[Jan 20] “Welcome to Samdalri” ep. 15, "My Happy Ending" ep. 7, etc.: Ratings & Recap

“Welcome to Samdalri” breaks its own record before the finale while “My Demon” wraps up. "My Happy Ending" showers us with plot twists after plot twists!

“Welcome to Samdalri” episode 15 ratings & recap

The romance drama “Welcome to Samdalri” from JTBC is ending on a high note!

The show reached its best ratings ever on January 20, before its last episode. Nielsen Korea reported that the second-to-last episode of “Welcome to Samdalri” got an average rating of 10.4% nationwide, setting a new record for the show.

In the 15th episode, Samdal (Shin Hye-sun), who was preparing for a photo exhibition at the weather bureau, faced another crisis. Eun-joo (Jo Yoon-seo), who was furious that nothing went her way, tipped off a reporter that Jo Eun-hye wasn't her real name, but Jo Samdal, and that she was holding an exhibition under her real name. The public opinion was stirred up again by an article titled "The Return of the Brat."

The Jeju weather bureau decided to cancel the exhibition as they were bombarded with complaints. Yong-pil (Ji Chang-wook) explained that the controversial incident was caused by a one-sided exposure, and that Samdal had done nothing wrong, but it was useless. The weather bureau's work was disrupted by the flood of complaints, and the website was paralyzed, making it impossible for the local residents to check the weather forecast. Samdal, who didn't want to cause any trouble, also backed off.

It looked like the same situation as when the exhibition was canceled in Seoul, but this was in Samdal. First, the 'Eagle Five Brothers' Kyung-tae (Lee Jae-won) pointed out the key point that the incident would end if they revealed the truth that Samdal didn't harass Bang Eun-joo. Then, Samdal's assistants Eun-bi (Kim Ah-young) and Ji-eun (Lee Do-hye) suggested a clue to how to bring down Eun-joo in one shot. Eun-joo had clashed with Samdal over a scarf that didn't match the pictorial, and recently she had pushed in products that were out of concept and fought with the costume team every day. Then, Sang-do (Kang Young-seok) and Eun-woo (Bae Myung-jin) joined in, and they all put their heads together, and suspected that Eun-joo was "taking money from behind".

The 5 people who smelled the 'stink' started digging through SNS and the photographer community. And as a result of working all night until dark circles came down, they found a connection between Ma Gwa-jang, a company that received products from a nameless shopping mall and illegally promoted them, and Eun-joo. On Ma Gwa-jang's SNS, there were not only scarves, but also other products that Eun-joo had forced into Samdal's shooting site. It was a moment of triumphant cheers.

Meanwhile, the people in Samdal joined in to 'protect Samdal'. The haenyeo Samchuns led the way, and the whole village people mixed difficult Jeju dialects and told the reporters who flocked to Samdalli a different way, and fooled those who were looking for Samdal's house. Thanks to that, Samdal's whereabouts weren't revealed. 

After that, they all gathered at Samdal's house and started a meeting to clear Samdal's name. The Eagle Five Brothers and the assistants informed them of Eun-joo's corruption, and the haenyeo Samchuns pulled in their connections from relatives to cousins. Samdal looked at her real 'people' who took off their shoes and tried to help her, and a warm smile bloomed on her face.

Samdal didn't give up on her first exhibition under the name of 'Jo Samdal'. When the weather bureau exhibition was canceled, she re-designed the exhibition hall layout and looked for a suitable place. The reporters were a variable, but Yong-pil suggested a clever idea to secretly open an exhibition in Samdal while diverting the reporters' eyes to the weather bureau. 

With that, Yong-pil and Samdal, the 'Eagle Five Brothers', the assistants, and the 'Jomnyeo (haenyeo) Squad' joined forces and set out to take out Samdal's photos stored at the weather bureau and open an exhibition. As Yong-pil once said to Samdal, "The dragon of the sky wasn't made by me alone." The mudfish, the pufferfish, and the frogs of the sky all had an influence.

