Sell Your Haunted House: Episode 11

by Branwen

The team recovers from recent events and the brush with danger prompts our exorcist to make a deal with the devil. A long-awaited exorcism finally takes place but it doesn’t go quite as anyone had planned.

 
EPISODE 11 RECAP

Ji-ah stares in awe at Mi-jin’s ghost in the freezer doorway and tries to crawl towards her, but runs out of strength and collapses. As she loses consciousness, Ji-ah sees the ghost’s figure blur and morph into Ji-chul, who rushes into the freezer to try and wake her and In-bum.

In-bum wakes up in hospital and is briefly convinced that he’s died and come back as a ghost, but Ji-ah points out from the next bed over that ghosts can’t speak. Ji-chul arrives and throws himself on In-bum, relieved he’s alive, and attempts to do the same to Ji-ah but is firmly rebuffed.

Ji-chul explains that he got worried when he couldn’t contact either of them so went to investigate and found them both passed out in the freezer, almost dead from hypothermia. Ji-ah tells him not to let Hwa-jung know what happened because it would just worry her, and Ji-chul has to break the news that Hwa-jung has been seriously injured.

Team Leader Jung is watching over an unconscious Hwa-jung when Ji-ah and the guys arrive, and tells them that the doctors expect her to survive and make a full recovery. Hwa-jung called him earlier that evening to tell him she was going to meet Director Do and when she didn’t get in contact again he went out to the construction site and found her buried under a pile of building materials.

The official verdict is that it was an unfortunate accident, but Ji-ah is convinced Director Do was behind what happened to Hwa-jung. In-bum explains to Team Leader Jung that they also almost died that evening, and he and Ji-chul resolve to track down the fake client who sent them to the warehouse and see how he’s linked to Do. Team Leader Jung reassures Ji-ah that he’ll find a safe place for Hwa-jung to recover.

Ji-ah zones out at a traffic light on the way home, thinking about Mi-jin’s ghost at the warehouse, In-bum tries to comfort her, wrongfully assuming she’s worrying about Hwa-jung. Ji-ah rushes up to her apartment to confront her mother’s spirit, trying to convince herself that what she saw couldn’t be correct, because as a poltergeist Mi-jin can’t leave the location her spirit is attached to. Then she suddenly realises that perhaps Mi-jin was never attached to the house after all, but to Ji-ah herself.

Ji-ah is distressed by this idea, because ghosts usually attach themselves to people they resent. She’s long blamed herself for her mother’s death, for not staying upstairs like she was told or for not having the courage to use the spirit awl, but Ji-ah is devastated by the thought that Mi-jin blames her too, and that she’s the reason why her mother’s spirit has been unable to move on.

Director Do is furious that none of his murder plots were successful. Seething, he orders Secretary Choi to find out where Hwa-jung is being treated and she contacts Tae-jin.

In-bum and Ji-chul are sitting in their van trying to track down the fake client but running into a lot of dead ends when Tae-jin arrives with a food delivery and asks if they’re making any progress. In-bum is unhappy with Ji-chul for sharing confidential information with someone untrustworthy and Tae-jin pretends to be hurt by In-bum’s suspicion before tipping them off about where to find the guy they’re looking for.

After a long chase through the backstreets, In-bum and Ji-chul finally corner their suspect in a dead end alleyway. He pulls out a knife, prepared to fight his way out, but Ji-chul produces a taser and sends him crashing to the ground.They attempt to interrogate the guy but he refuses to admit to anything that might implicate Director Do, so they turn him over to the police.

At a food stall, Tae-jin explains his cunning plan to his underling: he purposely fed In-bum and Ji-chul information which would seem useful but actually lead nowhere, so he could look like he was choosing them over Director Do without actually doing so. Tae-jin needs to earn their trust so that he can infiltrate Daebak Realty and funnel information back to Director Do, to reclaim his position and eventually get his nightclub back!

In-bum explains what’s been going on to Detective Kang, who says that there’s not much the police can do without evidence but agrees to investigate further. In-bum is surprised that he’s willing to believe someone he thinks is a fraud, but the detective says he’s just doing his job. In-bum reports back to Ji-ah but she doubts that the police will find anything, convinced that Director Do will have covered his tracks too well.

