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MBC's latest drama When the Phone Rings debuted on November 22, 2024, offering a thrilling mix of romance and suspense. Featuring Yoo Yeon-seok, Chae Soo-bin, Heo Nam-joon, and Jang Gyu-ri, the story revolves around a couple in their third year of a politically motivated marriage. Their lives are thrown into chaos by a mysterious phone call.
The series is helmed by directors Park Sang-woo and Wi Deuk-gyu, with a script by Kim Ji-woon, acclaimed for Melancholia and Doctor John. Based on a popular Kakao Page novel, the drama is co-produced by Bon Factory and Baram Pictures.
As the drama comes to an end, Sa-eon and Hee-joo get their happy ending, much to fans' excitement. While the production team of When the Phone Rings has not announced a season 2, the present storyline also does not leave much scope for it either.
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When the Phone Rings episode 12 recap: Where is Sa-eon?
The last episode of When the Phone Rings begins with Sa-eon getting shot. As Hee-joo runs to him crying, the police grab the real Sa-eon. However, this was just in Hee-joo's dream. In reality, Sa-eon disappears after the incident. After a month, he donates all of his assets and resigns from the presidential office without appearing before anyone.
Kyu-jin is arrested after the fiasco while the real Sa-eon is shot dead by the police. Ui-yong resigns as well and decides to live as a common man. Kyu-jin is given life imprisonment, and she appeals for the death penalty. Mr. Min, who showed remorse, is sentenced to five years in prison in When the Phone Rings.
Six months after the incident, Hee-joo decorates her Christmas tree with lights and her pictures with Sa-eon. She meets Do-jae in prison to find out if Sa-eon ever mentioned anything that might lead her to him. Do-jae told her that Sa-eon had initially planned to disappear like dust after getting his revenge on the Baek family. However, his plan changed after meeting Hee-joo; he wanted to live for her and spend his life with her.
While leaving the prison, Hee-joo bumps into Mr. Park from the presidential office, who tells her that Sa-eon used to ask questions about becoming a good husband. Later, Hee-joo takes her father along to have tonkatsu together. Here, she finds that he had been to the restaurant with Sa-eon before.
In this episode of When the Phone Rings, In-a visits Hee-joo, and to help her mood, she suggests getting out of the house and going for a trip. However, Hee-joo wants to stay in case Sa-eon returns. She tells her that Sa-eon was by her side when she slept for days from exhaustion.
In-a asks her to forget him, confident that he will not come back. She asks her to be happy but Hee-joo tells her that only Sa-eon can make her happy and kneels down crying as In-a comforts her. In a flashback, In-a is shown receiving a text from Sa-eon asking to meet. At present as well, Hee-joo receives a call from a 604 number. When she checks the country code, she finds the name Argan.
To find out more, Hee-joo meets Hyuk-jin and asks about the time when he and Sa-eon used to work as a war correspondent in Argan. She also told him about the two million won donated in her name to a school for the hearing-impaired. Hyuk-jin tells her that Argan is a war zone and also mentions a spot in Argan where Sa-eon used to go to watch the sunsets.
Hee-joo decides to go check for herself. After reaching the school, she asks if they have seen Sa-eon, showing them his picture. Since they are unaware, she asks if they know about a sunset spot, to which they reply that the area is under the occupation of rebels.
Despite this, Hee-joo decides to go there and is kidnapped by the rebels. While transferring the blindfolded captives, Hee-joo is made to sit in the car. The driver tries to escape as the rebels chase. Removing her blindfold, Sa-eon asks her why she was there. In response, Hee-joo asks him what the real Sa-eon told him.
It is revealed that it was Chairman Baek Jang-ho who orchestrated the accident that killed Hee-joo's younger brother. The chairman wanted to keep the existence of the real Sa-eon hidden. However, Yu-jin, Hee-joo's brother, had seen his face, so he was killed.
Sa-eon, wanting to punish himself, left for Argan. Hee-joo holds him and kisses him, and they spend the night together. In the morning, while Hee-joo is in Sa-eon's arms, he tells her that he had a dream about Hee-joo and had called her after that, using it as an excuse to hear her voice. The two million he donated was because he was going to break their wedding vows. He wanted to divorce Hee-joo as Baek Sa-eon and marry her as the person he is.
In the next scene, Mr. Park, Sang-woo, Yu-ri, Hyuk-jin, and Jin-yi show up at Sa-eon's cozy new home to congratulate them on their remarriage. Sa-eon informs them that he has changed his name to Baek Yu-yeon, much to everyone's surprise. He also tells them that he does not intend to go back to the presidential office. Sang-woo and Yu-ri also announce their marriage in When the Phone Rings.
Hee-joo returns to her job as an interpreter at the news station and Yu-yeon joins as a negotiator for the government, with Do-jae assisting him. When the Phone Rings ends with Sa-eon and Hee-joo holding hands and walking through the sunlit woods.
Will there be a season 2?
The production team of When the Phone Rings has not hinted at a second season. Since all their conflicts have been resolved and the drama has provided a satisfying ending for the lead and supporting characters, the chances of having a When the Phone Rings season 2 seem quite slim. As the story's ending suggests, Hee-joo and Sa-eon will remain happily together.
The 12-episode drama is available to stream on Netflix.
