GREED: Blood Pudding
Episode 1 of Devil’s Diner begins with Luan, a man who cuts his finger and drips his blood onto a wooden box. As he does this, we hear the voices of children. Once he’s finished, he closes the lid. When he opens it again, a pile of blood-stained money appears inside.
We learn that Luan and his wife are trying for a child. The next day, they have an appointment at the clinic for his wife’s ultrasound. Ignoring her repeated pleas to offer prayers to a goddess, Luan leaves to meet Hao instead.
They meet at a diner with a large, ominous door. Here, we discover that Hao is a mediator, and Luan is using the money as an investment to make even more. They are introduced to Lang, who is connected to another man raising funds for a major project that’s supposed to make them all rich.
The next day, while Luan is in the shower, Hao calls to inform him that Lang has been arrested and that they need 500 million; otherwise, they’re done for. Instead of going to the hospital to have his bleeding fingers treated, Luan retrieves the wooden box. He cuts and cuts, but nothing happens.
In a flashback, we see that Luan was once a humble mechanic when he met Hao, who claimed he could make him billions. At the time, Luan’s pregnant wife had been in an accident, and they lost their child. Burdened by hospital bills and the news that they could only conceive again through expensive IVF treatment, Luan contacts Hao and sets up a meeting with him at a diner. However, Hao cancels when a buyer backs out.
As Luan sits at the diner, the bartender introduces him to the wooden box. He explains that he helped Hao become rich but warns Luan that money must be his path to happiness. Despite the bartender’s caution that he would eventually take Luan’s soul, he convinces him that it won’t happen for a long time. Luan eats the chicken blood pudding offered by the bartender and is shocked to see a pile of money appear inside the box. Before he leaves, the bartender warns him not to “spoil” the children—referring to the voices coming from the wooden box.
Back in the present, Hao arrives and tries to take back the bartender’s “gift.” At the same time, Luan receives a call from Lang, who implies that Hao might have scammed both of them and threatens to kill them all. In desperation, Luan slits Hao’s throat, filling the wooden box with his blood. This time, the box finally grants him money. But before he can revel in it, his wife walks in and sees the horrific scene. She pleads with him to visit a shaman, believing he is possessed, but Luan urges her to offer her blood to their “children.” In the ensuing struggle, Luan accidentally stabs his wife in the abdomen. Moments later, he realizes she was pregnant—news he missed because he never accompanied her to the clinic. Overcome with grief, he slits his own throat, dying alongside her.
At the diner, with each life lost, a bulb lights up. Eventually, all the bulbs glow, and the bartender prepares to leave. However, the doors of the diner shut, and new bulbs emerge. The episode ends with the realization that the bartender is merely a shadow of the devil lurking behind the door.
The Episode Review
The debut episode of Devil’s Diner is certainly an intriguing one. Rather than relying on outright horror, it leans more into psychological horror, building an unsettling atmosphere with eerie visuals, all cantered around Luan. The narrative style, which deliberately keeps the full picture from the viewer, enhances the supernatural mystery.
From this episode, we also gather that each chapter explores a different theme—this one being greed. This theme is perfectly portrayed through Luan’s character and various symbols: the ever-thirsty wooden box, Hao—who is manipulated by the bartender into scamming the men, Luan—who is deeply consumed by greed, and the blood-stained money that ultimately leads to tragedy. The show also illustrates the insatiable nature of greed through the voices of the “children,” symbolizing its endless hunger and ever-growing demands.
These visuals are marvellously executed, reinforcing the episode’s theme. By weaving deeper meanings into its symbolism, the show enhances its narrative, making the episode’s title even more impactful.
Overall, Devil’s Diner certainly has something to offer, and we are here for it!
Next Episode |
|
Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes! |
-
Episode Rating