Bad Guys - Episode 5 (An "Oh Shit" Cap)
Last week's episode forged our Bad Guys together - this week's rips them apart. There's more insights into all the mysteries and characters, but new ones are added at the same time. We also get two new cast members who remain puzzles for the moment. While this is definitely not my favorite episode, it makes me want more. Actually, I want answers.
bcook: I just want an answer to one question. Who is that sneering man? *swoon*
JoAnne: My realization in this episode: it feels like we've spent way more time on Tae Soo than on anyone else, and the series is half over! There's a LOT still to do.
I agree. Tae-soo is very much our focus ... and I like it. Maybe he is the key to the grand mystery? Tae-soo, be my key! Poor, sad and angry Tae-soo. Hey, and maybe they're saving all the answers for Season 2. I told you OCN likes to do that. In fact, we often don't get any answers because who knows when the next season will be produced. If.
JoAnne: I sense bitterness, Kakashi.
JoAnne: Made me laugh too. But seriously, they both looked really miserable. And she seemed very fed up with him.
bcook: what's with his hand? I knew it was a set up coz the reach into jacket move was a little too exagerated.
Elsewhere, a man is unpacking a gun from a fishing rod case. That can't be good. Exactly. It means he has no idea where his fishing rod is! (maybe it's a new way of fishing though? Shoot the fish!) As the woman walks away (a very clear no, Mister, to your proposal), the gunman (with baseball hat and face mask) loads his gun - and fires. The woman goes down. He shoots again. Reloads. Two more rounds.
JoAnne: This reaction seems extreme for a missing fishing rod.
bcook: I live in the south, there's not much a guy wouldn't do for a missing fishing rod.
Somewhere in a building, a man runs to the phone, dials a number and reports that some strange men broke into his place and are beating his guys up. Behind him, Goo-tak appears. Ahahaha. He takes the phone and tells the person on the phone that he is police too and that everything is okay. "What are you talking about"?, asks the female voice on the other end. It seems dumb gangster has called the directory instead of the police. Goo-tak kindly gives him a lesson about emergency numbers. The number to report drugs is 127 and that's the number Goo-tak makes hapless gangster call next: to report himself.
JoAnne: This is a theme with these guys... they made them all put handcuffs on themselves, last week.
bcook: It's clearly a testament to how awesome they are. Kinda like how Jo has managed to make my text take on her color even when I've chosen mine *grumble*!!
Happy about the successful bust, Goo-tak walks outside, where Woong-chul is giving the final polish to one of the drug dealers and Tae-soo strolls in like the hot namja that he is. I squee a little. I do like him in civilian clothing. Woong-chul wants to know who gets the reduction, Goo-tak doesn't care, Tae-soo thinks Psycho should get it. After all, Woong-chul won 10 years (!!!!) through Rock-Paper-Scissors in the last case. (lol. Awesome! It's like they don't really care now) I squee some more cause they're totally buddies now.
JoAnne: Why didn't we get to SEE rock-paper-scissors?
The bromance! So strong! And awwwwww, Tae-soo is looking out for Psycho. Awwwwwwww.
Somewhere else again, Commissioner Nam has a rage fit. At sleezy prosecutor! Who seriously got Lady Hwang free. Who keeps bad-mouthing Nam among us? He is totally a good guy, people! Outraged at corruption, etc. Oh, but who's that? A new character is strolling along the corridor, as Nam gets a little violent with sleeze-bag. It's another prosecutor (Special prosecutor Oh Jae-won (Kim Tae-hoon)) (for a second I thought it was prosecutor guy from 3 days and spazzed but then....*swoon*) and I seriously don't know what to think of him. He arrests Sleeze (Since he's a corrupt fuck), but he is also very, very nosy. His nickname is Bulldog and he is very eager to help our Bad Guys' cause ... but why? And how does he know Oh Goo-tak "very well"? Hm. Hmhmhm.
JoAnne: Ok, I think I can relax about Nam. The new guy (Conductor!)... I don't know. On the one hand, he came back specifically to act as Special Prosecutor for the big human trafficking case. From where? Why did he leave? Who brought him?And now he's heard rumors of this special unit who apparently does good work, and he wants to stay on and be involved. Does he think it will boost his career? Does he have another motive? There does have to be a prosecutor, so he's offering assistance they'd need, with an implied assurance that he wouldn't then get these people OFF after all the hard work our doggies do. And if I were him, I'd want to know about this special unit I'm latching myself on to. This seems reasonable. On the other hand, he does give off a certain 'questionable' vibe. So we'll see.
bcook: Questionable vibe? The only vibe I'm getting is the hot namja vibe. Sneer at me Prosecutor Oh. I've been a very bad girl.
And now for the heartbreak ... :( Tae-soo is visiting his lady at the hospital again. Time is up though - the escort vehicle is near. It seems they're going back to prison! Awww, Tae-soo ... he's wearing that boyish grin again as he says that nothing gets done when he's not around, that he's kinda the only capable man the police has ... Awwwwww, Tae-soo.
She thinks that he seems like a good man and she wishes she had someone like him around when her husband got murdered. Sombody told her her husband's murderer turned himself in - and flashback to when Tae-soo turned himself in. Noooooooo! Say it ain't him!!! She wanted to meet him, just once - to ask him why. Why did he kill her child's father. A good father. A good husband.
