REVIEW: ‘Frankly Speaking’ Episodes 5-6

Frankly Speaking Episodes 5-6 completely embraces its new location and scenario surrounding a reality TV dating show. Song Ki-baek (Ko Kyoung-po) is a fish out of water on set, trying to figure out how to carve out a space for himself in the reality TV-scape. On Woo-joo (Kang Han-Na) spends her time guiding him, but an incident on set sparks a moment of clarity for her. For Kim Jeong-heon (Joo Jong-Hyuk), this is his opportunity to impress Woo-joo but his efforts continue to miss.

Much of the natural comedy in Frankly Speaking Episodes 5-6 centers once again around Ki-baek’s awkward bluntness. Without a script or filter to hide behind, he is out there onscreen, raw and unfiltered. As the most relatable character of them all in this reality TV setting, actor Ko Kyoung-po injects a layer of authenticity into Ki-baek that feels refreshing. And slowly throughout the episodes, people around Ki-baek begin to acclimate to his awkwardness.

Part of this is due to the advice Woo-joo gives him after arguably the most awkward dating introduction ever. The solo interviews following after are just as disastrous. After being way too honest, she pulls Ki-baek to the side and teaches him the three most important qualities viewers look for in a man on TV. A man must be victorious in the face of competition, loyal to a fault, and flexible. Ki-baek takes this advice to heart and tries to apply it in the next challenge.

For fans of Netflix’s Korean reality TV series, Single’s Inferno, writer Choi Kyung-sun pays homage and pokes a little fun at the popular series in Frankly Speaking Episodes 5-6. The challenges across both episodes feel almost directly pulled from Single’s Inferno. From the wrestling match among the men, which accidentally highlights Ki-baek’s natural competitive streak, to the couple’s making breakfast for their partner of choice, the set-up and execution of the challenges hit the nail on the head.

It is through these challenges in Frankly Speaking Episodes 5-6 that Ki-baek slowly comes into his own. But also, his natural charm shines through. This first becomes apparent when he approaches Choi Yu-yeong (Kim Ji-in), another contestant, after the wrestling match. While overhearing her breakup conversation on the phone, he silently waits until she’s ready. Her drama is not his priority. Her bleeding knee is. His loyalty and kindness stand out, and so she forms an alliance with him.

Ki-baek takes the lessons Woo-joo imparts to him seriously, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other people trying to help him. Albeit with more selfish motivations. His future love rival, Jeong-heon, tries to give Ki-baek advice, but Ki-baek rejects it. Flashbacks throughout Frankly Speaking Episodes 5-6 fill in the gaps of their acquaintance with one another. A crush on a girl in high school seems to be the catalyst for their awkwardness before, but can a mutual crush on Woo-joo be what separates them for good?

Before answering that question, there are some eye-opening reality TV tricks pulled that rattle Ki-baek. A one-on-one interview in Episode 5 has Ki-baek questioning how much he should trust Woo-joo. Lee Ha-young (Lee Bom Suri) tries to help Ki-baek find his niche in the show, revealing in the process that he was brought on to elevate Jeong-heon. This revelation hurts his feelings, but Ki-baek resolves to at least maintain some semblance of professionalism.

This goes out the window with a prank-gone-awry set by the TV crew. A hike tinged with supernatural hijinks is set up for the contestants. Keeping what Ha-young said in mind, Ki-baek separates him and Yu-yeong away from Jeong-heon and the others. As the stage for tomfoolery is set, Ki-baek and Yu-yeong get swept up in it, and because Ki-baek is the king of clumsiness, he accidentally falls off the path. As an unplanned event, everyone is rightfully freaking out. However, Woo-joo takes this to the extreme and goes barrelling off on her own.

Woo-joo’s disappearance exasperates Jeong-heon, who is really only a part of this show for her. He threatens to blow the project up if people don’t find Woo-joo. This all happens too little too late. When Woo-joo does come across Ki-baek, he confronts her about her reasonings for having him on the show. Overwhelmed, Woo-joo admits he makes her heart flutter. In this moment, the audience realizes before Woo-joo does that she indeed has a crush on Ki-baek.

This confession paints Woo-joo’s actions in Frankly Speaking Episode 6. She is bashful and shy, completely at a loss for words. But she has a job to do, and Ki-baek’s personal traumas will be exploited in the process. In this case, it means the arrival of Ki-baek’s and Jeong-hoon’s former high school crush, Min Cho-hui (Han Dong-hee). She also just so happens to be a first love for the other male contestants on the show.

Despite the inclusion of Cho-hui, her presence doesn’t have the intended shake-up Woo-joo and co had planned. Ki-baek alternates between trying to stay true to Yu-yeong on camera. A challenge at a theme park involving an incredibly bouncy ride that likely gave actor Patricia Yiombi flashbacks to her time on Zombieverse reveals Ki-baek’s care for Woo-joo’s safety. This, coupled with gossiping male crew members implying the worst about Woo-joo, makes it almost obvious that something’s going on between the two. Even if there isn’t.

These incidents do little to help Jeong-hoon’s own feelings for Woo-joo. He admits to her in a one-on-one that his feelings for his crush are growing, but those feelings aren’t directed at a contestant. They are all for Woo-joo. But a confrontation with abusive members of the public at the theme park throws him off his game and reveals a more vulnerable side of himself to Woo-joo. Throughout it all, Woo-joo is thrown off by her feelings for Ki-baek, her need to be professional, and her trying to keep the show afloat.

Frankly Speaking Episode 6 ends in a crisis. At least, that’s what it seems like. After Yu-yeong is caught by Cho-hui texting around on her phone, it’s not long after Yu-yeong is shown leaving. The implication is she is returning to her boyfriend. Without any easily available participants, the show seems almost dead in the water. That is until Woo-joo decides to step in as a last-minute contestant. This reveal at the end of Episode 6 sets the stage for a drama-ridden halfway point for the season. Personally, I can’t wait.

Frankly Speaking Episodes 5-6 are arguably the most entertaining episodes so far. Reality TV is already full of characters, but getting a behind-the-scenes scoop on how the shows are shot and the ridiculousness of it all creates a level of comedy that just hits right. As the odd one out, Ki-baek is the perfect character to point out the artifice of dating shows. Again, actor Ko Kyoung-po continues to nail the comedy with his physicality and line delivery.

What’s starting to come into play now is the romance. While the addition of a childhood crush is more convenient than not, the lack of a real stirring response from the boys means that all sights are set on Woo-joo. With a TV set being a volatile concoction for drama, a legitimate love triangle will only add more fuel to the fire. Seeing the romance build between the three characters is already proving to be exciting, but the next episodes seem likely to take the cake.

As it stands, Frankly Speaking Episodes 5-6 keep the excitement rolling while paying homage to popular Korean reality TV shows. While it lends itself to absurdity, the silliness is earned, and the comedy of the situation is gold.

Frankly Speaking Episodes 1-6 are now streaming on Netflix, with new episodes premiering Wednesdays and Thursdays.