Strangers from Hell continues its terrifying run, and, simultaneously, my will to eat continues to plummet while watching it. The strange neighbors keep being immensely unsettling and actually have another person on the fourth floor to torment (i.e. kill and eat?), poor thing. At least it looks like Jung-woo has wised up and decided that he does not like this goshiwon and does not want to go back.
Note: It took us around 2 days to watch/recap this one (we had to do it in parts), so it might take another two days to get episode 6 up. Though, we will try and get it up as soon as possible!
OST: Part 1
IMAGES: Released Images for Strangers From Hell (updated weekly)
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Shorthand Character Chart: Coming soon!
How we do this: We update the post around every 10 minutes. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later depending on the scene. There will be typos which we have fantasies of fixing once the episode finishes airing. Also, there might be lovely updates at the bottom, so check back in!
Recap Countdown: This is a quickcap
KOREAN DRAMA STRANGERS FROM HELL: EPISODE 5 RECAP
—————–
#1
Everyone is waiting outside Jong-woo’s door. Jong-woo is poisoned and wonders if he ate something? Was there something that bothered him? Did I eat a strange drug? Why do I feel like this? What is going on?
He passes out on his bed. But then his backpack falls off his wall and hits him on his head, waking him up, almost snapping him out of his drunkenness. he sits up and wonders why he is so dizzy.
Moon-so laughs in his room as he peeks in through the hole and then goes outside and whispers something in one of the tenants ears.
Flashback to Moonzo and one of the twins talking about Jong-woo. The twin thinks Jong-woo looks weak. Moonzo says you can’t judge people from their look.
In the present, Jong-woo stands up and opens his computer, the fuzzy thing is gone, so that means someon came to his room. He quickly opens his door, the hallway is empty now.
TITLE: MALTE SUBI (THE NOTEBOOKS OF MALTE LAURIDS BRIGGE)
He walks quickly up the hall to tell the owner ajumma that someone came into his room. She says that no one came in. He says that he confirmed it, someone came into my room. She says that no one did, no one did. But he wants to check the CCTV and asks how to do it. She just says he has a temper and then walks over to the computer room to check it.
Jong-woo sits with her as they look at the CCTV. She says he probably didn’t lock the door. He says of course he locked the door, he there was dust….I just had some kind of feeling (dust and feeling sound a like in Korean).
The video comes on, at first there is nothing, but then we see that the ajushi has gone to Jong-woo’s room. But the camera cuts off at that point. The owner ajumma says that she does not think that he opened the door. But Jong-woo’s mind is already going a mile a minute as he thinks that was the pervert.
He knocks on the preverts door and tells him to come out. But he is not in his room, he is up the hall a little. So he goes to the ajusshi and tells him that he went to his room, I confirmed it on the CCTV! You came to my room.
The ajumma is smiling and trying to make the situation smaller. But then he hears someone else tell him to calm down, when he turns around he sees Ki-hyeok, who disappered. But that person ends up being Moonzo.
VO – In that moment, I realize why that gangster was afraid of them. I am scared of those people smiling at me, I am so scared.
he goes back to his room and tells himself that he needs to calm down. Outside, Moonzo tells everyone to go back to their room. Inside, Jong-woo tells himself to straighten up.
there is a knock on his door, it is Moonzo. he asks if he can talk to him for a second. So they both head up the stairs. But while walking upstairs, Jong-woo hears something on the 4th floor. He says he heard something, but Moonzo says that no on elives there. But there was a woman that lived on the 4th floor. Perhaps she died but the cat is roaming around.
On the 4th floor, we see the other woman struggling to get out.
On the rooftop, Moonzo films Jong-woo with his cell phone (he also calls him jagiya/honey). Jong-woo asks him why he is doing that? Moon-zo says it is because he is pretty. Then he mentions that the ajumma did not see that guy go into your room. Jong-woo says the CCTV broke at that moment, but of course he went in. I put dust on my laptop, when you open it, the dust will fly away. When I opened my laptop, there was no dust. i turned it off but it was still on.
Moon-zo says he understands him. But, did you really want to kill that ajusshi? that guy looks like a loser in his life, but when he breaks into your room, you hate it right? You are nervous becuase you think you don’t fit in with them but you are nervous because you think you might become like them. DOn’t worry, you are different from them because you can do anything you want when you decide.
