Salon de Holmes- Episode 1 First Impression
A Gun, A Gossip, and a Grocery Store Standoff”
Salon de Holmes doesn’t ease you in—it kicks the door open with a hijinks-heavy hostage situation, nosy neighbors, and a heroine who’s all sunshine and sass even when her life is spiraling out of control. The tone? Think: domestic chaos meets detective drama with a side of bread-based beatdowns.
The pilot episode introduces us to GONG MI-RI (Lee Shi-young), whose day begins with a dream come true—moving into her family’s very own apartment. Mi-ri’s optimism is unshakable, even as the signs start to pile up that this perfect day might not be so perfect after all. Friendly neighbors with backhanded compliments? Check. A janky moving experience? Check. Storm clouds brewing? Literal and metaphorical—check and check.
Then the in-laws show up. Mi-ri’s husband’s sisters (three of them!) and his mother barge in, firing off passive-aggressive insults with military precision. Her husband tries to intervene, but he’s about as helpful as a wet napkin. Mi-ri, ever the hostess, keeps smiling—until she’s smashing crab shells like they owe her money and imagining how good it would feel to douse them all with a fire extinguisher.
But the real madness begins when Mi-ri heads out to grab some groceries and stumbles into a full-blown hostage situation. Enter CHOI HYANG-HEE (Kim Geum-soon), who storms the supermarket with a loaded gun, demanding that all men get out—and all women stay. Her husband is cheating, and she’s here to confront the mistress… who she believes is in this very building.
Unfortunately for the husband, he stuck around—and manages to make everything worse by calling his wife crazy. That’s when retired cop CHOO KYUNG-JA (Jung Young-joo) clocks him with a loaf of bread, buying just enough time for Mi-ri to take the lead. And she does it in the most Mi-ri way possible: cool, calm, and a little bit unhinged.
She convinces Hyang-hee to let her play detective, figuring it’s better to identify the mistress before any bullets fly. What follows is a chaotic, hilarious mashup of deduction and disaster. Mi-ri juggles calls from her clueless in-laws while trying to uncover the truth, Kyung-ja blocks the cops from rushing in too soon, and the women in the store gradually side with Hyang-hee when they learn the husband once abandoned their kid at an amusement park to sneak off with his mistress.
The breakthrough? Mi-ri zeroes in on supermarket staffer PARK SO-HEE (Dasom), using tiny clues—like shampoo scent and social media breadcrumbs—to build her case. So-hee backs up the theory, and once the cheaters are exposed, they’re begging for mercy. The police arrive just in time to stop Hyang-hee from shooting them—or herself. It’s a close call, but Mi-ri’s quick thinking saves the day.
And then, in a final boss move, rival shop owner JEON JI-HYUN (Nam Ki-ae) picks the cheating husband’s pocket and wires all his money to Hyang-hee. Crisis averted and a financial win? We stan.
Back at home, Mi-ri’s toxic in-laws suddenly see her in a new light—hugs, cheers, even compliments. But a somber news report about a local kidnapping shifts the mood, and Mi-ri retreats, haunted by memories of her high school best friend.
Still, there's one clear takeaway: this squad is just getting started. Mi-ri, Kyung-ja, Ji-hyun, and So-hee realize they make a surprisingly effective team—equal parts brains, brawn, and street smarts. The “Zoom-vengers” (as they nickname themselves) are officially assembled.
Episode 1 sets the tone with heart, humor, and a strong promise: these ladies are here to sleuth, scheme, and serve justice—with flair.
DramaZen's Opinion
What a Wild Ride!
Okay, Salon de Holmes came out swinging, and I am so here for it! Episode 1 is pure chaos in the best way possible—moving day meltdowns, in-law overload, and then boom! A hostage situation in aisle three.
Gong Mi-ri is instantly lovable—sunny, smart, and slightly unhinged (in the funniest way). Watching her go from stressed housewife to supermarket sleuth was an absolute blast. And can we talk about Choo Kyung-ja knocking out a man with a loaf of bread? ICONIC.
The supporting cast is just as fun, especially the squad of ajummas who go from innocent bystanders to full-blown detectives. I didn’t expect a grocery store standoff to be this funny and heartfelt, but here we are.
By the end, I was ready to join the Zoom-vengers myself. If this is just the first episode, I can’t wait to see what kind of wild cases they tackle next. Count me in—I’m obsessed already!
