Mi-kyung reels in shock when Baek-ho fires her, but she refuses to go down without a fight—cue Operation Seduce Baek-ho, which flops spectacularly. Meanwhile, Ong-ju has the misfortune of walking in on a very naked Hwan-kyung, then gets fake-boyfriended by him to escape flirtatious surfers. The chaos escalates when Mi-kyung visits her estranged monk father while Ki-se lurks in the shadows, stirring up drama. As Baek-ho’s employees badmouth him in the wrong group chat, Mi-kyung desperately tries (and fails) to cover it up.
And just when things couldn’t get weirder, Baek-ho is haunted—by what he believes is a ghost but is actually just office pranks and birds. His paranoia drives him to a shaman, forcing Mi-kyung to confess, but her apology falls flat. The episode ends with a stormy night, a drenched Mi-kyung checking on the greenhouse, and Baek-ho trailing behind her—because apparently, their love story thrives on bad weather and bad decisions.
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The Potato Lab Ep 5 Runtime
60 minutes
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The Potato Lab Kdrama Cast
Lee Sun-bin, Kang Tae-oh, Lee Hak-joo, Kim Ga-eun, Shin Hyun-seung, Jung Shin-hye
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The Potato Lab Directors
Kang Il-soo, Shim Jae-hyun
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AKA
감자연구소
– Contains Spoilers –
The Potato Lab Episode 5 Recap
Episode 5 of The Potato Lab kicks off with Baek-ho dashing outside to help Mi-kyung wrestle with the greenhouse, because apparently, nature decided to be extra difficult that day. After battling the elements, they head inside for some much-needed warmth. Mi-kyung casually—yet not-so-subtly—throws in a “joke” about showering together, but hunger wins over flirtation. Instead, they opt for food, because nothing kills romance faster than a rumbling stomach.
As they eat, Baek-ho gets an unexpected deep dive into Mi-kyung’s undying devotion to potatoes. The woman is a walking, talking potato encyclopedia, and while Baek-ho is initially amused, he finds himself intrigued. How did someone become this passionate about root vegetables? It sticks with him long after, making him question whether letting her go is really the right move.
Also read: Buried Hearts Episode 8 Review: Eun-nam Piece the Truth, Uses Against Yeom for Revenge
Meanwhile, back at the guesthouse, Yoon Hee-jin makes a dramatic entrance, sending Hwan-kyung and Ong-ju into full-blown detective mode. Who is she? What’s her connection to Baek-ho? They go with the most dramatic assumption: she’s obviously his girlfriend. When Ong-ju relays this juicy tidbit to Mi-kyung, she plays it cool, but let’s be real—she’s dying to know the truth.
In true sitcom fashion, Mi-kyung and Ong-ju decide that the only logical course of action is to spy on Hee-jin. Unfortunately for them, Hee-jin is not one to miss a pair of nosy eyes peeking through a window. Instead of calling them out, she bounces over and invites everyone to her self-declared “Welcome Party,” complete with grilled BBQ and an air of chaos.
The night takes an awkward turn as Mi-kyung attempts to interrogate Baek-ho and Hee-jin about their supposed romantic past. She’s convinced they’re high school sweethearts, and Baek-ho gets the cold shoulder as a result. That is, until Hee-jin casually lets it slip that Baek-ho likes someone, leaving Mi-kyung caught between relief and complete embarrassment.
Meanwhile, lurking in the shadows (figuratively, of course), Ki-se has been keeping tabs on Hee-jin like a full-blown spy thriller villain. He has her followed and soon discovers she’s at the guesthouse. But we don’t get to dwell on his creepy behavior for long, as the next day throws everyone into corporate chaos. At work, the team is briefed on the PMI Task Force, with Ki-se smugly announcing that he’ll be leading the initiative.
Mi-kyung is already rolling her eyes before he even gets to the part where he insists this is a “great opportunity” for her—translation: “I can now override Baek-ho’s decisions and make your life miserable.” To really seal the deal, Ki-se adds a condescending remark about how he doesn’t know why she hasn’t progressed further. Big mistake. Huge. Because Mi-kyung is two seconds away from launching a shoe at his head when Baek-ho walks in, forcing her to (temporarily) hold back.