TT____TT
SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT. I was hoping her husband was a bad guy, at least.
bcook: Gat damn it! Ok. That's it! All hope for his (questionable) happy ending has died. No way can he get out of killing husband, lying about identity, making her care for him when injured...yup. no hope. We're going to need a christmas miracle here.
If that person who killed her husband were truly, truly sorry - would she consider accepting his apology? But now, my heart breaks completely because she says no. You forgive a mistake. But killing somebody is not a mistake. It's a crime. She will never be able to forget that person *sobs* JoAnne, this will not end well :((
Ahhh, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. WHY GOD WHY.
bcook: Sorry dude. :(
She cleans her tears and then says she's grateful to him for all his help - but now, he doesn't need to come anymore. Time for her to go back to work! She needs to go earn money. But she gets money every month! says Tae-soo. Only ... she doesn't. Fooking CruelCity Chairman whateverheisinthisdrama Asshole has not paid her one single cent!!!
Oh, he is SO going to die. Fucking dirtbag.
bcook: I sense a slow mo, quick death in his future. Frankly I'm glad.
Tae-soo goes to the pawn shop, but that Ahjussi (Im-jeong) is not there. Please let him kill somebody, he begs of Goo-tak. Just look aside once - he'll do anything he'll ask. Just let him kill him! If he can't kill him, he can't see that woman anymore. Because he'd feel too sorry towards her. Hey, this even moves Goo-tak, people.
JoAnne: I'm still holding out hope that Tae Soo is not her husband's murderer. He may have some involvement or knowledge perhaps? But didn't do it himself? Please.
Yes, it's ambiguous, so I'm clinging to that hope with you.
bcook: uhmmm let's be realistic here. Unless writernim is running the biggest switcheroo ever... yeah.
But it's time for a lesson for Yoo Mi-young, who shouts at Tae-soo to behave. And she has a go at Goo-tak for being too lenient towards the criminals. He is there to monitor and control them! But he tells her to have a heart - these people may be criminals but they are also human. And they are trying ... trying really hard to live decent lives right now, so cut them some slack.
JoAnne: Goo Tak was a good man. Is. He went off the rails for a bit, but kind of like that sheriff in the Walking Tall movies in the 70s. He was a vigilante!
And he likes our boys. He likes them!
JoAnne: He does, indeed. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.
They're all in the van, going towards the escort vehicle. Tae-soo is particularly gloomy - Goo-tak warns him not to do anything unnecessary and promises to arrest Im-jeong Ahjussi for Tae-soo. But what is this? They drive past a crime scene! It's a shooting - a "Dont ask" murder case (which signifies a random murder, one with no apparent motive or relationship between the murderer and victim). The strange thing about it is that there was a very similar shooting a few days ago.
A lot happens off camera in this drama. I'm ok with it though.
Yes and no. There are too many overly convenient things in this episode. It's lazy writing. I hope it's an exception!
It's worth 5 years, Goo-tak decides - and his dogs are not going back to prison just yet.
What'll we do today, boys? Let's just ride around until we find a crime! Sounds like a plan - who's in for coffee?
A bit later, (when did it get dark? also isn't he walking all over the evidence?) Tae-soo is doing his little "what if I were there" trick and imagines himself as the killer. In this alternate world, he is wearing leather and short sleeves and I drooooooooooooooooool so much I need to drink 1l of water afterwards. In his imagination, he fires 6 rounds and surmises that this guy was a very good shot (6 rounds, 6 people dead) ... and then, he's taken out of his dream by Psycho, who demands to know what he has found out.
I would say that our little baby boy Psycho ASKED him what he found out, not demanded (yes, yes, but he's so curt). Tae Soo: those arms. It's not just the muscle, you know. Look at how gorgeous his skin is. So smooth and shiny and unblemished. I bet it feels like silk. Imagine that silk sliding all over you. I need a break. And some water.
bcook: Yes go get some water. I'll just stay here and um and um. stand guard. Yes that's right stand guard. Because I like my eonnis so much. I'll keep the others away while you go get some water. Don't worry about me. I drank a lot before I came here. Take your time.
Psycho tells him that the shooting 3 days ago was identical. 6 rounds, 6 dead. The interesting thing is that he paused between the 5th and the 6th shot, though. The last one was made very carefully. Like a hunter waiting for his prey. But what's the motive? Nobody knows.
I think Tae Soo should slip back into mystical murderer mode and think about it for a while in his tee-shirt and leather vest.
Tae-soo asks Psycho whether he just smiled (I seriously don't know why he thinks that!).(I saw something! It was like a smirk? A smize?) But since his smiling face looks really ugly, he suggests continuing with the sourpuss face. Pffft, haha. Psycho asks how Tae-soo tries to catch the killer, but Tae-soo won't tell - he's not much of a teamplayer. And here it is!!! Psycho's smile!!!!!
I think he asks because he's trying to MAKE him smile. Annoying him like an older brother would. Awwwww.
It worked! Awwwwwwww.
I smiled too, but oh dear, did I stop immediately. Because we get treated to that flashback again, when Tae-soo was in the same prison as Jung-moon. But this time, he also pulls out a picture .... a picture of Jung-moon. Fooooooking shit. Tae-soo was hired to kill Jung-moon? Noooooooooo!What are you thinking, extremely handsome killer?
But obviously he has no intention of doing it, right? He didn't go into the prison to do it, right? No, he was all bloody that night. He won't do it. He isn't even thinking about doing it. We're fine. We're fine.
He went to prison because he turned himself in. We're thinking he turned himself in out of guilt for maybe killing that woman's husband. But ... we don't know, do we. One of our big mysteries is linked to Psycho's killing spree and now everybody wants him dead.
