Incarnation of Money: Episode 19

63 April 8, 2013January 24, 2016

by gummimochi

Just when the good guys think that they’ve got this war of revenge in the bag, the baddies turn around to remind them that one does not underestimate their enemy. Claiming victory will take more than tossing out some bait because you’re dealing with beasts who can think for themselves and plan their next moves. With that in mind, the battle (which clocked in at 16.1%) is not yet won.

EPISODE 19 RECAP

Operation Intercept Accounting Books is a go once Prosecutor Kwon’s lackey arrives at the bank, unaware that Se-kwang has followed him here and now waits menacingly to attack him in the parking lot.

But it looks like Se-kwang will be waiting there a while because the lackey is tipped off and leaves through another exit to rendezvous with Team Shudal. They drive through the local roads as Assistant Hong puts in a call to initiate the next part of their plan.

This is Dad’s cue to hobble into the road and deliberately get hit by their car. He screams up a storm about his injuries and the ruckus is enough for the lackey to momentarily abandon the briefcase, creating a perfect opportunity for Assistant Hong to make the switch.

After Cha-don confirms that the counterfeit accounting records are now safely in Prosecutor Kwon’s possession, he calls Se-kwang, feigning anger about the situation. He even keeps up the act when Se-kwang comes to meet him at the same spot by the river, kicking the grass in supposed indignation.

Se-kwang isn’t happy about this turn of events either but he’s certain that he won’t lose; it’s unlikely that Prosecutor Kwon has anything to blackmail him with. He does, however, raise a suspicious eyebrow at Cha-don’s rage-filled response that they’re in it to win it. How very curious – what did Cha-don do to incur Prosecutor Kwon’s favor and trust?

The only way Se-kwang will believe Cha-don is on his side is if he brings the accounting records before him. Cha-don refuses to take on this virtually impossible task just to prove his loyalty to the prosecutor yet again.

As Cha-don starts to walk away, Se-kwang grabs his arm to stop him and softens, saying, “I’m asking you as a favor.”

Back at headquarters, Team Shudal peruses the genuine records. Thanks to the help of an expert copywriter, they rest assured that Prosecutor Kwon won’t find anything amiss with his switched counterfeit copies for the time being.

Chief Yang wonders why Cha-don would have a copy made of the authentic ledger when he can just use the original. The answer is that Cha-don plans to hand over the true ledger to Se-kwang to level the playing field against the two prosecutors. That way, they’ll each have a weapon to fight the other during the hearing.

Cha-don smiles in his car when he sees Jae-in sitting alone in a coffee shop. His phone call is abruptly cut off and we see why a minute later as Hyuk sits down across from her.

Jae-in is prepared to let him down easy but Hyuk tells her that it doesn’t matter what kind of past she had with Cha-don or what her feelings are towards him. “What’s important is that I’ve begun to like you.” Omo, omo.

She’s taken aback by the surprise confession which is coupled by a vow to remain sincere to his feelings. He even presents her with a gift (an expensive bag) and wishes her a happy birthday. Aw, that’s sweet.

From the other side of the glass, Cha-don interprets Jae-in’s surprised reaction as swooning and is forced to drive off before he can watch any more of the exchange.

So what he doesn’t see is how Jae-in politely declines the thoughtful gesture, adding that it’s not her birthday. Hyuk’s cheeks flush with embarrassment and in order to save face, offers to throw it out instead. But Jae-in knows that doing so is a crime against fashion and she stops him from overreacting.

Hyuk is all smiles again and he shyly tells her to think of him every time she uses it (Jae-in involuntarily gags at the statement). He admits that he’s embarrassed to even say such a corny phrase but he heard that women love to hear cheesy, sentimental things from men.

She sweetly asks where he learned it from. His answer: “I read it in a book.” You’re so endearingly awkward, I love it. Jae-in can’t help but laugh at how cute his old-fashioned pick-up lines are.

Jealous Cha-don strikes again when Jae-in returns to the savings bank with the bag in hand. When she momentarily steps out of the room, Cha-don hands off the bag to the cleaning lady and then plays dumb when Jae-in finds it missing.

He skirts off but Jae-in’s onto him and follows him in the elevator. She accuses him of doing away with the bag. He says nothing but it’s too bad that he gets immediately gets caught in his lie when the same cleaning lady rushes into the elevator and thanks him for such a lavish gift.

Jae-in can barely believe her eyes at this turn of events and asks if Cha-don acted on jealousy because he knew it was a gift from Hyuk. Naturally, Cha-don firmly denies it. Hyuk is the first guy who’s ever truly cared for her, Jae-in fires back. What’s it to Cha-don who she sees?

But Cha-don gets in the final word as he steps off the elevator: “You’re better off dating someone else. That way I don’t have to care as much.” Riiight, so that you won’t care. Teehee.

