S1E1 Episode 1

Jirisan Episode 1 aired October 23, 2021 on tvN to nationwide viewership that peaked at 10.6 percent - the highest premiere number for a tvN drama that year. The episode is the show at its most assured: mountain rescue operations depicted with documentary-level physicality, Jun Ji-hyun's veteran ranger establishing authority without explanation, and the mystery element introduced with enough restraint to function as genuine atmosphere. NME's first-look review praised 'a compelling tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat' and cited the mountain environment's integration into the narrative as a distinctive achievement. The opening rescue sequence on the fog-covered summit announced a production ambition that the premiere fully earned - the tragedy, identified by later critics, was that the subsequent fifteen episodes could not maintain what the premiere established.