JoAnne: I know he turned himself in, but what if he PLANNED it that way, to go after Jung Moon?
bcook: I'm there with Jo. Maybe he did kill the husband, but turned himself in because of Jung Moon. What I wanna know is who is this guy that wants Jung Moon killed so bad he sent Tae-soo AND Woong-chul after him. Jung Moon needs to get his memory back stat.
At home base, Mi-young is looking at CCTV footage. Next to her, Woong-chul is ... hm. Sleeping? She receives a phone call, the geographical profile has been completed. They've narrowed down where the killer most likely lives. She tells Woong-chul who ... doesn't react. He is sleeping! With his eyes open! Hahahhaaaaa. Can these two please get a love-line? A very small one? Oh, but then, our woman discovers something: a taxi! She tells Woong-chul to wake up and he mumbles: "Im not sleeping. I was just thinking with my eyes closed". Note: his eyes are open. She hits him, he jerks awake. So the killer disguised himself as taxi driver? The difficulty is that it's probably not his taxi.
I definitely want them to spark a little. Please.
That is a skill I would like to have. For party tricks of course. Not for work. Oh no. Never for work.
Another cut to the church, which is full of case files. It's the victims' personal information, which Jung-moon and Goo-tak start looking at. Despite it being one of those "don't ask" random murders. Smart. Never trust random being random. Or is it random? Goo-tak throws a little fit: society is going to hell and there's too many psychos in the world. While they're at it, a question to our most beloved Psycho: Those people he killed in Hwayang-dong? Who were they? As we well know, Psycho doesn't know. And he desperately asks Goo-tak what he thinks: is he innocent? Goo-tak doesn't know that either, though he admits to being hopeful. It's possible JoAnne will get her wish: Psycho is innocent.
I feel VERY confident. I think. Well, I am VERY hopeful. At the very least, he really WANTS to be innocent. All signs point to psychotic, in that case. As in, not psychopathic.
bcook: Ok so that was a poignant moment but all I could think was It's the battle of the hair fringe! Who can look through it more meaningfully? On a scale of 1-10 who fringes better?
Tae-soo, hottest killer on this earth, is visiting an old friend by the name of Hyeon-woo (Kim Jae-seung). This guy runs a shooting range, and indeed, it's a smart move to go ask there. Guns are highly restricted in Korea, so anybody with a double barreled shotgun who is a good shot has to practise that skill somewhere. Tae-soo shoots a few rounds as he is corrected by the young gun expert. He shoots 8s. And of course, Tae-soo is here to ask about guns that might have gone missing at the shooting range. Especially unregistered ones. He then turns his gun sideways an shoots a 10. He'll lose an eye if he keeps shooting like this, says Hyeon-woo,(yes very bad gun holding technique) but Tae-soo doesn't care: it's always been like this. Hyeon-woo lives safely. Tae-soo lives dangerously.
It's very wrong of me to want to jump his bones WHILE he is holding that pistol, right? Faded jeans. Leather vest but no shirt. Maybe some whiskey. I need a break. And some water.
bcook: Yes. Go get some water. I'll just stay here and um and um. Learn how to shoot...or something.
And by the way, isn't Little Gunmaster curious why Tae-soo is out and about? Well, Little Gunmaster knows from "Ahjussi". Which is nobody else but fuckwit Pawnshopper. Tae-soo asks Hyeon-woo to tell him when that man contacts him since he's AWOL. There's going to be blood, isn't there? But why does Hyeon-woo look so uncomfortable about the whole thing? hm.
He was lying, that's why. (THAT LIP LICK. DAMN.)
bcook: Or it could be because of the slightly murderous look in Tae-soo's eyes? And Tae-soo probably makes people nervous just by breathing too close. 'course it's a different type of nervous if you're female. hehe.
Woong-chul is in a car with our Lockpick friend - and is bullying him, as always. While they wait in the car to go chase criminals, Woong-chul realizes that his two weeks are up. Uh-oh.
There are a whole lot of SHIT SHIT SHIT moments this week.
At the church, Psycho has found something. The 6th victims in both shooting cases worked for the same company: Samjin Electronics. Sorry, show, but that seems like a very obvious connection - nobody noticed before? Ts. And remember there was a pause between the last two gunshots? It means it really was about those last victims. They were killed in places they frequently visited and the first victims were their significant others. To snare the targets.
Not for nothing, but I noticed that the creepy Oppa moved TOWARD his beloved during those dangerous moments, and the nice guy running with his wife turned and ran like a dog.
bcook: Psycho...so smart. Obvi he kills all the other people so it seems random.
Taxi on the move! Woong-chul and Lockpick follow. At a red light, Woong-chul jumps out and goes threaten Mr. taxi driver a bit. There's no gun though. And the guy has no clue what's going on. All of a sudden, shots! There's another shooting and people flee in panic, some of them bleeding severely. Woong-chul sees how a gunman points a gun into a guys face - and shoots him. He shouts: "Why did you do it? Why did you do that to us?" The gunman shoots again and then runs away. Woong-chul is of a mind to follow him, but he stops to help a wounded man ... not good. I mean good, but not good because behind him, a black car stops. It's the gangsters. Time's up. It's goodbye Ung-chul, says Mr. Sleek Gangster.
