The real mastermind behind all these troubles has finally revealed himself, and he will not stop until our heroes kneel before him and beg for his forgiveness. However, our team will not accept defeat so easily, and so, the fight continues. Even if it means searching the entire country for evidence to bring him down, our ragtag team will forge on in order to see him topple.
EPISODE 18 RECAP
Tae-yong freezes when he sees Yoo-kyung approach him and the legislator, but quick on his feet, he comes up with a lie, calling her his intern. He quietly pleads with her to play along and shoves her into his car before the legislator can question them further. As they drive, she asks why he was there, but he wonders the same thing about her.
Meanwhile, Sam-soo discovers Mayor Kang’s face plastered on the school’s electronic bulletin board and curses under his breath at the crazy family. He returns to the mechanic shop where the students are still working and applies his own technical school training to fix a nearby machine. He garners a few onlookers’ praises, but Da-young is not impressed.
She asks why he came back, and Sam-soo tells her that he only acts when he has something to receive or received something himself. In this case, he received a lecture from a high school student and needs to repay her.
Yoo-kyung believes Legislator Kim is the one pulling the strings from the shadows, and Tae-yong does not correct her since he thinks so as well. Since she answered his question, she needs to know why he came out of that house.
Back at the school, Da-young wonders if Sam-soo wants revenge, and he grits his teeth in exasperation. He likes her guts, and as such, he wants her to join him as he chews up this school. Tearing up, she asks if he can do it, and he cheekily replies, “I’m good at everything besides studying.”
Da-young smiles since she is the same and extends her hand. The two of them shake on their new partnership—no going back now!
Prosecutor Jang informs the mayor that he will be running in Jongno and promises to get back his document in the near future. Mayor Kang laughs in glee over their good fortune since he will become president and keep his school.
Chae-eun updates her father on the foundation as well, and Prosecutor Jang gasps when he learns that his father-in-law earns over 1.5 million dollars from hiring teachers (wait, what?!). The mayor scowls at his surprise, and the prosecutor covers up his mistake, lying that he was shocked at how little he makes.
A call from Legislator Kim, however, ruins the prosecutor’s mood as he answers his phone away from his family. The legislator tells him that Yoo-kyung approached him and wants the prosecutor to handle matters. When Prosecutor Jang refuses, the legislator threatens to leak the mayor’s document and suppresses a laugh, knowing full well that his threat has worked.
At her father’s request, Yoo-kyung faxes over a document for him, which sparks an idea in Tae-yong. He remembers the all-in-one printer at the legislator’s house and guesses the legislator would have preferred faxes as well. Yoo-kyung points out that the judges probably replaced their printers already, but Tae-yong is familiar with impossible odds and using his feet.
Sam-soo treats Teacher Gu to a meal and learns more about her story. The other teachers bullied her because she did not pay the director for hiring her (again, what?!), but she cannot fault her colleagues since she was the same in the past. He attempts to raise her spirits, mentioning how she stepped forward now, but Teacher Gu tells him that she had no other choice.
Teacher Gu witnessed another teacher, HEO SUNG-YOON (Lee Jong-hyuk), harassing students in the hallway for not finding work. Teacher Heo singled out one student, Uhm Seung-taek, and bopped him on the head until Da-young spoke out.
Tae-yong calls the students exceptional and offers to buy them some food as well. Unfortunately, his credit card is maxed out, so he resigns to just buying their meal for today. They continue their conversation on their walk, and Sam-soo warns her that she might lose her job if he publishes an article.
She already prepared for that outcome and takes him to a bus stop adorned with flowers and sticky notes. This is where Seung-taek died, and Teacher Gu blames herself for his death.
At school, Teacher Gu sat by herself in the cafeteria since no one would join her except for Da-young. Though she warned her to stay away, Da-young ate with her since she was fed up with hiding, and wanted her teacher to do the same. The school motto was “no work, no food,” but Da-young thought it was time for people like them to change it.
Sam-soo blinks back his tears as he listens, and Teacher Gu says that she wants to protect them while they are still alive. He looks over at the flowers placed on the bench and sighs.
Early the next morning, Sam-soo cleans up the office and frightens Tae-yong when he comes in for work. Sam-soo apologizes for causing a scene the other day, but Tae-yong tells him that he’s the one at fault for speaking carelessly.
The two men argue again, and Yoo-kyung jumps in to stop them. She scolds them for bickering at every turn, which finally gets them to quiet down at least. Sam-soo grumbles about Tae-yong refusing his request since the mayor is involved, and Tae-yong perks up at the comment.
Recalling a conversation between Prosecutor Jang and Legislator Kim about the mayor handing over his school, Tae-yong realizes that this case is much bigger than he thought. He doesn’t share his theory with the others quite yet since another emergency blows up: Their opponents have targeted Yoo-kyung’s father and are seizing his lab and house for an investigation on embezzlement and plagiarism.
Legislator Kim calls Tae-yong and informs him that he is the one behind the attack. He orders Tae-yong to bring Yoo-kyung and kneel before him in exchange for stopping the prosecution. Tae-young refuses, but the legislator assumed as much. He asks who he should hit next: Sam-soo’s or Tae-yong’s mom?
Tae-yong plops to the couch feeling defeated, but Yoo-kyung will not let this event derail them. She tells the others about the two companies that supply equipment to the Supreme Court, and since the prosecution never seized any printers, they might still be able to find evidence against the legislator and Justice Jo.
