The Bolt Opens
Episode 7 of Mad for Each Other begins with the reveal of exactly who’s at Min-Kyung’s door. It’s the realtor! They show up on the back of her demanding previous to move out of her apartment urgently. She’s actually there to show someone around the apartment. In the morning, Min-Kyung steals Hwi-Oh’s shoes in a bid to show she doesn’t live alone. However, the Women’s Association notice and wonder just what she’s doing. After helping her sort her trash out, Min-Kyung is invited to join their group. Only, Min-Kyung refuses given she’s moving out soon. Hwi-Oh is not happy when he shows up and even more so when he finds out Min-Kyung has taken his shoes. Well, he storms up to her room and manages to take the shoes back… without much of a fight. It certainly catches him off-guard and mutters to himself that this isn’t what he expected. After finding out more information about Yang, Hwi-Oh heads out to meet the detectives. Only, he’s distracted by Min-Kyung having locked herself out. Realizing she has 2 hours to wait, Hwi-Oh lets her into his place for the time being. Meanwhile, Hwi-Oh heads into the police station and quizzes him about Yang. Adopting his persona of the “Gangnam Mad Dog”, he finds out information about the fateful night at the bar, including Yang’s whereabouts and more details around what happened the night of the bust. Elsewhere, Min-Kyung awakens to find Hwi-Oh’s Mother cooking food. She tries to get away but it’s no good, she’s determined to feed her. Only, Min-Kyung is quick to admit she’s not. When Hwi-Oh returns, he hurries her out the front door, much to the disappointment of his Mother. Later that evening, with the rain pouring and thunder growling, Hwi-Oh heads over with a box full of gear. He makes it seem like Don Lee is staying, with boxing gloves, weights and shorts strewn across the place. Eventually the pair head out for the evening, or as Hwi-Oh calls it “their farewell drinks”. The hard façade soon chips away with a bottle (or 4) of soju and the pair discuss their true feelings. Specifically, Min-Kyung talks about the awful married man who betrayed her. Hwi-Oh eventually calls her pretty as the pair lock eyes. As they do, Min-Kyung casually asks if he wants to sleep with her. He’s flustered, clearly taken aback by her suggestion and changes the subject. Eventually Min-Kyung hears the sound of a siren and begins imitating it, hilariously weeping as she does. The rain stops though and the pair both head to their separate units. Just before they do though, Hwi-Oh heads over to check on her, quizzing the girl about her gas and the windows. He reassures her that she’s done nothing wrong, prompting Min-Kyung to head outside while holding Howi. “Thank you for today, do you want to come over for rammyeon?” She asks.
The Episode Review
What a wonderful episode. After the first week’s bumpy trio of episodes, introducing the characters as they trade shouts and insults, last week’s chapters helped to showcase a more sensitive side to both Hwi-Oh and Min-Kyung. This episode then does an excellent job deepening the ties between them both as we see their love/hate relationship start to take off. Hwi-Oh may put on a tough exterior but it’s clear he’s a really caring guy deep down. That’s to say nothing of the chemistry between the pair, which is so palpable and beautifully written. Unlike Lovestruck In The City (Netflix’s other 30 min long k-drama), Mad For Each Other has a very consistent tone and feel, managing to perfectly exemplify its characters and give them a compelling backstory. This is definitely one of the bigger surprises this year.
