‘Happiness’: Episode 3 Recap – The Distribution of Infection Uncovered
Viki and tvN’s new thriller Korean drama, Happiness, takes viewers on a new kind of infected horror. The drama centers around a special forces officer and a detective who become entangled in a new viral outbreak. As the core storyline and issues of Happiness start to unfold, episode 3 reveals how the heinous infection spread through the tenants of a residential building.
Happiness combines the fear and trauma left behind by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and takes it to new heights. People become ravenous, bloodthirsty monsters, and the main characters are now on limited time to find an answer.
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers about Happiness.]
‘Happiness’ Episode 3 introduces the stories of other characters
The episode begins following the final events of episode 2. Yoon Sae-bom (Han Hyo-joo) and the rest of the team try to contain the cargo container full of the infected. Despite the soldiers doing everything possible to stop the infected, Sae-bom is determined to save Lee Seung-young (Lee Kyu-hyung). As the soldiers trap her inside, Jung Yi-hyun (Park Hyung-sik) comes to her rescue using a smoke bomb and pulls Seung-young and Sae-bom out.
As Sae-bom talks to Seung-young, Yi-hyun questions Han Tae-seok’s (Jo Woo-jin) morals. While Sae-bom thinks he sees the infected as monsters, Tae-seok explains the biggest thing they learned from coronavirus was survival. Sae-bom urges Tae-seok to inform the public of the outbreak and goes home with Yi-hyun.
In the elevator with other tenants, Yi-hyun notices tenant #601 Oh Joo-hyeong (Baek Hyun-jin) enters with a younger woman and his sleeve stained with blood. In their apartment, Yi-hyun and Sae-bom have a video call with Yi-hyun’s mother. A disturbance in apartment #601 sends Yi-hyun to investigate.
Yi-hyun looks into Joo-hyeong’s wife in ‘Happiness’
Before Yi-hyun arrives at apartment #601, the tenant from #602 Kook Hae-sung (Park Hyoung-soo), also complains about the noise. Joo-hyeon explains his wife is ill and on bed rest, and the young woman from before is one of the head dermatologists at his wife’s clinic. But Yi-hyun is unconvinced but returns to his apartment to get some sleep.
Tae-seok revisits the drug dealers from episode 1 at the car wash. He takes a bag full of the failed pneumonia pills before the scene cuts to the next morning. Happiness episode 3 introduces Park Seo-yoon’s (Song Ji-woo) family and story. While she watches the news about the virus, her parents start arguing. Her mother is worried the tenants will discriminate against them if they find out she is sick. She even suggests making up a lie and leaving quietly.
Not wanting to hear her parents argue, Seo-yoon goes to Sae-bom’s apartment. As Yi-hyun investigates Joo-hyeong’s wife and Sae-bom is on the phone with her mother, they learn the video Seung-young took made it on the news, and warning alerts were dispatched. After grocery shopping, Sae-bom meets Oh Yeon-ok (Bae Hae-sun) from apartment #1202. Yeon-ok berates Sae-bom for entering the restricted floor and clarifies that renters are not meant to socialize with owners.
Tae-seok finds out why the infection will spread in ‘Happiness’ Episode 3
When Sae-bom once again hears a disturbance from apartment #601, she takes matters into her own hands. She forcefully enters the apartment and finds Joo-hyeong’s wife is infected. Taking refuge in the shower, Sae-bom realizes she has some cognitive function and is after her husband. Letting her escape, the infected chases Joo-hyeong. Sae-bom tries to restrain her until Yi-hyun arrives. Yi-hyun later investigates the apartment and finds a bloodied golf club and the pills causing the infection.
Viewers also meet an elderly couple from apartment #302. Ji Sung-sil (Lee Joo-Sil) ran into the infected but claims she is okay. Later that night, Tae-seok makes a public announcement about the infection. Yi-hyun later visits him with the pills and tries to talk to Joo-hyeong’s wife. Happiness episode 3 then puts together scenes of Joo-hyeong cleaning the apartment as Tae-seok interrogates the drug dealer.
The following day, Yi-hyun learns Joo-hyeong’s wife is dead and arrests him for murder. Yi-hyun believes he tried to murder his wife before she turned. Back at the research facility, fans learn more about Tae-seok’s wife. She is not only infected but is pregnant. In a flashback, Tae-seok watched someone feed on his wife. Back at the building, Tae-seok tells Sae-bom the infection will spread. A personal trainer in the building’s private gym sold the drug to residents, claiming it helps with weight loss. Tae-seok puts all the buildings in the complex under lockdown.
Happiness is available to stream on Viki.
