Dear Hongrang- Episodes 3-4

If Episodes 1 and 2 of Dear Hongrang cracked open the mystery, Episode 3 blows the lid off and casually throws it off a cliff—literally. Between sword fights, sibling feels, and a twisty birthday setup, this week’s episode delivers tension, trickery, and just a pinch of poison ivy.

The episode jumps right back into the chaos: Hong-rang and Jae-yi are surrounded by Bang-suk’s goons. It gets messy fast. Just as Hong-rang’s about to go full action hero, he hears a mysterious bell and freezes—what is that sound? Bang-suk takes the chance to grab Jae-yi, but Hong-rang pulls a fast one and kicks the thug off a cliff. (Let’s be honest, we all cheered a little.)

During their escape, Jae-yi sprains her ankle. Hong-rang, all charm and zero tact, throws her over his shoulder like a potato sack and grunts advice about festering wounds. When Mu-jin and her sleuth crew show up, he drops her like “not my problem.”

Cue Jae-yi’s emotional confusion: who is this guy? Flashbacks of Little Hong-rang promising her a kinder world only make it worse. Mu-jin, ever the brooding bodyguard, watches from the sidelines, suspicious and clearly worried.

Hong-rang’s not over the maid’s death—she was their only real lead. He’s convinced the creepy Snow Man is working for someone known as the Painter, who lures kids and drains them (yep, it’s as dark as it sounds). So Hong-rang turns his attention to the Min Guild. Something’s rotten, and he’s going to dig it up.

Meanwhile, Grand Prince Han-pyeong rolls back into town from his creative retreat with a case of artist’s block. He’s annoyed by rumors surrounding a controversial artist, Du-ryeong, who allegedly paints corpses and death-row models. Morbid? Yes. Popular? Apparently.

In a twist of fate, Hong-rang gets to tag along with Yeol-guk to visit the Prince. He remembers that the Prince actually led the search for him 12 years ago—and that his studio is suspiciously close to the forest where Little Hong-rang vanished. Suspicious? Totally. But the Prince turns out to be gentle, right-handed, and genuinely sweet to a crying orphan, ruling him out as the Evil Painter (for now).

Back in mischief mode, Jae-yi tries to scare Hong-rang with insects—just like she used to when they were kids. He even falls for the classic “bug on a leaf” trick. But when he handles a real bug without flinching, she’s puzzled. Did he suddenly overcome his fear… or did he never have it?

She trails him and finds him comforting a scared child until the mother arrives. Another point in the possibly not evilcolumn.

It’s Hong-rang’s birthday, and Mu-jin has plans. He gifts Hong-rang a bow—clearly meant to poke at his assassin past. Hong-rang doesn’t bite. The real drama starts at the birthday toast: Hong-sik (Hong-rang’s salty cousin) spikes the wine with pomegranate juice, which Little Hong-rang was secretly allergic to.

Hong-rang drinks it. Cue full-on allergic reaction: hives, panic, gotcha moment. Mu-jin and Hong-sik look smug—until it backfires. Jae-yi ends up taking the fall for the wine swap, and Yeon-ui loses it. She beats Jae-yi despite Eul-bun (the maid) and Mu-jin trying to intervene.

Then, shocker: Hong-rang steps in and shuts Yeon-ui down. His disappointment hits harder than a slap, and she finally backs off.

Jae-yi is done playing detective. If Hong-rang is real, then Mu-jin just tried to poison the actual heir. If he’s fake, they’re all in deeper trouble than they realize. Yeol-guk, watching from the shadows, knows Mu-jin’s now tainted. He orders his assistant to fetch something mysterious from Jin Arts.

That night, Jae-yi dreams of a childhood story: Little Hong-rang warns her about doppelgängers and worries she might not recognize him if he ever changes. When she wakes up, Hong-rang has brought her food and, for once, drops the icy front. He tells her he had no one, but he’s determined to earn the right to be her little brother again. It’s almost sweet—almost.

The final twist? He’s not Hong-rang. He asks a nobleman how they knew about the pomegranate allergy. Turns out, it was all an act. Flashbacks reveal this nobleman is his secret partner in a covert mission to investigate the Min Guild and the Painter. The hives? From poison ivy. The birthday toast? A calculated performance.

🎭 Dear Hongrang Episode 4 Recap: Fake Paintings, Real Feelings, and a Shocking Mother Reveal

Episode 4 of Dear Hongrang doesn't just raise the stakes—it torches them. Literally. Between assassination plots, forged art, surprise relatives, and a seriously awkward lakeside swim, this episode delivers betrayal, slow-burn tension, and one jaw-dropping final twist.

Things kick off with a chilling order: the nobleman wants Jae-yi dead to protect Fake Hong-rang’s cover. Not a great start.

Meanwhile, Yeon-ui hosts a dramatic merchant summit, promising rewards to those who back her and threats to those who don’t. But the merchants aren’t fools—they tell her patron support is what really matters. Yeon-ui’s plan? Charm the patrons with "gifts." (Cue ominous music.)

