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Rescue Me: Episode 9

Teamwork, loyalty, and trust are the order of the day for our heroes in this episode of Rescue Me. The boys pull together to show what they are made of, and Sang-mi’s trust is finally rewarded. Not everything is coming up roses yet, however, as the Guseonwon cult continues to extend its sinister reach throughout Muji, making sure to leave no safe harbor for anyone who dares to defy them.

 
EPISODE 9 RECAP

Governor Han Yong-min meets with a few political colleagues over dinner and drinks. The air is rife with tension, as least in regards to Yong-min. One guest insinuates that Yong-min is having an affair with his campaign manager by saying, “Working with your young secretary must be making you look younger.”

Yong-min, not missing a beat, snaps back just as backhandedly that the other guest also looks youthful, despite enduring the stresses of a recent scandal.

Assemblyman Park is at the meeting and tries to calm everyone down before talking with Yong-min about the terminal relocation project, which was one of the assemblyman’s campaign promises. Yong-min insists that he will help him and make sure there are “no mistakes.” Park echoes back in a somewhat menacing tone that yes, “There must not be any mistakes.”

The former governor of Muji, Mr. Cheon, joins them, and he and Yong-min greet each other politely but with some hesitation, as the rest of the group continues to chat and drink.

When the party breaks up, all the men, clearly inebriated, stumble outside to go home. Lee Jin-suk, the nightclub owner and gangster boss, approaches them (with several of his thugs following closely behind him) and asks if they enjoyed their food. Assemblyman Park does not know Jin-suk, but the former governor introduces him as “the head of the youth committee,” and Park receives Jin-suk’s enthusiastic greeting.

Yong-min hangs back a bit, and we see the flashback of Yong-min’s campaign manager explaining to Detective Lee that Lee Jin-suk is Mr. Cheon’s “henchman.” Yong-min calls Jin-suk out as a thug, to which Mr. Cheon replies, “Can’t thugs be in politics?”

Before Yong-min gets in his car, Mr. Cheon makes a comment about Sang-hwan being back in town, and mentions his being a witness to the fight between Dong-chul and the bully who broke his back. Yong-min yells back that he had better not try to threaten him, and suggests that the former governor, instead of shaking hands, should use his hand for wiping his rear. Yong-min’s campaign manager echoes the sentiment, albeit in a veiled tone of politeness.

The three boys (minus Dong-chul, since he was late showing up at the Im’s house) follow the Guseonwon van in their borrowed food delivery truck, knowing that this may be their last chance to save Sang-mi. They take a shortcut and lie in wait for the van.

When the van arrives, they block its path on a bridge. Disciple Jo and Wan-duk get out to take out the “evil spirits” – the three boys that are approaching them. All three boys are ready to fight, as Sang-hwan mouths the words “We’ll rescue you,” to Sang-mi. Remembering the message that Sang-hwan had typed out on his phone to her when she was locked in her room, she tearfully gives an almost imperceptible nod back to him.

A fierce fight ensues. Jung-hoon and Man-hee take on the two brothers, while Sang-hwan runs to free Sang-mi, who struggles to get away from Disciple Kang and her dad’s grasp as she attempts to escape the van. Sang-hwan throws open the door and hauls Sang-mi out as Disciple Kang screams that she’s being misled by evil spirits.

Disciple Jo knocks Jung-hoon to the ground with a blow to the jaw and starts to follow Sang-mi as she sprints to the delivery truck for safety. Jung-hoon stops him, managing to grab his leg and keep him away from her. Man-hee uses eye-gouging and head-butting to subdue the much larger Wan-duk.

Sang-hwan forces Disciple Kang and Dad back into the Guseonwon van before taking the keys from the ignition and hurling them off of the bridge. Finally, after felling Disciple Jo with a single slug, Sang-hwan helps Jung-hoon back to the truck.

As the boys drive away, Dad and Disciple Kang try to chase after them on foot. A distraught Disciple Kang yells after them, “How dare you steal New Heaven’s God’s possession!”

Father Baek sighs heavily upon hearing the news of the escape over the phone. Alone in his office, he finally shows his anger by throwing his religious book at the wall, causing a number of framed photographs of himself and others to come crashing down.

Man-hee drives the getaway truck while Jung-hoon groans from his injuries beside him. Sang-hwan sits silently with Sang-mi in the back and notices the bandage on her hand and wrist. Sang-hwan tells Man-hee he can slow down a little bit now since they are not being followed, while Sang-mi nervously looks out both the front and rear windows.

Meanwhile, back at the bridge, Disciple Kang nervously bites her nails as Sang-mi’s dad asks if Sang-mi will be okay. Kang, talking more to herself than Dad, says, “No. She needs to receive salvation. She must.”

Disciple Jo impatiently watches his brother search for the keys, then goes to talk to Disciple Kang and Dad. He tries to reassure them by saying, “What belongs to New Heaven’s God always comes back to his arms.”

