The Good Deeds
Mystic Pop-up Bar’s latest episode sends a nice and simple message about the importance of good deeds and their consequences for others. With more mysteries and new developments for our characters to tackle, the drama remains entertaining and intriguing which should keep you coming back for more next week. Episode 4 of Mystic Pop-up Bar starts with a customer being aggressive with Kang-Bae. He is stopped by Yeo-Rin, prompting them both to become very surprised as they recognize each other. She takes him and Weol-Ju into the security office to find out just what they are up to. Kang-Bae tells her they can’t really disclose it but that their operation is of quite a large scale. Suddenly a man in a suit calling himself John Smith arrives and apologises for getting her involved. Weol-Ju shows her a picture of him, revealing that he is the director of CIA which means she needs to stay out of it. After Yeo-Rin leaves, John Smith reveals himself to Kang-Bae as Guibanjang. While out shopping, Weol-Ju befriends an old lady after taking all the noodles from the shelf. She tries to set her up with her grandson who works at the supermarket as well. When Weol-Ju finds out that it is Choi Jin-Dong, she fakes that she has to go somewhere. While Weol-Ju and Guibanjang discuss their next plan of action, Kang-Bae follows Yeo-Rin after work. She confronts him about it and again, as she touches him, she doesn’t feel anything. Kang-Bae runs to the pop-up bar to tell them what happened but is suddenly transported into a field in the dream-world where a celebration is ongoing. He sees Weol-Ju and Guibanjang in front of a food cart who tell him that this is the annual dream world lottery battle, which they describe to be a field day for the dead. The winner gets to go into his descendants’ dream to relay the winning numbers. Weol-Ju then explains that whoever they help going into their ancestor’s dream will count towards their goal. As Kang-Bae brings food over to a table, he sees a man called Choi Seok-Pan and finds out that he is the great grandfather of Choi Jin-Dong whom he works with. He then meets with Death, Yeombujang, who jokingly tells him that he understands it must be hard to have such a temperamental boss. At the same time in the living world, Jin-Dong has dinner with his grandma and gives her his savings as he wants her to get surgery for her back. She declines it though as she wants him to think of himself and get married instead. The race finally starts as Yeombujang gathers everyone on the field and they start with a true or false quiz, followed by a series of fun activities. While Seok-Pan is doing very well, his rival Du-Yeong manages to cheat his way through. They both end up in the final where they participate in a one-legged fight. Du-Yeong thinks he can’t lose as he is a nobleman while Seok-Pan wants to win for his grandson. Despite Du-Yeong trying to cheat again, Seok-Pan wins and is able to enter Jin-Dong’s dream to give him the lottery numbers. As our trio and Seok-Pan come to say goodbye to Yeombujang, they are shocked to find out that Jin-Dong is expected to die in an accident the next day. Seok-Pan begs him to reconsider so Yeombujang tells them that there might be a way; they can try to change god’s mind by doing some great deeds. He can get some from another dead person but he has to give something valuable in return and that person has to have something to do with his family. Weol-Ju doesn’t think it is possible so she tells Seok-Pan to give up for now. However, he begs her as he feels responsible as his ancestor and will do anything for her. Since this reminds her of her mother, Weol-Ju agrees to help. Yeombujang tells them they have until 11:03 am the next day to bring the good deeds. The trio head to the administration office and query about finding someone with a lot of good deeds and also being related to Seok-Pan. They get a match with Lee Kkeut-sun who is the director of the afterlife orphanage. They then visit her and explain their dilemma. Kkeu-Sun is touched by their story and accepts to give them her good deeds straight away as she remembers Jeom-Rye (Jin-Dong’s grandma) and cared about her deeply. After leaving, Kang-Bae learns that the deceased kids in the orphanage wait there until their parents come and join them. He tells Weol-Ju and Guibanjang that he is glad they will eventually be reunited as it is different in the living world because the children never get to meet their parents, just like him. Suddenly, someone steals the pouch and runs off with it. Guibanjang chases after him while Weol-Ju and Kang-Bae return in the living world to try stopping Death and protect Jin-Dong. Yeombujang arrives early so Weol-Ju tries stopping him and explains that the pouch is coming soon. In the warehouse, Yeombujang uses his power to direct a big metal trolley towards him but Kang-Bae manages to push him out of the way. Back in the afterlife, Guibanjang has managed to get the pouch back but unfortunately the next ferry is not for another 2 hours. He then decides to swim while in the warehouse Weol-Ju wrestles with Yeombujang. He decides to change the cause of death to a heart attack but Weol-Ju manages to stop him. As he tries to give Jon-Ding a heart attack again, Yeombujang’s powers stop working when Yeo-Rin comes into the room. She walks through him which gives him a very weird feeling. Suddenly, a soaked Guibanjang arrives to save the day with the pouch of good deeds. Later on, Jeom-Rye is visited by Lee Kkeut-sun who comforts her and while she sleeps gives her panacea for her back, which she bought with the lottery numbers. Weol-Ju appears too and tells hershe did a good thing and explains that everyone should do something nice for others and live a good life. Jin-Dong returns home after work but finds out that he hasn’t won the lottery. Thankfully though Jeom-Rye tells him that her back is cured, which she believes was their ancestors’ doing. Back in the Pop-up bar Kang-Bae collapses, exhausted after the last few days. Weol-Ju takes him home while Yeombujang comes in to let Guibanjang know that the chief of police is thinking to have him reinstated. Guibanjang tells him it is too soon but when Yeombujang receives a call that an evil spirit is roaming around, he asks for his help. We then see him chasing the spirit and quickly disposing of him using a magical weapon. As Weol-Ju puts Kang-Bae to bed, she remembers the time in the past when she looked after the crown prince. We then see the prince later making his way to the sacred tree with a bloody sword, claiming that he wasn’t able to save her but vowing to find her in the next life and protect her, which is where the episode ends. Mystic Pop-up Bar manages to stay quite original with another decent episode, taking us to the fun after-life contest. This was quite the amusing addition before the second half takes us back to the more serious task at hand as our trio help another person. This chapter had an important message about the importance of good deeds too and how it affects the people around us. This drama has had some great world building too so far and brought us some new revelations and questions; Yeo-Rin seems to have important powers as she is unable to feel Kang-Bae’s touch. She’s also able to stop Death’s powers as well it seems, while we can assume that the crown prince may be the ancestor of Kang-Bae too. These plot development help the show remain intriguing and enjoyable and if it carries on like this, could be set to become one of the better Korean dramas of the year so far. Published: 29 May 2020 at 6:32pm on TheReviewGeek.com
