[Mar 25] “The Midnight Studio” Ep 5: Rating, Recap, Review

The 5th episode of “The Midnight Studio” on ENA had a 2.29% viewership, also a bit lower than the 2.48% of the episode before it.

Besides the change in schedule for “Nothing Uncovered,” the 6th episode of “The Midnight Studio” that was supposed to air on March 26th has been canceled. Instead, they will show a special recap of episodes 1 to 5.

“The Midnight Studio” episode 5: Recap & review

In episode 5, Joo Won’s character is trying to find a way to help Han Bom. He’s puzzled because she’s always been different with her unusual abilities.

Joo Won tells Kwon Na-Ra to keep her distance

In this episode, Joo Won’s Seo Ki-Joo tells Han Bom (played by Kwon Na-Ra) that not all ghosts are nice. She thinks she can keep ghosts away and won’t have any problems.

At first, Han Bom likes being able to see ghosts. She often calls Ki-Joo to ask if she can feed a ghost child or speak with spirits. But later, she starts to feel scared by these visions. Ki-Joo is too busy to answer her calls. When he finally gets home, she thanks him for looking after her when she was ill and says she’ll be his place of comfort.

That night, Ki-Joo remembers a time from his childhood when he saved a girl from ghosts. Feeling touched by Han Bom’s appreciation, he gives her some items to protect herself from ghosts the next day. However, a bad ghost attacks her, and Ki-Joo has to rescue her.

Han Bom admits she’s frightened and doesn’t want to see ghosts anymore. Ki-Joo reassures her that he’s found a way to fix her problem. The episode shows their plan, which involves taking a photo with a ghost. Afterward, Ki-Joo tells Han Bom to stay away from him because ever since he moved into her building, strange things have been happening to her. He decides to move out and leave her alone.

Ending of "The Midnight Studio" episode 5

Joo Won’s plan doesn’t work, and Na-Ra still sees ghosts. Near the end of episode 5, we learn that Seo Ki-Joo’s fix for Han Bom’s ghost issue has a catch. Whoever sends a ghost away by force will face danger themselves. Since Ki-Joo did this, he’s now at risk.

The episode ends with a scary ghost causing a crash aimed at Han Bom. She’s safe, but there’s a big accident. Han Bom is shocked to see the spirits of those who were in the crash coming toward her, showing that Ki-Joo’s plan failed.

As the spirits get close, Ki-Joo covers her eyes and tells her not to look. They’re safe inside a circle. The show ends with a memory of Ki-Joo as a student, making a protective circle around a girl. This makes us wonder about their past.

Review

It seems like Han Bom might take over the studio because Ki-Joo doesn’t have any family to inherit it. Her ability to see ghosts might be a clue. It’s possible that Go Dae-Ri’s blind date or the one who watched the show with him was Kim Ji-Won, Han Bom’s friend. 

The special circle that keeps Bom and Ki-Joo safe seems to work only when they’re together, which might be linked to their past. Bom could be the child Ki-Joo saved from ghosts when he was younger. Even though stories about past connections are so typical of Kdramas, they help us understand the main character’s background and current problems.