Confused, Jae-in scoffs, “So he’s saying that it’s okay for me to see other people.”

Cha-don heads straight for the department store and scowls at the same bag Hyuk bought for Jae-in. Not one to be outdone, he asks for a bigger and more expensive bag. HA.

I love the amused look on Assistant Kim’s face when he delivers the gift to an astonished Jae-in, and hints at whether this means if the two will reignite their relationship.

But Jae-in crushes the attached note in her hand (“Jae-in, I really care about you!”). Determined to flare Cha-don’s jealousy, she tells Assistant Kim to go ahead and schedule the blind date with a handsome chaebol.

We get a quiet moment with Boss Bok, who records her latest poem as a saxophone plays in the background.

Magnolia

He didn’t ask for time off
Liquor and love both left a singer
who cleared his throat and sang his last song.

Once bright because of liquor
became hazy after he lost love.

Anger wafted through the air
like an old woman’s ramblings
the flower wilted

Dad lets out a sigh after he wraps up playing his sad song. He barely has a second to reflect before Jae-in suddenly appears out nowhere. She may be drunk but she recognizes him as the imposter Gentleman of Jingoagae and their nightly musician.

He calls her an affectionate “Jae-in ah” which makes Jae-in think that this random ajusshi might be in love with her mother or a stalker. In her drunken mumbling, she tells him not to bother since her mother has a foul personality. Dad tells her that he already knows that, and they both laugh.

But Jae-in doesn’t recognize her father and stuffs some money into his hand before she drunkenly stumbles inside the estate.

Ji-hoo plays the part of a doting girlfriend, dropping by Se-kwang’s office with a homemade packed lunch. He notices her cut finger and tells her not to go out of her way to do things for him. This bit of concern(?) brings a smile to her face.

Se-kwang’s plan to get close to Ji-hoo’s father will have to wait – the professor is currently overseas, which also means he’ll be absent for the candidacy hearing.

The idea that the Elite Four would take action without one of its members makes Se-kwang feel uneasy, but his train of thought is interrupted by Cha-don’s arrival. He isn’t here empty-handed and hands over Prosecutor Kwon’s ledger that lists the man’s record of extortions.

Se-kwang is left perplexed at how quickly Cha-don managed to acquire the records. But Cha-don explains that although he still holds a personal grudge against Se-kwang, he’s helping him so that Se-kwang can beat Prosecutor Kwon.

But something about all of this doesn’t quite sit right with Se-kwang and he has someone to tail Cha-don’s whereabouts.

Elsewhere, Chief Prosecutor drinks away his woes with tea and threatens to withdraw his name from the candidate pool, a notion that Cha-don immediately agrees with. Little do they know that they’re being watched and Se-kwang is informed on any and all data on Cha-don.

Still fixated on a possible connection between Cha-don and Kang-seok, he arranges for a tech guy to send a spam email to Kang-seok’s email address at a scheduled time. Ack, why are you so smart!

So he scares the bejesus out of poor Assistant Hong when he drops by Cha-don’s apartment unannounced. Thankfully, Assistant Hong is sharp enough to warn the others of Se-kwang’s surprised visit, buying them some time to hurriedly stash away all evidence of the revenge plan.

His attempt at a casual So this is where you live! carries a definite tone of awkward amiability and invites Cha-don to have a drink with him, insisting that they stay in. He pretends to take a work call and signals for his techie guy to send the email.

The result is immediate and to be certain, Se-kwang orders him to send one after another, smiling ruefully as the laptop dutifully dings each time. Se-kwang is so happy that he’s discovered the truth once and for all that he can barely stifle his laughter.

The day of the hearing finally arrives and Prosecutor Kwon arrives, confident that he’ll win this battle of wits. With Chief Prosecutor Jo’s withdrawal, the two prosecutors are left to win over the Elite Four members with their reports on their opponents.

Team Shudal along with Mayor Jung and Boss Bok sit in the opposite room, and they watch as Prosecutor Kwon start off fierce with the voice recorder that contains Bi-ryung’s confession.

He clocks Se-kwang’s noticeably tense reaction at the mention of Bi-ryung’s name and offers him a chance to listen to it himself. After Se-kwang does, Prosecutor Kwon leaves the decision of whether to play the recording for the committee members or not up to him.

Se-kwang’s claims of equally incriminating information on Prosecutor Kwon hardly ruffles the man’s feathers. He calls Se-kwang on what he thinks is a bluff and volunteers to reveal his evidence first.

His finger is just above the play button when Se-kwang stops him. After a tension-filled pause, Se-kwang rises from his seat to stare directly at the camera. And then to everyone’s surprise, he throws in the towel before turning off the camera.

