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Forest of Secrets: Episode 8

by Laica

The twists keep on coming. Every episode shocks and delights me in new ways, and each moment takes us in a new and unexpected direction. Shi-mok once again finds himself questioning things he once believed were proven facts as he continues to poke and prod at those around him to get the answers he seeks. Is the culprit who he thinks it is? Or could the truth be even uglier than he had imagined?

 
EPISODE 8 RECAP

Cornered in Park Kyung-wan’s dark bedroom trying to plant evidence, Dong-jae swears to Yeo-jin and Shi-mok that Chief Prosector Lee is the murderer. Shi-mok asks if Dong-jae’s saying that the chief prosecutor told him to throw a fake phone in the water and plant the real one here—does he have evidence to back up his claims?

Dong-jae acts offended and starts to yell, saying it they shouldn’t need evidence in a relationship like theirs (ha) and that they should be honest like men, instead of ignoring their instincts because of reasons and evidence. Yeo-jin rolls her eyes and says he’s being ridiculous.

Dong-jae turns to her and says none of this would have happened if she hadn’t mentioned Kyung-wan knowing Ga-young. Yeo-jin says she’s embarrassed for him before telling him to be a real man and come along to the police station.

When he still resists, she snaps, “That’s enough! Was Kang Jin-sub not enough for you? What would’ve happened if we didn’t catch you here? Kyung-wan would have gone to jail as a psycho who killed his father and stabbed a girl, blinded by jealousy. Do you have to stab someone to murder them? If we hadn’t caught you, you’d have killed Kyung-wan’s future.”

Soo-chan and the team leader arrive for the rendezvous with Dong-jae, and are stunned to see him being handcuffed. At Shi-mok’s nod, Yeo-jin puts the cuffs away, and they lead him out together.

Shi-mok is in charge of Dong-jae, while Yeo-jin takes Ga-young’s phone for analysis. As they drive, Dong-jae tries various appeals to Shi-mok’s reason and/or mercy: Dong-jae will be next on the murder list if all this comes out; he was just trying to prevent Chief Prosecutor Lee from committing more murders; his mother lives alone in the countryside and this will break her heart.

Shi-mok doesn’t react in the slightest, so Dong-jae changes tactics as he says that they can team up and catch the culprit together. He’ll accept his punishment afterward, but he begs Shi-mok not to tell Chief Prosecutor Lee.

Shi-mok remarks calmly that if Chief Prosecutor Lee harms Dong-jae once he finds out about all this, it will be proof that he’s the murderer. He says to Dong-jae, “Become the sacrificial lamb. Give up your life so we can catch the real culprit. Just as Park Kyung-wan was your sacrificial lamb, you will be mine.”

Dong-jae makes his excuses to Chief Prosecutor Lee at full speed, saying that it was all a misunderstanding and that he lost the chance to report in. Shi-mok cuts in and says that Dong-jae had told Soo-chan to meet him there to look for Ga-young’s phone, but Shi-mok and Yeo-jin witnessed Dong-jae wiping off his fingerprints and hiding the phone under the mattress.

Chief Prosecutor Lee points out that Dong-jae promised to take care of things and even exposed corruption in the military—but now, the police witnessed him trying to frame someone for murder. Lee asks angrily if he has to announce that prosecutors have fabricated evidence again as soon as he’s appointed. Throwing a flowerpot at Dong-jae’s head, Lee demands to know who else knows about this.

Yeo-jin’s team leader and Soo-chan receive a dressing-down from Police Chief Kim for beating Kyung-wan. Legally, they have to let him go in another day unless they charge him, but the team leader asks hopefully if they can get another two weeks so the bruises can heal. Chief Kim angrily dismisses them, and calls his friend to update him on the situation.

Chief Prosecutor Lee dismisses Dong-jae, then tells Shi-mok that Kyung-wan will be indicted for faking his alibi—but since he was following orders, they’ll delay it for two weeks (allowing the police to detain him until then, as Chief Kim asked). Shi-mok tries to explain that Kyung-wan has an alibi for Ga-young’s kidnapping, but Chief Prosecutor Lee repeats his order to suspend the indictment.

He tells Shi-mok that Dong-jae will be disciplined and taken off all of his cases, but he’s still to show up for work on time. He adds that Shi-mok should have told him that Dong-jae had Ga-young’s phone, and when Shi-mok says he hadn’t been certain about it, Chief Prosecutor Lee counters bluntly that it’s more like Shi-mok didn’t trust him.

He asks how Shi-mok knew that the phone Dong-jae threw in the water was fake, and Shi-mok says that someone with one extra phone might have others. He realized this during the press conference; the phone Dong-jae had recorded Commander Kim Nam-jin’s confession on was white, whereas his personal one was black (which he saw when he dialed Dong-jae to hear his ringtone). Besides, after knowing that Shi-mok searched his office, Dong-jae wouldn’t have disposed of Ga-young’s phone so openly.

Chief Prosecutor Lee wonders whether the fact that Dong-jae suspects him means he’s not the culprit, or if it’s simply a trick Dong-jae is using to divert suspicion from himself. Shi-mok says that in the same way the chief prosecutor is confused about whether Dong-jae is guilty, he’s telling himself that he’s not the culprit.

Chief Prosecutor Lee says that Shi-mok causes trouble for himself every time he opens his mouth, and the younger man apologizes. Chief Prosecutor Lee asks, “Are you really sorry? From the heart?” Shi-mok wonders at this unusual wording and asks why Lee used that specific phrasing. But Chief Prosecutor Lee just stares at him, thinking of what Yoon said about Shi-mok’s surgery.

Chief Prosecutor Lee tells Shi-mok to find out if Dong-jae is the culprit in either the murder or the stabbing. Shi-mok assents and adds (warns?) that he’ll be watching to see if any mishap befalls Dong-jae.

Yeo-jin searches for Kyung-wan all over the police station and eventually finds him with the team leader and Soo-chan, finally allowed to eat a hot meal. The two men lay it on thick, saying that they always knew Kyung-wan was innocent as they blame Dong-jae for everything. They even blame Kyung-wan for the extension of his detainment, saying it’s all because Kyung-wan set off Dong-jae’s temper by asking for a lawyer. Ugh.

Yeo-jin informs them that police will be able to retrieve everything from Kyung-wan’s phone, including deleted files. The team leader takes Yeo-jin aside and says that they’re to ignore what happened earlier today (Dong-jae’s arrest?), and reminds her that she was supposed to share whatever Shi-mok tells her.

Yeo-jin says that she didn’t know anything about Ga-young’s phone either; Shi-mok had simply asked her to meet him there. She promises to report whatever she finds out from now on before taking her leave.

She waits outside the door, and when Kyung-wan comes out with a uniformed officer, Yeo-jin takes over escort duty. She asks Kyung-wan why he deleted the picture of Ga-young, and why he lied. He says he was afraid he would become a suspect if the police saw the pictures, especially because he’d taken the pictures secretly, and apologizes.

Just then, Yeo-jin sees the bruises on the back of Kyung-wan’s neck and pulls back his collar to reveal more.

Yeo-jin races upstairs to where the chief’s office is, but she runs into Shi-mok on the way, who grabs her arm and says he needs to talk to her urgently. The go into an empty room, and Shi-mok says that Kyung-wan will be released in two weeks, so she should lie low until then. If she causes trouble again, he says, she’ll be excluded from the investigation.

Yeo-jin asks if she’s only allowed to make a scene when it will help their case but not on account of a kid who’s a nobody, because that would mean that Shi-mok would have to find someone new to investigate for him. “What I’m trying to say is that no one can replace you,” says Shi-mok. (Swooooon.)

Yeo-jin shows him the pictures she took of Kyung-wan’s bruised back and says almost disbelievingly that the kid only asked that she not tell his grandmother.

Yeo-jin: “I can’t understand why he let them do this to him. But my coworkers — completely normal people that I see every day — did something like this, and that’s what I’m struggling with more. I can’t accept it. Do you think they did such a thing because they were born evil? They’ve become like this because they can get away with it. They know people will turn a blind eye. If one person keeps his or her eyes wide open and speaks up, this can change.”

Shi-mok just says that whether Kyung-wan will be locked up for a little while or a long time is up to her; if she speaks up about what the police did, they’ll lock him up for longer in order to hide the fact that they detained an innocent man.

Yeo-jin asks how often people are told to make a “decision” like this, when in reality, they’re being forced into silence. When she refuses to compromise, Shi-mok suggests that in that case, they’ll leave the human rights investigation to an expert.

Cut to: Jung-bon arriving at the detention center where Kyung-wan is being sent early the next morning on Shi-mok’s request. He waits while the young man goes through the humiliating process of becoming an inmate, and when they do meet, Kyung-wan tells Jung-bon that he doesn’t want a lawyer. Jung-bon just smiles and assures him that he isn’t one.

Dong-jae watches from his private office as his case files are gathered up and confiscated. Shi-mok sets his phone to record and starts asking his questions, and Dong-jae tells him that he beat Shi-mok to Ga-young’s place by about twenty minutes, claiming that he saw her phone on the ground and picked it up. Shi-mok remarks that Dong-jae must pick up stuff from the ground a lot—or maybe he was close enough to the girl to recognize her phone immediately? Heh.

Dong-jae’s story is that she was gone when he got to her place, but he waited, figuring she’s come back, which was when he spotted the phone. He thought she’d call her phone to find it, so he decided not to wait around. Shi-mok asks why Dong-jae was so bent on meeting Ga-young, and he says he wanted to protect her, which was why he never told Chief Prosecutor Lee her address.

Dong-jae says that using a minor and then blackmailing those he bribed after the fact was CEO Park’s usual tactic, so he didn’t find it strange that Chief Prosecutor Lee wanted to track Ga-young down—until CEO Park died. He claims he was trying to warn Ga-young to hide before Chief Prosecutor Lee had her killed as well. When he didn’t hear from her all night, he’d assumed the man must have gotten to her after all.