When Disciple Kang doesn’t respond, Jo asks if she is worried that Sang-mi might end up like her daughter, Yu-ra, who she found lying dead in a river. She tells Jo to watch what he says and reiterates that she is more determined than ever to “make sure Sang-mi becomes Spiritual Mother.”

The boys and Sang-mi are safe and catching their collective breath on the pier when they spot Dong-chul walking across the bridge toward them. Sang-mi and Dong-chul share a meaningful look, and we see a flashback of Sang-mi visiting Dong-chul in the detention center.

She had apologized and thanked him, and when he tried to brush it off, she had gone on to say that if he hadn’t been there on the roof that day, she would have died like her brother. “So,” she had finally said, “please live.”

In the present, Sang-mi thanks Dong-chul once again, and then thanks all the boys sincerely. Jung-hoon says that she is what brought the four friends back together again. Sang-hwan says that things might get harder from now on, and Man-hee wonders where they can hide, since Guseonwon will try to track them down.

Back at Guseonwon, Father Baek has plenty of restrained anger and blame to go around. He tells Dad, who begs him to forgive Sang-mi, that his daughter ran away because he has not been praying earnestly enough. He has Wan-duk take Dad away, presumably to one of the “prayer rooms,” to fast and pray.

To Disciple Kang, Father Baek warns that if she makes one more mistake, she will not be allowd on the Boat of Salvation, which shakes her terribly. When Disciple Jo suggests that Father Baek is being too hard on Kang, he tells Jo that he too needs to do a better job to grow the church (though it almost sounds more like a threat, especially when he brings up a powerful politican). He then instructs the two disciples to “go and bring Sang-mi back.”

With two vans full of young female congregants, Disciple Kang looks for Sang-mi in town. Disciple Jo and his brother scour internet cafes and pool halls, but come up empty-handed. Afterward, they meet with Officers Woo and Choi, who ask for a description of the men who took Sang-mi.

Both officers look slightly uncomfortable when the descriptions sound strikingly like Officer Woo’s son and his two friends, but cover it up by saying that all young people look alike these days.

When Disciple Jo goes on about Sang-mi not being “of sound mind,” Officer Choi looks at him earnestly and asks him to take Sang-mi to the hospital if he finds her. Jo pastes on a saccharin smile and agrees, as disingenuous as ever.

Meanwhile, Sang-mi and the boys have been holed up in their deliveryman friend’s apartment. The friend is exasperated that they are just lying around with seemingly no intention of leaving, but there’s not much he can do.

While the three boys relive their fight against Disciple Jo and his brother, Dong-chul sees that Sang-mi, sitting alone in a corner, is visibly shaking. He goes over to her and tells her that she doesn’t need to worry anymore.

During their meal of ramyun in the apartment, the boys discuss their next steps, which unfortunately involve going to Jung-hoon’s dad police station in the morning. When Dong-chul gently advises Sang-mi to eat, Sang-mi looks distant as she says, “They said they should let the cult leader have me… to find salvation.”

That silences the group as Sang-mi looks steadily into Dong-chul’s eyes, and he returns her solemn gaze.

Back in Guseonwon, a young man delivers a tray of food to Sang-mi’s mom. She looks at him and, hallucinating, is convinced that he is one of her son’s tormentors. When she tries to attack him with her chopsticks, two women have to pull her off of the boy as she hysterically screams for Sang-mi to help her.

Deciding to leave Sang-mi by herself in their friend’s apartment for the night (I question their judgement here), the boys give her Jung-hoon’s cellphone and go to their local bar to debrief and discuss their next plan of action. Sang-hwan says they should go to Jung-hoon’s dad’s police station in the morning and let the police investigate.

However, Dong-chul does not want to turn Sang-mi over to the police. He says they have no evidence yet, and, “In this town, if you have money and connections, you can make an innocent person guilty.”

The situation is made stickier by the fact that Jung-hoon obviously admires his dad, and none of the boys know just how complicit Officer Woo is in the cult’s affairs. But Sang-hwan promises Dong-chul, “It will be different this time. Trust me.” (No, listen to Dong-chul!)

Back in Guseonwon, Disciple Kang stands motionless in what looks like the cult’s pharmacy. A young woman who had spoken to Sang-mi previously, Hong So-rin, comes in to get medicine for the patients, and Disciple Kang, saying she is not feeling well, asks her to give Sang-mi’s mom her medicine.

So-rin agrees, but when Mom opens her mouth and shuts her eyes to take her pill, So-rin hesitates, then gives her a digestive aid pill instead of her usual medicine.

Alone in a prayer room, Dad prays to New Heaven’s God for salvation for his family. He works himself into a frenzy as he begins to babble “in tongues” and hits himself repeatedly.

Detective Lee meets with Yong-min, who is night fishing, and his manager, Ji-hee. Ji-hee gives the detective a packet of companies related to former governor Cheon. “Just scare them a little,” she says, “so they can make the decisions on their own.” Ji-hee then asks if Cha Joon-gu can be trusted to not cause trouble later.

Detective Lee replies that since Joon-gu has no family and holds a deep grudge against Lee Jin-suk, he can make anything Joon-gu does look like the “revenge of a thug.” Yong-min interjects then, telling Lee that he “should realize how valuable a person is,” and reminds him that Joon-gu will have a vote in the next election.

