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Single’s Inferno
Episodes 8 & 9
Season 3
Episodes 8 and 9
Editor’s Rating
Photo: Netflix
Whether you like it or not, Gwan-hee is the main character this season. I’d call him an “It” boy, but the Single’s Inferno panel has come up with a much better nickname: “‘If’ Boy,” a nod to the weird hypothetical questions he always asks his love interests. But despite his frequent faux pas, he’s juggling more women than anyone else on the island, and this week’s pair of episodes focuses mainly on him. (Screen time for the other guys is sparse — Ha-bin in particular is basically still a stranger to us.) Personally, I think the drama around Gwan-hee is starting to feel a little dragged out. Sure, the flip-flopping has made for some delicious tension so far, but all the indecisiveness is making his latest dates and interactions seem hollow. It won’t feel meaningful if he stays conflicted up until the last second. Is his heart really swayed so easily, or is he just trying to create some suspense for TV? I don’t know, but I worry that if his final decision is built up too much, it’ll be impossible to have a satisfying payoff.
As the winner of last week’s race, Gwan-hee has first pick for Paradise dates. He chooses Min-ji partly because he wants to get back at Hye-seon for picking Won-ik before. (Side note: This will be his third date with someone who’s ten years younger. Is Netflix allergic to casting a woman in her 30s, or what?)
Min-kyu’s feelings haven’t changed. He picks Gyu-ri, who would rather stay in Inferno with Min-woo. Won-ik chooses Si-eun, tragically separating her from Min-woo for the third night in a row. The girls left behind on Inferno later tease Min-woo about Gyu-ri and Si-eun being gone, though he won’t answer questions about whom he likes more.
Meanwhile, Min-young confesses she’s interested only in Jin-seok. But he’s playing hard to get, which I support! Min-young says she has a love-hate relationship with him, and I feel he deserves a love-love relationship, you know? It is worth noting that in Paradise, Min-ji tells Gwan-hee that she’s not interested in Jin-seok. But Min-young and Jin-seok don’t know that, and I think it doesn’t ultimately doesn’t change the fact that Min-ji’s arrival on the island shook up this couple’s dynamic.
Over in Paradise, it’s not looking good for Won-ik or Min-kyu. Won-ik tells Si-eun that he wanted to beat Min-woo in the race, acknowledging her interest in a roundabout way. Si-eun carefully and diplomatically explains that she hasn’t had a chance to talk to Min-woo because of Won-ik. He says he’s not trying to stop her from talking to other people but admits he hopes her bad timing with Min-woo continues. Min-kyu also brings up Min-woo to Gyu-ri, who suggests she wasn’t necessarily hoping to come to Paradise with Min-kyu today.
Although Min-ji fields Gwan-hee’s questions about Jin-seok, their conversation is more focused on each other. Gwan-hee updates his description of his ideal type to be a cute, affectionate person with big eyes. “That’s me,” Min-ji says. She’s good at keeping him engaged and even flirtily calls him out for his habit of not holding eye contact while speaking. He asks if she’ll come to one of his basketball games, talks about how much he cares about his job, and explains the ways he tries not to stress out a girlfriend. It normally takes years for him to share this much, he says. Cut to Ha-jeong and Hye-seon back on Inferno, who are convinced Min-ji isn’t Gwan-hee’s type and don’t feel threatened. Poor things have no idea that Gwan-hee is over in Paradise putting Min-ji in an affectionate headlock.
Later, a group conversation on Inferno has a couple of charged moments. Ha-jeong talks about how she thought Won-ik would pick her right in front of Ha-bin, with whom she previously said she wanted to go to Paradise. Jin-seok is asked to describe Ha-jeong and Hye-seon’s vibes. When Min-young says “What about me?” the conversation flows forward without Jin-seok answering. He does, however, do his Ha-jeong impression again — no notes there.
And just like that, a week has passed. On the morning of Day 7, Gwan-hee notices makeup on Min-ji’s pants and offers her his shorts while he tries to remove the stain. Once Min-ji returns to Inferno, she gives the date a glowing review, noting that Gwan-hee is close to her ideal type because he’s career-oriented. Hye-seon starts to feel a little competitive just in time for the next round of games.
The women are competing for Paradise dates in chicken fights in which they must try to force their opponent to drop their leg. Si-eun is so desperate for a chance to pick Min-woo that she cheats and uses her arms. But in the end, Hye-seon, Ha-jeong, and Min-ji win the preliminary rounds. This means the final match is a “Lee Gwan-hee Derby,” as a grinning Gwan-hee describes in a confessional. “Whatever the outcome, I’ll be going to Paradise today,” he says. Min-ji is eliminated first, Ha-jeong trips and places second, and Hye-seon wins. The three women seem to be aware that they’re all interested in Gwan-hee, and Min-ji is brought to tears by the fact that she’s picking her date last.
