The Midnight Studio episode 16 (finale) aired on Monday, May 6, 2024, on ENA. Starring Joo Won and Kwon Nara, the fantasy romance K-drama focuses on the lead characters protecting each other from the world of ghosts and curses.
In the previous episode, Seo Ki-Joo (Joo Won) discovered that his curse had transferred to Han Bom (Kwon Nara). With her life on the line, Ki-Joo decided to visit the netherworld and return the magical camera.
The finale shows Ki-Joo’s fight to protect Han Bom as well as to keep himself alive in the netherworld. Things get complicated when the angel of death reveals a big secret after Ki-Joo returns the camera. Despite multiple deadly obstacles, the lead characters’ storylines end on a happy note.
The Midnight Studio episode 16 recap & spoilers: Why didn’t Joo Won return from the netherworld?
The Midnight Studio episode 16 begins with Han Bom successfully working as a lawyer. But she still feels lonely, as Seo Ki-Joo has not returned from the netherworld even after one year. The next scene takes viewers back to the time when Ki-Joo told Han Bom about his decision to visit the dangerous place.
Han Bom did not want him to go to the netherworld and risk his life. But Ki-Joo could not let the curse affect his girlfriend’s future. Eventually, she sent him off with the promise that he would return the next morning. Ki-Joo fought a group of ghosts to reach the gate of the netherworld. Once he arrived on a Black Moon day, multiple floating spirits chased him. Somehow, he reached the right place, where the angel of death greeted him.
Ki-Joo asked the angel of death to lift Han Bom’s curse, as he has now returned the camera. The supernatural entity revealed that a living person has no right to enter the netherworld, and if he does, then he cannot leave the place. The angel of death gave Ki-Joo two options — either leave the camera and save Han Bom or take the camera and save himself. Meanwhile, ghosts entered the photo studio and attacked Han Bom.
Ki-Joo decided to save Han Bom and left the camera. The object worked its magic, and the curse mark disappeared from her wrist. While she got to live, Ki-Joo’s life faced danger. While running away from floating spirits, he fell and lost consciousness. On the other hand, Han Bom waited for his boyfriend, but he never returned. Now, though she assumes the worst, she still puts up a brave face and waits for him.
The Midnight Studio ending: Did Joo Won & Kwon Nara end up together?
The Midnight Studio finale features Han Bom visiting her and Ki-Joo’s favorite spot, where she recalls the good times. She goes through the long list of text messages she has sent to Ki-Joo’s number since he left. They are all marked as unread.
The episode further shows Ki-Joo lying unconscious in the netherworld. A kid named Im Yoon-Hae wakes him up and asks to follow him. For context, Ki-Joo clicked Yoon-Hae’s final photo with his twin in episode 2.
Along with some fun banter, the kid guides Ki-Joo to the front of a wall. He then asks Ki-Joo to enact a superhero move like his. Despite the hesitation, Ki-Joo copies the child, which opens a gate to the world of the living. The next scene features Han Bom returning home and seeing Ki-Joo in front of her house. Initially, she thinks it is her hallucination until Ki-Joo hugs her. The lead characters realize that time in the netherworld passes slowly. For Ki-Joo, it has been only a few days, while for Han Bom, it has been a year.
The Midnight Studio ending focuses on the couple agreeing to date for all four seasons before tying the knot. The episode ends with a photo session with Ki-Joo, Han Bom, Assistant Go, and Ji-Won. Overall, the K-drama has a happy ending.
Viewers can watch ENA’s The Midnight Studio on Viki.
