The episode starts with a car chase. Almost immediately, I am put in a good mood by the soundtrack; it sufficiently infused with guitar that I’m reminded of the awesomeness that is ‘Starsky and Hutch.’ The bad guys – who are wearing wife beaters and sporting tattoos – almost run people over and majorly tear up the front end of their car. I think it’s a Jag, but I’m not sure. It looked like that hood ornament. Like typical k-dramas, they’ve covered up the car logos. They’re being chased by a silver *mini-van.* A van people. Not a Crown Vic or some sort of car with a V-8 engine, but a big, boxy Hyundai mini-van.
Seo Pan Suk (Cha Seung Won) is trying to get Ji Gook (Park Jung Min) to be more daring in his driving. There’s flash of Eun Dae Goo (Lee Seung Gi) and he looks irritated. There are *six* people in this van, all yelling things at the driver. They get stuck behind a big city bus and a disgusted Pan Suk tells Gook to pull over. He kicks Gook out of the van and leaves him in the street. Gook is not amused. Pan Suk is driving like a mad man, weaving in and out of traffic, and Dae Goo is even more annoyed.
Pan Suk is able to catch up with the bad guys and the van orders them to pull over. They immediately comply like all bad guys do… No, they throw a Soju bottle at the van, causing Pan Suk to serve into oncoming traffic. Dae Goo irritatedly fastens his seat belt. Pan Suk pulls back over into the right lane of traffic and rams the bad guys’ car. Dae Goo groans over his whiplash.
Pan Suk jumps out of the car and starts running after the bad guys. Everyone else follows, except for Uh Soo Sun (Go Ah Ra), who stumbles out of the car and promptly throws up. Gook arrives, having been transported by a good citizen. She tells him to hurry and run after the criminals.
The criminals split up. Pan Suk and Dae Goo chase after one, Park Tae Il (Ahn Jae Hyun) and Lee Eung Do (Sung Ji Roo) after the other. Soo Sun and Gook are just confused and run straight ahead. And Dae Goo is a faster runner than Pan Suk, by far. But then he collides with a scooter delivery guy. The criminal Tae Il and Eung Do are chasing is complaining; he’s going to throw up from all the running. And somehow Soo Sun and Gook caught up to the guy who Pan Suk is chasing; the bad guy now has a blurred out knife angled at the crying Gook’s throat. Dae Goo arrives and pulls out his revolver. His team begs him not to shoot, but he does anyway. Or at least we hear the gunshot.
Then we get a flashback from 11 years ago. A bunch of high school kids out by a lake. Apparently it’s a fight over a man. He’s fallen for a girl from Seoul when he already has a wife for life. And wow. Guy replies that they’ve only been dating a month. The spurned girl asks how love can change and another boy – who I am assuming is Dae Goo – replies that love shifts. No one knows who the kid is. Best friend of spurned girl – probably Soo Sun – threatens bodily harm; she’s a thug like the heroine in ‘Protect the Boss.’ Seoul girl isn’t intimidated and calls Soo Sun a country bumpkin. Boyfriend knows that Seoul girl just made a mistake. And I think that there’s going to be a throw down in about 30 seconds… Then Seoul girl insults Soo Sun’s earrings and boyfriend covers his face with his hand, cringing at that stupid move. He must know Soo Sun’s temper. Dae Goo also laughs almost with most of the crowd.
And I was just right about the time… Soo Sun takes a flying leap to attack the girl. And for some reason I don’t understand… Dae Goo jumps in front of Seoul girl and takes the hit. Then he grabs Soo Sun and orders her to beat him up instead. I don’t think Soo Sun is going to have a problem with that. She throws him to the ground and turns back to Seoul girl. And Seoul girl is stupid. Seoul girl goes for Soo Sun’s hair. Wow, she deserves what she gets. Boyfriend tries to intervene at this point. An all-out brawl starts, with Dae Goo *biting* Soo Sun.
Masan Police Station. Lots of screaming teenagers. An adult woman arrives. I’m trying to place where I’ve seen her before. There’s a cop in a green jacket. I think he’s permanent police station extra, or else the jacket is. Soo Sun and Boyfriend look to worst out of anyone. A cop asks Soo Sun her name and she doesn’t want to give it because she’s going to become a celebrity. Wow, she has an imagination. Boyfriend’s looking at her like she’s crazy and the cop is irritated. She tries to give a fake name and boyfriend busts her, telling her not to lie to the police. Then he tells the cop her name. And it turns out that boyfriend is actually Oppa, Uh Nam Sun. They start insulting each other about how the other one is a slob. Seoul girl is horrified at what she’s saying about Nam Sun but then Oma and Appa arrive, with Appa loudly announcing Soo Sun’s name. Nam Sun tries to hide underneath his coat.
