The Midnight Studio: Episodes 6-7

60 April 4, 2024April 3, 2024

The Midnight Studio: Episodes 6-7

by mistyisles

Another day, another ghost (or twenty) for our hero to help gain closure and move onto the afterlife. But some ghosts’ loose ends don’t tie up as nicely as others, and to make matters even more complicated, sparks are starting to fly between our ghost photographer and his persistent, ghost-seeing landlord. With a curse on his heels, however, he’s not exactly eager to admit his budding feelings.

EPISODE 6-7

A wider perspective on the car wreck that ended last week’s episode reveals that the evil spirit who hijacked the deliveryman’s truck was actually aiming for Ki-joo. Looks like the curse is slowly but surely catching up to him. After the Safe Zone activates and the ghosts vanish (temporarily), Ki-joo collapses in Bom’s arms. He’s feverish from phantom energy because he forcefully opened the Gate of the Dead to try fixing Bom’s ghost vision with a second photo. Bom lugs him home on her back, but there’s no time for him to rest: the wreck claimed upwards of 25 lives, which means he has a long line of patrons waiting to have their final memories photographed.

Our poor deliveryman, So-myung, trudges in after the others have departed, uncertain if he has a right to be there. His story is heartbreaking (even without Seo Ji-hoon’s soulful eyes) — after being abandoned as a baby, he grew up in an orphanage and was bullied into dropping out of high school. Eventually, he decided to take another stab at education, hoping that a university diploma would give him some sense of validation at last. Now, having died days before graduation, he fears no one will know or care that he ever existed. Plus, he’s convinced the wreck was entirely his own fault, and the weight of guilt is crushing him.

Ki-joo ~~bribes~~ convinces the university president to award So-myung a posthumous honorary degree, but then news breaks about the car wreck, naming So-myung as the sole responsible party. Just like that, the honorary degree is withdrawn, and So-myung’s guilt floods back in. But Ki-joo and his friends refuse to give up. They track down So-myung’s co-workers, who are being pressured into silence, and Bom opens a lawsuit against the delivery company for overworking its contracted drivers. With the drivers’ support, she negotiates both the clearing of So-myung’s name and improved conditions for all the company’s workers moving forward. Best of all, So-myung’s co-workers get to see him off at the Midnight Studio, giving him tangible proof that he has, in fact, left his mark on the world — one that’s even more meaningful and enduring than a diploma.

In between getting justice for So-myung, Ki-joo finally figures out that the Safe Zone only activates when he and Bom are close together (within 40 centimeters, to be exact). Bom also figures out that she’s catching feelings, but Ki-joo rebuffs her advances, knowing he has less than 90 days left.

Embarrassed and insulted that he won’t even give her a chance (she doesn’t know about the curse), Bom keeps trying. While having him pinky swear to always say “see you tomorrow” instead of “goodbye,” she plants a kiss on him. It doesn’t change his mind, but it does make it harder for him to ignore his feelings for her — especially when the next Midnight Studio guest turns out to be handsome, charming, and a local hero.

His name is CHOI HOON (cameo by Choi Tae-joon), and in life he volunteered at a suicide prevention center. When a longtime client called him from a bridge, he raced over to stop her from jumping… and she intentionally pushed him to his death. He explains how he had talked this woman down countless times over the past few years, as well as cheered her on through highs and lows as she slowly found new sources of joy in life. Most recently, he comforted her when her boyfriend dumped her, assuring her that she still had him to talk to and that was all she needed.

If that last part sounds a bit off, that’s because it is. When Ki-joo meets the woman in question, she reveals that Hoon had been stalking her. When he saved her at the bridge, she saw his shoes — the same ones he sent her over and over because she kept throwing them out — and realized that her stalker and her friendly call center volunteer were one and the same. She didn’t mean to kill him, per se; she just wanted him away from her.

When it’s time to take Hoon’s photo, Ki-joo confronts him. He won’t be granting Hoon’s wish for a final conversation with his victim, and he advises Hoon to get this photo over with and leave quietly. In response, Hoon turns full-on evil spirit. He attacks Ki-joo and fights his way past Nam-gu to escape the studio. Ki-joo frantically calls Bom to warn her, but when he finally reaches her, it isn’t her he’s talking to. Hoon has possessed her and walked her up to the very top of a bridge, and threatens to throw her off.

