The Midnight Studio: Episodes 14-15

by mistyisles

Time is running out, and our leads are learning new meanings of the saying, “Be careful what you wish for.” See, the problem with evil spirits and other supernatural forces is that they’re very hard to kill, so sometimes what seems like a victory… isn’t. But there’s another cliché that’s applicable here, and it’s both a blessing and a curse: It ain’t over ’til it’s over.

 
EPISODE 14-15

Before confirming whether Ki-joo has survived to see his 35th birthday, The Midnight Studio wrings more tears out of us by finally serving up the reunion we’ve all been waiting for. After vanishing from Bom’s arms, Ki-joo materializes at Ki-won’s old studio, where both the camera and Ki-won himself are waiting. It’s a painfully brief reunion, though: all they have time to do is exchange apologies and wishes for better luck in the next life, and then Ki-joo takes Ki-won’s final photo.

Ki-joo returns to his body in the hospital, and the story’s various threads start to tie up like we’ve already entered an epilogue. Detective Lee survives the fall from the hospital roof, but this time he’s gone too far for even his father to bail him out from legal consequences. He’s sentenced to prison, where he gets tormented by other spirits and cellmates alike, and Prosecutor Lee (currently Minister of Justice) focuses on saving his own skin — or trying to, anyway. Between Detective Lee’s confessions and Ki-joo releasing the recording of Minister Lee admitting he covered up his son’s crimes, the public quickly realizes Bom was right about him all along.

Bom and the ghosts throw Ki-joo his first-ever birthday party. His scar is actively fading, Midnight Studio guests stop coming, and even the Safe Zone no longer activates — not that there’s any need for it now, with no sign of The Evil Spirit lingering after being expelled from Detective Lee’s body. The curse, it seems, has been lifted, which means the Midnight Studio will soon close forever. While Bom and Ki-joo make up for the time they spent being unable to touch (let alone kiss!), Nam-gu prepares to depart for the afterlife. He’s been edging dangerously close to becoming an evil spirit, and he wants to leave as quickly and quietly as possible while he still can.

To that end, he asks Ki-joo for a private photo session — no alerting Na-rae or anyone else, not even Sung-ho or Bom. He does, however, ask Ki-joo to help him 1) relay a parting message to the florist not to make the same mistake he did and 2) deliver signed divorce papers and tell Na-rae he signed them before he died. He wants to free her from any lingering guilt so she can move on and live happily.

Ki-joo reluctantly agrees. But when he goes to take Nam-gu’s final photo, all the camera produces is a tiny, unsatisfying click instead of the loud sound and flash we’re used to. And then The Evil Spirit barges straight through the door. A tremendous struggle ensues, and Nam-gu loses. He turns into an evil spirit himself and melds with The Spirit into a single, malicious entity. What’s left of Nam-gu stops The Spirit from killing Ki-joo just long enough to beg Ki-joo to kill him. Since he originally died via a stabbing, stabbing him again will destroy him — permanently — and The Spirit along with him.

Ki-joo has no choice but to comply. The Spirit is finally, definitively destroyed; Nam-gu’s soul vanishes from existence; and the Midnight Studio throws Ki-joo out and disappears: doors, camera, Ki-joo’s scar, and all. He can still see ghosts, but they no longer pay him any mind. After mourning Nam-gu and fulfilling his final requests, Ki-joo sets up a normal photography studio to support his new, normal life.

Thus far, Ki-joo has brushed off niggling doubts about how little sense all these events make, preferring to write it off as a miracle. But the problem is that it doesn’t make sense, and his ordeal isn’t actually over. But it’s also no longer his. Bom still has her scar, and now she’s the one ghosts are hounding about settling unpaid debts and opening the Midnight Studio doors. Which, by the way, now open from her closet.

Soon, a grim reaper shows up to set the record straight. The ancestor who stole the camera in the first place wished in desperation that his son would live to see the age of 35, so the petty, vindictive reaper granted his wish quite literally… and extended it to all future descendants. What’s more, he granted Ki-joo’s desperate wish to save Bom when Detective Lee jumped off the roof with her — so now it’s Bom’s turn to “pay the price” for Ki-joo’s wish.

Ki-joo, of course, isn’t about to let that happen. So he follows Ki-won’s trail in search of a passage into the netherworld. It’s located near the tunnel where the fatal crash occurred (hence Ki-won happening upon the scene when he did), and Ki-won’s notes indicate that it only appears every three years. The reaper warns that even attempting to find the passage is a deadly endeavor, but Ki-joo simply stresses that he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure Bom lives a long, happy life — well beyond the age of 36.

Thankfully, Ki-joo doesn’t just up and disappear. He tells Bom exactly where he’s going and why. And he promises, much like Ki-won did, that he’ll return safely. Though, judging by the glimpse of his journey that we get at the very end of Episode 15, that’s going to be a tough promise to keep.

But what about our other ghost? After Ki-joo loses his connection to The Midnight Studio, Sung-ho decides he’d rather risk the dangers of staying in the living world anyway, so he doesn’t have to part with Ji-won again. He can only “talk” to her through text messages, but they make it work as best as they can. He keeps her company when her terrible boss makes her stay late, and they even manage a kiss of sorts (she has to guess where his lips might be and just go for it, but hey, they seem satisfied with the result).

To everyone’s frustration, the boss decides to keep Ji-won on as an intern and hire his (alleged) daughter full-time in her place. When Sung-ho’s petty revenge backfires, the daughter blames Ji-won for her own mistake, and Ji-won stays up all night trying to fix it. The next morning, she collapses from exhaustion, and Sung-ho — the only person around — drops his phone in his panic, leaving him no way to call for help.

I’m still working out how I feel about Nam-gu’s end. All the elements were foreshadowed, and it felt true to character, but maybe his and Na-rae’s story just doesn’t make for a satisfying conclusion no matter how you slice it. There was too much hurt dealt on both sides, and they missed the chance to either reconcile or part amicably. Likewise, I’m bracing for a sad ending for Ji-won and Sung-ho next week, because the only options for their relationship to continue involve at least one of them still being dead.

But, with so much going wrong this week, I’m hopeful there might at least be a happier ending in store for our leading couple (knocking on ALL of the wood!). Finding out that your desperate wish to save the person you love was the very thing that doomed them to a shortened, haunted existence is an exceptionally cruel blow — but these two have certainly proven that they aren’t the type to give up in the face of overwhelming cruelty.

 
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