Recap: Big Twists Subvert Expectations In ‘Miss Night And Day’ Episodes 11 & 12

Miss Night and Day Episodes 11 & 12 were just what the show needed after a couple of slower-paced installments that seemed to be running out of road. The murder mystery is nicely upended here while the ongoing character dynamics continue to develop.

There will surely be people watching this each week who want either more romance or more mystery, and it’s a balance that is never going to be achieved in a way that’ll satisfy everyone, but I do think we’re hitting a good middle-ground here.

Romance Is Hard

Anyway, at the end of Episode 10, Ji-woong heard Ko Won’s confession of romantic feelings for Mi-jin, which throws a spanner in the works of the core romance and leaves Ji-woong thoroughly sulking and bedbound after standing out in the pouring rain.

But, of course, this also leads to more bonding between him and Mi-jin, who dotes on him a little while he’s out of action. This reminds him of his mother and prompts him to open up about her disappearance. We already knew he was clinging to the hope of her survival, and this just adds a little more context to that (while also reminding Mi-jin of Im Sun).

Office gossip doesn’t help matters, with Myung-duk implying that Sun is reciprocating Won’s affections, which Ji-woong takes to mean Mi-jin, because he doesn’t specify. Ji-woong near enough marches to Mi-jin’s place to get some clarity, but he’s roped into her mother’s celebration of Sun’s birthday. When Mi-jin finally gets him alone and asks why he came over, he bottles it once again.

Back to Work

Things take some pretty major turns in the case when the search warrant for Hwadong Medical Centre is approved. Myung-duk and Sun head inside and the latter is promptly led astray. By the time Ji-woong tracks Mi-jin’s location and realizes she’s at the hospital, he’s too late – she’s being wheeled out on a gurney by a disguised Baek.

Baek is trying to put things together since he – understandably – hasn’t figured out that Mi-jin and Sun are the same person. The PI he sends to tail Sun can’t understand why she keeps going to Mi-jin’s place, or why whenever Sun disappears, Mi-jin shows up.

But Baek’s motivations reveal the biggest twist of the show thus far.

Baek Isn’t the Bad Guy

As it turns out, Baek’s motivations aren’t villainous – he, too, has been a victim of loss. His own wife disappeared years ago. His search for her took him to the bank, to try and trace her account activity, and Im Sun was working there at the time.

Thanks to the PI who Baek hired back then – the same one following Mi-jin in the present day – Baek came to believe that Sun was responsible for his wife’s death since she had also disappeared shortly afterward. He has been looking for her all this time, and Mi-jin’s impersonation of her led him to kick-start basically every major event we’ve seen in the series thus far, including the acid attack.

Despite not having the ulterior motives we assumed, Baek is nonetheless holding Sun hostage, meaning Ji-woong has to bust in and rescue her right after she transforms back into Mi-jin.

Nobody actually sees the transformation take place, and the fact that Baek is arrested for kidnapping Mi-jin when he clearly kidnapped Sun only causes him more confusion.

Mi-jin tries to convince Baek of her ability, but he isn’t buying it, despite her having proof, and chooses to remain silent when she pushes him for more information about potential suspects in his wife’s death. Since she and the real Sun went missing around the same time, the same murderer could have gotten to them both.

Ticking Clock Device

While Mi-in was being held captive as Sun, her transformation was delayed. This, we learn, is becoming a habit, and implies that as Mi-jin continues to spend longer and longer as Sun, she’s at greater and greater risk of being unable to turn back.

Solutions to this problem aren’t obvious, but Ga-yeong wonders if it’s perhaps tied to the outcome of the case. If they can catch the culprit, maybe that will do the trick. Mi-jin goes to give a witness statement, at which point she’s accosted by Ji-woong, who is finally ready to confess his feelings and hopefully progress their relationship to the next level.

Now would certainly be the worst time for Mi-jin to disappear entirely and indefinitely.

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