im slightly annoyed. that quote, the timing and the name Abraxas is a dejavu for me and I dont buy coincidences. or maybe that book is just VERY popular right now

Great review and thank you so much for it!
I grieved too at especially that bathroom scene and in the park, but I can't help but feel their lack of communication led for Gu-Won to decide for them as a couple. It's not like Do-Hee doesn't know he's a demon nor how he makes deals to prolong his life. I knew the breakup was coming with 2 episodes left but they have to come together--there each other's everything.😭
I suspected it was really Gu-Won who did make a deal with Do-Hee's dad at the end of ep 13 and not a misdirection because he always talks to his contractor before the heartattack death trade mark happens. But in ep 14, it seems her mother knew of the deal and she was very accepting of her husband's fate.
Is it me or did Gnat-Young saying her goodbyes lasting for like 3 episodes already?
Anyway, I'm just hanging on the bell tower's wall waiting for the final two.

Well! I may not be enjoying this as much as @alathe or many others, but I can say that this week has certainly given me one idea to share.

How about we start calling Gu-won's last move here the "devil's idiocy" instead? That description seems more fitting to that trope.

...or is it actually finally going to be a "noble" act here, with our ML ceding the ground so that a certain loving, caring, more appropriately human, 2ML can finally take center stage???

I almost dropped the drama, but episode 14 changed everything. I think this drama needed just 12 episodes.
Poor Do Do Hee! That was a lot to take. Back to back.
Since big brother’s body is yet to be found I suspect he is really not dead. Dramaland rules say no body means no death.
Will this show end with both of them dying? With date repeating itself? Or will there be a reason why her dad made the wish that would make her forgive.
I really don’t see a happy ending.

I love how god is behaving like a wise adult with Gu-won now. I loved her words (I love how god is a she/ her btw) - "That's not just because you are a demon. Humans are always each other's personal hell". A big yes to the god-demon "friendship" 👍!

This drama makes me relaxed instead of anxious as it leaves me in the penultimate week. It may be because I can see how it operates with cliches, and there are cryptic clues in "god's words", but I'm sure everything end well. So, bring on the remaining tropes in your bag My Demon! I LOVE them as much I love our OTP ❤.

Q: did Do-hee's parents die when she was 9? Where am I getting that from? In which case, was Do-hee's dad's deal with Gu-won about having a child in the first place? It's interesting that one of the things that is breaking Do-hee each time is learning the people she has idolised have made deals with the devil and are morally grey - the pedestals she has created are crumbling and it's not easy to face. Even Gu-won himself has a callous and cruel side to him that she had not seen before - another hero falling.

I'm less keen on the idea that Suk-min might have survived that fall. Yes, this is a fantasy, but the rules (so far) have not allowed humans to step outside human limitations unless Gu-won intervenes. Even if at the bottom of the clock tower was the river (as was hinted - his body might not come up for a month), I'm not buying it. I think it's likely the return of Suk-min and the need for Gu-won to step in and rescue Do-hee again will be the basis for their reuniting, but I hope the writer gives a better reason for Do-hee and Gu-won to move on in their relationship than simply "He was there again for me." How will Do-hee come to terms with her heroes failing, and how will this allow her to build an effective relationship with Gu-won?

"Surely, all Do-hee will be able to see in Gu-won from now on is the man who condemned her father to suffer?"

Do-hee might feel and see it that way, and I am not unsympathetic to that. But Gu-won didn't condemn her father to anything. Her father made the deal of his free will, understanding the payback.

Furthermore, she has seen for herself how he makes his deals. Gu-won might show up when the human is most desperate, vulnerable, or greedy. But the contract is not that complicated. There is no condemning unless it's self-condemning. The one lady said she regretted making her deal from the start and wanted to give everything back. But she waits ten years to do so. So, the only thing I feel she regrets is the day has come, and she now has to honor her part. Now Do-hee has seen the consequences of making a deal with the devil she married.