As for our side characters, Ji-won perseveres at her new job, despite petty sabotage from Sung-ho and being assigned to do her boss’s son’s homework on top of her actual duties. (The latter earns Sung-ho’s sympathy at last, since the boss did the same thing to him.) Then Sung-ho follows her to a doctor’s appointment and realizes the ordeal she’s been undergoing alone. Her cancer is still receding, but her doctor cautions that miracles don’t happen twice. We also learn that Nam-gu was killed on his wedding anniversary, and that the criminal who killed him is still at large. Also, there was something important his wife never got to tell him.

At the beginning of each episode, we also learn more about the little girl ghost who broke the rules and disappeared. She and her parents were involved in a car accident (much like the one that killed Bom’s parents), and when she turned up on Ki-joo’s doorstep, she was carrying the Midnight Studio camera.

Curiously, it seems everyone who is chosen to man the studio is marked by a distinctive scar. Ki-joo’s is on the back of his shoulder, and to his surprise, the little girl also had one on her left wrist. The same place, you’ll remember, that Bom has a large, unexplained scar. True, Bom’s is faded and looks more like a burn than a talisman, but this can’t just be a coincidence, can it?

I’ll be honest, I have mixed feelings about some of the romantic beats this week. I understand where both Ki-joo and Bom are coming from, and I love their chemistry together, but it rubbed me the wrong way that she pressured him into drinking despite his discomfort and then refused to take his gentle but firm “no” for an answer. She acts like he’s stringing her along and not giving a clear response, but really she just didn’t like the response he gave and seems to be trying to wear down his boundaries until he says yes.

I did, however, appreciate the inclusion of a ghost who wasn’t as innocent as he first appeared and a survivor who needs to be protected from said ghost’s final wish. Ki-joo’s duty may be to serve and honor the dearly departed, but not at the expense of harming the living.

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1 Kurama

April 4, 2024 at 5:16 AM

I missed the part when they said to So-myung he wasn't responsible of the accident because it was the work of a villain ghost? I mean yeah the compagny was wrong and it's good they had to pay for it. But what the part with the ghost who killed humans?

I have issues with Bom about how she uses the law... About pushing the ML, he needs to be pushed a little bit. If he died, the curse will be over, he doesn't have a kid, neither the uncle.

Choi Tae-joon is not lucky.... he just makes cameos in dramas : Twenty-Five Twenty-One, Island, Flex X Cop and now this one.

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Unaspirated

April 4, 2024 at 5:24 AM

My thought was that So-myung was partly responsible because he was definitely falling asleep at the wheel before the ghost intervened. The ghost tried to steer him in the direction of Ki-joo and the other people and So-myung swerved at the last minute to avoid them, but it's likely that his state of exhaustion from overwork would have led to an accident anyway, just maybe not as bad. So Ki-joo was able to make him feel a little less guilty when he told him about the evil spirit, but it doesn't make him blameless. Such an awful situation.

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Kurama

April 4, 2024 at 5:29 AM

He was sleepy but he wasn't accelerating, it became a more dangerous situation when the ghost intervened and went in direction of the pedestrians and was targeting Ki-joo! So mentionning it would have been nice.

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Unaspirated

April 4, 2024 at 7:06 AM

I thought Ki-joo did mention it though? Wasn't there a scene where he was trying to make So-myung feel better and told him about the evil spirit? (did I make this up hahaha)

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ar_arguably romantic

April 4, 2024 at 3:10 PM

He told him at the funeral hall, but he said it so simply that it sounded almost vague and metaphorical in that kdrama-y way: "you were possessed!" I would have been the loud sidekick going "omg, i saw this ghost. He looked like an old time-y joseon lackey, and he was back-hugging you and making you steer into the crowd. And we will catch that MF-er and make him pay!"