But Team Shudal has prepared a hidden camera as backup and Cha-don seethes that they’ll now get to see the men’s raw, ugly true natures.

Given Se-kwang’s usual ambitious character, Prosecutor Kwon finds his sudden voluntary withdrawal extremely strange. He doesn’t buy the excuse that Se-kwang’s evidence was enough to bring him down.

So Se-kwang lists off a few examples of Prosecutor Kwon’s history of bribery and extortion. Prosecutor laughs that those estimates are largely inflated, to which Se-kwang rips up the card to show how weak his report was.

He surrenders the candidacy to Prosecutor Kwon and congratulates the man on his default win. But before he steps out, Prosecutor Kwon shares a few more words: “Surrendering yourself and asking for forgiveness are two different things. Just because you surrendered doesn’t mean I intend to forgive you anytime soon.”

Meanwhile Team Shudal scratch their heads over why Se-kwang didn’t utilize the acquired ledger to his disposal. When Cha-don confronts Se-kwang about it on his way out, Se-kwang shrugs his shoulders, saying he’s better off keeping his honor.

But there’s another wrench in their plans as Cha-don is told that the hidden camera recorded nothing of the prosecutors’ conversation. That’s because Se-kwang’s techie guy has already made off with it and Se-kwang pockets the video memory card.

As for Bi-ryung, we see her being taken away by the authorities, calling them out on their blatant lies that she’s being moved for the sake of her “treatment.”

Cha-don drops by Se-kwang’s office to relay that the Gentleman of Jingogae isn’t very pleased with him. But Se-kwang smugly returns that revealing Prosecutor Kwon’s corruption deserves a larger stage than the Elite Four. Say, to the Korean people.

Thus, this is only the beginning of his war against Prosecutor Kwon and he asks in a soothing voice for the Gentleman of Jingogae’s help to publicly humiliate Prosecutor Kwon. Cha-don contemplates over this silently and agrees to deliver the message to the illustrious benefactor.

Se-kwang narrows his eyes and he thinks to himself how he’s been toyed with up to this point. Now it’s time to turn the tables and he’ll destroy everyone on Cha-don’s side.

Cha-don is quick on the uptake and he knows that Se-kwang is deliberately withholding his cards. He sits with Prosecutor Kwon to congratulate him on his recent win.

Just then, a congratulatory bouquet arrives for Prosecutor Kwon. The sender is none other than “Lee Kang-seok” who writes that the authentic ledger is in Se-kwang’s hands.

Prosecutor Kwon releases his fury on his lackey, slapping him across the face for his incompetence. Evidently that’s enough for him to bring his temper back to a manageable level and he puts in a call to Se-kwang.

The senior prosecutors meet later that evening and Prosecutor Kwon proposes a deal: his real ledger for Bi-ryung’s confession. This offer does little to convince him and Prosecutor Kwon wonders if Se-kwang plans to destroy both of their reputations.

Se-kwang finds this notion ridiculous but he does mention that as a man who has committed murder, he has nothing to fear from a woman trapped in a psych ward. He notes how Mom tried to use her testimony against him once and we know what good came out of that.

Prosecutor Kwon puts on a bravado that without an outright verbal confession, he can easily deny the extortion accusations as false. That’s when Se-kwang pulls out his own voice recorder and plays the bit of Prosecutor Kwon about the falsely reported amounts.

Prosecutor Kwon’s eyes grow wide but Se-kwang simply lets out an amused laugh. Pouring the man a drink, Se-kwang warns his superior to remain calm and chuckles that Prosecutor Kwon was too greedy, sailing his ship made of rock out to sea.

Now it’s Prosecutor Kwon’s turn to admit defeat and asks what Se-kwang wants in return. That’s easy – to catch Lee Kang-seok, and Se-kwang asks, “Wasn’t it Cha-don who gave you that recording?”

Se-kwang admits that he acquired the ledger through Cha-don. Finally putting two and two together, Se-kwang hammers in the final nail of that truth coffin in Prosecutor Kwon’s mind: “Lee Cha-don is that bastard Lee Kang-seok.”

The more Se-kwang spouts off a litany of half-truths surrounding Cha-don, the more it tells me that it’s a deliberate attempt to redirect Prosecutor Kwon’s rage to Cha-don. Given that final smirk on his face, he knows that his plan has worked like a charm.

As for Cha-don, this time he drowns his woes in beer as Chief Yang tries to cheer him up. And as luck should have it, they see Jae-in walk in with her matseon date, and Cha-don bitterly chomps on his food as he watches Jae-in laugh at a nearby table.

She walks past him in the hallway (with a self-satisfied smirk, mind you) and stops when he drunkenly calls out her name. She whips around to remind him to address her formally since they’re simply acquaintances now.

