Therapy (2025) – Boldness and Controversy in Korean BL - Final

 🍓 Episode 4 – “Dessert”

The final episode resumes the structure repeated throughout the series but with a distinctly more intimate and emotional tone. Right at the start, the therapist hands over a box with a QR code, which leads the patient to a digital form where he selects the preferences for their final session:

• Position: Top and Bottom
• Outfit: Secret
• Difficulty: Hard
• Focus: Kissing
• Mood: Romantic 

Unlike previous sessions, Woo-Gyo appears visibly excited and eager about the experience, showing that the bond formed throughout the sessions has gone beyond initial curiosity or clinical treatment.When Hee-soo arrives at the apartment, he presents the chosen outfit and continues the now-familiar ritual of stretching in his underwear. However, this time the gesture takes on a more affectionate tone, highlighting the emotional closeness between the two.

In the bedroom, the therapist explains that the final session will be a synthesis of the previous ones, guided by the choices made in the form. He asks for a kiss — as requested — and the foreplay begins with renewed emotional intensity, focusing on long kisses and both giving and receiving oral sex.

As in earlier episodes, the sex scene is filmed in a studio, this time with a pink background, a color that evokes romance, affection, desire, and emotional vulnerability. New positions are introduced, and for the first time, the therapist becomes more expressive, showing subtle emotional reciprocity or, at the very least, a less mechanical physical involvement.

💔 Ending

At the end, Hee-soo professionally thanks him for requesting the service and says goodbye, with a gesture that summarizes the emotional ambiguity of the series: he hands the patient a pink card before leaving. Woo-Gyo, on the other hand, says nothing, but his expression is that of someone who expected more than just the closure of a contract — a connection that, for him, had become real.

🧠 Psychological Insights on Final Episode Themes

💬1. Empowered choice and sexual desire

Allowing Woo‑Gyo to choose his session preferences—from position and difficulty to mood and focus—reflects principles seen in sex-language theory and responsive vs. spontaneous desire:

• According to Verywell, defining one’s sexual desire style—spontaneous, responsive, or context‐dependent—helps deepen intimacy and sexual satisfaction. Responding to your partner’s preferences can create stronger emotional connection and consent;
• Clear choices (e.g. passive role, romantic mood) align with “Pleasure” and “Patience” sex languages, which emphasize mutual desire and emotional attunement to slow‑burn connection.

Woo‑Gyo’s visible anticipation and engagement suggest a shift toward a more responsive, desire-driven experience—beyond rote compliance.

📌2. Emotional shift and attachment

• Woo‑Gyo moves from fear and insecurity to anticipation, indicating a growing emotional bond.
• Some people may display demisexual traits, experiencing sexual attraction primarily within emotional intimacy.
• According to Sternberg’s triangular theory of love, the final session incorporates passion (sexual desire) and nascent intimacy, but lacks clear commitment, reflecting a relationship that is evolving but not fully established 

💗3. Pink background: emotional symbolism

The shift to a pink backdrop visually reinforces the tone change. Color psychology contextualizes pink as:

• A symbol of romantic love, compassion, tenderness, and emotional vulnerability.
• A calming, non-threatening hue that evokes emotional safety, softness, and nurturing energy—especially appropriate in intimate contexts.

In Therapy, the pink setting signals a break from earlier austerity (black and white) toward warmth and emotional resonance—even if still staged.

📝 Thoughts on of Therapy (2025)

The directors and writers of Therapy showed boldness by choosing, for their debut project, a work centered on eroticism—especially considering South Korea's conservative and often prejudiced cultural context regarding sexuality and same-sex relationships. However, despite its creative audacity, the series falls short in several key aspects of storytelling.

The main weakness lies in the lack of narrative and character development. The story would have greatly benefited from a pilot episode or even a short narration explaining the patient’s condition. While it's implied that Jung Woo‑Gyo suffers from anorgasmia, this is never truly explored in depth.

Another underdeveloped element is the patient’s personal transformation. As a heterosexual man beginning to experience sexual intimacy with another man, there was an opportunity for internal conflict, curiosity, fear, emotional discovery, and self-acceptance—elements that could have elevated the narrative far beyond its erotic appeal.

Regarding the therapist, there’s a lack of logical structure to the treatment process. For a condition like anorgasmia, a longer therapeutic journey would be expected, which could have justified more episodes and allowed the characters' emotional and psychological layers to develop.

Despite these structural weaknesses, the casting choices were effective. The actors, both new to this genre, stand out due to their physical contrast and the way they embody their roles. Their performance during the sex scenes reflects professionalism, especially considering the nudity and intensity involved. The eroticism is presented with visual care, avoiding vulgarity while maintaining sensual appeal.

However, some inconsistencies compromise authenticity—particularly in the depiction of sexual positions that are anatomically incompatible with sex between two men. This reveals a lack of proper research or consultation, which may come across as forced or even misinformative for viewers seeking accurate representation of gay intimacy.

In summary, Therapy is a visually provocative project that stands out for its courage and boldness, but it lacks emotional depth and narrative refinement. With better scriptwriting, emotional progression, and technical accuracy, it could have become a truly impactful and transformative work in the Korean BL landscape.