This animosity carries over to lunch, where things escalate in the most ridiculous way possible. In a moment of peak frustration, Mi-kyung blurts out something about her lips belonging to Baek-ho. This, of course, leads to an entire restaurant of stunned onlookers who suddenly have more drama in their lives than they signed up for.
While Mi-kyung is dealing with office warfare, Baek-ho is spiraling into full-fledged ghost-hunting mode. Thanks to a perfectly orchestrated prank by Mi-kyung and her brother, he’s convinced that a ghost is haunting him. He even records what he believes to be a ghostly groan, but when he plays it back, Mi-kyung and her brother pretend they hear nothing. Now, things go from mildly concerning to full-blown paranoia when Baek-ho starts noticing red stains on the floor and his chair making eerie squeaking noises.
Turns out, the “Potato Gang”—a mischievous crew of coworkers—has been using his office as their personal lounge. One of them accidentally spilled nail polish everywhere, and another broke his chair. But instead of coming clean, they decide to let Baek-ho marinate in his supernatural fears. Classic workplace dynamics.
Baek-ho’s descent into paranoia reaches its peak when he decides to visit a shaman. Yes, a shaman. The man is ready to go to extreme lengths to banish this so-called spirit. When Mi-kyung finds out, she realizes the prank has gone way too far. She finally confesses that the “ghostly noises” he’s been hearing are nothing more than White Thrush birds. Naturally, Baek-ho is not amused. No amount of apologies, free gifts, or Mi-kyung’s best attempts at reconciliation can fix it. As Ong-ju wisely puts it, they’ve become “doormats for each other.”
While all this is unfolding, CEO Yoon decides it’s time for some corporate-level pettiness and confronts Ki-se about canceling Hee-jin’s credit card. Their relationship remains as frosty as ever, but in the middle of their tense exchange, Yoon casually drops a bombshell—Baek-ho is in Pyeongwon. Now, this wouldn’t be a big deal… except that’s also where Ki-se’s best friend happens to be.
Fueled by curiosity (and probably some level of unresolved issues), Ki-se makes a surprise appearance, only to find Mi-kyung. And judging by the look on his face, he was not prepared for this reunion. What does this mean for Mi-kyung and Baek-ho? Will Baek-ho ever recover from his ghost trauma? And most importantly, will Mi-kyung ever be able to live down the whole “my lips belong to Baek-ho” incident? Stay tuned for more potato-fueled drama.
The Potato Lab Episode 5 Review
Mi-kyung and Baek-ho’s dynamic remains engaging, with their stormy night struggle turning into yet another hilarious moment of miscommunication and unresolved feelings. The episode masterfully builds on Mi-kyung’s deep-rooted love for potatoes, a seemingly trivial quirk that unexpectedly resonates with Baek-ho. Meanwhile, Hee-jin’s arrival introduces a new layer of mystery, prompting Mi-kyung and Ong-ju to spiral into sitcom-level antics.
Their failed espionage attempt and the subsequent “Welcome Party” add an extra dose of comedic charm while pushing Mi-kyung to confront her feelings. The well-paced comedic misunderstandings—especially the assumption that Baek-ho and Hee-jin were once romantically involved—keep the episode lively and packed with character-driven humour.
On the corporate side, Ki-se continues his reign as the ultimate workplace antagonist, using his newfound power to make Mi-kyung’s life difficult. His condescending remarks and petty maneuvering escalate tensions, leading to Mi-kyung’s dramatic and highly meme-worthy outburst about her lips belonging to Baek-ho.
Meanwhile, Baek-ho’s ghost paranoia subplot is a comedic highlight, with Mi-kyung and her brother pulling off an elaborate prank that spirals out of control. The blend of office drama, absurd superstition, and romantic tension ensures that every scene is packed with entertainment. By the end, Ki-se’s surprise visit to Pyeongwon hints at even more drama ahead, keeping viewers hooked. With sharp writing, over-the-top antics, and a growing emotional core, Episode 5 delivers another strong entry in The Potato Lab.
The Potato Lab is streaming on Netflix.
Also read: All The Potato Lab Reviews!
