Summary
Another solid episode that delves deep into character psychology while also teasing some dark upcoming turns.
This recap of My Liberation Notes season 1, episode 8 contains spoilers.
My Liberation Notes season 1, episode 8 recap
Everyone has a mask they wear for the world, at least some of the time. We all have a façade, a front-facing shell designed to appease others and protect ourselves. My Liberation Notes episode 8 begins with Mi-jeong explaining that she likes Mr. Gu because he doesn’t have this kind of protective mechanism. He is who he is, and cares little about what others think of him. I thought about this for most of the rest of the episode. You could almost say the same thing about the show itself.
My Liberation Notes is good at these simple ideas, at expressing them clearly and allowing both the characters and the audience to ponder them. Another, showcased mostly through Gi-jeong plucking up the courage to confess her feelings for Tae-hun, is how life is really just a long series of rejections and embarrassments – one thing after another not quite going our way.
This episode really elongates the dynamic between Gi-jeong and Tae-hun. It builds to a cripplingly embarrassing attempt at feigning short-term memory loss. It’s a fun, funny subplot that still has the ring of truth to it in how so many of our interactions are fumbling and humiliating. It also shows how nothing is ever as bad as it seems. Struggling is a good excuse to open up to those closest to you and tell them how you feel.
Another continuing subplot is a lot of teasing regarding Gu’s past. Someone seems to be watching him at the gas station, and a contact in Seoul confirms it. We still don’t know what this man is hiding, but we can see that perhaps what Mi-jeong sees as most appealing about him isn’t as accurate as she thinks. What seems clear, though, is that My Liberation Notes seems to be rapidly heading towards the truth regarding Mr. Gu, or at least doling out some consequences for hiding it, adding a welcome note of drama to what is already a compelling slice of life and character drama.
You can stream My Liberation Notes season 1, episode 8 exclusively on Netflix.
