On September 26, 2025, The Murky Stream released three episodes on Disney+. Jang Si-yul (Rowoon) is at the center, a man who buried his past and now survives as a gangster. Choi Eun (Shin Ye-eun) is sharp and principled, using her wit to navigate the chaos. Jung Cheon (Park Seo-ham) aims to become an honest official, despite a crumbling system around him.The three cross paths in a world where fairness is scarce and every choice is risky. The marketplace, once thriving thanks to river trade, now struggles under bandits and shady dealings. Daily survival comes with danger, and loyalty is tested constantly.The Murky Stream episodes 1-3 recapEpisode 1 of The Murky Stream begins in the Joseon era. Mapo port prospered from the Gyeonggang River trade, but bandits soon took control. Workers were forced to pay taxes for passes and received only grain as wages. Any complaints led to blacklisting and brutal beatings. Gang leaders stayed in power by paying Deok-gae, a mid-level thug serving official Lee Dol-gae, who in turn answered to a higher lord.When Mu-deok failed to pay, Bang, a new bandit leader, defeated him in a fight and reduced him to a servant. Weak and cowardly, Mu-deok lost respect even from his own men, while Bang tightened his grip. Salt dealer Kang Haeng-su was caught diverting business. Above them, the Choi merchant guild controlled trade. The son aimed for office, but the father saw him as heir. Choi Eun raised profits in secret, but was told to marry. Amid these struggles, Mu-deok replaced an old, frail worker with Jang Si-yul. When the old man begged for mercy, Mu-deok’s men threw him into the river, leaving Si-yul seething but silent. Later, during a minister’s arrival, the old man collapsed again, and Si-yul saved him. Dol-gae punished Si-yul for ignoring the minister’s luggage, and forcing him to dive into the murky river to retrieve it.The bandits soon declared there would be no wages. Spotting Si-yul’s defiance, Bang attacked but was overpowered. Dol-gae ended the clash, seizing Mu-deok’s pay as a penalty. That night, Si-yul tried to help the starving old man with stolen wages, but arrived too late. The man had taken his life after losing his wife to hunger.The Murky Stream episode 2 opens with Si-yul defeating Bang and his men, vowing to get his wages. It’s revealed Mu-deok and his crew took the money without remorse. Frustrated, Si-yul confronts Choi Eun at her home. She criticizes his crudeness. In the end, he tears his share of Choi silk, giving the rest to the workers. The Murky Stream (Image via X/@DisneyPlusKR)Inside, Choi hosts a Jurchen general-turned-smuggler who wants her help to oust bandits and trade on the Gyeonggang River. She refuses, but he and his men won’t return home under Mongol oppression. Choi continues clashing with her son Dae-il over his future. With Dae-il and Haeng-su supporting Eun, Choi temporarily names her heir. Si-yul, blacklisted at the port, struggles for work. Mu-deok snoops through his belongings, stealing a letter he can’t read. Elsewhere, Jung Chun arrives as an assistant officer in Mapo. Despite his humble origins, he excelled in exams and combat. Meanwhile, Haeng-su trains Eun in trade matters, including bribes. Over drinks with Deok-gae, she threatens to expose the bribery system, but he laughs, boasting that his bandits outmatch officers. Upset, she heads home. Si-yul waits nearby for customers, watched by Mu-deok. Yoon’s bandits attack him to avenge Bang, but Jung Chun’s procession arrives. Spotting Si-yul, Chun greets him with a hug, shocking Eun.Mu-deok also notices that Si-yul’s stolen letter bears Chun’s name in episode 2 of The Murky Stream. Episode 3 of The Murky Stream flashes back nine years to 1583 in Gyeongwonjin, Hamgyeong Province, Si-yul and Chun’s hometown during the Nitanggae rebellion. As Jurchens raid the village, Si-yul hides with his mother, but a Jurchen general kills her. Chun and his mother find Si-yul among the survivors and take him in. Years later, Si-yul and Chun cause mischief. They beat the magistrate’s son for harassing a woman and are scolded by their adoptive mother. Examiners later disqualify Si-yul from the state exam because his grandmother remarried. After a confrontation at the magistrate’s house, Si-yul accidentally sets it on fire. In the present, Mu-deok visits a friend who reads Chun’s letter, revealing Si-yul’s identity. Si-yul is now wanted for arson, and Chun is rumored to have helped him. At night, they hold a memorial for their mother. Si-yul hopes to fight on the frontlines for a pardon, bidding Chun goodbye. Mu-deok threatens Si-yul with exposure unless he works for him. Si-yul reluctantly agrees to protect Chun. Meanwhile, Chun tries to reform the administration, but Dol-gae mocks him. Si-yul eats with bandits, who admire his arsonist past, making him uncomfortable. On the other hand, Choi Eun proves capable in her guild, and her father begins accepting her as heir. During her first shipment, Choi Eun refuses to bribe Mu-deok, who blocks her using a torch charge. At the end of The Murky Stream episode 3, Si-yul stops her, and the port is plunged into darkness.Watch The Murky Stream only on Disney+!