Ahn Hyo-seop's 'Final Table' Climbs to 2.4% With Episode 2

JTBC's new drama "Final Table" is still drawing ratings in the 1% to 2% range. Its second episode outperformed its premiere, however, hinting that the show has room to grow.

The series debuted as JTBC entered a sale process.

Episode 2 of the weekend drama aired on Otc. 25 and drew a 2.4% nationwide rating, according to Nielsen Korea. That marked a 0.5-percentage-point increase from the first episode's 1.9%.

In the episode, chef Kang Han (played by Ahn Hyo-seop) accepts an offer from Choi Song-i (Hong Hwa-yeon) and decides to enter a cooking survival show.

The story starts at Familia, a restaurant tied to Kang's memories of his father. Disappointed by the food, he complains to the staff. An explosion suddenly hits the restaurant, and Kang later learns that the restaurant's owner and chef, Choi Seung-hyo (Jang Hyun-sung), has died.

Kang regrets being so harsh on the staff without knowing what had happened. Choi Song-i, the restaurant's floor manager, is mourning her father. To comfort her, Kang cooks dinner himself with the ingredients left in the kitchen. After tasting his food, she slowly starts to smile again.

Seon Jeong-won (Jung Yoo-jin), a producer at Pyeongyeon Media, happens to visit Familia and takes an interest in Kang's cooking. She is planning a cooking competition show called "The Table: K-Chef 2026." Thinking Kang is Familia's head chef, she starts digging into his background.

That search uncovers Kang's past with chef Cha Woo-jin (Chang Ryul). The two once competed against each other in a overseas cooking competition, where Kang won. Cha has turned down Seon's show, so she plans to recruit Kang as his rival in hopes of changing his mind.

Choi Song-i says no at first. She believes Pyeongyeon Group is responsible for her father's death and sees the show as an attempt by the company to divert public attention. She changes her mind after being told that winning the contest could restore the restaurant's reputation.

She then finds Kang, who is about to leave for New York, and asks for his help. "Pyeongyeon killed my father," she tells him, asking him to help clear her father's name.

Her words bring back Kang's own past. He also lost his father because of Pyeongyeon Group. After watching a promotional video for the contest featuring the group's chairwoman, Moon Hae-sun (Jang Young-nam), he makes his decision.

"Let's do it together," he says. "'The Table: K-Chef 2026.'"

The ratings are still small. But with both leads now headed into the competition, the show has set up a clear fight against a common enemy, and the early climb gives it something to build on.