Spy Myung-wol: Episode 8 Mini-recap

The game-changer! It's finally here. So much fun in this episode.  It's my favorite whole episode so far, which is saying a lot because this show has a real problem pulling things together cohesively. Regardless, Stony-faced Robot Boy ain't so much an ice block anymore, and everyone gets a taste of their own medicine.

Watch Spy Myung-wol Episode 8 on DramaFever.

Episode 8 Mini-recap

Upon the realization that he might actually have feelings for Myung-wol, Kang-woo gives forgetting her his best college try by doing what? Yoga and visiting art museums, of course! But even so, he can't get her off his mind and sees her in the paintings and sculptures at the museum, and as his fabricated yoga instructor at the studio.

Meanwhile, Myung-wol broods about her failures at the investigation agency where Ryu comes by to give her another pep talk, telling her to pull herself together. As they're talking, Hee-bok interrupts with newspaper in hand to give them some good news.

Chairman Joo, who's been scrounging for more information on the mysterious Ryu, finds out that Ryu spends a lot of time going over to Hee-bok's investigation agency.

Apparently, all the ruckus about Kang-woo not showing up for his showcase the other night got cleared up when someone took pictures of Myung-wol kicking some gangster ass at the warehouse. When news breaks that Myung-wol saved Kang-woo again, Myung-wol gets reinstated as his bodyguard. Kang-woo asks Agent Kyung why she'd do that, and Kyung tells him it's because there's actually reason for him to have a bodyguard now that they know people might be after him for real. Myung-wol is assigned to go to Singapore with Kang-woo for filming where, of course, In-ah and Ryu will also be going.

In a hilarious scene back at the investigation agency, Dae-kang (who's spending his two days off there) is watching a spy movie. He comments to Hee-bok about how rewards used to be given for people who reported spies. He lists a number of ways to identify spies that he learned in school, like the fact that they listen to late night radio, get strange visitors and take secret pictures. Looking at Hee-bok, Dae-kang comments that all those characteristics fit Hee-bok perfectly. But then, that would mean he's a spy, and that's just altogether impossible. LOL.

As they're bickering, who should walk in but Chairman Joo himself. He sits down to pretty much interrogate Hee-bok about Ryu. Hee-bok holds up fairly well against the questions and covers for Robot Boy, stumbling through the chairman's questions. On his way out, Joo asks his assistant to look into the investigation agency.

Anyway, getting back to Singapore. Kang-woo is unable to concentrate on work because of Myung-wol so, surprise surprise, In-ah gets annoyed. She warns him not to fall for someone who only pretends to be innocent and that it's a bit weird that Myung-wol has saved his life so many times.

Later that day, Kang-woo makes an attempt to sneak out of the hotel, but Myung-wol catches him on the way out and he opts to drag her along. They spend most of the day wandering around in Singapore on a pseudo-date being generally adorbs. Meanwhile, Ryu tries to keep In-ah from searching them out.

The pseudo-date ends with Kang-woo and Myung-wol sitting outside the hotel to talk. When Myung-wol suggests going in, Kang-woo takes her hand and tells her she confuses him. She makes him wonder whether she has some ulterior motive or if she's been hanging around him because she's really that into him. Myung-wol answers him by chastely kissing him on the mouth. Kang-woo stares at her for a moment, shocked, and then pulls her in for a deeper kiss.

When they get back to the hotel, In-ah and Ryu are waiting for them, but Kang-woo blows her off as usual and heads into his hotel room. Ryu warns Myung-wol that irritating In-ah is a bad idea, and so she should act wisely. When he asks her if she made any progress with the mission, Myung-wol opts to lie and says they only went here and there to a bunch of places.

Brooding in the shower, Kang-woo remembers In-ah's words from earlier, about not blindly trusting Myung-wol and vows not to take his attraction any further. Thus, when they return to Korea, Kang-woo nonchalantly tells Myung-wol he basically only kissed her to see what it would be like, and having done so, it wasn't that great. Then, he spends the next few days trying to turn off his feelings, which results in some typical Kang-woo antics, including trying to ugly-fy Myung-wol and yelling at her for innocuous things.

One night, after shooting, Chairman Joo decides to take everyone out to celebrate. Kang-woo puts on a show in front of everyone by doing love shots with In-ah and acting over all douchey. Until, that is, Myung-wol gets dragged up to do karaoke. He's mesmerized by her singing skills and even stands up in awe. Everyone stops and turns to look at him, and Kang-woo yells at Myung-wol for choosing such a lame song to sing and rushes out.

Myung-wol follows him, asking him why he's being this way. He essentially tells her to get lost, so she decides to ask her Spy Team for some help on the matter. Ok-soon and Hee-bok come to the conclusion that Kang-woo's pettiness lately is a result of his growing feelings for her, and decide to enlist Ryu's help in making him jealous.

They package Ryu and Myung-wol as a couple to set off Kang-woo's jealousy radar, which it does, when the pair of them sit off alone together during one of the shoots and fake laugh like the best of friends. At home, Kang-woo confronts Myung-wol on what exactly she was doing with "what's-his-name," to which she replies that she's finding Ryu to be a good person, and even pulls out a cell phone charm that her "oppa" gave her. Kang-woo's furious (more at himself than anything) and goes upstairs to calm down.

