After last week’s episodes of Single’s Inferno, a lot has been said about the new season and how it’s not up to par with the previous seasons. For one, I completely disagree with these allegations; it looks like a lot of people saw the show only as a superficial getting together of the hottest people in Korea—no personalities, just good looks. This is already a stretch, considering there have been many smart people on the show, and the whole reason it thrives is because of the unique personalities of the contestants. If everyone were an influencer/celebrity, there would be nothing to really enjoy, because it would seem all fake from the get-go. But to add to this, some netizens have been calling this year’s cast “ugly” in comparison to the previous seasons, which is just unfair and untrue. Honestly, the drama is kind of overwhelming this time around, and the games that were missing in the initial episodes are here now, so I don’t know what there is to complain about at all. However, rumor has it that American guy Sung-Hun is just here for clout and has a controversial romantic past, but I guess we’ll find out more on Reddit soon enough, eh? With that said, let’s jump into this week’s episode.
Spoiler Alert
Is Mina Okay?
Episode 5 is a whopping one hour and 34 minutes, a literal movie, and I can admit it is just as dramatic as well. Episode 5 begins straight after the truth game, and instead of talking things out with Su-Been, Mina decides to talk to Seung-Il. It appears, more than Mina, Seung-Il is the one who is interested in her. Sure, Min-Gee and he have great chemistry, and everything is going well. Especially after she made him smile during the truth game, but he constantly says he can’t get over a first impression, and that was where Mina got him. Now, I spent the first week after Single’s Inferno season 5’s premiere dropped defending Mina, because I thought she was here to do exactly what the show demanded: find a partner who might actually be worth her time. But after seeing how she talked to Sung-Hun yesterday, saying she’s been “nice to all the girls,” and they’ve been using her bikinis, I knew I couldn’t stand this slander anymore.
Now, for one, I think this show is mostly scripted, and I have a feeling she’s not actually this bad, but after she said those words, I lost all interest in considering her one of the best members of season 5. Yes, she’s stunning, she looks naturally beautiful, she’s got style and swagger, and she speaks in English, which is a plus to many, and she’s also “straightforward,” but honestly, it’s genuinely baffling how she thinks she can go around talking about other people like this.
This is not to say that Su-Been isn’t in the wrong, though. I don’t appreciate him completely cutting her off without having a real conversation about how they feel. He’s clearly using Hee-Sun as a decoy and doesn’t even seem to actually care for her. The girl can definitely see it too. Su-Been seems to be a teasing kind of guy, while Hee-Sun seems to be very genuine, so this pairing will not last. Additionally, even the judges say she’s holding onto his jacket for dear life because she knows too it’s her lifeline. It’s sad that Hee-Sun has to go through this when Su-Been has eyes only for Mina. I don’t get it; just open your mouth and say you were mad. Now, in the final 3 minutes of episode 7, we’re left wondering who Mina is going to choose, and I’m not sure about you, but I feel like she’s going to choose another guy specifically to mess with Su-Been. I hope I’m wrong, I really do, but she’s genuinely giving villain right now, so I don’t know what to believe. Hopefully, dude springing the “noona” on her was enough to sway her back to him.
Are the Game Changers Truly Game Changers?
Two new members show up on beach day, Jo I-Geon and Lee Ha-Eun. I-Geon is an actor who has appeared on The Trunk, and is the oldest member on the show at 34 years old, and also quite hot, considering the show he was on. After individual dates with all the girls, he’s clearly drawn to Go-Eun, and it seems they have a common acquaintance too, but I don’t think Go-Eun is that interested, because she’s already got two guys in the Inferno that she’s interested in. He gets to take two girls to Paradise, and because he said he likes “demure” girls, we kind of figured he’d pick Ye-Jin, along with Go-Eun. I think this dude is quite judgmental; he talks a lot about appearance, being skinny, being “hollow” in the cheeks, and having a good body. He almost feels a bit creep-like, especially in comparison to the young lads we’ve seen so far. Jae-Jin has also talked about body preferences and stuff, but because of his laid-back attitude and his other personality traits, he seems like a nice guy. Oh, also, it was a bit weird that the panelist judged I-Geon for cussing when he’s literally a 34-year-old man. Yes, it’s the first date, but you have to be yourself, no?
