My Perfect Stranger Episode 9 Recap & Theory & Review

My Perfect Stranger is a South Korean drama series produced by KBS2 and premiered on May 1, 2023. It is written by Bai Su-yan and directed by Kang Soo-Yeon, who previously worked together on “The Tale of Nokdu” in 2019. The story follows the strange yet beautiful time travel between two imprisoned men and women in 1987. A man searching for the truth behind a series of murders from the past and a woman trying to prevent her parents from getting married become aware that their goals are connected. 

My Perfect Stranger Episode 9 Recap

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🚗 Continuing from the plot of Episode 8, Yoon Hae-Joon finds it strange that Baek Hee-Seob directly admits that the blood-stained clothes belong to him. After all, there was no need for him to emphasize that since the item was in his own room.

🚗Baek Dong-Sik believes that Baek Hee-Seob is the culprit because he once saw him stuffing a note into a matchbox. Now with evidence of the blood-stained clothes, it only confirms his suspicion further. However, what Baek Hee-Seob covered up wasn’t a murder case but something else entirely.

🚗 Lee Soon-Ae tells everyone that on the night of the incident, Lee Kyung-Ae had an appointment with someone who she claimed was her savior and a good person (Yoon Hae-Joon and Baek Yoon-Young believe this person is Baek Yoo-Seob).

🚗Upon questioning, they discover that Baek Yoo-Seob attends university in Seoul but often works part-time instead of returning to his dormitory. Yoon Hae-Joon also discovers that both he and Lee Joo-Young attend the same department at school.

🚗In fact, there was mention of Baek Yoo-Seob’s involvement in the case years ago regarding a necklace found at an abandoned hut which belonged to him – matching perfectly with one half of a keychain found on Baek Hee-Seob’s body – though he denied it being his.

🚗Yoon Hae-Joon thinks they should find Baek Yoo-Seob quickly and confirm whose blood is on those clothes.

🚗Lee Soon-Ae wants to secretly tell police about what really happened but is strongly discouraged by Baek Yoon-Young who reminds her about their promise made with regards to waiting behind “the small gate” for Bak Hee Seop.

🚗After investigating all day, Yoon Hae-Joon concludes that Baek Hee-Seob’s cover-up wasn’t for murder since many people saw Baek Yoo-Seob in Seoul on the 16th. However, he was caught by police and taken away for questioning.

🚗Later, Baek Hee-Seob is also arrested by Seoul police to force him to reveal where Baek Yoo-Seob has fled to. Suddenly, Baek Yoon-Young remembers that the attic is where he would hide and when they find him there, he denies any involvement in a murder case because what Bak Hee Seop covered up was actually a protest-related crime.

🚗Baek Yoo-Seob pleads with Baek Yoon-Young to take him to see Bak Hee Seop so that they can save him. When she sees Bak Hee Seop come out limping and covered in blood, her heart breaks.

My Perfect Stranger Episode 9 Theory and Analysis

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Yoo Bum-Ryong❌	Yoon Hae-Joon believes that he is innocent and not acting.
Ko Min-Soo❌	Ko Min-Soo’s hand was injured and was excluded from the list of suspects by Yoon Hae-Joon.
Baek Hee-Seob❌	Baek Hee-Seob was with Lee Kyung-Ae on the night of her murder according to Yoon Hae-Joon.
Baek Yoo-Seob❌	Baek Yoo-Seob has alibi.

Where did the blood-stained clothes come from? Why did they end up with Baek Hee-Seob? Whose blood are they stained with?

The clothes were type A blood, neither belonging to victims Lee Joo-Young or Lee Kyung-Ae nor Baek Hee-Seob himself. They belonged to Baek Yoo-Seob after he was beaten on 16th street. Both Baek Hee-Seob and Baek Yoo-Seob will limp in future due to injuries inflicted during police interrogation in Seoul.

As for why a lock necklace would fall off at an abandoned cabin – it happened when Baek Yoo-seop ran away there.

“I lose things easily – my parents, my older brother… anyone I love or cherish always leaves me.” This line echoes in episode eight as a traumatic memory for Baek Hee-seop before his mother passed away.

According to him, that bloody shirt wasn’t worn while committing murder; rather than hiding a crime scene evidence, what he wants covered up more desperately is his knowledge about communist activities which went unreported.

I appreciate how complex relationships between characters are portrayed by this writer: although she resents both brothers deeply, only after traveling back to 1987 does Baek Yoon-Young learn about the past that Baek Hee-Seob has gone through.

She is determined not to let Lee Soon-Ae and Baek Hee-Seob be together, hoping that Lee can avoid being ignored or hurt in marriage in the future. Therefore, she treats her hatred towards Baek Hee-seop as a necessary “hate”.

Baek Yoon-Young said, “The reason why Baek Hee-Seob ended up like this is largely his own fault.” She believed that Baek Hee-Seob was taking the blame for his brother, Baek Yoo-Seob.

Baek Yoon-Young resented her father because he was absent during their marriage and only cared about his son, Baek Yoo-Seob. In her heart, she felt that Baek Hee-Seob was never there for their family and was the source of their misfortune. To her, he always chose his brother over everyone else.

However, in this episode, ” the writer created a storyline where Baek Yoon-Young feels guilty for misunderstanding both brothers. The writer made us feel deeply how important it was to Baek Hee-Seob to protect his brother after losing their older sibling during a protest seven years ago in Gwangju.

Their parents died protecting them from harm as well. For Baek Yoo-Seob, only one family member remained – his brother – so he became a priority to him ever since then. This is why when asked if he could live without him, he replied with uncertainty.

The writer created a significant reconciliation between the families of both siblings in “My Perfect Stranger.” After realizing her mistake towards blaming him all these years and not understanding anything clearly herself; she finally forgave both brothers’ resentment towards each other in episode 10 of the show.

She sincerely wished that they would have happy lives moving forward while also being relieved that neither her father nor uncle were murderers but just unfortunate children themselves.