Rescue Me: Episode 7
by petrichor
Danger draws breathtakingly closer to Sang-mi with every passing day, and there’s no one for her to rely on but herself as the cult finally reveals the dark plans they have in store for her. Our bumpkin bikers have their own difficulties to face outside the compound with broken fences in need of mending, but here’s hoping that they can learn to work together to help save our heroine.
EPISODE 7 RECAP
Sang-mi’s father prays in the house until he hears the clanging noises from outside caused by the boys jumping over the fence. He makes his way outside, but sees nothing as he cautiously rounds each corner.
After a few close calls, it turns out that the boys have taken refuge on the roof of the house. They stay quiet while Dad makes a phone call to Disciple Jo.
When Dad finally makes his way back into the house, they sigh in relief and decide to come back another day—until Jung-hoon realizes that he’s dropped his phone during the botched reconnaissance mission.
Offering to retrieve it for him, Sang-hwan makes his way down the stairs. When he picks up the phone, he looks straight into the window of the room Sang-mi is staying in and sees Sang-mi, unmoving, as she faces a mirror hung on the wall.
Dong-chul sits in the police station quietly as Officer Choi questions the woman he’d stepped in to save. Officer Woo makes his way to Dong-chul and grills him about his presence in the station so soon after his release. “You should get your act together if you’ve been through all that,” Officer Woo says scoldingly, while Dong-chul meekly apologizes.
Sang-hwan joins the other two back on the roof. Jung-hoon is all set to leave, but Sang-hwan holds him back. “Since we’re already here, let’s check it out one more time,” he says thoughtfully.
Jung-hoon exclaims that they’ve almost been caught already, but Sang-hwan has a plan in mind: “We should be bold and ring the doorbell.”
Meanwhile, Dong-chul makes his way out of the police station, but is called back by Officer Woo, who stammers a bit before asking him not to meet with Jung-hoon any more. “You know what I mean, right?” Officer Woo prods.
Dong-chul looks down for a moment before pasting back on a polite smile. He reassures Officer Woo as he says, “I’m not going to see him again. Don’t worry.”
Officer Woo watches Dong-chul walk away, moments before Officer Choi runs out and informs Woo that there’s been a report of a fight.
At the scene of the “fight,” the boys watch from behind a truck as the officers talk with Sang-mi’s father outside of the house, Jung-hoon still filming on his phone. Looks like this was their way of ringing the doorbell.
When Dad asks why the officers here at this late hour, Officer Woo hems and haws until Officer Choi cuts straight to the point: “What is your daughter doing?”
According to the report they received, Dad was using violence on Sang-mi, which Dad vehemently denies. He even claims that she’s taking medicine for her “problems,” and that she’s asleep at the moment.
Meanwhile, inside the house, Sang-mi takes the mirror off of the wall with a calm, deliberate motion.
Uneasy, Officer Choi presses further and asks to check inside, but Officer Woo drags her away and apologizes to Dad for bothering him.
The boys can’t hear anything, so they try to move closer to the conversation to record it better. Jung-hoon strains forward until he drops his phone, and it clatters to the ground, drawing the attention of the two officers.
Caught, the boys leap out of hiding and run away with their backs facing the officers to hide their identities as the officers dive into their cruiser to give chase.
Dad walks into Sang-mi’s room, only to be greeted by the sight of Sang-mi trembling as she holds the mirror above her head, with its base aimed at the window. “What on earth are you doing?” Dad demands to know.
Sang-mi turns toward him and lowers the mirror. “Dad, I don’t want to hate you,” she says, growing increasingly frantic as Dad focuses on getting the mirror out of her hands. As they tussle over the mirror, Sang-mi pleads, “We have to get out of here, Dad. We must save Mom.”
As Dad wrests the mirror from Sang-mi’s grasp, Sang-mi turns her anguished gaze on him again, even as he turns away. She accuses him of being the crazy one and wonders how he became such a monster. Dad doesn’t seem to take in anything Sang-mi says, but as he walks out the door, there seems to be a moment of awareness as he looks into the mirror and tenses his jaw.
At the pier after a successful escape, Jung-hoon wonders why Sang-mi is in “that kind of a place.” Man-hee knowingly replies that her dad must have dragged his whole family in: “That’s why it’s a cult.”
Jung-hoon flops back onto the bench and suggests that they give up as he says that what ends up happening to Sang-mi doesn’t matter.
“It matters to me,” Sang-hwan says solemnly. He asks to see Jung-hoon’s cell phone — specifically, the recording that was captured when he dropped it outside of Sang-mi’s house.
They hear Dad’s phone call to Disciple Jo on the recording. He’d requested a surveillance camera, citing the presence of evil spirits in the area. Jung-hoon urges Sang-hwan again to butt out of the situation, but Man-hee only asks what Sang-hwan is going to do next.
Sang-hwan gazes out over the water and replies, “What would Dong-chul do?”
The three friends bid each other goodbye on the road, and Sang-hwan confirms to the other two that he’s not returning home tonight. Instead, he makes his way to Dong-chul’s house, but there’s no sign of life inside.
That’s because Dong-chul is making his way back from a beer run. He spies Sang-hwan’s motorcycle and ducks behind a building to avoid being seen. He steels himself to walk over to Sang-hwan, but at that moment, the motorcycle engine revs and Sang-hwan drives away.
Dong-chul goes inside the darkened house and opens a beer. The room is full of painful reminders of his grandmother, including her memorial portrait, which takes him back to a memory of her memorial service.
He’d sat at the service lifelessly, alone until Jung-hoon, Man-hee, and Sang-hwan walked in to pay their respects. The sight of Sang-hwan stepping up to his grandmother’s picture galvanized Dong-chul into throwing a punch. An emotional Man-hee had held Dong-chul back while an officer nearby threatened to cancel Dong-chul’s leave.
Sang-hwan had put a stop to Man-hee’s blubbering by saying, “That’s enough. Dong-chul is more hurt than I am. Just let him do whatever he wants.” He acknowledged that he knew Dong-chul didn’t want to see him, but had asked for him to put up with it just this once.
Full of rage and hurt, Dong-chul asked Sang-hwan, “Do you know how my grandma died?” He tells Sang-hwan how his grandma wanted to send him money, but had died in a hit-and-run when she was collecting boxes to sell.
“It’s all your fault. Just because you wanted to make sure your stuck-up father gets elected as a governor, you ruined my life and killed my grandma. You killed both of us!” Dong-chul had cried as he lunged forward and punched Sang-hwan again. But the move knocked over his grandma’s portrait, and at Jung-hoon’s intervention, Dong-chul finally stopped to cry over her picture.
Back in the present, Jung-hoon gets flagged down by his father, Officer Woo. He nervously sits and feeds his father snacks to avert suspicion. Musingly, his father tells Jung-hoon to drink with him and notes that Jung-hoon is his everything.
Sang-mi and her father wait for the Guseonwon van to take them to the sunrise service. When Dad grabs Sang-mi’s hand, she coolly says, “Let go of my hand.” She warns him never to touch her again, and tells him to mark her words: She will never forgive him, even if he begs her and Mom later.
Just then, the Guseonwon van pulls up. Though Sang-mi doesn’t answer when Disciple Kang asks her whether she slept well, she climbs willingly into the back of the van.
When the van arrives at Guseonwon, Sang-mi declares that she’ll go to see her mom, and at the look of alarm on Disciple Kang’s face, she adds, “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” Kang relents and lets her go.
