Island: Episodes 9-10

19 March 5, 2023March 4, 2023

by solstices

Our villain makes a move, leaving a trail of devastation in his wake. Memories resurface and motives come to light, bringing back echoes of the past — but also subverting history for a newfound second chance.

EPISODES 9-10

Sensing the malicious energy creeping up on her, Mi-ho instinctively sends out an energy burst, stunning Goong-tan into retreating. Ban and Yo-han arrive to find Mi-ho suspended in the air, surrounded by a force field. When she finally comes to, Ban catches her as she falls — mirroring the memory she saw of Won-jung’s death in Ban’s arms.

Afterwards, Granny Geum advises Ban to rein in his feelings for Mi-ho, since the vessel will cease to exist once she regains Won-jung’s memories. Our main trio returns to the villa for safety’s sake, and Ban tries his best to keep his distance. Mi-ho isn’t convinced, though, and neither am I.

On the other hand, as our heroes grow closer, our villains drift further apart. Corrupting yet another spirit in order to wreak havoc, Goong-tan sics the malevolent entity on the town. It takes the form of an ominous black smoke, from which there is no escape. Possessed by it, Soo-ryun heads to the school rooftop in a daze — then walks right off it.

Yeom-ji arrives just seconds too late, tears spilling over in the wake of witnessing her friend’s final moments. Without a shred of sympathy, Goong-tan merely shrugs that it was an inevitable course of action — apparently it had to be Soo-ryun because she’s “special.” Yeom-ji doesn’t fight him on it, but her grief and disbelief are clear as day.

A flashback gives us more context regarding Yeom-ji’s allegiance to Goong-tan. It’s still not clear how they met, but we see a haggard Goong-tan chancing upon a young girl. Later, when she wields a knife in self-defense against her abusive father, he grabs her hand and guides the blade into the man’s torso. Grateful to Goong-tan for saving her life, Yeom-ji has been gathering information for him ever since.

Island Episodes 9-10

It turns out Goong-tan invoked Geuseunsae, a demon that draws out the darkness in people’s hearts. Manipulating them to think the worst about themselves, it takes hold of a whole school, turning it into something akin to a zombie flick. Except it’s a little difficult to take it that seriously when Yo-han starts conducting a mass exorcism using the PA system and a hose.

In any case, the students are given a sprinkler shower of holy water. With a little help from Ban’s force field, they’re all contained within the school campus, and the exorcism takes hold. Goong-tan’s plans are thwarted yet again. Or are they? In the midst of all this chaos, Mi-ho has been left a sitting duck. The second half of Goong-tan’s scheme involves using Mi-ho’s grief and guilt against her — and Soo-ryun, whom she’d grown to care about, is the last straw.

While Ban is off dealing with the possessed victims, Geuseunsae misleads Mi-ho with Soo-jin’s likeness, then instills doubt in her about Butler Jang’s loyalty. Butler Jang has no choice but to reveal his true identity as a priest — he’d approached a young Mi-ho for the ultimate goal of awakening Won-jung.

Island Episodes 9-10

Devastated by her broken trust and blaming Won-jung for ruining her life, Mi-ho ends up on the ledge of the balcony. If the vessel disappears, then so will Won-jung, right? But someone catches her as she falls — Mi-ho looks up to see Won-jung smiling kindly down at her. The entirety of Won-jung’s memories flood into Mi-ho’s mind, and at the end of it all it’s Ban who’s holding her hand.

Back in the safety of her bedroom, Mi-ho tenderly cups Ban’s cheek, assuaging his guilt over Won-jung’s death. Then she apologizes tearfully for not being Won-jung, regretful that she still can’t create the barrier.

Watching over all this, like a spurned third wheel, is Goong-tan. Revealing himself, he attacks, but Ban protects Mi-ho in the nick of time. Yet again, it escalates into a fight, and Goong-tan emerges with the upper hand as usual, sneering at Ban’s diminished physical capabilities.

Island Episodes 9-10

Ban’s weakened state gets the better of him, and his dagger misses its mark entirely. Seizing his chance, Goong-tan flings the dagger at Mi-ho — but in a reversal of the past, Ban shields her. The blade lodges itself into Ban’s back, and the force of the blow sends them both tumbling off the balcony.