Yong-min catches a big fish that the Dectective Lee helps pull in, but Lee is surprised when Yong-min promptly throws it back in the water. Detective Lee suggests that Yong-min is a humanist (for not killing the fish), but Yong-min says he likes fishing not to eat the fish, but because he is amused at how they struggle to live even with a hook in their gills. The metaphor is not lost on Detective Lee as the smile quickly fades from his face.

Detective Lee visits Joon-gu to ask him to steal the accounting files of the companies in the packet from Ji-hee. He presents it as part-time job and a way to get revenge on Lee Jin-suk, but at the same time, he threatens that if Joon-gu does not want to do it, he can be easily sent back to prison as an ex-convict.

Joon-gu unenthusiastically says he’ll do it and takes the package, and when he goes back inside, Detective Lee looks at him and comments to himself, “A hooked fish struggling to survive. It’s interesting.”

Disciple Kang fixes her chewed-up nails by putting fake ones on and changes her clothes in her room. When she sees her scarred back and shoulder in the mirror, she has a flashback to when she lived with her daughter and her husband, before she started living in Guseonwon.

In it, we see Disciple Kang huddled on the floor praying with her daughter, Yu-ra, as her husband had yelled and accused her of having an affair with “that pastor,” presumably meaning Father Baek. Kang had denied it, and her daughter had also chimed in to call her father crazy while championing their paster as “a great person.”

Enraged, Kang’s husband had called them both insane before hurling a kettle of boiling water at them. Kang had shielded her daughter with her body, sustaining all the burns herself.

Back in the present, Disciple Kang prays, “Please save me from this agony. I will get on the Boat of Salvation and see you no matter what, New Heaven’s God. I love you, New Heaven’s God.”

The next morning, Officer Woo walks into his son’s bedroom to see his son, Man-hee, and their deliveryman friend all fast asleep. Seeing his son’s bruised face, he gets some ointment to put on it. (Aww, he really must love his son.) But within moments, he rudely awakens his son by twisting his nipple and yelling at him not to cause any more trouble. When Jung-hoon denies any wrongdoing, Officer Woo just drags him off to breakfast.

Alone in the apartment, Sang-mi remembers Sang-hwan’s promise to her and repeats out loud: “’I will rescue you. I will rescue you no matter what.’” She stares out the window with an intense look on her face before calling someone on Jung-hoon’s cellphone. For a moment, it looks like she might be calling Dong-chul, and we also see Sang-hwan driving somewhere.

When there’s a knock at the door, Sang-mi jumps, but thankfully, it’s just Sang-hwan.

The phone call Dong-chul received wasn’t from Sang-mi, but from Joon-gu, who tells Dong-chul that he needs him to do something with him today. Dong-chul is hesitant, but agrees to help at his friend’s insistence.

Outside of the Muji Construction Office building, Joon-gu hands Dong-chul a metal bat. Joon-gu asks if Dong-chul wants to know what he needs help with, but Dong-chul is not interested, since he’s only returning a favor. In the stairwell of the building they run into some thugs keeping watch, but they are no match for Dong-chul and Joon-gu, who quickly take them out with the baseball bat and plain brute force.

Back at the apartment, the other boys and Sang-mi prepare to go out. In an effort to disguise Sang-mi, the boys give her some of their deliveryman friend’s clothing, and when she emerges wearing a plain, dark outfit and hat, Jung-hoon wonders aloud, “Why does she look cute in that?” Ha. Although she appears fairly calm and collected, Sang-hwan notices Sang-mi’s nervous hesitation before she opens the door to leave the apartment.

Outside, Sang-hwan suggests they take a taxi instead of riding their bikes, which would be more conspicious. When Jung-hoon offers to call his dad instead, Sang-hwan breaks it to him that they will be going to the Muji Police Headquarters instead of the local station. Sang-mi tactfully explains to Jung-hoon that the people from Guseonwon convinced his father that she was mentally ill, and she is afraid she will get sent back there if they go to his dad for help.

Jung-hoon reluctantly agrees, but he suggests that they call Dong-chul before they go, at least. Sang-hwan again says no, using the excuse that Dong-chul probably needs rest and that they can take care of this themselves.

Cut to: Dong-chul, who is getting anything but rest as he and Joon-gu encounter more groups of thugs protecting the building. At the back of one group is Dong-chul’s friend, Dae-shik, who helped get him his job at the nightclub.

Dae-shik sees Dong-chul and pauses with a worried look on his face as Dong-chul and Joon-gu start their next attack, brutally kicking and hitting everyone in their path in the narrow hallway. Dae-shik quickly ducks into a room and closes the door behind him.

As more gangsters join the scene, Joon-gu tells Dong-chul to get the files while he holds them off. Dong-chul nods and goes into the office that his friend escaped to. Surprised to see Dae-shik there, Dong-chul exclaims, “Hyung-nim.”