They headed to the weather bureau with a bang, and they announced that they would catch both rabbits of a satisfying counterattack against Eun-joo and the opening of Jo Samdal's first exhibition, raising the expectation for the finale to the highest level.

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• [Jan 21] “Welcome to Samdalri” ep. 16, “My Happy Ending” ep. 8, etc.: Ratings & Recap
• "Welcome to Samdalri" Quotes That Give You All the Feels ~

"My Demon" episode 16 ratings & recap

However, most dramas saw a decline in ratings because of the AFC Asian Cup coverage. The series finale of SBS’s “My Demon” got an average rating of 3.5% nationwide, which was slightly lower than the night before.

The last episode of My Demon begins with the heartbreaking scene of Gu-won burning up. Do-hee cries uncontrollably, and we join her in her sorrow. The deity is also touched by Gu-won’s selfless act and sheds a tear. At the same time, the clocks in Gu-won’s office freeze. Bok-gyu, Ga-young and the others who knew the truth, pay their respects to Gu-won in their own way.

Do-hee is devastated by Gu-won’s “death” and can’t function normally. The police catch Suk-min, but he is only laughing and talking nonsense. He thinks he has achieved his goal and is satisfied with himself.

The police are convinced that he's insane and feel sorry for Do-hee, who can’t say anything about what happened. They assume that she's in shock and that Gu-won is ‘missing.’

What is Suk-min’s fate?

He is sentenced to death after his capture. He will never get out of prison and will die there. It isn't much consolation for his wicked deeds, but at least he is haunted by his mother’s ghost.

Meanwhile, his wife Se-ra e decides to change her life and quits the company to open a shelter for children who suffer from domestic abuse. She apologizes to Do-hee and vows to improve herself. Do-hee praises her for her bravery to speak out and make a difference.

We sympathize with Do-gyeong, who only wanted to protect his mom and himself from Suk-min. Sadly, he couldn’t do it. He was a victim of his situation.

Su-ahn also leaves her brother behind and does her best to side with Do-hee and Seok-hoon for her children’s sake. In the end, Suk-min is alone in prison, tormented by his mother’s ghost.

What happens to Do-hee after Gu-won’s disappearance?

She mourns her husband, as expected. The pain of losing Gu-won is unbearable, but luckily, she has Seok-hoon and Da-jeong to take care of her. It was Christmas time, and she wanted to be with him. They had plans, but Gu-won was gone.

On Christmas day, she goes to the place by the river and makes a deal. The deity feels sorry for her and agrees to grant her wish. Do-hee asks for Gu-won to come back and is overjoyed when he appears out of nowhere, and for a short moment, time stops as water droplets hover around her.

And just like that, our lovely couple reunite and hug each other. They have gone through so much, and they deserve a happy ending.

How did Gu-won come back?

Before he died, Gu-won made a deal with the deity. If you remember, he wagered on their survival when he was desperate to get his tattoo back safely. Since he and Do-hee survived the tattoo transfer, he won the wager.

The deity was also impressed by his sacrifice and Do-hee’s desire to make a deal to get Gu-won back. So, she granted Do-hee’s wish and gave Gu-won his job back as a demon. In the end, even the deity became #teamDoWon and decided it was time for this couple to find their happiness. The couple starts anew, cherishing every moment.

Gu-won finally tells Do-hee that her dad asked him to save his pregnant wife and child. Do-hee is shocked to learn that the deal was for her sake and realizes that she had ten years with her parents because of it.

They celebrate their Christmas and go back to work. Everyone is glad to see Gu-won. But Seok-hoon is the happiest, as he hugs Gu-won many times.

What happens to the company?

After everything settles down, Seok-hoon becomes the chairperson and based on how he conducted the first shareholders’ meeting, we can be sure that the company is in good hands. Do-hee supports him, and even Su-ahn gives her backing.

How about Ga-young?

Ga-young decides to leave for England, but before she does, she goes to her old neighbourhood and meets a young girl who is abused by her father. Ga-young intervenes to save the girl, remembering how Gu-won rescued her from her father. She chooses to stay in Korea and be the guardian angel for this young girl.