Shi-mok asks flat-out if he kidnapped and stabbed Ga-young. Dong-jae scoffs before saying that lots of people accepted bribes from CEO Park, but there was only one person that Dong-jae reported to that night about finding Ga-young: Chief Prosecutor Lee. He tells Shi-mok to be careful about challenging the chief prosecutor, or he’ll end up the same way.

Eun-soo arrives with a seizure order just signed by the chief prosecutor himself and declares them both suspects before she asks for Dong-jae’s car keys. She retrieves the chip from his black box camera and shows it to Shi-mok—it matches Dong-jae’s story. His call record shows a call made to Chief Prosecutor Lee at 7:47 p.m., before the incident happened, which Eun-soo says would allow him time to contact an accomplice.

Shi-mok asks why she’s sharing information with a suspect, and Eun-soo replies that she doesn’t care what the chief prosecutor wants. He asks if he can trust her and make her his right hand woman, and she agrees eagerly. He immediately takes back the offer, saying he’d cut off a right arm like her.

Eun-soo grows upset, and he points out that if she feels so betrayed after just a minute, how does she think Dong-jae would feel after being loyal for ten years? He’s certain now that Dong-jae is the culprit.

At her unhappy reaction, he wonders whether she knows something else or saw something the day she followed him. She denies following him past the lobby, and he says it’s a shame that she didn’t, since she could’ve witnessed something important. She nervously leaves, and Shi-mok asks his clerks if they have a weapon. They give him a gun, but warn him not to use it.

Eun-soo texts Dong-jae that she knows that he was trying to kill Ga-young, telling him to check the CCTV for that day. He calls her angrily, and Eun-soo says that he must have been notified by his accomplice to come here and pick up Ga-young’s phone. Realizing where she is, he goes to that street to confront her.

Dong-jae finds Eun-soo there waiting, and she tells him to dump everything on Chief Prosecutor Lee. He’s surprised, but she says that she’s been waiting a long time for this chance, and threatens to tell Shi-mok that Dong-jae is the culprit if he doesn’t do as she says.

Panicking, Dong-jae covers her mouth, but she throws him off. He stares at her and asks, “Was it you?” She just tells him to frame Chief Prosecutor Lee and his father-in-law, by any means necessary.

Dong-jae says that Lee and his father-in-law are rich and powerful enough to escape punishment, and in the end, he and Eun-soo will just get killed. Eun-soo is unmoved by the thought of her own death, and coldly says that Dong-jae’s giving her no choice but to report that she saw him with his accomplice.

He grabs her so hard that he rips her shirt before dragging her into an alley. She struggles, hitting him with her briefcase, but he’s much stronger and overpowers her. In the heat of the moment, he wraps his hands around her throat and squeezes until she stops struggling and falls to the ground.

Appearing shocked by his own actions, Dong-jae nervously shakes her and asks if she’s okay. She coughs, and he sags in relief. “You really didn’t do it, right? You didn’t kill him,” Eun-soo rasps. Dong-jae says that he didn’t, and she says that she knew it before rising to her feet. He asks if she’s colluding with Shi-mok, but she denies it.

A bedraggled Eun-soo goes to Shi-mok’s place and tells him that she’s sure now that Dong-jae isn’t a killer, or she wouldn’t be standing in front of him now. She says that she’ll explain the rest tomorrow and leaves, but is soon back to ask for clothing to change into so that her mother won’t ask questions. In true Shi-mok fashion, he just tells her to make up an excuse, but in the end, he gives her a sweater, glimpsing the marks on her neck.

She soon rings the bell again—this time to ask for a place to change. Once she’s done, he suggests that Dong-jae might have realized it was a trap and stopped halfway, but Eun-soo is adamant that he didn’t know, and that even if he did, he would have killed her anyway if he thought he was about to be caught. Shi-mok says that Dong-jae might be much more calculating than they thought; what if he thought that he (Shi-mok) was there?

Eun-soo says that she wishes Shi-mok had been there, since he would believe her if he saw it. When he doesn’t answer, she assumes that Shi-mok is having doubts now because of her, and smiles happily.

Shi-mok goes for a run once she’s gone, and we see the scene in the alley from his perspective. He was there after all, watching from behind a corner, gun at the ready. He’d arrived just as Eun-soo started coughing. Now, he observes that she’s revealed how much she wants the chief prosecutor’s family to be guilty with her actions. If she’s willing to use her own life as bait, he wonders, what value would she have for the lives of others?

Eun-soo texts with a song in exchange for lending her the sweater (since she’d made a comment about how he always sits in silence). It’s a song about breaking up with a lover, and we see that she too is listening to it at home as she hangs up the washed sweater. Shi-mok frowns and turns off the music.

Gun tells Yeo-jin that the NFS recovered only selfies from Ga-young’s phone. Then, rookie Soon-chang calls her to the Park house, where Mom is cleaning up, and she tells Yeo-jin that she’ll live here with Kyung-wan once he gets out. As Yeo-jin leaves, she mutters that Mom would die if she knew what happened to the kid, and Soon-chang asks Yeo-jin if she’s talking about how Kyung-wan was beaten.

He apologizes for not stopping it, although he says he wasn’t actually there. She tells him that the author of a famous comic (she calls him the main character’s dad, haha) said that you can draw anything, except what violates basic human rights. Thus, she cautions that even their pride as members of the police shouldn’t allow them to commit acts even cartoon characters are protected from.

The next day, all the phones at the prosecutor’s office start to go crazy at once. Chief Prosecutor Lee is at a public event with his wife, but they go home separately, and she texts him to agree to everything her father says and to let her take care of things.

It turns out that news has broken about CEO Park bribing many prosecutors before his death, although their names were not mentioned by the anonymous informant. Chief Prosecutor Lee calls the section chiefs into his office and tells them to keep security tight and everyone quiet.

He meets the prosecutor general and Chairman Lee at the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office, apologizing profusely to both. But, he says that the reports are false, and denies ever meeting CEO Park.

Afterward, the two Lee family members wonder why the anonymous letter lacked details and was sent to the Sungmoon Daily newspaper in particular. Chairman Lee tells his son-in-law to pause their plan to frame Shi-mok for the whole thing, since it would look strange at this point for the culprit to commit suicide. (Eek!)

Chief Prosecutor Lee says that Shi-mok suspects him, and Chairman Lee says he shouldn’t have picked someone so smart, although there’s one even smarter: He tells the younger man to make sure to tell Yeon-jae what he did for him. Huh, seems both men live in fear of displeasing her.

Yeo-jin meets Shi-mok at a pojangmacha, eager to hear his theory about the culprit. He tells her to get ramyun, frowning at his udon. She tastes his soup and casually pours a bit of water in it, and he nods at the improvement in taste.

Shi-mok says that the culprit must have been waiting for this moment, guessing that his anger that CEO Park’s crimes weren’t exposed after his death must have prompted the attack on Ga-young, as well as her conspicuously dropped phone at the scene, and now this tip to the news.

Yeo-jin says she was unable to tell Mom what happened to Kyung-wan, and Shi-mok says she’ll see it on the news. She looks narrowly at him (and he adorably imitates her) and asks if he leaked the information. He reminds her that the informant is the culprit, but she says to tell her now if it’s him. When he says he isn’t the culprit, she raises her glass to him.

Shi-mok frowns and asks why she believes he’s telling the truth. She says that she doesn’t, and makes an “I’m watching you” gesture with her fingers. He smiles—a real smile. Eeeeee! She notices and tells him that he has a pretty smile. She takes out her notebook to draw another terrible sketch, but he stops her: “Don’t give me any more gifts.” LOL.

Yeo-jin says that the more they find out, the more it seems like the culprit suffered because of the bribes, rather than receiving them.

The next morning, Jung-bon texts Shi-mok: I’m starting. You might be affected. He goes to meet Kyung-wan, who has been released. News breaks of the torture Kyung-wan faced at the hands of the police, including pictures provided by Jung-bon.

Chief Prosecutor Lee calls a meeting with all the higher-level prosecutors and announces a special investigation into corruption at the prosecutor’s office. He announces that the prosecutor in charge will be be someone who will be fair and unbiased, and will report directly to the prosecutor general to root out the corruption that now seems to be rampant in the prosecutor’s office.

He announces the name of the prosecutor in charge: Hwang Shi-mok.

 
COMMENTS

Wow. First of all, Eun-soo. I’ve been suspicious of her ever since it was revealed that she was the last person seen with CEO Park before his death, but she continues to reveal new layers, and for the first time, I believe her capable of murder. Her manipulation of Dong-jae revealed a cold, sharp Eun-soo that we’ve barely glimpsed before this, and she was so ruthless in provoking Dong-jae in order to prove her point that I now think that every time we saw her acting flustered or weak has been a cover.

I said in the previous recap that Dong-jae’s ease with violence is a sign that he lacks moral limits, but maybe he does have just one — according to Eun-soo, at least. I’m inclined to believe that Dong-jae is telling the truth in that one instance, although it’s also true that if he was unable to murder, it would conveniently fit into Eun-soo’s narrative about the Lee family. It’s hard to tell whether she’s the real killer, is working with them, or simply doesn’t care who it is as long as the the Lee family goes down for it.

I was also puzzled by the song she sent Shi-mok—was it a declaration of her feelings? A farewell to her one-sided love? That was so weird, and nothing Eun-soo does is innocent, so I wonder what her objective was. Maybe all these innuendos and late-night invasions into Shi-mok’s privacy have no real feelings behind them, and are simply a tactic to confuse and seduce him out of his mistrust of her.

