"Master - God of Noodles" Episode 2 recap

Gil-do is well on his way to winning a one-man moral limbo dance by going lower every day, our hero has revenge and food in mind and we have some new character introductions. Episode two pushes Myeong towards a very dangerous path and it will not be long before he has to start evading the truth to reach his target. The reunion hits him hard and the memories harder. Manly tears and noodle slurping ensue.
Myeong's (Cheon Jeong-myeong) reaction to meeting Gil-do (Jo Jae-hyeon) again is very instinctive and very powerful. While a trauma does not simply disappear, Myeong seemed to be doing relatively okay. This episode lets us know that he is most definitely not okay and it shows in his relationships with his peers as well. He is emotionally withdrawn and ends up hurting the ones who care about him while focused on his own pain. The other important fact we learn is that he has a natural talent for food.

Talent versus skill and tradition versus ambition seem to be ongoing themes here. Myeong is a natural culinary genius like his father, whereas Gil-do's skill is copying talents he does not have. Gil-do's father-in-law, Go Dae-cheon (Choi Jong-won) loves to feed people and tends to his food personally even after all these years, but Gil-do sees noodles as an opportunity for money and power. Like everything he touches and sullies in life, it is a meaningless tool.
The thing about tools, however, is that they can always swing back your way at some point. Gil-do's past is catching up and it is as worrying for the fate of our hero as it is sadistically satisfying to see Gil-do worry over Choi Soon-seok's / Myeong's existence. At the same time he clearly does not lose sleep over it and seeing how casually he tries to get rid of his father-in-law, despite the suspicions it will raise is blood-curdling.

The incident in question is one of my few complaints about the series so far. It is but a tiny issue, but seeing a truck clearly driven by an accomplice honking as it speeds towards its target is silly. Our second female lead, Kim Da-hae (Gong Seung-yeon) has made her entrance and she is kind of obnoxious so far. Her scenes are a bit awkward for a mood lightening break.
My big problem is the orphanage director's knowledge of Myeong's scars. No matter how out of touch with his establishment he is, this is not something which would be forgotten. The recognition was clumsily delayed. Minor grumbles aside, I am enjoying this greatly. Gil-do is preparing something big with Do-kkoo (Jo Hee-bong) and Myeong will be on the run for a while. Jail, memory loss or studies abroad? Pick an overused plot device and pray we get none of them.
"Master - God of Noodles" is directed by Kim Jong-yeon and Lim Se-joon, written by Cha Seung-dae and features Cheon Jeong-myeong, Jo Jae-hyeon, Jeong Yoo-mi and Lee Sang-yeob.
Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'