But he grabs her by the arm and turns her around so that her back is against the wall. Silently placing both hands by her head, he asks for long she plans to make him angry. Jae-in fires his words back at him that he said he was okay with her dating anyone else but Hyuk.

Cha-don looks back at her with a mix of confusion and hurt in his eyes and then slowly leans in to kiss her. Jae-in turns her head in rejection just as her date interrupts the moment.

He has a resigned look on his face as he watches Jae-in leave with a smile on her face. He gets in a taxi to return home but has no idea that Prosecutor Kwon is trailing behind him.

Jae-in pulls onto the side of the road shortly afterwards, wondering why Cha-don still hasn’t called. She’s practically willing for her phone to ring and when it finally does, she pretends to be annoyed to take his call.

Cha-don asks if they can meet, but before he can get in another word, the Truck of Doom smashes into the side of the taxi. Ohhh no.

On the other end of the line, Jae-in asks in a panicked voice if he’s all right and shouts into the phone for him to say something.

Thankfully Cha-don is still conscious and he struggles to pull himself up in his bloodied state. He fumbles for his phone as Jae-in’s voice demands to know what happened and where he is. He can barely eke out Jae-in’s name as tears fall from her eyes.

But then we both hear and see the truck back away from the crash. Oh Lord – don’t tell me you’re going to ram into him again.

Which is when the Truck of Doom guns the accelerator and speeds straight for Cha-don to finish him off.

COMMENTS

With such a smart baddie like Se-kwang, you would think that the other Traitagon members could have learned a page or two over the years. And yet, we see that where Se-kwang is a proactive leader in this battle, Prosecutor Kwon remains as a largely reactive figure, his tactics dependant on the situation. In fact, aside from this latest order to send the Truck of Doom to (hopefully) kill Cha-don, he’s done very little for the majority of the series. Well, I suppose we can credit him for leaving us with metaphorical life lessons along the way. You get a gold sticker for your evil work today!

His character has largely departed from when we first met him in the beginning of the series – the scary prosecutor whose very words could send chills down my spine. And at present, I hardly see him as much of a threat (and don’t even get me started on Reporter Go, who I think won’t even dare to hurt a fly at this point). Furthermore, it seems that Prosecutor Kwon is beginning to realize that he’s not all that scary, even to his hoobae prosecutor Se-kwang who’s been calling all the shots. Now that their former evil alliance has been re-established with the truth of Cha-don’s true identity as Kang-seok, I wonder how long it will take for our good guys to realize that the lions have abandoned to rip each other apart in the den.

It was clear from the start that Cha-don’s revenge plan requires calculated steps to achieve a maximum effect. Up to now, they’ve managed to turn Se-kwang’s suspicions on its head, tossing out bait to distract the enemies. And now for the first time, it feels like the tables have turned on them and Se-kwang has finally gained the upper hand. Se-kwang has been complaining for a few episodes now about how Kang-seok has always been a step ahead of him. Now it’s his turn to instill some panic and possibly some doubt in our good guys.

And with that sharp, evil, manipulating mind of his, we know that he’s only just getting started.

Required fields are marked *

1 queenofcam

April 8, 2013 at 10:41 AM

I've been waiting all weekend long for this recap!!!! Omg I'm just loving all the Cha-Don Jae-In interactions here, how HOT was that "almost" kiss-scene! <3

Required fields are marked *

queenofcam

April 8, 2013 at 10:43 AM

....omo, I'm first? really?....*pinches myself*

Required fields are marked *

CaroleMcDonnell

April 8, 2013 at 11:50 AM

They really are a great comic duo? Nice that the romance is the comic relief in a revenge story.

Required fields are marked *

2 browncoat_78

April 8, 2013 at 10:51 AM

I really love how smart the protagonist and antagonist are in this drama. Usually in revenge dramas big acts of stupidity, absurd coincidence or plot holes the size of Montana appear to keep the good guy and the bad guy battling it out. However, I am struck time and time again by how smart these guys are. Great writing! Really great writing! Sure there are weaknesses in some of the ancillary characters and their silliness/stupidity/passivity, but when it comes to our main guys, this is a true battle of wits like I've not seen before in a Kdrama and I'm loving it!

Required fields are marked *

Ivy

April 8, 2013 at 11:38 AM

Me too! This show is a delightful battle of wits! :D It's engaging to watch and I'm constantly ah-ing and uh-ing at the characters' intelligence

Required fields are marked *

Alpha Beta

April 8, 2013 at 5:33 PM

It is one hell of a road here. I have never felt in my entire drama-watcher experience so tense as the moment when Se Kwang was In Cha Don's house and discovered the truth. Kudos to the whole IoM team!