As the team splits up to cover more ground, Tae-yong stops Sam-soo for a private chat. He asks if he really does not understand his true feelings, and Sam-soo poses the same question to the lawyer. He confesses to acting out in order to keep working with him, and Tae-yong tells him that he’ll stay by his side. The two men grow misty-eyed as they reaffirm their partnership and friendship.
After wiping away his tears, Tae-yong calls Prosecutor Jang and demands a meeting. The prosecutor yells at Tae-yong for causing him trouble as well and agrees to see him.
The two reporters visit the suppliers, but Yoo-kyung is the one who ends up at the correct place. As she searches through the room of discarded printers, a worker informs her that the only all-in-one machine was sent to a construction site. She heads down immediately and strikes gold: it’s the justice’s printer!
Prosecutor Jang chastises Tae-yong for charging at the legislator without a plan, but Tae-yong yells back at him for dragging in innocent people. He understands that his and Sam-soo’s families are next, but the prosecutor corrects him, “I’m next!”
He tells Tae-yong that his candidacy is on the line as well as his father-in-law’s school. Since he is a prosecutor, he wants Tae-yong to give him a reason to swing his sword, but Tae-young points out that he buried the truth last time. The prosecutor brushes aside his argument and reminds him that they share the same goal which makes them allies.
Yoo-kyung calls Tae-yong to tell him about the printer, and the lawyer smiles. He looks over at Prosecutor Jang and ridicules him for cowering in fear. He tells the prosecutor to have some faith in him and walks away.
Assuming his son-in-law has everything under control, the mayor confidently calls Prosecutor Jang to rectify this mess. However, the prosecutor tells him that the legislator is threatening them and advises him to humor the daughter for now. In an instant, the mayor plays the part of submissive gopher and orders Chae-eun to bring their esteemed guest a drink.
Documents keep spilling out of their fax machine, and they gape at the various files about themselves, the retrials, and even other judges. Tae-yong answers a call from Prosecutor Jang, and ignoring Sam-soo’s glare, he informs him about their discovery.
Sam-soo vows to stop Tae-yong, but Yoo-kyung intervenes, reminding the others about their plan. She will meet with Legislator Kim as they discussed and instructs Sam-soo to fax over the document when the time comes.
Mi-young wishes to review the upcoming board changes and suggests creating a transition committee to smooth things over. The mayor tells her that it won’t be necessary, but Mi-young is neither dumb nor foolish. She makes it clear that they will form a committee, and the mayor holds his tongue.
Tae-yong drops Yoo-kyung off at the legislator’s house, and she texts Sam-soo to fax over the file in ten minutes. After she leaves, Tae-yong calls Prosecutor Jang and tells him to show off his sword wielding abilities.
The legislator is surprised to see Yoo-kyung by herself, but then really taken aback when she speaks. She mentions all the Korean-Japanese immigrants he framed and calls him a crazy grandpa. He tells her to beg for forgiveness and leave his sight, but Yoo-kyung will do no such thing.
She mentions the victims from the Jeju Island case, and the legislator finally explodes. He claims to have done everything for this country, but Yoo-kyung snaps back, “It’s time you stepped down.”
She asks him a slew of questions, and the more she speaks, the more the legislator’s face pales. She asks if he recognizes the words since they were the same ones he wrote in his apology, and as they perfectly timed, the fax machine whirls.
The real highlight of this episode was Yoo-kyung and her confrontation with Legislator Kim. She knew exactly how to handle the haughty old man, and she kept her poise while giving him a verbal beatdown. She accomplished what no one else could do—leaving the mastermind a stammering mess—and exited the scene at the perfect time. She wasn’t there to find pleasure in his demise (though I’m sure she did), and was never cruel towards the legislator even though he never extended the gesture to her. He was a rude grandpa who demanded her to kneel, but Yoo-kyung refused to stoop down to his level. She simply spoke the truth and put him in his place. Also, I loved the fact that Yoo-kyung was the one who got the chance to confront the legislator. The youngest member who’s also a female was the person who dealt the devasting blow, and I am sure it hurt the legislator’s ego. It was also a nice moment of redemption for Yoo-kyung as she got another chance to demonstrate her righteous fury but in a calculated manner with the full support of her team. Though she might not have gotten as much screen time or character growth as the two leads, this scene proved her worth as the rightful third member and indispensable ally.
From the beginning, the creators have been consistent with their antagonists, and Legislator Kim is the prime example. Even his flashbacks inform the audience about his current nature and highlight how much he has not changed. The legislator loves feeling like the most powerful person in the room. However, he wasn’t always at the top, and back in his prosecuting days, he bowed to those in charge and acted submissive. It makes sense why he craves for absolute obedience now because that was how he acted when he was the lackey. He expects the same, which is probably why he demands people to kneel before him. On the other hand, he does not trust anyone because, in the end, he betrayed his leaders when he gained power. The legislator spews on and on about his patriotism and how everything he does is for the country, but it was always about himself. He does not share the same twisted beliefs as the old Head of Intelligence (not to say his ideas aren’t twisted in their own right) because he would not have betrayed them when the new regime formed. The legislator is a deluded old man who truly believes that there is no one better than him to rule the nation. He personifies greed and what happens to people in power when left unchecked. Thus, it was so satisfying to watch Yoo-kyung call him a grandpa, essentially stripping him of his titles and the reverence he adores.