Not my teddy bear ahjussi!
bcook: Sometimes being a kind hearted criminal really doesn't pay. I don't think it's the same shooter though. This one was sloppy. Didn't shoot to kill. #consipiracy
Goo-tak and Mi-young are at the crime scene. One dead, four seriously wounded. The dead man? A Samjin Electronics employee. So Psycho was right. But now Woong-chul is missing - there's no GPS signal. For once you SHOULD be worried, Mi-young - and now, all of a sudden, you want to trust him?! Hm.
How convenient. Where is it? Why isn't there a signal?
Not good, show. Don't be lazy.
Woong-chul is in a warehouse and those mean gangsters have roughed him up. :( Him and Sleek go back a long time - Woong-chul used to be his super-trusted right hand. Woong-chul begs the other man to let him make a phone call. It's to the police, but not to ask them to free him. No, he wants to report something, something which they need to know to solve the case.
Conversion to Good Guy: Complete.
Yes. This was a sad moment though. Very emotional. He seems so resigned ...
bcook: Teddy bear gangsta with a heart of gold. I think he should get his own show.
Tae-soo watches the news about the shooting on the TV - he's back at the shooting range. Hyeon-woo has made inquiries and has found a place that "lost" a rifle. Which fits the description. Tae-soo remarks how strange it is that the killer made so many mistakes this time: 4 people wounded? Shooting one person twice? Strange. (Tae-soo agrees with me! This must be love) Tae-soo turns to leave, but his friend asks in a reversal of that question Tae-soo had before: isn't he curious why his leg is in braces? Tae-soo says he was waiting for Hyeon-woo to tell him. So ... Hyeon-woo says he wants to stop being a killer himself (oh, they're assassin-buddies?!). Yikes, he crippled himself? Ah, no ... a guy named Jeong Seok did it. To punish him for wanting out? I don't get it.
I guess like with gangs. In this country, gang lore has it that you have to kill someone to get in the gang... but to get out, they will beat you. If you live, you can walk free.
Ohhhhh, Jeong Seok and Tae-soo are old enemies. One of them has to die when they meet again. I don't like this!!! Before Tae-soo leaves, he congratulates the younger man on a normal life - it seems he is getting married. Only that the names don't match at all? I don't get this either. (Guys let's not forget the fact that Tae-soo saw the wedding invite even though it was hidden under a newspaper. Sharp eyes, sharp cheekbones)
He made a new life for himself that must include a new name.
Back to Jeong Seok ... who might that be?! What's the story here? Maybe he killed Tae-soo's woman's husband! That's what I'm hoping.
Tae-soo is outside, smiling a little to himself (awwwwwww) when his phone rings. He is very surprised it's Woong-chul. Oh, Woong-chul! You're smart!! He called the unlikeliest of them all. And Tae-soo is a smart one. He'll realize something is amiss, yes?! Woong-chul is rough as always and then reports that the killer said "why did you do that to us". Yes, "us". Tae-soo aborbs that info and then asks again what's wrong with Woong-chul. Of course he can't say anything, but he says: "make sure to catch that guy". Ohhhhhh, smart. And then, Woong-chul says "now you can do what you must, hyungnim". Nooooooooo :((
Best not mess with my teddy bear, you gangster.
Tae-soo is walking on, when a group of guys step in his way. They know he is Jeong Tae-soo. Uh-oh. And they have a job for him. For double the normal rate. How do they know he's out? Pawnshop ahjusshi? They hand Tae-soo a photo (we don't get to see it!). He looks at it while the guy says to kill that person in the most agonizing way possible. Why does he want this person to die? Tae-soo wants to know - but the other guy has no reason. Tae-soo flicks the photo at the dude and says "no". When that guy grabs his arm, Tae-soo beats them up good, ah, so glorious. He demands to know who ordered this hit, but somebody has called the police! Tae-soo puts the picture in his pocket and waits for his arrest.
Do you think this was a set up, then?
It was a strange little episode. Who sent them? Who was he asked to kill?! No idea why they would want him arrested though, so I guess the police might have been called by somebody else. It's a few little things this episode that don't make sense.
Ha! It was just writernim hearing about my love for Tae-soo fight scenes and penciling one in...just for me. Nomu Kamsahabnida! *90 degree bow*
Damn. He is in prison now, handcuffed. Goo-tak comes to visit - Tae-soo will be free by tomorrow, since the people he beat up ran away (so ... why didn't Tae-soo also run??). Why have him and Woong-chul been so quiet though, is what Goo-tak wonders. Tae-soo tells him about the weird phone call and then gives Goo-tak the address of the shooting range where the culprits stole the gun. Yes, Goo-tak ... culpritS. So ... you realize you're totally doing teamwork, right, Tae-soo?
Report Card: Plays well with others. Appropriately verbal. Demonstrates empathy and always takes a leadership role.
Hehe. How many episodes is this show?
Outside the police station, Goo-tak picks up Jung-moon - only the two of them are left (Goo-tak, you're so mean! Mi-young is also there). Pretty sure she doesn't count Anyway, they catch one of the two and he confesses to everything. Only it seems the other dude by the name of Myeong-jin made him do it. Myong-jin is not to be found and worse: he is probably preparing the next hit. Oh wait ... he IS taxi dude, right?! Ah! So Woong-chul had the right dude, only that time, his buddy was doing the shooting!
That's the second time Woong Chul has had the right guy before anyone else has.
