As new mysteries unfold and cryptic clues abound, Revenant steers the story’s trajectory far from the predictable.
In their quest to uncover the origins of the cursed hair accessory, San Yeong and Hae Sang face the challenge of finding the old village of Jangjin-ri amid a rapidly modernizing landscape.
Kimley Jone watches Revenant on Disney Plus
Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 |
Episodes 3 and 4 Highlights
*Content Warning: The following text contains references to suicide.
San Yeong and Hae Sang eventually locate Jangjin-ri, where they encounter an elderly resident who vividly describes what the dwindled countryside settlement was like over sixty years ago.
The old man further recounts the town’s local customs and traditions, including the chilling tale of a massive tree called “Dukdali” where the bodies of deceased children were once hung. According to the village legend, the tree became haunted by vengeful spirits who met unjust deaths.
The once-haunted tree, however, has since been cut down, making way for a dormitory building in its place. As San Yeong and Hae Sang successfully find the building, San Yeong catches a glimpse of the petrifying shadow of the colossal tree and the lifeless bodies hanging from its branches.
Suspicious Deaths
Meanwhile, three university students, all in their senior year, die in an apparent suicide inside their respective dormitory rooms. Coincidentally, they all died in a similar manner—hanging themselves with a rope, with bruises on their wrists.
Mun Chun and Hong Sae (Hong Kyung) take it upon themselves to investigate the mysterious deaths. As they delve deeper into the cases, they refuse to dismiss the possibility of foul play and diligently search for any connections between the victims.
As fate would have it, they cross paths with Hae Sang and San Yeong, who are conducting their own inquiries into the dormitory building. This unexpected encounter adds another layer of intrigue surrounding San Yeong’s possible involvement in multiple suicide cases.
Another Case of Evil Possession
Another senior university student named Tae Young is linked to the cases due to her friendship with the victims. The situation escalates further when she suddenly disappeared after the fatal incidents took place.
The truth, however, is that the students were ensnared in a dreadful cycle of debt. The loan shark, disguised as a fish store owner, inflicted severe abuse and threats upon them. Tae Young, burdened by debt herself, was coerced into recruiting other students to obtain loans.
Desperate to shield her family’s information from the loan shark, Tae Young destroyed her remaining photo of her family and tossed it into the aquarium. Unbeknown to her, the picture depicted the haunted Dukdali tree in the background before it was felled. The photo turned out to be haunted, leading to the possession of the store owner by an evil spirit.
Twenty-One, One Hundred Seventy-Six
San Yeong narrowly avoids falling into a debt trap and signing a loan agreement.
Realizing that San Yeong had uncovered his brutal secret, the loan shark viciously attacks her in a fit of rage. Fortunately, San Yeong manages to escape his clutches. However, the situation takes an unexpected turn when the store’s CCTV footage revealed her as the one orchestrating the chaos.
Unbeknown to her, the demon takes over her body, which manifests in her bizarre behavior. When Hae Sang eventually finds her, she greets him with a chilling smile, hinting that they have met before. At this moment, Hae Sang realizes he is facing the same demon that killed his mother.
In a trance-like state, San Yeong mutters “21, 176,” as if indicating something important. However, upon regaining awareness, she has no recollection of how she ended up where she is or the significance of the numbers.
The Chilling Case of Mokdan
Mun Chun and Hong Sae resume the investigation over the death of San Yeong’s grandmother. While fully immersed in the case, they stumble upon a newspaper article from 1958 in Professor Gang Mo’s collection. The article discusses a missing girl named Lee Mokdan from Jangjin-ri. Mokdan was found dead 17 days after her disappearance. Her body was discovered in a horrifying state of skin and bones and with one of her fingers missing. It was believed that an evil shaman was responsible for this heinous crime, sacrificing her to the gods.
San Yeong and Hae Sang come across the same newspaper clipping. Intrigued, they are determined to uncover more about this old case, as both the hair accessory and the Dukdali tree seem to be connected to the girl.
Referring to Professor Gang Mo’s folklore book, San Yeong and Hae Sang accidentally find a hint about juvenile ghosts on pages 21 and 176, the same numbers San Yeong unconsciously muttered the moment she was possessed. Intrigued by this clue, they set off to Baekchagol Village where the ancient straw doll ritual is still being practiced.
Baekchagol Village
San Yeong and Hae Sang reach Baekchagol and find the villagers buzzing with preparations for the traditional straw doll rite. Performed to ward off bad spirits, this revered ritual is at risk of being abandoned because of the aging population of the villagers.
To San Yeong’s surprise, one of the townsmen reveals that he was acquainted with Professor Gang Mo. He further claims that the scholar met San Yeong’s mother in this village. The man, however, suddenly dies right after sharing the information about the professor.
Meanwhile, Hae Sang has been silently witnessing the presence of ghosts around the place. San Yeong herself also sees frightening spirits through her mirror. They both realize that the village is plagued by restless souls.
Digging deeper, Hae Sang uncovers that one of the women in the village has been secretly burning the straw dolls used for fending off demons out of fear of never seeing her deceased daughter’s spirit again.
While trying to run from the ghosts that have been trailing her, San Yeong is taken aback as she looks through a window glass and sees her father’s ghostly presence.
Revenant Episode 3 and 4 Musings
Revenant‘s recent episodes have plunged the story into a deeper, more ominous tone. No longer mere eerie shadows, the spirits have morphed into tangible entities, each with haunting faces and stories to tell. Despite their hostile and vindictive nature, these spirits bear the weight of their tragic stories and are the embodiment of misfortune and untimely demise.
As San Yeong and Hae Sang inch closer to solving the enigma surrounding the hair accessory’s original owner, they discover that the puzzle is far more intricate than they initially thought. The sequence of clues they unearth weaves an even more complex riddle, leaving them with more questions than answers. Consequently, the perplexing motive behind Professor Gang Mo’s decision to leave a cursed object for her daughter is still shrouded in mystery.
Moreover, their investigation uncovers intriguing details about Sang Yeon’s mother, suggesting that she harbors troubling secrets that compelled her to run away from her ex-husband and abandon her hometown.
Throughout these episodes, the characters have taken the viewers on a gripping and unpredictable journey, with each step revealing a piece of information that helps complete the overarching puzzle. However, we are also constantly confronted with new mysteries that need unraveling. The constant shifts between different places and the continuous unveiling of new plot elements felt a bit overwhelming. While such twists can intensify the thrill factor, they may also leave the audience with a sense of being swept away in different directions.
The series definitely demands a considerable amount of patience from the viewers. Nonetheless, the narrative’s depth promises revelations that make it worthwhile to stay invested.
Revenant airs its new episodes every Friday and Saturday on SBS and can be streamed on Disney Plus.
Episodes 3 & 4 Video Recap
Photos: SBS Drama | Disney Plus Ph
Video: SBS Drama