Afterward, Disciple Kang runs up to Father Baek, who’s weeding with a scythe in hand. He asks her about the recent run-ins with Sang-hwan and friends. Disciple Kang thinks it’s no big deal but explains that they’re Sang-mi’s friends from high school, adding, “They asked her if she needs any help and said they’d help her if she’s in danger.”
Father Baek (referred to by the congregates as “Spiritual Father”) orders Disciple Kang to prepare Sang-mi to become the Spiritual Mother, an “innocent spiritual wife” so that he can get everyone on what the congregation keeps referring to as the “Boat of Salvation.” Disciple Kang looks surprised, but acquiesces to his request.
Meanwhile, Sang-mi sits beside her mother as her mother reads from the church’s book. Sang-mi futilely tries to counter the book’s teachings as she quietly says, “No one will save us here.” Mom continues repeating the passages about salvation.
Frustrated, Sang-mi grabs the book from Mom’s hands and starts tearing out the pages. “These are all lies. They’ll will only encage and ruin us,” she says, voice shaking. “Please don’t fall apart anymore.”
Unfortunately, Mom only grabs the book back, shrieking that she needs the book so she can live together with Sang-jin in paradise. She looks over at the doorway, where Sang-jin’s specter stands. She tells Sang-mi that Sang-jin’s disability disappeared after he came here as a way of proving that this is paradise.
As Mom clutches the book to her chest, Sang-mi quietly says, “But now… I’m the one in pain.” Mom beckons Sang-jin over and lies down, her arms patting empty air. She tells Sang-mi to lie down too.
Unable to object, Sang-mi lays her head down on Mom’s stomach as she vows to herself, “Mom, I will keep knocking until someone hears me. I won’t stop knocking. And… I will escape this place no matter what. I will get out of here with you, Mom.”
Father Baek calls for Sang-mi and quizzes her on a portion of the church’s teachings. She recites it perfectly, but Father Baek says she has to show her faith with her actions, not her head. Sang-mi is quick to retort that faith isn’t something that can be imposed on others.
Jung-hoon is back at it with his livestream, this time promising to pay up to his viewers if he doesn’t finish his noodles within sixty seconds. He starts the timer and makes it through one bowl but is foiled by Man-hee, who shoves his face into the second bowl.
While he’s bickering with Man-hee, the timer goes off, and Jung-hoon’s father walks in. Jung-hoon quickly shuts off the livestream and pretends he’s been studying English with Man-hee the whole time. But when he asks his father for money to buy a book, his father lets slip that Dong-chul’s been around, leading Jung-hoon and Man-hee to spill that Dong-chul’s been working at a nightclub to Sang-hwan.
As Sang-hwan drives down the street, he flashes back to happier times with Dong-chul. In his memory, we see the two boys lying down on the ground after a round of basketball. They’d quibbled about the score, but Dong-chul claimed to be right because he had perfect eyesight.
Smiling, Sang-hwan asked Dong-chul what he would use his good eyes for. Dong-chul replied that he wanted to be a police officer so that he could find his mom and support his grandmother. Oof.
They exchanged the familiar “Stand tall” / “No, you stand tall” banter, until Dong-chul had said, “Whatever, let’s both stand tall.”
Back in the present, Sang-hwan parks his motorcycle in front of the nightclub where Dong-chul works and shouts through the door: “Dong-chul! Dong-chul, are you in there?”
Instead of Dong-chul, his friend, Dae-shik, comes to the door. When Sang-hwan asks if Dong-chul is inside, Dae-shik cautions him to stay away. Dong-chul is getting his life back together, Dae-shik says, and he doesn’t need people from his past to sway him from that.
Sang-hwan bursts out, “What do you know?” But the friend counters with a fair point: “We’re not living in Seoul. Our town isn’t that big for you to have never seen Dong-chul. It’s not that you couldn’t find him. You just avoided it. Understand?”
Meanwhile, Dong-chul works his day job as a courier, and he takes a package into a building across from where Sang-hwan is stopped for a traffic light. But just as Sang-hwan looks across the street, a truck blocks his view of Dong-chul.
The light turns green, and Dong-chul comes back out to hear the sound of Sang-hwan’s motorcycle starting up. He looks up as the truck drives away, but Sang-hwan is gone. Instead, Dong-chul stares at the kids playing at the pool hall across the street, memories clearly weighing heavily on him even as he starts his own motorcycle and drives away.
Later in the evening, Father Baek approaches a group of church workers (and Sang-mi) doing laundry. They insist that there’s no need for him to help with the washing, but they delight in Father Baek’s praise and allow him to help anyway.
Jeong-gu’s grandmother hurries over to Father Baek and eagerly asks if he thinks Jeong-gu is doing well. With a warm smile, Father Baek assures her that he is, and reminds her to pray hard so that she can join Jeong-gu in paradise.
“You liar,” Sang-mi says forcefully, standing up. In front of Jeong-gu’s, she declares that she saw what happened, and the place where Jeong-gu went wasn’t paradise.
Enraged, Jeong-gu’s grandmother throws soap at Sang-mi and demands to know how she could say such a thing. “You good-for-nothing devil!” she yells. “I hope you get hit by lightning!” The other women chime in, all agreeing in their dislike for Sang-mi.
Father Baek calms them down and urges them to consider Sang-mi’s doubt not as sin, but as the pure and naïve faith of a young lamb.
He tells the women to pray for and bless Sang-mi, and they immediately do so, crowding Sang-mi with words of prayer and stroking her hair. Through the throng, Sang-mi fixes her gaze on Father Baek. He shows her a smile that appears indulgent but seems to send a message: He’s the one in control here.
Detective Lee is enjoying a face massage when he gets a phone call from someone named “Weasel.” Weasel immediately lays it on thick when Detective Lee picks up the phone, and they make plans to meet up for a meal.
We find Sang-mi back in her mother’s room, this time clipping Mom’s fingernails for her. Mom’s eyes are as unfocused as always while Sang-mi reminisces about Mom clipping her and Sang-jin’s nails when they were little. “Now, it’s my turn to clip your nails for you,” Sang-mi says with a smile.
The smile drops when Dad walks in to tell Sang-mi that Father Baek wants to see her. Sang-mi replies woodenly, “I’m almost done. So please… just let me finish this.”
In Father Baek’s office, Disciple Kang, Disciple Jo, and Dad stand up as soon as Father Baek enters, with Sang-mi noticeably lagging behind.
They all sit, and Father Baek addresses Sang-mi: “Do you remember how you were when you first came here?” She had a very big scar on her heart, he says, comparing her to a young lamb.
He casts himself as a shepherd that had no choice but to love the lamb, Sang-mi. But Sang-mi spits that he’s a liar and the true devil among them. Father Baek acts as though he didn’t hear her as he adds, “I should save Sang-mi before it gets too late.”
“Finally, Sang-mi’s going to become the Spiritual Mother,” Disciple Jo pipes in creepily from the corner. “Becoming the Spiritual Mother is the biggest blessing you can get in Guseonwon,” adds Disciple Kang.
Sang-mi, shocked at this turn of events, stands up and declares them all crazy as she backs away. “Dad, do you really not understand what this means?” Sang-mi asks desperately. But Dad and Disciple Jo just admonish her, and Sang-mi sees no other way out but to break the glass display case next to her.
Picking up a broken shard, she brandishes it at the two men approaching her. “I’m telling you not to come near me!” she cries out, then holds the shard to her own neck. “If you’re going to make me do as you planned, I’ll kill myself right now,” Sang-mi threatens.