Required fields are marked *

Delicatecloud

April 8, 2013 at 6:54 PM

It was so simple yet a brilliant way of confirming if the email address is Cha Don's and they confirming him to be Lee Kang Seok!! Our resident bad guy is certainly not stupid! What a tense moment and poor clueless Team Scudal not knowing that they have been breached!!

Required fields are marked *

Lilian

April 9, 2013 at 7:01 AM

Yeah..that was a brilliant brilliant idea =D but I was like so anxious for Cha Don and his team! Oh well....at least we are moving towards the climax now. Please do not pull out any silly plots just to drag the story..

Required fields are marked *

ar

April 9, 2013 at 5:58 PM

I had to fast-forward through that. It was just too intense and I hated to see Se-Kwang get his smirk on. Even though I'm like "Se-kwang, you obviously don't know you're in a drama featuring Lee Kang Seok as the protagonist who is going to hand your ass to you!"

Required fields are marked *

3 Delicatecloud

April 8, 2013 at 11:03 AM

Thanks for the recaps gummimochi! Agree with your comments that the baddies now have the upper hand. The pendulum has swung to the other end now and the revenge arc is getting it's groove back! I do appreciate that both Se Kwang and Cha Don are equally matched in terms of smarts (grey brain cells) and street smart. One disadvantage that Cha Don is facing is that he does not have the position of power that Se Kwang currently has. Team Scudal should not let their guard down at all. He is on to you guys, keep a close watch out for Se Kwang and his minion.

Cutie Hyuk has fallen for Jae In!!! It's for real, baby! I hope that there will be a deeper role for him to play where he will show that he is his own person and not an extension of his father regardless of what his father's views are. Gotta grow up and stand on your own feet!

My hand was at my throat at the last scene when the dump truck revved and barged towards the car again! Is LCD dead? Can't be right? There are four episodes to go and our hero cannot expire now!

Love the scenes where he showed his jealousy! And Jae In cannot hold her glee and literally wished him to call and he did this time!!
My heart goes out to Boss Bok!

Let's get the revenge train back on the road!!

Required fields are marked *

CaroleMcDonnell

April 8, 2013 at 11:48 AM

For a moment there I thought, "Will they really kill Cha Don and let Jae In do the rest of the avenging?" Would've been interesting, but am glad our hero is still alive.

Loved Boss Bok's poem. So powerful, so understated. One of the writers in this drama is definitely a poet because usually poems in dramas are so darn bad (at least in American shows) and this one just nailed it without being maudlin. Soooooo good.

Required fields are marked *

saturtledaisy

April 8, 2013 at 12:50 PM

Cha Don might not have the same kind of power Se Kwang has, but he's in quite a good position himself being Boss Bok's/the Gentleman of Jingogae's future son-in-law and all. I'm sure he still has quite a couple of strings he can pull if he wants to.

That thing you said about the grey brain cells, it makes me wonder what would have happened if Kang Seok hadn't been hit with a car when he was young and suffered from brain damage that somehow made him some kind of genius. Would they still be equally matched? I mean, young Kang Seok seemed quite bright as well, but still... In that sense, it's kind of ironic that Se Kwang created his own genius enemy this way.

Required fields are marked *

CaroleMcDonnell

April 8, 2013 at 1:01 PM

So true about creating a genius enemy. Both guys are so logical and mathematical.

Required fields are marked *

Delicatecloud

April 8, 2013 at 1:20 PM

Kind of like karma isn't it? LCD seemed to be smarter after each car accident - the baddies should stop or else they indeed have created a genius that would surely surpass Se Kwang in that department. LOL....

Required fields are marked *

Alpha Beta

April 8, 2013 at 5:36 PM

I thought exactly the same! Four episodes to go. The pendulum has to go back and fast, that' why the hero cannot die. He is need pretty much alive.

Required fields are marked *

Alpha Beta

April 8, 2013 at 5:38 PM

L.E. (Sort of) I am so very glad for once in my life that a drama character is a cat with nine lives. Usually this would get me frustrated.

Required fields are marked *

KDaddict

April 8, 2013 at 10:21 PM

I've a feeling that Hyuk will do sth major that will help bring down the bad guys!

Required fields are marked *

4 kellie

April 8, 2013 at 11:14 AM

Thanks for the recap, which I'm not reading til I get there . . . I'm about 5 episodes back. Park Sang-min's machismo, snappy-dressing villain is absolutely the draw for me. The pic of him sitting in the big leather chair -- I thought "Godfather." Some K-writer needs to make him an offer he can't refuse.

Required fields are marked *

MsB

April 8, 2013 at 12:00 PM

AMEN!! He is fantastic!!

Required fields are marked *

Moko

April 8, 2013 at 12:04 PM

He's so creepy ....and classic.

