Name: The Crowded Room season 1 episode 3
Director: Im Hyun-Wook
Released: 2023-06-24T20:30:00

In King the Land episode 3, Gu Won and Sa-Rang get stuck on an island and amidst their banter, grow closer to each other.

Recap

The interview begins and the revised script contains questions about Gu Won’s mother, a slimy trick by his sister, which results in him getting shocked and overwhelmed by them. Before the interview can go anywhere, he falls silent, stands up all of a sudden, and walks off.

While he composes himself at a faraway spot, Sa-Rang saves the broadcast with her quick thinking, charms, and talent. Gu Won returns in front of the camera, takes the question cards from Sa-Rang, and tears them all up. He insists she asks something she wants to ask.

She asks if he likes the sunset, prompting him to stand up once again and look at the sunset with her. In spite of his erratic behavior, the interview becomes a success. Meanwhile, he has to do photoshoots with Sa-Rang and he just smiles too, which he just can’t manage to do.

They later have to board a boat to do a little photoshoot with a fish. On return, the boat guy tells them due to a mechanical hitch he has to make a little detour and take them to a nearby island. There, he points them to a restaurant he cites as the best in the region.

Gu Won and Sa-Rang spend the night there, but not before drinking a bit too much for their respective capacities. In their drunken stupor, they also become a bit vulnerable with each other and Gu Won is also smitten by Sa-Rang and her genuine smiles.

The next day they return and later on, Gu Won hears from his raging father. Gu Won keeps telling him that he will find the truth about her mother. Later, Sa-Rang it promoted to the King Hotel’s most prestigious tier. Gu Won entertains an online questionnaire the result of which tells him that he has a crush on Sa-Rang.

The next day, he goes to give her sweets but before he can do that, he witnesses a guy lunging at her and giving her a hug. It’s her boyfriend and Gu Won, visibly sadder, retreats.

Review

Gu Won and Sa-Rang’s banter and chemistry in King the Land are the two of the biggest strengths of the show and watching the two share the screen is just a delight all the time.
It’s easy to feel for Gu Won who’s debilitated to the point of having a panic attack at his mother’s mention.
The other friends of Sa-Rang all seem to be going through minimal to abysmal character development, which is kind of grating and a shame at this point.