"The Mantis: Original Sin" Go Hyun-jung and Jang Dong-yoon swallowed home screens with their intense performances.
According to TV ratings firm Nielsen Korea on the 13th, the third episode of the SBS Friday-Saturday drama "The Mantis: Original Sin" (directed by Byun Young-joo, written by Lee Young-jong), which aired on Sept. 12, recorded a nationwide rating of 7.3%, setting a new personal high. This figure ranked first among all channels in the same time slot and among Friday mini-series, and the peak rating rose to 8.3%. The channel competitiveness key indicator 2049 rating also averaged 2% and peaked at 2.57%, ranking first among dramas aired on all channels on Friday and proving its buzz. The box office run of "The Mantis: Original Sin" had begun.
The broadcast revealed the truth surrounding the serial killer "The Mantis" Jung I-shin (played by Go Hyun-jung). Jung I-shin had killed six men, not five. Her first victim, unknown to the world, was her husband and the father of her son Cha Soo-yeol (played by Jang Dong-yoon). A 15-minute standoff between Jung I-shin, who flashed with madness, and Cha Soo-yeol, who screamed with unbearable rage, gripped viewers' throats.
That day Cha Soo-yeol saved Kim Tae-seok, who could have been the third copycat murder victim. For Cha Soo-yeol, who became a police officer to save people, the victim's survival had great significance. Cha Soo-yeol went to find Jung I-shin, who had given a clue to the case, to express his gratitude. While it could not be said that kinship prompted attraction, the situation could have changed the relationship between Jung I-shin and Cha Soo-yeol. However, Jung I-shin still looked more like a killer than a mother.
Meanwhile, Kim Na-hee (played by Lee El) harbored doubts about Jung I-shin's "zero-number murder." There was another murder by Jung I-shin unknown to the world but known to Seo Gu-wan. Cha Soo-yeol tried once again to dig into Jung I-shin's mind, but he gained nothing.
Meanwhile another "The Mantis" copycat murder occurred. Leading suspect Seo Gu-wan was in the hospital with a gunshot wound. The investigation returned to square one, and the serial murder investigation team headed to where the mobile phone signal of the third copycat victim had been detected. In a sparsely populated rural village, Cha Soo-yeol strangely recalled memories of his father from childhood. Following that memory, Cha Soo-yeol found the murderer's message, "Welcome! Finally found you," along with a body in a well.
It had all been intended by the killer. And the killer made Cha Soo-yeol find Jung I-shin's first murder. Cha Soo-yeol discovered the skeletonized body and Jung I-shin's wedding ring in the well at the house where he had lived as a child. Cha Soo-yeol ran straight to Jung I-shin and questioned her about her zero-number murder.
From then on began the 15 minutes that sent chills through viewers. Jung I-shin calmly described her first murder to Cha Soo-yeol as if it were nothing, and at times spoke with an excited voice as if merely recalling the memory overwhelmed her. Jung I-shin's husband suffered from extreme jealousy, was always drunk, and abused his wife. He even laid hands on their son Cha Soo-yeol. In the end, Jung I-shin killed her husband impulsively.
Young Cha Soo-yeol fainted from shock, and Jung I-shin pushed her husband's body into the well alone. At that moment it rained. Watching the blood being washed away, Jung I-shin let out a grotesque laugh, saying, "It rained after I killed him!" Recalling the past, Jung I-shin said, "That day I was really lucky," and "It was peaceful." Cha Soo-yeol, gagging with anger and disgust, shouted, "You are a slaughterer who likes the smell of blood. The Mantis. You're just a monster."
But Jung I-shin was still pure madness. To her son Cha Soo-yeol, who anguished and grabbed her throat, she made a terrible provocation, asking, "Do you hate me? Am I disgusting? Do you want to kill me?" and saying, "Kill me! It's such a pain that mom is alive. Our son." Seeing Jung I-shin's more piercing gaze and vivid expressions than ever, Cha Soo-yeol screamed desperately. The intense confrontation between mother Jung I-shin and son Cha Soo-yeol, who could never get close, closed the ending.
Episode 3 of "The Mantis: Original Sin" was 60 minutes that stood out for its shocking story and detailed direction that did not lose tension and pull. The highlight was the 15-minute one-on-one scene between Go Hyun-jung and Jang Dong-yoon. Go Hyun-jung's madness caused goosebumps, and Jang Dong-yoon's screams increased immersion. It was a powerful 15 minutes that made it difficult even for viewers to breathe easily. It was easy to see why director Byun Young-joo emphasized this scene even before the broadcast.
It was clearly proven why Jung I-shin had to be Go Hyun-jung and why Cha Soo-yeol had to be Jang Dong-yoon. It showed how powerful the synergy and impact are when Go Hyun-jung and Jang Dong-yoon meet. The spine-tingling SBS Friday-Saturday drama "The Mantis: Original Sin" episode 4 will air tonight, Sept. 13, at 10 p.m.
[Photo] SBS "The Mantis: Original Sin" broadcast capture
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