Required fields are marked *

Delicatecloud

April 8, 2013 at 12:13 PM

One of the reasons why I love this show so much. He is a brilliant strategist, a manipulator and a self righteous prick. He is scary I that he meet out justice according to HIS sense of justice and what He deemed as right or wrong or as he said whether you have sinned or not!!

Wonderful acting from Park Sang Min.

Required fields are marked *

nakai

April 8, 2013 at 9:29 PM

Best actor on the show, imo.

Required fields are marked *

supah

April 9, 2013 at 12:58 PM

Park Sang-miiiiin~!!!

Required fields are marked *

5 Bro

April 8, 2013 at 11:24 AM

Damn, I doubt the last scene was gonna be a typical hit once and drive away cuz he thinked he killed him scene. But no, the killer was actually smart and double tapped. Intensity is picking up.

Required fields are marked *

6 CaroleMcDonnell

April 8, 2013 at 11:42 AM

Thanks so much for the recap. I like it that the writers gave all these baddies different personalities.

I love Cha Don but Se Kwang's evil is just so -- for lack of a better word-- admirable. When I see his gloating, his evil mind clicking away behind those glasses, his manipulation of others.....I just want squeal. I think I've finally understood the meaning of the villain one loves to hate. Although I don't quite hate SeKwang, he fascinates me. He is the perfect embodiment of righteous hypocrite. I hope he gets a major acting award. He is that good.

Prosecutor Kwon amazes me by his willingness to kill He definitely seems to be a live and let guy...until someone suggests murder...then (just like that!) he's all for it. His lust for ambition remains...but he's totally uncaring about justice.

Reporter Go! Yeah, I agree with you. Opportunistic maybe, but not much else.

Now the question is: In the end, will Hyuk stick to his talk of sincere love? He's gone depressed and sad but will he finally join the bad side and go fully evil (casting love aside) or will he kill himself or will he destroy his father? I love all the generational parent-child stuff.

Required fields are marked *

saturtledaisy

April 8, 2013 at 11:57 AM

The scariest thing about Se Kwang is that he actually believes what he is doing is right. He's 'punishing the bad guys' and 'delivering justice', and not /just/ a power-hungry corrupt prosecutor. It's a weird and fascinating kind of 'evil'.

Required fields are marked *

Delicatecloud

April 8, 2013 at 12:16 PM

Cannot agree with you more. His sense or views of justice is indeed scary......this is where one can go "off" completely and venture into the realms of self delusion where he is the JUDGE or KING and meeting out justice to all who crosses his path.

Required fields are marked *

Moko

April 8, 2013 at 12:02 PM

Jo sister, he's really that good. He's the perfect villain. The value of the hero is defined by the baddassness of the villain - and man is Cha Don shining.

I liked that Cha Don had the upper hand for so long, because Se Kwang was so evil for such a cruelly long time. But they need to face each other for the final, so the truth had to come out eventually. I just thought it was so smart, since I didn't see it coming but nodded to it's logic when it was there. Really smart writer we have here.

I think Hyuk won't abandon his love. He will help destroy his father...he has a conscience, at least his eyes look like that.

Required fields are marked *

Delicatecloud

April 8, 2013 at 1:09 PM

That poor Sweetie Hyuk has gone depressed and has been crying!! Did you see his eyes - they were RED and runny! I am sure he will stand up to his father and spill the beans on their schemes.

Required fields are marked *

CaroleMcDonnell

April 8, 2013 at 1:16 PM

I remember how much i loved Prosecutor Kwon in the beginning. You could see how much he loved justice and how bitter he was. Hyuk loves justice as well so....

Poor kid, poor kid. Collaterol damage, i guess.

Required fields are marked *

TS

April 8, 2013 at 1:43 PM

Yes, Se Kwang's evil is total and complete. I feel no compunction in utterly hating him.

Required fields are marked *

7 Moko

April 8, 2013 at 11:52 AM

This was an awesome episode. But I think KJH is better at playing the Joeson princess than being dump. Love you KJH <3 <3

Required fields are marked *

8 Ivy

April 8, 2013 at 11:53 AM

Awesomesauce!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Required fields are marked *

9 MsB

April 8, 2013 at 12:02 PM

What an episode! What a cliff-hanger! Talk about shock value! Love this writer/director team!! PLEASE DO MORE TOGETHER!! I have more to say for the next ep!!

Required fields are marked *

Delicatecloud

April 8, 2013 at 12:08 PM

I am also completely into this writer/ director duo. This are sooo good at physchological thrillers and would love to see more of their work!

Required fields are marked *

10 saturtledaisy

April 8, 2013 at 12:05 PM

Great episode~
I was wondering when Se Kwang was going to find out about Kang Seok. I'm glad he figured it out relatively quickly, I was already wondering why he wasn't suspicious (I'm glad he was o-o). Now the battle has become more intense... it's time for Cha Don to step up his game~

Required fields are marked *

CaroleMcDonnell

April 8, 2013 at 12:17 PM

SEMI-SPOILER (which I'm trying to code per Yoomi's Instructions)

Saw episode 20. They finally meet to have their honest show-down. The last line of that episode just totally grabbed me.