The sight of Sang-mi threatening to end her life triggers a memory for Disciple Kang, as we see her frantically splashing into a river to reach a girl who’s face down in the water. She yells the girl’s name, Yu-ra, as she breaks down sobbing and hugs the girl’s motionless body to her own.
The recollection pains Disciple Kang in the present, and even she seems surprised when she suddenly shouts, “No!” She tries to calm Sang-mi down, saying that Sang-mi won’t be able to receive salvation if she dies now.
This is the wrong tactic—Sang-mi’s anger flares up even more: “Salvation? What do you even think that is?” She screams that they’re just going to hand her over to Father Baek anyway. As Disciple Kang continues to try using religious reasoning with Sang-mi, Father Baek calmly walks in front of her.
He talks to her measuredly, and explains that he doesn’t expect her to fulfill his worldly desires: “Do you still not realize how much New Heaven’s God and I love you?”
Sang-mi yells and slices the shard across Father Baek’s face, scoring a cut on his cheek. She gets ready for another swipe, but Father Baek grabs her arm and asks, “Are you really not scared of death?”
Sang-mi hisses that Father Baek is probably the one who’s scared to die, given how much he talks about salvation and eternal life. “But,” she grits out, “I’m not scared to die at all.”
Suddenly, the door opens to reveal Mom, who walks in oblivious to the scene unfolding in front of her. The mute driver, Wan-duk, lurks a step behind her.
Sang-mi, wide-eyed, is forced to listen to Father Baek’s lesson: “If you believe in my words and abide by them, you shall be allowed on the Boat of Salvation. However, if you do not believe in my words and refuse to abide by them…”
He turns to look at Mom and finishes, “I shall take away from you that one thing… you cherish… the most.” He turns his chilling stare on Sang-mi.
Trembling, Sang-mi drops the glass shard, her hand bloody from holding it. Mom asks Sang-mi what’s wrong, and she doesn’t even seem to register Sang-mi’s bleeding hand as she grabs her other one, telling Sang-mi they should all pray together so that the whole family can go to paradise. Mom urges the specter of Sang-jin to come into the room, too.
Sang-mi turns her tear-stained face away from the doorway and catches sight of Father Baek’s horrifyingly smug smile.
Detective Lee takes Weasel up on the meal, with pretty girls to boot. Weasel is all smiles as he sits Detective Lee down, but the detective isn’t taken in. To the girls, who have just come from Seoul, he muses about Muji, “It’s a strange place. From the outside, it seems like a peaceful place, but if you look carefully, there’s something fishy about it.”
Our bumpkin bikers, drunk in their favorite haunt, lament on the state of their lives. Man-hee tells Sang-hwan, “Don’t be too sad. I’m sure Dong-chul knows how you feel.”
The jjajangmyun delivery guy makes a stop in the bar and asks why the friends are here if Dong-chul is at the stadium. He adds that if they’ve had a fight, they shouldn’t put off making up. Sang-hwan stands up: “Man-hee, I think I should go. I… have something I need to tell Dong-chul.”
Sang-hwan parks at the stadium and sprints in. It’s empty, but he spies a dark figure ambling along the pavement: Dong-chul.
Sang-hwan shouts his name, and Dong-chul slows to a stop when he hears Sang-hwan tell him to stand tall. He turns around, and their gazes meet.
Sang-mi and Mom take a walk outside. Mom bursts out, “Sang-jin, what’s wrong with you?” Sang-mi looks over, tired, and Mom explains that Sang-jin keeps saying strange things about this being wrong and that they shouldn’t stay there.
Sang-mi snaps to attention: “Did Oppa really say that?” Mom nods.
Sang-hwan catches up to Dong-chul and puts a hand on his shoulder, but Dong-chul throws him off. Dong-chul says that if Sang-hwan says his name one more time, he’ll kill him. Sang-hwan: “Seok Dong-chul.” In response, he gets a punch in the face.
Sang-hwan keeps calling Dong-chul’s name, and Dong-chul punches him again. “If it’ll make you feel better, go ahead and hit me,” Sang-hwan says, opening himself up for more hits.
But then he asks if that’s all Dong-chul’s got, and starts punching back. Now, the fight is on.
As Sang-mi watches over her mother and stares out the window into the distance where the red cross glows, we cut back to Dong-chul, bruised and bloody.
In a trembling voice, he says that he told Sang-hwan to never show his face again. “But why do you keep showing up like this?” he screams.
Sang-hwan, staggering onto his feet, screams back, “Because you’re my friend!”
Sang-mi looks at her mother’s sleeping face and promises to save her from this place: “I’m sure that’s what Sang-jin wants me to do.”
In an echo of the basketball scene from Sang-hwan’s memory, both Sang-hwan and Dong-chul lie on the ground looking up, spent. Sang-hwan tries to bring back memories of their friendship, but Dong-chul just tells Sang-hwan not to look for him again. When Sang-hwan asks why not, Dong-chul replies, “It’s hard for me to look at you.”
They’re silent for a moment, then Dong-chul rolls to his side and stands up, ready to walk away. Sang-hwan tries to catch his attention again: “I saw Sang-mi. I think she could be in big trouble.”
Dong-chul stops and turns back around, listening. Sang-hwan continues, “She asked me to rescue her. And this time, I won’t run away.”
COMMENTS:
Yeah, Sang-hwan! Let’s hope he actually makes good on that declaration. And that Dong-chul joins him, because our friends could definitely use a boost to accomplish their rescue mission. He’s definitely made strides in terms of responding to injustice, but he also has a tendency to be reactive rather than proactive.
A lot of glimpses into the past were revealed this episode. The tragedy of Dong-chul’s imprisonment intensified as we found out exactly how his grandmother died, and that he’d wanted to become a police officer. When he screamed that Sang-hwan had killed him and his grandmother both, I really believed it. There’s a part of Dong-chul that he’ll never get back, even if he punches Sang-hwan a thousand times.
Surprisingly, we also got insight into why Disciple Kang has been so lenient on and almost protective of Sang-mi. I wonder if Yu-ra’s death had anything to do with the cult, or if the death of Yu-ra made her more susceptible to joining the cult later on, like it did with the Im Family.
The cult itself is horrifying for reasons even beyond what happens within the compound. Guseonwon has a long reach into the community, as we can see with the police and the hospital, and its insidious grip means that Sang-mi has nowhere to turn for true escape from the cult, even if she didn’t have Mom to consider.
On that note though, I have to admit that I’m slightly frustrated with the treatment of Sang-mi’s character. Any time she attempts to escape, it barely feels like there was a deliberate decision involved. Has she really been doing this for three years? There have been so many failures that there’s no longer any real emotional stakes involved, and I would have expected Sang-mi to have a smarter plan of escape by now.
But I don’t blame Sang-mi herself for this lack of forethought. Victims of abuse are often deliberately isolated and made to feel like they have no way out. Guseonwon has taken this a step further and presents Sang-mi as crazy to the community and to Sang-mi herself. After three years of this, I’d imagine that Sang-mi is traumatized and emotionally numbed, and I’m amazed she’s been able to hold onto herself for so long.
Part of the reason for my frustration, however, is that the writing is lacking in a few areas. One is the characterization. Characters (cough—Sang-hwan) can make dumb choices, sure, but when I don’t understand why they make those choices or what it means to who they are, I can’t empathize with what they do and the consequences of those actions. A lot of emotional value to the plot is lost this way, and when a big chunk of the rest of the plot is shock value, it feels like the writer is relying too much on shortcuts.
