REVIEW: ‘My Demon’ Episodes 9-10

With so many questions hanging in the air, My Demon Episodes 9-10 puts the pedal to the metal in getting us closer to discovering the truth. Some reveals are more impactful than others due to their delivery and execution, but let’s face it. The real draw of these episodes continues to be Jung Gu-won’s (Song Kang) and Do Do-hee’s (Kim Yoo-jung) ever-budding romance. And, in My Demon Episodes 9-10, we see the consummation of their love and how much they are willing to sacrifice so that the other may live.

The first half of My Demon Episode 9 is full of adorable couple-like shenanigans. Our two lovebirds move the passionate kissing over to the bedroom, where they consummate their love. With Do-hee having a well-deserved day off the next day, a super enthusiastic Gu-won encourages them to do romantic couple-oriented things, whether it’s couples bike riding, meal sets, etc. When you realize that Gu-won has likely never gotten the chance to do these things, it breaks the heart a little.

But this is the calm before the storm. Hearing killer Gi Kwang-chul’s (Kim Seol-jin) signature song towards the end of their romantic-filled day can only be a foreshadowing of the evil that’s to come. This shift in tone in My Demon Episode 9 is where we get some much-needed answers. First, we learn the true identity of Abraxis and how Noh Do-gyeong (Kang Seung-ho) is connected.

Noh Suk-min (Kim Tae-hoon) is ruthless and impatient. Pushing for an emergency shareholder’s meeting, he wants to be labeled Chairman of the Mirae Group ASAP. In the process, he also reveals he has plans for Do-gyeong. Likely misinterpreting how his mother raised him, Suk-min only sees the value in depriving Do-gyeong of things in order to grow. Based on Do-gyeong’s penchant for violence, Suk-min is replicating the same mistakes as his mother. But Do-gyeong has a trick up his sleeve. He’s been tracking his father’s cell phone.

Yes, as is revealed in My Demon Episode 9 with an unnecessarily dramatic flair, Suk-min is Abraxis. He has orchestrated everything from Ju Cheon-sook’s (Kim Hae-sook) demise to hiring Kwang-chul to take out Do-hee. If viewers hadn’t connected the dots with the phone reveal, Suk-min’s dispatching of Kwang-chul in a fiery blaze of glory, emulating the hell that the killer deserves, rips the blinders off completely. Unfortunately, it’s shot and directed in such a cheesy fashion that it undercuts the full impact of the villainy onscreen.

There’s a time and place for cheesy villain reveals. It generally works better if the rest of the series matches the cheesiness in tone. But the dramatic angles, edits, and subsequent laughter erupting from actor Kim Tae-hoon’s lips was a choice made that almost rendered the reveal unserious. A bigger reveal later on in the episode proves to be a far better template for drama and helps right the episode’s course.

For Gu-won, his sights are set on protecting Do-hee and catching the killer. But the people around Do-hee don’t see this. Ju Seok-hoon (Lee Sang-yi) still has his sights on Gu-won, going as far as to confront him for allowing her to give up her inheritance. But Gu-won has bigger fish to fry than Seok-hoon. He needs Do-hee, and while she’s given up on trying to find answers, he hasn’t. Unfortunately, his failing powers and the approach of the full moon have him on edge.

While learning about bugs in his office, Kwang-chul’s demise, and the subsequent warning left behind, his true mission smacks him upside the face when his room of ticking clocks is revealed to have stopped. With the stop of the clocks, all of his contracts are reneged, and we see those devastating consequences. With nothing else to lose, Gu-won finds the Arabica woman (Cha Chung-hwa), who leads him to a gambling house. It is here we learn her true identity – God, or at least, a version of it. In their one-on-one, it is revealed that she gave him his powers and that, from her knowledge, the only way he can get them back is if Do-hee dies.

The odds are forever in this couple’s favor. Fate is a fickle mistress. Knowing this, My Demon Episode 10 shows Gu-won preparing to sacrifice himself for Do-hee. However, Fate is heavily influenced by choice. So much so that even God herself can’t always predict the odds. This ultimately leads to a predictable ending for viewers but an unpredictable one for our beloved characters.

Speaking of choices, all through My Demon, we’ve seen heavily co-dependent performer Jin Ga-young (Cho Hye-joo) doing everything she can to keep the couple separated. Believing Do-hee to be her rival, we see how far she is willing to go to “protect” Gu-won in My Demon Episode 10. It’s a real testament to actress Cho Hye-joo for making this character truly insufferable; it’s hard to feel sorry for her when she continues crossing over Gu-won’s boundaries, and this shows itself in spades this episode.

While Gu-won meets up with God, Ga-young meets up with Seok-hoon, revealing Gu-won’s real identity and lies about Gu-won’s intentions for Do-hee. Stoking the fear in the young man, he’s an easy enough pawn for the young woman to manipulate. We see this penchant for manipulation revealed later when she plays on Do-hee’s fears surrounding Gu-won’s own demise. Whether or not these actions come back to bite Ga-young later on remains to be seen.

As for Gu-won, he tries to pretend everything is okay when he goes home. Do-hee greets him with a salty cake, and they both stay up to watch movies. But there’s a sense of foreboding and sadness in our now-human demon. The writing is on the wall. We see how he goes through the various stages of grief, whether handing over the reins of the foundation to Park Bok-gyu (Heo Jung-do), trying to hide the truth from Do-hee, or bargaining with God a different deal; Gu-won knows that his lot is up.

All things come to a head at the end of My Demon Episode 10. Through the choices made by other players, Do-hee and Gu-won are met with a fateful revelation that neither could have predicted. Ga-young’s influence on Do-hee and Seok-hoon leads them to make choices that impact the episode’s end. Suk-min’s abuse and manipulation of his son lead Do-gyeong to escalate in his own violence and take it out on his father’s obsession, Do-hee, in what will certainly be a life-altering choice.

For our two lovebirds, both driven to the point of vulnerability and near death, My Demon Episode 10 ends with hope. But with hope always follows renewed violence. That is the cycle that humanity always plays out. With a growing list of enemies for both Do-hee and Gu-won, it is too soon to say that everything’s safe. Instead, one has to look out for the next incoming storm.

My Demon Episodes 9-10 feature slow romance and intense reveals that make both of these episodes incredibly busy. That’s not necessarily bad, but there’s an awful lot to follow as we start to make our way to the finish line. With Suk-min revealed as the big bad mastermind and Ga-young’s growing malevolence, the stakes are growing higher. But at the core of these episodes resides newfound love and peace, but also a lesson in grief and how even demons go through the motions.

My Demon Episodes 9-10 signal that the remaining half of the series will be chockablock is full of plot revelations, tension, and many loose ends left to tie up, so viewers are expected to try to keep up. Things will likely get faster with the end of the tunnel in sight. As long as the romance isn’t sacrificed, My Demon should continue to sail smoothly from here.

My Demon Episodes 1-10 are now available on Netflix, with new episodes airing on Fridays and Saturdays through January.