Yeo-jin, on the other hand, had her own conflict with Shi-mok over means and methods, and I was proud of her impassioned speech about the slow creep of evil and how easily one can be convinced to ignore it. As she said, it’s a slippery slope down to hell, and one that’s often first approached with good intentions.

I love her unwillingness to compromise on human rights even if everything else is negotiable, and although Shi-mok didn’t agree with her, I’m glad that he respected her decision to pursue justice, and even provided her with Jung-bon’s help (I really hope that dude is legit). One of the many things I enjoy about Yeo-jin is how she stands in for the audience and speaks truths to other characters that are so refreshing to hear, breaking the otherwise constant tension of suspicion, unease, and double meanings. She has such a great mix of passion and practicality, toughness and compassion, and it makes her both an excellent policewoman and the perfect friend.

That scene at the pojangmacha is my favorite to date. As the drama progresses, Shi-mok and Yeo-jin have gone from strangers to two people who can communicate without words; there are so many scenes in this episode alone where they speak to each other with a single glance, and their conversation over noodles perfectly exemplified that. They’ve always been honest with each other, but now they’ve learned to read each other’s body language in the way of old friends, and I love it. Also, THAT SMILE. Not only do I agree with Yeo-jin that it was very pretty, the fact that it was prompted by the implication that she trusts him completely just warms my heart. It’s also a nice echo of his confession earlier in the episode that she’s irreplaceable to him.

I’m choosing to ignore the disturbing hints that Shi-mok may not be as trustworthy as we want him to be, because I can’t handle even the thought of what that might mean. I want him to be the hero! I know some people have posited the theory that either he or Yeo-jin are lying to us or to each other. Everything is possible in this show, so I’m not ruling anything out even if it would tear me up, but right now Eun-soo makes my spidey senses tingle the most, as does Yeon-jae, especially considering the revelation that not only does her husband live under her thumb, her father is equally weak to her whims. And how great is it that I spent the last few paragraphs discussing not one, but three interesting, smart, complex female characters? So much love for this show.

 
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Tags: Bae Doo-na, Forest of Secrets, Jo Seung-woo, Lee Jun-hyuk, Shin Hye-sun

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Cheers to thr Forest of Secrets writer for not forgoing plot for character development and vice versa. Just well done.

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Shi Mok's hair when he jogs. Shi Mok's lips when he smiles. And why was there the sound of a shower but no actual shower scene of Shi Mok?

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I am sooooo grateful for the LACK of shower scenes. they have zero place in this awesomely crafted kdrama

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This episode was just hilarious at the start. Dong-Jae completely throwing his boss under the bus, idiot cop turning to his boss "I think we're screwed" and then yes, please die, it will be useful evidence.

But mainly ' I think we're screwed'

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Yup audience is going crazy. 38 task force has +ve twists but here each twist shakes your heart and you start to think what next? Withing 2 days i have watched all aired 8 episodes and i'm unable to grasp whom to trust or whom not. You just can't take anyone's words at face value except for our Kind-Heart Smart Heorine.
Yeo Jin is one of the Kdrama female character that has won my heart.

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Yowch, Dong-jae derailing is sure not pretty to look at! His desperate cajoling/begging is really too much, was wondering whether he put on an act in front of Shi-mok or is he really that super pathetic.
And those idiot cops feeding Kyung-wan after beating him (in places hidden by clothes), ugh, makes me feel like gargling over the bad taste they left in my mouth.

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In this episode, my heart broke alongside Yeo-jin's. I'm disappointed just as she is horrified. What she said I think is the core message of this show: when corruption is all around you, everyone is taking part in it. Her co-workers who she's trusted with her life in previous cases, because of pressure from a higher up, abuse a defenseless and disenfranchised young man. My hurt especially when she repeated his request, "don't tell my grandma".

This episode is about grey areas. What does it say about me that my esteem for Dong-jae rose sizably when he almost collapsed with relief after realizing Eun-soo was still alive? Just because he's scared of the consequences of killing someone, that somehow make a him a better person in my eyes? Regardless, he's not the one-dimensional villain that will stoop to anything to accomplish his goals. He'll stoop to ALMOST anything.

Chief prosecutor Lee's wife is similarly shown a more human side in this episode. She's still ruthless and cold, but she seems to genuinely care about her husband. Which makes me wonder how much of their marriage is him manipulating her to help with his career.

On the subject of grey areas, can we talk about Yeo-jin's convo with Shi-mok? Where he is ready to toe the murky waters of moral grey area for the sake of releasing the boy earlier? It's so poignant because he has been so righteous so far, but even he is willing to let things slide for the bigger picture. I think after this episode that I find Yeo-jin to better fit the drama's description of a morally upright person in a corrupt world. She is unyielding in her principles. Who's to say whether Shi-mok or Yeo-jin are right?

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My frustration sometimes with the portrayal of Korean corruption is that it's black or white when "grey areas" is probably the right idea. We saw previously how the Chief Pros found himself sucked in with one dinner gone bad. I also liked that Dong Jae is portrayed as a suck up and corrupt but not a murderer (well so far).

With regard to Shi-mok's willingness to compromise about the release of the grandson, I thought it was specifically for the young man's own good, but I liked that she forced him into making a decision. Such a solid drama so far.

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I kept on thinking why does Dong Jae and Chief has more screen time than Yeo Jin. But both guys bring so much onto the table and keep Shi-Mok busy that it directly reflect the Seoul city. bad stuff all around because majority of them have compromised their morals and ethics = more screen time.
Rare goodness and uptight Yeo Jin = less screen time.
Simply put - quantifying ideology of Main characters.

I won't say Shi-Mok is almighty righteous force. he has seen much and even these few weeks has has come across many things. He Treat every event logically and take the best route possible.

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The conflict between Yeo-Jin and Shi-Mok showed how well these two characters are written. Both Shi-Mok and Yeo-Jin reacted in line with their characters. As soon as Chief Prosecutor Lee got of the phone with his Police Chief buddy, Shi-Mok knew something shady was going to down. He weighed his options and chose the best option, to keep his head down so he can pursue the case. When Yeo-Jin informed him of Kyung-Man's assault, he again weighed the options and chose the best one from his point of view (2 weeks detention vs indefinite detention). His reaction is consistent with how he has behaved so far in the series.
Yeo-Jin too reacted very much as she has in the past. She has repeatedly shown that while she is flexible there are some areas that are definite no-nos for her. He anger and wish to seek justice is very much in line with her previous actions. But waht was interesting was how they resolved it.
Due to Yeo-Jin's influence Shi-Mok was able to see that Kyung-Wan needs more than physical safety (release from prison). At the same time due to Shi-Mok's interference Yeo-Jin was able to see that there could be potential problems for Kyung-wan himself rather than just for her for bringing it to the Prosecutors.
It is as if Shi-Mok is able to perceive physical threats but not emotional ones and Yeo-Jin shines a light on those hidden parts. Yeo-Jin is still the more balanced of the two but Shi-Mok's detachment could help her see things that her emotions might be blocking from her.
In the end the compromise they achieved had both Shi-Mok and Yeo-Jin be a little bit in moral grey area (she did agree to let Kyung-Wan stay in prison for two weeks). It truly is fascinating to watch!

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Thanks @laica for the recap!

This episode is one my favorite so far.I get to see how badass (or crazy it depends on you) is my girl Eun Soo. Revengeful or not, she is no weak character or damsel in detress and I love that.

The previous episode was mostly a setup for this one so we are finally able to see how things have changed. Shi Mok is now in charge of the investigation about the corruption in the prosecution and even though it's a bold and surprising move coming from the Chief Prosecutor, I don't suspect him no less, I assume he did it because he wanted to buy some time and also in order to come clean to the citizens because Shi Mok already has the public sympathy.

But after this episode, Eun Soo also is more suspect than ever. She truly wants to destroy Chief Lee and his father in law and the question is how far is she willing to go? Today she showed that she could risk her life for her revenge and if you asked me just two days ago, I would have certainly told you that she is so blinded by her revenge that she would sacrifice others persons too. But I am not even sure anymore (the show is really playing ping pong with my head). She is reckless but I can't imagine her going to such lenghts. The fact that she did'nt show remorse after the convict suicide and just focused on her pain to the extent of willing that the truth never come out is truly the only thing that makes me doubt her.

About See Dong Jae, I know he is a baddie but I can't actually dislike him. The scence at the beginning was so funny. This guy really got no shame. I loved Shi Mok's witty answers.

I have never took the time to talk about Shi Mok and Yeo Jin interactions but their friendship is really wonderful. There is that complementarity between them that reminds me of Sherlock and Watson's relationship and I love that. That scence at the restaurant was beautifully shot and when I watched it again at youtube, I thought it was a waste that I got to watch it with subs in the first place. Because it was so much better without them. I got to focus on their expressions and it was wonderful. I truly felt YJ's disappointment when SM refused her drawing and I enjoyeeeed seeing Shi Mok smile. Besides--- she is right, he does have a pretty smile.

That being said, this drama is really good. It must be the first time that I am shipping a couple while enjoying the other couple moments too.

I want to talk about so many things but I don't have enough time so I'll just wait for your wonderful comments beanies!

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Unlike you and Laica, I ruled out Eun-soo after this episode. Yes, she's extremely cold-blooded and determined and she would kill without a second thought if that is necessary, but all what we've seen from her so far indicates that she didn't have a reason to commit either murder. If she was the culprit, Lee would be in jail right now.

I also don't think Eun-soo is faking anything. To me, she's basically a geek. She lacks real life experience and is a bit of a socially awkward person, and at the same time she can _really_ focus on the stuff that is important to her (so much so as to casually throw away her own life to prove a theory).

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This is also my impression. I grow less and less suspicious of her the more layers she reveals. I would just consider her a very determined person with a single-tracked mind geared toward revenge (with a hint of romantic attraction to Shi-mok perhaps). To me she's still a lone wolf that is learning to navigate her way in the labyrinth of the prosecutor office, and Shi-mok is like the straw that she wants to hold on to because she knows that he knows more than she does about the place and people there, and she needs that first and foremost in him for her revenge purposes.