Another is consistency: The time skip was an understandable choice that really emphasizes the terrible situation Sang-mi is in, but in some other parts of the story, it’s like time hasn’t passed at all. Sang-hwan feels guilt over what happened, but he only confronted his father on his promise three years later? And why does the whole town act like the cult is normal, but the biker gang revealed that it’s known that they’re a cult?
But I’ll give the show’s writing the benefit of the doubt, for now—after all, they did address the fact that Sang-hwan never seemed to see Dong-chul around town, which I didn’t expect. (Meanwhile, he can run into Sang-mi twice in about as many days.) I nearly cheered when Dong-chul’s friend told Sang-hwan off for disrupting Dong-chul’s job/life as if it were the most urgent thing in the world but hasn’t even tried to contact him otherwise.
The cult has stepped up their plans with Sang-mi’s new status as Spiritual Mother and ominous allusions to the Boat of Salvation. Even though it seems like Sang-mi is stuck in an endless cycle of escape and recapture, mentally and physically, I hope that the resolution isn’t simply a matter of the biker gang swooping in for a rescue. Hopefully, Sang-mi’s iron will and the will of her would-be rescuers will lead to a strength that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
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Tags: Jo Sung-ha, Lee David, Rescue Me, Seo Ye-ji, Taecyeon
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1 hannaehh
August 30, 2017 at 8:19 PM
I don't think Sang Mi has been trying to escape for the past three years. I think she just stays still at Guseonwon because her parents are there though she doesn't accept the cult and she hates that place. I think what triggered Sang Mi to desperately leave is when she saw the video of Disciple Jo's sexual assaulting a woman and the death of Jeong-gu. She has come to her ultimate conclusion that she's not safe in that Guseonwon place.
I just love it when Sang Mi said to her dad that he's insane and the sickest person here. Way to go Sang Mi! ???? And she also said that in the end, if her dad regretting what he did to her and her mom, she'd not forgive her dad at all. ? times yes to her remark!!! We could see that Sang Mi has reached to the point that she's slowly hating her dad.
The whole thing making Sang Mi the Spiritual Mother made me feel sick. ?? I think that's the ultimate goal of Father Baek! He's such a pedophile!!! He's aimed Sang Mi since she's still in highschool. Euww. I'm bad, but I kinda want Sang Mi to hurt Father Baek even more than just a scratch on his face. She should've aimed his lower body part to stop him from aiming young girls for his own desire.
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outofthisworld
August 30, 2017 at 8:31 PM
I think I'd just be content if Father Baek and Sang Mi's father marry each other.
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mango
August 30, 2017 at 8:35 PM
Haha can they have two Spiritual Fathers ?
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outofthisworld
August 30, 2017 at 8:39 PM
Whenever Sang Mi's father talk about Spiritual Mother like it's such a great honor, I just want to tell him to be the bride instead!
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hannaehh
August 30, 2017 at 8:54 PM
Of course it's an honor to be the Spiritual Father's father in law. It's like being a father in-law to a King back in Joseon era.
drawde2000
August 30, 2017 at 11:01 PM
Is it bad of me that I want to see Sang-Mi becoming Spiritual Mother, especially the ceremonial process of it. Im curious to know what it means, besides being the wife. Why is it important for the members as well ?
I still want this drama to go deeper and darker. Becoming a spiritual mother would do help with that. Our wishes be fulfilled.
TheImprintOnMyNose
August 31, 2017 at 5:18 AM
@drawde2000
She's gonna bear his kids and they will be the Spiritual children..
earthna
August 30, 2017 at 9:00 PM
HAHAHAHAHAHA Why not?
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Miranda
August 30, 2017 at 8:39 PM
Me too - I think she's been biding her time because her parents are so embedded in the cult. And it's not the worst life, if your days are made up of chores, helping other community members and knowing your mom is getting care from more people than you could ever hire.
But then she saw the abuse, both of Jeong Gu and the video of the woman, and now she knows that she wasn't just imagining all of the times Jo has been creepy to her, that it's real. And of course now the cult leadership's aware that she might flee, they're slowly binding her like a python.
Her initial escape attempt was to rescue Jeong Gu - before that time, I doubt she ever tried to run on her own, and probably only tried to convince her dad. It took sexual assault and murder for her to get desperate enough to run without her parents.
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mango
August 30, 2017 at 8:39 PM
Love Sang Mi for telling everything in her dad's face ! I'm cruel but running away with only her mom will easier than convincing her father to leave the cult.
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Miranda
August 30, 2017 at 8:43 PM
Me too - I think she's been biding her time because her parents are so embedded in the cult. And it's not the worst life, if your days are made up of chores, helping other community members and knowing your mom is getting care from more people than you could ever hire.
But then she saw the abuse, both of Jeong Gu and the video of the woman, and now she knows that she wasn't just imagining all of the times Jo has been creepy to her, that it's real. And of course now the cult leadership's aware that she might flee, they're slowly binding her like a python.
Sang Mi's initial escape attempt was to rescue Jeong Gu - before that time, I doubt she ever tried to run on her own, and probably only tried to convince her dad. It took sexual assault and murder for her to get desperate enough to run without her parents.
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earthna
August 30, 2017 at 8:59 PM
That scene was totally disgusting. I felt slimy all over. Just thinking back to it now gives me goosebumps. Dad being grateful that her daughter will become Spiritual Mother? Ugh, I feel nauseous. I was trembling and tearing up all throughout that scene.
Dad does not deserve any forgiveness at all. I hope the show does not try to redeem him in the end.
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alasecond
August 31, 2017 at 5:47 AM
its unfair... dad was never a super strong personality.. and like others he has been brainwashed.. same as mom.. why did she have to lose her mind and get the entire family into trouble..
Why did son have to commit crim.. why was he not a strong personality..
SM needs to understand her dad's peace, hope lies in this facade.. so shouting and talking sense needs to be more tactful.. and she doesn't have time or skills for it..
so priority 1.. save yourself.. because at the end of the day.. parents always want the kids to save themselves... even if her escape leads to parents death... that's out of control..
OR she can decide to sacrifice herself..
EVIL- are the trinity...
All community members along with parent = weak personalities, other people have to make decisions what importance you want to give to these weak personalities in your life
SM- make your decision and act upon it
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2 outofthisworld
August 30, 2017 at 8:21 PM
"I would have expected Sang-mi to have a smarter plan of escape by now."
My frustration came to boil in these recent episodes that I had to vent on my fanwall.
It isn't just Sang Mi's escape but how she continuously show her defiance and unbelief to the cult when all these do nothing to help her break loose and only make them guard her more closely.
Understandably she is under tons of stress and suffers from PTSD even but I think it would be better for the drama to give us a more cunning and smarter Sang Mi, interspersed with moments of mental breakdown and despair at being foiled.
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mango
August 30, 2017 at 8:37 PM
Exactly I admire her strong will to escape but she should not show that she's against the cult. They can't let her alone and thus it's more difficult to run away.
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earthna
August 30, 2017 at 9:04 PM
I get your point but after thinking about it, I prefer Sang-mi like this than her acting like she's being subdued while thinking of ways to escape. It would be even better when she finally escapes despite their tight hold on her.
