Episode 9: Everyone Thinks Director Seo Is Infatuated With Dong-sik

Episode 9: everyone thinks Director Seo is infatuated with Dong-sik

Video description: one of Dong-sik's coworkers tells him that he needs to be appreciated by his superiors, right before Dong-sik gets a called from Director Seo, who wants to get dinner with him at his father's restaurant. Everyone watches as he leaves to take the call. In the next scene, Dong-sik's father boasts about his meat, before the other members of the family come to compliment Director Seo, before Dong-sik insists that they leave.

based on this amazing post i made just last year apparently (some options provided by @inahallucination my #1 fan)

seriously, pitts doesn't introduce himself to todd,,, the first time we actually see him is when keating makes fun of his name and calls him a virgin,,, fucks that about

Rewatching Strangers from Hell as some sort of weird comedy honestly is very healing, and Moonjo being a clown every ten minutes helps a lot

In the video: Moonjo being unserious for more than a minute

What do directors have against the left side of his face

Moonjo @ Jongwoo: I think real courage is hurting people you hate <3

Jongwoo the next day: I'm gonna fuck up this keyboard and those students so badly

Rewatching this scene and finally understanding (maybe??) what's going on in it.

So in this scene (episode 5), Jongwoo just confronted one of his neighbours about breaking into his room. Afterwards, he followed Moonjo upstairs for a talk, and started (that's where the video begins) explaining why he believes that the neighbour broke into his room. Moonjo confirms that everyone that lives in the studio is a bit strange, and after agreeing that Jongwoo was justified in his actions by saying he'd do the same, he asks him:

You really wanted to kill the man back there, didn't you?

He proceeds to explain why Jongwoo would feel like killing his neighbour, before continuing with this (the '/' is to indicate different translations):

You think you don't fit in here, right?

You think you are different from these people.

But you're also scared/actually, you're anxious, right?

You're worried you'll end up like these people/become like one of them.

You must be afraid that just by living here you might become just as weird/Aren’t you already becoming like these people just by living here?

But don't worry.

You are different from these people.

Because you can do whatever you want whenever you want.

Okay maybe I'm the only one who didn't understand that last sentence the first time I watched it :'), but here's my interpretation now.

In the whole speech, Moonjo makes a distinction between Jongwoo and the people that live in this building. Earlier on, he also established that he is closer to Jongwoo than the others (because he would 'do the same if I were you', he can understand his behaviour), and he also considers himself as different from the others (somewhat), because he can also do whatever he wants whenever he wants.

For example: that dude in episode 1-2 couldn't kill the cop, just because he felt like it.

But Moonjo can kill Jongwoo's boss and a journalist.

The twins have to clean up.

Moonjo makes them do that, instead of doing it himself.

And Mrs. Eom and the man in room 313 can't kill people when they want to either: even if they are frustrated because of it, and act as if they have somewhat of a control on him (Mrs. Eom saying she'll add lots of MSG to the food as revenge, and room 313 suggesting killing him), at the end of the day, he still has control over them.

So the building is divided between Jongwoo and his neighbours, those who have control (can do what they want whenever they want) and those that don't.

Here, Moonjo is implying that Jongwoo can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and that he is different from the other tenants: he is not under Moonjo's control.

The way I see it, Moonjo's statement is kind of a very broad 'you should do whatever you want (kill that guy, kill people) because you are able to (you are not limited by me)'.

However to me, it sounds like he's lying again. Because Jongwoo cannot do whatever he wants. He cannot leave, Moonjo makes him come back. And when he does kill, it's after Moonjo gave him an ultimatum: you kill them, so I don't kill you. While at that point, Jongwoo does say that he'll kill them all, until then, he never actually stated (as far as I remember) that he wanted to kill them all (he says 'I wish they'd all die' (which isn't exactly 'I want to kill them'), and the only person he really threatens is room 313).

So in my opinion Moonjo's ultimate wish was for Jongwoo to want to kill, and to have the freedom to do so. By stating 'you're different, you can do whatever you want', he's making a difference between Jongwoo and the other neighbours, including his first failed attempt. In the end, Moonjo's wish is to have somewhat of an equal, who will have the same limitations as him -none-, but, in order to get that, he forcibly restrains Jongwoo's free will.

I have no idea what I just said.