Can they overcome it? I don't know, but how can any couple overcome the most horrible things that can happen if they don't stick together and support each other? Love is not just about the cute and happy times but the terrible as well.

I like how this drama allows redemption. The gang members instead of preying on people, open a restaurant. This is a foreshadowing of how our apex predator will also be able to change his career and outlook.
I'm sure DH's father's wish was noble or sacrificial.
I did not like the editing on these episodes though. They dragged a bit, and the reveal of GW at the accident scene was clunky- reshowing it to us every time a new person found out. ( And I just assumed GW knew already until we had that voice over about not remembering humans)

One thing that's been bothering me about this drama was how sanguine Do-hee was about Gu-won's, uh, occupation. She seemed to get over so quickly. So I'm really interested to see how she works through it, or doesn't, now that the scale of his (mis?)deeds has come to light. Now this is angst I can get behind!

I think this is the fifth drama in the past year that I have watched involving past lives, and I must say, it's holding together the best of all of them. All the parts are neatly braided in, and the fact that our demon and his beloved find themselves in their respective conundrums is not merely Because the Writer Said So, but rather, because the writer takes her own advice to heart ("I make the rules," says God, "but humans make the choices, and therefore create their fate"). The characters all made choices, and those choices...have led to this moment. As heartbreaking as it may be at this point, at least there's the satisfaction that there is some logic to this storyline.

As for Creepy Noh Oppa, given how he is already more like the devil than our actual demon, I'd hazard a guess he is on the way to becoming a REAL demon (hence the lack of a body). And that our demon is on the way to redemption. Which just may trigger some kind of showdown before the end. Guwon originally became a demon because he killed a bunch of people in his rage and anger. I see big brother following along that path, and if Guwon leaves his job...there just may be an opening for a new demon.

Then again, the drama could follow the completely illogical path of the last two dramas I watched, and throw something out of left field to patch up the ending. It's dramaland, you never know, lol.

@alathe Thank you for another great recap. Truth be told I enjoyed reading your recap more than these two set of episodes because the story seems like it took a long detour to reach this angst. The writing could have been tighter and editing crispier although the quick demise of Suk Min came as a surprise. I would be delighted if Suk Min's undiscovered body is a deception and Seok Hoon is the final treath to Do Hee (otherwise it is such a waste of Lee Sang Yi).

Anyway, I am fairly optimistic that the drama will end on a happy note because we are yet to see the elaboration on the scene where Gu Won dreamt of burning inside a circle of fire. I know it feels like it was related to the gas station accident, but what if Gu Won needs to burn to be reborn as a human like phoenix bird?

I didn't mind the break-up. It was quite predictible. If the relationship hurts you so much, a break is not a bad idea.

But it would have been better if Gu-Won told everything from the beginning with their love story in Joseon, her father's decision to make a wish, the accident and then gave her time to decide for her.

But he let her in the dark. Sometimes, not knowing is worst.

Thank you alathe for your fantastic recap.
All I want is for these two characters to have a happy ending as they have been the most wholesome, natural couple who are so comfortable around one another that their relationship is believable (prior to the obvious noble idiocy at the end of these episodes).
They have succeeded in their job as actors.
Although the ending scene was meant to be sad as Gu won disappeared, leaving Do hee all I could think was - Dude, you've just led your girl for a walk, at night, into some random deserted park and then left her by herself.
I'm not sure why Ga yeong keeps popping up, her character's arc seems irrelevant now.
I'm losing interest in the evil brother and Madame Ju.
I hope we get to spend some more time with the Perilla seeds and Scallions crew who have sadly been lacking plot wise these last few episodes.
Hwaiting show.

Thank you for the wonderful recap.

Like others mentioned, I knew the break up was coming, but surprisingly, it left me feeling sad. I thought I wasn't *that* invested in our couple, but looks like I was wrong (or it's just the depressing Jan weather, I don't know). Anyway, I still have hope that we will have a happy ending, I don't know how though.

