Castaway Diva season 1 episode 11 recap & review: Giver vs. Taker

Open Go TV / December 3, 2023 / Reviews

In the eleventh episode of Castaway Diva, Ran-joo and Mok-ha’s press conference does not go well, whereas the Kang family’s interview with the prosecutor goes better than expected. The episode is now streaming on Netflix.

Recap

After not speaking to Mok-ha for several days, Woo-hak contacts her. They meet, and as he is still her friend, he uses his experience as a journalist to prepare her for her upcoming press conference.

Later, President Lee asks Mok-ha to let Ran-joo take all the blame because Mok-ha’s album will be released soon. Mok-ha cannot afford to have her name attached to a scandal, she knows that she will regret not standing by Ran-joo, so she refuses to let her take the fall.

Ran-joo tells the reporters that she wanted to acquire RJ Entertainment’s shares, but she has given up on that goal now. On the other hand, Mok-ha admits that she encouraged Ran-joo, as she believes that Ran-joo deserves not just the shares but a lot more than that.

While Mo-rae chooses to cut ties with Ran-joo, Mok-ha publicly exalts her, even though Ran-joo also does not believe in herself. The reporter who leaked the article about the shares, Bong Du-hyeon, tells Ran-joo and Mok-ha that he only published what he heard President Lee saying to his associates.

This upsets Ran-joo, and she gets into an argument with President Lee. They say hurtful things to each other, and Ran-joo moves out of his house. On top of that, Ran-joo as well as Mok-ha, who has not even released her album yet, get negative press.

Ran-joo goes to meet her sick mother. It is then that Ran-joo finds out that her mother named her Yoon Ran-joo because she was also a singer, and her stage name was that. That is why Ran-joo’s mother, who gave up on her career to raise her daughter, keeps calling herself Ran-joo.

Bo-geol wants to reach out to Mok-ha, but he keeps his distance because he is worried about his family’s interview with the prosecutor. If their case goes to trial, their family can lose everything; they might even have to serve time.

Bo-geol catches Mok-ha with Woo-hak and takes her home. This leads to Mok-ha confessing her feelings to him. She also assures him that she will always support him, no matter what happens after the interview.

Mok-ha then writes a song for Ran-joo, who has been spending time with her mother. Mok-ha arranges a set for Ran-joo and makes her shoot a music video, which makes Ran-joo’s mother happy.

Mok-ha tells Ran-joo that she always wanted to be a singer like her. It has been so many years, but she still wants to be like Ran-joo. Seeing her mother’s happiness and Ran-joo’s faith in her, Ran-joo realizes that she cannot give up on singing.

Ran-joo’s song is a hit, and this time, journalists write good things about her. The news articles please her mother, and she passes away with a smile on her face. Ran-joo then uses the keys that her mother gave to Mok-ha to open a locked drawer in her mother’s room.

Ran-joo finds an old invoice that President Lee had shredded, but Ran-joo’s mother had put together. It turns out that Ran-joo sold thousands of albums in Japan, which means she managed to sell 20 million albums a long time ago.

Meanwhile, the Kang family and Mr. Jung are questioned by the prosecutor. It does not take the prosecutor long to conclude that Mr. Jung is a dangerous man who caused Dae-woong’s accident and that the Kangs only committed identity theft because they had no other choice.

Mok-ha comes to show her support to the Kangs after their interviews. A few days later, the family finds out that the prosecutor dismissed all the charges against them. Now that there is nothing separating them, Mok-ha and Bo-geol start dating.

The two of them also get in touch with their school friends, Dae-woong and Young-ju. The Kangs decide to celebrate, but their happiness does not last long. Mr. Jung attacks and injures Lee Uk when he is on his way home with Woo-hak.

Review

This episode mainly focused on Ran-joo’s subplot. It deserves a satisfying conclusion, and this episode moves towards it. She goes from not believing in herself to releasing a new song with the support of her mother and two mentees.
The episode also tells Ran-joo’s mother’s story, and it does it quite well. The music adds a touch of tenderness to her story. The flashbacks are short, but they successfully capture her love for her daughter.
Lee Uk is depicted as Mr. Jung’s complete opposite in this episode. The fact that Ms. Song ends up with someone who deeply loves and cares about her after suffering because of Mr. Jung is gratifying, which is what makes the ending of the episode so upsetting.