Recap Korean Drama "The Golden Spoon (2022)" Episode 1

The Golden Spoon (금수저) is a drama-thriller TV series that follows the story of a young man who is given the chance to change and leave behind his poor life in exchange for the lavish life of his friend. Directed by Song Hyun-wook, the drama stars Yook Sung-jae, Lee Jong-won, Jung Chae-yeon, Yeon Woo and Choi Dae-chul, alongside other cast members.

The 16 episodes drama premiered on September 23, 2022, and releases new episodes every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM KST on MBC taking over the timeslot previously occupied by Big Mouth. The Golden Spoon episode 1 has a run time of 68 minutes.

Disney+Hotstar’s synopsis of the show reads:

A CHILD FROM A POOR FAMILY ACQUIRES A “GOLDEN SPOON” THAT CAN SWAP HIM WITH HIS RICH FRIEND AND ALLOW HIM A LIFE THAT HE ALWAYS DREAMED OF.

-The Golden Spoon Episode 1 Recap contains Spoilers-

The Golden Spoon episode 1 starts off with an explanation of the economical condition of South Korea and how the society is actually divided into a hierarchy that defines your status everywhere. As the rich take rule over the poor, our protagonist Lee Seung-cheon is the “dirt spoon” in a school filled with “silver spoon” and “gold spoon” students.

One evening while working at a convenience store, his friend Park Jin-seok makes a visit and shows off his brand-new shoes bought by his mom. While Seung-cheon shows his envy, Jin-seok hides his pain and soon leaves from there.

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Later, it is known that Jin-seok’s parents have committed suicide due to their debts and that these shoes were the last gift for him from his mother. Unable to bear the pain, he too gives up on life. The next day, Seung-cheon gets to know about this news and rushes to find his friend who is already dead.

At the family’s funeral, one of the debt collectors cries and curses the family for having left without paying her back. Seung-cheon is unable to hold back his anger, but he knows that he can do nothing about this. All he can do is remember the times spent with his lost friend.

On the other hand, the gold spoon out of all the golden spoons, his classmate Hwang Tae-yong also stops by the funeral. Hwang Tae-yong is the heir to the Doshin group which stands at the top of this hierarchy. As the redevelopment of the area where Jin-seok’s family lived is given to the Doshin group, his father appears there along with Tae-yong.

During this time, Seung-cheon steps out of the funeral home for some time but is caught by his bullies who often make him do their errands and hit him in exchange for money. They are spotted by Tae-yong because of which they stop and start flaunting over him.

Seung-cheon then picks up the cash left by them and this is seen by Hwang Hyeon-do, Tae-yong’s father. Then inside the car, he tells Tae-yong what friends really are and warns him to stay away from Seung-cheon.

Later that day, Seung-cheon welcomes a new part-timer, Na Joo-hee who has a hidden identity that the former is unaware of. Taking her to be a fellow sufferer, he teaches her the ins and outs of working at the convenience store.

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The same night, upon reaching home he is faced with the situation of the landlord demanding his rent from his sister and mother while his father stays hidden away. Having seen this, he exposes his father and has them discuss the matter. But this angers his sister who is upset by his behaviour.

Elsewhere, Tae-yong is enjoying a webtoon online but remembers a report he was asked to summarise by his father. However, it is too late and his father has already seen the measly summary he has presented. The pressure exuded by his father creates panic within him as he rushes for his medication as soon as his father leaves.

The next day, his rich and so-called friends gather at his house, while one of Seung-cheon’s bullies calls for him so that he can ridicule him. On the way to Tae-yong’s house, Seung-cheon comes across a mysterious old lady who sells him a golden spoon that can make him rich. If she eats with the spoon at the house of a rich boy his age, then he will be able to change lives with him.

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Intrigued by this, Seung-cheon ends up buying the spoon but does not believe the old lady’s words. He soon reaches Tae-yong’s house to deliver the project that was given to him but his bully tries every possible way to humiliate him. However, Tae-yong notices this and invites Seung-cheon for lunch.