DancingEmma

April 4, 2024 at 4:32 PM

You’re right and didn’t make it up. That was how kijoo put it too. Somyung was overworked and tired as were his coworkers but despite the tragic circumstances and they were heartrending, he was partially responsible. Seo Jihoon was exceptional. And, those eyes are so expressive and the camera can’t get enough of them. As others have said, someone cast him in a lead role!

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Kathryn51

April 4, 2024 at 8:21 PM

I have not watched yet because my heart can no longer take Seo ji hoon's incredible eyes in anything this sad. A question, if you are willing.

The one thing I have hoped to see is my two favorites (Yoo in Soo and Seo Ji hoon) together in a few scenes. Did that happen? If not, I'm skipping these two episodes. I'll return at the end to FF everything except In-soo scenes and a handful of joo Won. I'm rather disappointed in the drama altho i've been looking forward to it for almost a year. 😥

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DancingEmma

April 4, 2024 at 8:33 PM

I hear you. I am a masochist so despite I feeling a tad fragile, I watched those scenes and surprise, surprise, I cried a fair bit both from sorrow and from the injustice of it all. The upshot was couldn’t remember everything but went back and checked for you. They are in a number of scenes together and one or two are sad and sad/happy but worthwhile. They are not one to one scenes though.

Kathryn51

April 5, 2024 at 7:56 AM

@dncingemma, thanks for reply. If there is no one-on-one, then I'll skip for now. Since they are managed by the same agency, I was hoping there might be some scenes together but it appears (from some clips) that in-soo's character is spending a lot of time back at his office. I'll probably watch those since they appear related to whatever be HIS eventual story arc may be. 😊

Seon-ha

April 4, 2024 at 5:45 AM

Whenever I've seen Choi Tae-joon recently, I think, "Oh right!! Who's he again?" And then I wrack my brains over and over...and eventually I have to go look it up, and the answer is..."Ohhhh. Right. He's the guy I couldn't quite remember in this exact same way when I saw him in the last cameo he did!" 🤣

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Kurama

April 4, 2024 at 5:49 AM

I knew he did a cameo after Island but I couldn't remember the drama, I had to look on mydramalist to find Flex x Cop and it was recent 😅

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DancingEmma

April 4, 2024 at 4:37 PM

I remember him due to the inversion of the sexist trope that identifies women only in connection to their husbands. I saw on Soompi that he is married to Park Shinhye so that is my reminder about who he is.

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indyfan

April 5, 2024 at 5:01 AM

Same. I’m like, hey, it’s PHS’ cute hubby again! But if keeps playing these scummy cameos, I’ll start remembering him differently.

BTW are they still considered cameos if those are mostly the roles he’s getting? I’m not seeing him in any recent lead roles. But I might have missed some.

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DancingEmma

April 5, 2024 at 11:06 AM

Good point. It’s not technically a cameo if it is more than a brief appearance.

2 Unaspirated

April 4, 2024 at 5:18 AM

Oh Ki-joo, maybe try not to make it so obvious that that was literally your first kiss ever 🤭

I didn’t mind as much that Bom was pretty forward about her feelings. I think Ki-joo needs someone to spell it out for him and hopefully she remains assertive and doesn’t veer too pushy. I also get why she doesn’t understand his hesitation to at least give a relationship a try, and it would be frustrating to be in a situation where a person acted one way and said something else. Maybe when he has to save her from this new possession situation, things will get clearer between them. I hope he can tell her about the curse soon - I think when they discover the brand on her arm he will have to come clean because she might be affected by it too.

I wasn’t sure if we were going to get an uncle-nephew reunion in this show - if he would eventually be found or find his way back - but the brand showing up on Ki-joo’s neck makes me think probably not. If the camera “chose” him, it seems like its other caretaker was already gone. I also wasn’t sure what to make of the little girl ghost that Ki-joo was protecting back in the day, but it did turn out to be Bom after all! Coma ghost strikes again hahaha! And I’m super interested to find out how the camera having two caretakers will affect the curse (read: how they will break it!).

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Seon-ha

April 4, 2024 at 5:49 AM

How Bom ended up with that camera could potentially be quite a fascinating story full of emotions and maybe even twisty-turns.