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3 Adal
August 30, 2017 at 8:23 PM
I don't know why Sang Mi can't pretend to play along while secretly making plans for escape. Her open defiance, while it's to her credit, is making the cult members speed up their plans for her. I mean, she should know by now that her dad has been thoroughly brainwashed and won't see reason; and while her mother can be convinced to leave the cult, she is too weak and too drugged to be much help.
A commenter once called her an idiot. I can't help but agree, why does she keep insisting on telling the truth to people who won't listen? It would be much better to escape the cult and do a tell all to a reporter or something.
I thought because this is a kdrama, Save Me would place some limits on what they would show the viewer, but this drama isn't afraid to go dark, doesn't holdback its punches, and fully explores the sexual, physical and financial abuse cult members endure from the higher ups in their hierarchy.
It's beyond appalling that Sang mi's dad is openly encouraging the abuse of his daughter by marrying her against her will to a man older than himself. He has no qualms whatsoever. I think he's even more dangerous than the Deacon and the Father because he's doing it to his own flesh and blood.
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hannaehh
August 30, 2017 at 8:35 PM
I totally understand if people see Sang Mi as an idiot, but I also understand Sang Mi's situation. She's forced to be in the cult when she's still a high school student and she just lost his brother and her whole family's torn apart. What she needed was support, but she didn't get it. She's completely alone. Even when she first tried to escape, she seek help from police which is an authority, but she's betrayed by it and got dragged back to the cult. I'd say her lack of experience in surviving on her own in real world what made her slow enough to take action on hew own since her family used to be a happy family. I assumed all her life, she must'd been depending on her parents, which explains why she sticks to her parents for the past three years though she hates that place.
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outofthisworld
August 30, 2017 at 8:44 PM
We talked about this on the fanwall. Now that I've pondered more about it. I think Sang Mi's behavior is both understandable and realistic. However for the sake of drama, it would be more interesting if we get to see a bit more strategy on her part and the cult on par foiling her moves.
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modestgoddess
September 1, 2017 at 1:35 PM
I agree. She was a teenager when she joined the cult, she has always been dependent on her parents. She didn't finish high school and they have control of her parents. I think the way she acts is understandable.
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Miranda
August 30, 2017 at 8:58 PM
I think it's important to remember how Sang Mi ended up in the cult: within days of arriving in a new rural town, her brother died, her mother went crazy and her father abruptly spent all their money and pledged himself to a new religion. And as part of that cycle, her mother BLAMED her for not taking care of her brother, and she surely feels that guilt herself as well. That numbness can last a very long time, and by the time she collected herself again, she was inside of a cult and the only family she had left were completely bound to it. She had no connections or money to flee, and leaving would be the second time she abandoned her family (or at least that's what her guilt would tell her).
Remember Father Baek telling her that one day she'd realize that the outside was fake and the cult was real life? She's been subjected to that kind of brainwashing for years. And it's immediately proven when the police turn her over to the cult. And she DOES try to play along and then escape - that's what she did with Jeong Gu and when she tried to escape the van at the stoplight. As for a reporter, in a small town the reporter is someone's mum. Someone's mum who is likely very sympathetic to a father looking to reclaim a crazy daughter. If it weren't for Sang Hwa and Man Hee (Jung Hoon, you are a terrible person but I have faith that livestream will be worth it eventually), then no one in this entire town would help Sang Mi. Even Cop Choi is refusing to make any proactive moves.
Though it might be frustrating for viewers who want a clearly progressing escape plan, I find Sang Mi's vacillation between stoic and bitter realistic. I'm horrified by the way she keeps getting re-snared by the cult, but... This is why cults are so terrifying. This is exactly what they do to people. It's like getting stuck in quicksand - you lunge to escape but as soon as you pause, you realize you just got mired deeper.
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earthna
August 30, 2017 at 9:07 PM
Thank you. Very well said.
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h3lla
August 31, 2017 at 1:49 AM
I agree 100%. The presentation of Sang Mi's character feels completely authentic to me. We do have to fill in the blanks a bit because of the time skip, but I like that the show doesn't force-feed us all the information it can. It means viewers can take an active role in making meaning. For instance, Sang Hwan: it's easy to feel frustrated with a character that kept choosing to do the wrong thing. But I never questioned his motives. Looking at the various factors in his life, we can come to conclusions about why he did what he did, even if the show doesn't explicitly tell us. His conversation with his dad last episode felt like a continuation of a plea he had made before, not something he just decided to bring up. But that's me filling in the blanks and not something the show has explicitly told us.
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rentenmann
August 31, 2017 at 5:23 AM
This show is too realistic most of the time, which makes it a horrifying experience. Of course, that means I can't turn off my TV when it's on. I love this show just a little more than I'm afraid of it.
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drawde2000
August 30, 2017 at 10:53 PM
Exactly, I don't understand why she needs to tell Grandma the truth. It's not going to change a thing for Grandma. She is elderly, for one. She is also fragile already. She needs hope, albeit a false one, to get through the day.
Sang-Mi also needs to put her emotions in check from time to time. Her outburst to the members will get her killed or worse, she will be imprisoned there for a while. I don't mind her being defiant in front of the Father and Apostle Jo, but not in front of the others. It makes her look weak, and Father and Apostle will use that to their advantage.
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windsun33
August 31, 2017 at 7:47 AM
Yeah, I did not get that part. She is not going to change grandma's mind, and even if she did it would not accomplish anything. All it did was draw unneeded attention to herself.
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PeepsLeAwesomePotato
August 31, 2017 at 12:08 AM
When the whole world's telling you that you're wrong, it takes a special kind of constant reminder to keep believing that you're right.
I really think that she scared that if she doesn't call them out, she herself is going to start believing that they're right. Then that'll be the end of her.
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minty
August 31, 2017 at 1:14 AM
@peeps Exactly! That's exactly how I see it, too!
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alasecond
August 31, 2017 at 5:52 AM
For 3 yrs she has not known anyone but this cult and its members.. now when she is emotionally overwhelmed, she is bound to react.. and hence all shouting, defiance, fear..
Whom does she know.. there is no one.. parents are ultimate shield.. she is like this trapped person trying hard , asking parents to save her...
I mean this despair is so natural reaction..
On the contrary, if they show a calculative, calm SM.. that would be so anti-natural.. and just fake for plot development..
yes, its nice to see characters who are always unfazed.. but SM's case at this point (because she has realized it only now how dangerous GW is)
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4 mango
August 30, 2017 at 8:33 PM
I thought Apostle Kang was fully aware of Father Baek's intention but it seems like she's a fellow believer. I'm sure she knows deep inside that the cult is no good because Yu Ra - I presume her daughter - died because she wanted to escape the cult like Sang Mi. She can be the person who will help her from the inside. "Spiritual Mother" is one scary thought.
Sang Mi's mom is aware of her dangerous environment. It's just her subconscious in Sang Jin's form that tells her that. I hope she and Sang Mi will be safe.
Jung Hoon's dad made me at him for telling DC not to get close to his son. He initially didn't like him but I just hated this scene.
Oh Dong Chul why is this boy so precious ? Knowing he wanted to be a policeman I feel worse for him being in jail for 3 years. I understand that he doesn't want to see SH and all but he misses their happy time together. I hope the rescue plan will also bring them together.
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hannaehh
August 30, 2017 at 8:41 PM
Wait, did Yu Ra, Disciple Kang's daughter committed suicide to escape the cult? I thought Yu Ra's death is what triggered Disciple Kang to join the cult - to find peace and hope for Yu Ra to be in paradise.
