18pts

The Golden Spoon

(금수저) 2022 MBC

Lee Seung-Cheon (Yook Sung-Jae) is a bright student from a poor family, deep in debt. He attends a prestigious high school for rich kids as a scholarship student, and is bullied by the rich kids.

Hwang Tae-Yong (Lee Jong-Won) is the richest of the rich kids. Initially he and Seung-Cheon are friendly, but Tae-Young is bullied by his father into betraying their friendship.

One day, Seung-Cheon meets a woman who sells him a golden spoon that can change his fate…

K-Drama Bingo Score

Using the Modern K-Drama set

Running commentary

Part supernatural thriller, part coming-of-age drama, The Golden Spoon looks delicious from episode 1. We already have crushing debt, bullying, cartoony fx and a memorial service in the first half hour. This is going to be good.

An excellent, well-paced drama with some good twists and turns amongst the rich and powerful. Wraps up with some nice social commentary about wealth inequality and the psychologies of poverty and aspiration. The love interest stuff gets pretty confusing for poor Junhee, what with all the body swapping going on.

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(Dis)possession
(2 pt)
Notes
Ghosts, spirits inhabiting bodies, or body- or identity-swapping

S01E02
The Golden Spoon lets you switch families with someone else your age
Vehicular tragedy
(2 pt)
Notes
Someone is/was hit by a car, truck, bus, or motorcycle
Bullying
(1 pt)
Notes
Be Best, Korea
S01E01
Underlies the entire series
Cartoony FX
(1 pt)
Notes
Animal or cartoon visual and sound effects to reinforce behavior or mood
Cramped quarters
(1 pt)
Notes
Sleeping in a repurposed closet, or on a balcony, or in insane tiny student housing

S01E01
The underprivileged live in a shantytown slated for redevelopment
Crushing Debt
(1 pt)
Notes
Characters are motivated by their debt (or a family member's), including the threat of foreclosure
Finger hearts
(1 pt)
Notes
Any use of finger hearts by a character
Korean Standoff
(2 pt)
Notes
Two principal characters have a serious, sometimes emotionally confrontational, conversation while standing at least 1m apart

Bonus point for: Three-person standoffs
Memorial service
(1 pt)
Notes
Funerals and memorial services
S01E01
Crushing debt engenders suicide
Middle-of-the-Road Soliliquy
(1 pt)
Notes
Verbal musings on deep existential questions and/or tragicomic situations while in the middle of the street
S01E12
Juhee figuring things out
Piggyback
(1 pt)
Notes
Someone gives someone else a piggyback ride
Rumble tummy
(1 pt)
Notes
Audible stomach rumbling to indicate hunger
S01E01
Junhee needs to eat
Shamans & Talismans
(1 pt)
Notes
Yellow paper talismans, written in calligraphic red ink; visits to a shaman for fortune-telling or body transfers

S01E02
An old woman on the side of the road sells magic items to fulfill your dreams
Wrist grab
(2 pt)
Notes
Dramatically grabbing someone by the wrist as they walk away
Bonus point for: A woman grabbing a man instead of the more common man grabbing woman

Unmatched Bingo Spaces

Childhood friends forgotten
Characters knew, or at least encountered, each other in childhood, but somehow forgot
Chicken & Beer
치맥, anyone?
Pinky swear
Two characters doing a pinky swear

Touching thumbs at the end is not a thing in America (based on my terrible polling), so that gets an easy bonus point for any wannabe K-drama.
Son Hyeung Min
Mentions of Son Hyeung Min, or staying up to watch Tottenham Hotspur play
The Playground
Any scene taking place in a neighborhood playground
Thumbs up
Two thumbs up for "Good job!"
강한나 (Kang Han-Na)
The presence of Kang Han-Na makes everything at least 1 point better
내 친구 ("My friend…")
A character tells a story about "My friend" that is actually about themselves
한국어학교 (Language lessons)
Specifically linguistic wordplay, discussions about spelling, pronunciation, or Chinese root words