Jong-woo gets a call from his mother, so he leaves and starts to talk to her. While talking, he uses Busan saturi. The mother says that his brother got injured from falling and is in the emergency room, so she is asking if he has any money. She needs 200-300 dollars. But she is sorry to ask for it. he tells her not to worry about it and sends her $500. But he sighs as he sees his bank account dwindling.
—————–
#2
SO JUNG HWA
Jung-hwa goes to her living room where her grandmother is napping. She knows that she is her granddaughter and hugs her. Then she tells her not to trust anyone. Jung-hwa is taken aback for a moment and kind of asks why. But her grandmother does not remember her once again.
GOSHIWON
the owner ajumma is putting the poison.drug in several bottled drinks. that night, Jong-woo thinks that Moonzo is smiling nicely, but he still makes him uncomfortable.
He gets up and locks his door and might even fortify it with something. Then he goes to sleep. While sleeping, he dreams about the officer that is punching someone. But when the officer turns around, it is him punching someone on the ground. He tells himself that you nee to deal with guys like that, like this.
Behind him, there is the giggling twin giggling at him. Then he thinks about all the people in his life telling him things or giving him a hard time. But Moon-zo tells him that he is differet from then, you can do anything you want to do.
Jong-woo tries to close his ears to them all and starts to drown them out, but he can’t. Then we cut to him waking up in his room. He thinks that this place must be bad, he only has nightmares every night he has slept there.
In the shower, Jong-woo finishes wishing when the giggling twin comes in giggling a lot as he starts to take off his shirt. Jong-woo thinks that he should stop laughing like that.
Cut to his girlfriends boss laughing like that to another person at work. Then she leaves to meet with Ji-eun to give her more work and a hard time. Ji-wun tells her that he actually already has a lot of work so that would bedifficult.
Another woman peeks her head in and talks to the assistant manager. they pleasantly talk and the assistant manager says that she is doing her work well even though it is not her work. The woman says of course, we are on the same team.
So the manager tells Ji-eun that they all work together, why else do you come to work?
her cell phone goes off so her boss says to pick it up. Ji-wun reluctantly picks it up. Jong-woo tells her that someone came into his room, she tells him that they need to talk later, then we hear that her boss has left. Ji-eun is left looking stressed.
—————–
#3
Outside, Jong-woo is walking up the street and jumps when Jung-hwa approaches him. It looks like they are supposed to meet, possibly. He gives her the person’s notebook from his room. He starts to leave, but she asks him if anything weird is happening on the 4th floor? He tells her that he hears banging sound up there, he isn’t sure.
But then he sees the owner ajumma watching them and starts to walk away. In his mind he thinks, goshiwon agumma, goshiwon ajumma, why is she here? She shouldn’t be. But he bumps into a woman and spills all her coffee which pulls him out of his thoughts.
GOSHIWON
Bok-soon brings more eggs to the goshiwon because the twins like them. Moon-zo comes down the steps at that time, he says he saw a mouse and set a trap there. Bok-soon tells him that 303 is meeting a police woman often. He handed something over to her in the morning, she did not see the details. She wonders what she should do with the polcie officer, should I take care of her?
Moon-so says no, I will take care of her. Bok-soon is not too into it, but Moonzo asks her, don’t you trust me? Which makes Bok-soon smile and giggle and say that he can do what he wants.
Inside, there is another person who is looking for room and board. he says that rent is high. She tries to talk him into it and says that you cannot find a place like this. He asks, $200 a month? She tells him that she can give him a discount. But he says that he will think about it some more and heads out with his suitcase while she is saying that this is the best place.
She then takes the drink with the drug and goes to another place in an alley. Inside, there is an old woman sleeping. the old woman wakes up and asks why she took so long this time coming. Boksoon says that her goshiwon is so busy, now drink this. It is good for your health. And if you take a nap then you will feel good.
She helps the old woman lay down. She immediatly falls to sleep. Once asleep, Boksoon looks around and finds the old woman’s health insurance forms
WORK
Meanwhile, Jong-woo gets to work. Reporter Jo is back and sitting at the table. He asks Jong-woo to grab himsomething from the drawer, so Jong-woo gets it and sees Yoo-jungs picture in Byeong-min’s drawer. he thinks Byeong-min is really a stalker.
The reporter asks for Jong-woo to make him some coffee as well. Jong-woo makes it and the reporter says it si really good. They talk about Jong-woo being a writer and the crime novel he is writing. The reporter think a crime novel sounds great, ask me for anything.