Ban awakens in a cave, and Mi-ho hugs him in relief. His healing powers have slowed down significantly, but thankfully he didn’t sustain a mortal wound. Aww, Mi-ho rests her head on Ban’s shoulder, and he lets her. She asks him about his old home and the stone towers that he stacks there, and Ban finally opens up to her, explaining that it’s his way of atonement.

An earlier scene expands on this point, when Ban finds himself faced with an unwelcome visitor — Goong-tan has come to meet him in the old cell they once shared. When Goong-tan wonders why he chooses to remain here after all this time, Ban claims the familiarity is comfortable, but it’s also clear that he doesn’t think he deserves anything better.

Island Episodes 9-10

Ever the cynic, Goong-tan scoffs at Ban’s stone memorials for the dead. Then he adds salt to the wound by taunting that he’s certain Ban is going to kill Won-jung/Mi-ho again, conveniently glossing right over his own part in that tragedy.

In response, Ban hits the nail on the head — Goong-tan has been sending lust demons after Mi-ho because he’s still too scared to confront her himself. The place he ended up sealed in was a void in every sense of the word; utterly empty of time, pain, and even the capacity for thought. It’s no wonder Goong-tan is terrified of being trapped there again.

After his defeat at Mi-ho’s hands, Goong-tan is absolutely seething. Back in his lair, the incessant cries of a baby get on his frayed nerves — and he shuts it up by ripping the young mother’s heart out. Yikes. The wrathful Goong-tan goes on a rampage, slaughtering the rest of his followers as they flee in a panic.

Uh, why did he even gather these people in the first place if he was just going to mindlessly massacre them all? And where was the White Cloak Cult this week? I guess this scene was mainly to establish that Goong-tan is off-his-rockers evil, which at this point is already pretty obvious to us (and a horrified Yeom-ji).

I wish the show didn’t take such a one-dimensional approach with Goong-tan’s character, because there’s so much to mine. We’re told the effect that his imprisonment had on his psyche, but we barely see it because he’s simply painted as a bloodthirsty monster. From his perspective, he was deceived by humans, then locked away for centuries as punishment for what he felt was justified revenge against his abusers. That could have made him a truly complex and empathetic character, but right now it just feels like wasted potential.

Similarly, Yo-han is also underutilized, with many of his powers going unexplained. Then there’s Ban, whose emotional range is mostly reduced to taciturn brooding and longing gazes in Mi-ho’s direction. I wish the drama would give Ban more to work with, especially since he had a particularly poignant line this week — “I am desperate because I am a weak human.” Ban isn’t simply fighting for a goal, or for a larger purpose; his willpower is strong because he fights in order to live.

To be honest, I don’t mind a monster-of-the-week format if it ultimately serves our main narrative, threading each case together into a coherent progression. Unfortunately, the Geuseunsae arc feels clumsily executed and clunkily edited, making it somewhat tedious to sit through. We have such compelling character relationships and such capable actors amongst our main four, so it’s a shame that the drama isn’t capitalizing on that.

What’s worse about these weekly crises is that Mi-ho gets reduced to a damsel in distress. Where’s the spunky heroine of Episode 1, who flipped a grown man over without breaking a sweat? What happened to her physical training and shooting prowess, which previous scenes made it a point to display? Are they just saving it all for her to do something impactful in the finale week? If so, that’s too much setup and certainly not enough payoff.

Island Episodes 9-10

As we head into the finale week, I can’t help but feel weary and apprehensive. The endless physical altercations are starting to grow stale, and the predictable plot threads mostly result in us skimming over poignant moments of character growth and relationship development. I don’t know how this drama somehow manages to do too much and not enough all at once, but it does.

Still, the drama has been shifting its chess pieces into position for a final showdown, so I’m still holding on to the hope that it’ll at least deliver a satisfying ending. Preferably, one that gives all our major characters something significant to do — because what’s the use of setting up such interesting supporting roles and conflicting character allegiances if they’re just going to be relegated to the sidelines? Island, please don’t let my faith be for naught!

Island Episodes 9-10

Required fields are marked *

1 jerrykuvira

March 5, 2023 at 10:22 AM

It won't be for naught Alathe. It has to pay out in the end.

