The Frog tells two separate stories about incidents in a vacation rental that continue to affect the lives of those around them.
We are taken through the past and present, creating the perfect recipe for this psychological thriller, which is a must-watch.
This South Korean series stars Kim Yun-Seok, Yoon Kye-sang, and Go Min-si and was created by Baeksang Arts Award-winning director Mo Wan-il (The World of the Married) and writer Son Ho-young.
Details you probably missed in The Frog
Director Mo Wan-il is known for his expertise in leaving viewers in shock. The Frog is no different.
There is a rich use of metaphors and symbolism that can easily be ignored when fully immersed in the suspense.
Here are some details you probably missed in The Frog.
1. Significance of the tree falling question
Throughout the show, characters constantly repeat the phrase, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”
This is where thinking caps come in handy. We are invited to think about the difference between perception and reality. A tree falling can be seen, but if no one hears the sound of the fall, then no one is sure if it makes a sound or if it ever fell in the first place.
Given that the incidents at the rental homes have no actual witnesses to the crimes, do the crimes really happen?
Yeong-ha (Kim) chooses not to report Si-Hyeon (Jo Yeo-joon) missing after Seong-a (Go Min-si) leaves the vacation home alone. He questions what he sees and his assumptions about what might have happened to Si-Hyeon.
Does his complacency vindicate him because he never witnessed the crime and didn’t want to lose his business like Koo Sang-jun and his family at Lake View Motel?
2. The Frog Analogy
Detective Bo-min confronts Gi-ho (Sang-jun’s son) and tells him she would never blame “the frog.” The frog symbolises passivity and a victim mentality.
In The Frog, several characters struggle between their actions and consequences. Sang-jun, instead of creating a new life riding on the wave of the murder at his motel, shuts it down and ends up in a mental facility.
Yeong-ha helps cover Si-Hyeon’s alleged murder because he does not want negative reviews for his rental. He ends up selling the hotel to Seong-A because she refuses to let him exist peacefully.
Despite being victims of the crimes that disrupt their lives, the characters passively contribute to their suffering.
3. Remote Cabin and Rundown motel
The isolated settings of the remote cabin and rundown motel in The Frog represent the character’s state of mind.
Sang-jun is in a mental hospital after losing his wife and motel after the murder at his business premises. On the other hand, Yeong-ha was self-isolating due to the guilt of his past actions.
The remote cabin and rundown motel also highlight the themes of isolation and entrapment.
4. Paintings
When Seong-A returns to the cabin after her crime, she claims that her paintings are only good when she stays there. The paintings suggest the state of mind that Seong-a was in.
One of the paintings shows a woman lying lifeless in a water body that Seong-A uses as her wallpaper. This foreshadows Seong-A’s final moment in the Frog’s last episode.
5. Cinematic Style
“Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” by Bobby Bland plays recurrently in the show. The song brings an eeriness to The Frog, heightening the tension.
Every aspect, from the lighting to the music, is combined to emphasise the haunting nature of the scenes.
6. The Past and Present
The past and present are confusing in the first episodes, but they make sense as the series progresses.
Past actions and present moments intertwine, symbolising how every action has a ripple effect over time. Most of the characters’ past decisions bring them to where they are presently.
7. Rain
In both settings in The Frog, there is rain. Sang-jun’s wife welcomes Hyang-cheol to the motel to help him get some shelter from the rain.
In the present, Yeong-ha gets towels for Si-Hyeon and Seong-A after they get wet from the rain.
Rain pouring could be symbolic of ‘when it rains, it pours’ because shortly after, the lives of Yeong-ha and Sang-jun are changed for the worse.
More details can be found as the creators generously tap into different philosophies and symbolism throughout the show.
Fair warning: it is a slow buildup, but the ending nicely ties everything together. Feel free to share any other details people missed while watching The Frog.