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Interesting. I am actually the opposite. The stunt she played this episode made me more suspicious of her. I have yet to rule her out as a prime suspect. Which, is probably what the show wants. We the viewer can really only trust Shi-mok and Yeo-jin.

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I in other hand, suspect CP Lee more and more after this episode. Everything really goes his way, even in this case about prosecutor corruption. Last episode, the show really emphasize his need to clean up everything that dirty in his life, from the wallet that he rip to the statement (forget who, Dong Jae maybe) that CP Lee want to wash his past.

What if, what if, this actually his plan to clean up prosecutor office? After the (non detailed) corruption news blow up, his words really catch my interest. All the prosecutor need to be careful, don't hang out in shady place and stuff. And after that, he with excuse to respond to corruption rumor, set up and independent division for corruption eradication. With Shi Mok as the head, the one you cannot corrupt...

But I also think that, CP Lee never "dirty" his hand. Probably his wife because of her jealousy.

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I suspect Pros. Lee as well. His motive would be a "righteous" one. One sin in order to right all the many sins.

I suspect his wife is involved somehow. Jealousy could be part of her motivation. She point blank knows he doesn't love her and is only with him because of who her father is.

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@umbrellaman If the subs on the version I watched are right, Lee said that if chairman lee weren't her father he would have thrown him away long ago. By that i presumed he actually likes her.

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@jongeeG.
Why do you think she didn't have a motive? PMS partipated in her father's downfall and he belittled her the day before he was killed. She could have killed him out of anger. Besides the attempted murder(?) against GY puts the chief prosecutor in a bad position and he is the one she wants to punish the most.
"If she was the culprit, Lee would be in jail right now." How?

Honestly, I hope you're right. I wouldn't mind if she was the mastermind but I think I prefer this option.

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Oh, she has plenty of motive. But his murder doesn't match her personality. She's neither particularly impulsive nor a strategic schemer. She's more of a cut-to-the-chase kind of person.

We also see that she is still learning about Shi-mok, and she is willingly being used by him, which again matches neither the accidental nor the obsessed-with-Shi-mok lines of the murderer's respective profiles. The only way she could be the murderer is if Shi-mok's conclusions so far were completely wrong, or the show has been lying about Eun-soo all the time (even when Eun-soo had no reason to pretend because only we, the audience, saw what she was doing).

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You're suddenly makind doubt! u_u
If I take things at face value, it seems like you're right, the show did present her like this. Now I think I seriously need to rewatch the episodes or at least re-read the recaps. I'm afraid now that I have over-analyzed her .... and also that I have been influenced by all the comments online depicting her as manupilative, evil and so on.

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I am not ruling out Eun soo completely. But I disagree with Shi mok when he contemplated that if Eunsoo could barter her own life to achieve her ends, she could do worse with other people's lives. I think most people would be very hesitant with playing with other people's lives( especially presumably innocent people like the tv repair guy) in order to exact their revenge but would be relatively more open to bartering their own lives for the cause.

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Not that I agree with Shi-mok, but I take it that he's assessing her from him POV and interpreting her actions through his lens. Judging how he is in the empathy department (saying to the husband in the hospital, 'She's dead' and still not springing to action right away even when Eun-Soo went down), I understand why he thinks so about her. That's why I don't base my assessment of Eun-Soo based on his POV, since within that context, such evaluation of Eun-Soo's motive and his prediction of her next course of action is also twisted.

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I think chief prosecutor Lee just made with this nomination his decisive move in order to frame Shi Mok. He will be totally isolated in the office, hated by his colleagues, and under the public's attention with a high possibility that the sympathy he will have at first could turn in one night in hate, making his life hell again but with the risk this time to ruin his career for good.

Eun Soo has for me been set to become a lone wolf, so obsessed now that she can turn against anyone at anytime. Her actions in this episode didn't show mental strength but the explosion of all the limits that she could have. Coming back from death and worrying about your clothes and what excuses give to mum without showing any sign of ptsd or fear is a strong clue for me that she's unhinged. Shi Mok said to her father that he wouldn't be able to control her, and in a way he was right except he's the one who made her worse and was never showed regretting the consequences of his manipulations on her. She didn't kill CEO Park or attacked Ga Young , but i expect her to assault someone at one point. I hope it won't be Yeo Jin, because of her closeness with Shi Mok and her work in the investigation.

I'm the opposite of you: i really can't with Dong Jae. The way he bullies and harrass and assault women is just off putting for me, no matter how funny the writing try to make him.

Yeo Jin and Shi Mok's scenes work so well because of the fantastic chemistry between Bae Doo Na and Jo Seung Woo. However, i must have watched too many bts with them because i felt during thr ramen scene that i was watching the actors more than the characters...

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I though the same too about the Chief Prosecutor but I struggled with the how so I let that idea down but now that you're detailing things, I can see him think this way.

Totally agree about Shi Mok. For an emotionless guy, he sure is determined to solve this case. Enough, to turn a blind on the injustice which was facing PMS's son and to risk Eun Soo life. He manipulated her to confront Seo Dong Jae and didn't bother rescuing her when she was being strangled.

Maybe because I just like too much the show? Oddly enough, there is no character that I dislike and even though I doesn't like what he is doing, at the end I just think about the stellar job of the cast and I brush it off. For sure, I wouldn't react the same way IRL.

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But i share your love for the show!:) It's fantastic that you enjoy every character too! And the acting is clearly on top level from all the cast. It's just that when Dong Jae shows up on my screen, i can't help but think of the 1001 ways he could die... :)

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"But i share your love for the show"
This is one absolute truth that I don't doubt!^^
It's just in line with my character I guess. I tend to be quite blinded when I like a show.
Lol I can understand if I take things logically, SDJ is really an asshole and in other circumstances I would feel the same.

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I agree about Eun-soo being unhinged.
After what she was willing to go through with Dong-jae just to prove her point, she seems even more single-minded. Wanting to prove that her father was innocent isn't a bad sentiment, but she is so obsessed with it that she even disregards any harm that might come to her and what that might mean for the people who actually care about her. She is smart and cunning, but unlike Dong-jae, she "isn't afraid of death". And for a character like her, who is so thirsty for revenge, crossing the fear of death off her list leaves her with a lot of options and less obstacles on how to carry out said revenge. Add her tenacity to all of that, and you have a person who is quite scary.

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I like a lot your analysis, because it feels true to the character but since i love her most than any other character, i'm becoming a lot anxious about her future...
We have never discussed so far in the recaps the death of one the main characters, she seems to me to have taken the first place on the list of potential victim, especially because the police chief and Chief Prosecutor Lee have discussed the fact that they are suspicious of her and if it would be useful to get ride of her...

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This is why I never watch bts until the drama ends. This was my mistake with W.

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It was indeed a bad idea. I didn't do this mistake with Signal and Misaeng but i binge watched those shows.
Watching live without having anything else to soften the wait between each week had made an addict. I needed something to keep myself going...

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Agreed that Chief Prosecutor's nomination will hinder Shi-mok more than it helps him. Even if Shi-mok manage to uncover truth, the chief can still discredit him with disclosing fact of his surgery and "brain problem".

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I agree with you on everything. I have to say though I'm not particularly interested in Eun-soo as a character. I feel like she's following a pretty predictable trajectory so far and, I don't know. I'm not sure why so many beanies find her so fascinating.

To me, she's simply 3 words: clever but brash. Her father was right in saying that she's smart but trusts too much in her own cleverness. So far, she acts only to seek emotional gratification and when she doesn't get her way she throws tantrums. It'll be interesting to see how she evolves (if she does) but right now, I just find her immature.

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yes to everything in this recap! thank you laura! i'm excited about these strong women—and not only strong but so complex, multi-dimensional! they have motives and means and brains and feelings and skills. ???and i love how SM respects YJs compassion and outrage about the beating, even finding a way to answer her concerns (i too hope that Jung-bon is legit). and then there was oh everything about the scene at the ramen/udon place—i loved her energy when she ran in, how comfortable and natural she is with him, how he's learning to be the same, and of course THAT SMILE ❤️❤️❤️

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oh no! autocorrect changed laica to laura. i'm so embarrassed. so sorry!!!

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Lol why being embarrassed?! It's merely a mistake. It happens to everybody. It's no big deal (to my POV)! :)

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@laica Girl i waited a long time for this recap just to see your reaction to his smile .. hehehe !!
Refreshed dramabeans every few hours.
This show is off the charts.. its so good.. a lot of people are missing out on this amazing show. Tell your friends about this show people !!

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I so love this show! Finally two strong female characters that i can behind. They are just as smart if not smarter than the men in this show.

@laica Wonderful recap! Thank you so much.

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I hope, I really really hope that his friend is a good person. Though Yeo jin will be there for si mok, it is always nice to have one more genuine person around him.
At the same time, I wish Eun Soo will stay away from Si mok. She makes me anxious for him. Even in the case, she is not involved in the murder and even if her only wish is to 'rightfully' avenge her father I always have this feeling that she will mess up things for our hero.
I wished he didn't say no to yeo jin's gift. I don't think he got much gifts or appreciation while growing up and obviously, there is a little story behind her hobby. I felt sad when he refused her.
Seo deon Jae's eyes are so creepily fishy that I don't think I will ever be able to appreciate him in a positive role
And finally, this is the first time I am commenting on FoS thread and I am so happy to have caught up with all the eps.

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"I’m choosing to ignore the disturbing hints that Shi-mok may not be as trustworthy as we want him to be,........"
@laica What do you mean by that, what were those hints? Maybe I missed something and also I didn't read the earlier recaps or comments....so can somebody kindly explain it a little.