I kinda liked this week for a number of reasons. I got to like Yohan more ever since he learnt that the forces in question might be beyond his might even though it's not beyond his knowledge. I was also glad to see him working with Ban with an air of comradery and not suspicion - the very thing that made me not like him from earlier episodes. Should I say I am tired of young bloods going know-it-all and territorial when it's not in their place to and so seeing Yohan stop doing that brought it completely into my good books. 'You can protect Mi-ho without being a jerk about it'.

It was with a sweet stomach to see Gung-tan think Mi-ho was actually a shell who didn't regain her powers but then he was dealt with another wave of her brilliant luminous energy. 'You don't know about it man, you don't'.
And finally, Van protecting her in the way he failed to centuries ago. I know we might still have another allusion to the last stand centuries ago, but I'll take this one for this week and brave up for next week's.

And finally, Granny knows Yeom-ji is sneaky sneaky. Her sageness is not for nothing. I thought they'd let it be a fact they never get wind of unless by coincidence but Granny could tell and it was a fishy one, she was sure and resolute in her words to Yeom-ji in the bush.

I just don't want Granny gone next week even though it is likely Granny(Gung-tan's ominous threat) and Padre Peter will be gone next week(I was very uneasy seeing him walk out of that house, it felt like one last time).

Required fields are marked *

2 minnie

March 5, 2023 at 1:08 PM

I keep asking myself why we had part 1. I feel like the drama really started with episode 8.

Since the (normally very capable actors) are underutilised, I am glad there will only be two more episodes.

It would have been better if the two parts had been one 2 hour film each. (This would have freed some budget for better CGI as well.)

Required fields are marked *

3 Gikata

March 5, 2023 at 1:40 PM

See, this show CAN be fun, and this week proved it! Logic and writing is still not its biggest forte, but I can forgive that now because we've got - finally! - action to enjoy, relationship developments to squeal over and theories to think about before the finale. Also editing looks much less choppy, so yay!

Highlight of the week - Van started to talk! Lol, but seriously - idk what's gotten into him, but I like the changes. Even his attempt to return to silently broody mode didn't last long and we've got not only physical AND verbal showdown with Goongtan (twice for the emphasis!), but also many touching scenes between him and Miho. Awww, these two are so adorable together, esp in the cave))) For a moment I even though that Miho is going to take full advantage of him there lol. But that's probably a bad idea - not only because of not so comfortable place (and Goongtan ALWAYS lurking nearby like a pervert he is) - but I also suspect she's been really purifying him subconsciously all this time and his powers are draining out because of that. If so, going further than snuggling right before The Big Battle wouldn't be a wise move. We can always do it the classic way and have her turn him back into human with a kiss later))) As long as both survive what's coming ofc...

Btw, about Miho and Wonjeong's supposed fight over Miho's body - wtf was that? That balcony scene was a rather clear sign that Wonjeong is not interested in hostile takeover - and why would she? They're the same soul with the same goals - create the barrier, seal evil, save Van, live happily ever after with him in a demonless world. Even Miho's personality is kinda what you can imagine Wonjeong always wanted to be but wasn't allowed to... And come on, girls have no reason to rival over Van who, just like his puppy-eared predecessor 3 decades ago, doesn't really differentiate between the two and simply wants both))) Save, I mean^^

We've also finally got Yohan to see the light and realize Van is NOT the main threat to Miho - took longer than I wanted, but at least we're here now. Zombie-like school action was FUN and that teamwork to defeat Geuseunsae! I like my boys when they fight together, not each other. Also lol-ed when drama suddenly remembered manhwa!Yohan's telepathy - where was this very useful skill before, hmm, show? Won't be surprised if we never see it again... But still, boy - you're a TERRIBLE bodyguard, possibly the worst one I've seen in kdrama. Pls just stick to exorcising, protecting people individually is not your thing.

Goongtan, poor not-ok-with-his-head Goongtan... His sympathy for abused kids - and kids in general - didn't last long, huh? So is his alliance with Yeomji it seems. Just let Van put him out of his misery after he gets rid of white cloaks (off-screen to save the time), I'm tired of this dude and his progressing insanity.

