery in Slovakia where Jeongyo has been staying. He learns from one of the monks that Pio is in the country, which brings up feelings of anger and betrayal.
In the present day, Jeongyo has his first rehearsal with the Hankook Symphony Orchestra, where one of the cellists is his high school bully Seokhwan. Annoyed that a newbie is brought in as the guest conductor, Seokhwan intentionally plays half a beat early to try to trip Jeongyo up, but Jeongyo picks up on it instantly.
A series of reunions
For the first time since his return, Jeongyo meets Hyunsoo, who encourages him to persuade Pio to return to playing. Jeongyo meets Pio again and tries to motivate him to play, like Pio did for him when he was struggling with his stage fright. Still, Pio refuses and tells him to choose someone else as his soloist.
Jeongyo goes to meet his old friend, Hyuncheol, who had been protecting him since their days with the loan sharks. Hyuncheol shares that Jeongyo’s father is doing fine thanks to Jeongyo’s financial support. He knows that Jeongyo doesn’t really have amnesia and offers to just beat Pio up as a form of revenge, but Jeongyo tells him to bide his time.
Finally, Jeongyo has dinner with Jihye, who is still panicking about Pio losing his status because of his slump. Jeongyo politely asks her to review the orchestra’s budget, as he doesn’t want them penalized because of him. Jihye agrees, but continues to pry about his memory loss. She shares that she was there when Jeongyo’s mom passed, which causes him to “break down crying.”
Jeongyo continues to stroke Jihye’s ego, praising Pio’s irreplaceable talent and saying he’ll be more comfortable playing with an orchestra. Despite her doubts about Jeongyo, Jihye talks to Pio about playing again.
Convincing Pio
Jaein invites Pio to watch a performance of their old classmates, which includes the other bully Hanrim. Jeongyo is also in attendance. After the performance, Hanrim makes a bid for Jeongyo to choose him as his soloist. Pio is doubtful and tells Jeongyo that Hanrim is no good. Jeongyo again asks Pio to play with him, and he finally says yes.
Jeongyo and Pio meet with Seungwoon and Seonju to discuss their performance and decide on the pieces that they’ll play. They settle on the Brahms piece that Jeongyo did for the conducting competition, as well Mozart’s 20th piano concerto, a particularly difficult piece. Seungwoon trusts Jeongyo to pull it off, but Seonju is worried that Pio will ruin his debut performance.
Overcoming the slump
Pio works to overcome his slump. He even rents out a practice room as he finds playing at home too stressful, but he can’t do much beyond basic Hanon exercises. He eventually goes to ask Jeongyo for help, saying he doesn’t want his performance to affect his debut.
Jeongyo takes Pio to see a violinist busking on the street. Jeongyo says that the people watching aren’t there for his brilliant technique but to feel comforted by music. He reminds Pio to play for himself, to comfort and heal himself before doing so for others. Pio remembers listening to music while his grandfather and mother were fighting, as well as the times he played together with Jeongyo, and it becomes the comfort he needs to slowly recover.
Performing together again
Jeongyo returns to the same concert hall where his mother passed away for an award ceremony. During the program, he wanders into the practice room where he and Pio played together as children and comes to a spot by the wall. Jihye interrupts him before he fully reveals what he was looking for. She thanks Jeongyo for helping Pio get over his slump and they walk back out.
When Pio comes to rehearse with the orchestra, Seokhwan restarts the rumors about him having something to do with Jeongyo’s disappearance all those years ago. Pio is wrought with nerves and barely makes it through the rehearsal.
Jeongyo notices the hostility from the orchestra members, and tells Pio about how he overcame his social anxiety while at the monastery. Together, Jeongyo and Pio practice with an imaginary orchestra.
On the day itself, Pio ends up pulling off an amazing performance. Jaein, Pio, and Jeongyo are having dinner after the show to celebrate when Pio gets a text from Vogel. Vogel reveals that Jihye was the one who orchestrated Jeongyo’s kidnapping.
Thoughts and What To Expect Next in Four Hands, Two Sonatas
This episode feels completely like everyone is in the palm of Jeongyo’s hand and he’s setting up the pieces for a grand plan. Four Hands has noticeably shifted towards a more serious and somber tone compared to the earlier episodes portraying Jeongyo and Pio’s friendship.
The warmth between our two boys is missed, but it doesn’t seem to be returning any time soon after that reveal. The next episode is all about the aftermath of Pio’s discovery. While Pio seems ready to come clean, Jihye, of course, isn’t so forthcoming. Tensions continue to escalate as we head into the last stretch of Four Hands, Two Sonatas.
Source: tvN Drama