Our guys are at the park, with Myeong-jin's next target! They make him walk through the park but follow him closely. There's the killer! Luckily, Jung-moon spots him in time. Oh no! The killer shoots!!! Ahahahaaaa, but the shotgun is empty - or is it just a malfunction? Jung-moon walks towards the killer, and after him ... indeed, the gun was empty, but now it's not anymore, because the killer loads it. And he starts pointing it at an innocent woman.
It was a malfunction, he must have been clearing it. It could not have been empty. What kind of sniper forgets to load his weapon?
I first thought they must have tricked the guy (i.e. with faulty ammunition of something). Because think about the risk? You have that Director walk around and a sniper has all the time in the world to aim and shoot at him?! Wow. Korean police. They're something.
JoAnne: Oh good idea with the tricking!
It couldn't have been trickery tho coz he had the gun (and i'm guessing ammo) when they raided his place. So where would they have found time to mess with his gun? I think he was just so damn excited to finish this guy off that he didn't load his gun. Premature shooting as it were.
But Jung-moon is close and is getting closer, talking to the guy: he knows why he is doing it. At Samjin, the executives embezzled money. There was a lack of money. People lost their jobs: among them our two gunmen. The people they killed were the embezzlers and the ones that decided to lay off staff members. In order not to get caught, our killers tried to frame it as "don't ask" murders.
Clever. Doesn't fix anything, but still, points for (twisted) imagination.
Jung-moon lectures the guy about how wrong it is to kill innocent people (you don't say!), even if killed-dude lost his wife and kid afterwards: killing people, wrong. And as Psycho lists every victim in detail, he steps closer and closer. When he is right in front of the gun he points it at his own chest and tells Myeong-jin to kill someone like him if he must kill someone. Someone like him who harms other people. Awwww, Psycho. But then, Psycho grabs the gun (like Tae-soo!) and now has Myeong-jin at gunpoint ... and he is about to shoot!!! When Goo-tak appears. Never was I more relieved to see such an annoying haircut.
Mi Young needs to just take some scissors and cut that mess off of his head. The boys can hold him down for her.
bcook: The tear tho. The one tear. Uri Psycho is some emotions buried under that fringe.
He asks Psycho whether these words just now came from the heart or from the head, but Psycho doesn't answer and walks away. The enraged Samjin Director is also taken into custody for embezzlement - despite the fact that Goo-tak promised him to settle it all quietly. Haha.
Loved that.
A phone call takes Oh Goo-tak away, to the lake we know well. But it's not Commissioner Nam waiting for him there - it's Bulldog Prosecutor Oh. Goo-tak knows Prosecutor Oh wants to be the one to handle their cases, but Goo-tak simply walks away. Ah, but Prosecutor Oh is a sneaky one and I just don't know what to think of him... he knows all about who Goo-tak's crime solvers are. And he knows more: he knows about the past that Goo-tak shares with them. Oupsie. What is it that he wants??!
I am hoping he just wants to hitch his wagon to a star.
Surely somebody with that awesome smirk can't be all bad? Right? Right?
Woong-chul is still in the hands of the gangsters. Mr. Smug reminisces about how they met, about how he gave Woong-chul a better life: a grand style one. Smug is therefore disappointed that Woong-chul let him down - especially for a serial killer. What strikes me is that these two guys seem to have a lot of history together. It seems to have been a great bromance once. Smug even wants to give Woong-chul a second chance: just go kill Psycho and start over.
Gangsters are all about brotherhood and loyalty.
But now Woong-chul is all about his loyalty to the napun dudes. So you can't be asking that.
But Woong-chul, sad, sad Woong-chul tells his hyung that living in grand style isn't living like a person. He knows that now. He has never once slept comfortably at night - all the people he killed keep appearing in his dreams, asking him why he killed them. But he has no answer. Wouldn't Smug feel the same? Smug, whose name is Lee Doo-kwang, gets angry - but Woong-chul won't be stopped. Please, he begs, please: let your dongsaeng sleep in peace. TT______TT
"Get the car", says Doo-kwan, "Woong-chul is going to be buried today".
Oh hell no. No he is not, you smug piece of shit.
I'm pretty sure that was Woong-chul's "foook now i'm gonna have to kill you hyeong" face at the end.
JoAnne: Except he didn't, really. Woong Chul found one killer through the taxi detail, sort of, and Tae Soo actually found the weapon and BOTH killers through his cute little shooting range friend. Jung Moon gets the points for figuring out that the shootings were not random, though. And because he needs to have some points, plus he needed that emotional scene when he caught the last killer.
But he got points from the drug dealer one at the beginning. I agree tho, this was clearly a "let's give Park Hae-jin some more screen time" episode. Could have been written better. Though let's look at kdrama episode logic. This episode is basically the equivalent of episode 10/11 of a 16 episode arc right? Those are almost always filler episodes, usually confused and badly written. Is that when they get their advertising commitments for the second half?
This week's case was a bit of a dud for me. Disgruntled employee goes on a rampage? It's just not clever enough. Even if you make that two employees who try to hide the motive of their crime. But I guess the case was used to provide a link to Jung-moon's case, another "don't ask" murder without any apparent motive. After 5 episodes, I am starting to believe JoAnne's theory (he is innocent). What happened during those murders though? Why would somebody frame Jung-moon? How come a gangster's son was killed? How come somebody sent Tae-soo to kill Jung-moon?
So many questions. Kakashi is right, this week the case was barely important at all and just served as a backdrop, but we got a LOT of info (even if the info really just led to lots more questions) about our beloved pups.
