REVIEW: ‘When The Stars Gossip’ Episode 8

When The Stars Gossip Episode 8 takes the stress we were left off with at the end of Episode 7 and runs with it. The stakes are higher than ever before, but romance blossoms in a way that only danger can tap into. For romance fans, the close proximity trope kicks into high gear, giving us the much-needed romantic hits we’ve been dying for. But also, the elephant in the room is addressed in a moment of heartfelt sincerity and emotion, paving the way, at least a little bit, for the future of the series’ romance.

This episode starts off with great intensity, with Lee Min-ho continuing an outstanding, emotional performance while his Gong Ryong is trapped in the Observation Module. He sees Commander Eve Kim (Kong Hyo-jin) on the spacewalk, and he tearfully yells that he deserves to die, but she thinks otherwise. Inside the Scorpion, Eve makes an impassioned plea to Mission Control Center (MCC) that she is the only one qualified to grab him. This is a moment that further proves her leadership but also the code of honor she lives by.

They eventually let her go, and the Scorpion takes off without her. The mission is going well until it doesn’t. Eve is notably small in frame; her suit and tether provide a fragile form of protection against the space elements. The space debris arrives earlier than anticipated, and this fragility intensifies as Eve’s only way of survival is to cram herself into the rungs of the ladder she was using between modules. Any wrong move and she can die.

While you can’t hear sound in space, that logic is thrown to the wayside for drama’s sake, and so we hear the space debris battering against the space station. However, this decision only helps amplify our fear. The distinct chink of sound when debris cracks the glass of Eve’s helmet is startling, and the frantic desperation down at MCC to verify her stats and equipment solidifies that this is life or death. And that feeling of mortality hangs over When The Stars Gossip Episode 8 long after the space debris moment ends.

When The Stars Gossip Episode 8 is all about the balance of life and death.

This is apparent in every decision made once Eve finally gets inside the Observation Module. With confirmation Gong Ryong is alive, emotions bubble over. They cling to one another, and we see the couple’s first kiss. The elephant in the room that has lingered since Episode 6 is finally addressed as Ryong apologizes for everything he’s done since entering Eve’s life. Well, almost everything. But there’s something about death that loosens the tongue and removes barriers between people, and a full confession is not far behind in When The Stars Gossip Episode 8.

Their survival, though, takes center stage in When The Stars Gossip Episode 8, and it doesn’t look good. It’s unclear how much oxygen is leaking out of the space station, ramping up the possibility of an explosion. News of the Scorpion making its way to Earth takes over the media, leading to an ever-uncomfortable situation for the MCC if things go awry. This is a KDrama, so things have to go south.

The engine module exploded during their initial test. The oxygen hatch is exposed, and Ryong’s confession about his real intentions for why he was actually sent up to the station is lost once Eve shuts the oxygen hatch. In the analysis of the station, it is determined that without the engine and the remaining available escape pod, Eve and Gong Ryon cannot escape back to Earth. The storage module has been breached, and the solar panels have been fried, meaning that they will only have enough power to survive two days.

The will he or won’t he question surrounding Gong Ryong’s confession is toyed with throughout When The Stars Gossip Episode 8. When the engine module explodes, Ryong’s typed-out confession disappears from it. While this is a frustrating moment, it’s not the right time to drop the reveal. Instead, both focus on maintaining life. She focuses on shutting down electricity for their survival, and he focuses on keeping the morulae going with his own body heat.

Kang Tae-hui is left in an impossible situation – both professionally and personally. 

Meanwhile, back on Earth, there’s a flurry of activity. This is an impossible PR situation for Kang Tae-hui (Lee El) when she has to meet the press and explain the situation to them. For the most part, she keeps it to the truth, relaying the events of what happened in a straightforward fashion. There’s no other way around it, and with the media being as they are, it is likely that this will be seen as a failure on her part.

Then there’s Park Dong-a (Kim Joo-hun), who really gets swept up in his feelings in When The Stars Gossip Episode 8. This episode may be a come-to moment for him after watching the woman he cheated on and still loves nearly die out on a spacewalk. His guilt and jealousy are a heavy emotional concoction, and actor Kim Joo-hun lets it all out in his volatile exchange with Tae-hui post-press conference. Whatever your feelings are for Dong-a, his determination to save Eve is admirable, especially knowing the risks.

The MZ Group storyline continues to be the least interesting. What’s going on in space is far more gripping, and so their inclusion in When The Stars Gossip Episode 8 is honestly annoying. They receive the news that the Scorpion has had to evacuate but it is uncertain whether or not Gong Ryong has made it in time. The aides surrounding Na Min-jeong (Baek Eun-hye) are trying not to get her hopes up, but that backfires upon the news that only four people returned to Earth. With her focus only on the egg, this one-note character explodes at Kang Kang-su (Oh Jung-se) for losing both the egg and Ryong.

Returning to space roughly 30 hours after the incident, Eve gives a final sign-off to the MCC, asking them not to give up on them. She’s done everything she can to extend the station’s electric stores, but it’s time to cut communication in a bid to conserve more. Ice particles float around, and the cold is taking its toll on both Ryong and Eve despite their best efforts. This ultimately culminates in the most blatant close proximity trope activation ever, and I live for it.

Romantic tropes culminate in When The Stars Gossip Episode 8, delivering prime moments for fans.

After trying to help with her leg cramp, Gong Ryong gets inside Eve’s insulated sleeping bag to share heat. It’s not long after the suggestion of nudity rises up. It’s a flail-inducing moment. Whilst nuzzled all up in each other’s nooks and crannies, Ryong confesses his real purpose for being on the station. The illegal fertilization, his mission from MZ Group, everything, and the barrier between them is finally dropped. With oxygen nearly depleted, this confession sparks something new, and When The Stars Gossip Episode 8 ends in a beautifully shot moment between the two. No spoilers for anything else after that point.

When The Stars Gossip Episode 8 is a relentless adrenaline rush. Whether on Earth or in space, no one is spared in the aftermath of the space debris incident. The moments of calm that manifest are specifically between Gong Ryong and Eve as danger breeds intimacy, and the threat to their mortality facilitates an honesty that neither has fully allowed themselves leading up to the end of the episode.

While I’m still salty over the events of Episode 6, Gong Ryong’s apology to Eve after her spacewalk is incredibly sincere and smoothes some doubt over their romance. It was difficult to buy into the prospect of them inevitably getting together, but when people are about to die or in a corner, a person’s character is unveiled to its fullest extent. And Gong Ryong’s character is still caring and earnest, even in the face of death.

The big question that remains after When The Stars Gossip Episode 8 is where the series will go from here. We are now officially halfway through the series, with eight more episodes left to go. With the space portion of the series nearing its end, with a possible extraction imminent in Episode 9, it’s unclear what will happen next. The storytelling has been inconsistent leading up to this point, so it’s anyone’s guess.

When The Stars Gossip Episode 8 rights the ship of the romance between Gong Ryong and Eve Kim, delivering prime-time romantic tropes and moments that will have fans punching the air. The tension keeps the pace moving briskly, leaving us on the edge of our seats. It is one of the strongest episodes to come out so far.

When The Stars Gossip Episode 8 is streaming exclusively on Netflix, with new episodes every Saturday and Sunday in January through February.