Summary
Like Flowers in Sand continues to frustratingly juggle uneven constituent parts, making for a mixed experience.
I should still say that there’s something off about Like Flowers in Sand, and as of Episode 5, I think it’s the mish-mash of three distinct threads. The first is probably the most interesting: Ssireum, which is a novel focus and, crucially, has all of the dramatic stakes built into the very nature of competition. The second is the match-fixing and murder-mystery subplot, which is predictable and, for the most part, tedious. And the third is the romance between the two leads, which is obligatory in all K-Dramas and here has been mired by the characters not being sure about things the audience was long since made privy to.
I don’t dislike the show; it’s technically well-constructed, the actors are game, and there’s still enough interest in the characters and plot to keep things afloat. But it’s not an entirely smooth experience either, and I can imagine viewers dropping off each week out of frustration if nothing else.
The latest episode opens with the standard flashback, depicting Baek-du and Du-sik as youngsters, making mention of Du-sik’s legendary father and his capability of nonetheless committing a crime.
Baek-du returns to the team
The notion of the father continues in the present day, with Baek-du emulating his own father’s lessons by returning to the team with his head held high.
Of course, Baek-du’s decision is not so much predicated on his long-held inherited values but on Du-sik, but let’s not get into the weeds unnecessarily. The takeaway thread in Baek-du’s return is the calcification of his rivalry with Jin-su, which is at the forefront of the wrestling-based proceedings now more than ever.
Elsewhere, Hyeon-wook continues to investigate Choi’s death while also becoming increasingly suspicious of “Du-sik”, who he still doesn’t know is Yu-gyeong. Baek-du’s aware of the latter being an undercover cop now, but their closeness is still noticeable to the rest of the team, raising alarm bells. All the while, Du-sik continues to push for information about the potential match-fixing Coach Yeon was engaging in.
What does Dong-seok reveal?
As news of a ssireum coach being found dead spreads around town, chatter about match-fixing gets louder among the citizens. This is history repeating itself, with Du-sik’s own father having been involved in a similar scandal. Baek-du takes the day off to travel with Du-sik to talk to Dong-seok, who confirms that Yeon had asked him to throw the match against Baek-du, but that he had refused to do so because he felt it was ethically wrong.
Baek-du and Dong-seok still have a rivalry, but it takes a nice, playful form here. Baek-du reassures him that he did nothing wrong and shouldn’t feel as guilty as he does about turning Yeon down, and Dong-seok tells Baek-du he was the real winner that day and it was only a bad call that handed him the victory. Baek-du teasingly cautions Dong-seok that he’s back on the team now and they might be again down the line. I hope they do.
These two narrative tracts persist throughout the episode, with us learning more about Baek-du and Du-sik’s past on the one hand while Hyeong-wook and Mi-ran discuss it in the present day. We’re treated to more character-building explanatory flashbacks to strengthen the relationship between the two leads and draw parallels between past scandals and current goings-on. It’s effective enough, but it also feels very par for the course.
How does Like Flowers in Sand Season 1 Episode 5 end?
The fifth episode ends by bringing Baek-du and Du-sik even closer in the present day and making their unspoken feelings a little more vocal – at least in one direction.
Du-sik mentions that it was a good idea for Baek-du to come back to the team, and he clarifies what we already knew – that it wasn’t just his love for ssireum that brought him back, but his love for Du-sik. The episode bows out with this confession serving as the nearest thing to a cliffhanger.
What did you think of Like Flowers in Sand Season 1 Episode 5? Let us know in the comments.