Soo Sun immediately tries to paint what she did in a rosy light: she was honoring the warrior spirit and acting in justice. Appa just grabs her by the collar and flips her onto the floor. Everyone is shocked, including the cop – and I’m wondering if Appa’s going to get arrested for child abuse… Appa goes and bow to the police man and apologizes for not raising his daughter well. The woman who just entered – and I figured out where I’ve seen her: she played Younger-Aunt-in-Law in ‘Hundred Year Inheritance.’ YAIL replies that she’s the one who’s sorry. Dae Goo is laughing at Soo Sun and she makes the hexing gesture in his direction. He stops laughing.
YAIL is Dae Goo’s Oma. They’re walking home now and she can’t believe he got into a fight defending Seoul girl. And currently, he’s called Kim Ji Yong He asks her if it isn’t right for a man to protect the woman he loves. Wait… what? He’s in love with Seoul girl, too? She’s not that cute and was really quite snotty. Oma can’t believe he’s spouting such nonsense. Neither can I.
Soo Sun and Nam Sun are in the car with their parents. Uh Oma sees Dae Goo and his Oma and Uh Oma mutters about Kim Oma being a mistress; the rumors are all over Masan. She seduced a married man and ruined his family. Then ran away pregnant with his child. Wow, that’s a rumor. Uh Appa scolds his wife – and Soo Sun looks like she feels bad – and tells Uh Oma not to feed rumors when she doesn't know the truth. Besides, Kim Oma is raising Ji Yong all by herself. Uh Oma should have some pity. Uh Oma starts to yell at her husband because he’s penniless, but Soo Sun declares that she’s going to become a celebrity and make lots of money. Her parents immediately start yelling at her instead of each other.
It’s Pan Suk holding a pail, protesting that he has the DNA from the Mijae incident. He’s talking to another guy – who looks familiar and I think he’s played a cop before, too – And they can match it with the cigarette from the unsolved Dochukdong incident. Then they can narrow the suspect down to a resident in this complex. Other cop calls Pan Suk a crazy bastard because the apartment complex is eleven buildings, with fifteen stories each.
Now Sunbae is sitting in the car while Pan Suk looks for cigarette butts. Sunbae can’t believe he got stuck with this guy. Pan Suk collects lots of cigarette butts. Using chopsticks to pick them up, no less. He and Sunbae return to the precinct, where a guy in a zipped up track suit and ball cap is creating a disturbance, throwing things and screaming. The guy has tossed desks and chairs, but when Track Suit smashes a plant, Pan Suk decides he’s gone too far. He immediately jumps – literally – into action, punching Track Suit with his feet and knocking Track Suit down. He yells at Track Suit for destroying the plant that his team leader adored like a child. Some of the other cops now are holding Track Suit down and Sunbae has to physically restrain Pan Suk from kicking Track Suit. Sunbae asks if Pan Suk knows who Track Suit is. Pan Suk doesn’t. And the TV announces who it is: the serial killer suspect who was arrested at a motel in Masan the day before. Pan Suk looks sick to his stomach – probably from all those cigarettes.
An older woman arrives. Pan Suk calls her Mother. She’s the mother of a murder victim, Ga Won. He tells her about the school nurse testifying and the new evidence that they’ve found. Omeoni is so grateful for his hard work that she cries. And as I look at his face, I see a guy who is really nice/sweet. He calls someone also to let them know when the trial is: it’s Ji Yong’s mother. It sounds like *she’s* the nurse who’s supposed to testify. Is this how Ji Yong becomes Dae Goo? Because of what’s going to happen to his mother?
Speaking of Dae Goo… Dae Goo and his buddy sneakily are following Seoul Girl around while at school. And it seems like he’s planning on doing something to win Seoul Girl’s heart. He sneaks into the broadcast studio and comes across Soo Sun singing and dancing. But then he gets to work in the studio.
Study Hall. Girls are being girls and Seoul Girl is trying hard to stay awake. Suddenly, a boy band is on the television and the girls are screaming about their Oppa on TV. A teacher arrives to stop the ruckus. And Ji Yong might have gotten away with it, but then he has to say stuff into the microphone. He puts on a really popular video and dedicates it the Seoul Girl. And he’s not even from that school. Wow.
