REVIEW: ‘My Demon’ Episodes 5-6

In My Demon Episodes 5-6, the danger heightens further for Do Do-hee (Kim Yoo-jung) as the battle for the Chairman title escalates. With marriage being her only potential for salvation and solving the mystery behind Ju Cheon-sook’s (Kim Hae-sook) murder, Do-hee and demon-turned-bodyguard Jung Gu-won (Song Kang) both need to make decisions that will alter their lives and stoke their feelings for one another.

My Demon Episode 5 starts with a replay of the romantic tango sequence, with the addendum of the killer trying to shoot footage of Gu-won and Do-hee to send over to Abraxis. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen so far in the series, any footage trying to capture Gu-won using his powers results in a static glitch effect. With the killer having failed yet again, frustrations are stoked. It’s only a matter of time until he tries to end things for good for Do-hee.

Do-hee and Gu-won spend Episode 5 tap-dancing around their feelings for one another. For our stubborn demon Gu-won, his denial is fascinating. He has never felt feelings for anyone since becoming a demon. This sudden attraction to Do-hee must mean something is wrong with him. But, because he is also immature despite his age, he lashes out when Do-hee tries to discover for herself whether or not his behavior means he likes her.

While Do-hee and Gu-won are dealing with their turbulent emotions, the family members of the Mirae Group are grappling with their own inner demons. They all continue to make worthy suspects in Do-hee’s case. The eldest son, Noh Suk-min (Kim Tae-hoon), is busy blackmailing board members to vote for him as acting Chairman instead of Do-hee. His son, Noh Do-gyeong (Kang Seung-ho), violently beats the heck out of his therapist after the man refers to him as a lunatic. This action comes after Do-gyeong jokes about killing someone to see if his therapist is paying attention. It’s up in the air, though, if it’s actually a joke, especially given the ensuing violence. As for Kim Se-ra (Jo Yeon-hee), Suk-min’s wife, she has a dream of Cheon-sook’s death. Overall, any one of these family members can be the killer.

Suk-min’s success was revealed at a board of directors meeting, where the shareholders announced him as acting chairman. This puts the fire under Do-hee’s butt to seek out potential partners, but first, a little pot-stirring of jealousy for our leading male. In My Demon Episode 5, we see a steady rivalry start to grow between Gu-won and Ju Seok-hoon (Lee Sang-yi). The perpetually-in-denial Gu-won can’t keep his eyes off of Seok-hoon when he squirrels Do-hee aside after the board meeting to discuss the financial corruption he’s discovered. Hearing Seok-hoon referring to Do-hee as “My Do-hee,” Gu-won is mad jealous.

This jealousy grows during a disastrous date with the cringe-worthy prosecutor, Choi Woo-sun (Lee Kang-wook). This results in a fun bit of comedy for actors Song Kang and Lee Kang-wook, with Kang-wook bearing the brunt of the physical comedy in this interaction. My Demon Episode 5 takes the cake with comedic moments, but this moment is not the funniest. The exchange between actors Seo Jung-yoon and Heo Jung-do earlier in the episode is a true highlight. If you understand the play on words in Korean, it makes it ten times funnier.

Frustrated and hoping to get them closer to finding the killer chasing her, after the date, Gu-won takes Do-hee to find the mafia guy that had attacked them earlier. By grabbing onto her tattooed wrist, he engages his powers to threaten the criminal. Do-hee ultimately stops him and tells him she won’t give him the use of her arm anymore if he does stuff like this. This results in a blow-up—something that is becoming a pattern between them, and Do-hee goes home without him.

Unfortunately, her home has been compromised. Lured by an eerily designed song, she starts to panic before the killer subdues her. In a moment that serves to tell us how unhinged this killer is, we see Do-hee dangling over the side of her building. This marks the creepiest moment of My Demon Episode 5, and it is well-delivered. But we can’t have our lead protagonist die just yet. Just when all seems lost, we get a heroic save from Gu-won that reads as plot armor for our leading lady.

My Demon Episode 6 shows us how Gu-won got to Do-hee in the nick of time. She has him labeled as an emergency contact (which highlights the importance of setting that up in your phones). When he gets the ping, he rushes to her aid. But he’s not the only one. His love rival is not far behind. Fortunately, for Do-hee, Gu-won is there. Even when the killer spooks Gu-won off the edge, activating the tattoo allows him to save them from falling to their demise.

This does spark the question of when the killer and Abraxis figure out that Gu-won is not what he seems. This incident and the tango incident clearly highlight that the impossible keeps happening. Gu-won’s sudden appearance shakes up Seok-hoon when he arrives at the complex, planting the seed of suspicion long before the episode ends. Even more so, Seok-hoon tries desperately to get Do-hee to let him in, whereas Gu-won has already seen her at her most vulnerable. With the trio in the apartment and with both men sensing Do-hee’s emotions, both propose to her as an act of protection.

Throughout most of My Demon Episode 6, we see the two men compete for her attention. Seok-hoon seems more genuine, coming to Do-hee’s office with flowers. We see how close their bond is. However, for Seok-hoon, he’s been friend-zoned. He’s like a brother to her, which is a no-go. If we take into account that she considers a completely embarrassing stranger as husband material in Episode 5, it makes one question if Do-hee does not want to marry Seok-hoon for his own protection. It’s easier to consider a stranger or her bodyguard with the idea that they can be killed at any time.

In the end, Do-hee marries Gu-won. In scenes interspersed throughout the ceremony, we see how his desire not to see her die is a primary motivator. Both taking their contracts seriously, they create a mutually beneficial marriage contract to see them through the remainder of their investigation. When both achieve what they want, they will be free to leave. But, for Gu-won, this marriage will soon unlock more than he bargained for. Perhaps it is a key to unlocking his past based on a mysterious dream he has on their wedding night.

The next morning, the two start investigating Do-gyeong due to how suspicious he’s been. They’re not subtle in their efforts, which culminate in the tense final moments of the episode. Having followed him to a subway, the two find themselves in a photo booth. Do-gyeong notices movement by the photo booth and approaches. Panicking, Gu-won proceeds to kiss Do-hee, providing even more fanservice for us romance fans. But we’re left on yet another cliffhanger. Curses!

My Demon has been simple enough. It’s not bombarded by any additional subplots to distract, which has the benefit of creating a clean, straightforward storyline. Different genre beats within the series have gotten to shine without feeling tonally off. In My Demon Episodes 5-6, we see the continuation of this tonal balance while seeing the romance and angst between our two romantic leads deepen.

My Demon Episodes 5-6 has opened up more questions while also maneuvering the plot forward. Nothing feels too slow or rushed. We get to take our time watching our Do-hee and Gu-won figure each other out. This has resulted in moments of blushworthy fanservice, emotional ups and downs, and displays of vulnerability that feel earned. With the next episodes, hopefully, we’ll get one step closer to figuring out who the killer is and maybe another glimpse into Gu-won’s past.

My Demon Episodes 1-6 are now available on Netflix, with new episodes airing on Fridays and Saturdays.