I may be the only person who watched all of Single’s Inferno season 3 to be rejoicing that it’s finally ended. For those who love their reality shows, I have so much respect for you. I suppose I understand why it could be an escape, spending those two hours every week with no other thought in mind, just the excitement of who your favorite contestant will choose, or which couple will emerge out of this messy situation, or just a gnarly old fight to lift up your mood. I get it! But it’s just not for me. Or maybe people like Gwan-Hee really put me off of these shows completely. You see, it’s exactly this kind of person that makes a show like Single’s Inferno thrive; however, it leaves me with a sour ick towards the genre altogether. I suppose it’s the aspiration of it all—to look a certain way, act a certain way, be fit, dress magically—it all seems so… fantasy-like; however, the reality of it all is that none of it is real; obviously, it’s just me and a fraction of other people that think that. I think I’m more disappointed by the end of Single’s Inferno because it seems almost like an abrupt ending. What happens when they get out? Are the ones who go out as couples winners? Is it because they found their partners? I really don’t know.
Spoilers Ahead
What Happens In Episode 10?
I suppose when you’re a popular woman, you tend to ignore everything that’s happening around you until everyone else is popular, too. Gyu-Ri reveals to Min-Young that she thinks Si-Eun would choose Won-Ik. Comically, it seems she’s the only one who is ignorant of Min-Woo and Si-Eun’s blatant interest in each other. Finally, when she gets to spend a day in the Inferno with the two of them, she sees how close they’ve become, leaving her gobsmacked. How did these two fall for each other in one day? And that too without going to Paradise! It’s quite uncomfortable to watch her feel sidelined because she doesn’t know how to express her distaste. When it finally comes time to talk, Gyu-Ri treats Min-Woo like a doormat, becoming authoritative, knowing she’s older than him. It’s like watching a school teacher shout at a bad student. ‘How dare you not stay put? Do as I ask you!’ She even goes as far as to compare him to Gwan-Hee, which is an atrocious thing to do, seeing as Min-Woo has always been weighing his options between the two girls. Additionally, it’s almost hypocritical because she was doing the same with Min-Kyu! I suppose rejection is a tough pill to swallow, so Gyu-Ri’s defense mechanism is to simply get furious and blame Min-Woo (a child, really) in this situation. Of course, this means one definite couple is getting out of the Inferno: Min-Woo and Si-Eun. They even admit to each other that they’ve chosen the other, which I will admit was kind of cute.
Since this is a recap, I’ll have to talk about Ha-Bin, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but he’s almost worse than Gwan-Hee. At least the guy tries to express himself. Ha-Bin finally has the chance to go to Paradise, thanks to Ha-Jeong’s open heart; however, he completely butchers his opportunity, acting coy and nonchalant. It almost seems as if he wanted to go only to eat nice food and sleep in a bed! We finally learn that Ha-Bin’s a 31-year-old actor (all of us K-drama girls already knew, of course), and that’s about where it stops. Even after Ha-Bin told Ha-Jeong he wanted to talk to her where they could “break the rules,” he completely shut down in Paradise. Even yawning after food—how disrespectful! At least have the decency to talk to the girl you’re supposedly so interested in. Ironically, all Ha-Jeong can talk about is Gwan-Hee, but that’s not the reason Ha-Bin can’t open up to her; it’s the fact that he’s so comfortable with her. Huh?! Anyway, that’s the end of that couple right there.
On the other hand, Gwan-Hee and Hye-Seon have a good time as always. These two seem the most natural together in the Gwan-Hee quadrangle. Yet, this man cannot, for the love of himself, make up his mind. In the helicopter, he tells Min-Ji not to talk to him. Min-Ji is very unhappy with everything that’s gone down. After crying in Paradise with Min-Kyu, she even asked him to put it through Gwan-Hee’s thick skull, saying that she’s only into him. The kind man that Min-Kyu is, who sees Min-Ji as nothing but a little sister, tells Gwan-Hee about her crying in the helicopter and such, revealing how she truly feels about him. Undoubtedly, this has a big impact on the dude again. “OMG! She cried! For me?!” I don’t condone violence, but I would’ve thrown hands at this point.