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For Shi-mok, it's actually a good thing that Eun-soo doesn't stay away, that she is in fact willing to be used by Shi-mok for all kinds of stuff (like being send on a suicide mission - he played her brilliantly to get her to do it, btw) he couldn't have done himself.

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He pushed her too far this time and she became more reckless and a lone wolf than ever (if the song means really that she did let go of him).
It will eventually blow up to his face and he might even get hurt in the process.

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About your last sentence @coolgirl, it reminded me of the long trailer that tvN realeased. I remember seeing Shi Mok in what looked an ICU and I got the impression that it was Eun Soo who got hurt. They showed her mum crying and her father apparently sad/shocked just after.
Here is the link if you want to check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ_ApIHEYg8

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Thanks Mina for the link!:)
Oh God you're right!:( but i can't say more: i don't want to spoil the show...

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WHOA rewatching this trailer is giving all sorts of spoilers. Watch at your discretion!

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I'm not sure if Shi-Mok manipulated Eun-Soo. I first saw it that way too but then when I thought back to some of the events in the previous episodes I sort of changed my mind. My theory is that after his conversation with her, he realized that she would do something drastic to prove her point and that it why he got the gun to what he could to protect her. He had decided that he cannot convince her by discussing it rationally (she was pretty adamant about Dong Jae not being the culprit) and so decided he will do what he can and was probably late in getting to the location where Eun-Soo and Dong-Jae were arguing. This jives with what he told her father in an earlier episode that he could take a bullet for her but he can't control her.

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I don't buy your "innocent mistake" theory for one second. Just look at his very blatant and repeated "too bad you didn't witness it, because if you had ..." towards Eun-soo. That's not something Shi-mok says just for fun, it's how Eun-soo got the idea how to approach Dong-jae, and Shi-mok got to get the gun right after that conversation.

I'm sorry, but your "Shi-mok is a bumbling fool" theory doesn't fly with me.

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The theory is more about timing rather than "Shi-Mok is a bumbling fool". Why couldn't the questions he asked Eun-Soo about what she saw be about him finding out what she knew and not egging her on? He is definitely suspicious of her motives and the whole conversation between Shi-Mok and Eun-Soo about whether Dong Jae started with Shi-Mok asking her why she was sharing her findings with him when he's also a suspect. Shi-Mok has done questionable things (choking the taxi driver) and he still might be manipulating her. I'm just not sure at this point. As I was watching the episode I was convinced that he was manipulating her. But after thinking more about it and thinking back about the previous episodes, I wasn't sure. It shows that writers are doing a good job keeping the audience guessing.

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I agree with you, Kasumi. I've never really questioned Shi-mok as the hero, actually, so I'd be surprised if this went the unreliable narrator route. I feel that doesn't fit in with how this story is told and the way this show tries to make us sympathize with his character. Shi-mok is reluctant to trust anyone (rightly so, in my opinion) and I think he was trying to get Eun-soo to reveal what she knew. It was obvious from her reaction that she was going to do something sketchy without telling him, so he followed her with a weapon (probably because he thought she might recklessly confront someone dangerous or do something illegal herself). He was sneaking up to the building with his gun when he saw her on the ground, so I don't think he passively stood by while she was assaulted. He can respond in cold, calculating ways, but he has his own moral code, and I don't think he anticipated what unfolded. Has he actually done anything deliberately cruel? He is insensitive and he shows little tolerance or sympathy for his more manipulative colleagues. Still, that doesn't make him a potential villain in my book, even if he appears to play along with the actual villains.

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I was really looking forward to another drawing of Shi Mok smiling by Yeo-jin. Oh, well.

I'm glad they are on the same page because Shi Mok needs someone to rely on.

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Yeah, I was a bit disappointed I didn't get to see what she thought his smiling face looked like, although I'm glad they subverted audience expectations to keep it fresh. Maybe next time? ^^

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Thank you for the excellent recap; I completely agree with you....so much love for this show!!

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Off topic a little, I just want to say how happy I am to see the actress who plays Eun Soo in a part like this. I liked her well enough in Five Children and so glad she is able to show an entirely different performance in this drama. In the drama, I'm really liking that she has her own agenda and doesn't appear to be straying from that at all.

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Not off topic at all.....Shin Hye Sun, I am so glad that she took on this role. These well written female characters are so hard to come by.
Maybe I am going off topic but even the most popular drama actresses by ratings gold standard rarely stray from their comfort zone and even if they do, its mostly really near their usual territory. Look at the casting process in general, lead roles often go to the popular faces regardless of acting ability and most of the times they disappoint on acting and yet they are cast again and again until they hone their skills. People who start of from playing secondary roles, on the other hand have to work relentlessly from project to project to find one good role that makes them shine bright beyond others. In the midst of all this drawbacks, I am glad she took on such a complex role, held on to it and is able to shine in it while being surrounded by Changmuro veterans, she has my respect for this. I look forward to her future projects. I hope she can venture into films too given the reviews she is getting right now.

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I agree: she's a great actress, perfectly cast for this role. Her performance is thrilling: i keep looking for her scenes.
I love too the chemistry that she has with Jo Seung Woo: their verbal sparring full of unresolved sexual tension are a joy to watch...

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Often I find in k-drama that the character actors and supporting characters are more the interesting roles. I know it is the be all and end all to be a "lead" in a drama, but so many are the same old thing. I think perhaps the goal should be to become a successful working actor, not so much a star. I just hope financially it is a feasible goal.

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She's playing the part really well isnt she? im also wondering whether it was good casting too...whether the actress's innocent looks make her acting in this role even more credible

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She is actually in a film called "A Day" with the charismatic Kim Myung-min, Byun Yo-han and Yoo Jae-myung (Chief Prosecutor Lee Chang-joon).
It's currently showing at the Korean theatres after debuting at the Cannes festival this year and met with positive reviews.

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6LJhfVk6u8

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-south-korean-film-a-day-sells-multiple-territories-1011010

Looking forward to it!

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@laica thank you so much for the recap. I've been patiently waiting for this.
I too am going to mostly rave about two very well written female characters that we have in this show. It has been ages since I've seen strong, independent, bad-ass woman characters on screen who are driven by ambition, greed, revenge, ideals and not by love. Layered, multi-dimensional women who stand out in the midst of so many other great characters.
Lets talk about Yeo Jin, I love, love, love how uncompromising she is on her ideals and how she truly cares for the system and the sanctity of their position as law-enforcement officials. She is right, people who are supposed to protect the law themselves bend the law as they know they can get away with it. If you know you can get away with it once, you'll do that over an over again. I liked how she still wasn't unreasonable and stubborn to the point of hurting her own cause. When the system itself is corrupt to a degree and is holding you back, sometimes you need to take the longer route to get to the point. I am glad how Shi Mok was the one who provided her with that path. I still don't trust Shi Mok's friend. He feels a bit shady to me for some weird enough reason. Still, he was useful in this episode. I also am increasingly loving the easy dynamic of friendship, trust and partnership developing between Yeo Jin and Shi Mok. Shi Mok calling her irreplaceable and later calling her out for no reason at all to eat was two big steps forward for him. And, that smile, lets not forget that smile. Jo Seung Woo always had a great smile that can win your heart so that smile!
Now, Eun Soo, what is she? How much of what she does is authentic and how much of is manipulation?? I am very conflicted to give her character a label. How many layers of mask does she have on?? I don't know whether to brand her as a dark character or a grey character. She went ridiculously far to prove her point. I can only confirm one thing, her resentment for Lee family knows no bound and she wants to destroy them at all cost. She almost died while trying to get Shi Mok to believe that Lee family is involved in these murders. She is also no weak, damsel in distress. She has a set goal and she is willing to give it her all including her life. What are her nerves made of?? Her only concern post almost being choked to death was asking for clothes to cover her scars. She is back to my suspect list but with the way this show changes scenario, I don't know if she'll stay there for long. The wife of Chief Prosecutor Lee is also another enigma. She has both guys wrapped up around her fingers and seems to overlook their misdeeds and protect them fiercely too. So, is she capable of murder or not?
Also, I am still not fully convinced of Shi Mok as a reliable POV, I am not calling him the murderer but his indifference and merely reducing himself as a spectator while Eun Soo was about to die is making me uncomfortable about his actual...

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....continued.........psychological state. That was wrong thing to do and very ruthless. Also, what is about this newspaper?? The way both men reacted, I have a feeling this serial murder/attempted to murder goes way back then the CEO Park scenario. It goes back to the point where Shi Mok and Eun Soo even don't know about it but Eun Soo's father probably does. And from the preview next week, the suspect list will be shaken up again.

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I also like how different the female characters are from each other. Even more so compared to the male characters. It shows the writer has good grasp on character study.

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“What I’m trying to say is that no one can replace you,” says Shi-mok. (Swooooon.)

I was also swooning. Hee :)
He wasn’t even passionate about it. Just his usual self, in his matter–of–fact tone. Yeo Jin didn't react to it too. LOL

EUN SOO. She blew my mind.
She really pulled off the young, trying-to-please prosecutor act. Then she made a complete change into this steely, fierce woman determined to get revenge on Chief Prosecutor Lee.

I’m pretty sure she bit him when Dong Jae tried to cover her mouth. Did he just accuse of her being the culprit behind Ga Young’s kidnapping too? I thought either of her remark about Dong Jae and Shi Mok's counter statement were plausible. Dong Jae has often been a volatile, angry character, but sometimes, he’s cool and calculating. I don’t think he’s smart enough to plan all the steps and clues behind CEO Park’s murder though.

I probably missed this from the past recaps, but what is Chairman Lee’s job? Businessman?