Required fields are marked *

seoul_searcher

March 6, 2023 at 4:02 AM

“ Goongtan ALWAYS lurking nearby like a pervert he is”

THIS!!! Ha ha ha 😂

I guess this is the realistic aspect of a thriller drama. You can’t be intimate without the villain creeping on you. I was shooing him away on my screen when he came during that scene in her room, talk about impeccable timing lol

Required fields are marked *

Gikata

March 6, 2023 at 4:16 AM

That's why I'm fine with him being offed asap despite finding him an interesting character - he's getting in the way! I can forgive a lot of things done by villain, but not him ruining OTP moments)))

Required fields are marked *

4 Nejsu

March 5, 2023 at 6:27 PM

So far I've been along for the ride with this drama, despite it's flaws. Characters I genuinely liked, a neat backdrop in the form of our cursed island, cool monsters, snazzy fight scenes, plenty of camp... but this week felt really messy, despite some nice character moments.

Johan suddenly having new powers he apparently didn't bother using before (honestly I don't even care where his abilities come from, but make them consistent). Mi-ho stepping up to the plate and gaining back her powers only to be sidelined as the distressed damsel... and while the identity crisis in suddenly having two sets of memories and whether you're still the same person could've been interesting, instead we got a demon possessing her into the most frustrating self-pity party ever. Not that I don't sympathize, but it went on too long and I thought last week where her guilt led her to take action was sufficient in terms of her character development. I didn't need that rehashed.

I also don't get the point of Goong-tan's followers. I thought it was some tiny remnant of compassion in keeping these downtrodden types around (albeit to worship him cult-leader style and maybe act as spies) but then he just murders them all, so... no then?

I did enjoy Van finally opening up, and I love him and Mi-ho's developing relationship. And I love him and Johan fighting together even if the mass exorcism was rather cheesy, and the confrontation between our half-demon brothers was pretty satisfying. It's unfortunate that our team is only coming together now with two episodes to go. This is the part where we could've had a fun monster-of-the-week action drama with these cool characters fighting them all badass-like. Some smart editing earlier in the show could've given us at least a couple episodes of that before the end without necessarily extending the runtime. But as we have two episodes to wrap up a whole lot, I can't see the end not feeling rushed.

Required fields are marked *

Unaspirated

March 6, 2023 at 5:24 AM

Pretty much agree with all of this, and nodded especially hard reading your Goong-tan thoughts. I was sort of excited to see how he would use his little cult colony and what their motivation was for being there, but instead we got a blood bath. This dramas has one of the highest body counts I've seen in a long time, and not all of it feels very earned. I'm still having enough fun to tune in this week though, whatever we end up with.

Required fields are marked *

5 seoul_searcher

March 6, 2023 at 3:57 AM

Gosh I really like this drama but can’t overlook the pacing and lack of episodes. I love the setting, the fantasy, cinematography and characters but just wish it was fleshed out more with episodes.

Despite the flaws, this week was probably my favourite. There was less dilly-dallying and straight up action which I loved. I can’t say enough how grateful I am that Lee Da Hee is the female lead. I felt so much sorrow for her, and her chemistry with Kim Nam gil, made me hold my breath and squee in delight. I’m sort of dreading but also super excited for the finale. Fingers crossed they at least wrap up the story well. Seriously wish there was more episodes ☹️

Required fields are marked *

Gikata

March 6, 2023 at 4:12 AM

I think Island was originally supposed to have more seasons (3 maybe?), but after FL actress got replaced because of scandal and filming was delayed for a while (possibly losing some investors in process) we've ended up with this clunky mess of the story instead. It DOES look like it should have had more episodes.

Required fields are marked *

MX

March 6, 2023 at 8:58 AM

Ah I didn't know Seo Ye Ji would have been Miho. Oh gosh she would have kicked ass in this role :(

Required fields are marked *

Gikata

March 6, 2023 at 9:29 AM

Yes, she was more fitting for manhwa version of Miho for sure. Drama one... probably? LDH is still a very good choice, esp looks-wise. Pity they didn't cast her first to avoid all this mess.

