Spoiler Alert – This article contains spoilers from Season 1 , Episodes 1-16
The Netflix series titled ‘ Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ is a heartwarming tale of Woo Young Woo, a girl who overcomes her disabilities to become successful in her professional life as an attorney and also find love!
I highly recommend watching it.
Against all odds
Woo Young Woo is brought up by her single father who discovers his daughter’s extraordinary abilities. She is able to remember legal material from his law textbooks. She ends up graduating with top scores from the law school and clears the Bar with top scores.
Only ‘Hanbada’ – the law firm – gives her a chance to start her career as a rookie attorney.
Law and Whales
Woo Young Woo displays all the typical traits of an autistic person. An obsessive interest in a narrow field. In her case it is whales and Law. She is self aware of her obsessive nature and tries her best to control her impulses.
There are several key moments in the series that are both beautiful and well made. Here are some of the scenes that stood out for me.
Recognition
During the first day at work her boss is baffled by the way Woo Young Woo introduces herself and is angry that he has to accept Woo Young Woo as his rookie attorney. He even takes it up with the Hanbada CEO. He makes a deal with the CEO – he would give her only one chance and if she did not perform, he would let her go.
During the course of the case, it becomes clear very soon that Woo Young Woo is a genius. Her boss – Jung, is gracious enough to recognize his mistake and accept her as his rookie.
Spring Sunshine Choi
Woo’s genius and her rapid recognition in the firm causes tension within the rookies, especially Kwon, who taunts Woo with the nick-name ‘Wildcard Woo Young Woo’. Woo’s friend Choi tells her Kwon’s nick-name ‘Tactician Kwon’.
While having dinner with Woo Young Woo, Choi speculates what her own nick-name could be. Woo dismisses nick-names that Choi suggests for herself, like ‘baby face’, ‘most beautiful’ etc. This annoys Choi for a bit. However, Woo thinks her nick-name should be ‘Spring Sunshine’. Woo thinks it suits the kind-hearted nature of Choi because while in school Choi looks out for her and she continues to do so even at work without thinking much of it.
Although Woo makes the comment casually, Choi is obviously touched deeply.
Saying ‘No’
Woo’s genius in court attracts the attention of Tae Su-mi the CEO of a rival Law firm – Taesan. Tae Su-mi makes an offer hoping to poach Woo from Hanbada.
The plot twists and turns leading to Woo’s realization that Tae Su-mi is her biological mother.
Woo meets her mother who is unaware that Woo is her daughter. In the meeting Woo confronts Tae Su-mi and asks her if she ‘recognizes her?’. Tae Su-mi is caught off-guard. Woo later discloses the fact that she is her daughter and that makes Tae Su-mi emotional. The actress who played Tae Su-mi masterfully performed this complex scene with little to no dialogue.
Breaking Up
Woo is on the autistic spectrum but she is also self-aware of her condition. In a way she over-corrects at times by worrying too much about how other people feel.
JunHo, her boyfriend, takes her along to visit his sister’s family on Jeju island. Woo is anxious and tries very hard to please her in-laws which only leads to more awkward situations. Woo overhears JunHo’s sister rebuking him for choosing a girl like Woo.
Woo decides to break-up with JunHo as she thinks her disorder will make him feel lonely and she is afraid she cannot make him happy.
Big Sister
Tae Su-mi’s son gets into trouble for hacking into a company website. He is the step-brother of Woo but she is not aware of his existence but he knows that Woo is his sister.
He comes to her for help and pleds that his big sister helps him. Woo is shocked that she now has a younger brother and initially rejects him. Over time she empathizes with his situation and fights really hard for him so that he can have the childhood that she did not get to have.
Fulfillment
If you have made it this far, then congratulations. You have genuine curiosity and an open mind. This is a website dedicated to FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early). Achieving FIRE takes a lot of dedication and focus. While immersed in the grind it is easy to lose track of the ‘Why?’. The reason for choosing to achieve FIRE. Everyone has their own reasons. But, there is one common thread, it is the pursuit of Fulfillment.
In the last episode, Woo Young Woo wakes up feeling an emotion that she finds hard to describe. She is now a permanent Attorney at Hanbada, she has made things right for her brother and has found lost love in JunHo.
She thinks it is not really happiness. Only when she reaches work does she realize what that feeling was. It is the most elusive and coveted of feelings – Fulfillment.
I think Fulfillment is the reason to FIRE. to be more precise, being forced to earn money should not block you from achieving fulfillment in your life.
HappyPath FIRE!!!