Yeo Jin’s and Shi Mok’s meet at the pojangmacha was so nice. They looked like old friends – he telling her to order ramyun instead, she tasting his salty udon soup then fixing it with water. XD His real smile was lovely! <3

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I think he used to have Chief Prosecutor Lee's job, and then retired. I'm not certain though (honestly I have to watch the episode concurrent with the recap, so I pause and read when I don't understand what just happened. Kudos to @laica and @sailorjumun for doing such a great job.) ^^

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Chairman Lee is a chaebol, which is one of the reasons it's been difficult for CP Lee to get promoted - higher-ups haven't wanted to be seen supporting someone with those kind of connections. (See SC Kang's convo with Yoon in episode 7.)

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Ahhh I see. Thanks for the explanation! :)

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I realized this episode that Shi-Mok has his own investigative agency at this point, with Yeo-Jin, Eun-Soo and Jung-Bon all out operating in the field for him. I was tempted to call them a Scooby Gang at first, but they don't know anything about each other and just interact with him, so it's more like he's got his own CIA.

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If this was a contemporary western drama, there would be a 3rd act reveal where it turns out that Shi-mok was in fact the big bad all along, that he used his brain dysfunction to keep part of himself oblivious of the fact just to make sure the few "good" guys trust him until it is too late.

I mean, just look at the crucial role he plays, this would be perfect for a magnificent bastard in disguise.

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It Reminds me of Chaos Movie. But then all con movies are have the same central character so yeah if it is english cinema then Shi Mok becomes the boss by default.

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Do you think they'll pull a fight club kind of scenario on us? I am not sure how I would feel about that...

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After replaying the pojangmacha scene over and over, mainly for the smile but also to enjoy the interaction, I noticed Shikmok looking over at the ahjumma, when Yeojin changed her order from udon to ramyun and then again, I think when Yeojin watered down her ramyun. As though he didn't want ahjumma to notice that they found her cooking too salty! He's starting to care about other people's feelings.

Such a small, subtle way to show such a Giant step forward for Shimok's character.

It's a striking contrast to that scene in the hospital when someone asked Shimok about a patient (presumably that person's mother) coming out of the elevator. "She died," and he walks away.

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Totally agree! I was surprised when he was so considerate about it like that. Same when he ended up giving the sweater to Eun-Soo--putting aside the whole "is she manipulating him/is he being manipulated" aspect, it's super impressive to me that he even thought to give it in the first place.

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"Do you have to stab someone to murder them?" I absolutely totally friggin' love Yeo-Jin❤❤. My ultimate girl crush. She is so passionate about justice and her job while being wordly but also retaining the quirks which define her.

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I love, love this drama. I am a bit bummed the fandom is not watching. I know we have been getting tons of prosecutors dramas, but FoS is so well produced, acted, and written, is a speck above everything I've seen.

I also wondered if the ratings have to do with what happened is real life in South Korea. Maybe this drama too bleak for the SK citizens to watch.

@laica "I was also puzzled by the song she sent Shi-mok—was it a declaration of her feelings? A farewell to her one-sided love? That was so weird, and nothing Eun-soo does is innocent, so I wonder what her objective was. Maybe all these innuendos and late-night invasions into Shi-mok’s privacy have no real feelings behind them, and are simply a tactic to confuse and seduce him out of his mistrust of her."

I was so puzzled by this scene too. However, and I might be reading tooooooo muuuuch into this, but when she hanged ShiMok's sweater, the sleeve fell off, which could mean that Eun Soo thinks she is manipulating ShiMok but she is not! He can't be easily manipulated. That is why I also think the theories floating around, about him being the culprit, are not true. I don't know, there is so much to unpack about his character, that I think having him being the culprit is weak writing, on what so far, has been really good. Unless him murdering him, is allowing him to bring the front all the corruption, but the end result doesn't justify the means, which is not on par with his character traits.

Ahhh this drama is making me think about this drama all the time.

Also, did anybody noticed that YJ's boss called someone telling him/her that they needed to talk and that was it? what was that about? I'm sure he has his own agenda too, apart from his agenda with his shady boss.

I love, love, love this drama! I really wish it had better ratings and the fandom will get on the train with this!

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Ooohh love your analysis about the sweater! I forgot to mention it earlier. It was funny seeing the show take a long moment to focus on that sleeve slipping. I also hope Shi Mok is not the mastermind behind the crimes.

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I like your analysis about the sweater sleeves. I was puzzled by that scene and sure it was an important analogy of some sort, but couldn't really catch the meaning.

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Im glad the drama is pre produced. I would have been heartboken if they had compromised on quality because of the average ratings.

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I had to watch the episode again to catch that sleeve slipping--good catch! They really seemed to focus in on that, so it does seem like it means something. My first impression on the second viewing is that kind of seemed like a typical la-di-da I sent a song to the guy I like and we're both listening to it while I'm hanging up the sweater he romantically lent me, but then as she wanders off there's reality-he stopped listening to the song and the sweater drops. I wonder if maybe that's one of those things that accidentally happened during shooting but it seemed to fit.

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The end of episode 8 thou, never see it coming. Soooo good (><) this episode full of goodness for me.

The scene in Pojangmacha: Shi Mok's smile! And everything that lead to it. I just love their small gesture to each other, so much detail in there. They're just like those old comrades that know each other for years and years.

All Yeo Jin scene in this episode was great. Man, I admire her so much. Her speech about killing Kyung Wan future ia just the same like killing the person itself. Also her refusal to compromise on Kyung Wan's abuse by her colleagues. She's hot head but compassionate, brave enough to barge to prosecutor office but also smart enough to listen to Shi Mok and find the best alternative for Kyung Wan. Yeo Jin, please be my unnie❤️

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On second viewing, I noticed so much more expressions from Shi Mok in the pojangmacha scene--little expressions, not just the big smile, but a variety of them. Actually the big smile isn't that big but a lot bigger than the previous smile, so you can see the progression, but it's just when he's with Yeo-Jin. With Eun Soo in his office you could just see his eyes shifting like he's calculating.

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Yeo-jins drawings are life! She is so earnest with them.

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She looked so disappointed when he said no more gifts.

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IKR?! I was disappointed with her. ;^;

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YESS!! I was half-expecting him to take note of her sadness and still accept the drawing

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Thought just occurred to me, given that Shi Mok was surprised and apparently unanware that he had smiled, maybe he was afraid to see what his smile looks like (although considering Yeo Jin's caricaturing talent, I'd be afraid, too).

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I laughed so hard during that scene. She seemed do dejected. Hehe

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He is her muse.

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She was adorable!! they both were in that scene

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Prediction #1 from left field that could either be mind-blowing or a silly gimmick: the killer is Yeo-Jin, the haircut matches the figure we saw and it would really turn the entire "don't trust anybody" phrase on its head. She's the one who's seemed most trustworthy throughout this all, and I'd either roll my eyes or be totally mindblown if it turns out she really has been the one orchestrating behind the scenes.

Prediction #2 down the center that seems most likely, but is also likely a red-herring based on the shows intelligence so far: the killer is Prosecutor Lee's wife, who has been consistently creepy and always seems to be listening in and more devious than she's let on.

Prediction #3 that I would love to see happen, but probably won't: killer is Shi-Mok's female secretary/other lawyer in training, who's always gossiping with the guy in the desk next door. I don't know why or how or anything, but I think it would be a brilliant path to pursue.

Thoughts?

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Prosecutor Lee's wife is involved somehow. It totally looked like her in the hospital. She is either directly the killer or is complicit in everything. I was wondering if she was jealous and that's why she tried to get rid of the prostitute, but it seems like it is so much more. The cell phone was planted to be found. This show is so good at playing its cards close to the chest. I don't know anything anymore! Haha

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Show vs. my nerves: 100 to 0
Shi Mok vs. my heart; 1,000,000,000 to 0

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Thanks for the recap @laica! You pretty much summed up all my thoughts about this episode.

I have to agree, after the stunt that Eun-soo pulled...it has now cemented my suspicions that all her helpless and clumsy acts are just a facade to get Shi-mok to trust her. The only question is, to what end?

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I must have some superiority feelings too toward Eun-soo, because despite all the suspicious things she did and her strong motive, I still haven't put her on my potential-big-baddie list. I know she must knew something important about the case and keeping it to herself, but I never peg her as the mastermind behind the case that shook both prosecution and police force up.

Now though, after listening to Shi-mok's reasoning about how the informant is the culprit, and seeing it for myself how willing Eun-soo was to throw herself to the danger as long as it would destroy Lee's family, she quickly climb to the top of the list. I don't doubt her claim that Dong-jae isn't the one who kill them, but  I also couldn't be sure how much she would twisted the facts and evidences to suit her ultimate goal.

P.S. Aww, Shi-mok... Don't you see that disappointed pout on Yeo-jin's face when you told her to stop giving you her cute drawing? Let her be. You could even make a scrapbook out of all those as a keepsake.

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I LOVE this show. And one of the reasons I LOVE it is because the police woman wears SENSIBLE shoes! (Seriously, I'm so sick of super women chasing down perps wearing 5 inch heels.)

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Right! I remember being annoyed with Doctor Crush because they had heels and would run off to do surgery, I was like where are your Crocs.

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Somehow it doesn't bother me in Castle though, Beckett slays those heels

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My husband always mocks Beckett in chase scenes. (But you're right, she wouldn't be Beckett in tennis shoes.)

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I am definitely intrigued by Shi Mok/Eun Soo relationship. On one hand she's extremely manipulative, on the other hand I do think she really admires Shi Mok and feels close to him. But I'm glad Shi Mok remains cold to her, because regardless of her intentions, the way she goes about everything definitely rubs me the wrong way. She doesn't have any limits to reach her goals and it's scary. I'd be on my guard like Shi Mok.
My two favorite moments : When Shi Mok stops listening to the music, Jo Seung Woo looks so cold and emontionless, I'm in love with these expressions because they feel too real.
Yeo Jin's speech on human rights : never compromise with that, human rights do not wait and are not negotiable. She's such a well written cop.

