[Jan 19] “Knight Flower” ep. 3, “My Demon” ep. 15: Ratings & Recap

“Knight Flower” hits double-digit ratings for episode 3. “My Demon” gears up for the final episode with higher ratings.

“Knight Flower” episode 3 rating & recap

MBC’s new drama “Knight Flower” is gaining popularity

The drama is a mix of action and comedy, set in the Joseon era. It features Honey Lee as Jo Yeo-hwa, who has been hiding her true identity for 15 years. By day, she is a humble and virtuous widow, but by night, she becomes a brave hero who helps the oppressed.

The drama’s 3rd episode aired on January 19 achieved impressive ratings of over 10%. Nielsen Korea reported that “Knight Flower” recorded an average nationwide rating of 10.8%, ranking first in its time slot among all channels.

The 3rd episode of "Knight Flower" opens with the robbers escaping and Su-ho determined to investigate. Yeo-hwa pretends to be in mourning to avoid suspicion. Yoon-hak spots Yeon-sun among the women and they seize the opportunity to flee. Su-ho is left alone and figures out that Yeo-hwa was in cahoots with the robbers.

Meanwhile, Bi-chan eavesdrops on Man-sik, Pil’s henchman, who is pressuring an art dealer to reveal the location of the tiger painting that is hidden in the Seok shrine. Lady Oh convinces Lady Yoo to join a charity event at Soogu Gate and promises that Yeo-hwa will receive the Chastity Gate honor.

Bi-chan informs Su-ho that the painting is sought by many people and the inspector sends menacing letters to Masked Woman via Merchant Jang, demanding its return. Yeo-hwa reluctantly goes to the bureau at night but Su-ho attempts to capture her. They struggle and his night robe falls off, exposing his abs. They're both embarrassed and Yeo-hwa tosses the painting at him and makes a run for it.

Su-ho dreams of Yeo-hwa, the Masked Woman and the one who rescued Ggotnim. He begins to suspect that they're the same person.

The charity event at Soogu Gate starts but there is tension between Lady Yoo and the Personnel Minister’s wife. The situation is worsened by the fact that the latter’s widowed daughter-in-law, Lady Baek, is elegant while Yeo-hwa is clumsy.

At the bookstore, Yoon-hak and Yeon-sun encounter each other again. He offers to give back her romance novel and she is mortified. He notices that she has copied a book he needs and tries to pay more than its worth. She only accepts the regular price and dashes off, which makes him smile. She puts her monthly income with Merchant Jang and it turns out that she has enough to afford her own house. But she declines as Yeo-hwa wouldn't be able to see her.

During the charity event, Su-ho guards the place but he is drawn to Yeo-hwa. Her cloak keeps sliding, she cares for everyone and tries to serve more porridge than necessary. Lady Baek scolds her as there is not enough food and she is indifferent to the hardship.

Yeo-hwa remembers an old lady who is searching for her granddaughter and brings her some food. The roof collapses and Yeo-hwa dives in to rescue her. Su-ho arrives and holds up the pillar, enabling the women to escape. He only glimpses her eyes and realizes who she is. Lady Oh commends Yeo-hwa’s bravery but Lady Yoo, the Personnel Minister’s wife, and Lady Baek are displeased.

At the palace, there is another mystery unfolding. The previous King died 15 years ago and the cause is unknown. The current King is haunted by this and has been faking illness ever since. Yoon-hak is the only one who is privy to the truth as they share their secrets. The King also advises him to stay close to Su-ho and it seems he is also linked to the mysterious incident that happened 15 years ago.

Pil is involved in child trafficking and furious at Man-sik for letting one of the girls, the old lady’s granddaughter, slip away. Su-ho is injured on his back and Yoon-hak tends to his wound. He cautions his younger brother not to attract attention and Su-ho wonders how his life would be different if he was not adopted. Yoon-hak jokes that he would be a playboy and they laugh.

Yeo-hwa tells Yeon-sun about the day’s events and feels guilty. Yeon-sun reassures her that Yeo-hwa is doing all she can. A flashback shows Yeo-hwa fleeing 12 years ago. She sees some men beating Yeon-sun and she saves her and takes her home. She teaches her how to read and write as well.

Yeo-hwa decides to help the old lady and in her disguise, steals some rice. The robbers are busy looking for more rice at Soogu Gate and it's revealed that Lady Baek’s food is adulterated with pebbles. Yeo-hwa meets them and inquires about the lost girl. They tell her that children disappear near Soogu Gate often.

Pil’s men show up then. Yeo-hwa fights them when they snatch the girl. They hold the grandmother as a hostage but a rock hits Man-sik. Su-ho is the one who threw it, wearing a mask.

The final scene of "Knight Flower" episode 3 depicts Yeo-hwa after giving back the painting. She's flustered by the sight of Su-ho’s abs everywhere.

