Currently streaming on Viki, The Midnight Studio is the story of a photographer who bridges the gap between the world of the living and the dead. However, one of his ancestors had been cursed in the past for having stolen the camera of the Grim Reaper. The picture clicked by the photographer, Seo Ki Joo, would help the spirits find their way into the afterworld. However, he encounters both wicked and good spirits and has to find a way to deal with them accordingly. Will Seo be able to bring justice to Bo Ra, the wife of the deceased Park Seong Joon? Let’s find out!
Spoilers Ahead
Why Did A Curse Pass On To Seo Ki Joo’s Family?
A curse was passed on to Seo Ki Joo’s family from the Netherworld after one of his ancestors, Kyeong, stole the grim reaper’s camera. He had done so to ensure that the grim reaper’s attention was drawn to his son, who was almost on the verge of death. After stealing the camera, Kyeong was followed by the Grim Reaper into the human world, eventually letting his son live. The Grim Reaper agreed, but there was a twist to it as he said that he could only let his son live for 35 years and all the forthcoming generations would only live up to 35 years.
The curse that the Grim Reaper had put on Seo Ki Joo’s family many years ago also resulted in the curse being passed on to him. He would often get other-worldly visitors who would ask him to help them. On one occasion, Seo got a request from a virgin spirit to get married to her, but just as he was about to kiss her, she came back to her old form. Upon seeing her form, when he refused to kiss her, she said that she would avenge the insult. The spirit also set fire to his house, and this resulted in the landlady kicking him out of her house. There were a lot of other spirits who would attack Seo when they found out that he could see them. When Seo went to find a new place to live in a building, he was attacked by a vengeful spirit in the elevator.
How Did Han Bom Help Bo Ra?
Han Bom, a contractual employee under Attorney Kang Soo Mi, was facing difficulties paying house rent as she didn’t have a permanent job. When she came for an interview (at the same building where Seo was struggling with a vengeful spirit), she got a call from Kang Soo Mi asking her to handle the case of Bo Ra. She learned that Bo Ra had been falsely accused of killing her paralyzed husband and had to be released from police custody. Upon getting to know that Bo Ra was innocent, she didn’t hesitate to leave behind her interview to help an innocent woman.
What Was The Secret Of The Photo Studio?
The photo studio that was being run by Seo was only meant for dead people. It was believed that only a photographer who had the camera of the grim reaper could open the gate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Seo could open a world where the dead could enter only for three days after their deaths. After 100 years, the photo studio was likely to be called the Yahan, which was a midnight studio for the dead. Seo had inherited the photo studio, but along with it came the curse of the Grim Reaper, which was being passed down for generations. It was revealed that none of the photographers were able to survive the curse, and all of them died at the age of 35. Seo was also therefore predestined to die at the age of 35 as a result of the curse that one of his ancestors had brought upon him.
Why Did Park Seong Joon Approach Seo Ki Joo?
Park Seong Joon approached Seo Ki Joo to ask him to help get his wife out of jail. He said that his wife, Bo Ra, was falsely accused of having suffocated him to death, but that was not the truth. He said that it was his last wish to click a picture with Bo Ra so that he could take it as a memory for himself in his afterlife. Seo agreed to help Seong Joon and went in to meet Bo Ra as her attorney. Upon reaching the confession room where she was with him, he saw several spirits in her room and asked them for some time to talk to her. Later, Seo went up to Bo Ra and told her that Park Seong Joon had sent him, as he wanted to take a last picture with her before leaving. He also said that Seong Joon had told her that his wife did not kill him, but he had passed away on his own after getting to know that she wanted him dead as she was unable to repay the debts.
Did Bo Ra Get A Last Picture Taken With Her Husband?
Bo Ra was told that her husband did not have much time before leaving and that she had to make a quick decision. Later, when Han Bom came to meet her, Bo Ra said that she loved her husband and was scared to kill him. Bo Ra loved her husband so much that she would cover his feet with new socks everyday, after they were burnt in an accident. She said that she was fed up with the loan sharks chasing her for money and hence had decided to kill her paralyzed husband and then kill herself, but somehow had not been able to do so. After confessing, Han Bom helped to get her out of police custody.
Later, when Bo Ra went to the photo studio, Seong Joon came to meet his wife for the final time. They had dinner together and finally took a picture together, so that he could take the memory of his loving wife along with him to the afterworld.
What Will Happen Next?
After Han Bom was kicked out of her house for not being able to pay her rent, she realized that her phone had run out of juice. She wandered about and finally saw a light in Seo’s studio. When she went inside, she was confronted by Seo, who asked her if she was a spirit. The second episode of The Midnight Studio is likely to reveal the secret of the photo studio to Han Bom, bringing her closer to Seo. The next episode will also see Seo faced with new challenges to resolve the difficulties of yet another new spirit.