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I agree that SM-ES's relationship is very interesting. SM is always wary of her intentions and motivations, though ES seems to like him very much, to the extent she always barges into his home all the time. However, that said, she is also extremely manipulative, and I don't want SM to be with a person like that.

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Why do you think she is soooo manipulative? What did she do exactly?
I'm getting confused right now so I want to piece together things that I missed.

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I think she uses poeple's weaknesses to reach whatever goal she has in mind (ie Song Jae, even if the character ain't no shit, I still side-eye what she did), she plays a certain role whenever she wants something out of poeple (the obedient and innocent hoobae, a mask Shi Mok is 100% aware of). She could be honest with others and not constantly hiding even though what she does harms no one. But she always needs to be secretive and manipulative. She sounds insecure. Manipulative poeple are insecure anyway.

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Forest of Secrets is definitely ❤️ I'm slowly dropping the other Shows because it definitely fails in comparison to this awesome drama.

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The other shows feel like filler for me to survive the days before the next episode of FoS appear. I mostly only watch variety shows these days although part of it is because I'm still suffering from Circle withdrawal.

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This show just keeps getting darker and more layered. I don't know who to trust. Some characters seem like they were tempted to the dark side, but are redeemable and still deserve a modicum of sympathy. A minute later the same character seems utterly evil. Sometimes I think the whole system is so corrupt that only Our Lieutenant Han is true...

And then he smiled and my brain melted.

That's it. I'm on this ride 'til it ends.

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This show!! Thanks Laica for the recap.
I am clinging on for dear life that there will be NO left fields and that Capt. Avengers stays as Capt. Avengers and that he remains "God's Gift" to the very end. Please no detours this time. ?

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I cannot not comment here anymore. SM is too cute when he does this microexpressions, especially when he smiles. Oh, how he slays my heart. LOL.

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My fav part beside his dazzling smile in this eps was when he imitated Yeo-jin's expression, it's utterly cute!

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"And how great is it that I spent the last few paragraphs discussing not one, but three interesting, smart, complex female characters? So much love for this show."

Yes! Awesome show! Thanks for the wonderful recap, Laica.

I was so angered when Dong jae pleaded using his mother. Oh, really, buddy? Then what about the guy you tried hard to frame? He is the only family his grandma has. Loved Shi mok's response to him!

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Getting further and further down the rabbit hole...
Eun-soo is surprising me consistently, for instance saying she is not afraid to die. I swear I thought she is a filial child, and I can't see either her parents telling her, yeah, you can die as long as you revenge your dad. Whatever motivates her to go all out on this..? All that I am certain of her is she's really into Shi-mok (like a lot of us apparently :); she was showing her bruise to him on purpose.
At the pojangmacha, when Yeo-jin remarked that he smiled, didn't Shi-mok said "Did I?" Does that mean he actually didn't realize he was smiling? O_o
As confused as I am now, Shi-mok & Yeo-jin, you have my trust!

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Yup, he didn't even realize that he was smiling or pouting or frowning around Yeo-jin. I think that's because usually he was so careful and intentional with what he said or did, but Yeo-jin must be evoking the sort of trust and ease he never experienced before. And consequently, he unconcsiously did or expressed things freely with her.

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"Whatever motivates her to go all out on this...?"

Hmm...I've asked myself whether this revenge quest that she is on is truly for her family or herself. I suppose, in her mind she is doing this for her family. Sometimes though, it seems to me like she is doing this more for herself. Like she can't bear that her family seems to have so easily accepted what befell them, and she has taken it upon herself to be their avenging angel.
Her doing this for her family or herself are probably interrelated, but I feel like if she was doing this mostly for her family, she wouldn't be doing things like going on suicide missions.

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Okie. I'm not on board with the cuteness overload being heaped on ShiMok. He is a manipulative badass. His treatment and instigating Eun Soo to act for his own personal benefit (i.e. his working out the case) was deplorable. He riles her up and even when present at the scene (he didnt come when she revived after the attempted murder on her, he was there since go because he left office immed after she did) he does absolutely nothing to help. Nothing. (On the other had he helps YJ because well, its easy right to like someone who is perfectly good always to you.) He just wanted to prove his point about possible suspects. It was wrong of him to do so and he will continue to use her in this manner unless she realizes his manipulation and matures up .
Manipulation, ha, this guy is so damn alert about her moves on him. He permits her into his home just through a facade of indifference. Each time she leaves his place, its on a personal note (that she is happy he isn't unaware of the aggressive flirting and second curiousity about how he lives) and the camera pans to reveal the change in his face. That expression changes to a small knowing smile , the thrill of this interaction runs evident. Its like it just sends a wonderful chill up his spine. I saw these scenes a few times after she leaves , how he reacts , and man, does he like it, her behaviour.

Many many viewers like his interactions with Yeo Jin. Well it is straightforward and it is very easy to like a person who is given all positive traits. She is like the ideal. Which is fine, dramas and films have characters such but to pitch ES against her doesnt make sense. One is desgined perfect and the other grappling with emotions and messinesses that are real. SM has a very visceral reaction towrds ES each time and I jsut want to see him approach her willingly and admit it. Its very cunning he plays with her to his own end, to his own pleasure. This guy on that level isn't as clean as he is made out to be. It is shown , and I want him to explore these negative traits of him that ES brings out.

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A

Like you, I do not see Shi-mok as an "innocent" (for a better word). From the very first episode he has always been shown to be clinical in his calculations and willing to bide his time before acting on any information.

The deliberate manipulation of ES in this episode leading to her physical assault (almost murder) was chilling. Even more so once you realize he knew he would need a weapon as soon as she left his office and he was also a witness to the event.

As I read the back story Shi-mok previously had little effect in the power structure of the organisation (lack of promotions and remained an outsider). However, now all the powerfull players are under threat they are forced to make moves as each is holding a hot potato. Shi-mok is now able to wait and catch each player as they attempt to cover their tracks. More importantly with his repository of collected details (connections/cases/events) he is able to force their hand (and lie in wait).

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Gosh, your comment makes one (me :) ) almost get onto SM's side. Almost. But I'm good.
Yes, he does this, yet he can brutally hurt people to achieve his own end. And this case is revealing as much about his own traits as he is bent on revealing the same wrt his colleagues.
Man, so much analysis for just a tv series and I'm doing it for free. Ha.

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I hope it' not because i'm a woman but i really feel that he has created a rivalry between the two women while they have never met. I'm not sure if it's because he wants to protect the investigation at all cost or if there is a an ulterior motive like keeping control of the informations the two ladies have and being the only one to have a complete vision of the investigation.
I feel like he's engaged in a "double life" with a touch of romance in the two cases: the 1st time i watched the scene when he called Eun Soo to his office to brief her about his plan to force Dong jae to give up the phone, i felt it was strange how he brutally hang up on Yeo Jin ( she was offended too), as if there was no way that Eun Soo could be if only aware of her existence in his life. Just after, they had with Eun Soo a short convo where he was annoyed that she was crying, it didn't bother to understand why ( it could have been because of her father's health), accused her of doing something wrong "again". She of course got offended and just changed the subject.
It might be me but i remember that he often does that to her: i mean getting tired of her emotions because they were negative, so being around his "new woman" that Yo Jin symbolizes looks such an easy move: she doesn't have a heavy past, or a complicated family to burden her, knows how to have fun, likes to smile, enjoy food and alcohol, makes people comfortable while being witty, smart and sexy...
Also she looks like a mature woman who wouldn't act (pretend to be?) shy like Eun Soo did when he tried to bring seduction/sex in their discussion at his home in ep7...
No wonder why he's all relaxed with her, giving up his tie and unbuttoning his shirt (thanks for sharing this observation, i knew something was different but couldn't tell why) and flirty: did anyone else notice that in the preview for ep9 he took a very sexy voice to say yes to Yeo Jin when she asked him about trusting her?

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I'd like ES and YJ to work together. ES is intelligent but gone way offtrack because of personal reasons and YJ can get her on track professionally. Personally they should become very good friends , and flummox SM, put him in his place.
As you say, he is trying to have an upper hand over each one of them controlling the flow of info from his side while wanting each and every detail from them , pushing them. They both should meet , work well and become buddies. ES and YJ I mean.

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the tent scene was adorable. Shi mok being playful is too much for my heart

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Such crack drama and amazing female characters, good and bad. I want more. Also love the repressed hero who's getting in touch with his emotions again. It was hidden, but took a good woman with a big heart to bring it out again.

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This show has become an obsession! ?
Shi-Mok's apartment is so cool. I love the layout, the wall paper, and the light fixtures above his dining table. The apartment is also furnished very much in the mold of Shi-Mok-very functional and sparse. The little touches like the lavender throw pillow on the couch are so fascinating.
Yeo-Jin's rooftop apartment too really suits her. It has little splashes of color and warm wood, the quilt that is on the outside patio/seating place looked so comfortable and well used. The set/location person is doing a great job matching the surroundings with the characters.
Yeo-Jin's character with Shi-Mok's apartment? #lifegoals

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This show has become an obsession! ?

True this! I dont like it how much time Im spending on this series. Its not good when real life has to be attended to. No more good series for another 2 years atleast. God. Really.

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Two observations:
When SJ covers ES's mouth in desperation, she bites him (?) and he is immed taken to the scene when that call girl was kidnapped. And he asks ES 'Was it you?'. Why? She definitely knows more about this murder than she reveals. I wouldnt be surprised if she was involved.

Two, when SM calls YJ saying he knows who the criminal is, he is in office all suited up. At the streetside stall when he is eating, his tie is gone and his shirt is unbottoned , as casual. So SM removes his tie, loosens up his shirt before meeting YJ. Hmmm.