As it happens, though, I'm very, very burned from about four recent dramas whose mid-episode plot setups were super, super engaging and that got me very excited about the possible complex ways in which the writer might have the story play out, only to be incredibly disappointed by facile solutions or no resolution at all, only plot holes.

Wouldn't it be great if this were show to break this streak? I find myself unable to hope for too much. But there's a tiny, weak flame of it.

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Cecee

April 5, 2024 at 4:46 AM

fingers very strongly crossed... I haven't started to watch this one because I'd rather binge-watch and do all my crying in as few sittings as possible.

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3 Kafiyah Bello

April 4, 2024 at 5:40 AM

I actually don't find her too pushy. As for the drinking, SIGH. He definitely needs the push, example being whenever it is time to eat. I do think she likes him way more than he likes her though, he just has too much to worry about to be thinking of a romance.

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Seon-ha

April 4, 2024 at 5:53 AM

The drinking itself didn't bug me in the Korean drama context, as that's very common, obvs. What bugged me was that she got up and walked away from him after he was drunk because the whole reason that she told him he could drink was that she would stay with him and protect him with their "safe zone" from the ghost that would take advantage of his drunk weakness to attack him!!

Obviously, in the actual plot, there were no ghosts to do that, but the set-up was, "Here, have a drink, I'll protect you from the consequences," but then she didn't keep to her word.

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Unaspirated

April 4, 2024 at 7:09 AM

I was miffed about that too! But luckily he followed her back home like a lost puppy, and made up some ghostly excuses to stick close. You know, for safety.

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Kafiyah Bello

April 4, 2024 at 8:01 AM

Yes, very true. I think she flustered herself and the drama forgot what kind of drama it was. She did say in the next episode, why did I say I would see him tomorrow when I am seeing him right now. Lol

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Unaspirated

April 4, 2024 at 7:14 AM

I'm not sure if she likes him way more, but she is definitely able to be way more open about it. I think poor Ki-joo has just never been in this situation because he's never been close to anyone, and he's definitely holding himself at a distance (emotionally at least) on purpose. But he definitely cares about her enough to protect her and answer all her annoying phone calls and let her sleep in his bed! I think that's what I find so tragic about him - he's so completely resigned to his fate and can't imagine any alternatives. He even told Bom in these episodes that his life has never deviated from the plan before. Everything has happened exactly as he expected it to. That's why I'm so excited for her to shake up his fate!

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Kafiyah Bello

April 4, 2024 at 8:02 AM

Good point!!

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4 Dylan [is enjoying Shogun]

April 4, 2024 at 5:56 AM

I'm a simple man. everytime that annoying hoobae gets humbled, I get happy 😁

They got me y'all. the graduation, the truck driver hyung tying the tie they all bought together, telling him he's not an orphan cause they're his family... had me crying at 8pm 😭

she's assertive even if it's with the usual kdrama drunken antics... So how depressing will this get if we got a kiss by EP. 6?

I was literally looking up the girl from My Demon yesterday!!! And voila, she showed up in this drama immediately after!! Did the producers/casting agents get a brainwave from me or something??

I really love the romance here. She's so refreshingly upfront and she's adorably (?) grumpy rather than pushy. Kwon Nara was perfect casting for this role, I have to say! Plus, I love all his little smiles when she just straight up charms him.

Not sure how I feel about the sudden stalker twist, but 7 was a good episode nevertheless. I was def enjoying it. But this man has serious kdrama character syndrome. Why on earth are you confronting a dangerous ghost when you could just, idk, call the badass detective ghost?

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too_much_tv

April 4, 2024 at 7:15 AM

I also loved the hyungnim scene, and teared up. This is the first time the drama really exploited the fantasy set-up effectively. I actually started to get mad in the scenes in the warehouse because I was like, "OMG this kid is so wonderful, are they going to kill him off?"

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DancingEmma

April 4, 2024 at 6:31 PM

For me, not only because that subplot was moving and beautifully done but also it reminded me how hard it is to survive and thrive as an orphan in SK and arguably anywhere else. It is hard to forget that due to the prevailing political, economic and cultural factors, orphans have been so unwanted in SK that even after the economic transformation of the country, the foreign adoptions didn’t cease.

