[Drama Review] 'Missing 9' - Episode 3

AKP STAFF

Chanyeol, Yang Dong Geun, Jung Kyung Ho, Baek Jin Hee, Choi Tae Joon, Lee Sun Bin

Gahh that snake scared the living daylights out of me! Imagine how this guy must've felt!

Has anyone else been wondering why literally all the characters are always wearing some shade of beige in this drama? I really can't decide at this point if the producers are trying to use that as some sort of symbol or clue or not. Anyways, episode 3 of 'Missing 9' kicked off running from where it left viewers last week, not hesitating to bring all 9 of the survivors on the island into the spotlight.

However, while viewers were able to quickly see all 9 of the survivors well and alive on the island, after that, things got a little slow and rocky. Being in the drama/mystery/suspense genre (can't forget comedy), this series has so far relied a little too heavily on the game of CLUE that all of the characters are playing in order to discover the truth behind what happened on the island. As a result, instead of seeing a more fast-paced progression of the plot, each episode is a patchwork of memories, character exploration, relationships, and the likes, and we see this in episode 3. The 9 survivors on the island barely get to meet up with one another by the end of the episode, and something like half a day has passed on the island. There is, however, an upside to a slower pace in the storyline, and that lies in character development. 'Missing 9' has so far done a great job of making sure that every moment and scene within the episode has something new to be discovered about the key characters. And the more that viewers pay closer attention to the characters, their objectives, and their relationships with one another, the more that this mystery will fit into place together to reveal the full picture.

Why is it the hot ones are always evil?

Let's sum up what we found about the key characters in this episode. Choi Tae Ho (played by Choi Tae Joon), the hot singer-turned-actor from Dreamers, has quickly turned himself into an antagonist. We get several hints at his two-faced personality in the conversations that take place on the island, ranging from how Ha Ji Ah (played by Lee Sun Bin) comments that she "should" worry about her boyfriend just because it is her job as his girlfriend, to when Choi Tae Ho reunites with CEO Hwang Jae Kook, secretary Tae Ho Hang, and manager Jung Ki Joon, and they converse about whether Tae Oh is worried about Ji Ah's welfare or not, to even whether Tae Oh knows about Ji Ah's illness. (Which is still unclear, whether he really does knew about her illness and pills). The obvious turning point for Tae Ho's character, though, is at the end, when Yoon So Hee's (played by Ryu Won) memories reveal he stabbed an unnamed survivor on the island. We also have to wonder why Tae Oh decided to venture out into the forest from his safe place on the shores, why he was muddy when he discovered Ki Joon, and if he possibly pushed the tree over, aiming to squish Ki Joon and failing.

Next, we find out a slew of things about Ha Ji Ah, Tae Oh's girlfriend and also a well-off actress. Ji Ah's mother's appearance does well to provide us with good background information on her, when her mother says, "If Ji Ah doesn't come back alive, our whole family will starve to death!" But as you can see in the screen capture below, that woman is so clearly rich, with all her bling bling going on. She also says, "Ji Ah whom everyone loved" instead of her daughter whom she loves, which lets us know that while Ji Ah was a celebrity loved by the public, she does not come from a loving family. And of course, we can't leave out the vital information that is Ji Ah's illness, which proved to be the reason she constantly has to take pills.

Lady, no one buys your poor/worried mom act.

And arguably the most reliable character in the story so far from an audience's perspective, we have Yoon So Hee. So far, So Hee doesn't have any secrets that we as viewers don't know about. Her mind seems to work like a very real and normal person, if a rather emotional and delicate person, at that. Judging by her interactions with her brother, prosecutor Yoon Tae Young (played by Yang Dong Geun), we see that she grew up with some love in the family. She also strongly believes that Seo Jun Oh (played by Jung Kyung Ho) is responsible for composer Shin Jae Hyun's suicide. Her memory of seeing Choi Tae Ho murdering someone from the plane on the island is also a vital piece of information. Because So Hee has good reason to fear both Seo Jun Oh and Choi Tae Ho with what she believes to be true in her mind, we can also better understand her pessimism on the island, and even a little bit of her suicide attempt, by trying to drown in the ocean. If you were stranded on an island with two potential murderers and were afraid of dying, how would you feel and act? Most people, I think, would act very much like So Hee. The only problematic question with So He is, then, how reliable is her memory?

This would be my face if I saw Choi Tae Joon in real life too, tho.

There's a little less focus on the two (alleged) main characters of the story, Seo Jun Oh and Ra Bong Hee (played by Baek Jin Hee). But there's a big cliff hanger at the end when Bong Hee gets informed that the police has found the island on which she and the other 8 were stranded on. In one episode, Bong Hee has gone from a kind-hearted protagonist who wished to save the others as best as she can, to a potential suspect in the death of Yoon So Hee. Meanwhile, poor Lee Yeol (played by EXO's Chanyeol) falls into a freaking hole in the ground in the forest, and everyone forgets about him... hopefully, someone will remember him eventually.

At times, I was so thrown off (in a good way) by how funny this drama can be in places. A lot of that has to do with Jung Kyung Ho's stellar performance, as this really dumb, conceited, nothing-but-good-looks character. The CEO and the secretary showed off some fantastic chemistry to bring out some good laughs as well. To be able to LOL while also being very alert for all of the mysteries and clues this suspenseful drama has to offer, I think is a successful element of this series. Hope it keeps up the good work!

Why hewo there you fluffy wittle thing!!