Penthouse 3 theories 


Penthouse seasons 1 and 2 surprised us with its multitude of plot twists and shocking revelations. This time, we’re more prepared – here are 10 Penthouse 3 theories that we came up with after analysing the first 2 episodes of the drama. 


1. Logan may not be dead


penthouse 3 theories - logan lee
Image credit: SBS DRAMA

Logically, there’s almost no way Logan is still alive after his car exploded. He was standing right next to it when it happened, and it was a big explosion. 

But Penthouse has a knack for plot twists that seem almost impossible, so if Logan is alive, we wouldn’t be too surprised. After all, there was no body found. He could have been burnt to ashes in the flames, but we don’t know what happened after the fire was put out because the drama skips straight to a graveyard scene. 

Also, Baek Joon-ki, Penthouse 3’s new character, left the car just before the explosion. Maybe Joon-ki and Logan somehow knew about Dan-tae’s sabotage, and they hatched a plan to counter Dan-tae’s attack. After the incident, Joon-ki was seen at a bar and he didn’t seem too bothered by Logan’s death. 

Although Joon-ki’s timing was uncanny, it’s unlikely that he had a hand in Logan’s death because both of them share the same goal: to destroy Dan-tae. 


2. Logan may not be as innocent as we thought 


penthouse 3 theories - logan lee
Image credit: SBS DRAMA

In the previous season, Logan was like Su-ryeon’s knight in shining armour. Without him, it may have been impossible for Su-ryeon to seek justice alone. 

However, Logan may not be the good person we think he is. The policeman in the 1st episode of Penthouse 3 made a few good points, though Su-ryeon insisted that Logan was a good man. 

Seeing Su-ryeon’s distress over the accusation that Logan was Ae-gyo’s murderer, the policeman questioned her relationship with Logan. He asked, “How well do you know Logan Lee?”

Su-ryeon didn’t answer his question directly, but we suspect that the question was also directed to the viewers. We don’t actually know Logan’s past well –  it was easy to look past that because he did everything with good intentions in the previous season.

The policeman also brought up the fact that Su-ryeon’s biological daughter, Min Seol-ah, underwent an illegal bone marrow transplant for Logan, who was her step-brother. The policeman expressed his disgust at how Su-ryeon accepted Logan as her lover, even though Logan was Seol-ah’s step-brother.  

In the 1st episode, Logan was seen receiving a key to a vault full of gold bars. We know that he’s rich, but that’s a lot of gold. What is he planning to do with all that gold?

If you are a huge fan of Logan, rest assured that this is simply a theory – he’s just a little suspicious.


3. Joon-ki may replace Logan’s role 


penthouse 3 theories - logan and joon-ki
Image credit: SBS DRAMA

Logan was a powerful person who played a huge role in Su-ryeon’s quest for revenge. Now that he’s dead, someone else has to take up the mantle.  

That person will probably be Joon-ki. It’s clear that he hates Dan-tae, so he will be an important ally for Su-ryeon. Also, he seems wealthy. And in Penthouse, wealth is power. 


4. Su-ryeon was supposed to marry Joon-ki, not Dan-tae


penthouse 3 theories - dan-tae and su-ryeon
Image credit: SBS DRAMA

In the 1st season, Su-ryeon was engaged to a man named Joo Dan-tae, but she wanted to cancel the engagement because she already planned to marry someone else. Dan-tae was furious and sent people to kill her fiance. 

However, in season 3, Joon-ki revealed that Dan-tae murdered his family and took his name. This means that there’s a possibility that Su-ryeon was actually engaged to Joon-ki, whose real name is Dan-tae. 

This may explain why Joon-ki said that Dan-tae had “dirtied his name”.


5. Dan-tae may die


penthouse 3 theories - dan-tae
Image credit: SBS DRAMA

Dan-tae may have gotten himself out of prison, but his world is not the same as before. He used to have minions, but now nearly everyone close to him wants to see him dead or ruined. 

Seo-jin, Yoon-hee, Su-ryeon, Joon-ki, Yoon-chul, and Dong-pil all have something against Dan-tae. 

Meanwhile, Ma-ri, Sang-ah, and Gyu-jin will ensure that they are on the winning side, so it’s unclear which side they will choose to support. It’s likely that a few characters will pretend to be on Dan-tae’s side, then backstab him.

Dan-tae has too many enemies, so he may end up murdered by one of them. It’s gruesome, but it’s probably the most effective way to get rid of him. After all, we just saw him walk out of jail after being sentenced to life imprisonment. Even if he gets sent back to prison, he will just find a way to get out agin. 

