“There is no evil in me, there is strength.”
In JTBC’s ‘Everyone is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness’, Koo Kyo-hwan, who was trembling with fear ahead of his debut as a film director, gained power from Go Youn-jung, grew stronger once again, and found the clue to his final scenario assignment.
In the 9th episode of the JTBC Saturday-Sunday drama ‘Everyone is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness’ (directed by Cha Young-hoon, written by Park Hae-young, produced by Studio Phoenix, SLL, and Studio Flow), Hwang Dong-man (Koo Kyo-hwan) faced a terrifying sense of responsibility after signing a support contract with the Korean Film Council. Unlike the days when he just watched the “lion inside us,” he now had to face the “lion that came out of us.” He was weighed down by Go Hye-jin’s (Kang Mal-geum) order to delete all slanderous posts online, warning that “people like you from yesterday will swarm like a pack of dogs hoping you’ll fall,” as well as Park Young-soo’s (Jeon Bae-soo) reality check that “not a single scene will be filmed as intended, and you’ll want to run away hundreds of times.”
While blowing out the candles on a celebratory cake prepared by Byeon Eun-ah (Go Youn-jung), Hwang Dong-man prayed for repentance rather than success. This was because he personally felt that the hearts of those who wanted him to fail were as desperate as his own. Sensing his fear, Byeon Eun-ah firmly told him that if he wanted to run away, she would let him, and she wouldn’t let him experience the terror she had gone through. Then, like her life’s goal of being a “powerful mother,” she embraced Hwang Dong-man. Gaining the strength that things might be less scary once they actually happen, Hwang Dong-man delivered a rookie director’s award acceptance speech—which he had only imagined like a “madman”—in front of Byeon Eun-ah, expressing his gratitude by saying, “I wouldn’t be standing here if it weren’t for you.”
However, before stepping into the real ring, Hwang Dong-man was given one last task. It was feedback from Go Hye-jin to reinforce the “details of evil” for the protagonist. Hwang Dong-man tried everything to get inspiration by staring intently at the photo of the top-choice actor, No Kang-shik (Sung Dong-il), but he only tore at his hair in anxiety. The clue was solved in an unexpected place: the loan shark who had been tormenting him.
The reason Hwang Dong-man turned to private loans was because his pet cat, ‘Yoreum’, had a sudden accident. The interest had already snowballed to more than five times the principal. The loan shark, noticing he had a potential source of money, threatened him more aggressively, and when Hwang Dong-man didn’t listen, the shark sent exposure texts to his acquaintances, revealing his shame to the world.
In the process, Hwang Dong-man realized that the source of the stress that weighed him down every time the “dealer’s” phone rang wasn’t fear, but “boredom.” Even the terrifying swear words the man spat out were infinitely old-fashioned, lazy, and cliché. Byeon Eun-ah, who also received the exposure text, gave him strength, saying, “A man who even took out a loan to save a cat, this is why I like the director,” and told him he wouldn’t crumble over something like this.
Hwang Dong-man boldly visited the dealer on his own and made a shocking proposal: “I need something scary right now. If you show me properly, ten million won won’t be a waste.” However, intimidated by his momentum, the dealer retreated without being able to make any threats. Having gained the power to no longer be swayed by the dealer, Hwang Dong-man declared, “It’s over as of today,” noting that he had already paid back several times the principal in interest. Most people mistake evil for strength, but the evil dealer was not strong. Having finally solved the task of making the protagonist look strong, Hwang Dong-man shouted, “There is no evil in me, there is strength!” and moved forward once again.
Meanwhile, Oh Jung-hee (Bae Jong-ok) instantly recognized her biological daughter, Byeon Eun-ah, who was hiding behind the pen name ‘Young-shil’ in the ‘Knock Knock Knock’ scenario. A flutter of excitement crossed her face, as if she had discovered her “wonderful daughter.” Furthermore, having a history of stealing a role by changing ‘My Father’ to ‘My Mother’ after No Kang-shik was first offered the part, she hinted at a new storm by suggesting she might engage in under-the-table maneuvers regarding Byeon Eun-ah’s scenario.
In the meantime, Byeon Eun-ah grew to like her mother’s step-daughter, Jang Mi-ran (Han Sun-hwa), even more. Jang Mi-ran confessed her empty heart, saying that the moment she says “I love you,” a real feeling of love arises, making it impossible to act. This is because, unlike her mother who only has a cold head, Jang Mi-ran possesses animalistic emotions. Byeon Eun-ah became the control tower guiding Jang Mi-ran’s landing, and the interesting narrative between the two daughters surrounding Oh Jung-hee has sparked curiosity about future developments.
Viewers who watched the broadcast reacted with comments such as “So shocking,” “Sung Dong-il’s acting is legendary,” and “Mi-ran has a lot of scars too.”
Meanwhile, episode 10 of ‘Everyone is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness’ will air tonight (17th) at 10:30 PM on JTBC.