Yes, since we're asking questions, let's continue: How are all our guys connected to Goo-tak? Who is Bulldog Prosecutor? Why does he want those cases and why does he know Goo-tak so well?
JoAnne: Let's go back farther. Why did Jung Moon's parents die? How? Who were the people he killed? Did he kill them? Do they have a connection to Tae Soo's assassin people? Do the assassins have a connection to Woong Chul's gangsters? Was Goo Tak's daughter really a random selection?
bcook: I'll join in on this question party. If he can't remember killing them why did he tell his girlfriend he did? Who the heck wants Jung-moon dead so bad?
What exactly did Pawnshoppy do to Tae-soo beyond not giving the woman money? Who's that guy that harmed cute Shooting Range guy and will either kill Tae-soo or get killed by him? Is he connected to that woman's husband's murder? DID Tae-soo kill him or not? Who approached Tae-soo and asked him to kill someone? Who was that someone? Pawnshoppy must be connected to that since he's the only one that knows Tae-soo is out and about. How does new guy Shootingrange fit into the picture? Tae-soo might sacrifice himself to punish himself, right? Just like Woong-chul. Just DON'T go there, show!
JoAnne: Holding out hope that Tae Soo's enemy guy is the one who killed the husband - OR that he lied to Tae Soo about the guy so Tae Soo would kill him (but that's a very distant second) and in either case, Tae Soo is out to revenge his lady love.
bcook: Is writernim smart/good enough to tie this up in 6 episodes? What happened to all the ppl from last episode?
bcook: I just want an answer to one question. Who is that sneering man? *swoon*
JoAnne: My realization in this episode: it feels like we've spent way more time on Tae Soo than on anyone else, and the series is half over! There's a LOT still to do.
I agree. Tae-soo is very much our focus ... and I like it. Maybe he is the key to the grand mystery? Tae-soo, be my key! Poor, sad and angry Tae-soo. Hey, and maybe they're saving all the answers for Season 2. I told you OCN likes to do that. In fact, we often don't get any answers because who knows when the next season will be produced. If.
JoAnne: I sense bitterness, Kakashi.
Episode 5: Motive for Murder
It's a cozy afternoon in the park, kids are playing, friends are taking photos of each other. But what is that? A man is staring at it all very intensely. He starts walking, towards a woman, who is sitting there with her back against him. He gets very close, starts reaching towards her with one hand as the other reaches into his jacket. What the...? She turns around, cries out in shock and ... calls him Oppa. Well, oppas can be evil too, right? But not this one. What he reached for is a ring and the finished Darksmurfsubs read "worst proposal ever" for a second. Buahahahaaaaaa.JoAnne: Made me laugh too. But seriously, they both looked really miserable. And she seemed very fed up with him.
bcook: what's with his hand? I knew it was a set up coz the reach into jacket move was a little too exagerated.
JoAnne: This reaction seems extreme for a missing fishing rod.
bcook: I live in the south, there's not much a guy wouldn't do for a missing fishing rod.
JoAnne: This is a theme with these guys... they made them all put handcuffs on themselves, last week.
bcook: It's clearly a testament to how awesome they are. Kinda like how Jo has managed to make my text take on her color even when I've chosen mine *grumble*!!
JoAnne: Why didn't we get to SEE rock-paper-scissors?
The bromance! So strong! And awwwwww, Tae-soo is looking out for Psycho. Awwwwwwww.
JoAnne: Ok, I think I can relax about Nam. The new guy (Conductor!)... I don't know. On the one hand, he came back specifically to act as Special Prosecutor for the big human trafficking case. From where? Why did he leave? Who brought him?And now he's heard rumors of this special unit who apparently does good work, and he wants to stay on and be involved. Does he think it will boost his career? Does he have another motive? There does have to be a prosecutor, so he's offering assistance they'd need, with an implied assurance that he wouldn't then get these people OFF after all the hard work our doggies do. And if I were him, I'd want to know about this special unit I'm latching myself on to. This seems reasonable. On the other hand, he does give off a certain 'questionable' vibe. So we'll see.
bcook: Questionable vibe? The only vibe I'm getting is the hot namja vibe. Sneer at me Prosecutor Oh. I've been a very bad girl.
TT____TT
SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT. I was hoping her husband was a bad guy, at least.
bcook: Gat damn it! Ok. That's it! All hope for his (questionable) happy ending has died. No way can he get out of killing husband, lying about identity, making her care for him when injured...yup. no hope. We're going to need a christmas miracle here.
Ahhh, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. WHY GOD WHY.
bcook: Sorry dude. :(
Oh, he is SO going to die. Fucking dirtbag.
bcook: I sense a slow mo, quick death in his future. Frankly I'm glad.
JoAnne: I'm still holding out hope that Tae Soo is not her husband's murderer. He may have some involvement or knowledge perhaps? But didn't do it himself? Please.
Yes, it's ambiguous, so I'm clinging to that hope with you.
bcook: uhmmm let's be realistic here. Unless writernim is running the biggest switcheroo ever... yeah.
JoAnne: Goo Tak was a good man. Is. He went off the rails for a bit, but kind of like that sheriff in the Walking Tall movies in the 70s. He was a vigilante!
And he likes our boys. He likes them!
JoAnne: He does, indeed. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.
A lot happens off camera in this drama. I'm ok with it though.
Yes and no. There are too many overly convenient things in this episode. It's lazy writing. I hope it's an exception!
What'll we do today, boys? Let's just ride around until we find a crime! Sounds like a plan - who's in for coffee?