I also hate that scene when Jung Hoon's dad told DC to stay away from his son. Maybe because I hate him for being the worse polic officer ever, so it made me so mad for saying that to DC.
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mango
August 30, 2017 at 8:57 PM
I interpreted it as she was already part of the cult when Yu Ra died. Because the flashback happened when Sang Mi refused to become Spiritual Mother. Maybe I went too far and that's actually why Disciple Kang joined the cult.
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Miranda
August 30, 2017 at 9:03 PM
I thought Yu Ra might've been chosen as a previous Spiritual Mother and killed herself instead.
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earthna
August 30, 2017 at 9:09 PM
Mte. Apostle Kang looked quite shaken when Father Baek told her to get Sang-mi ready to become Spiritual Mother. It's like "Oh no. Not this again." was written on her face.
mango
August 30, 2017 at 9:11 PM
Yes I thought so too. We'll find out in upcoming episodes.
hannaehh
August 30, 2017 at 9:37 PM
Why did I take it as Apostle Kang wants to be the Spiritual Mother instead? Haha I might be wrong tho
Lin
September 1, 2017 at 12:48 AM
This is exactly how I viewed the scene. I think that's why she was so surprised when almighty made the declaration about Sang Mi. Apostle Kant was surprised almighty hadn't learned or changed from her daughter's death.
I wonder if the daughter was who/what almighty was referring to when they were watching a once full and happy Sang Mi family and he said "they look happy, don't you miss it?" And apostle Kangaroo looked mad/bitter
alasecond
August 31, 2017 at 5:54 AM
There is another flashback.. of yura serving in GW cafeteria.. so she was there for sure
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5 dramamama
August 30, 2017 at 8:49 PM
This show will be the death of me, and probably a couple other characters along the way.
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6 earthna
August 30, 2017 at 8:56 PM
I've been waiting for this! Thanks! And I really love your writing style!
Can't believe Father Baek went to all this trouble of acting all mighty just so he can make Sang-mi his wife. Apostle Jo is right after all. He just wants her. Apostle Kang was a surprise this episode. I knew she has something more to her but I didn't expect this. It seems that she is an actual believer instead of a cohort.
Yes, Sang-hwan! Finally! I was cheering so hard when he said he won't run away anymore. Please let us see more of the four friends together now!
I disagree about what you said about the characterization in this drama. Personally, I think all of the characters are well-written. I might not agree with their actions but I understand where they are coming from. Even with Jung-hoon's dad. I was mad when he told Dong-chul not to come see his son anymore but I understand why he did it. He thinks it's the best for his only son and I get that.
I think the people we've seen so far are those who are connected to the cult in some ways. Other people probably know they are cult. Why else would they have their base deep in the forest instead of in the centre of the city?
Random thoughts:
What if Mom can actually see Sang-jin's ghost?
What if Dong-chul's mom was a part of the cult before but the only story he knew was that she left with another man?
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Miranda
August 30, 2017 at 9:05 PM
Ironically, Jung Hoon has all the sense of a feather and the moral fiber of a dishcloth, and could only improve from exposure to Dong Chul. But I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
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earthna
August 30, 2017 at 9:11 PM
Lol. Can't fault him with that. That's how his father raised him.
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alasecond
August 31, 2017 at 5:57 AM
wait till someone threatens SH and makes him choose between putting SM in danger, betraying friends Vs caring for his mother..
He will faulter..
Also hoping mommy will improve beccause she probably knows a lot of secrets..
And with all that live internet streaming, i hope the purpose is for someone to see father Baeks face and recall he is a felon
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7 pjk
August 30, 2017 at 9:49 PM
I really hope the writers don't go as far as to have something actually happen to Sang-Mi by father baek...disgusting pedophile
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8 soundas91
August 30, 2017 at 10:59 PM
The abuse tactics in the show are so disturbing: from isolation to ritual abuse (expelling the devil inside her), blind obedience, punishment and threats, and attempting to break Sang Mi's will and mold her into something Father Baek wants. Father Baek saying that he doesn't want to marry Sang Mi for his own lustful reasons was nauseating, I can't believe Sang Mi's father didn't even blink an eye.
I think Sang Mi has definitely gotten smarter about escaping though, since she realizes that her recklessness is going to make them suspect her even more. She did tell Apostle Kang not to worry anymore since she won't run away.
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windsun33
August 31, 2017 at 7:51 AM
The scariest part of all this is that it is exactly how many cults operate. What makes this drama so scary is that it is so realistic.
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9 Livii
August 30, 2017 at 11:58 PM
This drama is making me feel so many things. First of all, yes to the long awaited reunion b/w the guys. So much tough love, I know they'll get through fine. Sang mi needs to smarten up if she wants to get out. She reminds me alot of Dong chul - both are extremely righteous, quick to anger, impulsive and self sacrificing, but it's not helping their cause.
Also want to give mad props to this writer, s/he excellently captures the duality of life. It's not the cult that depresses me, it's the casual way in how corruption, seediness, trafficking, administration are all bedfellows. I feel so bad for how hard it for dongchul to rehabilitate himself, for these people who are mired in their trivial routines, forced or otherwise. And yet life goes on for so many of us. It's not a small town story, it's an everytown story. And it's not just Sang mi who needs to be saved.
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PeepsLeAwesomePotato
August 31, 2017 at 1:27 AM
It reminds me of Utah...
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MellieLyn
August 31, 2017 at 6:46 AM
How does it remind you of Utah? Do you mean the polygamist compunds or Mormons, because Mormons are not a cult.
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windsun33
August 31, 2017 at 7:58 AM
There are several "Mormon based" cults. But probably the biggest cults in the world are in India.
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modestgoddess
September 1, 2017 at 1:42 PM
Like that cult leader who was recently convicted of rape and his followers rioted.
earthna
August 31, 2017 at 6:36 AM
And it's not just Sang mi who needs to be saved.
Ain't that the truth? Goodness. I feel like I need saving myself.
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10 SojuSommelier
August 31, 2017 at 1:00 AM
Sangmi reminds me of Sansa. I stopped watching GoT in Season 5, and I haven't yet picked up the series since, but during the time Sansa's family faced a huge crisis (death of her father, she parted ways with her siblings), I felt like she was just going with the flow and not really knowing if she is capable of doing something against those people who have taken advantage of her. I've read spoilers in the recent GoT seasons, and I hope Sangmi goes the Sansa route ahahaha
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TM
August 31, 2017 at 3:56 AM
For Sansa I think she faced disillusionment. I guess it's not too different from Sang Mi's case except that Sang Mi really is all alone: her brother is dead, her father brainwashed and her mom crazy. I don't think Sang Mi just goes with the flow, I think she's just trying to save both her parents (ok maybe just her mom now) and that's why she hasn't left yet.
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SojuSommelier
August 31, 2017 at 7:16 AM
Okay, maybe not go with the flow, but like what a commenter stated below, more like "What has she been doing?" I'm hoping for a huge vendetta later c/o Sang-mi, and not just as simple as the guys "rescuing" her and her family.
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TM
August 31, 2017 at 11:40 PM
I see what you mean because even I don't entirely understand what she's been up to. It's not all that clear indeed and sometimes I think she wants to reveal to the world what happens at the cult (she did "threat" the cult leader about that at some point) but she doesn't seem to collect evidences or do anything about it. I also hope she won't simply get rescued like a damsel in distress. That would disappoint me greatly especially since she seems to have quite a backbone
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TheImprintOnMyNose
August 31, 2017 at 6:44 AM
If by "sansa route" you mean feeding father baek to the kennels, then I'm whole-heartedly with you. The drama couldn't get any darker anyway..