His friend tells Dong-chul that he can’t take the files: “You have to understand that I work for Jin-suk.” Dong-chul looks at his friend, and then to the door, where Joon-gu is fighting on the other side. He looks distressed, but says nothing.

Meanwhile, Sang-mi and company are on a very tense taxi ride, and we see why: The driver has the distinctive Guseonwon symbol as a decal on his rearview mirror. The driver recognizes Sang-hwan as the governor’s son and asks why he would be going to the police station, and Sang-hwan lies, telling him that his father asked him to do something for him.

After getting to the police station, Sang-mi calmly walks back to the driver, who has been staring at her incessantly. She asks if he knows her, and when he nods, she says, “You can call them and them that I’m here.”

Unfortunately for our heroes, but not surprisingly, the driver immediately calls Disciple Jo to let him know of Sang-mi’s whereabouts. Disciple Jo tells Father Baek, and shares his concern that the police may find out incriminating information about the cult. Father Baek tells Jo not to worry since New Heaven’s God “puts all our believers into great use,” and promptly makes a phone call of his own.

Inside the station, the gang runs into Detective Lee, who also recognizes the governor’s son. He listens to their case, but after learning Sang-mi’s name, he realizes that she is the “abducted” girl that he and the police have been looking for all night. He flat-out refuses to help them, treating Sang-mi’s situation as a matter to be solved within her own family.

He holds firm, despite Sang-hwan’s eloquent arguments that laws have been broken by both her father and the cult by keeping her against her will and forcing her to marry. “How can you call the assailant and tell him to take the victim back?” Sang-hwan asks angrily, citing all the various law-based reasons to prove that what Lee plans to do is wrong. Lee snaps back that the boys themselves could be charged with abduction and obstruction of justice, although Sang-mi insists that she asked for their help.

The discussion continues to devolve into a shouting match, and when Sang-hwan calls the detective a piece of trash after asking if he’ll have enough “evidence” once Sang-mi is forced to marry a cult leader, Lee orders the boys to be locked up. Sang-mi begs everyone to stop fighting, says she will go back to Guseonwon, and asks Lee let the boys go.

The boys are shocked into silence at this, but Sang-mi looks resigned as she tells Sang-hwan, “I knew things would turn out this way. I’ll do my best to take care of it.”

The detective is satisfied with Sang-mi’s decision, but insists on the three boys being placed in a holding cell anyway. Sang-hwan looks at Sang-mi in frustration and dismay, while Sang-mi looks back at him with a sad, defeated expression on her face.

The three friends are each deep in their own thoughts while being held: Jung-hoon is annoyed, Man-hee thinks the situation makes no sense at all, and Sang-hwan just nods to himself, saying, “Something needs to happen in order for them to become guilty.”

Sang-mi takes a long, silent van ride back to Guseonwon with Dad, Disciples Kang and Jo, and Wan-duk. On their way, they almost run into the jjajangmyun delivery man, pass by Officers Woo and Choi (“Such a kind man,” Woo says of Disciple Jo), and drive into the woods and through the gates of Guseonwon. All the while, some of the creepiest, most mournful music I have ever heard plays in the background.

When they arrive at the foot of the church steps, Disciple Kang tells Sang-mi that the worship service has already started and takes her arm. With a slight smile on her face, Sang-mi says, “I’ll go on my own.” Both disciples seem pleasantly surprised at Sang-mi’s willingness to comply, as she leads the group up the stairs of the church.

 
COMMENTS

While the story is far from over, this episode of Rescue Me was immensely satisfying. After so many episodes of dark despair and helplessness, we get the satisfaction of the good guys fighting back and winning a battle, if not the war, for a change. The three boys really came together and risked life and limb to rescue Sang-mi. I was worried how they would fare without the brains and brawn of Dong-chul, and was gratified to see they persevered and succeeded in getting Sang-mi away from the Guseonwon cult members, if only temporarily.

Regrettably, they underestimated, or simply were unaware of, the reach of the cult into so many aspect of their lives. The fact the cult has so much influence over so many people: assemblymen, police officers, and even taxi drivers, made it next to impossible to keep Sang-mi safe without keeping her in complete hiding. Hopefully they will be able to come up with a plan to rescue her for good.

I have been intrigued by the characters and their relationships with each other. Jung-hoon has proven to be a very loyal friend to Sang-hwan. He was originally the naysayer of the gang, but he took most of the hits when it came to fighting for Sang-mi. At the same time, Jung-hoon also clearly loves and respects his father, which could create conflict for him once he realizes how supportive his dad is of the Guseonwon cult.

Dong-chul faced some divided loyalties in this episode, but not with his old school gang. He unquestioningly helped Joon-gu because he had helped him in the past (we don’t know exactly how yet). He then found himself in a tight spot when supporting Joon-gu meant going against his nightclub friend, who had been sincerely helping him make a new start. The episode left the question open as to what Dong-chul ultimately will decide to do. As the most thoughtful and intuitive of the four boys, if there is a way out of this situation, I am confident that Dong-chul will find it.