Next for the Choi-Wol couple is an overnight trip sharing the same room. They drive over to one of the chairman's resorts where Kang-woo is shooting a CF, and thoroughly distract him by acting couple-y right in front of him. Ryu's awkwardness toward Myung-wol alone makes this entire episode worth watching. Eventually, Kang-woo gets so irritated, he asks for a break and confronts Ryu once and for all. The boys essentially tell each other to piss off and not mess with Myung-wol. The confrontation is more real on both sides than either of them would probably like to acknowledge.

Later that night, In-ah catches Ryu on his way up to his room with a bottle of champagne. She goes over to the bar (where Kang-woo is drinking away all his problems) and tells him about running into Ryu. Kang-woo phones up Myung-wol in an attempt to appease his jealousy, but gets even more riled up when she doesn't answer.

Back in their hotel room, Ryu and Myung-wol awkwardly settle in for the long night to come. Myung-wol worries about whether Kang-woo will really come after her, and Ryu can't help but ask if she'd be disappointed if he didn't. She tells him she's worried because of the mission, but he can't really buy that and wonders if she regrets it. She turns the question back on him, asking if he's had any regrets. Ryu answers honestly, telling her he regrets it every time he sees her face. Whoa.

Just as we think he might open up and confess, Kang-woo starts banging on the door. Myung-wol gets up to answer, but Ryu grabs her arm and pulls her back down next to him. He reminds her that everything he's about to do is for the mission. The door flies open, revealing a livid Kang-woo, as Ryu pulls Myung-wol in for a kiss. WHOA.

Kang-woo throws a punch at Ryu after yanking him off Myung-wol, and the fists go flying as Ryu gives into his own jealousy and lets Kang-woo have it.

Some time later, Myung-wol and Ryu reconvene outside on a park bench. In-ah happens upon the scene and grumbles about why all the men in the world seem to prefer Myung-wol these days.

Myung-wol reaches up and touches Ryu's busted lip, asking if he's okay. Ryu, not able to stand the contact, pushes her hand away and assures her he's fine. He congratulates her on being able to prove Kang-woo's feelings. She eventually asks him whether going that far (the fight) was necessary, but denies any real feelings when Ryu asks whether she likes Kang-woo. She affirms that her only objective is to marry him and nothing more.

Everyone heads home after this tumultuous night, and Myung-wol frets over things in her room. Recalling Ok-soon's words to wait for Kang-woo to come to her, she sits down on her bed to hang tight. Back at the Joo mansion, Ryu meditates in an attempt to calm his feelings but can't get the kiss off his mind. Meanwhile, Kang-woo broods on his rooftop, throwing pillows and glaring out at the world.

Eventually, Myung-wol gets a text from Kang-woo, asking her to meet him outside. She sits down with him and he admits that he's sorted out his feelings. He tells her that he just might love her, and pulls out a ring. "Let's get married," he says, and moves in for a kiss. Myung-wol closes her eyes in anticipation.

Kang-woo leans back, "Is that what you thought I'd say?" Myung-wol opens her eyes, confused, and he pulls out his cell phone to show her something. It's a video that someone took of her speaking to Choi Ryu after the fight that night. In it, Myung-wol has been caught telling Ryu that she doesn't really love Kang-woo; that her only objective is to marry him.

Taking on a hard expression, Kang-woo tells her, "Don't you think it's time you took off your mask?"

Comments

I'm so bad at shipping on this show, for real. Just when I thought that I would be 100% on Kang-woo's side, Ryu just has to come out of the blue and be all adorable and cute around Myung-wol, so that every time Myung-wol is around Ryu, I'm shipping her with him, and every time she's around Kang-woo, I'm shipping her with him. So, I don't know how things are going to turn out, and whether I'll be terribly heartbroken when Kang-woo and Myung-wol ride off into the sunset together without Ryu, but we'll have to see, I guess.

Generally, I don't get swayed by second leads at all. Definitely never the girls, you know, because they tend to all be passive aggressive bitches, but the guys… I mean, everyone is always like, "She should end up with  him. The lead is such an asshole, she should totally end up with the second lead." And I'm always the one saying, "Nope… I don't feel all that bad about the second lead not gettin' the girl, because he's pathetic and he should man up anyway." But in this case, Ryu is just so freaking awkwardly, adorably cute that I just can't get over him. Even with Bae Soo-bin, in Shining Inheritance, when everyone was shipping him with Han Hyo-joo's character, Eun-sung, I wasn't. I was like, Hwan all the way, 100%. So, it's kind of strange for me to be so pro-second lead at this juncture.

Episode 8, all things considered, was certainly the turning point. And it was such a good midway point, too, for them to stop at and get the ball rolling for the rest of the series. It should be interesting to see how things play out, because it's a toss-up at this point. I would love to see Myung-wol with either Kang-woo or Ryu, so it's in the middle of the road for me. 

Episode 8 was, I think, what made the difference between me being peripherally interested and me being completely head-over-heels in love with the show. As far as technical things, like editing, they could still use some help, but story-wise, I think they've finally got me 100% involved, which I wasn't in Episode 7. I think, actually, that Episode 7 was one of my least favorite. 

But Episode 8 was just so awesome. It was so good. I was sitting there, watching it raw, which I don't understand. I don't understand Korean that much at all, only a few phrases and a lot of stray words here and there. So, watching it raw, and seeing everything play out, I was just sitting there, mouth agape for the entire second half of the episode, when all the shenanigans between Choi Ryu and Myung-wol were going on. And then when he kissed her and Kang-woo walked in and they started hitting each other, I was totally going, "OMG." It was intense. It was good.

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