All along, the writers would flash back to where Cha Don was saying to Angelina, "Do you know whose son I am?"

And although we see that Jae In is her mom's daughter, and Cha Don is really his dad's son ---when Cha Don utters that last line in episode 20, it was like.."YES!!!!!!!!!! Perfect! These guys are the sons of the same father."

You coulda heard my fan-girl squeeeeeeeeeeee a mile off.

Required fields are marked *

saturtledaisy

April 8, 2013 at 12:44 PM

Gawd I know, I watched it.

I've been waiting for exactly THAT line since like forever because I KNEW it would be perfect. So I was squeeling all over the place when he finally said it. It was even more powerful than I expected it to be. And gah, that creepy glare at the end - from both of them - that's exactly why I love this drama so much~~

Required fields are marked *

CaroleMcDonnell

April 8, 2013 at 1:07 PM

Wasn't that just the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our squees probably met in the ether echoed and bounced off each other then sailed around the world in opposite directions to cover the whole earth with joy! Yes, i was that happy.

Required fields are marked *

Delicatecloud

April 8, 2013 at 1:17 PM

I know right? Am been waiting for several episodes to seethis showdown - It was indeed DAEBAK!! The way LCD delivered that line - so cool and menacing at the same time and he relished delivering those words which at one point in their lives meant so much!

It is interesting that it was delivered through a one way mirror - does this mean that Se Kwang can see LCD and not vice versa? Is LCD now at a disadvantage? Even if they are "unmasking" themselves they are still looking at each other through a one way looking glass - which means they are still masking their thoughts and innermost desires.

saturtledaisy

April 8, 2013 at 2:50 PM

"Our squees probably met in the ether echoed and bounced off each other then sailed around the world in opposite directions to cover the whole earth with joy!"

I wish there was a like button for awesome comments like these.

CaroleMcDonnell

April 8, 2013 at 3:07 PM

DelicateCloud:

I'm thinking of your mirror analogy. Sooo good. I wonder if it's because Se Kwang started out s an avenger. So in many ways they mirror each other. Except that SeKwang went too far and stepped over the line. I suspect if the writer had shown us some of Daddy Lee's evil, we might be on SeKwang's side if SeKwang had only done in daddy. After all, Dad Lee did pull a gun on him and DID intend to murder SeKwang. So if stuff had stoppe there, we'd be cool with him avenging. But....nooooooooo

So he is the bad side of vengeance, the mirror of what Cha Don would never be. Cha Don knows how to hold on to the brakes nd keep his humanity. SeKwang is kinda like those folks who hate injustice so much that they become terrorists and bombers...except that SeKwang goes about it legitimately....and with much class.

delicatecloud

April 8, 2013 at 3:30 PM

@Carole McDonnell - Loved your sentence "SeKwang is kinda like those folks who hate injustice so much that they become terrorists and bombers…except that SeKwang goes about it legitimately….and with much class." - this is what we call "extreme prejudice" right? and it is scary that Se Kwang can do it "legitimately" - i am amazed at how he can use the law (or legal ways) to do unethical acts and with "much class" like you said.

ar

April 9, 2013 at 6:05 PM

I did think Cha-Don tipped his hand by bringing in the Gentleman of Jingogae and getting close to the two villains in order to get them to fight each other. Cha-Don was already involved in the whole Angelina goes to jail arc that I thought it would arouse suspicion that he would be there when the traitors' circle was once again hit by conflict. Too coincidental!

I can't wait for Cha Don to step up his game too!

Required fields are marked *

11 Micola

April 8, 2013 at 12:24 PM

"You get a gold sticker for your evil work today" pfft

I am glad the baddies have the upper hand now. I was thinking last week that the good guys were beginning to have it too easy and the writers delivered.

Required fields are marked *

Delicatecloud

April 8, 2013 at 12:33 PM

Makes this a far more interesting drama right? It could be boring if the good guys have it right all the time. Love me some smear baddies too....

Can't wait to see how e battle of wits wil turn out...

Required fields are marked *

annie

April 8, 2013 at 3:26 PM

Totally agree, it makes me scared for the good guys and I like it in a twisted kind of way...

Required fields are marked *

12 Sue

April 8, 2013 at 12:44 PM

Originally the premise behind this show did not appeal to me. But due to a lack of good shows and out of sheer boredom I gave it a chance. I'm so glad I did! The protagonist and antagonist are incredible. Normally I need romance in my dramas, but even if Jae In was not in the picture I would adore this show. So smart. So clever. And I love how the tables keep turning. Now the villains have the upper hand. Can't wait to see what Cha Don does next.