We also learned about Disciple Kang’s motivations in this episode. Until now I was not sure where her loyalties lied; whether she was an opportunist like Disciple Jo seems to be, or a true believer. This episode drove home the fact that she has unwavering faith in the cult and its beliefs. Given her tragic and violent past, I had been hoping that Disciple Kang would have some human compassion for Sang-mi, but it seems that her driving force is on her own salvation, and Sang-mi is her means to achieve it.

Sang-mi’s mom seems to be going through some changes — unlike her husband, whose faith in the cult has only grown stronger, Mom seems to have a sense that things are not right. In Episode 8, she said that her son told her to leave Guseonwon, and in this episode, her violent outburst against her unfortunate caregiver indicates that her faith in the cult may be waning. If So-rin can continue to get her off the medication the cult has been giving her, Mom’s own true thoughts and feelings, although painful, may be able to resurface.

As for Sang-mi, her actions in this episode were both courageous and heartbreaking. Despite suffering from the stress of her forced captivity at Guseonwon, she fought for herself, spoke up on her own behalf, and put her trust in her rescuers. At the same time, she seemed to have a quiet resignation that she would very likely have to go back. When she told Sang-hwan that “I will do my best to take care of it,” I became hopeful that she has a plan on how to continue to survive at Guseonwon until she gets another opportunity to escape. And at the end of the episode, although she agreed to return to Guseonwon, she seemed to have a new confidence about her, indicated by her leading the others into the church.

Survival is one thing, but because of the immense power the cult holds over her and the whole community of Muji, Sang-mi will need the those who truly care about her to band together to help her escape from Guseonwon for good. Because she will escape at some point, right?

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Dong-chul forever.

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The look with Sang Mi at the pier, the flashback in prison. *sigh*

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He looks amazing in that gray tshirt

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Woo Do Hwan converted many of us to Dongchulism lol. I cannot express how much this new made me admire him this much to the point that I'm just excited for his future as if his career is my career haha.

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correction: *new actor

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Woo Do Hwan is my new favorite actor, gorgeous and talented!

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1. Dong Chul's back. Hot and smexy!!
2. Dong Child walking towards Sang Mi while his back is facing the viewers.
3. Dong Chil and Dae-Shik. There is some intense chemistry there. Make out already. (Lee Jae Joon, the actor, is something else when I see him with another actor. See The Lovers and Flight Night.)

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Lee Jaejoon looked extremely hot as Joonjae or it could be because he was acting lovely-dovey with Takuya...

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I love how after the commercial, it wasn't his back that was shown but a close up of his face. The cinematography/the transitions from scene to another is so visually satisfying.

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#2!!!! I thought that scene was the beautiful-est thing.

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I am really enjoying this series. I think the writing and acting are great. The story is suspenseful and creepy and leaves me wanting to know more and more. I find myself waiting throughout the week for the new episodes because I want to know what happens to everyone. I hope Sangmi and her mom are able to break free of the terrible Guseonwon place and the people there. I also see hope for some of the Guseonwon people as well to leave along with them. Also Dongchul is a sweetheart!

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This show continues to drag me in with it's intensity and urgency. Everything from editing to acting to music is used to great effect. Taec has been the weakest link for me, but his scene in the police station was his best work yet. It seemed like the character was speaking instead of just Taec trying to act. Disciple Kang continues to intrigue me as we learn more about her. She is the only one of the heads of the church who I think really believes it, although there are glimpses of her having the wool pulled her from her eyes. I just hope it is in time to help Sang Mi. But she could also be the most dangerous one if she refuses to see the truth as she would be desperate to have it be true. And of course Dong Chul is the best. He better get a happy ending, same with Sang Mi of course. I am also shipping him with Sang Mi, if the show decides to have a romance line, although I would prefer it to not have any. They both have saved each other, emotionally, and their couple of scenes conveyed so much. I like the other three boys as well, but I am staying for him

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The Dong-chul/Sang-mi prison visit flashback was the highlight of the episode for me, with any ither scenes where these two were together coming in a close second.

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I think the boys should've talked it over with SM first and not leave her in the apartment alone and make plans separately!!!
And of course… I will go down with this ship … SM and DC definitely have a deep connection but it doesn't necessarily have to be romantic (even if I hope it will become something like that). Imo it's just a deep understanding of each others situation…(which is perfect for a romance to grow if you know what I mean ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ノ⌒♡*:・。.)

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That moment with the reunion between DongChul and SungMi was such a great and emotional moment,might be my favorite ,their connection somehow feel so deep...Those words that Sang Mi told him in her prison visit really stuck to mee deeply...Why does he feel more like a lead than SungHwan,i should be more invested in him as being more the titular hero yet my heart goes to DongChul...I really want for him to get out of it safe and sound and find his own happiness as well as SangMi...This two went through so much at such a young age...Still curious about SongRin as makes me wonder if she is undercover as well,she doesn't feed Mom the medicine knowing it must be something bad while being very into it on the other hand,makes me wonder indeed...Unlike SungMi and Dongchul Sunghwan and the boys still are a bit naive and maybe as he was sheltered having a nice life doesn't see the stuff in a more jaded manner as the former two who experiences the cruielties and injustice of the world they live in...
Lastly i know it might not be that big of chances but i secretly wish for SangMi to take Mom and find their on peace and end up with DongChul,i think they are really suited...