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5 vienibenmio

April 4, 2024 at 6:56 AM

I was complaining to my husband about how that crisis line worker had really awful boundaries and didn't really use effective acute suicidality intervention skills, so the stalker thing made more sense to me. I'm also questioning the ethics of having the FL do pro bono work for his patients, which requires breaking confidentiality (sure, the counselor is dead, but...)

The part with So-myung really got me. Same with the girl who was suicidal. What sad lives they led...

I know that the ML is just pushing away the FL because he's gonna die soon, but I wish the drama would show him a bit more invested in her. Right now it feels very one-sided. The jealousy thing was a very good step in that direction, if a bit forced.

Also, the little girl is the FL, right? She was in a coma after her parents died and she's a coma ghost, right? But then why is her name different?

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vienibenmio

April 4, 2024 at 6:58 AM

Also, I'm wondering if the FL's friend is gonna die and end up with the ghost who was meeting her for a date when he died (okay, that's not proven yet, but I STRONGLY suspect).

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hacja

April 4, 2024 at 8:47 AM

I thought this too, but when you think about it, that would be a pretty "bittersweet" conclusion--she experiences a return of brain cancer, dies an agonizing death, so that she can spend a ghostly eternity together with a nerdy and actually very annoying spirit. If that happens, I hope she gets a photo snapped pronto, so she can ascend to heaven and not have to hang around very long.

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vienibenmio

April 4, 2024 at 8:54 AM

Yeah, I don't think I'd like that fate for her. Either she's gonna die or have a bittersweet reunion with the ghost, who'll finally ascend. But I don't think her tumor reduction is going to last long if she keeps up that high stress job (I assume it shrank because she took time off and just had fun)

And, yes, I agree that he's quite annoying. Did he not realize that he's going to get that poor cleaning lady fired?

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ar_arguably romantic

April 4, 2024 at 3:16 PM

I feel like killing off the FL's friend would be so sad. The FL already has 2 dead parents and a grandma that just died a few episodes ago. I hate it when they just killed everyone around a main character. And ML's pretty sad too that his only friends are like 2 dead guys. I would hate to die after getting a job with a terrible boss due to information that I was going to have to pay for food and shelter for longer than I expected.

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🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸

April 6, 2024 at 5:42 AM

I do hope her "miraculous" cure is permanent. Ghost dating can never end well.

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Unaspirated

April 4, 2024 at 7:20 AM

I assumed coma ghost was the FL also, it makes sense why she has the brand on her arm, her parents died the same way, and she has a weird connection to the camera and studio so it would be a weird twist at this point if it was someone else! Did she have a different name though? I thought her parents called her a nickname when they were in the car together?

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vienibenmio

April 4, 2024 at 7:24 AM

I don't exactly remember what she told the ML her name was, but it was a different first and last name than hers (something like Jeong Soo?). But, oh, I missed the nickname! I'll have to rewatch and see if that's the name she gave him.

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Seon-ha

April 4, 2024 at 7:27 AM

Oh wait whooa... She's not a ghost, though. I mean, they could go there--but she's a lawyer that everyone sees in court and who is shunned by a whole group of people who can actually see and hurt her while directly interacting with her.

HOWEVER (하지만!!), it would make internal logical sense in this show if her parents (when dying) made the same deal with the 저승 사자 (grim reaper) that Ki-joo's ancestor made for his son...and that's how Bom got the camera! Or is it only one of the cameras???

Damn that little flame of hope.

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Seon-ha

April 4, 2024 at 7:33 AM

Or halmeoni made the deal??

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vienibenmio

April 4, 2024 at 8:27 AM

Oh, sorry, I should have clarified: I think that she WAS a coma ghost temporarily as a child, but woke up (I assume not too much later)

It is still possible that her parents made that deal, though.

