Little Women – K-Drama Episode 9 Recap & Review

Episode 9 of Little Women sees Sang-ha disappointed after she learns that In-joo managed to sneak away her 70 billion won. However, she states that the money was clump change with the goal being In-joo’s death all along.

Just then, Do-il enters the room and beats Sang-ha’s men up. Sang-ha threatens to kill him when he lets her know that he was here to deliver a message from Park Jae-sang. Jae-sang asks Sang-ha to give up and return to Korea. In-kyung is with him and has promised to surrender the ledgers in exchange for In-joo’s life.

In-joo asks her sister to keep the ledgers and reveal the truth about the Park family but In-kyung threatens to expose Sang-ha’s family and the Jeongran Society if they did something to In-joo. Sang-ha is disappointed that her entire fortune of 3 trillion won is on the line and she left In-joo with Do-il.

Back in Korea, Jae-sang asks In-kyung to stop chasing them if she wanted to live but the latter threatens to expose him via the local news in the days to come. Jae-sang reveals that her boss and the man In-kyung trusts so much is also involved in the business of the Jeongran Society and tells her that her career had been manipulated all along with the help of Wan-gyu.

In-kyung is shaken but she still promises to destroy and expose the Jeongran society as Jae-sang burns the ledgers in front of her. In Singapore, Do-il and In-joo discuss the future of their deal and she tells him where the money actually went. In-joo explains how she hid the money in a locker at a train station and asks him to give her sisters their share if she dies.

He reassures her that she is going to be okay before she passes out. In-kyung visits her former boss Wan-gyu and confronts him about his involvement in the Jeongran Society the latter explains how being in the society was liberating to him and he became successful by being a part of the group.

He argues with In-kyung about her ideologies and how working with society would benefit her a lot but she argues how exposing the truth was her priority. At the Park family house, Hyo-rin and In-hye discuss how Sang-ha’s betrayal was something the former never expected.

The two young girls make a pact to leave the family immediately and escape to Russia visa Japan with the money that’s deposited under Hyo-rin’s name. They plan to do so the next day after school instead of attending play practice.

In-kyung is having drinks with Jong-ho as he tells her that he will be going back to the states now that his grandfather was all well. He asks her to join him and start afresh. In-kyung recalls how she felt when he asked her to get away with him to the states all those years ago and how she resented him for showing her pity.

Jong-ho confesses that he actually had feelings for her and wanted to move to the states with her to start a new life. In-kyung dismisses him saying she did not have any romantic feelings towards him but that they only shared a sense of attachment and imprinting towards each other and nothing more.

She tells Jong-ho that when with him, she only feels a sense of calm and relief in contrast to the heart-fluttering feelings people get when they are in love and leaves him alone. He is speechless and tries to reason with her but she leaves him and goes to Hye-suk’s bungalow.

Outside, she gets on a call with Hee-jae and tells him that she will not be able to rely on the news. In-kyung tells him that she would like to join him in killing Jae-sang. She then receives an email from Sang-woo, Sang-ha’s sister who informs In-kyung that he has some dirt on Park Jae-sang.

The next morning In-joo and Do-il leave Singapore to go to Greece. He hands her the papers to the company he just invested the 70 billion won in and tells In-joo he will liquidate the assets to the company once they are in Greece and stop contacting each other immediately.

In-joo is disappointed. Hyo-rin and In-hye put up an act in front of Sang-ha and Jae-sang pretending to be unaware of the chaos she caused in Singapore. They leave for school and Hyo-rin tells In-hye that she should look after the bank papers as she is forgetful. Sang-ha lures Jae-sang and uses physical intimacy to convince him to have In-kyung killed immediately.

He instructs Soo-im to have the reporter killed and a group of men drop by at Hye-suk’s bungalow. At the Singapore airport, In-joo is ready to leave for Greece with Do-il when she gets a call from Jong-ho stating that In-kyung is missing. She is worried about In-kyung and immediately leaves for Korea instead of Greece asking Do-il to go to Greece.

In-joo tells him that he trusts him and puts him up to let the money go to In-kyung and In-hye in the event of In-joo’s death. At the school play rehearsal, Hyo-rin is shocked to learn that In-hye had gone missing. She faints on stage only to wake up and learn from Sang-ha that In-hye had reportedly run away.

Hyo-rin lies to save In-hye and states that she voluntarily gave her the money and passbooks and asks Sang-ha to not go after her. In-hye on the other hand is held hostage in the closed room that resembles the dollhouse Sang-ha played with as a child and Hwa-young’s bedroom.