At the precinct, Team Leader Jung finds out that Hwa-jung’s case is being considered an accident rather than attempted murder and goes to confront the chief about it, but finds him mid-conversation with Director Do and has to withdraw. When he gets back to his office he finds Detective Kang waiting for him, hoping Jung will be able to help with his investigation into Dohak Construction and possible murder and intimidation attempts linked to the ongoing reconstruction project.

Detective Kang has discovered that Team Leader Jung previously investigated Golden Development’s role in Oh Sung-shik’s arson attack and wants to know why he suspected Director Do was involved, noting the similarities between the past and present cases. Team Leader Jung tells him that it was the natural conclusion to come to, because Do was the only one who benefitted from that fire.

No longer willing to keep risking the lives of the people she cares about, Ji-ah arranges a meeting with Director Do and offers to sell Daebak to him, on the condition that he allows her to exorcise the ghost attached to him. Not believing in ghosts, Do’s utterly baffled by this offer, convinced Ji-ah must have some ulterior motive he doesn’t know about.

She insists she just wants to free Sung-shik’s spirit and the director agrees to her terms, more out of curiosity than anything else. After she leaves, Director Do tells Secretary Choi that after he figures out what she’s up to, he’ll finish Ji-ah off himself.

Ji-chul and In-bum get into another disagreement over the trustworthiness of Tae-jin, In-bum telling Ji-chul he’s being too naive and Ji-chul pointing out they used to be conmen themselves but they’ve changed, so why can’t In-bum believe that Tae-jin’s done the same?

Just then Tae-jin rushes over to tell the restaurant owners that his contacts have managed to find a trace left by their missing son only 6 months ago, which proves he’s still alive, and assures them that he’ll keep looking. Touched, Ji-chul tells In-bum that only a good person would do something so selfless, and In-bum looks a little bit swayed.

That evening Tae-jin, clutching a talisman to ward off ghosts, gathers his courage and runs over to Daebak to plant a tracker underneath Ji-ah’s vehicle.

Ji-ah tells In-bum that Director Do agreed to let her exorcise Sung-shik’s ghost in return for the house. In-bum is immediately concerned about what that will mean for Mi-jin’s spirit, since it’s attached to the property, but Ji-ah tells him that she appeared at the warehouse so she must not be a poltergeist after all.

Ji-ah explains that Mi-jin’s ghost is attached to her for the same reason Sung-shik’s ghost is attached to Director Do: resentment. In-bum tries to tell her that can’t be right, but Ji-ah is doubtful, remembering the way her mother screamed at her to pull herself together. She tells In-bum that like him she too needs to know the truth, even if it’s painful, which is why she needs to see Sung-shik’s memories even if it costs her the house.

Ji-ah gets a call telling her that Hwa-jung has woken up, and rushes straight to the hospital to see her, the tracker flashing underneath her car. Hwa-jung teases her gently for forgetting to bring a gift but Ji-ah is overcome with relief to see that she’s alright, holding Hwa-jung’s hand and admitting that she was afraid she’d never be able to see her again. Chiding Ji-ah for crying over her, Hwa-jung promises that she won’t ever leave without her.

Ji-ah asks Hwa-jung why she was meeting with Director Do alone in the first place, and Hwa-jung explains that she’s actually been trying for a while to blackmail him into leaving them alone, using the threat of the secret memorandum as leverage. She told Do that she learned of it from Sung-shik shortly before his death, and threatened to go to the police and reveal his past crimes if he kept trying to harm Ji-ah. Hwa-jung tells Ji-ah that she doesn’t actually have the memorandum, so it was all bluster.

Ji-ah tells Hwa-jung that she’ll deal with Director Do herself from now on, but refuses to reveal her plans. Worried about what Ji-ah might do when she’s angry, Hwa-jung forbids her from acting until she’s discharged and they can discuss it properly.

Secretary Choi informs Director Do that Tae-jin has come to see him, claiming to have important information, and briefly gets a glimpse of Sung-shik’s ghost at the director’s side but is convinced that she must have imagined it. Tae-jin gives Director Do Hwa-jung’s location, having figured it out from the tracker on Ji-ah’s car.

Ji-ah walks through Daebak Realty and remembers the way it used to look so full of light and life, in the days when Mi-jin lived and worked there, speaking with clients and laughing with friends. Her memories of her mother smiling brightly and welcoming her home contrast strongly with the dark, silent presence of the ghost that awaits her now, and she apologises for not being able to protect the home that Mi-jin loved so much.

