Sold Out On You Episode 8 Review: An Emotionally Sad and Heartbreaking Episode

Episode 7 focused on the town’s sports festival where we visibly saw Matthew falling head over heels for Ye-jin. It was a fun and vibrant episode that ended with Ye-jin and Matthew confession their feelings for each other and sharing a meaningful kiss.

Sold Out On You Episode 8 has a runtime of 70 minutes.

Sold Out On You Episode 8 Review

Highlights of the Episode

Ye-jin and Matthew are now openly showing their feelings for each other. They hold hands, kiss on the farm and work together, all of which feel natural. Ye-jin tells Matthew that she fell for him because of his love of farming, and we can see that she saw Matthew’s ethics rather than his looks.

We then see Matthew’s brother confirming to him about the dangerous chemical that is in the skincare product that Ye-jin once promoted and got tormented by. Then Eric’s press conference becomes a central point in this episode. He openly announces the skincare product’s issue and thanks Ye-jin for finding it. Despite the pressure he faced, he chose to tell the truth.

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We then see a heartbreaking hospital scene where Som-yi’s allergy returns, and her scars look painful. We understand why Jin-yi is mad at Ye-jin because of how much her sister Som-yi is struggling, all because of Ye-jin promoting a scandalous product. Ye-jin blames herself for the whole episode, and she struggles with guilt. Even when she gets back her job, she rejects it as she believes she doesn’t deserve a career for the pain she unintentionally caused Som-yi.

Matthew is also traumatised as he is the one who was directly involved in the production of the product. Given that he wasn’t aware of it, he just followed the company’s rules, but now the pain hits him too. As the episode ends, both Ye-jin and Matthew argue. Given that he is already upset, he lethargically tells that he only likes Ye-jin as he was guilty too. These words hurt Ye-jin, and we are sure that the next two episodes are going to be about the product and the truth.

Performance of the Cast

Chae Won-bin continues to shine as Ye-jin. In the initial part of the episode, we can see her glowing and lovey-dovey around Matthew, for their relationship has just started. But soon, Won-bin exudes the painful side as Ye-jin’s trauma comes back. Her guilt is well-delivered, and we can see the pain in her eyes after hearing Matthew’s cruel words.

Likewise, Ahn Hyo-seop excels as Matthew with his calm and composed body language. Seeing a calm man become childish around Ye-jin is a feast to watch. Eventually, we also see Hyo-seop’s potential in acting as a rude and angry man when the character of Matthew learns that he is also a main part in the product’s cruelty.

The supporting cast also contributes strongly, especially Jin-yi during the hospital argument. Her anger feels emotionally grounded rather than exaggerated.

Themes Explored

Guilt is the main theme that the episode explores. All of the main characters seem to be tending to guilt as they’re all part of the skincare issue. Firstly, Ye-jin strongly believes that the product she promoted became a hit and it caused many people with illness. She blames herself for Som-yi’s allergy and how it’s slowly killing her.

We see Matthew falling into guilt once he learns that he was directly promoted to the product’s production, as he is one of the main people who created it. This makes him feel disgraced, and he starts to hurt himself. Eric feels guilty for his mistake and publicly apologises for the scandal. Jin-yi is also guilty because she knows that scolding Ye-jin is stupid, since she just promoted it; however, since she has no option, she wishes to vent it out on Ye-jin.

Direction and Editing

The emotional transitions are well done. The romantic farm scenes are shot in a way that their love feels soft, creating warmth and intimacy. Natural lighting makes their bond seem peaceful. From these sorts of sweet scenes, the director moves to dark emotions as we see Som-yi’s allergy and Jin-yi’s anger.

The emotional breakdowns are framed more tightly, creating a sense of guilt in each of the characters who are involved in this issue. Editing during the final argument between Matthew and Ye-jin is effective. The pauses, the close-ups, and the pacing show the cast’s emotions well and convey the pain.

Flaws of the Episode

We return to the melodramatic aspect in this episode. In the previous episode, happiness was all I could see, but in this episode, we are back to the main plot. But is it a wrong thing? Definitely not. As the series is almost nearing the finale, the heat has to be kick-started. Hence, the skincare negligence storyline is essential, and its return is effective.

However, some viewers may feel the guilt arc is pretty repetitive, but in my opinion, I feel it is needed to keep the viewers anxious to know what’s going to happen next.

Final Thoughts

Solid, heavy and heartbreaking episode. Despite the episode starting on a sweet and warm note with Matthew and Ye-jin’s romance sparkling, soon guilt and shame cover them. This feels more human and real, making the drama feel natural.

Ye-jin and Matthew’s relationship reaches its emotional peak just before everything falls apart, making the ending even more painful. Meanwhile, Eric’s integrity, Som-yi’s suffering, and the fallout from the skincare scandal add meaningful depth to the storyline.

Sold Out On You is streaming on Netflix.