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Unaspirated

April 5, 2024 at 10:48 AM

Yes, sorry, this is what I meant too. That's the beauty of the coma ghost phenomenon - it's temporary! All the narrative benefits of being a ghost but then you get to wake up and have a happily-ever-after too!

sonai

April 4, 2024 at 10:10 AM

Okay, I have been waiting for this recap to discuss what’s up with FL, is she the ghost child from the past or not, names were different like you mention, etc. AAAH!
What baffled me in addition to this, and here I need to summon drama logic connaisseurs: Why was the stalker ghost able to grab Bom’s hands (at some point in the studio), but she could not touch the ghost dog? I thought, being able to see the ghost also meant being able to touch them… 🤔 Is it just a continuity error in the plot, or is it pointing to Bom actually being “something between a ghost and alive”? 🐼😅👻
*cue ominous music*
Or, option 3: was the stalker ghost already photographed once, making him “more real life” (somehow the photographed ghosts lose their scary looks and look more like their old human selves), and thus able to grab her hands?

The „coma ghost“ theory sounds pretty convincing in general, I must say though!

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vienibenmio

April 4, 2024 at 10:50 AM

Yeah, I think she was in a coma after her parents' accident (and eventually woke up). There must be an explanation for the different name.

So this might just be me making excuses for the drama's plot holes and inconsistent writing, but: I think that the more evil you get, the more powerful you get.

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Seon-ha

April 4, 2024 at 11:13 AM

Was Bom able to touch her grandma in the time between she learned of her presence and the photo session? I can't remember.

As for the dog, I'd say that His Deceased Royal Fluffiness hadn't come back through the gate, right? It's just a spectral dog of the non-evil, but not "returned intentionally for a photo" type ghost?? Like all those incredibly depressing "cute" children-ghosts we see? Bom can't touch them either, but I guess my suspicion is that she can touch all of the ghosts who make the effort to trudge (or swim??) "back through the door."

I don't think stalker ghost had had any photos taken yet...to answer your actual question 🤣🤓

So...by "not taking stock" in the spectral physics of this drama (something I said I was doing before), I guess I meant "paying incredibly close attention and caring a great deal" to the spectral physics of this drama. No, this is not a traditional understanding of that phrase, but, um, I guess I'm going with it?

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sonai

April 4, 2024 at 12:22 PM

🧐 Fair points, fair points! Two categories of ghosts, you say… *scribbles down notes* Yeah, those that “came back”, like detective & bachelor, seem a lot better - uh - manifested? So might be, that Bom can easily interact with detective & bachelor, too. (Don’t remember how that was with granny!) HOWEVER, how come Kijoo can touch any ghost (or so it seems), which often leads to those hilarious situations where some anonymous passerbys notice him mumbling about & rummaging “in thin air” (re: the ghost dog)…? 😂 Okay, okay, he’s extra special because he’s the photographer, buuuuuut… 🤔

And it’s totally not like I spent a good amount of time pondering about stuff like this, exclaiming in confusion at the screen once it happened or anything. 🤓😂
Yes, potentially I shouldn’t question the logic either. But it’s fun!

Seon-ha

April 4, 2024 at 12:39 PM

OMG @sonai I think I've got it bad. I just read your funny comment and I really went back to check, and immediately IT CAME BACK TO ME LIKE A FLASH.

Bom couldn't see ghosts at all until AFTER her photo with halmeoni, cause DUH that's what caused her "boooo-itis" (which is what the disease of being able to see ghosts is called in medical circles, I hear).

So, no, she couldn't touch her. Or see her, even, until after the first photo.

Back to the drawing board (ooh, can it be a "crazy board" hidden in my bedroom with photos and drawings and thumbtacks and string all connecting the evidence and data of this totally consistent spectral physics that this drama is totally trying to directly convey to us through clear and present means????

I'm going with continuity error now for creepy stalker always-a-cameo-never-a star ghost.

But...wait, didn't Bom's hair end up burned by fire by a ghost? Was that real fire or spectral fire???? And also doesn't one draw blood from her arm? Or was that Ki-joo.

So many questions, @sonai. So.Many.Questions.

sonai

April 4, 2024 at 1:26 PM

@attiton 🤣🤣🤣 Please tell me, that your “ghost-uation room” containing this board is hidden behind a wall, and secured against undesired paranormal access by lines of salt & beans (Korean ones work best, as we heard!)!