Director Do visits Hwa-jung’s hospital room, telling her not to believe she’s safe from him there as he dismisses the police officers stationed in front of the door with a nod. He says that any evidence or knowledge she might have won’t matter, because he’ll make them disappear along with her, and Hwa-jung replies that she won’t die that easily.

The smile on Hwa-jung’s face disappears when Do tells her that he’s agreed to Ji-ah’s exorcism, intrigued to find out why everyone seems to feel so strongly about it. Team Leader Jung arrives in a hurry and asks the director to leave, and Hwa-jung makes an urgent call to Ji-ah, who refuses to allow Hwa-jung to dissuade her from going ahead with the exorcism.

Hwa-jung is forced to resort to trying to get In-bum to see reason instead. She tries to emphasise to him how dangerous the exorcism will be given Sung-shik’s fury and strength, warning him that he could kill Director Do this time, but In-bum says that he’s prepared to live with those consequences. Hwa-jung points out that the ghost could kill Ji-ah too and that gives In-bum pause.

As In-bum goes to leave Hwa-jung asks if he’s considered that perhaps his uncle’s spirit is trapped here as penitence for his sins. She tells In-bum that she’s not willing to let Ji-ah suffer for the likes of someone like Sung-shik, either now or 20 years ago.

In-bum is sitting in his car thinking when he sees Ji-ah leave Daebak and asks where she’s going. She tells him she’s heading over to check out the parking garage where Sung-shik’s exorcism will take place, and he’s upset that she’d go somewhere so dangerous alone, without letting him know.

In-bum questions whether Ji-ah really thinks of him as her partner after all and she stares at him for a moment, before telling him to get in the car. The drive over is silent, both of them concerned for each other and lost in thought.

Ji-ah determines the building is free from spirits and turns to study In-bum, deducing from the solemn look on his face that Hwa-jung’s tried to talk him out of the exorcism. Ji-ah says she realises that they’re probably walking into Director Do’s trap by going ahead with it, but they have no other choice at this point.

In-bum tells Ji-ah that although he really wants to free his uncle’s spirit, he can’t be so selfish as to put her in danger to do it. She says that she’s doing this for herself, because she needs Sung-shik’s memories, not for In-bum’s sake, and tells him that she’s going to go ahead with the exorcism with or without him. Ji-ah will find another medium if she has to, so it’s just up to In-bum to decide whether he wants to be a part of it or not.

As he thinks it over, Ji-chul asks In-bum to consider not taking part in Sung-shik’s exorcism, worried about the effect the memories may have on him. He wants In-bum to leave it to Ji-ah, believing that her experience will help her cope.

In-bum arrives as Ji-ah is about to head out and, noticing that she’s all prepared, asks whether she’d arranged for another medium to replace him, sounding a little bit hurt. Ji-ah asks why she’d do that when she already has a special medium right here and In-bum can’t keep the pleased smile off his face as he grabs her bag and runs after her.

As he watches them drive away, Ji-chul reports to Hwa-jung that Ji-ah and In-bum are on their way to the exorcism, and she in turn calls Team Leader Jung and lets him know.

Director Do arrives with his entourage as Ji-ah and In-bum finish preparing the site for the exorcism, and demands that In-bum be tied up before they begin, to avoid a repeat of last time. Ji-ah refuses, worried that the spirit will harm In-bum during the possession if it finds itself restrained, but In-bum agrees, willing to risk his own wellbeing if it means not injuring anyone else.

Director Do’s henchmen chain In-bum to a convenient pillar before leaving at Ji-ah’s insistence that there be no outsiders present, only to reveal that a whole pack of Do’s thugs are lurking unseen around the next corner. Sung-shik’s ghost appears next to Director Do and Ji-ah closes the spiritual barrier to trap him, before In-bum removes his necklace and draws the ghost into himself.

As Sung-shik once again starts screaming at Director Do about his apartment, the thugs pour into the room and grab Ji-ah before she can exorcise him, breaking the barrier in the process. Sung-shik pulls against the restraints, desperate to attack Director Do as he stands in front of him, taunting him and slapping his face. Do addresses him as In-bum, shocking Sung-shik and riling him up so much that he manages to break his chains and throw the director into a wall.

