It's Kang Ja vs. the Government in "Angry Mom" Episode 9

“Angry Mom” just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it? Episode 9 is yet another winner, as Kang Ja (Kim Hee Sun) finally realizes that every level of the education system is complicit in Yi Kyung’s death. It’s a horrifying discovery, but it’s a great way to kick-start the second half of this drama. Now that Kang Ja knows exactly who she’s fighting, it’s time for the good guys to separate themselves from the bad guys—not an easy task in this cast of morally ambiguous characters! But that’s part of what makes “Angry Mom” so special—every character feels so completely real, so perfectly composed of strengths and weaknesses, that they could all go either way.

These were my five favorite scenes from episode 9 of “Angry Mom.”

1. Corruption goes all the way to the top

On the one hand, I’m sad that Kang Ja had to be disabused so rudely of the notion that outside help could solve the problems of Myung Sung High School. Education Minister Kang Soo Chan was her last, greatest, hope, and to see just how little he cares about the plight of students is very difficult for her.

On the other hand, this needed to happen. Kang Ja needed to understand that if she really wants to cleanse the school and bring its criminals to justice, she’ll have to do it herself. I know she only started going to Myung Sung to protect Ah Ran (Kim Yoo Jung), but this is the perfect point in the drama’s run for her to realize that she’s the only one who can save all of those kids, and not just her own daughter.

2. Mom school

I got such a kick out of Kang Ja’s latest attempt to hide her activities from her husband, in spite of her interfering mother-in-law. Though I can understand why her mother-in-law objects to Kang Ja’s secret life as a student, it was still such a pleasure to see Kang Ja wipe the smirk off mother-in-law’s face with the shame-faced admission that yes, she is going to school… She’s going to mom school.

3. Bok Dong’s crush

This scene, hands down, was my favorite of the episode. It might even be my favorite scene of the entire drama. It’s become increasingly obvious over the past few episodes that Bok Dong has a pretty big crush on Bang Wool, but here we finally see it mined for its full comic potential. From Bok Dong gleefully smelling Kang Ja’s hair to him wrathfully protecting her from her husband (under the impression that the cash-strapped Bang Wool is sleeping with the old man for money), the puppy love of our resident conflicted thug is truly a thing of glory.

4. Kang Ja comforts Noh Ah

Kang Ja is such a mom, even to her homeroom teacher. Seeing that Noh Ah (Ji Hyun Woo) is hurting, she can’t just leave him be. She has to help him. And because Noh Ah is in such a vulnerable place after finding out that his father is far less pure and virtuous than he’d thought, he lets her. He cries in front of her. And her brisk affection helps him realize that it was his own weakness that made his father do that horrible thing, so he resolves to become stronger. It’s a wonderfully sweet scene.

5. Gym class

I have never empathized with a drama character more than I did with Kang Ja attempting to complete a sit-up. Those are hard.

What did you think of this episode of “Angry Mom”? Are your hearts, like mine, already breaking for when Bok Dong finds out that Bang Wool is Ah Ran’s mother? How nervewracking was that cliffhanger? Let us know in the comments below!

Watch episode 9 of “Angry Mom” here:

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