Summary
Although not firing on all cylinders, the moments of impact carried plenty of weight here, and some reveals will undoubtedly lead to some gripping moments in upcoming installments.
This recap of Netflix K-Drama series Bulgasal: Immortal Souls season 1, episode 9, contains spoilers.
Read the recap of the previous episode.
In many ways, episode nine of Bulgasal: Immortal Souls doesn’t exactly advance the plot in any extreme ways, but it does give plenty of room for thought. Smartly filled with moments of shrewd development, it’s no doubt setting the scene for a thrilling final section.
Bulgasal: Immortal Souls season 1, episode 9 recap
We start exactly where we left off. When Sang-un looks close to convincing Hwal of Eul-tae’s real past, she finds herself in a chokehold, threatened by the being known as Dark Hole. That is until Hwal injects him with the poison, stating he’ll find out the truth of the matter. As they leave, Ho-yeol finds himself torn upon his return to the group, but helps the limping Hwal regardless.
We go back 1000 years ago and see Eul-tae annoyed by the words of the man we now know as Ho-yeol. We hear that Eul-seo, his second child, has been killed, and Bulgasal is swiftly blamed. But it’s Eul-tae, his other child, who did most of the deed, and when we return to the present the villain is a quivering wreck upon recalling the memory. That is until he starts menacingly laughing, which then turns into a vengeful look. He kills the truck drivers we saw him follow in the previous episode, and then feasts on their blood.
Waking up from his own nightmare, Hwal asks Sang-un about the past, wondering why she was present if Eul-tae was responsible for his family’s deaths. His frenemy explains the situation to him, while the weakened being declines her blood too, wishing for at least some of his humanity to remain intact.
Elsewhere, a drunken Ho-yeol sits in his private investigator friend’s office with a mournful face, lamenting the fact he has failed to catch one of the bad guys who was, in his words, right under his nose. Here, we also get the true context over his past with Bulgasal, through a flashback which reveals the missing details of the night that still haunts him to this day. As he reflects on things, Hwal comes to visit, explaining his own side of the story, and stating that he never intended to hide the fact that he too is Bulgasal.
The next day, Sang-un seems buoyed by the chance to clear her name, evidently content in a scene with the recovered Hwal. In the meantime, Eul-tae meets with Do-yoon, furious about what is happening between his foe and his potential ally. He asks the student to bring Sang-un to him, blackmailing him by bringing up his brother when he is initially hesitant. Si-ho is suspicious – albeit for the wrong reasons – when the young man returns, and Hye-suk seems somewhat sceptical even amongst the innocent jibes.
Back at the nursing home, Hwal observes a conversation between Sang-un and the old lady, Go-bun, but she instantly becomes panicked by the scar on his hand. Instead of giving information on Dark Hole, she wants Sang-un to run instead, meaning no conclusions are reached. Instead, Hwal believes that Hwa-yeon ran away 50 years ago after wronging him, but he does concede that right now, he does also think Sang-un is telling the truth.
After hearing about Si-ho’s power to read people’s past lives, Hwal happily requests that she looks into her own, and the two share a touching moment together. Then, she tries to gaze into her former self, before it cuts to the two sisters talking. The act didn’t work, but the siblings are curious as to why the plea came in the first place. Soon, though, the tone shifts as Si-ho has a bout of morning sickness, leading to Hwal (and Hye-suk) discovering her pregnancy, the former then caught in contemplation of whether the child will be his past-life son, A-chan.
Continuing, Hwal and Do-yoon have a heart-to-heart, discussing the student’s brother, the “supporter” he has, and the favor he has been tasked with doing. Surprisingly, the 600-year-old monster is a good source of comfort for the young man, and the two seem to have come to a mutual place of understanding. But Hwal is rather suspicious about the backer mentioned and asks for a search on Do-yoon’s supporter through the private investigator he is close with.
Such a scene leads nicely into one of underlying intensity, where a celebration of Si-ho’s pregnancy is met with an uncomfortable tone after the mother-to-be’s sister claims the household is a family. Even when Hye-suk attempts to lift the atmosphere, the two males in the residence still appear unsettled, but it is genuinely sweet when things calm down.
Now, Do-yoon wishes to break free of the potential agreement with Eul-tae, but the monster threatens him, claiming more people will get hurt if Sang-un is not brought to him, before bringing up his first encounter with the young orphan, who appeared to have no sight. Hanging up, the message is clear, and Do-yoon’s shaky grip tells the whole story. He returns inside and asks Sang-un for a “favour,” the manner of which seems to be driven by the threat.
At the same time, Hwal, who is meant to have an appointment with investigator Mr. Gu, is met with a hasty Ho-yeol, who discloses the facts of Do-yoon’s supporter. But the student is already telling Sang-un the truth at the bus station which, upsetting as it is, causes a reality check for her about her situation. As such, she still goes to get on the bus, but to hide instead. When Do-yoon stops her, though, Hwal is there, ready to confront the orphan he has protected selflessly. The two then come to blows, Hwal furious as he tells Do-yoon to leave and never come back. Walking off, he ignores the blonde-haired student as he pleas with them, until he turns to threaten him with death should they ever meet again.
Upon hearing the news, Eul-tae is enraged, and seamlessly discloses that the young man’s brother is, in fact, dead. The deception becomes clear, but it’s no bother to the rich antagonist, who leaves looking for Sang-un. Hwal is already wise to this prospect though, and gathers everyone in preparation to move home. At the same time, Si-ho confronts Do-yoon only for the student to break down over his brother.
The ending
As it happens, this all leads to a coming together of Hwal, Si-ho and Sang-un. Already wanting to go and collect Do-yoon, the man of the house soon hears the whole truth, along with an intriguing fact: Do-yoon was indeed born blind. Putting two and two together, Hwal realises that the young man was his son, A-chan, and finds himself emotionally struck by the whole situation before the episode ends.
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