Another drama recap? Not quite. While we’ll break down the pivotal events of ‘Mary Kills People’ Episode 10, our goal is to dig deeper. For fans, this is an analysis of the narrative turning point.
For audience, it’s a masterclass in building tension, developing moral complexity, and writing characters who are neither purely good nor evil.
Let’s explore why this episode, despite its ratings dip, represents some of the most compelling and creative television storytelling, and what we can learn from it.
In Mary Kills People episode 10, which aired on August 5th, was a tense hour where lies and secrets finally began to collide.
Ban Ji-hoon (Lee Min-ki) pulled all the pieces together, catching both Woo So-jung (Lee Bo-young) and Choi Dae-hyun (Kang Ki-young) in the assisted death case.
The investigation pushed the story into darker territory as both suspects landed in the hands of Goo Kwang-chul (Baek Hyun-jin), a violent drug dealer who left their lives hanging by a thread.
The episode revealed why Choi Dae-hyun turned against Woo So-jung. He had been working with the police in exchange for protection after being pressured by Goo Kwang-chul.
Ban Ji-hoon had offered him a deal, keeping his identity hidden from the force. Dae-hyun confessed that So-jung’s involvement had started because of him, and he begged for Kwang-chul’s arrest at any cost.
His words showed guilt, but also a desperate attempt to save himself.
On the day of Park Tae-hyung’s (Ha Sung-kwang) assisted death, Dae-hyun tried to trap Kwang-chul by luring him with drugs. But the plan failed when Ahn Tae-seong (Kim Tae-woo) tipped Kwang-chul off.
Furious, Kwang-chul lashed out at Dae-hyun, and in a panic, Dae-hyun revealed his wire to So-jung. She felt betrayed, yet still thought of a way to avoid arrest, disguising her moves as a hospice consultation.
This scene is a fantastic study in character motivation. Choi Dae-hyun’s betrayal isn’t born of malice but of primal fear and self-preservation. Woo So-jung’s anger is multifaceted: it’s not just about being caught, but the violation of a shared, dark secret.
Remember: the most compelling conflicts occur when every character has a justifiable (in their eyes) reason for their actions. There are no cartoon villains here, only terrified, flawed humans.
Ban Ji-hoon pressed Dae-hyun again for information. Under the weight of Kwang-chul’s threats, Dae-hyun dropped a vague clue, hinting that someone tied to the late Jin Young-soo was being protected by police.
His words planted suspicion. Ji-hoon grew more determined and even handed Dae-hyun a tracker, a subtle sign that trust was shaky on both sides.
Meanwhile, Woo So-jung battled her own conscience. She recalled Tae-hyung’s pleading eyes when he asked for death. Her anger exploded at Dae-hyun’s apology, not for betraying her, but for deceiving a patient.
Her conflict revealed the moral cracks at the heart of her choices. At the same time, Ji-hoon uncovered a link—lawyer Park Min-sung (Heo Jeong-do), connected to Jin Young-soo, was also Tae-hyung’s nephew.
That revelation tightened the net and fueled his suspicion of Ahn Tae-seong, who reacted too fiercely against searching Kwang-chul’s office.
A Death That Changed Everything
The tension spiked when Kwang-chul, urged by Park Min-sung, forced So-jung to end Tae-hyung’s life. She resisted killing his wife, Bae Mi-young (Woo Mi-hwa), stating she could never end a healthy life.
But in the chaos, Tae-hyung died with So-jung’s hand, and Mi-young shocked everyone by jumping over the railing. Ji-hoon arrived to find both husband and wife gone.
Seeing the board of evidence, he finally fit the last piece into place, convinced that deeper corruption was at play.
But the story twisted again. Mi-young survived the fall and was taken to the hospital, only to beg So-jung to kill her. That desperate request left So-jung shaken, as guilt already weighed heavy.
Ji-hoon cornered her soon after, telling her the case was over and naming names—Dae-hyun, Goo Kwang-chul, Jo Soo-young. The net was closing in. So-jung asked for time, but even that seemed fragile.
Dae-hyun, in his own move, tried baiting Kwang-chul with a fake deal worth more money than the Tae-hyung case. But Kwang-chul saw through it and punished him with violence.
In parallel, So-jung walked straight into Kwang-chul’s house. She pretended Mi-young was alive and in need of drugs, asking for his protection against the police.
The scene ended with Kwang-chul pointing a gun at her head, then suddenly hugging her as if she had surrendered.
At the same time, Min-sung suffocated his barely-alive aunt Mi-young with a pillow.
The split-screen crisis ending sealed the hour with dread, signaling that betrayal and death are closing in from all sides.
Viewership and Response
Despite the shocking events, Mary Kills People episode 10 hit its lowest ratings yet. Nielsen Korea reported a nationwide 1.1%, down from the previous 1.4%. The fall suggested viewers may be growing tired, or perhaps the heavy subject matter is limiting its reach.
Still, online reactions showed strong engagement, with viewers calling the ending brutal and performances gripping.
Many highlighted Lee Bo-young and Lee Min-ki’s intensity, noting that the acting carried even the most chaotic twists.
A Setup for the Finale
Episode 10 functioned as the narrative point of no return. Every secret was exposed, every alliance broken, and every character pushed to their absolute limit.
I appreciate this structural precision: the season’s penultimate episodes should always serve as the catalyst for the finale’s climax.
The survival of Bae Mi-young and her subsequent murder by Park Min-sung isn’t just a shock value twist; it’s the event that ensures there can be no clean resolutions.
The final episodes must now deal with the devastating consequences, promising a conclusion that is likely to be as morally ambiguous as the journey itself.
The assisted death debate, the corruption among law enforcement, and the survival games between victims and predators are pushing the show into darker territory.
Yet, with only a few episodes left, the question remains whether the story can balance shock with meaning.
One thing is clear—episode 10 raised the stakes for every character. Betrayal, guilt, and survival are colliding, and nobody seems safe.
The episode left a sense of inevitability, that choices will carry harsher consequences than before.
What did you think of episode 10’s brutal twists? Was Bae Mi-young’s mercy killing a tragic act of love or the final step into unforgivable darkness? Do you think the show can stick the landing in its final episodes?
Kavita Mishra is a dynamic writer and passionate Korean entertainment enthusiast, combining her love for K-pop and K-drama with a flair for storytelling. With a keen eye for the latest trends, Kavita crafts articles that capture the pulse of K-pop idols, chart-topping hits, and the most buzz-worthy dramas taking over screens worldwide.
