Summary
There have been some average chapters, but episode 8 shows true strength in care and intimacy and the importance of looking after one’s wellbeing in a simple but emotional chapter.
This recap of k-drama Netflix series Run On episode 8 contains significant spoilers.
The opening
Run On episode 8 begins with Oh Mi-joo strongly grabbing Ki Seon-gyeom and taking him away from his cruel father — he has a slight smile on his face while she does it. The father is in shock, but his wife ironically tells him to calm him down with the press around. Oh Mi-joo tells Ki Seon-gyeom that he needs to start looking after himself. And she’s right — he needs to separate himself and do what he actually wants to do — wise advice from Oh Mi Joo who is blatantly still in a mood with the former athlete.
Oh Mi-joo learns that Ki Seon-gyeom and Lee Yeong-hwa are friends, so it’s time for drinks
After the premiere, Oh Mi-joo learns that Ki Seon-gyeom and Lee Yeong-hwa are friends and spent the night drinking together when she thought Ki Seon-gyeom was with another woman and her imagination went falsely wild, bringing a stubborn performance from the character in episode 7. The trio agrees to go for drinks once the film ends. During drinks, Oh Mi-joo and Lee Yeong-hwa talk about a film with confidence and interest and Ki Seon-gyeom struggles to keep involved. Lee Yeong-hwa talks about Dan-ah and his interest in her, but it comes across as obsessive for the other two. He’s desperate to meet up with her.
Dan-ah is left with some food for thought for Ki Seon-gyeom, but then more personal problems arrive
But Dan-ah has bigger problems in episode 8 regarding her professional and personal life, which entwines more than she would actually like.
In a difficult conversation, Dan-ah is asked by a colleague to why she got rid of Ki Seon-gyeom. She explains how she didn’t want an athlete who assaulted someone. But her colleague believes Ki Seon-gyeom would be a useful agent for the company and would look after their clients well. After that business conversation, her personal life is on the line with her father telling her to get married as quickly as possible. Dan-ah stays firm on the issue. And then she is bugged by her brother Seo Tae-woong who wonders what he’s done wrong not to have her attention. The brother subplot is faint at this point, and it struggles to impact the story.
Oh Mi-joo and May head out for work whole Ki Seon-gyeom is left to his own devices
There is an overriding plot in episode 8, as May and Oh Mi-joo have a film project to attend to. May and Oh Mi-joo are heading out of the city for a business trip, so Ki Seon-gyeom gives them both meals for the journey. Ki Seon-gyeom is still annoyed at the former athlete, so there’s tension. May and Oh Mi-joo end up near the seaside and are met by Hui-jin who shows them around a production set. As for Ki Seon-gyeom; he’s left to his own devices. He keeps on top of house chores while Oh Mi-joo is busy working on set and translating. He remembers talking to Oh Mi-joo about athletes retiring and the question of “what’s next?” There’s a real theme about his own existence in episode 8 — you can feel it emanating from his body language — he’s a lost soul.
Ki Seon-gyeom spends time with his mother and receives surprisingly kind words
Ki Seon-gyeom meets his mother Yoo Wi-joo at a production set for a coffee. It’s almost like he’s so bored he’s finding things to do. His mother compliments Ki Seon-gyeom for doing everything the family asked him to do and praises him for raising himself and using his initiative. This was a lovely and warm scene — his mother is clearly at odds with his father which can only give him confidence for the future.
The mind games continue between Lee Yeong-hwa and Dan-ah
Lee Yeong-hwa finally bumps into Dan-ah, and the flirting and mind games repeat. Lee Yeong-hwa teases her about his latest drafts and tells her he isn’t going to show them. Dan-ah iterates how she doesn’t deal with patience well.
Oh Mi-joo gets a bad fever from working too hard
Oh Mi-joo realises she needs Ki Seon-gyeom to help out on the set. She has to do the one thing she didn’t want to do — ring him. During the call, she tells him they can “make up”. Overnight, Oh Mi-joo becomes sick and oversleeps. When she wakes up, her illness is overwhelming, so she has to go to the hospital — she asks May to cover for her. The doctor tells her that she’s overworked and it’s caused a fever. They need to give her an IV drip and bring down her temperature. Ki Seon-gyeom visits Oh Mi-joo in hospital. She gets emotional — seeing him gives her comfort. Eventually, Oh Mi-joo recovers and Ki Seon-gyeom drives her back to the set. When he sees her room, he notices damp and mould and is immediately worried about the conditions.
The ending
Oh Mi-joo introduces Ki Seon-gyeom to the producers — he will be the driver on the set. The production team set budgets as Ki Seon-gyeom sits there — he asks May and Hui-jin if he can book a hotel nearby for everyone due to the conditions. He’s clearly not aware that the “most important” production members get nice hotels while they get the short straw. Run On episode 8 is giving that usual hierarchy set in workplaces which is a strange imbalance in society.
Oh Mi-joo is still sick despite hospital treatment and lays sleepily in her bed in the hotel. She keeps mumbling “Mom” in her sleep. Ki Seon-gyeom tells her that she needs to call out to someone who can be there for her, referring to him. She then mumbles “Ki Seon-gyeom’. This is a simple scene, but there’s strength in the intimacy and care shown between both characters.
There have been some average chapters, but Run On episode 8 shows true strength in care and intimacy and the importance of looking after one’s wellbeing in a simple but emotional chapter.
Additional points
- Dan-ah gave Lee Yeong-hwa a ticket for the premiere, but she doesn’t show up, and instead gives a colleague her ticket. He’s understandably disappointed.
- Lee Yeong-hwa finally gets Dan-ah’s number and texts her. He sends her some drawings, and he’s slowly but surely perking in her interest.
- While out on a business trip, Oh Mi-joo learns that May sleeps with her eyes open and it freaks her out.