The start of season 3’s 1st episode also supports this theory. We see a man falling to his death at Hera Palace. The man’s face can’t be seen clearly, but he could be Dan-tae.


6. Dong-pil may be the new villain


penthouse 3 theories - dong-pil
Image adapted from: SBS

Dong-pil, who just got released from jail, loves his daughter dearly. You can tell that he will do anything for Jenny, and that’s dangerous because Jenny may end up being one of the antagonists in this season.

Dong-pil was framed for a murder that Dan-tae committed. Since he was sent to prison because of Dan-tae, we are sure that Dong-pil won’t sit still. He’s going to take revenge. While doing so, he may harm others, but he may not care about that. 

Dong-pil was the only person to witness Dan-tae at the scene of the explosion that killed Logan. However, he has yet to say anything about it. Perhaps he will use this knowledge as a leverage against Dan-tae.

Also, we see him acting suspiciously around the Hera Palace statue, and he seems to have hidden something in it. He’s a man full of secrets, so even though he’s against Dan-tae, we can’t trust him. 


7. Seok-hoon may die


penthouse 3 theories - seok-hoon
Image credit: SBS DRAMA

According to a few Redditors, Seok-hoon is most likely the one who fell from Hera Palace. They believe that the features of the man who fell matches Seok-hoon’s more than Dan-tae’s.

If that’s true, it would be infuriating. Innocent people keep dying in Penthouse, and we really don’t need the death of a character who has redeemed himself. 

If Seok-hoon dies, Ro-na will be devastated, and she has already been traumatised by past events.


8. Su-ryeon may do things that she’ll regret


penthouse 3 theories - su-ryeon
Image credit: SBS DRAMA

Su-ryeon’s hatred and desire for revenge may ultimately push her over the edge.

She’s already becoming more ruthless. With Yoon-hye’s assistance, she kidnapped Seo-jin outside the court in broad daylight, and drove her to a cliff. Su-ryeon brought Seo-jin to the edge of the cliff and forced her to confess to killing Logan.

 We believe Seo-jin had no part to play in Logan’s death as it was clear that Logan’s death was orchestrated by Dan-tae himself. However, Su-ryeon let hate blind her, and she immediately assumed that Seo-jin was guilty too. Seo-jin repeatedly said that she had nothing to do with it, but Su-ryeon pushed her off the cliff. Seo-jin fell into the ocean, but she didn’t die. 

Penthouse 3’s trailer also showed Su-ryeon becoming increasingly violent, and we’re afraid that she will choose to go down a path of no return just to ensure that Dan-tae and Seo-jin are punished. 


9. Eun-byeol & Ro-na may have a better relationship


penthouse 3 theories - eun-byeol
Image credit: SBS DRAMA

Eun-byeol and Ro-na are half-sisters, but they currently don’t share any sisterly love. In fact, Eun-byeol hates Ro-na and is jealous of Ro-na’s singing ability. She was also involved in the attempted murder of Ro-na.

At the end of season 2, Eun-byeol was taken under the wing of a creepy caretaker named Jin Boon-hong, who told Eun-byeol to call her “mum”. 

It’s believed that Boon-hong is overly possessive of Eun-byeol and may end up harming her. Ro-na may come to Eun-byeol’s rescue, and this may improve the relationship between the half-sisters. 

There’s also a chance that Eun-byeol will fight on the side against Dan-tae. 


10. Alex may pretend to be Logan


penthouse 3 theories - alex
Image credit: SBS DRAMA

The appearance of Alex Lee is surprising. Alex is Logan’s brother and looks exactly like Logan. This situation is similar to Na Ae-gyo and Kim Su-ryeon – the 2 women weren’t sisters, but they looked exactly the same. It seems like Penthouse really likes the idea of doppelgangers. 

Some believe that Alex will cover up his tattoos and pretend to be Logan in order to scare Dan-tae and get revenge for his brother. 

The introduction of Alex received backlash from viewers due to cultural appropriation. Read more about it here


Penthouse 3 theories that had us sleuthing like detectives


There are many heated debates online about the possibility of these theories, but we can’t forget that Penthouse is the epitome of makjang dramas. This means that the drama has more tricks up its sleeve that we would never have expected, and we can’t rest easy until the final episode airs. 

You can watch Penthouse 3 on Viu

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Cover image adapted from: SBS DRAMA and SBS DRAMA

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