Yes, the burned hair. HOW?! And again: how would cell phones work for ghosts?! It’s still a mystery. 🤓

🤣 “creepy stalker always-a-cameo-never-a star ghost” was featured in “Suspicious Partner”. What foreboding title… 👻

🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸

April 6, 2024 at 5:43 AM

Since she had amnesia maybe she forgot her name and it's a name Ki-joo gave her. 😊

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Britney

April 8, 2024 at 6:06 AM

I thought the same thing about the hotline counselor! I thought maybe they do it different in SK cause it was odd. The set times, the things he was saying, and the fact that he knew her location. And why would he also get on the other side of the railing? (Then again, I have seen on other shows/movies, if someone is on a ledge someone would get on the ledge with them so...)

I agree that the stalker reveal wasn't completely out of left field but I did feel kinda confused about the victim. How much was actually what happened to her? I guess the whole thing that took place at the bridge was real and what the counselor said was unreliable narrator?

I felt bad for her because she was vulnerable and she reached out for help only to be violated and dismissed. I swear, I do not know how there aren't more batshit women in SK who to harm or kill their assaulters because heaven forbid the police actually give a damn and help them. So to me she was victimized by both the stalker or the police.

Once upon a time in the drama You're All Surrounded, a woman was being stalked and the most the perpetrator would get was like a fine. Not even a hefty fine. This led to the female detective trying to catch him in the act of doing something more menacing which ultimately led to the woman being stabbed. Obviously, it wasn't the greatest plan but it was a desperate plan.

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6 Annie

April 4, 2024 at 7:55 AM

I think the little girl is somehow Bom, but I don't understand how she could have forgotten about it all. Also, how many cameras are there? Did the young Ki-joo take a photo of the girl with the camera that she brought? Or did he use his uncle's camera?
Also, in that horrific accident, nobody seemed to try to brake. I get it that it's unexpected, but some of the drivers could have seen the pile-up and at least try to slow down. I get it that the script required a high number of victims, but still...

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vienibenmio

April 4, 2024 at 8:28 AM

If she was a coma ghost, it would make sense that she doesn't remember because, from other dramas, we've seen that they lose those memories when they wake up from the coma

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🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸

April 6, 2024 at 5:50 AM

Not sure if Ki-joo took the girl's photo ... seems like they had shown when he took his first "ghost photograph" in an earlier episode. The girl apparently wandered around for 3 months then disappeared. As vienibenmio has mentioned, in other dramas coma ghosts don't remember their lives prior to coma and also forget their interactions when they were in coma once they wake up.

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7 hacja

April 4, 2024 at 9:11 AM

One of the many things I tend to rail about in kdrama depiction of men is the absurd portrayal of single male behavior when encountering a beautiful woman willing to kiss--behaving as if they were temples of virginal purity who never had a sexual thought in their lives, and being deeply shocked that a lustful woman would dare cross a virtuous "line." I was a bit disappointed that these episodes leaned so heavily into that kdrama trope--although let me be clear, I do not expect this show to follow any rules of rational human behavior, like the ML actually coming out and saying "I'm very attracted to you, but I'm sorry, I can't have a relationship because..." making up some reason about not being the right place right now, or something.

No, what really bothered me was the ending of episode 8--how was the evil stalker ghost able to possess the body of the FL? In fact, if ghosts are able to possess human bodies as the annoying assistant ghost does, even for a short time, why don't they do it all the time? I think there was something early on about it requiring a lot of ghostly energy, or something, but still, wouldn't spirits do it as much as possible? You could get a good half hour being human again a day. It certainly would beat wandering around with decaying skin and dark circles around your eyes! I'll be pretty upset if the show doesn't clear this issue up the next episode!

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Seon-ha

April 4, 2024 at 9:24 AM

As @dncingemma pointed out on the fan wall, the spectral physics here are really uneven, but neither of us are trying to put too much stock in them.