What Happens In Episode 11?
I suppose Min-Young and Jin-Seok were the first sure couple on the show. Despite their ups and downs, they were labeled a married couple. The two of them have a talk, and Min-Young reminds Jin-Seok that she really likes him and would want to leave the Inferno with him. He’s still playing around with her because it seems he holds grudges and loves to play a prank. At least he’s got a sense of humor. On the other hand, Ha-Jeong and Gwan-Hee finally cleared the air and let go of each other in front of Jin-Seok and Min-Young. Between Hye-Seon and Min-Ji, Gwan-Hee wants one of them to take the first step because he’s too “awkward” to go call on one of them. To think this guy is the oldest on the show. He requests Min-Woo to go speak with Hye-Seon so he can have a word with Min-Ji first. Min-Ji understandably cries again while speaking with Gwan-Hee, because he says she never showed him signs of being certain about him. She reminds him that she wrote in her note that there was no one else for her but him. Gwan-Hee is simply walking in circles at this point, just because he can’t choose between the two girls. He must’ve said Min-Ji is closer to his ideal type at least five times in one conversation. Fortunately, Hye-Seon’s self-respect takes over, and she gets angry at Gwan-Hee for playing with her feelings. This is when he realizes that he’s been the problem all along (hallelujah!). The judges have even given him the nickname “If-Man” because he keeps asking “if” questions, hoping it’ll help him come to a conclusion for himself. He might be the oldest, but definitely the most immature.
At the final bonfire, Min-Woo finally reveals his age to the whole cast, answering Si-Eun’s biggest question. She’s shocked to learn he’s 3 years younger than her but finds comfort in the fact that he had the maturity to reach out to her in the Inferno and set things straight despite his tender age. While they’re asking each other questions, Hye-Seon begins to cry, thanking everyone for the great memories. This leads to Gwan-Hee crying, and just like Lee Da-Hee, I had a feeling this would mean the connection was cemented. For once, Gwan-Hee has an honest conversation with Hye-Seon and apologizes for his appalling behavior throughout the show, trying too hard to make the most of it all. Hye-Seon understands his feelings; however, it seems almost as if she’s babysitting him at this point, which is quite unfair if you ask me.
Who Are The Final Couples Of The Show?
Let’s get over the obvious ones first. There’s Jin-Seon and Min-Young, the cute, bantering married couple. Then, unsurprisingly, there’s Gyu-Ri and Min-Kyu, the calm and sophisticated. While Won-Ik still wants to take his chances with Si-Eun, she chooses Min-Woo without batting an eye. Ultimately, for the main event of the show, who does Gwan-Hee choose? At the moment that the women who want to be with Gwan-Hee are asked to walk up to him, at first, it’s only Min-Ji who walks up to him, followed by Ha-Jeong. Ha-Jeong knows for sure he’s not going to choose her, but she wants to be honest about her feelings, which I love to see. On the other hand, Hye-Seon isn’t so certain about Gwan-Hee’s decision, so she takes the longest to find him (this is, of course, for dramatic effect). Ultimately, as the ladies in the panel (and I) predicted, it’s Hye-Seon that Gwan-Hee chooses, leaving Min-Ji quite shaken. The ones left behind are Ha-Bin (duh!), Won-Ik, Ha-Jeong, and Min-Ji.
Final Thoughts
I honestly would’ve preferred to see the couples go to Paradise one last time, at least, because this seems like a very haphazard conclusion to me. Why are people okay with this? We’ve come this far; let’s see them have fun for real! Anyway, I suppose it’s the journey that matters, but it’s definitely a disappointing way to end the show. Anyway, until next time, I’ll be hoping there’ll be no more Gwan-Hees but more Hye-Seons and Ha-Jeongs.
