Pachinko returns this week with a solid chapter, one that fleshes out more of the world, adds in echoes of a rebellion on the horizon, and ties all of that together with Sunja giving birth to her son, Noa. The way this game of Pachinko is being used to tie everything together, using the motif of the game being "rigged" (a direct personification of Solomon's time at Shiffley's) is a lovely addition to the story and it helps to bridge together the Korean and Japanese influences that are prevalent through the series. There's a lot going on here and I've said it before but I feel a more chronological order for this, just like the book, would have benefited the screenplay greatly. Despite that minor gripe, this story about sacrifice, love, honour and loyalty is beautifully told and there are a lot of moving parts to this one to make it an enthralling, epic generational journey. The ending certainly hints that there's more to come, so we'll have to wait and see what's in store for our characters. Episode 6 of Pachinko begins in Osaka 1975. Solomon is in school when he first meets Hana, who takes him by the hand and leads him away from the playground. Solomon tries desperately to hold her hand but instead, she turns to face him. She suggests they run away to America together. Solomon is not so sure, prompting Hana to scoff, pointing out how boring his life is. Succumbing to peer pressure, Solomon is convinced to steal from the local shop but he's caught on the way out the door. Naturally, as Solomon is a Korean he's dealt with harshly. The police are called, who want him kicked out of school and punished. However, Solomon's father begs him to stop, but it's actually a call from a "powerful friend" asking for his release that swings things. So who made the call? Meanwhile, we cut back to 1931 to find Sunja and Kyunghee berated by Yoseb over them paying off the latter's debt. He questions Sunja about her watch but despite clearing his name, Yoseb is clearly ashamed and walk away. As he does, Sunja's water breaks and she looks set to give birth.