We admire Ga-young’s character growth throughout this show, and we wish she could have been with Seok-hoon. But she is happier now, and we enjoy her journey.

How does My Demon conclude?

Bok-gyu and Da-jeong’s relationship becomes strong enough to go public, while Gu-won and Do-hee have a small hiccup. But it is nothing major, just their usual banter. They still love each other.

Four months later, they are still committed to each other. The show concludes with the couple kissing in the park and the deity grinning at them.

Let me just say that "My Demon" ends on a high note and makes us smile, just like when it began. I have to mention the amazing chemistry between the leads. Song Kang and Yoo-jung did a good job of portraying their characters. The supporting characters also contributed to advancing the story and adding the humor that eased the tension. However, after episode 10, the show became slow. There were too many plots that wandered. This show's plot is also not that original. But "My Demon" has been a fun watch. 

• You may also like: My Favorite Quotes from "My Demon" Drama

“Knight Flower” episode 4 ratings & recap

MBC’s “Knight Flower,” which competes with “My Demon” in the same time slot, got an average rating of 7.9% for its 4th episode. Even though it fell below 10%, it was still the most popular MBC show on Saturday.

The 4th episode of "Knight Flower," starts with Bi-chan and Su-ho cleaning up the grandmother's house. Su-ho is concerned that the Masked Man will have no place to stay. He runs into the robbers again, who tell him they just met the Masked Man. Su-ho follows their trail and finds the confrontation.

Su-ho and Yeo-hwa argue about who should be the hostage. They act like they are enemies and defeat Pil's men. The lady and her granddaughter hurry to Myungdo Inn, while Pil's men are frightened by Bi-chan's voice. Su-ho recognizes Yeo-Hwa, but she knocks him out with her head and escapes.

Yeon-sun hears from Myungdo about Pil's human trafficking and warns Yeo-hwa. Lady Oh sends Yeo-hwa a book from Queen Dowager as a present, which makes Lady Yoo dream of the Chastity Gate.

Pil's man, Man-sik, informs him that the Masked Man interfered. He says that the vigilante also rescued Merchant Jang. Pil is angry and only keeps Man-sik around because he fed him when he was a starving butcher. Su-ho can't get the Masked Man out of his mind and smiles.

Yoon-hak receives a note from the bookseller - two people are dead and three are missing in Gyeongsang. He sees Yeon-sun outside, buying a male outfit for Yeo-hwa. He chooses a hat for her and makes her nervous when he asks her name. Su-ho returns the painting, but Minister Yeom complains that the crossbar is broken. He tells Su-ho to get a new one.

Yoo is eager to teach Yeohwa how to exit the palanquin. Yeo-hwa is so exhausted that she crawls on the ground. Seok helps her and praises Yoo for training her. He gives her a royal apple and they flirt, while Yeo-hwa runs away to the shrine. Bi-chan is unhappy that he missed the Masked Man, while Su-ho vents about how she damaged the crossbar.

When Yeo-hwa visits Myungdo Inn again, Su-ho is there too and Man-sik sees him. Jang thinks they need a powerful ally to stop Pil's human trafficking and Su-ho arrives. He and Yeo-hwa quarrel over the crossbar and it breaks completely, revealing petals inside.

Man-sik warns Pil, who decides to ship the children quickly. Yeo-hwa asks Su-ho to help her stop Pil, but he declines. He says that vigilantes are a bother and the Capital Defense Command will handle Pil. She mocks his righteousness but feels bad when he calls her a bother.

Yoon-hak reports the missing men to the King. He says that the men worked for Im Kang, the King's Guard Chief (and Suho's real father). They vanished on the same day the previous king died. That day, someone also stole a jade tablet they were looking for. One of the missing men is Soong-ho, Yeo-hwa's brother.

Suho persuades Hwang to investigate Pil, as it will boost their reputation for catching a notorious criminal. Yeo-hwa wonders if Su-ho will keep his word. The Moran ladies visit and the Personnel Minister's wife insults Lady Yoo as usual. Hwang is scared, but Su-ho pushes him to arrest Pil. Pil implies that the Masked Man took the kid and threatens Su-ho.