Required fields are marked *

Delicatecloud

April 8, 2013 at 1:27 PM

I just wish more people are watching this fantastic drama. It is so under-viewed! Which is a pity.

Required fields are marked *

13 TS

April 8, 2013 at 1:45 PM

I love this drama. I didn't think I'd love it this much, but I do.

That said, and I say this after having seen Ep. 20 too, I need it to wrap up now.

Oh yeah, and get Se Wang punched in that tiny, pursed-lips, SNL-Church-Lady mouth of his. Bastard.

Required fields are marked *

Delicatecloud

April 8, 2013 at 2:01 PM

LOL - does SNL stands for Satuday Night Live?

Required fields are marked *

TS

April 8, 2013 at 3:01 PM

Yep!

Required fields are marked *

14 annie

April 8, 2013 at 3:21 PM

Ahhhhh! It's the Truck of Doom! Couldn't Kwon have come up with a more clever (and less obvious) way to kill off Cha-don? But that would be less dramatic I suppose. And wouldn't allow Jae-in to figure out something was wrong on the other side of that conveniently timed phone call.

That small quibble aside, I was pinching myself in horror when Se-kwang figured out Cha-don's identity. It was kind of awesome in a scary way, how he used such a simple method in the end.

I like Jealous Cha-don. It was kind of satisfying to see Jae-in turn away, after all the mean things he's said to her. But I have a feeling that we'll see some confessing in the next episode. Near-death experiences tend to do that (I hope).

As long as Cha-don doesn't die. He won't die, there's still 5 episodes left.

Loved all your recaps up to this point, gummi, which I have been reading as I caught up! Thanks <3

Required fields are marked *

annie

April 8, 2013 at 3:37 PM

Also, why are people posting spoilers? :'( Even semi-spoilers kill me. (Am I just overly spoilerphobic?)

Required fields are marked *

TS

April 9, 2013 at 10:13 AM

It's not a spoiler to assume your hero will prevail, is it? Unless it's Kim Nam Gil, in which case, assume he's die horribly and you'll grieve.

Required fields are marked *

CaroleMcDonnell

April 8, 2013 at 4:55 PM

LOL! "less obvious way." That's what i love about these prosecutors. They seem to have a never-ending stream of baddies who are available to do their dirty work. I guess that's one of the perks of being a prosecutor/baddie. Not easy for the average person to find a murderous guy with a Truck o' Doom.

Required fields are marked *

ar

April 9, 2013 at 5:56 PM

After Kang-seok survived getting hit by a car (car-to-body) contact, why would he even think Cha-don would die getting hit by a car while he's in a car. Cha-Don wasn't even sitting in the seat behind the driver's seat. The worst they'll give him is whiplash, some cuts and scrapes, and maybe one broken bone. Since this is episode 19 of 24. Obviously, Cha-don survives and Prosecutor Kwon is incompetent.

And the poor taxi driver who appears to have just disappeared before the moment of impact... wut?

Required fields are marked *

15 DayDreamer

April 8, 2013 at 4:29 PM

Thanks for the recap, Gummimochi. I actually didn't watch the episode (life suddenly became busy) and since I lack patience, I decided the read the recap instead. Just have one thing to say:

Se Kwang has been the only one with the brain in the Traitagon. The rest of the members only served as his lackeys (although they didn't realize it) for him to gain access to multiple resources (media, prosecution, politics, and wealth). In a way, the show has been quite disappointing in not utilizing all these things to show how truly powerful he is. Instead it downplayed their importance and turned the revenge into a battle of wits. Although I enjoy that sort of stuff, I wish the battle of wits supplemented/complemented the importance of these resources and how pervasive they are.

Required fields are marked *

16 Delicatecloud

April 8, 2013 at 7:05 PM

It is implied in that Lee Cha Don embarked on his revenge after he has successfully secured his inheritance and he has the $$$ to implement his plans which would include buying a lot of favors and the resources to recruit "expertise" and buy off people. Cha Don in the earlier episodes strayed into amassing a fortune by becoming a corrupt prosecutor which now, in a way serves him well, in terms of having the right contacts at varying levels and in different walks of life. It is with money that Se Kwang could be so arrogant and play his "righteous" prosecutor role. He did not have to worry about money problems. Prosecutor Kwon became arrogant and sought to have more power and money as he rose in his ranks. It is like he is given a second chance in life when he gotten his greedy hands on his share of the loot. Both used their money to gain influence and power and they are not adverse to making more money from what they have. Money makes money - case in point: they focussed their greedy eyes on the savings bank when they know that Mayor Jung would be indicted. They knew money can buy you anything as they said "money can buy anything"