He then mentions the goshiwon and says that goshiwon’s have strange characters in them. You never know, a serial killer could live there. Those people are under a lot of stress. People under a lot of stress have a higher percentage of crime. Think about if someone died next door.
Jong-woo says he would know, he can hear their breathing. the reporter is lost for words for a moment and asks if that goshiwon has anyone studying for an exam? A lot of people are having trouble now to make ends meet. he then asks him if he saw that murder case? It was all about their inferiority complex. I saw a lot of those people. Their eyes were dark. Of course those people live in…you know.
JW – They were smiling.
Reporter – What?
JW – They are not suppressed, it seems like they enjoy it.
Then all the other team members show up. But not the CEO, so the reporter asks where he is. Yoo-jung thought he was there, so she does not know. The reporter mentions that it is so hard to see him and then says that the intern makes good coffee.
This makes the director look in his drawer and asks the intern if he took his nail clippers out? Jong-woo says yes, the reporter asked him to do it. The manager wonders where the CEO is.
—————–
#4
CAFE
The CEO is actually out with drinks with Jung-woo’s girlfriend. She asks where Jong-woo is? He has been a little strange since he came to Seoul. The CEO says that he thought he was the only one, he talks about his goshiwon a lot. She thinks something strange must have happened.
She tells him to be nice to Jong-woo and that she also has a lot of stress with her boss at work. He asks if she gives her a hard time? You are under a lot of stress? She starts to beat her cup with the straw.
Cut to the both of them headed out. They say goodbye as Ji-wun grabs drinks to take back to her office. her boss sees her as she is headed back and wonders if the guy is her boyfriend and if he works here? Ji-wun says no and he works at college street.
So the boss/manager asks if her boyfriend knows? Of course he likes you. Ji-wun says it is nothing like that, do you want me to introduce him to you? The manager says yes, do it. thank you for taking care of your sunbae like this.
GOSHIWON
the twins and owner ajumma play a game of jenga and joke as they play that they should put their wrist on it. Meanwhile, Jung-hwa looks at the building from outside. She remembers that Jong-woo told her that he hears a banging sound on the 4th floor.
So Jung-hwa heads up to the 4th floor of the goshiwon and listens in at the door. She does not hear anything, so she goes inside. Nam-bok is already inside and hears the doors open.
Jung-hwa pulls out her flashlight and starts to look around in all the rooms on the floor. In one of the rooms, the tied up lady is there with a knife to her throat courtesy of Nam-bok. he tells her to be quiet.
Jung-hwa makes it to another room that has the dentist chair set up in it. She thinks for a moment, then starts to head out. Nam-bok follows her but ducks into a room when she turns around.
So, she makes it all the way out. Nam-bok then walks back to the room where the ajumma is, she escaped from her chair! She is able to lock him in the room!
Downstairs, the twins and owner ajumma keep playing Jenga even though they hear all the banging upstairs. But it starts to bother them so the ajumma heads upstairs.
This allows the ajumma to escape! She makes it all the way outside, but she runs into Moon-zo, (dang). He tells her, if you want to leave, then you have to crawl out.
—————–
#5
Cut to her locked back up in the room with everyone around her. One of them says that he heard that she was a nun in a monestary with ajumma. the woman starts to pray, but Moon-zo just looks politely fed up and rolls his eyes. Then the owner ajumma brings this drink out and says that as soon as she drinks it, she will go to Heaven, haha, aren’t you lucky!
Cut to Jong-woo looking worried and deep in thought as he sits with his colleagues for a drink after work. While leaving, Jong-woo gets a call as they all head home. But the person does not answer. Jong-soo stops to buy a rose from a woman. He says he sil lnot give it to his girlfriend, he is buying it because it reminds him of his mothe rin Busan.
Yoo-jung thinks Jong-woo is a good boy, she thinks she should have bought one to give to her mother. Jong-woo gives her the flower and says to give it to her mother. Then he looks back at the woman selling roses which sends him into a memory of his mother selling fish in the market back home.
In the flashback, he tells his mother that he will go to Seoul because his sunbae is giving him and internship. His mother in encouraging and says that his sunbae is a good person, be nice to him.
In the present, Jong-woo talks to his sunbae. His sunbae thinks that he should talk to Yoo-jung, but Jong-soo says that he has Ji-eun. He also asks if he can live with him for a few days, he does not want to go back to his goshiwon. But his sunbae says he does not like poepl ein his place.
