In ‘The Cowherd and the Fairy’, Choo Young-woo has been consumed by an evil spirit.
In the tvN Monday-Tuesday drama ‘The Cowherd and the Fairy’ (written by Yang Ji-hoon, directed by Kim Yong), the evil spirit Bong-soo (played by Choo Young-woo) took over the body of Bae Gyeon-woo (also played by Choo Young-woo). Despite the warning from the shaman (played by Lee Young-ran) that he should not get involved with ghosts after opening his spiritual eye, Bae Gyeon-woo ended up getting cut by a knife. The shocking ending, where he revealed his true nature by saying “I’ve devoured him” in response to Park Seong-ah’s (played by Jo Yi-hyun) question about the change, left everyone in shock.
As attention focused on Bae Gyeon-woo's fate, viewer reactions exploded. The ratings for episode 9 recorded an average of 4.5% and a peak of 5.3% based on households in the metropolitan area, and an average of 4.6% and a peak of 5.3% nationwide, ranking first in its time slot including cable and general programming channels. (Based on Nielsen Korea's paid households)
On this day, Yeom-hwa (played by Choo Ja-hyun) infused bad energy to allow the evil spirit Bong-soo to easily harm Bae Gyeon-woo. Yeom-hwa was hit by Park Seong-ah’s counterattack while trying to reconcile, and seeing the enraged General Dong-cheon (played by Kim Mi-kyung) only fueled her rampage. Her biting remark, “You are the one who drove me away and brought me here. You are just as lonely, unhappy, and cursed as I am,” shook Park Seong-ah’s heart.
After receiving Yeom-hwa's bad energy, Park Seong-ah continued to be entangled with her. She began to see the mysterious wooden box that Yeom-hwa was carrying. Concerned, Park Seong-ah mentioned it to Yeom-hwa, who pondered her words. Soon, she realized the identity of the wooden box and screamed. It was the coffin of a child who had passed away.
Yeom-hwa cried out to General Dong-cheon, asking why she hid the fact that the child could not leave this world. The statement that God would hold Yeom-hwa, not the child, accountable broke Yeom-hwa once again. General Dong-cheon tying a handkerchief around Yeom-hwa's injured hand, saying that she had not let go of it for ten years, made the curse more potent, was heart-wrenching.
Meanwhile, Bae Gyeon-woo secretly met with the shaman while keeping the fact that his spiritual eye had opened from Park Seong-ah. The shaman expressed concern about the news that Park Seong-ah's fairy clothes had been stained with black water, saying she would face punishment. Believing that Park Seong-ah's punishment was due to him, Bae Gyeon-woo asked the shaman to help them break the binding spell connecting them for her safety. However, the shaman explained that it was not easy to break the binding spell between Park Seong-ah and Bae Gyeon-woo. Their strong desire to protect each other left no room for other spells to take effect.
Instead of breaking the binding spell, the shaman advised them to never get involved with ghosts and warned that if they did, they must not see blood. She specifically warned that the moment blood is seen, the situation would spiral out of control.
Despite the shaman's warning, Bae Gyeon-woo faced a crisis. He discovered a suicide spirit attached to Mo-beom (played by Ham Seong-min). The moment Park Seong-ah let go of Bae Gyeon-woo's hand to save Mo-beom, the evil spirit Bong-soo appeared. Bong-soo provoked Bae Gyeon-woo, saying, “You’re supposed to be taking care of the shaman. What good is it to leave a suicide spirit alone?” Remembering painful memories, Bae Gyeon-woo rushed in to save Mo-beom, and at that moment, he was cut by a knife, revealing his features.
When Bae Gyeon-woo awakened, he appeared just as he always did, as if there was no blood impurity. He stayed by Park Seong-ah's side, who was struggling with her punishment, taking care of her attentively. As soon as Park Seong-ah felt better, she took Bae Gyeon-woo to practice archery. However, an unexpected twist awaited them. After the practice, Park Seong-ah, with tears in her eyes, asked Bae Gyeon-woo where the ‘real’ Bae Gyeon-woo was.
Bae Gyeon-woo was taken aback by Park Seong-ah searching for ‘Bae Gyeon-woo’ right in front of him. However, Park Seong-ah was certain. She realized that he was not ‘Bae Gyeon-woo’ because he was not following the archery routine. Only then did the shocking revelation of the evil spirit Bong-soo, saying “I’ve devoured him,” come to light. Attention is focused on whether Bong-soo has completely taken over Bae Gyeon-woo's body and his fate.
Meanwhile, ‘The Cowherd and the Fairy’ will air on the 22nd at 8:50 PM.
[Lee Da-gyeom, Star Today Reporter]