A bit later, (when did it get dark? also isn't he walking all over the evidence?) Tae-soo is doing his little "what if I were there" trick and imagines himself as the killer. In this alternate world, he is wearing leather and short sleeves and I drooooooooooooooooool so much I need to drink 1l of water afterwards. In his imagination, he fires 6 rounds and surmises that this guy was a very good shot (6 rounds, 6 people dead) ... and then, he's taken out of his dream by Psycho, who demands to know what he has found out.
I would say that our little baby boy Psycho ASKED him what he found out, not demanded (yes, yes, but he's so curt). Tae Soo: those arms. It's not just the muscle, you know. Look at how gorgeous his skin is. So smooth and shiny and unblemished. I bet it feels like silk. Imagine that silk sliding all over you. I need a break. And some water.
bcook: Yes go get some water. I'll just stay here and um and um. stand guard. Yes that's right stand guard. Because I like my eonnis so much. I'll keep the others away while you go get some water. Don't worry about me. I drank a lot before I came here. Take your time.
I think Tae Soo should slip back into mystical murderer mode and think about it for a while in his tee-shirt and leather vest.
I think he asks because he's trying to MAKE him smile. Annoying him like an older brother would. Awwwww.
It worked! Awwwwwwww.
But obviously he has no intention of doing it, right? He didn't go into the prison to do it, right? No, he was all bloody that night. He won't do it. He isn't even thinking about doing it. We're fine. We're fine.
He went to prison because he turned himself in. We're thinking he turned himself in out of guilt for maybe killing that woman's husband. But ... we don't know, do we. One of our big mysteries is linked to Psycho's killing spree and now everybody wants him dead.
JoAnne: I know he turned himself in, but what if he PLANNED it that way, to go after Jung Moon?
bcook: I'm there with Jo. Maybe he did kill the husband, but turned himself in because of Jung Moon. What I wanna know is who is this guy that wants Jung Moon killed so bad he sent Tae-soo AND Woong-chul after him. Jung Moon needs to get his memory back stat.
I definitely want them to spark a little. Please.
That is a skill I would like to have. For party tricks of course. Not for work. Oh no. Never for work.
I feel VERY confident. I think. Well, I am VERY hopeful. At the very least, he really WANTS to be innocent. All signs point to psychotic, in that case. As in, not psychopathic.
bcook: Ok so that was a poignant moment but all I could think was It's the battle of the hair fringe! Who can look through it more meaningfully? On a scale of 1-10 who fringes better?
It's very wrong of me to want to jump his bones WHILE he is holding that pistol, right? Faded jeans. Leather vest but no shirt. Maybe some whiskey. I need a break. And some water.
bcook: Yes. Go get some water. I'll just stay here and um and um. Learn how to shoot...or something.
He was lying, that's why. (THAT LIP LICK. DAMN.)
bcook: Or it could be because of the slightly murderous look in Tae-soo's eyes? And Tae-soo probably makes people nervous just by breathing too close. 'course it's a different type of nervous if you're female. hehe.
Woong-chul is in a car with our Lockpick friend - and is bullying him, as always. While they wait in the car to go chase criminals, Woong-chul realizes that his two weeks are up. Uh-oh.
There are a whole lot of SHIT SHIT SHIT moments this week.
Not for nothing, but I noticed that the creepy Oppa moved TOWARD his beloved during those dangerous moments, and the nice guy running with his wife turned and ran like a dog.
bcook: Psycho...so smart. Obvi he kills all the other people so it seems random.
Not my teddy bear ahjussi!
bcook: Sometimes being a kind hearted criminal really doesn't pay. I don't think it's the same shooter though. This one was sloppy. Didn't shoot to kill. #consipiracy
How convenient. Where is it? Why isn't there a signal?
Not good, show. Don't be lazy.
Conversion to Good Guy: Complete.
Yes. This was a sad moment though. Very emotional. He seems so resigned ...
bcook: Teddy bear gangsta with a heart of gold. I think he should get his own show.
I guess like with gangs. In this country, gang lore has it that you have to kill someone to get in the gang... but to get out, they will beat you. If you live, you can walk free.
He made a new life for himself that must include a new name.
Back to Jeong Seok ... who might that be?! What's the story here? Maybe he killed Tae-soo's woman's husband! That's what I'm hoping.
Tae-soo is outside, smiling a little to himself (awwwwwww) when his phone rings. He is very surprised it's Woong-chul. Oh, Woong-chul! You're smart!! He called the unlikeliest of them all. And Tae-soo is a smart one. He'll realize something is amiss, yes?! Woong-chul is rough as always and then reports that the killer said "why did you do that to us". Yes, "us". Tae-soo aborbs that info and then asks again what's wrong with Woong-chul. Of course he can't say anything, but he says: "make sure to catch that guy". Ohhhhhh, smart. And then, Woong-chul says "now you can do what you must, hyungnim". Nooooooooo :((
Best not mess with my teddy bear, you gangster.
Do you think this was a set up, then?
It was a strange little episode. Who sent them? Who was he asked to kill?! No idea why they would want him arrested though, so I guess the police might have been called by somebody else. It's a few little things this episode that don't make sense.
Ha! It was just writernim hearing about my love for Tae-soo fight scenes and penciling one in...just for me. Nomu Kamsahabnida! *90 degree bow*
Report Card: Plays well with others. Appropriately verbal. Demonstrates empathy and always takes a leadership role.
Hehe. How many episodes is this show?
