Summary
Episode 15 is a great example of a penultimate chapter, bringing the characters’ objectives together, and giving them a unified purpose.
This recap of Netflix K-drama series The Uncanny Counter Season 1 Episode 15 contains significant spoilers.
Following on from the previous episode, So Mun finds himself in a dangerous position with Shin Myeong-hwi, who is now the level four spirit after Cheong-sin died. But, So Mun finds strength, and the ground shakes, leaving Shin Myeong-hwi looking surprised. So Mun fights back, and then Mo-tak joins in on the fight. Meanwhile, Ha-na is still fighting Baek Hyang-hui, who continues to mock the Counter about her family. The Uncanny Counter continues to impress with entertaining fight choreography.
Ha-na does everything she can to summon the evil spirit inside Baek Hyang-hui
Shin Myeong-hwi manages to get away, but Ha-na is in trouble, with Baek Hyang-hui choking her; she manages to get out of the hold. Ha-na tries to summon the spirit out of her; it feels like an eternity as the evil spirit does everything to wriggle and fight back. The penultimate chapter brings a breathtaking start.
Ha-na tells So Mun that she saw her family when struggling with Baek Hyang-hui
One of the subplots that tease the audience is So Mun and Ha-na’s friendship which is difficult to gauge. It feels platonic, but then there are times where there’s slight intimate tension in their conversation.
READ: K-Drama Shows like The Uncanny Counter
During training, Ha-na talks to So Mun; while fighting Baek Hyang-hui, she saw her family in the afterlife. They tell her she needs to go back while she was being strangled. Ha-na says it might be a dream, but she does miss them. She tends to So Mun’s wounds, and it looks like a little moment between them. So Mun is not the only one that needs aid. Ms Chu is sick after recent events of using the staffs, and she needs to rest. Episode 15 reminds the viewers that there’s still plenty of time for one of their favourite characters to die with two episodes to watch.
A new Counter enters the scene — Jeong-gu
The last thing we expected so late in the series is a new Counter, mixed with some comical moments.
So Mun senses a level two evil spirit and alerts the other Counters. Another Counter who hasn’t been introduced until now gets to the evil spirit first. So Mun helps the man out and realises he is a Counter. Ga Mo-tak turns up, and it’s his friend Jeong-gu who has returned from another country. Flashbacks show financier Choi was part of Jeong-gu’s recruitment — he found him rude in some comical scenes in Yung. He’s a former singer.
Jeong-gu gives Ms Chu a warning
Jeong-gu has similar powers to Ms Chu so helps heal her sickness. The reason why his hair hasn’t got greyer is that he uses hair dye. Ms Chu is thankful that he made the long trip. Suddenly, the conversation turns dark; Jeong-gu privately tells Ms Chu that she cannot continue being out of on the field due to her condition, as trying to save someone may result in her death. This feels like a foreshadowing to her death, or irony, as we know what happens later.
Shin Hyeok-u is in danger, but So Mun brings him in
Episode 15 sees Shin Hyeok-u in a dangerous position with his father and so far, he hasn’t tried to cry out for help. Shin Hyeok-u sees his father Shin Myeong-hwi murder a man on the home CCTV, and he’s in total shock. His father looks up at the camera and laughs. The next day, So Mun finds Hyeok-u in a bad place, so the Counters rest him at the noodle cafe.
Visiting Shin Myeong-hwi’s residence
The Uncanny Counter episode 15 sees the Counters once again ready to fight the level four evil spirit — this time there are no staffs; it’s pure hope that they can beat it on this occasion.
While Ms Chu stays back with Shin Hyeok-u, the Counters enter Shin Myeong-hwi’s place of residence. They walk around it slowly. They find Shin Myeong-hwi unconscious and stiff and slow breathing. Suddenly, they realise, the evil spirit could have transferred into Shin Hyeok-u. But Ga Mo-tak is confused to why the Shin Myeong-hwi is still alive; he thinks the evil spirit could return to Shin Myeong-hwi. He stays at the residence while the others return to the cafe.
The evil spirit works across two bodies
The penultimate chapter knows how to get the audiences’ blood pumping, as we all know Ms Chu is not at her best in this episode, and now she finds herself against a level four evil spirit.
Shin Hyeok-u reveals himself to be the host of the evil spirit to Ms Chu. She fights him, but she struggles straight away. So Mun then enters the fray and throws training weights at him. After a brief fight, the evil spirit leaves Shin Hyeok-u’s body and returns to Shin Myeong-hwi. Jeong-gu and Ga Mo-tak try and summon the evil spirit, but they fail and need to fight him. However, the territory disappears, so the pair run away; Shin Myeong-hwi throws a knife at Jeong-gu, and he’s severely injured. Ga Mo-tak tries to carry back as his friend slowly dies.
So Mun levels up
And Episode 15 brings another tragedy, but fans will not be devastated about this one as they’ve only just been introduced to the character, however, the Counters’ feelings are still important. Jeong-gu is dead, and his partner in Yung disappears. Mo-tak sobs as Ha-na and So Mun arrive — the partner’s soul floats away. So Mun blames the death on himself, but then in a twist, Jeong-gu’s partner from Yung goes inside So Mun. He now hosts Wi-gen and the other partner. So Mun is now more powerful than ever. He declares that nobody else is dying and his eyes light up blue.
Mo-tak is depressed about his friend’s death, and Ms Chu does not believe she will be able to ever repay him. Choi reminds her that Jeong-gu’s soul made it to Yung and that he will be okay.
Helping a former enemy out
The next day, So Mun offers Shin Hyeok-u breakfast at his grandparents’ home. The contrast between the first episode and now is incredible — from bullies to allies. From bitterness to empathy. After breakfast, Shin Hyeok-u tells So Mun he doesn’t remember anything. Shin Hyeok-u tries to remain mean, but So Mun tells him he knows he doesn’t want to return to his father’s house.
The ending
As the penultimate chapter nears the end, the Counters appear to be preparing to end this, once and for all. There’s a sense that they are approaching a natural end. Ga Mo-tak feels he owes it to So Mun and his father.
So Mun gets into a taxi, and he has a brief moment where he sees Cheong-sin as the driver. He tells the Counters that the taxi was near his grandparents’ church at the time close a demolition site. He has a plan, but Ms Chu holds his hand and tells him it’s finally time to fight for his parents and save them. The Counters get ready to go out but want a photo together before they do. The last scene preps the finale as the Counters walk towards the site to face Shin Myeong-hwi one last time. There’s a cinematic feel to it and a feeling that the increased chance of mortality is now more evident than ever.
The Uncanny Counter episode 15 is a great example of a penultimate chapter, bringing the characters’ objectives together, and giving them a unified purpose.
Additional points
- Baek Hyang-hui has no recollection of everything that has happened and ends up getting badly slapped by someone in her police cell.
- So Mun looks at Shin Hyeok-u’s memories and sees flashbacks of how his father treated him over the year. It’s no wonder he turned into the bully he was. So Mun is starting to understand everything.
