"Save Me" Episode 9 recap

No grand rescue is easy and while physical freedom is not quite here for our heroine, her outside support grants her the strength to claim herself back within her confines. The group once again clash with corruption and the political wheels of Muji are turning, leaving us guessing about the eventual moral alignment of several characters.
Sang-mi (Seo Ye-ji) takes a little breather and finally reveals the whole truth to her saviors, but it is incredibly satisfying to watch her remain the leader of her own rescue. After all, our group are mostly still naive about the magnitude of this case and they have never been very perceptive, with the exception of Dong-cheol (Woo Do-hwan) and Man-hee (Ha Hoi-jung). There is finally a sense of control in Sang-mi's life and she is the one holding it.

We get snippets of the group's past once more and this time around it is the ongoing rapport between Sang-mi and Dong-cheol. Part of me notices the "threat" of a love triangle here, but I have seen nothing but respect from the creators for their characters, story and audience so far and I am therefore not particularly worried at this point in time. Sang-hwan (Taecyeon) and Dong-cheol have their own cross to bear and I feel like this rescue is a uniting force, rather than a dividing one.
At the same time the moral obligations and pitfalls of relationships are clearly a theme in this series and we also see it with Joon-goo (Go Joon) and Dong-cheol, but also Dong-cheol and Dae-sik (Lee Jae-joon). I really wish to know what happened in that room, not because I do not trust Dong-cheol, but because I need to know how morally upstanding Joon-goo is. Asking Dong-cheol to risk his freedom for his sake does not sit well with me, even if I want to like him.

I really like this about "Save Me". Its characters unfold gradually and with such humanity that it is difficult to know which ones will do the right or wrong thing and for which reasons. Yong-min (Son Byung-ho) is a cruel man and Choon-gil (Kim Kwang-gyoo) a bad officer, but would they place their sons above their plans and comfort? Would Apostle Kang (Park Ji-yeong) see the truth this time?
The forward movement within Guseonwon is also promising and I do have to commend the incredible cast of our unholy trinity for the villain side. Jo Sung-ha peels back Father Baek's facade to reveal the filth underneath so masterfully. We also have confirmation that Guseonwon has or will have multiple establishments. Could Sang-mi be a way out of the cult business for them upon achieving their desired status?
"Save Me" is directed by Kim Seong-soo, written by Jeong Sin-gyoo and Jeong I-do-I and features Taecyeon, Seo Ye-ji, Jo Sung-ha and Woo Do-hwan.
Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'