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windsun33
August 31, 2017 at 7:59 AM
Or maybe what her and Arya did with Littlefinger...
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11 lemoncello
August 31, 2017 at 1:35 AM
The tone of this show is just so dark, I feel like to bring some additional lighting. But anyways, it fits to the after all.
My heart aches every time Dong-chul appears on my screen, I can't stop myself from tears streaming down my face. I just want to give this boy a hug.
I don't know how Sang-Mi can endure her situation. It's still in episode 8, and I don't think Sang-hwan and his friends will be able to save her any sooner as we're still half-way to the show. And at this point, it looks like nobody is on their side. The police hasn't been aware of the situation. Even if they're, I don't think there won't easy to tackle down the cult.
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Adal
August 31, 2017 at 4:34 AM
I don't think the police in that town are interested in taking on the cult. Some of the policemen there are portrayed as being more corrupt Andy incompetent than an average Joe.
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rentenmann
August 31, 2017 at 6:47 AM
DC group hug!!!
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12 Koala Cruz
August 31, 2017 at 5:53 AM
haven't got the courage to go and watch it yet. i got as far as 15 mins of the first episode. simply gives me the creeps…
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13 Lixie
August 31, 2017 at 6:15 AM
I don't understand Sang-Mi. What has she been doing all this time? She had a phone until recently but never used it to call anyone? She didn't know anyone on the outside? I find that impossible. It seems the writing wants us to find excuses for her behavior. The parents may say she is guilty but she never really seemed to feel guilt about her brother's death, she knew she had tried to protect him. She didn't care about never going back to any school? In my country that is illegal, I imagine it must be the same there. It's like she has been washing dishes all this time. I also don't understand why she blames only her father, both parents went crazy, just because her mother is less active doesn't make her the only one needing help from her. Besides what can she do? Kidnapping her seems impossible so why stay there? When she does try to do something it is something stupid like attacking the driver and endangering everyone in the car including her. The only one that makes some sense is Dong-Chul and the boy has about 2 lines every episode.
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hannaehh
August 31, 2017 at 6:45 AM
I think @Miranda had explained Sang Mi's situation well in her comment. Yes, for the past three years, she had been doing chores for the community though she didn't believe the cult. It's not really a bad situation though and we could see how Sang Mi's a filial daughter, so she just followed whatever her parents want. She had a bad feeling about that place, but nothing happened for the past three years. She's only desperate to leave now when she knew about Disciple Jo's sexual assault and he indirectly killed Jeong-gu for telling her about his crime. Her family just entered the town, then her brother died, then her family turned to be like what it is right now. It's possible that she doesn't really know anyone in town because she didn't even get a chance to get to know people there. Her dad also asked her to quit school, it might be due to financial reason, which is why she obeyed her dad's request. Hence, she has no friends at school other than the four boys. She might has friends from outside of the town, like maybe her friends from Seoul, but what can they do? She only knew about the crime that Disciple Jo did recently and her phone got confiscated immediately after the incident. So she really has no medium to tell outside people about that place.
About her mother, her mother suffered from PTSD after Sang Jin's death. She's not capable of thinking straight about what's right and what's wrong. So the only person who's supposed to to be able to do the right thing is her dad, but her dad dragged the whole family to the cult as an easy way out. Her dad should've gotten help from psychiatrist to help his wife, but he didn't. He basically just leaves his wife that way, which is why Sang Mi started to hate dad, and wanted to escape that place with mom.
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Lixie
August 31, 2017 at 7:48 AM
I read her comments but I don't agree because it doesn't seem believable. You guys seem to think she wasn't in a bad situation? It was pretty awful, being locked up with crazy people and allowing her mother to get no treatment from a professional when she needed that. I find that worst of all and impossible to believe. This show wants us to think she was waiting for her father to snap out of it but it is too much for too long.
That school would have been public, DC couldn't have paid for it otherwise, but even if it wasn't there would be another there. What was she thinking to do with her life if she never even graduated from high school? We know she didn't want to stay there.
It is clear she never believe a word from the cult, so what was she doing? She would know someone in Seoul or any other place. It is illegal for parents to keep a child out of school, I imagine that alone was enough to get her out of there. She was also shown going to the city sometimes. I also find hard to believe she doesn't suspect the water but not as impossible as the rest of her attitudes.
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TM
August 31, 2017 at 11:48 PM
I kinda agree with what you stated, there's no way it was agreeable to be locked up and forced to do all those things. Maybe she was just really shocked about all the things that happened in her life? Maybe she just became numb or somthing and just woke up when she heard about what the apostle did to that woman? Anyway I try to think in a rational way, she probably was scared and couldn't find anyone to rely on. Though if she had a phone she could have reached out to the police at least.
About school are you sure it's illegal in South Korea for a kid to not attend high school? As far as I know each country is different and in mine for example you're only required to attend school until you turn 16. Once you do, everything is just up to you and your parents
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Lixie
September 1, 2017 at 6:35 AM
If she was confused I wouldn't question her behavior but that is not what they show us. She just seems to have been passive, almost always waiting for father to change, saying things to people that she knows are firm believers or the people in power at the cult. Her mother was instantly having hallucinations after her brother's death, she needed proper care. Sang-Mi sense of duty and personality wouldn't have allowed her to just let her stay there.
About school, I don't know if it's illegal, I imagine it must be. At this point it doesn't even matter because I don't think she is minor anymore so they can't keep her anywhere against her will.
TM
September 2, 2017 at 9:36 AM
To me the only people she has left in her life is her mom and dad. Her mom went crazy after her brother died and her father who was supposed to be sane entered the cult. She was young and I guess she just hoped her father would stop believing in the BS the cult is spreading.
About her mom it surely doesn't make sense, I also wondered about that but maybe she was scared that they would hurt her mom if she tried to do anything?
What they're doing is just kidnapping, so yeah it's illegal. The problem is that no one seems to be helping Sang Mi because they think she is the crazy one.
14 TheImprintOnMyNose
August 31, 2017 at 6:27 AM
T'is true, the recaper's comment I mean. The plot feels lacking. Every week I feel like so many things took place yet by the end of each episode I realize nothing really happened. The plot barely moves. We're all in a constant standstill where sang mi swears she'll escape (every episode!) yet find herself STILL stuck in the damn cult, sang hwan vows to help yet still end up where he started.
I was hoping sang mi would've escaped by the end of the first half so the last half would be spent on plotting to destroy the cult from the outside. I'm severly tempted to drop it, but I'll give it another chance next week for dong cheol sake.. god, I love that guy.
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rentenmann
August 31, 2017 at 6:45 AM
DC is wonderful.
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windsun33
August 31, 2017 at 8:06 AM
Though liking the show because it exposes how so many cults actually work, I have to agree that I am seriously starting to wonder if she will EVER get rescued. I am not at the point of dropping it - it is the only show on my list right now - but getting a bit tired of the bad and non-decisions that Sang Mi has been making so far. There is NOTHING she can do to save her mother while inside that cesspool, yet she has been excruciatingly slow to realize that.
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Lixie
August 31, 2017 at 8:15 AM
I find it totally unbelievable that she would allow her mother to stay there for 3 years. Not to mention her own life, even if she wanted to be obedient enough to a crazy father and waste 3 years, she wouldn't let her mother be surrounded by lunatics with no proper care for such a long time. There is no explanation because she isn't crazy or a believer.
