The Potato Lab- (Final) Episodes 11-12
Breakups, Bins & 500 Tons of Frozen Feelings
Episode 11 of The Potato Lab brings the breakup blues, work chaos, heartfelt confessions, and a potato emergency so serious it could bring Wonhan to its knees. Get ready for an emotional rollercoaster, a near-ladder disaster, and more tears over porridge than anyone thought possible.
We start with Baek-ho finally telling Mi-kyung the truth: he was part of the reason her life at Wonhan fell apart years ago. Her response? Devastated silence and a full sprint back inside. The next morning, she’s down bad, and Ong-ju knows it.
Mi-kyung drags herself to work, where the Potato Lab gang goes all out trying to cheer her up. Bless their hearts. Meanwhile, Baek-ho confirms the breakup to a few people and suddenly everyone knows. Mi-kyung confronts him, calls him a “walking natural disaster,” and tells him to disappear from her life. He agrees, and it’s honestly soul-crushing.
Back at home, Ong-ju finds all of Mi-kyung and Baek-ho’s keepsakes in the trash. Yup. It’s official. She’s heartbroken. But when Mi-kyung opens up about Baek-ho’s past, Ong-ju blames herself too—she knew about Ki-se’s cheating and said nothing. She confesses everything, and Mi-kyung (queen of emotional maturity) forgives her.
And just when you think the honesty hour is over, Hee-jin drops by. She admits she did know Ki-se had a girlfriend when they got together—and that she was foolishly in love. We love a reflective bestie with good food and bad taste in men.
Back at the lab, the harvest is light, and just when things couldn’t get worse—they do. The Chungnam storage facility messes up the temperature settings and freezes 500 tons of potatoes. Yep. Frozen. Ruined. Gone.
Baek-ho steps up to take responsibility, but it’s Mi-kyung who has the strategy: go straight to the farms before the suppliers start price-gouging. It's a bold plan that involves reuniting with Baek-ho. Cue the awkward tension.
On a supply run, a ladder almost takes out Mi-kyung, but Baek-ho saves the day (and gets mildly injured). They argue (again), and Mi-kyung finally lets it out: she didn’t want to break up. She just wanted Baek-ho to fight for her.
The rest of the Potato Gang? They’ve seen enough. They shut off the lights, leave a first-aid kit, and peace out to lunch, determined to give the couple space to fix things. Legends.
Mi-kyung patches him up. Baek-ho grabs her wrist and finally says the words: “I’m in love with you.” We are screaming.
Mi-kyung eats the abalone porridge Baek-ho left her. Then she quietly digs their old photos out of the trash. It's the small things, okay??
Potato Power, K-Drama Kisses & a Time Jump Twist!
We’ve reached the grand finale of The Potato Lab, and it delivers everything. Confessions? ✔️ Kisses? ✔️ Potato negotiations with ex-military businessmen? Oh, definitely ✔️. Episode 12 ties up loose ends with heart, humor, and the perfect blend of rom-com chaos and emotional payoff. Let’s dig in (pun intended).
We kick things off with Baek-ho finally owning up to his cold, calculating past. He admits to Mi-kyung that he used to judge people by a few pages in their file—until she shattered that worldview. He’s not looking for excuses, just a chance to grow. It’s raw. It’s vulnerable. And Mi-kyung, bless her conflicted heart, doesn’t forgive him outright… but she doesask him to wait while she sorts through her feelings.
Naturally, just as the pair share a quiet hug, the ajummas barge in and tease them for "warming up" during the cold. Timing? Impeccable.
Later, Hwan-kyung marches over with a literal eviction notice for Baek-ho—because no one breaks his sister’s heart on his watch. Mi-kyung flips when she finds out, forcing her brother to grovel and apologize. He sobs, Baek-ho awkwardly hugs him, and honestly? It’s a beautiful mess.
Bonus: when Hwan-kyung falls asleep in Baek-ho’s arms, Mi-kyung and Ong-ju catch them mid-snuggle and absolutely lose it. Photos were taken. Evidence was secured.
Back at the lab, the team is still 98 tons short of saving the harvest. Enter Kang Dong-won, a spoiled businessman and—plot twist—Baek-ho’s former army platoon mate. One ridiculous military chant-off later, the guy hands over the full stock. Potato crisis: neutralized.
Mi-kyung nearly kisses Baek-ho in celebration but stops herself. Still, the tension?
Later that night, the pair finally talk—and finally kiss! 💋 Ong-ju, ever the chaotic bestie, watches from the guesthouse but completely misreads the lip movements. (Spoiler: she is not a professional.)
Mi-kyung ends up staying the night but panics the next morning. Baek-ho guilt-trips her in the cutest way until she finally whispers, “I love you,” in his ear. His smile? Unmatched.
Hee-jin wraps things up on her end, finally getting that long-awaited divorce. She’s headed back to New York to find someone who sees her as more than a corporate pawn. Ki-se? He’s weirdly okay with it all now and even gets a visit from Mi-kyung, who checks in on him.
Baek-ho and Ki-se have a mini bromance moment too, with Baek-ho admitting he’s seriously thinking of quitting Wonhan. And yes, Mi-kyung clowns him for potentially becoming poor. We love a grounded queen.
Just when things couldn’t get more heartwarming, Mi-kyung’s potato variety gets picked up by the Rural Development Administration. Her lifelong dream? Actually coming true!
Cue: three years later. Ong-ju’s on the couch crying, and Mi-kyung thinks she’s pregnant. Nope—just fatty liver disease. (Girl, please drink some water.)
Baek-ho has officially quit Wonhan and now juggles three jobs, including CFO at the guesthouse. Mi-kyung is back in grad school, and they barely have time to see each other, but the love? Still going strong.
In a full-circle moment, the potato gang gather for a presentation on the Maroo potato. Mi-kyung and Baek-ho roll in in suits, cracking jokes, exchanging banter, and showing the world they’re not just potato experts—they’re a power couple. Through chaos, heartbreak, harvest failures, and too many misunderstandings to count, they made it.
DramaZen's Opinion
Breakups, Blowups, and a Beautiful Spud-Filled Ending!
Episodes 11 and 12 of The Potato Lab were peak K-drama chaos meets potato-powered catharsis, and I couldn’t get enough. Baek-ho finally dropped the full truth bomb, Mi-kyung had every right to rage, and the team still managed to pull off a miracle harvest. ICONS.
The emotional rollercoaster? Unmatched. We had tears, laughter, surprise kisses, and Ong-ju spying like a chaotic rom-com auntie. The ladder scene? Gold. That military chant-off to save the potato stock? Pure drama gold.
And that time jump in Episode 12?! YES. Seeing Mi-kyung thriving with her dream potatoes and Baek-ho out here juggling jobs (including CFO of a guesthouse!?), was the chef’s kiss of a sendoff. They're chaotic, they're in love, and they made potatoes look damn romantic.
Final verdict: 10/10. I laughed, I cried, I craved fries. 🥔💥💋