Also, though we have seen a similar line of thought process and discussion in several dramas, this drama has made me think a lot about what God says. "I make the rules but humans make the choices, and therefore create their fate". Again, I can blame it on the January's dark and depressing weather, but I wonder which choices of mine have exactly brought me here to this point in life at this place. Anyway, The Midnight Library book is also based on similar concept, if anyone is interested.

If anyone has no choice in the deal-making process, it's Gu-won.

As much as I am following this story to the end, I forwarded through a lot of these two episodes. Though the plot and concept is good, I think the drama missed the mark with its casting and dialogue.

So the last puzzle to figure out is Dad's wish. The clues:
1. that short clip of him bloody and crawling towards Gu-won,
2. both parents knew he was going to hell on her 11th birthday,
3. reckoning by Korean age, that was a 10-year gap.
... It probably has something to do with saving Do-Hee the night she was born.

Wow the contrast between Do-Hee calling Gu-Won's name over and over, and him answering each time to assure her he's there vs. the end of ep14 where she doesn't get an answer back was just heartbreaking!!! *Cry*

Honestly, at the end of last week I thought this whole situation must have been what happened, but I couldn't see a way out of it that was happy for our leads, so I talked myself around to believing lots of other theories to avoid it as an option. Really though, I like it better this way. The drama didn't try to trick us with that little ending foreshadow, and now things are much more high drama than they would have been. I just hope we can find a way out of it, or I will be pretty crushed next week.

It's so interesting to me that Seok-min was ready to believe all the worst things about his mother. She was not a great person for a long time, so who knows what kind of trauma he is dealing with, but he firmly believed that she had killed Do-hee's parents. She went after them to stop them at all costs, so he can be excused for that belief, but most people would have talked themselves around to believing that their mother didn't murder people. And he also believed that made Madam Ju and Do-hee's relationship a lie - he wasn't capable of seeing the relationship for what it was, even if it came about because of awful circumstances. Honestly, that's what I wanted to say to Do-hee in episode 14 so badly - even if the relationship started because of Madam Ju's guilt (and it certainly did, even though it wasn't guilt over murdering her parents), it doesn't negate the fact that she really loved you. I'm glad they came around to that in the end.

About that Wok of Love reference (surely deliberate), what other ones have we noticed ?

Or, Do-hee can accept that her father voluntarily made a deal. It was his choice, he apparently reaped the benefits for 10 years (whatever they were - we don't yet know), her mother knew about it, because in the car chase with only 2 or 3 minutes until midnight she said, "time's running out", and her husband replied "there's still time to see Do-hee" and stupidly accelerated the car right off the road!

Along comes Gu-won to collect on the deal. He wasn't the reason her father died, he was just the mechanism, and her father (clearly with his wife's knowledge) made a decision on Do-hee's first birthday that he KNEW would make her fatherless on her 11th birthday. That is down to him alone, and quite possibly his wife too, unless he only told her after the fact. Blaming Gu-won is like blaming a cat for playing with mice.

But going back to ep 13, I thought it was boring BORING sentimental filler dross with too many musical montages, too much crying, too much forced 'humour', nothing happening to advance the story and it went on and on and on. Was the plot on strike for this episode? Gu-won's dress sense at home becoming ever more eccentric - the cricket sweater was bizarre enough (do demons play cricket?) but the cutesy jacket and neck scarf that came straight afterwards made him look like a stewardess about to serve airline dinners.

This episode was the most bored I have ever been watching this drama. 10 minutes from the end something finally happens with Seok-hoon threatened, Do-hee discovering Suk-min is Abraxas, and Suk-min strangling her with Gu-won swooping in for the save. If only someone could have told me to skip the first 50 minutes!

In contrast, the dilemma-laden ep 14 was much much better. Well done.

Honestly, I think it kind of sucks for Gu-won that Do-hee seemed completely okay with his "occupation" until it affected someone she loved. Also, I'm a little annoyed that this drama is doing the noble idiocy trope for the second time.