Yeol-guk, never one to let a power grab go unchecked, sets a trap using forged paintings. On the way, he catches a whiff of a familiar scent from a mysterious cloaked woman. Flashback time! His former lover, Kkot-nim, was once pregnant with his child. But Yeon-ui locked her up, and Yeol-guk chose power over love. Kkot-nim vanished, and her brother Mun Gyu-ha drank himself to ruin… or so we thought.

Back in the present, Jae-yi collapses from hunger and is rushed to a clinic by—you guessed it—Fake Hong-rang. As she dreams of Little Hong-rang, she reaches out… and wakes up holding the imposter’s hand. Coincidence or something deeper?

At home, she’s emotionally spent. Mu-jin finally apologizes and offers to accept Hong-rang as their brother. Fake Hong-rang overhears—and realizes Jae-yi covered for Mu-jin’s pomegranate poisoning scheme. He’s not pleased. Why didn’t she just tell him?

Yeol-guk allows Hong-rang to visit his great uncle and—twist—Hong-rang insists Jae-yi go with him. Yeon-ui and Mu-jin are equally stressed, for very different reasons.

Meanwhile, Yeon-ui tries to gain Lord Hong’s favor with a painting. Unfortunately for her, Yeol-guk presents the exact same painting—with a genuine watermark from the Jin family of appraisers. Yeon-ui’s version is exposed as a fake. Worse, all her paintings are fakes. Her entire patron-wooing campaign? Crumbling.

On the road, Jae-yi and Hong-rang argue (again) over a baby bird. He helps return it to its nest but keeps messing with her like an annoying older brother—or something more? Their banter is cut short when they reach the uncle’s estate.

The uncle tests Hong-rang with fire—both he and the real Hong-rang were burned in the past. Fake Hong-rang doesn’t flinch, spinning a dramatic tale about surviving worse in captivity. The uncle lets it slide… but warns him: “Innocent blood doesn’t stay quiet.”

That night, things get steamy—literally—when Jae-yi strips for a spontaneous swim. Hong-rang looks away… until he spots assassins lurking. He leads them off and takes them down easily.

Plot twist: these weren’t assassins sent to kill Jae-yi—they were sent to protect her from him. Mu-jin ordered them, but one of his men paid extra to have Hong-rang taken out instead.

Later, Jae-yi finds him bleeding and panics. She’s mad, worried, crying—it's a lot. He’s amused… and maybe touched.

Burned by the forgery scandal, Yeon-ui pulls out all the stops. She brings in the Jin appraiser to a public meeting—and he lies, saying Yeol-guk’s painting is the fake. A flashback shows her threatening him. Just to seal the deal, she burns down the Jin warehouse, destroying all real artwork and any chance of truth.

Even Yeol-guk is horrified. Yeon-ui doesn’t care. “A fake is only a fake if a real one exists,” she purrs, quoting the shaman. Cue dramatic exit.

Back at the manor, Jae-yi is embarrassed about her emotional outburst. Hong-rang looks almost sad… until In-hoe shows up and he snaps back to cold mode, claiming he only pities her.

Yeon-ui, still basking in her shady victory, is unusually nice to Jae-yi. Meanwhile, the nobleman scolds Hong-rang for not killing her. Hong-rang says she’s still useful. “She’s Sim blood. I just need her trust.” A woman questions whether that’s possible.

Cut to the nobleman bumping into Yeol-guk. Surprise! He’s Mun Gyu-ha, Kkot-nim’s brother, and he blames Yeol-guk for her disappearance.

And in the final mic-drop moment: the woman who doubted Hong-rang? Kkot-nim. She’s alive. And Fake Hong-rang calls her “Mother.”

DramaZen's Opinion

Okay, Dear Hongrang is now officially that messy, over-the-top, deliciously dramatic show I can’t stop watching. Episodes 3 and 4 had everything: attempted murder via pomegranate wine, surprise lakeside swims, identity crises, forged artwork, and one very chaotic road trip.

Let’s talk highlights:

• Episode 3: Mu-jin and Cousin Shady try to expose Fake Hong-rang with an allergy trap (pomegranate wine—fancy and fatal!). Hong-rang’s reaction? A+ acting with poison ivy on the neck. Honestly, give the man an award. Bonus: Jae-yi nearly drowns in guilt while Mu-jin drowns in regret.

• Episode 4: Our “siblings” go on a road trip (read: accidental bonding, arguing over birds, and surprise assassins). Jae-yi goes for a casual nighttime swim, and Hong-rang sees more than just danger 👀. And plot twist: his mom is not dead. She’s alive, stunning, and ready to shake up everyone’s plans.

Also, Yeon-ui burned down a literal art archive just to win a guild pettiness battle. Queen of overreaction.

In conclusion: I don’t know who Hong-rang really is, but I do know I’m rooting for Jae-yi to survive this chaos, for Mu-jin to stop being so tragic, and for the real Hong-rang (if he exists) to show up with even more drama. This show is unhinged and I love it.