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I bet there's other motive about Shi-mok calls Yeo-jin to Pojangmacha. He says he wants to discuss his theory on who the culprit is. Ha, ha, ha. I believe you Shi-mok! *winks2*

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That smile had me like :)))). Also Shin Hye Sun is doing such an amazing job

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Oh, it's gonna be so hard to watch another drama after this ends. It sets the bar higher by several notches each episode; it will be like post-Signal all over again. haha

So I'm going to list our major suspects:

1. LCJ - possible reason for killing PMS and Ga Young is to bring to light the rampant corruption in the prosecutor and police force. It had been repeatedly pointed in the show that the higher ups do not really end up punished even after exposure of their crimes. That added with his seemingly passionate declaration and internal monolgue to weed out the corrupt people puts into perspective the lengths he would go through to reach his goal. Is it possible that he instigated all the murders to expose corrupt people (now with the assistance of Shi mok) even at the expense of his position, knowing that he'll get away now that he's one of the higher ups? Let us not forget the ff: he was one of the people who last called PMS before he died, SDJ and ES are both so bent on putting the blame on him, SM openly says LCJ's doubt on people could be a tactic to throw away suspicion off him

2. Eun Soo - this episode definitely highlights her true motives. Her readiness to sacrifice her life to prove her point emphasizes how she might be capable of sacrificing others to achieve her goal - to bring down LCJ. SM saw this, while SDJ realized that she might actually be the killer.

3. SDJ - I am now sure he didn't assault Ga Young. But does that absolve him from being PMS murder suspect? Where was he when PMS died? What was his alibi? PMS murder was so complex, I'm convinced if he comitted it, it must be under the bidding of a mystery char (Il Jae? LCJ's wife? the father in law?) There are theories flying around that these are separate murders, but SM, at the end of this ep., tells us it's the same person and is also responsible for publisizing the sponsorship controversy.

4. LCJ's wife - whatshername? Motive: jealousy. she definitely tried to finish off Ga Young, but how can she carry Ga Young and strap her to the pipe? ES's appears unable to carry a stack of papers(unless she was pretending), this might also apply to the wife. If she comitted the murders, I'm certain she has someone doing it for her (SDJ? one of the police officers?)

5. Il Jae
6. Jong Bun - shady character here. There's something he's not telling us. Why is he at scene of the crime when Ga Young almost died? His poor excuse was that he was in the neighborhood coincidentally. Years of watching Criminal Minds taught me killers tend to throw themselves in the investigation so they can see how the police are doing upclose. Is he doing the same thing? Is it possible the person YJ was referring as "the person who suffered from sponsorships" is actually him?
----
Minor suspects(in no particular order):
1. Gun
2. Soo Chan
3. Father-in-law chaebol
4. Shi Mok - unreliable POV

I feel like I missed some other characters. Feel free to add yours and throw in...

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(Continued)...in your bets. My money's on LCJ. I wish there's a poll so we can see what majority of our beanies think. See you all next recap! :)

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Anyone think we might get a chuckle from Shi mok before the series ends? Considering his smile this week was wider compared to his smile last week personally im hoping for some teeth next week, and perhaps a snort the week after. Lol.

The scene where Eunsoo kept on returning and ringing Shi mok's doorbell stood out to me. It proves that good direction can create comedic moments even in the absence of comedic dialogue or physical comedy.

The Eun soo Dong Jae scene was so intense! i wonder if they got it in one take. Kudos to the actors for giving it their all.

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Are they being watched outside the tent by sombody in car and and maybe he knows and that's why he called her to meet there ...almost on street to discuss such important thing.
Great episode.

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Reading some comments here, it is so unfair ES is labeled as manipulative and that SM should be wary of her. He is more manipulating and ruthless toward her. She could have well died or gone into a brain dead coma because of that strangling.
If she reveals to him only as much as she wants to, he is no less secretive and falsely leading, pushing her towards all sorts or situations, not that she is any weakling.
SM is no harmless cutie pie and is well capable of murder. Infact just as ES says this should be a perfect crime, it is possible that the seemingly perfect guy executes it - Shi Mok.

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ES is written in a way that we're supposed to be suspicious of her....and she is manipulative by all means, she is a lawyer, to be able to debate and make people see her reason for choosing her course of action is in the job description. Is there deeper malice there, we don't know yet. But nobody is excusing Shi Mok's behavior. By his very own logic, he is equally capable of murder and perhaps much worse. What he lacks so far is motive. We are watching this show from the viewpoint of mostly prosecutors, so lack of motive is the reason people aren't fully suspecting him. But I am not going to overlook his flaws. He is still cold, scarily distant and cares very little about others beyond his own interests. Sure, Yeo Jin does bring out tiny emotions out in him. But outside her radar, he is still the same person. I also am uneasy about his wanting to follow Chief Prosecutor Lee. He still hasn't given that up.

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ES is written in a way that we're supposed to be suspicious of her...

Every character apart from Yeo Jin is written such that one doubts. Even Shi Mok , yet he gets the soft spot. Every episode he does even though every episode there is one act verbal or actual that shows that he is ruthless , even more than Chief Lee. The only one who is truly manipulative and only one who can be said to be one up on this w.r.t to SM is father-in-law Lee. That is who SM is, to that level.

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I believe he stated that he wants to follow Chief Prosecutir Lee not for the position and power but to stay in the loop to solve the crime. When the internal audit was announced, he knew it will be in no time before he was isolated from the investigation. To make that demand is the way to keep himself out of easy target from CP Lee. Remember he was pulled in by PSM from the start in ep 1 and Chairman Lee is still angling to make him the fall guy for the murders and the corruption that shourded the whole unit of that prosecution office.

Secondly I think the murderer is not CP Lee and he did not receive bribes from PSM. PSM said there was only two prosecutors who did not fall into his ensnare. Shi Mok was one who was named. The other was not named. But CP Lee is guilty of covering tracks and dirty deeds of his father in law, whom he detested as much as he owed his career to. He wants to expose the corruption but unable to do so openly due to Chairman Lee. The first act he did as CP is to open a file on the prosecutors's personal financial holdings. That made me think that it was a long trajection that he had held as he slowly made his way up to CP. He kept tgat wallet as a reminder when it all started. He tore and tgrew it away indicating he is confident now to start what he was planning all thise years.

Just my two cents worth! ;)

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This drama should be called 50 Shades of Grey. Not the erotic novel but the insane layers and complexities each character is endowed with. I maybe be overly dramatic in saying this drama is godsend to viewers who want a drama with well written plot, wonderfully carved characters, superb directing and acting but it is also changing my entire drama experience. Immediately, all my current shows pale in comparison. Unless something huge knocks this show out of its orbit, it is going to overtake Signal as my best drama. Maybe it already has.

Let's talk about the characters:
Shi Mok is such a good manipulator that he's scary. The show is wonderful in making us doubt that he is not above suspicion. It isn't just because he is one of the most unlikely-therefore-suspicious person, it is confusing us with his emotionless manipulation of others to achieve his objectives and glimpses of his humane or normal side when he's with Yeo Jin.
Yeo Jin is the best female character I've seen. The only one who I'd put above suspicion. I'll be very disappointed if the show exposes her as the antagonist, it would negate nearly all the good opinions I've formed of the show. Not because I love the character too much but because that would be an easy and cheap trick, not characteristic of awesomeness displayed so far.
I've been gushing on how cute Jo Seung Woo is as Shi Mok but Bae Doo Na is nothing short of great as Yeo Jin. Kudos to her for delivering her lines with such heartfelt emotions yet nuanced. Overacting and dramatic delivery would have lessened, not heightened the impact of those poignant words.
Eun Soo - who would have thought this young and eager upstart would be this interesting? She's unhinged in her obsession or agenda. In a sense, Dong Jae too exhibits madness when his buttons are pushed. This is what I love about this show. It's not psychopaths we should fear, it's the monster within each and every one of us. One which can be pulled back just in nick of time or unleashed with serious repercussions.

Chief Prosecutor Lee says that Shi-mok suspects him, and Chairman Lee says he shouldn’t have picked someone so smart, although there’s one even smarter: He tells the younger man to make sure to tell Yeon-jae what he did for him. Huh, seems both men live in fear of displeasing her.

Yeon Jae smarter than Shi Mok? This just makes me 10 times more excited! Can't wait.

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I kinda hate myself for sympathizing Dong-Jae, just because he takes care of his child and mother.
I really shouldn't, but my first thought was "he is still a jerk but at least he isn't not jerk who lives only for himself"

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I hate this kind of attitute: I'm not an evil person, I'm just evil for the sake of my family. In other words: I choose to be evil.

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Yap, that's what my brain tells me

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This show is so well written...I love shows with complex characters and keep me guessing. This show does both well. For now, everyone is suspect except Yeo-Jin and Shi-Mok (mostly Yeo-Jin though). Their conversation over noodles was so adorable and then he smiled...the end.

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YJ doesn't know ho SM is actually. Even though she says she doesnt believe him and keeps an eye on him, it was in half jest, casual.
In one episode she says that his questioning of the grandmother is akin to running over a hit and run victim again with the reasoning that its to catch the culprit.
I would like YJ to know how he pushed ES into that alley when SDJ almost got her killed. It is something she would never do and would consider unethical. But this seems all so normal to SM. Like he doesnt react to the brutality of the son in the hands of the police because it doesn't matter to the case. YJ well she was more upset so let this go. This guy really is so cunning.

OTOH, I really like the actor playing Chief Lee. He is so good, I look forward to his scenes with others, with himself.. his monologues. I really didn't expect me to be so taken in by this character. Ace acting here. :)

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**enthusiastic seal clap**
Shi-mok's cheeky grin is so sexy!!

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This show raises my blood pressure. I don't know who or what to believe. I'm always nervous going into this show, but I love it at the same time. That make sense?

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