REVIEW: ‘Head Over Heels’ Episodes 3-4

Head Over Heels Episodes 3-4 are an emotional rollercoaster, with grief and hope at the forefront of our characters’ journeys. Bae Gyeon-woo (Choo Young-woo), in particular, runs the gamut of emotions after the loss of his grandmother (Gil Hae-yeon). Through Seong-a’s (Cho Yi-hyun), Pyo Ji-ho’s (Cha Kang-yoon), and even Coach Yang Ju-seop’s (Park Jung-pyo) efforts, he is able to take a step forward in his healing. However, the arrival of the suspicious shamaness, Yeom Hwa (Choo Ja-hyeon), and Seong-a’s dishonesty put an end to that.

No time has been wasted painting a picture of Gyeon-woo’s misery, and in Episode 3, he is at his lowest. With a family like his, who could blame him? After handling the arrangements of his grandmother’s wake by himself, he faces an onslaught of verbal and physical abuse from his relatives as they take over the service. The same relatives refused to come near him while his grandmother was alive. Seong-a, still hiding her identity, tries to defend Gyeon-woo, but his uncle shoves her away. She is useless in the situation. Well, sort of.

In an attempt to help alleviate his loneliness, Seong-a reached out to her friend, Ji-ho. It doesn’t look like he’ll come, but just as it seems like no one will intervene in the escalating conflict between Gyeon-woo and his relatives, Ji-ho arrives all heroic. It is a real ‘friends helping friends‘ moment for the group. While the seed for this trio’s friendship was planted in Episode 2, the foundation is laid in Head Over Heels Episodes 3-4.  It is just unfortunate that Gyeon-woo’s grandmother’s death is the catalyst.

Seong-a represents the friend we need in our darkest moments.

Her death also pushes Gweon-yoo’s mind into dark places, and when Seong-a checks in on him, a death ghost is patiently waiting for when it all becomes too much for the young man. The realization that he is once again close to death sparks Seong-a to expedite her efforts to come up with a solution. The closest one? Becoming a human amulet that can ward off the spirits. How does its effect kick in? Through hand-holding. Yes, this leads to some adorable moments in Head Over Heels Episodes 3-4.

While Seong-a is aggressive in her efforts to cheer up Gweon-woo in Episode 3, it highlights the importance of having a support system in place when a person’s headspace is dark. For the longest time, it’s been Gweon-woo and his grandmother. Everyone else shunned him, including his family. Misfortune greeted him at every turn. And with the loss of his grandmother, he truly has no one. Seong-a and Ji-ho both step in to provide company, knowing how vulnerable a time it is. And by the end of Episode 3, a light has cracked through. For the first time, Gweon-woo feels something akin to hope and warmth.

Further aiding him in pulling him from his depressive spiral is the persistence of Coach Yang Ju-seop, who has finally realized who Gweon-woo is. Throughout Head Over Heels Episodes 3-4, he pulls Gweon-woo aside, reminding the student how much he loved archery. While his grandmother’s support fueled him in the sport, as soon as he touches a bow, something inside Gweon-woo wakes up. Honestly, the support the Coach gives Gweon-woo to get back into the game, even giving him private access to the school equipment, is heartwarming.

Head Over Heels Episodes 3-4 highlight the importance of check-ins during vulnerable times.

This heartwarming feeling carries over into Episode 4, where Gweon-woo reaches a major milestone in his healing journey. Grief is a process, and the up-and-down emotional turmoil Choo Young-woo depicts in his performance is raw and relatable. With Seong-a’s support and constant hand-holding, much of Episode 4 is spent watching as Gweon-woo’s feelings toward Seong-a hit romantic crush levels. Poor Ji-ho gets stuck as the third wheel, even though, as is shown through Head Over Heels Episodes 3-4, he doesn’t realize he has zero chance.

While the love triangle festers, a darker plot unfolds in Head Over Heels Episodes 3-4. The arrival of a new character also signals a new threat. Seong-a’s adopted mother, General Dongcheon (Kim Mi-kyung), and a group of shamans undertake the challenge of exorcising a secluded dwelling teeming with negative energies. The first attempt doesn’t go to plan, and the General is even cursed in the process. Even still, Kim Mi-kyung’s performance in this scene showcases the character’s strength of will, and it is mesmerizing to watch.

The likely culprit, or at least a person involved in the reason why this dwelling is full of negative energy, is the newly arrived shamaness influencer, Yeom Hwa. From the styling to how Choo Ja-hyeon carries herself, there’s an obvious sinister energy that radiates off the character. In exposition moments, it becomes clear that Yeom Hwa is a shamaness who will do anything for money, even if it means engaging in the darker forces. She is incredibly powerful. And, for reasons not entirely known, she is particularly interested in Gweon-woo.

The introduction of Yeom Hwa showcases a darker side of shamanism.

The encounter between Gweon-woo and Yeom Hwa is tension-ridden. Flashbacks show how a lot of the issues Gweon-woo has with shamanism relate to Yeom Hwa, who frankly, doesn’t seem to care about his well-being. Instead, she overpowers him, marking a symbolic moment. For someone who just came out of a depressive spiral, her arrival and subsequent overpowering of him when he’s alone show how vulnerable he still remains.

Yet, her arrival just as he starts to see some hope is also significant. What Seong-a is doing to help him seems to be working. Light and darkness are constant foes, yet across Head Over Heels Episodes 3-4, there is a lack of balance between these two elements, particularly within Gweon-woo. Seong-a’s presence helps to balance it out, but it won’t take much to push him over the edge since he’s still in such a rough place. And, unfortunately, what may push him over the edge is Seong-a’s shamaness identity being revealed.

It’s no secret that Seong-a is not the smartest, nor is she the most subtle person. Her behavior, particularly in Head Over Heels Episodes 3-4 while she’s trying to help Gweon-woo, is pretty bonkers. Her desperation for people not to discover her shamaness identity is one rooted in a desire for some normalcy. However, the cover for identity is on shaky ground, especially after an influencer captures her and the General back at the haunted dwelling, attempting to exorcise the building once again.

Gweon-woo shows he is capable of feeling hope in Head Over Heels Episodes 3-4. Can he maintain it?

There have been several times when her cover was almost blown in Head Over Heels Episodes 3-4. As it becomes more apparent that Gweon-woo loathes shamans, Seong-a’s hesitance to reveal that side of her only intensifies. Yet, her skills are undeniable, and at times, helping people brings her some form of peace. And so, when Episode 4 ends with the literal dance between light and darkness between her and Yeom Hwa, it’s hard to look away as both move in unison, tapping into the most natural parts of themselves.

Fate is a fickle thing, however, and Choo Young-woo’s voiceover is laced with sadness as his Gweon-woo finds himself walking towards the haunted dwelling. In the voiceover, Gweon-woo reveals his thoughts and how much Seong-a has come to represent warmth for him. But, as he discovers the two women dancing outside the haunted dwelling, one of whom happens to be the one to cause him a lifetime of trauma, his face falls. With Seong-a’s identity revealed as a shamaness, the thing he despises, Gweon-woo may slide back into the darkness again.

Head Over Heels Episodes 3-4 are packed to the brim with emotion, with Choo Young-woo bearing the brunt of the emotional gymnastics in his performance. With the arrival of a new, clearly suspicious character, things are already starting to shift. The literal fight between light and darkness is being set before our eyes, with Gweon-woo at the center. Whether or not he succumbs to his darkness in the end remains to be seen, but it’ll be a fascinating journey to watch as he figures things out.

Head Over Heels Episodes 1-4 are now streaming exclusively on Prime Video, with new episodes releasing Mondays and Tuesdays.

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