On the other hand, Ha-Eun is quite an exciting new entry on the girl side. In appearance, she looks the most different of the lot, but she’s also the youngest, born in 2003! Which makes I-Geon and her the extreme ends of the age range. Ha-Eun chooses Jae-Jin and Sung-Min. She wanted someone funny, and Jae-Jin is exactly that, of course. She’s an ex-hip-hop dancer and is now a beauty model. But Sung-Min immediately gets friend-zoned, or should I say, brother-zoned. But with both of these people, I think they’re going to get sidelined, because there’s already such an established dynamic in the Inferno that they will struggle to break through. I think specifically I-Geon, who might be slightly too old and intimidating. On the other hand, with Ha-Eun, there’s a chance she might break through the Mina maze, because she’s quite outspoken, and Mina herself said that she doesn’t see her as competition, so there’s a chance the producers will use that as bait. I don’t know, I’m just making an educated guess.
What Happens in the Men’s Game?
Now, Mina tells Min-Gee that she’s not interested in Seung-Il anymore; she’s going to look in other directions, but later she comes back to him because he’s interested in her. He’s giving her what she wants, like Dex says. Mina’s really way too fickle, and she’s also being a hypocrite considering what she told Su-Been. “I don’t like a guy who flirts around,” but who likes a girl who does the same, girl?! Anyway, Min-Gee is already certain Seung-Il wants to do something to act on the connection he has with Mina. I do wish she would choose someone else to talk to at least, but I guess the girl knows what she wants. So, when it’s time for the men’s game, whatever the prize is, she assumes Seung-Il will choose Mina.
The game is tough; it’s in a “trench,” and the boys have to use their physical strength because it’s like that game in Physical 100, where you hold a ball down and make sure you have the ball in your hands when the clock hits zero. Everybody puts in a lot of effort here, Hyeon-Woo especially, because the prize is a chicken date, and Go-Eun has said how excited she is about that. Hyeon-Woo is literally bigger than all the other men put together, so there was no way anybody was going to win against him, but Seung-Il is a decent match. So, obviously, the final game is between them. Hyeon-Woo clearly wins, and chooses Go-Eun, but Seung-Il surprises everyone; most importantly, he surprises Min-Gee by choosing her, because she too had shown excitement for chicken. Sure, he likes Mina, but he wants to take her to Paradise to explore that connection, so for now, he’ll show his loyalty. This affects Min-Gee so much she literally tears up, uff. I think Hyeon-Woo and Go-Eun are pretty cute, and it’s sweet he wants to know who else is left-handed because she said that’s her type (funny). Meanwhile, I must address Sung-Hun trying his best to become Mina’s dude, instead of her bestie. Bud, she friend-zoned you some 3 years ago; please keep it down and stay in your lane. Also Jae-Jin brought a photo of the flower arrangement back for Joo-Young, which was really sweet; clearly he’s chosen a favorite.
Who Wins The Couple Game?
Y’all, is it just me, or did you also feel extremely uncomfortable watching this game? Maybe it’s just me, oop. Anyway, Seung-Il, Mina, and Sung-Hun being a trio here was too hilarious. But also, is it fair to have a trio in a game like this one? They should’ve just kept one dude out of the game like last time, no? They were doomed to fail right from the start, but hey, she gets to sit on the shoulders of two guys, so I guess it’s all fun and games. So it’s basically the paper game but made harder with a wooden plank that gets smaller with each round. The game ends in a tie between Jae-Jin and Go-Eun; Hyun-Jae and Ha-Eun; and Hyeon-Woo and Joo-Young. Interesting combinations, might I add, but we’ll find out when they’re having their naengmyeon and sikhye, I guess.
In the ending of the episode, Go-Eun and I-Geon have a conversation, and he immediately tells her that he didn’t have a great conversation with Ye-Jin after Paradise. Dude, you called her hollow. What? Anyway, he seems to be making it clear that he’s interested in Go-Eun, and I have a feeling she’s slowly becoming the most popular after Mina, who has lost her credibility. She says she is interested in I-Geon too, but I think Hyeon-Woo is number one on her list. I don’t think Sung-Min really has a chance. With that said, the episode ends on Mina trying to figure out which dude she’s choosing to go to Paradise with, and of course, it’s left on such a high cliff, we can’t even imagine what’s below. Who do you think she’ll choose? Let us know in the comments down below.