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Didn't think Sung Mi could be a sort of spy. I thought she didn't feed the medicine because of the way Sang Mi's mom looked (pitiful and completely out with her blank face).

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It'd be awesome if Song Rin is an undercover spy. Maybe a reporter? Or am I imagining too much? Haha I also thought that there's hope with Song Rin, even if she's not a spy, she might be someone important later, maybe the one who will help Dong Chul and Sang Mi in Guseonwon because the writer won't make her character into nothing given that she's been on the screen for quite some minutes for the past few episodes.

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This drama is officially one of my favorites this year!

1. Dong Chul is such a complex character and Woo Do Hwan kills the role. He's definitely a good person, but he's been tossed a very unfortunate hand in life. Seeing how he moves forward between starting his life as an honest man versus his less savory connections will be really interesting.
2. All the actors have stepped up for this role. I was doubtful about Seo Ye-ji and Taecyeon at first, but Seo Ye-ji has absolutely outperformed all my expectations. From scared to angry to desperately sad, she plays out all of these so well! Side-note: love the actor playing Detective Lee! I still see him from Suspicious Partners day (haha) but he manages to smile while also looking so corrupt underneath. He really got under my skin this episode.
3. The storyline. Most of the plotholes I noticed were later addressed in other episodes, but the plot is cohesive and draws me in. I like the shift this episode, since it seems Sang Mi is ready to change her strategy. I'm thinking she and the boys are going to find a way to expose Guseonwon for what it is so that it's absolutely irredeemable. Oh man do I want to see Father Baek + the Disciples + Dad get their comeuppance. Also, I wonder what the show is going to do with the grayer characters, like Jung Hoon's dad and Officer Choi who definitely hold responsibility, if indirectly, over Sang-mi's imprisonment. Maybe they'll redeem themselves by helping her out?

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Can we give a round of applause to Sang-hwwan for being so smart by taking the key before they ran away? I wouldn't have thought of that!

I really love how flashbacks are used in this drama. They come out at the exact same time you need it. That flashback of Sang-mi visiting Dong-chul wouldn't have as much meaning if it was not shown after they met up again. Same thing for Apostle Kang's flashbacks.

It was really interesting to see Baek lose his cool when he found out that Sang-mi got away. He's usually composed and has this goody-goody image on but after that, he started pressuring Apostle Kang and the words that he used were threatening.

I still don't get the connections to politics here except for the fact that because of them, Guseonwon holds a lot of power over Muji.

Dang, I kinda like that delivery guy-church youth leader. Can he please join the gang too? Like a secret accomplice of some sorts?

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I am wondering about the cult's political connections as well. It's not like the church is so large that it'd have a huge impact on votes, but maybe the votes are what it is? Maybe Bad Baek is just a good social networker.

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Crazy plot. That guy is one corrupt cop but what about all others? Even if all others or the chief is under control of the cult they still could get the news. They could ou would have made a video of her telling the whole story, it would get attention. It's like they live in really small village in the fifties. If that was the setting I'd like it a lot more. As it is we just have to ignore the crazy writing so we can get Dong Chul as hero in disguise. :)

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That's probably still the case nowadays with police and how they deal with things. There was that most recent case of bullying/beating up a middle schooler in Busan. She was beat up before and her parents reported it but the police just let it slide. Now, it happened again and the girl almost died.

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That's just crazy! I was wondering if the way the policeman acted was possible in reality. I thought it was strange that even if Sang Mi said she wasn't kidnapped the policeman took her father's word before hers. That's really messed up and scary. What is wrong with these people

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When she went back I was really hoping she still had the phone to record what happened next. I'm surprised Jo didn't break a rib.

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Police don't like interfering in family matters.

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I also wondered about why they don't' just go to a news source about it, or to law enforcement outside of Muji that isn't connected to the cult, that could contact the right authorities (be it national or what have you) to have jurisdiction and shut that place down.

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I think they have to think outside of the district to get proper coverage and attention. They have to get away from the cult's grip, which is why I was yelling at my TV to have go to Seoul.

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What this episode really brought to my attention is the suffering of the people in Gunseonwon. Disciple Kang is suffering, Sang Mi's father is suffering too. And unfortunately, this torment is what is making them easy prey to the cult.They are all drawn in because they believe that the boat of salvation will stop that pain. Whatever their actions may be, it comes from a place of extreme hurt. Ironicaly their extreme pain causes them to inflict greater harm on others.It's a really sick cycle that Father Baek is able to perpetuate and monetize.
This also makes me a bit fearful for Dong Chul. Probably not in this series, but in real life, a person like Dong Chul would easily be drawn into this type of cult.

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They really fell in that illusion that Father Baek is selling in place of trully coming in terms with their scars and he's totally using their pain to control them manipulating their pain with words,it's sad,infuriating and scary because if u watch those people who are there on his leactures they look really happy and believe what he says,no wonder people keep coming...When a whole place like that comes forth and u see it it's hard for one or two like SM to be heard and belived...

