Idol I Recap Episode 2: These Threads That Bind

Spoiler Warning: This is a detailed recap of the second episode of Idol I. Please watch it first (it is available on Netflix) before reading on.

At one point in her once happy childhood, Maeng Se-na faced the unfathomable tragedy of having her own father accused of murder. Children being cruel, she found herself bullied in school, by one boy in particular. When she hit the lowest moment of her young life, as she gazed into the water tempting oblivion, another boy walked up to her, singing a song. He had composed a melody when he, too, hit a low point, and gave it to her, along with a red cap. It was a small gesture at a time when it was much needed, and Se-na found a fresh reservoir of strength to go on. She dropped out of school and studied on her own. A few years later, she saw a new band formed and recognised one of them, the very kid who felt her pain and took the time to help her out without knowing her. She went to one of their earliest performances, when Gold Boys were just four nervous kids trying to entertain a couple dozen people. That was the beginning of Se-na being a devoted fan of Do Ra-ik.

And the boy who bullied her? Why, he was Kwak Byung-gyun, a third generation prosecutor whose father wanted to use Do Ra-ik’s case as a springboard for his political ambitions. The involvement of the Kwak family scared Se-na’s colleague, who was initially assigned to the case, given that he was counsel to Goldie Entertainment. But Se-na, outside of her belief in Ra-ik’s innocence, also saw a chance to throw punches at her childhood tormentor. Se-na looked ready to take the case for fun.

Was the episode made weaker by the revelation that three now central characters were connected via Se-na’s childhood memory? These secret connections are deeply rooted in literature – think Pip-Magwitch-Estella – and whether they work or not largely depends on execution. Idol I executed the reveal well, so at least for now, my verdict is that this childhood connection made the story stronger. The flashback scenes with Se-na and Ra-ik were softly lit, evoking tenderness that only highlighted the slow shattering of Ra-ik’s life as an adult – as he realised that his friend was indeed dead, as it dawned on him that the life he had lived was gone. His agency had dropped him. His manager tearfully said his goodbyes. The people who initially protested on his behalf had left, leaving behind an angry mass who thought, not without justification, that this was going to be another case of a celebrity committing a crime, and that they had a social duty to ensure he would not get away with it. 

At least Ra-ik got himself a good lawyer. Se-na tasked Chung-jae to find the two women who broke into Ra-ik’s place, and he did quickly enough. Se-na coolly laid out the threat of exposure to get them to cooperate and tell her how they got in. It was creepily easy – they used the changing of the guards to sneak into the grounds, they already knew where the cameras were, they waited until a resident opened the door into the building to leave so they could get in, more waiting until Ra-ik came home and they simply watched him enter the code that opened his door. As long as he did not change the code, they could get in and out of his house at any time they wished. 

Establishing that other people could get inside Ra-ik’s flat weakened the primary contention of the prosecution, that only Ra-ik could have killed Kang Woo-seong because he was the only one there. At a closed hearing, Se-na methodically punched holes into Byung-gyun’s case, so that the judge agreed to release Ra-ik rather than keep him under custody.

Ra-ik could go home, but his flat was no longer home, rather, it was the scene where he lost his good friend. He went out on the street, drinking, and passed out still thinking of Woo-seong. When he woke up, he was already inside Se-na’s place. It was the last shot that took me out, that of Se-na holding out a large knife, showing it to her traumatised client whose friend died of a stab wound. 

The second episode of Idol I was mostly a well-paced pushing of the story forward and, given that final scene, the direction was toward romance. I don’t mind. As I wrote in my recap of the first episode, my hope is for a cozy kind of show. So far, Idol I is delivering. 

Rating: B

Strays

💌Se-na knew Ra-ik was innocent because she knew he was a bad actor lol.

💌Se-na was shaken by her first interview with Ra-ik after he ranted against ‘crazy obsessive fangirls’. 

💌Se-na’s boss admitted to being scared of High Prosecutor Kwak Jong-chul.

💌A reporter called the CEO of Ra-ik’s agency about the girl who showed up at his meet and greet.

Original Broadcast Date: December 22, 2025

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