Twisted Firestarter
Sang-Un and Hwal explore the old farmland, looking for any clues about Sang-Un’s past. They find a small cabin, which they believe may be the source of some of Sang-Un’s hidden origins. Inside, they find a document that may help them understand what happened to Sang-Un in his past life.
Some 50 years ago, a fire broke out in a building in Seoul. It was assumed to be started by a woman called Kim Hwa-Yeon, who was a recluse and afraid to leave her home. Her worried parents tried to convince her to take drugs or herbal remedies to cure her perceived craziness, but nothing helped. The fire that broke out also killed her parents. This woman, Hwal reveals, was actually Sang-Un in a past life.
Sang-Un has her doubts though, but Hwal is convinced this is the way things were. Even if she doesn’t have a scar now, she was still Bulgasal.
Elsewhere, Si-Ho heads back from the doctors with Detective Kwon. They both talk about Bulgasal, with Si-Ho mentioning the name Eul-Tae, overheard from her sister. This gets Kwon thinking, bringing him back to the station to butter up Captain Han for information. Kwon visits Captain Han at the station and requests access to Bulgasal’s medical records in order to further investigate Eul-Tae’s connection to the virus. Han is hesitant but eventually agrees after Kwon offers his loyalty and support. ..
Kwon begins to worry as he realizes that the Mayor could be connected to Eul-Tae. Han warns Kwon away from this line of questioning, pointing out that this is dangerous and could lead to trouble.
The Mayor and several other crooked officials are briefed on the current issues around town by Ok Eul-Tae. Eul-Tae is ruthless in his pursuit of power, reminding the four men that he has dirt on them that he could easily use against them if they betray him. ..
Si-Ho and Do-yun clean up Hwal’s place. Hye-Suk is there too, and she tells Si-Ho that she lost her memories when she was 6 years old. This makes Si-Ho question the validity of Hwal saving her during her childhood. She also has a burn on her leg - from a fire. ..
50 years ago, a young girl named Hwal saved her family from a fire that started in their home. Now, she’s an old woman with a scar on her chest that shows how much she has changed. Hwal tells us that she followed the fire and was able to save her parents and herself.
After catching an overnight boat-trip to a small village, Hwal and Sang-Un prepare to visit Hwa-Yeon’s old neighbours. He’s determined to figure out Sang-Un’s mystery. When they arrive at the house, Hwal contemplates whether the fire may have been started by an infamous monster in the area called Gapsangoe.
Sang-Un eventually senses the monster, in the form of a weakened old woman lying on the floor in her house. Hwal heads in to confront her, as the woman admits outright that she did start the fires but was deceived by Dark Hole in the process.
The son of the family who were thought to be the monsters in an earlier episode is actually about to start a fire with paint thinner and equipment in his car. ..
This town is known for their annual fire festival, which is where the monster that killed many people a few years ago comes back to life. The town’s residents use drums to disrupt the monster and destroy it before it can take them out. The thing is, the repeated fires in this town could be a result of the monster reincarnating and keeping that same fascination with fire going.
Sang-Un and Hwal show up at the place Sang-Un and Hwal are staying, and after showing their picture to the owner, prepare to start the fire. However, Hwal manages to burst in just in time to stop him from igniting the place. In their absence, Sang-Un questions her past.
According to Gapsangoe, Sang-Un may be human, but she never used to have human emotions. She also reveals that Dark Hole has a big secret. ..
Si-ho has the ability to see into the future or remember past memories. This affects Hye-Suk, who is mesmerized by the flames. ..
A big twist comes in the form of Do-Yun. It turns out he actually has ties to Eul-Tae and is on his side. Eul-Tae brings him in to his house as the pair wind up playing board games together. Do-Yun is clearly an informant, but he has a conscience too and isn’t happy about watching Hwal and deceiving him. Eul-Tae though reassures him, claiming this is all to keep Sang-Un safe.
When Do-Yun leaves, he quickly sends a message back to Hwal and Sang-Un. Bulgasal then takes action, which causes Gapsangoe to suddenly light up and strangle Sang-Un. ..
Just before she succeeds, Hwal bursts back into action and saves her from an unfortunate fate. After handing over her son to the police, the duo leave and check out one last spot. A place Gapsangoe’s son told Hwal about.
Sang-Un is overcome with emotion as she looks at the skeletal remains of Hwa-Yeon. She cries out and Hwal, who had been walking behind her, offers to take her home. As they walk away, Hwal tells her his name. This moment seems to hint at a possible romance between the two. ..
The Episode Review
This week’s episode of Immortal Souls provides a lot of new information about Sang-Un and Bulgasal’s past, but it also leaves much to be desired. We don’t get a lot of depth into the characters or their motivations, and the story feels incomplete. Despite this, I still enjoyed the episode overall and look forward to more from Bulgasal and Sang-Un in the future.
The trip away allows some time for Sang-Un and Hwal to grow closer together, with that moment right at the end of the episode doing a great job to tease that we’ve got some romance on the horizon for these two. That’s to say nothing of Sang-Un’s potential link to Eul-Tae and how that feeds into the bigger picture.
Do-Yun has a big role to play in this, but it’s not clear why he’s aligned with Eul-Tae.
There are some serious Goblin vibes being given off from this drama, but it feels like a much darker and more chaotic story than that fantasy/romance hybrid. It’ll be really interesting to see how this one develops but right now, this is arguably the most interesting and captivating K-drama currently airing. ..