Haven’t see it yet but glad we are done with Suk Min

Ah yes, the third-act breakup...Good grief, I knew he would somehow be involved in Dohee's parents' deaths but this is salt in an open wound. I predict that this drama is going to have an ending similar to Goblin, which is going to be upsetting but it really does seem like writer's write themselves into a corner and then go, "now what?"

I can't sympathize with Do-hee. Even if Gu-won hadn't collected her dad's soul, which he was contractually entitled to, her dad would've died in the car explosion like her mom anyway. The woman's death may have been shocking if Do-hee had witnessed Gu-won physically kill her by stabbing or strangling, but he never laid a finger on her. She simply expired when her clock ran out.

Our demon is omniscient asking Bok-gyu if he had run a marathon, despite not seeing his chasing after Secretary Shin's car. It's so endearing every time Gu-won mentions Bok-gyu's barely paid-off car like when he was preparing to die and told Bok-gyu to use his money to finish paying for his new car. The dosirak shuttle was cute.

Normally I find the gang annoying, but I laughed when they finally learned about his demon identity and called it "this sacred ritual." But the most hilarious part was Gu-won grabbing a fistful of French fries to-go. That was so unexpected and made me lmao.

Loving the darker twist. It seems like it has finally sunken in for Do Hee that married a demon. One of my favorite series of 2023

1. The plot really started to unravel, decline and fall faster than the Roman Empire post-Ep8. In retrospect, it would have been a more forgiving (and forgivable) drama at a 12-ep duration.

2. I made a remark very early on that the success of this drama will hinge heavily on how they treat the theological tangle and resolve (or do not resolve) the inter-species romance, and manage any moral / metaphysical fallout/consequences. (c.f. Angel's Last Mission: Love - hot mess in the middle act, but totally redeem the plot at the end in a convincing manner and *still* manage to be a healing drama). I really don't know how the writer will turn this around in 2 eps - so not holding my breath for it.

3) Bug-bear: The misrepresentation of the Catholic faith is pretty offensive tbh (or for that matter - any faith). I won't go on a soapbox harangue since others have done a much better job at this (see article link below).

I wish this drama (or for that matter - any drama) would either (a) interrogate religion with both truthful rigor and sensitivity OR (b) invent your own world-building (Goblin is a successful use case)
https://bitchesoverdramas.com/2024/01/11/my-demon-ep-12-on-bogus-religion/

4) Suk-min will probably recycle as demon. (callback to pilot: "Are you recyclable waste, food waste, or just general waste?" before GW proceeds to trash the entire mob at the blind-date hotel restaurant)
Since he voluntarily pushed himself off the building technically it is akin to suicide which was what GW did 200 years ago in despair.

5) It would be bona-fide Greek tragedy territory if the deal with Do-Hee's father were to have a child cos his wife was barren and unable to conceive. So the couple already knew the impending price to pay in a decade's time.

The Catch-22 being that the deal must happen in order than Do-Hee can even be reincarnated to grow up to meet her Joseon lover-turned-demon, and redeem the past. Yet knowing how the deal came to be would also be the very thing that would plunge them into hellish misery (which was the precise "past" they wanted to avoid repeating). That should be the kind of dramatic tension and moral conflict we should be anguishing over.

1. Dohee's dad was minutes away from "clocking out" yet he still drove a car with his wife beside him? If madame Ju hadn't get them into a stress-crash they would have crashed anyway because of the driver getting a heart attack.

2. Trying to get out of a contract right at the very very end of the 10 years? Now that is like a customer that wants to refund a mostly eaten pizza by returning the box with crumbs and receipt. Nice try, freeloader!

3. I hope Seokmin does not become a devil. That job is much more fitting for his widow Sera, because she has lots of experience with enabling bad behaviour. But this time she can enjoy being more in charge while enabling.

OMG I know why dad died.... I know the deal!

I'm binge watching this atm yet the suspense is still killing me. It's a testament to my almost nonexistent patience that I'm willing to read spoilers (before pressing play ▶️ again) in an effort to disengage emotionally in order to calm my overexcited nerves 😅😅.