That's the second time Woong Chul has had the right guy before anyone else has.
It was a malfunction, he must have been clearing it. It could not have been empty. What kind of sniper forgets to load his weapon?
I first thought they must have tricked the guy (i.e. with faulty ammunition of something). Because think about the risk? You have that Director walk around and a sniper has all the time in the world to aim and shoot at him?! Wow. Korean police. They're something.
JoAnne: Oh good idea with the tricking!
It couldn't have been trickery tho coz he had the gun (and i'm guessing ammo) when they raided his place. So where would they have found time to mess with his gun? I think he was just so damn excited to finish this guy off that he didn't load his gun. Premature shooting as it were.
Clever. Doesn't fix anything, but still, points for (twisted) imagination.
Jung-moon lectures the guy about how wrong it is to kill innocent people (you don't say!), even if killed-dude lost his wife and kid afterwards: killing people, wrong. And as Psycho lists every victim in detail, he steps closer and closer. When he is right in front of the gun he points it at his own chest and tells Myeong-jin to kill someone like him if he must kill someone. Someone like him who harms other people. Awwww, Psycho. But then, Psycho grabs the gun (like Tae-soo!) and now has Myeong-jin at gunpoint ... and he is about to shoot!!! When Goo-tak appears. Never was I more relieved to see such an annoying haircut.
Mi Young needs to just take some scissors and cut that mess off of his head. The boys can hold him down for her.
bcook: The tear tho. The one tear. Uri Psycho is some emotions buried under that fringe.
Loved that.
I am hoping he just wants to hitch his wagon to a star.
Surely somebody with that awesome smirk can't be all bad? Right? Right?
Gangsters are all about brotherhood and loyalty.
But now Woong-chul is all about his loyalty to the napun dudes. So you can't be asking that.
Oh hell no. No he is not, you smug piece of shit.
I'm pretty sure that was Woong-chul's "foook now i'm gonna have to kill you hyeong" face at the end.
Comments
This episode has many weaknesses - I'm ready to forgive the show, but only if this doesn't become the norm. It's one of OCN's biggest faults: they can't sustain a good story. Too many things are just too convenient in this episode: starting with the "oh, look, a murder, you guys won't be going back to prison just now", going on to "only a genius with an IQ of 200 can see that these guys work at the same company" and "Ah, this time, I don't care where Woong-chul is". The "throw-Tae-soo-in-prison-overnight"-subplot was also much too forced for me. If those dudes he beat up so badly were able to run away, he could have run away a thousand times over. EXACTLY my thought. Sure, you could argue he didn't because he's trying to be honest now, but in the end, it's crystal clear the show just wanted to have Jung-moon solving a case by himself.JoAnne: Except he didn't, really. Woong Chul found one killer through the taxi detail, sort of, and Tae Soo actually found the weapon and BOTH killers through his cute little shooting range friend. Jung Moon gets the points for figuring out that the shootings were not random, though. And because he needs to have some points, plus he needed that emotional scene when he caught the last killer.
But he got points from the drug dealer one at the beginning. I agree tho, this was clearly a "let's give Park Hae-jin some more screen time" episode. Could have been written better. Though let's look at kdrama episode logic. This episode is basically the equivalent of episode 10/11 of a 16 episode arc right? Those are almost always filler episodes, usually confused and badly written. Is that when they get their advertising commitments for the second half?
This week's case was a bit of a dud for me. Disgruntled employee goes on a rampage? It's just not clever enough. Even if you make that two employees who try to hide the motive of their crime. But I guess the case was used to provide a link to Jung-moon's case, another "don't ask" murder without any apparent motive. After 5 episodes, I am starting to believe JoAnne's theory (he is innocent). What happened during those murders though? Why would somebody frame Jung-moon? How come a gangster's son was killed? How come somebody sent Tae-soo to kill Jung-moon?
So many questions. Kakashi is right, this week the case was barely important at all and just served as a backdrop, but we got a LOT of info (even if the info really just led to lots more questions) about our beloved pups.
Yes, since we're asking questions, let's continue: How are all our guys connected to Goo-tak? Who is Bulldog Prosecutor? Why does he want those cases and why does he know Goo-tak so well?
JoAnne: Let's go back farther. Why did Jung Moon's parents die? How? Who were the people he killed? Did he kill them? Do they have a connection to Tae Soo's assassin people? Do the assassins have a connection to Woong Chul's gangsters? Was Goo Tak's daughter really a random selection?
bcook: I'll join in on this question party. If he can't remember killing them why did he tell his girlfriend he did? Who the heck wants Jung-moon dead so bad?
What exactly did Pawnshoppy do to Tae-soo beyond not giving the woman money? Who's that guy that harmed cute Shooting Range guy and will either kill Tae-soo or get killed by him? Is he connected to that woman's husband's murder? DID Tae-soo kill him or not? Who approached Tae-soo and asked him to kill someone? Who was that someone? Pawnshoppy must be connected to that since he's the only one that knows Tae-soo is out and about. How does new guy Shootingrange fit into the picture? Tae-soo might sacrifice himself to punish himself, right? Just like Woong-chul. Just DON'T go there, show!
JoAnne: Holding out hope that Tae Soo's enemy guy is the one who killed the husband - OR that he lied to Tae Soo about the guy so Tae Soo would kill him (but that's a very distant second) and in either case, Tae Soo is out to revenge his lady love.
bcook: Is writernim smart/good enough to tie this up in 6 episodes? What happened to all the ppl from last episode?