Teachers arrive at the broadcast booth and Ji Yong makes a break for it by jumping out the window. Teacher spots the singing and dancing headphone-wearing Soo Sun and blames her for the whole thing. Ji Yong almost gets away, but there’s the cheering of about 50 girls waving at him. He tells Seoul Girl that he loves her. Soo Sun sees him and waits after school to get even. He pretends like he doesn’t know why she’s there so she explains: (1) he barged into her fight and bit her side, (2) he turned on music in my broadcast room without permission, creating havoc, and most importantly, (3) he ruined her future by making her miss her audition. Ji Yong acknowledges the first and second things, but the third... how is she going to become a celebrity, with that face? All his little buddies are laughing at how he’s insulting her. She can’t believe his audacity. Ji Yong asks her if she needs him to buy her a mirror, since her face is so bad. And then he reveals her real name: Uh Soo Sun rather than Uh Ji Ha. His friends are really laughing at how silly her name sounds and Ji Yong is quite pleased with himself.
Soo Sun is pissed and decides that she’ll get him back: she tells him that she heard that his mother is a mistress. Ji Yong isn’t smiling anymore. She keeps going, saying that his mother is hiding with her illegitimate child after seducing a married man. He looks at her like he can’t believe she said all that. She asks him why he’s suddenly dumbstruck. He doesn’t answer, but leaves, really hurt.
Later, Ji Yong’s sitting by the basketball court. A ball bounces his direction and someone asks him (by name) to throw him the basketball. He doesn’t move, but only continues to stare straight ahead. Then the kid calls him ‘Son of a mistress.’ That gets a reaction: Ji Yong gets up and decks the kid. Mom gets called to the office. Mom is apologetic for her son’s behavior.
They walk home and someone, a man, is waiting for them. It’s the jerky abusive dad and head of the Zeus Group in ‘The Heirs.’ So he’s a jerky dad here, too. Mom tells Ji Yong to go inside. He reluctantly does, with Jerkface smiling at him. Mom asks what the guy’s doing there and he tells her that he came to verify her son's face. Basically to threaten her if she testifies. If she takes the witness stand, it will be detrimental to their Chairman and they’ll have to pay her back through her son. She tells Jerkface that she won’t testify. Jerkface and his thug leave.
Mom goes inside. Ji Yong wants to know who the ajusshi is and she won’t tell him. She tells him not to be disrespectful. She asks him why he got in a fight with one of his friends and he won’t tell her why. She pesters him so he asks if Dad really did die. She won’t look at him but tells him that Dad did. Ji Yong asks why are people calling him the son of a mistress. He says that he always thought it was weird: she never talks about Dad, there’s no wedding pictures and no memorial service. He asks her again if his Dad is really dead.
Pan Suk has come by to talk to Oma , but she got the message and is refusing to testify. He begs her, explaining about the victim’s grandmother. She tells him that she won’t change her mind. As they’re talking, Ji Yong comes home. Pan Suk asks her if she’s been threatened and she tells him that they threatened Ji Yong. He tries to tell her that they will protect her but she’s adamant that she won’t change her mind. And then she sees Ji Yong. His face looks like he can’t believe that he’s causing difficulty for his mother again. Ji Yong enters the room and Pan Suk introduces himself. Mom tells him to go and he leaves her with a picture of the victim. Way to dig in the knife, Pan Suk.
Mom didn’t look at them but Pan Suk does. That night Mom thinks about what she saw. She gets up and discovers Ji Yong outside her door. He obviously has something on his mind, but he’s acting like he doesn’t. She offers to make some hot cocoa and after he protests that he’s not a kid, he asks her to make some. After it’s made, Mom tries to make idle conversation. But Ji Yong gets to the point: he looked at the pictures and is Mom really not going to testify? She asks and he tells her that he does want her to testify. She decides to tell him about his dad: he really is dead, but Mom got pregnant out of wedlock. She says that she never talks about Dad because she didn’t forgive him for dying. She tells him that she always felt bad for him growing up without a Dad and he tells her that she didn’t have a husband, either, but he’ll grow up soon and protect her then. Mom starts to cry at what an awesome son she has, and this whole scene really illustrates the good relationship that the two share.
The next day, she tells Pan Suk that she’ll testify. He’s *really* grateful.
Raining and Soo Sun is caught in the rain. Ji Yong is there with an umbrella. Soo Sun doesn’t want to use it. He tells her that his mother isn’t a mistress but just a single mother. And he’s not the least bit embarrassed by his mother. He’s grateful and proud of her. Mom didn't give him up and raised him alone. She feels bad, but is still to proud to admit she was wrong. He tries to leave the umbrella with her, but she refuses and tries to walk off, but her shoe is untied. So he passes her the umbrella and ties her shoe for her. Then he tells her to be careful and runs off. He’s so sweet!