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He is also discouraging them from seeking medical help

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Strange how these people don't realize that to get on to the Boat of Salvation, if it actually exists, that is, they would need to die.

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They're looking towards that "Eternal Life!"

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I've been thinking about this too. There's a real possibility of DC being enticed into the cult. However, he only needs see sang mi and her mom's suffering to know the truth.

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Uh oh, I'm already sensing some definite SLS on the horizon with Dong-chul. (Would it be SLS? This drama isn't really a romance and I'm glad for that, but I still feel like Sang-hwan is going to win out in the end, whatever that means in the context of this show.)

My opinion of Disciple Kang has changed so much over the course of this series. At the beginning I took her for another scheming lackey like Disciple Jo, but the revelations these past few episodes have actually made me feel some level of sympathy towards her. I'd love for the tragedies of her past to eventually spur her to help Sang-mi in the present, but I have the sinking feeling it'll go the opposite way and she'll be so devout and desperate for her own salvation that she'll be one of Sang-mi's greatest barriers to freedom

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I definitely got the impression that Adult Sangmi sees Dongcheol in a much different light than Teenage Sangmi did. When she said thank you the first time, she addressed Dongcheol and even after addressing the other boys to thank them, she directed her eyes back to Dongcheol. And then again in the apartment, she said thank you while looking at dongcheol when the other boys were there too, ignored junghoon when he asked her to open up about what happened to her but then when dongcheol told her to eat she opened up about her story and stared directly at dongcheol when she talked about being forcibly married off.

It's interesting because she relied more on Sangwhan who first reached out to her back in their school days but now it seems that despite the other 3 having done more for her as an adult (in trying to rescue her I mean) she seems to feel more at ease with Dongcheol and seems to have a much deeper connection with him compared to the other 3 now because of the incident on the rooftop.

I find Kang to be extremely complex. I think she is trying to atone for what happened to her daughter through Sangmi. I think she feels that if she makes Sangmi spiritual mother, it'll take away the wrong committed towards her daughter as the flashbacks seem to suggest that she definitely played a part in what happened to her although she clearly felt deep love towards her. I feel like she was probably extremely similar to how Sangmi's father is now which is probably why she's so disgustingly encouraging towards him. But the actress does a beautiful job of realistically portraying the level of devoutness that cult followers have for their leader. Us on the outside of that are really able to get an understanding of people like Kang who blindly worship, and what motivates them to do so even if we don't personally agree with it. They are desperate for change and people like father Baek exploit and abuse that.

Lastly, Taecyeon's acting as Sanghwan is a bit flat imo so I'm finding it difficult to really pull for his character tbh. Dongcheol and Sangmi's characters are so good at their roles that the difference is striking, and even his friends are really delivering in their roles. But it doesn't take away from how great the drama is or the near perfect pacing.

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I think she trusts Dong chul more than the others.
He come to her aid even when Sang Hwan wouldn't and even now is willing to help her even after it cost him so much

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I agree with all your thoughts here. As far as Sang Mi regarding DC differently~Dong Chul wrongly went to jail for three years because he was the only one who helped her. She credits him for saving her life. I think that's more than ample reason for her to feel more connected to him now!

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Save Me doesn't need romance to fuel the show. Save Me is not about shipping wars or who will get the girl. It's about this strong girl trying her best to stay sane while trying to save her family with the help of her friends.

But I won't deny the strong emotional connection Dong-chul and Sang-mi has. From the moment he tried to saved Sang-jin, they have formed a bond. If we go by logic, as Dong-chul is thinking logically on how to save Sang-mi, and all the cliche romance drama has given us, Dong-chul is the clear winner. Sang-hwan is an amazing friend but he needs to trust his friends and stay away from the grown-ups to save Sang-mi.

However, at the end, I will go with what Save Me continues to give its viewers. A strong compelling and emotional story. At the end, I just need everybody to be happy and at peace.

(Seriously. I'm just tired of reading that Taecyeon was fooled in thinking he was the lead. The amount of attention Do-hwan is receiving. Can we just be happy at how great Save Me is?)

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Honestly, it makes me sad when people say that. My take is that Dong-chul as a character is so much easier to root for. It's a role that's been tested time and time again to be a heartwrencher. I admit to feeling for Dong-chul too but it upsets me that some people are bringing Taec and basically Sang-hwan as a character down. I think Sang-hwan is an awesome character and I love seeing him grow each episode.

I wish there's no romance in this drama, or maybe a subtle one is okay. It's just that the situation is so serious that if it was me, I won't be able to think about love and dating.

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I think I have to disagree with Dong Chul being a character which is easier to root for. He could easily be a stubborn, quick to anger, prone to violence, mindless thug who can't seem to keep out of trouble. It is to Woo Do Hwan's credit that we are getting a layered character who viewers can empathize.

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I agree. A lesser actor would not be able to make us root for Dong Chul inspite of his faults. Woo Do Hwan is really talented and able to bring his character to life.

