[Drama Review] 'Missing 9' - Episode 5

AKP STAFF

The secret to surviving on a deserted island? Clown Hair!

If I were to describe episode 5 of 'Missing 9' in one word, it would be... evil. So many of the characters have turned evil on us, that things are starting to look really bleak... not a ray of sunshine in sight, and very little of the bright colors we were able to see in the last episode...

If last week, we were able to delve into character development, than it seems that this week, there is a lot of plot to rush us forward in this mystery case. There was definitely less character exploration, although we could still gain a little bit of insight even in moments of chaos, like the vital scene during which Choi Tae Ho (played by Choi Tae Joon), Yoon So Hee (played by Ryu Won), and the airplane pilot attempted to escape the island on the lifeboat. The knowledge of the lifeboat was also critical in spurring on the plot, as Tae Ho sought out the best candidates to take with him on his escape. His plans fall apart quickly thanks to CEO Hwang Jae Kook, whose character, we learn, is at times too trusting of his comrades. If it weren't for his age, it would have been a little difficult for me to believe that CEO Hwang didn't get angry at Tae Ho even after the lifeboat fiasco, not to mention he doesn't try to do anything to stop his label stars from fighting one another violently. Ultimately, his trust in the people around him brings him to his demise. But setting that aside, the boat fiasco has put a solid divide between Tae Ho, the more obvious villain on the island at this point, and the rest of the survivors. Let's also try to organize what advancements the plot has made, both in the present and on the island.

CEO Hwang (one of the survivors who was wearing yellow, as I mentioned in the last review!), has been found to be alive in China in the present. However, he makes a fatal mistake by contacting the new CEO of Legend Entertainment, Jang Do Pal. As viewers, we can assume that Jang Do Pal was able to convince CEO Hwang to tell him exactly what happened on the island, and knows something even we don't know yet. Jang Do Pal has quickly become yet another antagonist in this story, mercilessly and very out of the blue murdering CEO Hwang on his way to the airport to return to Korea. (It was a very shocking and unexpected scene, and I have to admit I was very frightened.) Prosecutor Yoon Tae Young (played by Yang Dong Geun) has now made enemies with investigator Jo Hee Kyung, with seemingly hostile intentions toward Ra Bong Hee (played by Baek Jin Hee), whom he believes killed his sister. At this point, we still can't be sure whether or not investigator Jo Hee Kyung's intentions really have to do with a sense of duty to the nation, or some type of personal agenda.

Thought this drama was rated PG-13? Think again!

Meanwhile on the island, Ra Bong Hee and Yoon So Hee end up on a strange island just a little distance off from the main island, while Seo Jun Oh (played by Jung Kyung Ho) is nowhere to be found, presumed to be dead. Manager Jung Ki Joon, Ha Ji Ah (played by Lee Sun Bin), and Lee Yeol (played by EXO's Chanyeol) plot to fool Tae Ho and rescue the girls, but Tae Ho is too cunning and suspicious, and finds them out. Tae Ho uses a good amount of violence to get his ways in this episode, but we do get a look inside his head with a clearer recounting of how he killed that other man when they first became stranded. There is a small amount of guilt there, which is why Ji Ah's description of Tae Ho is as a "conceited jerk" is more accurate than a crazier, murderous individual lacking morality. Some of his qualities still make him human, and thus, we can still make assumptions about his character and his goals. His guilt shows up again after having knocked Lee Yeol dead or unconscious during their fist fight, but at that point, his violence had gone to the point of no return, and we can expect him to cause even more trouble for the remaining survivors in the episodes to come. Is Yeol dead? Will that be the last we see of our only real idol?

Erhhmagahhhh there is a freaking scary figure shrouded in darkness!!!!

No oppa, run away!!!! RUN, OPPA, RUN!!!! (Ahhhhh~ Yap!)

On top of the mystery genre, 'Missing 9' has added on an air of thriller in its storyline, and for someone who never, ever, ever, watches anything scary, it was a lot to take in, and I really got scared during some of those scenes. Some minor questions to ask as we wait for episode 6 is, what were CEO Hwang and his secretary Tae Ho Hang doing while Choi Tae Ho tied Ji Ah and Ki Joon to a tree, beaten? Will prosecutor Yoon Tae Young take evil's side, bent on revenge for his sister's death? Has Bong Hee started developing romantic feelings for Jun Oh, presuming he's dead? And more important, plot-driven questions include, Who was the new survivor that investigator Oh came in to interrupt investigator Jo about? Has Bong Hee's memories really returned, or has she been manipulating them to benefit her this whole time? After seeing Bong Hee fighting back against So Hee on the other island, I'm becoming more and more convinced that Bong Hee's character may not be the all-kind protagonist after all. But if my suspicions are going a little too overboard, then the drama is to blame, for having me playing CLUE so attentively every episode.