Summary
The Potato Lab hits a comfortable stride in Episode 6, reassuring audiences that we know what to expect but still peppering in a few fun surprises.
I’m assuming that I know what the end of The Potato Lab is going to be already because it’s an enemies-to-lovers rom-com and they all tend to work the same in a macro sense. And I’m wondering if it matters. Ordinarily, I suspect it would. The point of Episode 6 is to lead us along a familiar path and show us all the signs we’re expecting to see, reassuring us that things will, inevitably, go the way we want them to. That shouldn’t work, should it?
And yet here we are. I’m not going to constantly reiterate how shocked I am by the effectiveness of this show’s very specific alchemy, because I’ve already done that. But it’s worth reiterating the ease with which The Potato Lab guides its audience along. There are enough surprises and subversions to keep things feeling fairly fresh, but there is also enough adherence to formula to keep us on tenterhooks waiting for the next big moment between Mi-kyung and Baek-ho.
A related question occurred to me that I raised tangentially in the previous recap, when I was wondering where the drama is going to come from beyond Ki-se. I think that position has evolved somewhat. I’m starting to wonder if this show really needs any major drama and conflict at all, so compelling is the core dynamic.
But we have to deal with Ki-se regardless, who shows up at Mi-kyung’s door at the start of The Potato Lab Episode 6. There’s history between these two, as we know, and a lot of unclear motivations in the present day; she questions him about what he’s doing, he questions her about her relationship with Baek-ho, and both, crucially, are lying. But threats of a meat cleaver bring the conversation to a swift end. Mi-kyung is not keen on this guy, to put things mildly.
She is keen on Baek-ho, though, with whom she has agreed something of a truce. She has even come to terms with his decision to bin her, more or less, though she’s still sticking around the lab for the time being to help out with a crisis involving importing potatoes from the U.S. that might jeopardize the flavor profile of their prized potato chip. It occurs to me, again, that this probably sounds ridiculous written down.
But it all works. There’s a taste test, a left-field idea, some potato science, and a trip to check on a harvest, and throughout all of which that core dynamic continues to develop. It’s also lightly contrasted with the developing connection between Ong-ju and Hwan-kyung, though they’re moving a bit quicker. Where secrecy is paramount there, it’s a form of denial keeping Baek-ho and Mi-kyung from getting where they need to be; their connection is more visible to the lab team than it is to them.
You can see the usual signs manifesting in The Potato Lab Episode 6. Mi-kyung starts to get jealous when Baek-ho is too busy to take her calls, while Baek-ho tries to stave off admitting his crush to Hee-jin. This is the key distinction between the two characters’ approach to the romance. Baek-ho is a little fearful of the connection, whereas Mi-kyung is more up-front and direct. What Baek-ho doesn’t realize is that his skirting around the issue with Mi-kyung is actually dredging up some unpleasant memories of being ignored by everyone at work.
Eventually, Mi-kyung confronts Baek-ho about this and demands an explanation of where he stands, at which point he seems to decide that he’s going to make a move, irrespective of the consequences. And it feels like it’s about time, despite the fact we’re only halfway through.
It won’t be that easy, I’m sure. Ki-se is on the scene, trying to get Baek-ho out of the way and charm Mi-kyung by reassuring her that he isn’t going to sign off on her resignation yet. But I’m hoping that neither Baek-ho nor Mi-kyung is silly enough to fall for his rubbish. We’ll just have to wait and see.
