Summary
There’s certainly an improvement as the series reaches halfway — episode 9 shows improved chemistry between the characters and a storyline worth clinging on to.
This recap of k-drama Netflix series Run On episode 9 contains significant spoilers.
The opening
The production crew are grateful for Ki Seon-gyeom’s hotel room bookings after a more restful night. Oh Mi-joo wakes up well-rested and has breakfast with the former athlete. They enjoy their usual small talk. Ki Seon-gyeom tells Oh Mi-joo that he only came to the production because of her, which impacts Oh Mi-joo. She’s sensing that the athlete is genuinely trying. Afterwards, Ki Seon-gyeom starts his role as the production driver. The tone has changed, and the lead character is trying to show Oh Mi-joo that he likes her — one of the themes of the series is that he struggles to express his feelings.
Ki Seon-gyeom learns that the production driver isn’t that fun
As part of Ki Seon-gyeom’s role, he has to do a lot of waiting around while he waits for scenes to finish recording. This also means he’s apart from Oh Mi-joo for most of the time. He decides to write in a diary, and Oh Mi-joo gives him an app so he can watch movies to pass the time. Later on, he tells Oh Mi-joo how hard it is to write a diary. Going from athlete to finding other hobbies is a struggle for him and Run On episode 9 demonstrates that.
Ki Seon-gyeom is known as “Mr One-Month”
Kwon Yeong-il visits Ki Seon-gyeom on set with his motorbike. He’s from the athletics team. The pair make small talk and Yeong-sil wonders why Ki Seon-gyeom is doing part-time driving on set. Oh Mi-joo is surprised that Ki Seon-gyeom has a friend and introduces herself. As Ki Seon-gyeom drives a production member, Oh Mi-joo tells Yeong-il that she isn’t sure who she and Ki Seon-gyeom are in terms of status. Yeong-il reveals that people call Ki Seon-gyeom “Mr One-Month” because women find him boring and leave quickly. Why on earth a friend would tell a prospective partner this!
An actor runs off set
On set, an actor named James and the cinematographer argue, and Oh Mi-joo tries to intervene and guarantee the schedule. But Oh Mi-joo warns of the importance of mistranslating broken English and using the word “guarantee”. James goes missing the next day, and the production crew is panicking. Ki Seon-gyeom brings James back in the car against the actor’s wishes. He acts naive and pretends he knows no English.
Oh Mi-joo clashes with the director
But the real changing point in the story comes when the American cinematographer gets angry at Oh Mi-joo and the others — he tells them how important the film is for Korean immigrants and explains how tiny their country is, going on a racist rant. Oh Mi-joo scoffs at him and tells him none of them violated their contract, but he did. They both tell each other to “F*ck off”, and they have to be separated. This was a scene with energy and comedy, but at the same time, it’s good seeing Oh Mi-joo stick up for herself again, just like in the first episode.
An awkward arrival — Ki Seon-gyeom’s father
Assemblyman Ki Jeong-do (Ki Seon-gyeom’s father) arrives on set with other politicians to see the movie’s progress, which alleviates tension. Julie Yeom, the chief producer of the movie, introduces herself. Assemblyman Ki awkwardly has to ask Oh Mi-joo to translate; they discuss the funding for production. He then apologizes for how he spoke to Oh Mi-joo at the premiere. Assemblyman Ki then criticizes his son for getting a job as a part-time driver. The usual father versus son problems return, and there’s no sign of them dissipating.
Oh Mi-joo is fired, but she still has Ki Seon-gyeom
Oh Mi-joo is then fired by the American cinematographer. The chief producer tells her she is replaceable and her gig ends the next day. She seems to take it on the chin and tells Ki Seon-gyeom that everyone is grateful for his help. She tells him how the experience of working on the production is worth it to see names on the credits. The next day, Oh Mi-joo apologizes to the cinematographer and asks if she can at least do her “last day”. He just says “whatever”. Run On episode 9 identifies how cutthroat the entertainment industry can be.
Oh Mi-joo and Ki Seon-gyeom continue to frustrate and work each other out
Near the seaside, Oh Mi-joo tells Ki Seon-gyeom that she made a wise decision to wait for him. There’s no denying that the chemistry between them is improving, purely by the way they look at each other — there’s conviction in their eyes. Afterward, Ki Seon-gyeom gives her a gift to thank her and tells her he can leave her home. She feels every time they get closer, he pushes her away. Ki Seon-gyeom asks if he has become too boring — Oh Mi-joo notes that she feels left out between them in the most important moments. After a brief moment of not speaking, Ki Seon-gyeom tells Oh Mi-joo that he’s been “liking her”, just like she asked. Oh Mi-joo isn’t supported by his words and wants them to leave the hotel and separately return to the city. It’s easy to understand her feelings here — she wants him to like her, not act it.
And as per, the mind games between Dan-ah and Lee Yeong-hwa continue
Dan-ah and Lee Yeong-hwa end up in the same cafe. Dan-ah wants an update on her painting, but he replies about the pressure of passing exams. Lee Yeong-hwa is suddenly tired of the mind games and tells her he’s exhausted. He believes her empathy skills are pathetic, calls her cute, and walks away, which frustrates Dan-ah. He’s playing a blinder to get her to chase him.
Ki Seon-gyeom and Woo-sik catch up
The next day, Ki Seon-gyeom helps Woo-sik clean some windows at work. Ki Seon-gyeom reveals that he’s been living with Oh Mi-joo for a while and Woo-sik wonders if he’s getting married to her. Woo-sik then expresses that he feels carefree after expressing himself to the public. Ki Seon-gyeom tells him to think more of himself.
The ending
As the episode nears the end, Dan-ah watches Lee Yeong-hwa paint from a distance and half-admires him. They do their usual small talk, and Dan-ah asks “why do I always have to look for you?”. He tells her she should have phoned him, but Dan-ah expresses that she was too upset. She then asks for her painting again, but he tells her he isn’t a vending machine. Dan-ah is embarrassed for not having a painting on time. Lee Yeong-hwa then realizes she wanted a painting to save face. He seems shocked by her attitude. Dan-ah tells Lee Yeong-hwa that she has many other “vending machines” and that he’s wasting her time.
Lee Yeong-hwa smudges the current canvas he was doing and ruins it; Dan-ah realizes he was working on her painting. He reminds her that the painting is his until he hands it over to her. Dan-ah looks shocked by his passion and insistence. They both stand there, looking at each other.
There’s certainly an improvement as the series reaches halfway — Run On episode 9 shows improved chemistry between the characters and a storyline worth clinging on to.
