Episode 8 of *Queen Mantis* opens with a haunting flashback: Jeong-ho desperately tries to rescue a young Yeong-joon but fails miserably. When I-shin launches her attack, the horrific state of Yeong-joon’s captivity is laid bare before her eyes.
In the present, during the tense hostage exchange, Jeong-ho prioritizes I-shin’s safety above all else. Yet A-ra, swift and cunning, outmaneuvers him, escaping with I-shin after destroying her tracking device. Jung-yeon, frantic, relays the location of the hideout to Su-yeol, urging him to save I-shin at all costs.
A-ra’s rage stems from her twisted perception of love. She resents I-shin for squandering her affection on Su-yeol, a man who clearly doesn’t reciprocate her feelings. In a moment of raw vulnerability, A-ra confesses her love for I-shin, pressing a desperate kiss onto her lips. She sees I-shin not just as a role model, but as a mother figure—the only person who truly understands her, for they are, in her eyes, kindred spirits. Yet I-shin coldly rejects her, insisting they share no resemblance. Stung by this rejection, A-ra spirals into madness, threatening a mutual suicide to bind them together in death.
In a flash of defiance, I-shin breaks free and stabs A-ra. Desperate to hold onto her, A-ra offers one last act of "service": she hands I-shin a photograph of her as a child, taken by her father.
Su-yeon tracks down A-ra’s lair—a desolate, abandoned amusement park. But I-shin is already gone, and A-ra, wounded but feral, attacks him. Na-hee, who has been tailing Su-yeol, intervenes just in time, saving his life. In a final act of desperation, Su-yeol kills A-ra, but not before Na-hee is stabbed. Bloodied and weak, she urges him to pursue I-shin instead of saving her.
He obeys, but Commissioner Hong complicates matters by issuing an APB on both Su-yeol and I-shin, convinced they are collaborating.
Tasked with tracing Su-yeol’s location, Jeong-ho deliberately prolongs the call to reveal a shocking truth: he believes I-shin is justified. Overwhelmed by guilt for failing abused victims in the past—trapped by legal constraints—he sees her as someone who did what he never could. Su-yeol, however, remains steadfast: their duty isn’t to pick sides but to save every life possible. With that, he terminates the call, severing the trace.
The episode ends in a whirlwind of betrayal, desperation, and unresolved loyalty, leaving the fate of all characters hanging in the balance.
Why does I-shin embark on a relentless pursuit of her father? When Su-yeol uncovers I-shin's hypnotherapy sessions, he is left reeling in shock. The memories she had buried deep within her subconscious resurface with a vengeance after those sessions. And that picture, most likely, acts as a catalyst, reigniting her burning desire for retribution.
A haunting flashback reveals the heinous act of Mr. Jeong, who, while applying makeup to the young I-shin, attempts to molest her. When his wife attempts to report his crimes, he mercilessly murders her and sets their home ablaze.
In the present, I-shin has bound Jeong within the confines of his church. He pleads for forgiveness, asserting that their shared blood is the root of their misfortunes. He claims that after the tragic fire, he was consumed by remorse, leading him to become a pastor and establish a shelter for children. However, I-shin stands firm, declaring that their sins can never be absolved. Just as she is about to deliver her final blow, Su-yeol arrives on the scene.
Why does Su-yeol choose I-shin over his grandfather? Jeong assumes the role of a victim, hurling insults at I-shin and imploring Su-yeol to rescue him. In that moment, Su-yeol's mind flashes back to his childhood, recalling how his grandfather had often painted I-shin in a negative light. He realizes that Jeong has distorted his memories of her. Touched by I-shin's suffering, Su-yeol declares that Jeong is unworthy of any mercy. As they prepare to depart, their eyes fall upon little Eun-ae, her face adorned with makeup.
They come to a horrifying realization: Jeong may be preying on her as well. Enraged beyond measure, Su-yeol lunges forward, only to be subdued by I-shin, who drugs him to prevent him from descending into murderous rage. She drags him outside and proceeds to douse the church in gasoline. Addressing her father, she declares that they have inflicted enough pain on Su-yeol.
Outside, Su-yeol barely regains consciousness in time to witness the inferno. Both I-shin and Jeong lie unconscious within the burning church, overcome by smoke. Faced with an impossible choice, Su-yeol makes a split-second decision and rescues I-shin. He calls her "mom" and pleads with her to awaken. When she does, tears stream down her face as she confesses her hope to free him from her tainted legacy.
The police are alerted, and they make their way to the town. Su-yeol vows to visit I-shin regularly from now on. She tries to decline his offer, insisting that blood ties hold no meaning. She expresses her relief that he is a good person, unlike herself.
Jeong-ho personally escorts I-shin back to the prison gates, his gesture laden with unspoken compassion. Grateful for his kindness, I-shin expresses her heartfelt thanks, acknowledging how he has nurtured Su-yeol with such care. The unit warmly welcomes Su-yeol into its fold and also extends its embrace to Eun-ae.
Two years pass like a fleeting dream, and I-shin now resides among the general population at Anwon Prison. With pencils dancing across paper, she sketches the tender image of Su-yeol, Jung-yeon, and their two adorable children, capturing a snapshot of happiness that seems worlds away. Suddenly, the news blares the shocking report of Jeong-ho’s murder, and a wave of distress washes over her.
Later, Na-hee and Su-yeol come to visit her, and I-shin, her eyes brimming with unspoken questions, demands to know the truth behind this tragic turn of events.