Then all the other team members come back out of the places they were checking out and start to look around for another place to drink.
at that moment, Jong-woo gets an unknown text askingn him, don’t you want to kill him? Jong-woo wonders what this is and looks up an alley. It looks like Moon-zo is up that alley, but he disappears quickly. So Yong-woo starts to look around.
But he thinks that if it is really him, what would he say? Should he call the police? No, he didnt do anything to call the police for. But it was him!
He keeps looking around and is startled by a drunk guy stumbling toward him.
Cut to Jong-woo sitting with his group at another place to drink and eat. He is not that into it. The CEO talks the most and says that he dated a model at school. The director, Byeon-min comes back to the table as they keep drunk talking. They think that Jong-woo might be under a lot of stress as a newcomer because he is mumbling a lot.
Jong-woo lays his head on the table and keeps mumbling as the others go pay. He is left with Byeong-min at the table. SO he starts mumbling to him.
JW – I want to tell you something….Byeong-min….you know, don’t peek at women’s butts at work….you are not a pervert….
Byeon-min stands up angrily and asks, did you see it!
Jong-woo drunkenly says he will call the police. But then Yoo-jung runs over and says that their CEO is in the middle of a fight. Everyone goes over there as the CEO argues with another guy.
But then Jong-woo walks up drunkenly and says to just kill him. But he is so drunk that he can’t walk straight. This stops the fight though.
Outsode, Jong-woo throws up on a tree as the CEO tell him that he is not a kid and should not instigate fights. The CEO calls the girlfriend to find out Jong-woo’s goshiwon number. She tells them the goshiwon and they put Jong-woo in the car. But Jong-woo asks his hyung if he can just crash at his place for one night, just tonight.
The CEO tells him that he is too drunk, just go back, you will know how drunk you are in the morning.
They put him in the car and he immediately falls asleep. The taxi driver cannot find the goshiwon in his navigation though, so he tells Jong-woo to wake up. Jong-woo mutters that he does not want to go back.
In another car, the CEO calls Ji-eun to ask if he can see her.
In the taxi, the taxi driver tells Jong-woo to wake up and stop putting his saliva all over his car. Jong-woo keeps mumbling that he does not want to go back. The taxi driver pulls him out of the taxi and says that he brought them to his place.
The taxi driver ends up charging more than the the rate says and takes him to the local police station. This is Jung-hwa’s police station. The taxi driver says that this guy does not want to go home and there is saliva all over his car.
Jung-hwa says that she will take him back there, she knows where he lives. Jung-hwa is still passed out in the station, his cell phone falls.
VO – Where did it start. Where did it go wrong. If I did not go to this hell. If I didn’t.
He imagines turning around when he saw the goshiwon and not going in. In his sleep he mutters that he should not have gone there. Ji-eun calls so he dreams about his happy life with his girlfriend.
In her car, Ji-eun wonders why he is not picking up. Her battery is also very low, only 2%.
her car stops somewhere. We see a flashback of Ji-eun telling the CEO that she is sorry she an’t meet him, she has to go see Jung-woo.
She goes to the goshiwon.
In the police station, Jung-hwa tries to wake up Jong-woo and is successful. He hops up wondering where he is. She asks him what is going on with his goshiwon. Suddenly Jong-woo is filled with so much emotions and says he is so scared there. He is really scared.
JW – The goshiwon people are all strange.
Then he sees his cell phone on the floor and sees that his girlfriend is in front of the goshiwon and will go up.
Cut to her standing outside the goshiwon when Moon-zo comes up to her. He smiles and says, ah, are you here for Jong-woo?
Fade Out
COMMENTS
Y’all, this show is so horrifying in its grossness as well as it’s openness in basically letting you know exactly what is happening. These tenants scare the digested food out of me and I don’t have a will to eat anymore let alone meet anyone or leave the house ever. Yes, I am one of those people who can’t watch scary movies without applying to to my life. Which is why I stay away from them and also simultaneously why Freddy Krueger still give me the creeps even though I am a grown-a$$ adult who knows it’s all special affects. It’s also why I could barely drive home after watching I Am Legend. Every-shadow-was-a-vampire. Candyman had me in straight up fear of mirrors for years and years (and they are making a sequel! Arhhh!) …. I could go on and on.
So yeah, this show is so scary but a gross creepy type of scary that I can easily relate to my everyday life (because I have to eat everyday!). But I have to keep watching to see what ha-a-a-pp-e-e-e-nn-s-s-s.
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