Once again the bully tries to humiliate Seung-cheon by asking the servers to replace his spoon with a stainless steel one but the latter is not ready to bear this and takes out his newly bought spoon. They start eating and Seung-cheon suddenly notices a sudden shine in the spoon.

Later that night he dreams of his parents committing suicide in a similar way to Jin-seok’s family which leaves him restless. He then starts to draw out the route he took earlier that day when he met that odd lady, while also recounting the secret of the golden spoon.

Having his doubts about the spoon, he starts to research the Doshin group and makes his way to Tae-yong to help with the task given by his father. The result of this task leaves Tae-yong’s father happy which results in the two continuing their little game while Tae-yong pays Seung-cheon for his work.

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The two starts to get closer and one day Joo-hee recognises Tae-yong who came by to give Seung-cheon a reward while also calling him his true friend. Later, Joo-hee and Seung-cheon go out for a little snack and she asks him the question what he wishes for. Seung-cheon tells her that he wants to be rich so that he can fulfil his wishes.

The next day, the results of their tests are out and Seung-cheon is able to make it into the Eagle class which is for top students. However, this pushes his bully out of the class which brings him another round of beating.

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Facing this situation, he knows that he will always be looked down upon which does not settle with him. He rushes off to Tae-yong’s house to once again eat there so that he exchange lives with him. However, Hyeong-do arrives before they can start eating and warns Tae-yong about his friends once again.

This scares Tae-yong as he takes Seung-cheon out of the house and asks him to leave. However, Seung-cheon is not ready to give up as he makes his way back in to eat the food prepared before he is caught by Hyeong-do and is left with no choice but to leave.

Hyeong-do then gets a call from someone who tells him about the deal between Tae-yong and Seung-cheon. He then confronts Tae-yong who is left shaking because of the consequences that await him. His father wants to punish him and brings up sending him to the U.S.

However, Tae-yong is scared of going there due to a traumatic incident and asks him for forgiveness. Listening to his pleas, Hyeong-do tells him to deal with Seung-cheon if he wants to get out of this one.

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On the other hand, Seung-cheon is done believing in the spoon and throws it away.

The Golden Spoon Episode 1 Ending

The Golden Spoon episode 1 comes to an end with the next day when Tae-yong’s stepmother and Seung-cheon’s mother are called in front of the school committee as the former blames Seung-cheon for exploiting Tae-yong.

Tae-yong too gives a false statement in front of everyone which angers and shocks Seung-cheon. Being unable to do anything, Seung-cheon’s father rushes behind Tae-yong and gets down on his knees to beg for forgiveness.

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Later that evening, Seung-cheon calls Tae-yong to meet and asks him why he gave a false statement after calling him his friend. Tae-yong reveals that he gave a false comment and after having exploited him this is just a way of him throwing away Seung-cheon. He carries on with his mean comments until Seung-cheon reveals that he has recorded the conversation and will now prove his innocence.

Tae-yong is shocked by this and tries to stop him but the two get into a brawl and as the two are standing on a bridge, Seung-cheon is soon thrown off the side and is hanging for his life. Tae-yong is shocked by this and tries and hold on to him, but due to the heavy rains, Seung-cheon slips and falls into the water.

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Tae-yong then rushes to call the emergency helpline number but gives up on it and runs away. On the other hand, Seung-cheon is unable to swim and slowly gives up on his life. However, the golden spoon appears in front of him which awakens his spirit and gets him to make his way back to the shore.

After this, he rushes to find the spoon and then makes his way to Tae-yong’s house and asks Hyeong-do for a meal.

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The Golden Spoon Episode 1 Review

This was quite a start for a show because after having revealed the very bitter truth of today’s world, it brought the magic that makes the young boy so desperate. Seung-cheon’s desperation to change his life really got me thinking about the situations that he must have faced to become the man he is today.

On the other hand, life is not easy for Tae-yong as well, having been filled with trauma and fear, his mentality is slowly falling apart. However, this does not give him the right to put the life of the person he called his friend in danger.

It is not easy to get everything in this world and the grass is greener on the other side. But now that the boys are soon to get what they crave, will things get any better for them?