Mom’s at home, peeling an orange. It’s the front door (bell rings). She goes to greet Ji Yong, but from the look on her face, it’s not Ji Yong. But the bad guys. Ji Yong is running in the rain. He arrives at home and notices a necklace on the ground. He thinks it's cool so he picks it up and puts it in his pocket. He enters to find the house trashed. Mom put up a fight. But she wasn’t successful. Ji Yong finds Mom with her head cracked open. He begs her not to die, crying. She opens her eyes and he tells her that he’ll protect her. He starts to call the police, when the bell by the front door jingles again. Someone with boots and black gloves enters. It’s the thug. Ji Yong hides under the bed. The thug starts trashing the place. He’s looking for the necklace.
Thug is just about to find Ji Yong when Mom stops him by grabbing thug’s shoe. She shakes her head at Ji Yong, telling him not to come out. Thug then strangles Mom to death while Ji Yong watches. Mom cries as she dies. And so do I. Thug calls the boss and says that he hasn’t found the pendant yet. But he’ll be sure to clean things up completely, since it was Detective Seo who was on the case. Thug leaves. And I thought this was a comedy. Ji Yong crawls out from under the bed and weeps over his Mom. And I cry some more. Wow, what a back story.
The police arrive and process the scene. Ji Yong is sitting outside huddled under a blanket. Pan Suk sees him and asks him if he got hurt. Pan Suk wants to take Ji Yong to his house. He goes to usher Ji Yong but Ji Yong shoves his hands away. Ji Yong tells Pan Suk that he should have kept his promise to keep Mom safe, since Pan Suk made her take the stand. Pan Suk can’t say anything.
Later, Ji Yong sits in a classroom at the high school, drained. He remembers about the pendant and what the thug said. He calls Pan Suk and tells him. Pan Suk wants to come get him, but Ji Yong doesn’t want to be found. Pan Suk deduces where Ji Yong is and tells him to wait there, since it will take about 30 minutes for him to get there.
Soo Sun is studying late at school and from across the courtyard sees Ji Yong wandering in the halls. Switch to Ji Yong in the hall. There’s footsteps. It’s Thug; Ji Yong recognizes him by his shoes. Ji Yong runs as Soo Sun apologizes to him using the school’s PA system. She asks him to accept her apology by raising his right hand. But he’s off running and she wasn't looking to see Thug.
Ji Yong’s able to give Thug the slip, but Soo Sun says that she can see him on the second floor stairs. He curses this stupid girl! Thug turns around. Ji Yong runs and locks himself in the science room and Soo Sun asks if he’s really going to refuse her apology and why is he going into the science room? He tells her to please just shut up. She gets offended and starts cursing him. Thug reaches the science room door and kicks it in. Ji Yong throws acid in his face. Smart thinking kid! Thug drops a pendant as he writhes on the floor in pain. Ji Yong sees it and then runs. Soo Sun sees Thug walking down the hall but he doesn’t see her.
Ji Yong’s left the school. He’s thinking about what he told Pan Suk about where the pendant was and his location and the thug had the pendant and came for him… Pan Suk must be dirty! I don’t’ think he’s dirty. I think his phone was bugged. Ji Yong keeps walking and disappears. How’s that for back story? It explains the name change and why he doesn’t like Pan Suk. But does he still think Pan Suk’s dirty? And what about Soo Sun? Does he remember her? I bet, from how she was acting, he’s going to be her first love… Sweet.
Present Day. Soo Sun is looking around at the big city. Electric billboard reads: SBC Breaking News - Review in order to expose corruption at the Gangnam Police Station. She arrives outside the police department and all her enthusiasm drains away as she looks at how rundown the building is. Gook walks up, too, carrying a plant, asking if he’s at the wrong place. He recognizes her from the police academy. She starts smiling in his direction, but it’s not because of him, but because of Tae Il. Dae Goo arrives, too, but unlike the rest, he doesn’t give anyone a smile.
The light turns green and there’s a Beetles crossing Abbey Road moment that makes me smile. Inside the police station, the four are now wearing their dress blues and standing in formation (in the same order that they crossed the street: Dae Goo, Soo Sun, Gook, and Tae Il). Dae Goo looks really sour. Which is understandable if you’re there after years of being alone, on your own, with a murdered mother and the goal of exposing the cop responsible for it in front of you. Pan Suk enters and Dae Goo just looks at him. A small fist clench. Pan Suk doesn’t recognize him. The detectives grumble about the rookies they’ve gotten, becoming a daycare center. Pan Suk doesn’t say anything. And he looks bad. Unshaven. Messy hair. Very different from before. Like what happened, the guilt over it, took its toll on him, too.
