Summary
Gyeongseong Creature continues to balance genres well, tightening up the pace and delivering on multiple fronts.
Genres are comforting. You know to expect a jump-scare or two with horror, a meet-cute and a big-deal first kiss with a romance, and so on. Shows like Gyeongseong Creature that meld a few genres together can be tricky. The tropes can become overwhelming. If nothing else, Episode 4 of Season 1 highlights just how well the show is balancing its different elements. The horror is unpleasant, the romance is engaging, the action is exciting, and the mystery is intriguing.
None of this is easy to pull off. Sure, the episodes are overlong to allow for enough space to do everything, but it’s hard to argue that on the level of thrilling popcorn entertainment, the show’s doing everything pretty damn well.
Gyeongseong Creature Season 1 Episode 4 Recap
There’s an important flashback at the beginning of “Imprinting” between Chae-ok and her missing mother, a connection which will become more important later with an admittedly predictable reveal. But here it’s used more for its romantic implications, mentioning the magic of a bond between two people and calling back to Tae-sang saving her life at the end of Episode 3.
If you were wondering how Tae-sang made it to the hospital roof, this episode briefly reveals that he teamed up with Sachimoto and Jun-taek, the latter of whom was compelled to accompany them because of having comrades who had been taken to the hospital.
Who is the creature?
With the soldiers inside the labs having found the doctor Chae-ok killed, the alarms are raised, so everyone gets out of Dodge with the children in tow and retreats to Chae-ok’s hideout. Tae-sang isn’t thrilled about the babysitting, but needs must. Introductions are made between the sleuths and Jun-taek and Sachimoto, but Tae-sang keeps the latter’s identity a secret for now.
The focus on the kids in this episode adds a bit of levity but also turns the horror up a notch since human experimentation is one thing, but human experimentation on children is quite another. Even Tae-sang eventually comes around to the nippers, but when they spot Sachimoto’s drawings he’s forced to reveal to Chae-ok who the man really is.
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In a very important development, Jun-taek notices the necklace Jung-won is wearing, which he explains was made for him by Chae-ok when she was a child. Her mother was given a similar one, and of course, we saw the monster wearing it earlier. The titular creature is Chae-ok’s mother, which isn’t necessarily a shocking development – it was fairly obvious from ages ago – but does heighten the personal stakes all the same.
When Chae-ok asks Sachimoto where her mother is, he claims not to know, which at this point is probably for the best. The kids are able to escape the hospital and make it to the pawn shop, where Mrs. Nawol helps them out.
Rescue Efforts
Lady Maeda arrives at the hospital to meet with Director Ichiro and rat Tae-sang out. She seems to have an interest in protecting “what’s hers”, and makes sure that Myeong-ja and her unborn child – fathered, it was revealed earlier, by Ishikawa – are moved to another part of the building.
Tae-sang and Chae-ok are still determined to find Myeong-ja, though. Promises were made and must be kept, so they head back to the roof and through the air vent. However, while up there, Jun-taek takes a sword to the captured soldiers, an act which is witnessed by a soldier on a neighboring roof. The message about Korea’s independence is pretty clear.
Inside the building, the creature is going postal and seems to be increasing in intelligence based on how well it can navigate the building. There’s solid tension here as the rampaging monster, our heroic foursome, and the soldiers searching for them all seem distressingly close. And, lo and behold, all roads must eventually converge.
When the gang heads down a laundry chute, they promptly run into a soldier, and chaos ensues. Tae-sang’s existing injury is worsened, and Jun-taek makes off on his own.
How does Gyeongseong Creature Season 1 Episode 4 end?
Splitting up? In anything even remotely adjacent to the horror genre? Always a terrible idea. Nevertheless, the fourth episode ends shortly after Joong-won proposes that he search the third basement level alone while Tae-sang and Chae-ok search the third. Inexplicably enough, they agree.
This leads to Tae-sang and Chae-ok coming face to face with the creature to close out the episode.
What did you think of Gyeongseong Creature Season 1 Episode 4? Let us know in the comments.