Required fields are marked *

seoul_searcher

March 7, 2023 at 12:57 AM

I assumed so. I really do like LDH as Miho (I’m LDH biased) because she’s both charming and funny and I guess age-wise she fits Kim Nam Gil better. If only they’d got her first to prevent the behind the scene mess and potentially seen a better version of this drama. I love the story and the setting so it’s such a shame to me. It’s also ironic that Lee Da Hee said that she really wanted this role. I wonder if she heard of its production during the initial casting phase or after SYJ dropped out.

Required fields are marked *

Gikata

March 7, 2023 at 5:16 AM

Drama was announced during SYJ's popularity peak post-IOTNBO, so I wonder if there was even any sort of initial casting debate or production just decided on her right away. Apparently this happens often in kdramaland who never made a secret of caring more about star power than quality of scripts. Maybe all those celeb scandals lately will finally change things for better?

Required fields are marked *

6 Eazal

March 6, 2023 at 10:43 AM

What can I say? As I was reading the recap I realised I didn't really pay attention to many things during this week's episodes. I find the drama funny, but it is a total mess that doesn't make sense. I'm allowing myself to enjoy this trainwreck and I'm not trying to find any sense to anything: Goongtan being a cartoonish baddie, one dimensional is too many dimensions on him, MiHo forgetting she was a kickass and now is just a damsel dressed in white and floating in the air, Halmoni being an immortal being who can't see her granddaughter is fishy, Yohan and his Christian superpowers against an evil that has been in Jeju before JC was around and talking about a profecy that is quite heretical in all canonic senses...

Required fields are marked *

7 Kryssi

March 6, 2023 at 11:04 PM

Comment was deleted

Required fields are marked *

8 Kryssi

March 6, 2023 at 11:34 PM

This week’s episodes were quite great despite the few factors I couldn’t overlook.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Van & Miho develop into something not quite romantic yet; but we know they’re definitely not in the friend Zone. Seeing him longing to be human and protect her the way he couldn’t centuries ago was so refreshing to watch.
Can we talk about how she tenderly cups his face and goes “you’ve been waiting alone for so long,mmh?” With tears (him closing his eyes briefly 🥹). That part melted me because he could finally show her his vulnerability.
Goongtan realizing that Miho isn’t the weakling he thought her to be on that balcony was priceless.
It is both nice & sad to see that Yohan has been humbled by his brother’s death and came to realize Van is not the bad guy. I was honestly irked by his constant snooping and doubting of Van in season 1.
Also, if he had the ability to see Geuseunsae in the spiritual realm, why didn’t he use this ability when he sensed Goongtan’s presence in the woods? Don’t get me started on the white hooded cult and how they even benefit from each other?

I didn’t like that Miho has turned into a crying mess of a damsel in distress.
I feel like she overreacted on finding out who Father Jang’s true identity when all he’s done was protecting her & dedicating his life to her. Can we also address his nonchalance in season 1? If his goal was to awaken Wonjong, what did he seat around idly doing nothing when she was being chased by all those demons?
Goongtan’s story is reduced to a man throwing tantrums because humans wronged him when it could have been developed into something much deeper. I was hoping we would get to see & feel more of his pain and anguish, and truly understand why he did all those things he did.

Can granny deal with her “recalcitrant” teen already?
Overalls I still enjoy this drama because Kim Nam Gil’s acting keeps me glued to the screen.

Required fields are marked *

9 Kurama

March 7, 2023 at 1:35 AM

This drama is such a mess...

The acting can't save it, Lee Da-Hee is pretty bad in both of her roles. Brooding KNG is kinda tiring now. They have no chemistry and I wish they stop to force the romantic part.

The villain's plan is not really clear. Where are the people in white now? Gung-Tan and Van are still children stuck in the past.

The school scene didn't make any sense. The kids wanted to kill themselves by jumping from the window but when they heard the exorcism, they wanted to escape by the door? The window was still the fastest solution...

Mi-Ho is really not interesting. She has a job at school but she never worked there. When she decided to get back, the death of Soo-ryun stopped her to do anything. So she won't act as a teacher to help her students or as a powerful priestress. Nope she was just useless...

Required fields are marked *

Cecee is done DramaQueening

March 8, 2023 at 3:00 AM

I also wonder what's happening with her teacher's job... I appreciate it was never designed to be a new forever career, but perhaps investing a little more than 3 minutes at school once in a full moon could make it a tad more realistic.