3 Crucial Developments & 1 Question Asked In Episodes 5-6 Of "The Witch"

“The Witch” is halfway through, and the plot is finally unfolding. In episodes five and six, Dong Jin (Jinyoung) took his investigation and data-mining skills to another level, leading to three crucial developments that will determine whether Mi Jeong (Roh Jeong Eui) is a witch or not. However, the latest episodes also raise an important ethical question.

From the development of the law of death to the ethics of collecting data without consent, here are three key developments and one ethical question to consider from episodes five and six of “The Witch.”

Warning: Spoilers for episodes 5-6 ahead!

Crucial development: the Law of Death

Dong Jin has been using his data mining and analysis skills since the premiere episode to prove that Mi Jeong is not a witch and that all the deaths connected to her were just a coincidence. In episodes three and four, he researched and wrote a report to disprove the existence of witches and deny the rumors surrounding Mi Jeong, titled “A Refutation of Witches’ Existence: A Mortality Report.” However, he soon realized that the report showed Mi Jeong was the only connection between all the deaths, and while correlation does not equal causation, it could mean that she might be the reason behind those deaths.

In the latest episodes, Dong Jin takes his investigation to another level and goes to his hometown to collect data for his new research. As he now knows from his previous report that Mi Jeong is indeed connected to all the deaths and accidents in one way or another, he takes a different approach. Instead of trying to disprove the rumors, Dong Jin mines the data surrounding the incidents to identify a pattern that he can use to stop the vicious cycle of deaths and accidents.

Luckily — or more accurately, “skillfully,” Dong Jin is able to identify a clear pattern, which he calls “The Law of Death.” Despite being called a law, this is actually a hypothesis with five conditions. The list is as follows:

1. Being within 10 meters of Mi Jeong is dangerous.
2. Talking to her is dangerous.
3. Her knowing your name is dangerous.
4. Confessing your love to her is dangerous.
5. If all of the above apply, death will occur. If even one condition is missing, you will be injured but not dead.

This hypothesis only applies to men who have a crush on Mi Jeong. For example, any man who is not romantically interested in her, such as her father, or any woman, like her best friend or the landlady, would be safe from this “Law of Death.”

Crucial development: curse or simple rumors?

One of the predictions viewers of “The Witch” made during the premiere episodes was that all the deaths and accidents surrounding Mi Jeong were baseless rumors, just simple coincidences that happened to be linked to Mi Jeong. While not entirely accurate, this prediction seems to have partially come true.

During Dong Jin’s data collection journey in his hometown in the latest episodes, he meets two people who were injured during Mi Jeong’s high school years. They tell Dong Jin that although people had linked those incidents to Mi Jeong, neither of them had a crush on her at the time, meaning those two incidents were purely coincidental. However, all the other incidents have yet to be proven false.

Crucial development: the Law of Death does not exclude Dong Jin

Since the beginning of “The Witch,” we have seen multiple men dying or getting injured — 40 injured and two dead to be exact. However, despite being in Mi Jeong’s close vicinity, Dong Jin has never been injured. One explanation could be that he does not meet the requirements for the “Law of Death.” Another theory viewers developed was that Dong Jin was somehow exempt from the “Law of Death” for reasons yet to be revealed. But in the latest episodes, this prediction has been proven false.

Even though Dong Jin does not talk to Mi Jeong or express feelings for her, he still gets injured when a measuring tape scratches him like a wild animal. Now, whether this incident is connected to Mi Jeong’s alleged curse or is just another coincidence, this moment could be foreshadowing that Dong Jin is going to get hurt in future episodes.

Question: savior or stalker?

What is the difference between a savior and a stalker, and which label fits Dong Jin best? Since the first episode of “The Witch,” Dong Jin has been observing Mi Jeong from afar, and the audience has developed a soft spot for him, perhaps because he is the main lead or because the actor playing him is Jinyoung (and how can someone not like Jinyoung?). However, as the plot unfolds, one starts to wonder whether Dong Jin’s actions are ethical or if we are simply rooting for him because he is an attractive male lead.

On one hand, Dong Jin’s actions can be justified by saying that he wants to help Mi Jeong. However, he knows that getting close to her means he might get injured, or worse, die, hence he does his investigation from a distance. But on the other hand, how far is too far? Renting an apartment right in front of hers, talking to Mi Jeong’s best friend behind her back, and now getting a grocery delivery job simply so he can meet Mi Jeong, which of these actions are ethical, and which cross a boundary that should not be crossed?

“The Witch” has struggled with pacing issues since the premiere episode. Thankfully, the recent episodes have somewhat addressed this problem by focusing more on the plot and relying less on flashbacks. Now, the question remains: Will Mi Jeong finally take control of her own story, or will she continue to be a damsel in distress, as she has been for 60 percent of the series?

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Hello Soompiers! Do you think Dong Jin is going to get in an accident after meeting Mi Jeong or will he be safe? Let us know in the comments!

Javeria is a binge-watching specialist who loves devouring entire K-dramas in one sitting. Good screenwriting, beautiful cinematography, and a lack of cliches are the way to her heart. As a music fanatic, she listens to multiple artists across different genres and stans the self-producing idol group SEVENTEEN. You can talk to her on Instagram @javeriayousufs.

Currently watching:  “The Witch” and “Coffee Prince.”
Looking forward to: “Reborn” and “Weak Hero Class 2.”