<Korean TV Series NOW> ”Queen Mantis” EP2, Ko Hyun Jung and Jang Dong Yoon's passionate performances shine... The highest viewership rating exceeded 10% = Viewership rating 7.3%, Synopsis and Spoilers

*Contains spoilers and synopsis.

SBS drama 'Queen Mantis' is firmly on the rise, surpassing double-digit viewership ratings with a peak of 10%.

According to ratings research company Nielsen Korea on the 7th, the second episode of SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'Queen Mantis' (directed by Byun Young-joo/written by Lee Yeong-jung), which aired on the 6th, recorded a metropolitan standard viewership rating of 7.3%, an increase from the previous episode.

Following the double-digit instant viewership rating, the viewership rating among those in their 20s to 49s, a key indicator of a channel's competitiveness, also rose sharply to 2.5%, peaking at 3.29%. This shows that the magic of Go Hyun-jung, the "actress you can trust," has been working perfectly.

During the episode that day, a full-scale joint investigation began to capture a copycat murderer, involving serial killer mother Lee Shin (Go Hyun-jung) and her detective son Su-yeol (Jang Dong-yoon). The complex and delicate relationship between mother and son, who are unable to fully trust or distrust each other, has viewers on edge.

Earlier, Lee Shin left a meaningful message after visiting the scene of the second copycat murder. Soo-yeol, who found a crucial clue here, tracked down the prime suspect, Seo Gu-wan (Lee Tae-gu). At Gu-wan's house, Soo-yeol discovered numerous documents related to the serial killer "Mantis" case, personal information on various individuals, and evidence of a homemade gun being made with a 3D printer.

Among these, letters that appear to have been exchanged between Gu-wan and Lee Shin in prison shocked Soo-yeol. Enraged by these letters, Soo-yeol headed to Lee Shin's pension home in the middle of the night. He suspected that Lee Shin had ordered Gu-wan to commit the murder. However, Lee Shin denied it, sarcastically asking, "Are you a police officer and all that?" Sparks of tension flew between the two, who were unable to believe they were mother and son meeting for the first time in 23 years.

Meanwhile, Gu-wan was committing a crime. Under the delusion that his half-brother Kim Tae-seok had stolen his happiness, Gu-wan broke into Tae-seok's house and, acting as if he were Tae-seok, threatened Tae-seok's wife and children. Fortunately, thanks to the police's quick action, Tae-seok's wife and children were spared and Gu-wan was arrested. However, Tae-seok's whereabouts were unknown. Even his life or death was unclear.

After being arrested by the police, Gu-wan provoked Kim Na-hee (Lee El) and Soo-yeol in turn. He particularly angered Soo-yeol by bringing up the story of Lee Shin. In the end, Choi Jun-ho (Jo Sung-ha) and Soo-yeol took Gu-wan to Lee Shin. Lee Shin came face to face with the madman who worshipped her. She provoked Gu-wan with her unreadable words and actions, and from Gu-wan's mouth she extracted a crucial clue that Tae-seok might still be alive.

However, Gu-wan's rampage continued unabated. Strangling Lee Shin wasn't enough; he even brought up the name of Soo-yeol's wife, Jeong-yeon (Kim Bo-ra), in front of Lee Shin. At that moment, Lee Shin's eyes flashed with madness and he strangled Gu-wan. He barely managed to prevent Gu-wan's death, but he whispered ominously to Soo-yeol, "We have to end this. We have to kill him now. You heard everything, didn't you? He knows everything."

Amid the chaos, Gu-wan shot himself in the head. Pursuing Lee Shin and Gu-wan's thoughts, Soo-yeol deduced where Dae-seok was likely to be and tracked him down. Episode two ended with scenes of Soo-yeol crashing into Dae-seok in an attempt to save him, and a horrified Lee Shin opening the ventilation door and feeding the leaves he had hidden in his mouth to the unidentified insects. The stark contrast between the two characters made for a heart-pounding ending.

Episode 2 of 'Queen Mantis' showed us just how powerful the synergy can be when Go Hyun-jung and Jang Dong-yoon, who have such an incredible relationship, come together. Furthermore, the second episode also revealed the identity of a prime suspect, delivering a shocking twist that overturned viewers' expectations.

SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'Queen Mantis', showcasing the essence of a high-density crime thriller, airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 p.m.