Welcome to Samdalri aired a new episode on Sunday, December 3, 2023, at 10:30 p.m. KST on JTBC and Netflix. The series follows the story of two childhood best friends, Cho Yong-Phil (Ji Chang-Wook) and Cho Sam-Dal (Shin Hye-Sun), who later turn into ex-lovers as they navigate challenges in their respective lives while also rekindle their romance. So far, the drama has received a positive reception for the first two episodes.
Episode 2 of Welcome to Samdalri shows Cho Yong-Phil and Jo Sam-Dal’s friendship and the events that lead up to their breakup. As Sam-Dal returns to the hometown after her scandal destroys her career, she wishes to keep her visit secret. However, circumstances lead her to meet Yong-Phil, sparking hurtful memories of their breakup. The two will now continue to navigate their complicated past and present moments together.
Welcome to Samdalri episode 2: Ji Chang-Wook & Shin Hye-Sun reunite after eight years
Welcome to Samdalri episode 2 follows up from where the premiere episode left off. The episode begins by showing how Yong-Phil and Sam-Dal were born only seconds apart, with neighbors already terming them “soulmates.” The scene quickly shifts to a devastated Sam-Dal reeling from her scandal. Previously, her assistant accused her of bullying, which eventually made the news. This ended up destroying Sam-Dal’s career as a fashion photographer.
Sam-Dal and her two sisters, Jin-Dal and Hae-Dal, are in their house when the former discovers that reporters are hoarding their residence. However, they soon realize that it is better for all three of them to return home and spend some quiet time until the chaos dissolves. Meanwhile, Yong-Phil’s friend asks him if he went to Seoul, which Yong-Phil denies. The latter asks his friend to call Sam-Dal if he’s worried about her. Yong-Phil then hears about the scandal making the news and worries about Sam-Dal.
Meanwhile, the three sisters reach home. Their parents enquire which of the sisters caused the problem this time. They make excuses with the help of their father. He eventually discovers about Sam-Dal’s scandal, but asks them to keep the news away from their mother. The parents also worry about Sam-Dal and her chances of running into Yong-Phil. On the other hand, Yong-Phil has breakfast with his father, asking him to get remarried. At this point, viewers realize that his mother has passed away.
Meanwhile, Yong-Phil friends discuss what happened with Yong-Phil and Sam-Dal. The childhood best friends turned into lovers soon, but Sam-Dal broke up with Yong-Phil when she went to study abroad. This left Yong-Phil so heartbroken that he didn’t date in the past eight years. But Sam-Dal’s sisters have a different story. They reveal that it was Yong-Phil who broke up with Sam-Dal.
Sam-Dal still grapples with the scandal as she becomes emotional at the hate directed towards on online portals. She discovers Yong-Phil enter the house and hides in a room. He looks at the mess made in the living room and thinks the family is robbed. Yong-Phil realizes someone is hiding in the room and brings the keys to catch the robber. However, he opens the door to hold Sam-Dal’s hand. The memories of their brutal breakup resurface as they stare at each other in shock.
The duo reunite after eight years but are embarrassed. Yong-Phil covers Sam-Dal with a cloth and avoids people he had called from entering the house. The two have an awkward interaction, after which he leaves. By the end of the episode, Sam-Dal sits by the shore and drinks while thinking of the scandal. At this point, a man in a luxurious sports car arrives at the hometown. He is Sang-Do, another resident of the hometown who found success in the city.
While drunk, Sam-Dal stands at the brink of the step and is about to fall when Yong-Phil pulls her towards him. But he ends up falling into the water. Past memories of him looking for someone desperately in the water pop up when Sam-Dal jumps into the water to rescue him. Meanwhile, Sam-Dal’s mother discovers the news of the scandal.
Welcome to Samdalri episode 2 ends with a flashback, showing the two leads sharing one piece of chocolate during their childhood. In the end, viewers discover that Yong-Phil visited Sam-Dal’s exhibition, which had closed down due to the scandal. He wanted her to have at least one visitor in the book.
The first two episodes of Welcome to Samdalri are available to stream on Netflix.