That said, I had the exact same question as you about possession, @hacja, and rationalized it away by noting the inclusion of that somewhat seemingly extraneous scene where the "annoying maknae ghost" actually taught the stalker ghost how to possess someone.

Taught like it's a skill you have to learn as a ghost, and maybe, I don't know, stalker ghost couldn't have, uh, figured it out like, um, the maknae ghost probably...sigh...did on his own some time ago.

Why am I investing my mental effort in this? I don't know. But to my ruthlessly distractable brain, this train of thought seemed to make sense of the earleir scene that seemed to have no other real narrative purpose, and I don't know, some other form of rationale for why not every ghost does this all the time?

I've got another stupid thing that bugs me! I'm on a roll. Why and/or how did the stalker ghost turn into the evil ghost?? Is that an intentional choice available to all ghosts? Could an evil ghost the "decide" to become cute and good again if presented the opportunity for ~~life~~ death change? Was the water that kept leaking out of stalker ghost evidence that he was already an evil ghost holding back his evil appearance to get what he needed from the humans?

Why am I still typing? Help me out by taking all this seriously.

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vienibenmio

April 4, 2024 at 10:05 AM

Have you seen Warm Bodies? I kind of think of it like the "bonies." The spirit turns evil once they abandon the last vestige of their humanity and give into their anger/bitterness.

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hacja

April 4, 2024 at 10:25 AM

Of course, this is serious, because this show has the profound message that images of life in death preserve memories, and that you have to find that special someone to create a circle against being haunted, while teaching young people that its important to get a branding tattoo on you if you want to see ghosts, but whatever you do don't steal the grim reapers camera, or anybody's camera actually, if you want to avoid an early death.

Ultimately, I think what this show is saying is that dead people make their own rules, because there are no rules in death, since death invalidates all rules, so after your death, don't think about it too hard, and just enjoy the everlasting moment.

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Annie

April 4, 2024 at 2:24 PM

I too think that the water dripping was evidence of him being evil. Also, maybe some of the scenes with the suicidal girl didn't really happen as we saw them, because it was him who told us about them.
I don't think he had the time to reach the girl on the bridge, by car, when just a couple minutes before they were talking on the phone. So he's not a reliable narrator.
As regards the scene with the maknae, I thought that he was just happy that he had an audience, but later I understood that the evil ghost took advantage of this info. But the maknae could possess people for a maximum of 10 minutes, so how did the evil ghost manage to take Bom to the bridge and make her climb it up in less than 10 minutes?

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Seon-ha

April 4, 2024 at 3:18 PM

So many questions... @annieajumma !!

So...Many...Questions!!! Maybe evil people are stronger/better at this possession-thing than nice people?? I mean, let's hope not??

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ar_arguably romantic

April 4, 2024 at 3:31 PM

I feel like if possession is so easy to learn, why aren't a lot more ghosts doing it? I just thought maknae ghost gained the skill after spending a lot of time here.

The ghosts in this series confuse me. Sometimes they're cute, sometimes they're like zombies (even though they were normal people before death). And why do some get help and some don't?

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hacja

April 4, 2024 at 9:24 PM

@asianromance, Please don't try to understand. This show deals with a world beyond human comprehension.

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8 ar_arguably romantic

April 4, 2024 at 4:06 PM

I like watching this show, but it's a head-scratcher sometimes. Casting Seo Ji-hoon and his sad puppy eyes worked to make me forget about how I still think that So-myung was a bit responsible for the accident.

I think the maknae ghost and formerly-terminally-ill-friend make a cute couple pairing despite not interacting with each other, but I don't get why the maknae is haunting the poor newbies rather than the asshole boss. If I become a ghost, I would haunt all the bad people out there.

The friend is so kickass with how she fulfilled her boss's order for her to write his son's report!

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🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸

April 6, 2024 at 6:00 AM

So apt, there are indeed quite a few "head-scratcher" moments.
Not haunting the boss seems like such a weird choice. If anything maknae ghost (who's senior in being a ghost) should be helping the newbies.
I do hope they interact (via Bom) and get closure.

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9 indyfan

April 5, 2024 at 5:13 AM

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