"Master - God of Noodles" Episode 20 Final recap

All humans long for freedom and control, but what makes each of us different is how far we are willing to go and how much we are willing to sacrifice for them. Unlike everyone around him, Gil-do knows no limits. At the same time, part of him seems to understand that they need to exist. It is this last crumb of humanity which brings things to an end for "Master - God of Noodles", but it is kindness which shapes the future.
Speaking about the future of an imaginary story might sound odd, but the reason why revenge works move audiences is that we all understand unfairness. Myeong (Cheon Jeong-myeong) was never a lead, because life has no leads and everything we do shapes those around us. Myeong is more of an idea. He is the past catching up and a possibility for the future. I wish he had been given more focus due to this, but I can appreciate the message.

This is true for every character here, as the series loves to draw parallels. Gil-do (Jo Jae-hyeon) and Congressman So (Kim Byeong-gi) ruined lives, but we are also shown choices which save them. Tae-ha (Lee Sang-yeob) and Yeo-gyeong (Jeong Yoo-mi) have a bloody past. So do Myeong and Kang-sook (Lee Il-hwa) with Da-hae (Gong Seung-yeon). What saves these people is their understanding of what is right, something which the Congressman ignores and which Gil-do never had to begin with.
This is what makes Gil-do a fascinating and unique villain. He is not just a "greedy old man" the likes of which we usually see in dramas and the type someone like So Tae-seop would have been, had he not been given some interesting development. Gil-do never thought he deserves power because of his status. He genuinely thought that this is how life should be lived. From start to finish, it is this lack of connection to humanity that makes him pitiful and terrifying.

Regardless of my personal love for this series, it is not without some major flaws. Trying to create a revenge work out of noodle making was never an idea which would work in its pure form as a Korean drama. The amount of time spent on Goongrakwon's power games and the amount of people involved took precious time away from character development, which would have elevated the story.
Tae-ha's death could have been used in a very impactful way, but it felt more like a hamfisted move to inject last minute drama and make sure the good side has losses. "Master - God of Noodles" lost its way at times and it could have been much more, but creating greed for perfection in a viewer is something I consider a sign of a work well done.
"Master - God of Noodles" is directed by Kim Jong-yeon and Lim Se-joon, written by Chae Seung-dae and features Cheon Jeong-myeong, Jo Jae-hyeon, Jeong Yoo-mi and Lee Sang-yeob.
Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

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