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TM
August 31, 2017 at 11:50 PM
She probably didn't have much of a choice. And I guess she hasn't left yet because she's scared they're going to hurt her mom. It's not like she can rely on her dad
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Lixie
September 1, 2017 at 6:39 AM
She wasn't locked up all this time and she had a phone, that would give her plenty of choice. She could have called the police, the news, a relative, anyone she knew in Seoul, she could have just walked away when she was in the city and talked to any stranger in the street, asked anyone to call the police. Even if she wasn't scared for anyone's safety, she knew her mother needed decent care.
TM
September 2, 2017 at 9:28 AM
I think of only 2 reasons as to hy she didn't try to do anything: either she felt she wasn't in immediate danger or she felt the pressure of being constantly watched
15 rentenmann
August 31, 2017 at 6:42 AM
And did anyone notice that Truck of Doom made a cameo appearance as Truck of Bromance Blocking?
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windsun33
August 31, 2017 at 8:07 AM
I thought the Truck of Doom was on summer break, perhaps that is why just a short cameo.
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windsun33
August 31, 2017 at 8:08 AM
Or perhaps it is tired from all the overtime it is has been putting in on that stupid "Sister is Alive" show...
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earthna
August 31, 2017 at 10:28 PM
Tough times. Even the Truck of Doom is accepting part time jobs.
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16 MellieLyn
August 31, 2017 at 6:59 AM
This show is amazing at making you feel the tension and urgency of the situation. Many shows have the characters feeling it but the audience can't but this show just sucks you right in. The music, directing, editing, and coloring really come together to add to the tension. I am absolutely loving the show, except for one thing. Taecyeon. The fight scene at the end was a perfect example of Dong Chul showing so much and then Taecyeon with a wooden face looking constipated. It doesn't help that Sung Hwan is a complex character needing a versatile actor to show the emotions and thoughts going through his head. But the epic bromance that could be is only half epic. I have gotten to the point that I unfocus my eyes when Taec gets on the screen because I can at least pretend he is showing more emotion. I have to give mad props to the rest of the cast, both main and supporting, who are putting their all in.
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17 Letitbe
August 31, 2017 at 8:51 AM
I think that every single character in this drama is nuts. This damn organization gives me shivers. In previous episodes I started to think that the blondie diabolic man could have some redeemable features, but after watching this episode I realised that he is just as disgusting as the curly hair guy.
The only thing that makes me a little bit less creeped out of this show are the three musketeers and Dong Cheol.
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Lulu02
August 31, 2017 at 3:23 PM
Yeah me too!!! Especially when he didn't seem to approve apostle Jo killing people or his acts towards Sang Mi and they way he talked sometimes made me feel like he actually believes in his own BS, but after this one we know that he is jerk and as mean as the other guy. Probably he got mad that he didn't do the killing and raping himself.
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TM
August 31, 2017 at 11:54 PM
Never judge a book by its cover right? Cult leaders don't have redeemable features, whether he believes in what he preaches or not. He does look nice and that's why he's creepy and also why cults are so scary: people look super nice but they are just plain evil.
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18 Lulu02
August 31, 2017 at 3:18 PM
Agree with @hannahmustafa. I don't think she's been trying to escape for those 3 years. I think what triggered her need to escape was realizing how evil these people is and that they're not afraid of doing the worst things, she knew Father Baek was a pedophile since she met him, she knew he was brainwashing people and doing bad things to those in the secret rooms, but she saw apostle Jo attacking/raping a woman and also when they killed poor Jeong Joo in such a terrible way, plus they keep making her mom crazy and using her to threat and keep Sang Mi under their control and his father is brainwashed too. And on top of all that now they want her to marry this creepy guy and use her to get people even more crazy.
At this point I just think she gave up on her dad. Not to judge her because reasons she has enough, but he's a victim of this cult, they took advantage of this marriage pain to control them in their moment of weakness, Sang Jin was falling into it before dying and Sang Mi maybe she has a strong mind as part of her personality, or probably she was cautious about these people because Baek touched her as a teenager.
But I also agree with the recapper about the consistency. So far I love this drama, I like the boys relationship, and the love-hate relationship that Dong C has towards Sang Hwan, it sort of reminds me of School 2013 (very slightly but it feels like it) and I hope to see them rebuild the trust Sang Hwan broke. I want to finally see how the side stories meet the main plot, I mean where do those thugs fit in all this ?
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19 Dani
August 31, 2017 at 10:03 PM
I think you guys are putting a little too much in hoping that Sang-Mi will outsmart everybody and escape. This show isn't supposed to be a slick cat-and-mouse game, it's a girl desperate to escape the claws of a cult and frankly I prefer it when Sang-Mi is bluntly telling them to go screw themselves. I feel like I see too many characters trying to be slick and subtle, that a character like this is actually a breath of fresh air. I agree with everyone else that she wasn't trying to escape for the past 3 years. She may have felt some creepy vibes from them but the only two family (or just one really) she has left is in awe and devoted to them. She's trying to brush off the feelings and adjust but I have a feeling that she's been trying to subtly tell dad to pack his bags and leave those past 3 years. Up until now, she hasn't witnessed any outright shady stuff until the video of disciple Jo and Jeong-Gu's death. This show has been about showing the inner workings of a cult realistically, for Sang-Mi who still has fresh wounds and old scars that never healed, it would be impossible for her to be this determined, cool-headed girl who's going to finally make a game plan that involves escaping with her mom. She seriously can't do anything else but rely on outside help at this point. Rather than pretend to play into their hands(which would be boring tbh), I prefer it when she spits in their face and defiantly tells them how utterly disgusting and vile they are. It puts her in more danger, it makes the plot more unpredictable and it'll make her escape and the exposure to the cult that much more thrilling and satisfying.
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hannaehh
August 31, 2017 at 10:23 PM
Thank you so much for this. I think if Sang Mi comes out with brilliant plan all of sudden right now, it might be too unrealistic and it'd be just for a drama's sake. I love how Sang Mi as she is. It seems real because if you guys read about real life cult, some of them took years to get out from it, so it's believable for Sang Mi to be unable to escape too soon. Her character somehow reminds me of Nam Da Jung character in Liar Game. I wanted her character to shine and be slick, but she didn't until the end because that's how she is, innocence and nice. So for Sang Mi to suddenly be slick and clever to make proper escape plan now, it'd be a bit out of character. Maybe after a few attempts, she might know what to do since now she even has her own source of strength from outside help. Even if she didn't at the end, I won't be frustrated about her character. I'd be just glad if she's safe and happy at the end because she deserves it.
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20 pickledplumtree
September 5, 2017 at 8:51 PM
In this episode I somehow found Officer Woo Choon Gil and Detective Lee Kang Soo to be villains almost or even just as detestable as Father Baek and Desciple Jo. Those dudes are creeps too.
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pickledplumtree
September 5, 2017 at 8:54 PM
And mega-ewey to the "Mother of Spirits" thing. Baek was always just as much of a dirt-bag as Jo. Actually, I'd like to correct myself and call them sleazy scum bags, because calling them dirt-bags is an insult to dirt.
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21 Hana
September 14, 2017 at 7:46 PM
Can you explain the controversy over Episode 6? There's an apology in the opening of episode 7 that I didn't understand regarding overseas child support.
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