Generally, this episode continues to be hilarious. Yeo-hwa is a delight and everything she does is so funny and cute. She's noisy but compassionate, awkward but confident. She pretends to be selfish but she cares for everyone. Su-ho doesn't have much going on except his obsession with catching the Masked Woman but things might change for him in the next episode.

There is also the obvious romance between Yoon-hak and Yeon-sun to keep us entertained as the relationship between Yeo-hwa and Su-ho is likely to be slow and painful. The mystery, however, is too unclear right now. We need more explanation on that or people will lose interest in the King vs Seok conflict.

“My Demon” episode 15 rating & recap

On the other hand, SBS’s “My Demon” saw a slight rise in ratings as it approached its final episode. The fantasy romance drama scored an average nationwide rating of 3.7% for its second-to-last episode.

Do Hee's heartbreak

The 15th episode of "My Demon" focuses on Do Hee's perspective after the breakup with Gu Won. This episode was inevitable, and the writers did a remarkable job of adding depth and emotion to Ms. Shin and Bok Gyu's story, instead of making it just humorous.

Gu Won isn't like most people who break up because they fall out of love. He still loves Do Hee, but he thinks that he's bad for her. He decides to stay away from her, but he still cares for her and watches over her from a distance. Do Hee senses that he's still around, and she feels him in her heart. But they can never be together again. 

Do Hee isn't the only one who misses him. His colleagues at the office say that it feels lonely without him. His former followers (gangsters) have started a restaurant to become respectable, but they're sad that they can't share this news with him. Park Bok Gyu, the new CEO of the Foundation, longs for his old boss. He tells Do Hee that he'll leave soon, so that she won't look for him anymore.

Gu Won has a conversation with Ga Young, who says that she's like a scorpion, who would eventually hurt the one she loves. That makes Gu Won think of himself. He sees himself as the scorpion in Ga Young's story. The scorpion didn't lie to the frog when it said that it would not sting it, but it did so anyway because it was its nature. Likewise, Gu Won may have good intentions, but he is a demon, an enemy of humans. This is surprising because Gu Won once said that demons were supposed to be the guardians of mankind. Maybe Gu Won feels this way because of his past, because he blamed his faith for Wolsim's death, and because his job caused the death of Do Hee's parents. He had no other option but to leave her.

Do Hee tries to forget her pain by working hard. She tells Seok Hoon that Gu Won left because their contract was over, but he doesn't believe her. Do Hee is trying to restore the committee that Noh Suk Min had dismissed. She knows that this is what her father and Madam Ju wanted. 

Do Hee wonders if Cheon Suk adopted her only out of guilt, but Seok Hoon reminds her of Cheon Suk's words, that she didn't intend to love Do Hee, but the more she loved her, the more she suffered. Do Hee doesn't know how to feel about this. On one hand, Cheon Suk's love was genuine, and their relationship wasn't a lie. On the other hand, the love was tainted by guilt and pain, and Do Hee felt responsible for it, even though it was not her fault. Maybe it was a lifetime of guilt that made her feel this way.

Do Hee gets some advice from Ms. Shin, who tells her not to suppress her emotions. She says that resisting one's emotions only makes them last longer and changes one in undesirable ways. Following her advice, Do Hee visits Gu Won's office. She meets Bok Gyu and tells him how she never got to thank Gu Won or apologize to him for all that he did for her. She also regrets not knowing more about him. She shared everything about herself with Gu Won, but all she knew about him was his old love story, a brief moment in his long life. Bok Gyu gives Do Hee the pendant and tells her to remember him by it.

Gu Won sacrifices himself to save Do Hee

Do Hee has flashbacks of her past life when she wears the pendant to sleep. She recalls how she was Wolsim, a woman who wished to die. Gu Won saved her from despair with his love and trust. He never knew that he was the reason she lived, and he always felt guilty for Wolsim's death. 

Do Hee wants to see Gu Won when she learns this, but Suk Min, who faked his death and mutilated his face, abducts her. He said he would hide in hell, and he is beyond reason now. He seeks revenge on Do Hee and Gu Won, and he has been planning this for a long time. He thinks Gu Won still loves Do Hee, and he hurts her to make her call him. But Gu Won doesn't show up, and Suk Min tries to kill her. Gu Won arrives and snatches the knife from him. He is furious and ready to kill Suk Min, who welcomes death because it would cost Gu Won his powers. Demons can't kill humans, or they will die. Do Hee stops Gu Won, but she takes a bullet for him and gets badly wounded.

Demons can't revive humans either, but in "My Demon" episode 15, Gu Won sacrifices himself to bring Do Hee back to life. He crumbles before her eyes. This would be a tragic ending, which doesn't fit the tone of the series. Gu Won might still be alive or come back as a human. Maybe human emotions can create miracles. Before this happened, Gu Won went to collect a soul for a contract. He might have done something then that would allow him to live. God mentioned a "choice" he made, but we don't know what it was.

• You may also like: "My Demon" episode 16: Ratings & Recap

(Sources: newsen.com, naver.com)