Hwal’s Choice
Sang-Un and the others are still in shock over Hye-Suk’s death. They turn their attention to finding Si-Ho and Do-Yun. Kwon is okay, minus a fractured arm, but he claims to have recognized the assailant’s face.
Through Captain Han and Kwon’s resources, Hwal manages to obtain a photo of Min-Su and information to help guide them to the monster’s whereabouts. Sang-Un is incredulous over Hwal’s cold attitude toward Hye-Suk.
Hwal claims she’s already dead and decides to leave her on the ground while he heads out to find Do-Yun and Si-Ho.
Min-Su chases Si-Ho and Do-Yun through the cornfields, but they manage to get away. Si-Ho then sacrifices herself so that Do-Yun can escape. ..
When Hwal and Sang-Un show up and charge through to try and save Si-Ho, the sister of Sang-Un’s victim cries out. ..
Do-Yun is left on the floor, blood dripping from his mouth. Hwal races to him and finds him still alive, though Si-Ho is unconscious. Do-Yun tells Hwal that he was going to kill Si-Ho, but he was stopped by Min-Su.
Sang-Un is bait for her attacker, and when she’s left alone with him, he drops her and begins stalking her. Hwal shows up and holds him down by the throat.
Yeongno, a monster that ate 100 people in the past, stands before Hwal. Hwal looks him in his monstrous eyes and realizes this is his chance to take revenge on Min-Su, the man who killed his family. However, Min-Su strikes first, seizing the opportunity to slash Hwal across the eyes with Sang-Un’s blade. Hwal retaliates by beating him to a pulp. ..
Hwal tells Min-Su that he is just like Eul-Tae, something we’ve heard a lot recently. Anyway, Hwal is killed and for now, the threat thwarted. However, Min-Su is injured and has his eyes bandaged up.
The gang of criminals head out to the spot where Captain Han is tied up. Hwal removes the tape from his mouth and demands to know how and when Han started working with Eul-tae.
We know he’s innocent, so it’s a pretty uncomfortable chat to witness. Hwal recognizes Han from the station (along with his own past life) and threatens to kill Han’s family if anything untoward happens. So Hwal throws him a burner and demands he ring if Eul-Tae gets in touch.
Sang-Un is worried that Hwal is becoming more like Eul-Tae. “What sets you apart from him?” She quizzes, but in truth there’s not really an answer for this. Sang-Un worries that Hwal is becoming more like Eul-Tae because he doesn’t seem to care about anything other than himself.
Do-Yun and Si-Ho try to grapple with the aftermath of Hye-Suk’s death. The house is eerily empty without her presence, while Sang-Un sits with Hwal outside, who’s looking more and more like Daredevil.
The family of Hwal heartlessly claims they have no time for the dead right now and continues on, claiming they’re never been family. Sang-Un sees through their words and believes they’re lashing out because he’s affected by her death. The way his nose flares up and he moves slightly is a great bit of acting, even if the camera keeps jumping back and forth between him and Sang-Un.
Hwal decides that Sang-Un should leave with Do-Yun and Si-Ho. He goes on to mention that back 1000 years ago, Eul-Tae and him were willingly Bulgasal and blood-lusting together. He wants the others to leave now the final fight is approaching, claiming they’re a “nuisance” and wanting to end this fight once and for all.
After Hwal tries to protect the group from an oncoming danger, they all leave the safehouse in their cars. ..
Kwon’s father is a monster. Hwal’s decision to provoke him is dangerous for all of his friends, especially Kwon. Eul-Tae admits he just killed to provoke Hwal and goes on to reveal that Kwon’s father is actually a monster. And because of that, this explains why he was killed that night… by Hwal.
Captain Han has been promising Eul-Tae that he won’t hurt Kwon, but Eul-Tae is cleverly spinning this as part of his character. He knows that Han will keep his promise, because he wants revenge on Kwon.
Eul-Tae has made a promise to his friends and family that everything will return to the way it once was, but when he enters the car again, he remains adamant that this is not possible. Specifically, everyone will completely abandon Hwal.
Hwal experiences a vision of all those he’s lost and pushed away in the past. He feels suffocated, with his chest tight and clearly struggling with his own emotions. And as he grabs a knife, preparing to stab himself, Sang-Un shows up.
Hwal reflects on his experiences as he admits that he’s stuck in perpetual agony. He also saw Hye-Suk as a daughter to him but he’s been trying to keep it together all this time.
Sang-Un embraces Hwal and urges him to allow them to help. As he hugs her back, our fractured family are seemingly starting to stitch up their differences again. But is it too little too late? ..
The Episode Review
After the reveal of Bulgasal’s true feelings, the ending makes the previous hour or so much easier to stomach. Hwal clearly cares about Hye-Sul and her death has hit him hard. ..
In the latest episode, Lee Jin-Wook showed a restrained stoic look through most of these past few episodes, teasing just a hint of emotion while remaining cold and difficult to work out. This has been a great way to keep the audience on their toes and make them want to see what will happen next.
The irony of Hwal’s beliefs is that pushing people away actually makes the situation worse. He has pushed Kwon right into the path of Eul-Tae, and the other members of his makeshift family are now overwhelmed with grief and don’t know what to do. ..
Sang-Un is a great resource for Hwal. I’m sure we’ll see larger themes playing out here linking back to how there are strength in numbers. ..
The first few episodes of this season have been action-packed, with plenty of potential for a climax. However, the pace has gradually slowed down in recent episodes, leading to a more leisurely feel to the story. This has been an enjoyable show overall, even if some romantic comedy elements have crept into the proceedings.
Despite being a solid K-drama, Bulgasal has been disappointing in terms of its dramatic potential. Will the show end happily with a resolution?
