Heavenly Ever After Episode 5 Review: Hell Master is Terrifying

In Episode 4 of Heavenly Ever After, the afterlife grows even more tangled as Hae-sook begins to suspect that Som-i is actually her late daughter Young-ae reborn, while Nak-joon remains wary of the mystery girl’s origins. Meanwhile, a trio of ghost dogs discovers that Som-i is the runaway spirit Hell has been chasing.

As Hae-sook grows emotionally attached to Som-i, believing her daughter has returned, chaos erupts at church when an old man—also a runaway spirit—takes Hae-sook hostage in desperation to learn his wife’s fate. Thanks to Nak-joon’s quiet act of kindness, the man finds peace, surrendering to judgment. As the episode ends, Som-i continues to blend into the family, while the real Young-ae still wanders through Hell, unseen.

This new Korean drama has 12 episodes and will be released every Saturday and Sunday.

Heavenly Ever After Episode 5 Recap

The episode opens with a chilling glimpse into earthly injustice: a celebrity, convicted of murder, walks free under the guise of mental instability. While the world forgets, Hell does not. The underworld’s staff meticulously logs his sins, and as Nak-joon makes a trip to Earth for his duties, the celebrity spots him—since the grim reapers are visible to humans while working. The star’s arrogant behavior infuriates Nak-joon, but before things escalate, he encounters another Hell employee who bluntly reminds him how horrific life in the underworld truly is.

Meanwhile, Nak-joon attends a quiet funeral and notices the framed photo of the deceased is blank. The scene shifts to Heaven, where the soul of the departed laments being forgotten by his children, even wondering if they still have his picture. Touched, Heaven’s manager takes a photo of the soul to ensure he’s remembered properly. Hae-sook learns that the man’s body had remained undiscovered for days, allowing him to attend his own funeral and finally be honored. At the station, Hae-sook then sees a picture-perfect family of three preparing to board the Judgment Train—but the mood soon darkens.

Once on the train, the truth is revealed: only the child is heading to Heaven, while his parents are bound for Hell. The toddler’s heart-wrenching cries echo as the family is separated at the station. Back in Heaven, Hae-sook resumes her church revival classes and receives her fifth “berry”—a symbolic tally of her sins. The pastor warns her that one more will send her straight to Hell. Nak-joon, overhearing this, is visibly shaken; one more misstep and he might lose his wife forever.

Back home, Young-ae cooks for them, and both Hae-sook and Nak-joon are struck by how delicious the food is. Suspicion lingers—they still don’t realize that the woman living with them isn’t actually their daughter.

The next day, Hae-sook brings food to the pastor, and when he tears up while eating it, she offers comfort, referencing his difficult relationship with his parents. On her way home, she sees Young-ae and offers to buy her a drink. But when her card is declined due to insufficient funds, Hae-sook impulsively kicks the vending machine to get the drink—unfortunately, that act earns her the final berry. As a result, she is instantly seized and dragged to Hell. Nak-joon tries to stop it, but it’s too late. Pleading with Heaven’s manager proves futile; her fate has already been sealed.

Down in Hell, we’re introduced to King Yeomra—the dark counterpart to Heaven’s manager, played by the same actor with eerie precision. The newly arrived souls are sorted based on their sins and assigned to their respective punishments: Screaming Hell, Burning Hell, Crushing Hell, and more. One serial killer earns the “full package” of torment. Among the damned are the toddler’s parents, now facing the consequences of their earthly actions. A mix-up briefly sends a Heaven-dweller into Hell, but he’s quickly rescued—unlike others who foolishly follow and suffer the consequences.

Hae-sook, meanwhile, spots Young-ae standing in the distance, but before she can reach her, she’s summoned for judgment. Labeled “Unclassified,” she is sent to a special chamber. In Heaven, the three ghost dogs—Jjajang, Jjamppong, and Mandu—alert the pastor to Hae-sook’s plight. Moved by guilt and concern, Jjajang decides to venture into Hell to help her.

In a surreal twist, the King of Hell gathers four “Unclassified” souls, including Hae-sook and Young-ae. Hae-sook is elated to see her daughter again, still unaware that the “Young-ae” living with her is not who she seems. The King declares that they must first tour all the hellish chambers to witness the fates of others before their own sins are weighed.

As Hae-sook trembles through the tour, Nak-joon makes his own way to Hell, determined to find his wife. He fights his way past skeptical staff and, with stubborn resolve, searches each chamber, calling out her name. Just as Hae-sook’s weighing ceremony is about to begin—its results hidden from the viewer—Nak-joon’s desperate cries reach the King.

Moved by his sincerity, the King offers Nak-joon a grim deal: if he wishes to save his wife, he must endure all the tortures of Hell himself. Without hesitation, Nak-joon agrees—and leaps into the burning lava.

Heavenly Ever After Episode 5 Review

The episode cleverly juxtaposes the bureaucracy of Heaven and the brutal efficiency of Hell, from the shocking fate of a picture-perfect family to Hae-sook’s tragic fall from grace over a well-intentioned vending machine mishap. The moral weight of every action in the afterlife is laid bare, and the show doesn’t hold back as it parades viewers through a tour of torment—complete with screaming chambers, lava pits, and a hellish manager who’s equal parts terrifying and oddly charismatic.

But amidst all the darkness, it’s Nak-joon who shines brightest. His quiet devotion to Hae-sook turns heartbreakingly heroic when he dives into literal hellfire for her, not even flinching at the King’s challenge. It’s the kind of grand, selfless gesture that makes you go “aww” and “oh no” at the same time. Nak-joon may have been an oblivious husband in the past, but in this episode, he becomes the emotional anchor of the story—a sweet, goofy, and utterly lovable man willing to risk eternal damnation just to bring his wife back home.The episode ends on a powerful cliffhanger: did the King grant Nak-joon’s wish, or did he merely let him burn?

Heavenly Ever After is streaming on Netflix.

Also read: Heavenly Ever After Reviews

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