Yoo Yeon-seok's Heart-Wrenching Journey in MBC's 'The Call You Make Now'

The production conference for MBC's new Friday-Saturday drama 'The Call You Make Now' (written by Kim Ji-woon, directed by Park Sang-woo and Wi Deuk-kyu) took place on November 21 at the Golden Mouse Hall in Sangam-dong, Seoul, featuring Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin during a photo session. In the latest episode aired on January 3, Yoo Yeon-seok's character, Baek Sa-eon, who has lived under a false identity, mysteriously vanished.

In the previous episode, Sa-eon arrived at the scene of an accident where Hong Hee-joo (Chae Soo-bin) had fallen into a river with her kidnapper (Park Jae-yoon). However, there was no trace of Hee-joo at the tragic site. Her family members, Hong In-ah (Han Jae-yi), Hong Il-kyung (Choi Kwang-il), and Kim Yeon-hee (Oh Hyun-kyung), were devastated upon learning that Hee-joo's car had plunged into the river.

Sa-eon feared he might lose Hee-joo forever but quickly regained his composure and began assessing the situation. He directed his suspicions towards Shim Gyu-jin (Choo Sang-mi), the only one who had not shown up at the accident scene. After confirming that Gyu-jin's vehicle's black box had been deleted, Sa-eon requested a search warrant from the investigating officer, Kang Hyung-cheol (Lee Do-seok), and his suspicions turned into conviction.

Ji Sang-woo (Heo Nam-jun) and Na Yu-ri (Jang Gyu-ri) also worked tirelessly to find the missing Hee-joo. During the search, some of Hee-joo's belongings were discovered, and although Hyung-cheol stated that the chances of her survival were slim, Sa-eon firmly replied, "Let’s talk when a body is found," showcasing his unwavering dedication to Hee-joo.

As the investigation into Gyu-jin faced obstacles, Sa-eon tipped off Hyung-cheol about evidence of murder that could tie Gyu-jin to the case. After confirming the crucial evidence, Hyung-cheol urgently arrested Gyu-jin at a press conference held by Baek Ui-yong (Yoo Seong-joo). The shocking revelation was that Gyu-jin had murdered her father-in-law, Baek Jang-ho (Jung Dong-hwan).

Sa-eon began intense questioning of the arrested Gyu-jin, during which it was revealed that she had secretly taken Hee-joo and the kidnapper away right after the accident, shocking viewers. Sa-eon realized Gyu-jin's plan was to inflict the same pain of uncertainty about a loved one's fate upon him, as he was Baek Jang-ho's biological son. He expressed his belief that Gyu-jin would have found a way to torment Hee-joo even more if she were her mother, intensifying the psychological battle between the two characters.

Using CCTV footage saved on Gyu-jin's phone, Sa-eon pinpointed Hee-joo's location and rushed to Baek Jang-ho's ancestral home. At that moment, Hee-joo had escaped with the help of Min Secretary (Hong Seo-jun) but was soon pursued again by the armed kidnapper, heightening her anxiety. Just as Hee-joo was fleeing, she finally reunited with Sa-eon, and their emotional embrace brought tears to viewers' eyes.

However, the kidnapper continued to block their path aggressively. Sa-eon attempted to resolve the situation calmly while keeping Hee-joo in the car. But after hearing a whisper from the kidnapper, Sa-eon looked at Hee-joo in disbelief. The kidnapper, hoping to break Sa-eon, aimed his gun at him, creating a tense standoff that culminated in a gunshot, raising the stakes to a peak.

In the closing moments of the episode, Hee-joo was shown waiting alone at home for her husband, who had gone missing. She anxiously answered a call from an overseas number, asking, "Is that you?" in a heart-wrenching tone, leaving viewers on edge about whether Hee-joo and Sa-eon would reunite against all odds.

The 11th episode recorded a nationwide rating of 8.3% and 8.8% in the metropolitan area (according to Nielsen Korea), setting a new personal best for the series. The 2049 rating, a key indicator of content competitiveness, also ranked first in its time slot at 2.5%. Notably, a scene where Hee-joo reminisced about happier times with Sa-eon peaked at an impressive 10.5%, heating up the home viewing experience.