Duty After School (2023) Episode 5

Duty After School episode 5 starts with Lieutenant Lee and the students driving and coming across the first truck. They check the truck and find the mark Young-shin left behind directing them. They are relieved to find out that the kids must have found shelter. They make a strategy and move ahead. They see spheres and get ready to attack, opening fire when they draw closer.

Meanwhile, Jang-soo leaves the other group and starts distracting the sphere so the others can leave. They finally manage to retrieve the keys and get on the truck. They drive off, leaving Jang-soo alone to battle with the sphere.  It is only after they have managed to escape do they stop the truck and realize Hee-rak is missing.

For the first time, Hee-rak decided to do th right thing and stay behind to help Jang-soo. In reality, Jang-soo was putting up a brave face but he was scared. Honestly, who wouldn’t be in this situation? Hee-rak uses the nitrogen liquid he found in the garage to fight and kill the sphere. Jang-soo is glad that he stayed behind to help him and is moved. They are unaware that more spheres are coming their way but thankfully, Lieutenant Lee and the other students save them.

They all get on the truck and head back to the camp. Even though they have been through a lot, they make jokes and celebrate surviving another day.  Chi-yeol is also flustered when Na-Ra asks if he is okay. At the camp, Kim Won-bin and Young-Soo welcome them and usher them to the bed they prepared. The others feel betrayed by Young-Soo but Kim Won-bin comes to his defense.  Lieutenant Lee also gets reprimanded for his insubordination but luckily he is not punished.

For the next months, the students flourish in the camp except for Ae-sol who still has a hard time during training activities. They continue to record messages for their family, sharing their thoughts and feelings. Of course, there are some arguments but those are also quickly solved. Young-soo is still obsessed with exams and studying which annoys Kwon Il-Ha.

Yoo-Jung is tired and overwhelmed from leading everyone. Na-Ra continues to shine in every task and fights with Bo-Ra about Ae-sol who keeps messing up. The spheres are still around, floating in the sky and terrorizing people on Earth

The military is overwhelmed with the spheres and believes that the spheres are attacking places like the cities where many humans live. Their theory is that the spheres feed on humans as nourishment and are developing cryogenic weapons to kill them as they are affected by the cold. One of the leaders, Cha Moon-hyeok argues that they can’t wait for the weapons to be made or for winter to come. They need to attack immediately and they should use the Student Reserve Forces.

The Sungjin students are called to a parade and informed that they will be sent on a mission to kill the spheres. In return, they get to go home after the mission and hold the CSATs exam. They are shocked as they thought they would be going home. Lieutenant Lee asks them to prepare to leave the next morning to eliminate spheres in the neighbouring areas.

That evening, the students are unable to eat as they worry about the mission. They were excited thinking they will be discharged but ended up being sent on a mission.  Meanwhile, Kim Won-bin and  Lieutenant Lee worry if they are doing the right thing and are conflicted about asking the students to write their last will. Yoo-Jung overhears them and decides to take the will to her fellow students.

The students feel like they are being sent on a death mission after hearing about the will. The students say that writing a will doesn’t feel right to them. Yoo-Jung tries to talk to them calmly but the students lash out at her. Jang-soo pities her and is grateful he was not chosen to be the class president. Later that night, the students are unable to sleep and they agree to write their wills after having a deep conversation.

Kim Won-bin and Lieutenant Lee realize what Yoo-Jung did and go to the students. They throw them a little party with the little resources they had and try to cheer them up. They talk about some personal stuff like where they went to school and what their plans are after the military. They have a good time and momentarily forget the mission ahead of them.

However, reality can’t be ignored for long and they go back to worrying about the mission and their chance to finally go home. Lieutenant Lee assures them that he will be with them until the end and he will protect them.

The next morning, the troops leave after being given their roles and two sphere detectors. They make their way to the nearest town and even though they are scared, they are hopeful it will turn out well. Chi-yeol is also feeling blue because Na-Ra seems to like someone else and Hee-rak is delighted to find a bottle of coke, which he refuses to share.

Unfortunately, their sphere detectors start sending an alert and they proceed with caution. Soon, the spheres begin to descend on them and they try to eliminate as many as possible under the guidance of Lieutenant Lee. The spheres change tactics and go into hiding forcing them to go door to door looking for them. Na-Ra provides cover as a sniper while the others search in the houses.

The episode ends with them finding a survivor who seems extremely terrified.

The Episode Review

Duty After School delivers yet another nail-biting episode that raises our tensions so high. The anxiety this episode is no joke. It was a whirlwind storm of emotions. We went from being worried about Jang-soo to relief, peace and then back to constant worrying over who will not make it in those last minutes.

I think it is a bad idea to send the kids to fight the spheres when winter is just around the corner and the spheres can die since they are susceptible to cold.

I am also curious about the story of the survivor, she looked shaken to her core and it would be interesting to know how long she has been there and what happened to her team.