The officers search Pil Inn but find nothing. Yeo-hwa disguises herself as a man and shows up. She listens to Pil's man telling another to watch the kids. She follows him to a warehouse and almost gets caught, but pretends to be drunk and runs away.

Yeom accepts bribes from Pil and fights with the Minister of Punishment, who accuses him of corruption. Yeom tries to get Pil out of jail. Yoon-hak and the King use Seok to punish Yeom, but Pil is freed anyway. Hwang is mad at Su-ho, while Pil brags that his royal connection is stronger than Su-ho's.

Su-ho gets a scolding from Yoon-hak for putting Pil in jail, but he also receives a book that records Pil's theft. Yoon-hak tells him to gather more proof before he can bring Pil down for good.

Su-ho brings back the painting to Yeom, who is drunk, after Jang's man repairs it. Yeom tosses the petals away and Su-ho picks them up. Yeom tells him to forget about Pil and sends him away. Lady Oh attempts to soothe him, but he lashes out at her and hits her. He finds out that she is from a low class and accuses her of looking down on him. She leaves with the remaining petals.

In another place, Pil begs Seok for mercy and it turns out that Seok made him the leader of the guild. Pil did him a favor 15 years ago, but Seok can easily replace him. At the same time, Yeo-hwa slips into Pil Inn and goes into the warehouse. Su-ho comes in after her.

The last scene of "Knight Flower" episode 4 has Yeon-sun giving Yeo-hwa a male outfit. Yeo-hwa waits for Pil's men to show her the warehouse at the inn, but she gets curious and drinks the whole liquor bottle.

Overall, Knight Flower Episode 4 finally reveals the clues and hints that help us see the big picture. This makes the story more enjoyable as we don't have to strain our minds to figure out what the mystery is and how everyone is connected. The incident that happened 15 years ago involves the King's father, Su-ho's father, Yeo-hwa's brother, Seok, and Pil-jik.

We can assume that Seok and Pil staged a coup and killed Kang and the former King. The three surviving guards, including Soong-ho, escaped and are waiting for their chance to get revenge. Seok puts the current King on the throne and manipulates him like a puppet. Yoon-hak's plan for Pil suggests that he and the King are waiting for the right time and collecting evidence to overthrow Seok.

With that cleared up, the comedy gets more hilarious and clever with each episode. Honey Lee is the ideal actor for Yeo-hwa. Su-ho's character is still a bit unclear with his naive but righteous, innocent but smart personality, but we still have time to learn more about him.

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

“Korea-Khitan War” episode 19 ratings

KBS 2TV’s “Korea-Khitan War” faced the AFC Asian Cup coverage, but it still kept its top spot in its time slot with an average rating of 9.5% nationwide.

“My Happy Ending” episode 7 ratings & recap

TV Chosun’s new drama “My Happy Ending” matched its previous record of 2.6% for its latest episode. Jang Nara transformed into a completely different person with a 'mysterious and unfamiliar self', delivering a shocking twist. Episode 7 also showed Seo Jae-won (Jang Nara) collapsing from the shocking truth that her daughter Heo Ah-rin (Choi So-yul) isn't the biological child of her husband Heo Soon-young (Son Ho-jun). 

Heo Soon-young cheated on Jae-won with Kwon Yoon-jin (So Yi-hyun) out of betrayal, and it was revealed that he deliberately made Jae-won experience hell. In the past, Soon-young was surprised by the result of 'no biological relationship' after he agonized over a DNA test when seeing an email from a mysterious AMI saying "Ah-rin isn't your daughter" and a photo of Jae-won being supported by someone and entering a hotel room. 

On the other hand, Jae-won couldn't find the DNA test result, so she went to the company with a toothbrush and was shocked by the result that 'Heo Soon-young and Heo Ah-rin aren't biologically related'. "I really didn't know. I never even imagined this situation. I didn't know that all this started from me." She recalled the incident at the launching show seven years ago based on the AMI text saying "Remember, that day 7 years ago?" and "Don't forget what you did that day."