Min-woo finds Si-eun for a chat. I want to point out that Si-eun has a habit of touching her hair when she’s flustered. By my count, she did it at least 35 times in this short conversation, so she’s down bad, y’all. She gets Min-woo to pinky-promise not to leave even if he’s picked, and he insinuates that because of this talk, he’s no longer interested in Gyu-ri. They can’t reveal their ages and occupations, but they hold hands and walk down the beach together as if they’re in Paradise. Min-woo says in a confessional that he’s choosing Si-eun because of how honest she is about her feelings. That’s sweet, but it makes me wonder how deep their connection actually is. What will he do if Gyu-ri shares her feelings in the same way?
Speaking of opening up, Min-ji gives Gwan-hee a letter that reads, “There’s no one else for me.” If she can’t pick him, she says she’ll either take Min-kyu or Jin-seok to Paradise. Gwan-hee says he’ll get “mixed signals” if she picks Min-kyu, even though she clarifies that it would be a platonic hangout since Min-kyu’s already set on Gyu-ri. (For what it’s worth, I also think giving Jin-seok hope would be cruel if she really doesn’t have feelings for him.) Gwan-hee confusingly reasons that Jin-seok would give him an honest debrief. Plus, he knows Jin-seok likes her and would be okay with competing “man to man.” It’s not the most compelling argument.
Ha-jeong then interrupts to start her own chat with Gwan-hee, reminding him that he said he would give her his decision today. He says her apology made him feel distant from her and would have preferred that she pretend as if nothing had happened. Super-healthy and mature, dude. Ha-jeong is confused: She thought he likes direct women who take the initiative and express themselves. Unfortunately, that seems to apply only when Gwan-hee likes what is being expressed. Despite Ha-jeong’s best efforts, this feels like a breakup.
Gwan-hee shares in a confessional that he doesn’t want Hye-seon to take him to Paradise because he knows that will sway him, and he doesn’t want his feelings for Min-ji to change. We later learn that he felt as if Hye-seon was becoming distant and getting closer to Won-ik right when Min-ji made a move, so now he doesn’t want to complicate things. Too bad it’s not up to him because Hye-seon picks Gwan-hee. They don’t hold hands as they walk off, though.
Ha-jeong picks Ha-bin, which hopefully means he’ll get some screen time next week. Min-ji goes against Gwan-hee’s advice and picks Min-kyu. Perhaps that’s why Gwan-hee brushes her off when she starts tapping him on the helicopter. Min-ji is so hurt that she has to wipe her tears on Min-kyu’s shirt. This is one of the rare times when I’m on Gwan-hee’s side. I understand Min-ji found it jarring for him to treat her coldly just hours after their sweet morning in Paradise. He probably could have shut her down in a more gentle way, but it’s weird for Min-ji to touch him like that when Hye-seon is right next to him as his date.
Gwan-hee is nostalgic about returning to Paradise with Hye-seon, especially when he sees that the staff have put out the same snacks from their first date. But initially, he’s anxious to hear how she feels about Won-ik. While on Inferno, Hye-seon was more ambiguous, but here, she clearly states she’s all in on Gwan-hee. This duo seems to have had some misunderstandings — for example, she says she wasn’t avoiding him after the race but was too shy to look at him. “You have a way of moving me. That’s why it’s really tough for me to push you away,” he says, comparing her to a fish bone that gets stuck in his throat. He fills her in about not wanting her to pick him because of Min-ji, and Hye-seon replies that it’s up to him to figure out what to do.
In the hot tub, Gwan-hee asks what Hye-seon would do if he didn’t pick her but hit her up after the show to invite her for a meal. “Block!” she replies brightly. Our “If” boy keeps the hypothetical questions going until he gets Hye-seon to reiterate that she isn’t interested in anyone else. Their date ends on a cliffhanger, with him asking if she wants to sleep in the same bed. Just kidding … unless? He didn’t sleep in the same room as Min-ji or Ha-jeong, so if he follows through, that’ll be significant.
Of course, nothing can be easy on Single’s Inferno. The preview shows Min-ji happily talking about dating Gwan-hee after the show. Gwan-hee tells the guys that Min-ji is more his ideal type but Hye-seon is more marriage material. That distinction feels a little sleazy, so it’s gratifying to see Hye-seon telling him point-blank to pick Min-ji because she doesn’t want to be with someone who doesn’t know what he wants. We get a shot of Gwan-hee crying, and he’s not the only one: Si-eun apparently feels betrayed by Min-woo to the point of tears, which is shocking given how secure he just made her feel. Once again, we’re ending the week with no solid couples in sight. Now I’m sure this won’t happen, but can you imagine if this were the first season with zero final matches?
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