The boss arrives: Chief Kang Suk Soon. She gives a brief greeting and hands it over to Detective Captain Cha Tae Ho. And Pan Suk definitely doesn’t look the same. He looks like he hates being there. Tae Ho announces that they have eliminated over 70% of the staff to root out the corruption in the police force. Dang! And my theory of how the thug found him is correct. Pan Suk is NOT dirty. Tae Ho announces that they will be a new police force. Then he asks Pan Suk to give a brief welcome speech. Pan Suk sighs. His speech: “Well... As of today, the Gangnam Police Station has been declared a disaster zone.” That’s it. Cha frowns but Chief is still positive. She asks Team Leader Seo (Pan Suk) to guide their rookies well.
Woman enters, stylishly dressed. And she seems to have some history with Pan Suk, by his reaction at seeing her. She apologizes for being late; her flight was delayed. She’s the Missing Persons Unit Team Leader, Kim Sa Kyung. Definite history with her. Maybe they were dating but the case destroyed him and their relationship…
Later, the girls are all trying to get a peak at the new boys, since they’re so dreamy. Soo Sun just pushes them aside and opens the door. Dae Goo and Tae Il have no shirt on. Nice pecs, Lee Seung Gi! And Gook is basically in his undies. She quickly closes the door. Pan Suk is there and tells her to open the door. She protests that they’re changing. He doesn’t care.
Team introductions:
Ji Gook from Chungnam Buyo. Gook wears round spectacles and a multi-colored camo sweatshirt. He actually wanted to work traffic, but got transferred to the criminal investigations unit. He laughs over that one. Pan Suk looks like he’s being tortured, having to sit through this.
Uh Soo Sun from Masan. I can’t tell, but I think Dae Goo recognized the name. She says that she needs her sleep, so night shifts aren't her thing and she’s there because detective pay is the best. Pan Suk and Eung Do cringe over that one.
Park Tae Il, born and raised in Seoul. He’s there because he thought it would be fun. Eung Do likes that answer.
Eun Dae Goo only says his name and then sits. The new recruits are shocked. Eung Do tries to get him to expand: where is he from and why did he join this unit? He replies that he doesn't want to say. That gets Pan Suk’s attention. Dae Goo isn’t looking at him, but Pan Suk’s looking at Dae Goo. Eung Do tries to get Pan Suk to say something. Pan Suk sighs and tells them that if the can’t cut it, they should pack up NOW, especially Soo Sun. He’s never had anyone on his team with long hair, so she should pack up quickly. She’s offended and tells him it’s gender discrimination. He asks her if she’s deaf: he said *long hair.* Pan Suk then gets up and gives his rousing speech again, adding a request that they just don't kill anyone. Dae Goo glares up and him and Pan Suk asks what's wrong with his eyes? Dae Goo huffs in disbelief and the rest of the group can’t believe that disrespect. Pan Suk’s about to give Dae Goo the riot act, when they’re interrupted with a crime in progress.
The rookies just sit there. Eung Do asks what they’re doing and Gook replies that Pan Suk told them not to do anything. Yell of disgust from Pan Suk. Eung Do pulls out and distributes their firearm. Dramatic walk through the police station and the episode ends.
Thoughts
Wow, I think I’m already hooked. Although, quite a heavy backstory… Dae Goo aka Ji Yong watched his mother be strangled… to save his life. And she was killed because she was a witness to a bad man killing a girl.
This episode sets up several things:
- The Gangnam Police Department cleaned house because of rampant corruption; 70% of its force was fired. That’s a lot of corruption. Scary.
- Pan Suk has been on the force a long time and wasn’t one of the policemen who were fired.
- Dae Goo thinks Pan Suk is corrupt because of the attack by the Thug at the high school.
- Dae Goo (as Ji Yong) disappeared after that night, never to be heard from again.
- Soo Sun saw the Thug at the high school.
- Dae Goo’s father died prior to them arriving in Gangnam, according to his mother.
- Dae Goo and Soo Sun bumped heads when they were younger.
My predictions:
- Ji Yong aka Dae Goo is Soo Sun’s first love, so the romance factor will definitely be there
- It wasn’t quite clear, but I think that Dae Goo remembers her (Soo Sun)
- Dae Goo has joined the police force to expose Pan Suk as a crooked cop and to take him down
- Dae Goo and Pan Suk are constantly going to bump heads because of this
- Pan Suk is going to reveal to Dae Goo what really happened, which Dae Goo won’t believe at first, but eventually will, especially when he sees how haunted Pan Suk is by their deaths
- Pan Suk is going to cry when he figures out who Dae Goo is
- They are going to team up eventually and take down the man who killed Dae Goo’s mother
- Thug will reappear, acid scar and all, and will get his, too.
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