Jae-won approached Soon-young, who was drinking alone and started to tell him what she remembered about 7 years ago. "It must have been the first launching event." Jae-won, who took medicine to calm her nerves, drank alcohol at the suggestion of Kwon Young-ik (Kim Myung-soo) and became so drunk that she couldn't control her body. 

She dropped her phone when she received a call from Soon-young while leaving the venue. And the next day, she woke up in a hotel room with no memory. And when she received a call from Soon-young saying "I have a lot of classes today, so I left early in the morning", she believed that the person who was with her in the hotel room was Soon-young and didn't doubt it.

Jae-won said, "I really didn't know. I never dreamed of it, and I never thought that your child wouldn't be mine." She shed tears, but Soon-young, who was angry, smashed a glass and bled, and pushed Seo Jae-won away. Soon-young said, "Do you think I'll believe that? Because of you, my world collapsed. Do you know how much I hated you enough to want to kill you?" He sobbed. 

Soon-young said, "Now you feel it too. How it feels to trust the person you love and constantly doubt them." He reported the suspicion of Jae-won's mother's death, disguised himself as Heo Chi-young and met Yoon-jin, and pretended to enter Yoon-jin's house with Ah-rin, making Jae-won suffer.

Soon-young asked Jae-won, who apologized, to give up Ah-rin. But when Seo Jae-won refused, he turned around and said, "Then let's do it until the end." After that, Soon-young cried alone with emotions ranging from sadness, anger, despair to happiness of raising his daughter. But Soon-young was puzzled by the appearance of Jae-won, who said "I tried to endure it until the end because you are the father of my child" during the divorce lawsuit preparation and looked at the blackboard where he had organized the people related to AMI and Ah-rin's biological father and continued to track them down.

The next day, when Jae-won handed over the divorce papers to Soon-young, he said that he only needed Ah-rin, and Seo Jae-won said, "Ah-rin. She's not your daughter." Soon-young, who was choked up, shouted, "Ah-rin is my daughter."

Jae-won, who was suffering, went to his stepfather Seo Chang-seok (Kim Hong-pa) and told him about his divorce with Soon-young, and asked, "Dad, why didn't you leave when mom was hard?" She said that she wasn't scared even when her mother, who was crazy about gambling, left her as collateral to a debt collector, because she believed that her father would come to pick her up. 

Chang-seok said, "That's why I couldn't leave." And Jae-won, who left Chang-seok's house, thought of Chang-seok, who reached out to her, and Soon-young, who reached out to Ah-rin, and cried out loud. She knelt down in front of Soon-young, soaked in the rain, and sobbed, "I'm so scared. What if I'm remembered as a bad mother? Our Ah-rin...please raise her well." She made Soon-young cry too.

But the next day, Jae-won, who woke up, smiled comfortably as if she had forgotten all the painful memories. Jae-won, who was told by her secretary that she had canceled her schedule because Soon-young said she needed a few days off, ordered her to reschedule. And she continued to act strangely, such as remembering the date wrong. 

Moreover,  Jae-won, who went home after work, said to his daughter, "Let's have dinner together from now on." She apologized to his daughter and held Soon-young's hand, who had a stiff expression, and smiled as if nothing had happened, making Soon-young confused. Especially, when she was preparing to go to work in front of the mirror, she looked at herself with a completely different feeling from usual and was confused by seeing Jae-won smiling in the mirror, amplifying the tension with a 'mysterious and unfamiliar self'.

• You may also like: "My Happy Ending" character relationship chart: A list of questions to explore one by one

“Live Your Own Life” episode 34 ratings

Lastly, KBS 2TV’s “Live Your Own Life” was the most-watched show on Saturday with an average rating of 17.6% nationwide.

• You may also be interested in: "Live Your Own Life" Kdrama Review: Because Uee Stars There, I'm "In"

(Sources: nielsenkorea.co.kr, hankooki.com, News1, imbc.com)