In-hye notices tally marks on the wall of the wardrobe showing 2922 days as well as a note on it with “Run Away” written on it. Sang-ha enters the room with food and In-hye puts two and two together. Sang-ha reveals that she lied to Hyo-rin about In-hye leaving with the money.

In-hye and Sang-ha discuss how the latter’s mother had been locked in the “closed room” for almost 3000 days and how she had died in there too. Sang-ha promises In-hye that she too will end up like her mother and In-hye wonders if she too will hang herself in the lockers.

In-joo is back in Korea and the police are investigating In-kyung’s absence. They learn that In-kyung has enrolled herself in a mental institution for her alcohol addiction. In-joo is shocked why In-kyung is doing this but as it turns out, she is there to meet Sang-woo.

She uses Hee-jae’s help to enter Sang-woo’s room through the vents and is able to reach the private room the ex-CEO is in. In-joo and Jong-ho are at the hospital to look for In-kyung and the oldest sister suggests that the reporter was here to see Sang-woo.

In the room, Sang-woo reveals the details about the Bobae Savings Bank scandal to In-kyung and exposes the Jeongran Society as well as Jae-sang and Il-bok’s actions. In-kyung promises to gather proof and asks him to testify in court against Park Jae-sang. In-joo and Jong-ho spot Soo-im and her men looking for In-kyung.

They come up with a plan and In-joo rings the fire alarms to distract Soo-im. She runs to the VIP room to warn In-kyung by yelling from outside and she and Jong-ho rush to the terrace. Soo-im and her men follow In-joo giving In-kyung time to run away with Sang-woo through the vents.

As Soo-im reaches the rooftop, Jong-ho locks her men out and In-joo beats Soo-im with a rod. She starts assaulting Soo-im for the way she had beaten In-joo up in the past. Her men somehow make it inside and attack In-joo and Jong-ho. The hospital staff let Soo-im know that Sang-woo had escaped and In-joo was only a distraction.

In-kyung and Sang-woo manage to escape through a tunnel where Hee-jae finds them. In-kyung says she needs to rush to save In-joo but Hee-jae states he has taken care of it. In a mask, Do-il enters the hospital and rescues In-joo and Jong-ho out of the basement where they are held hostage.

They all eventually gather at Hee-jae’s house where In-kyung and In-joo reconnect. Jong-ho spots In-kyung and just holds on to her without letting her go as he tells her how he is finally at peace. She hugs him back.

The entire crew wonder what the best plan will be between exposing and assassinating Jae-sang but Hee-jae claims that he will be the person to kill the to-be Mayor. In-joo and In-kyung wonder why they haven’t heard from In-hye. Do-il states he will be going to the Park house to find her.

In-joo follows. Sang-woo is lost deep in thought as In-kyung and Jong-ho try to reach In-hye. Park Jae-sang on the other hand lashes out at Soo-im for letting In-kyung go but he gets a call from Sang-woo. The ex-CEO wants to meet Jae-sang and asks him to give him some funds so that he can escape and live a free life away.

Jae-sang promises to meet him for one last drink. However, Jae-sang has sent Soo-im in his stead as he watches from afar. But, to his surprise, Sang-woo is not at the place they decided to meet at but stands behind Jae-sang holding a gun to his head.

The Episode Review

Every episode of Little Women is somehow more complicated and jarring than the last. From not being able to trust Do-il despite his repeated acts of kindness for In-joo, to the constant feeling of regret for Jong-ho’s situation. The two older sisters really have these boys on their toes.

It is refreshing to see a female villain in the form of Sang-ha and the novel can actually be one that lives up to its title. From literary references to the obvious Lousia May Alcott novel Little Women to the sudden correlation between the classic novel, The Madwoman in the Attic.

The show just keeps getting better and better with every episode with so much going on. It is obvious that Sang-woo is not someone who can outsmart Jae-sang as the mayoral candidate had initially stated how he was better than Sang-woo which made General Won trust him with the future of the Jeongran Society.

It seems like at least one, if not all, of the Oh sisters will die by the end of the show and it suddenly seems like In-hye might be her. I hope the sisters are able to find In-hye and that Jae-sang does not end up hurting Sang-woo instead of it being the other way around.

The teaser to the next episode mentions Jae-sang’s death so it seems like there is a possibility that Sang-woo will come out victorious in this duel.