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I agree with this. Boy would it be easy to dislike the character if Woo Do Hwan were not bringing nuance to Dong Chul and carrying emotions beyond the page.

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Same here.
I don't understand all the hate against Sang Hwan, and it saddens me a lot... I can't deny that Dong Chul is an awesome character and who wouldn't love him ♥, but Sang Hwan is more relatable, at least for me, and i really love him too.
He's far from perfect and he made some terrible mistakes 3 years ago (like trusting his dad, but how can we reproach him to do so, he was only 17/18 at that time, it was only natural for him to trust his dad, wasn't it ??!!).
But he's trying so hard to change and to make amends for his past mistakes. His journey from 3 years ago makes so much sense, he wouldn't be so strong minded now if he hadn't flee that day and watched all the terrible consequences of his non intervention. I trust him to do everything he can to save Sangmi because he has learnt his lesson.
Sure, he still makes some mistakes, but he has grown so much ! he doesn't deserve all this hate : (

i hope there won't be too much romance too (or not at all). I just want the characters to be happy (or at least safe) at the end of the drama ... Sang Mi needs to heal physically and emotionnally before they push her into a romantic relationship ...

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Trusting his dad before college was one thing, the fact he thinks he could get his father to help now was foolish in the face of his refusal to help his friend before even though he had to know how important Dong chul was to Sang Hwan. He certainly isn't going to back him up helping a girl he barely knows. I don't dislike Sang Hwan at all, I just prefer Dong chul

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I can't say anything about his relationship with his father as it is more developped in the following episode, but let's just say Sang Hwan is not as foolish as we may think ...

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I don't need romance in this show. I'm ignoring how good Dong Chul and Sang Mi look to me as well a those looks they give each other.

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I am doing the same lol. I keep telling kdrama new heaven god "you will not pull me into shipping! I refuse!" our wishes will be fulfilled. I believe it.

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I'm helplessly entrenched on Dongchul's side that I'm praying hard to New Heaven's God and the Drama God that Dongchul would survive the drama alive and happy. Please.

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yes I want him to get away from that town and have a happy ending.

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Dong-chul please stay alive till the end. My heart will break if anything is to happen to you. That walk up the pier got me forever.

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The gang(Sanghwan & friends including Sangmi) have a plan!

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This episode is the best episode so far! I was really really really glad when Sang Mi managed to escape for the first time though it didn't last long. But at least it managed to shake things up in Guseonwon. I was happy when Baek was furious because of Sang Mi's escape. I can see Sang Mi is changing a bit, with the help of outside, it seems like she has gained her own strengths right now and now I can't wait for Sang Mi's plan to ruin the place from the inside.

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yes I think they brief escape gave Sang Mi strength to quietly plot her final escape.

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Sang Hwan is being remarkably naive considering he'd been warned by Dong Chul how things would really go down. It's to his credit that he didn't call Dong Chul to go with him to the police station; possibly to protect his friend and partly because he was ashamed for not taking his friend's advice? He's still the eternal optimist.(Big Sigh).

Father Baek's true colors are coming out. Look at how he lashed out at every one when Sang mi went missing. What scum. He practically made Sang mi's dad know how useless he was to him now that his prize possession (Sang mi) was gone. I'm more and more sure that he convinced Sang mi's twin brother to kill himself.

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Add: he seems to thrive on people's grief. Baek targeted Sang mi from the first time he met her, however the family was too "happy " to be attracted to his brand of religion. What better way to make them his prey than to cause a tragedy to befall them? All the pieces line up that he is in large part responsible for the tragedy that fell on Sang mi's family. Maybe Sang Jin was bullied but would not have jumped off the building, who knows?

I've been consistently impressed by how smart Choi Man Hee is. Of the four, he could easily be overlooked as the "Fat Friend", he's not wealthy or popular like Sang Hwan; or charismatically sexy like Dong Chul or even a wise cracker like Jung join. He's just quietly intelligent, one who sees a lot and has deep insights to situations. I'm impressed by his character.

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I am also a fan of Man hee. I hope he gets even more to do to show his strengths

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Team Man-hee! :)

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yayyy for man-hee! he is my fav out of the four friends. he is honestly the most sane, calm and collected out of them all. too bad many people overlooked him.

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More love for Man Hee ! He's the wise man supporting his friends and helping them understanding complex situations.

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that is an interesting theory that he convinced the twin to commit suicide. I guess that would make it easier to control the family if her brother wasn't around.

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If Taecyeon played Dong-chul and Woo Do-hwan played Sang-hwan, I would think that our reactions and opinions toward the characters (and the actors who play them) will still be divergent.

But that is the beauty of casting the right actors for the right roles. We find gems like Woo Do-hwan/Dong-chul in this captivating drama.

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Not to be completely crass (which is always the sign that I'm gonna be) If this cult is so invested in the fact of Sang mi's purity, I think Dong chul should "take one for the team" and take care of that little problem. Just throwing it out there

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Haha! Well they certainly have the chemistry.

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