Director Do stares up at In-bum horrified as Sung-shik chokes him, completely ignoring the goons’ efforts to pry him off their boss. As Sung-shik keeps screaming that he wants his apartment, his features superimpose themselves over In-bum’s, allowing Do to see him properly.

Ji-ah manages to free herself and shoots her nail gun at Sung-shik, knocking him off Director Do, but the thugs knock it out of her hand and grab her again before she can do anything more. Some of Do’s men drag him away from the scene of the fight while Sung-shik is preoccupied, and the rest all pile on to him to very little effect, as he shrugs off their blows and throws them around easily. Realising Director Do has gotten away, Sung-shik launches himself — and In-bum’s body — out of a window two storeys up as Ji-ah watches horrified.

 
COMMENTS

Wow, In-bum’s body really took a beating at the end there, even without the fall from the window! He should definitely be left with some broken bones at least after all that, although I doubt the drama will actually put him out of action for a couple of months at this point.

Director Do’s penchant for overly convoluted mousetrap-style schemes has come back to bite him, as all 3 of the people he tried to kill survived. He’s involved with organised crime and has a whole team of goons to do his bidding, and yet still decided to concoct an elaborate ruse to lure In-bum and Ji-ah into a giant freezer like a Bond villain rather than just send some guys to stab them and make it look like a mugging or something. And how did Hwa-jung just happen to be stood directly underneath that crane? When Do called her out, did he tell her to go to the construction site and stand on the giant white cross painted on the ground?

It’s a good thing Director Do is his own worst enemy, because I’m starting to find him a little bit too overpowered. Clandestine meetings with government officials I buy, because who trusts politicians, and a friendship with the chief of police is just about believable for someone rich and influential who regularly needs to have his illegal dealings smoothed over, but I found the way he just dismissed the officers at Hwa-jung’s door with a nod of his head to be stretching credibility a bit. And how many thugs did Do bring to the exorcism?! I’m starting to think he employs more goons than construction workers — or maybe they moonlight?

Although we’ve seen that Tae-jin is trying to infiltrate Daebak by convincing In-bum he’s changed, I’m pretty sure that his attempts to find the restaurant owner’s runaway son are actually sincere, not just for show. I like the glimpse of goodness in him, it’s very human. People aren’t just all-good or all-bad.

The mystery deepens yet again! Hwa-jung said something very interesting about Sung-shik to In-bum in this episode: “He might just be paying for the sins he committed. Because of someone like him, I can’t let something bad happen to Ji-ah. Both twenty years ago and now.” This comment implies that Hwa-jung not only knows about but actually played a role in whatever happened 20 years ago, somehow protecting Ji-ah at Sung-shik’s expense. Along with the fact that she visited him in hospital shortly after Mi-jin’s death and shortly before his own, I think we can assume that Hwa-jung and Sung-shik did know each other somehow. Was Hwa-jung actually the person who killed him, not Director Do? Or — slightly mad theory — was he the father of her child? I honestly hope not because the 20 year age difference there would make that pretty icky, but honestly it might explain why he was so desperate to get that apartment.

I have no idea what to make of Secretary Choi glimpsing Sung-shik’s ghost. It definitely seemed as though that was the first time she’d caught sight of him, so I don’t think she has spiritual powers. Has his grudge built to the point that he’s become strong enough to manifest? Maybe it’s tied into the super-strength Sung-shik displays while possessing In-bum, which I’m really hoping we’ll get a decent explanation for at some point.

I was interested to see how much lighter and airier Daebak Realty was in Ji-ah’s memories, back when her mom was still alive. Present-day Daeback seems darker and more oppressive in comparison, perhaps because she views the past through rose-colored glasses or maybe as a reflection of Ji-ah’s mood. She’s been cloistered there for years, unable to leave because of her obligation to Mi-jin’s ghost, and it’s become both her sanctuary and her prison. I was initially surprised she’d agreed to hand it over to Director Do so easily, but it’s actually very like Ji-ah to face hard decisions unflinchingly, and to prioritise the wellbeing of the people she cares about over a sentimental attachment to an inanimate building. I’m beginning to think giving the house up may actually be a good step forward for her, allowing her to metaphorically and literally let go of the past.

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