After her husband’s unexpected move, our cop quickly learns how challenging it is to be married to someone who’s no longer emotionless. Desperate to prove that he’s innocent of a recent murder, our antihero comes up with a dangerous plan to clear his name and rescue a long lost witness, without risking his wife’s career. Determined to be the last man standing, the accomplice risks his anonymity as he prepares to kill again.
EPISODE 14 RECAP
In the beginning flashback, Do Min-seok holds up Jung Mi-sook’s missing person poster and Hee-sung stops biting his nails long enough to ask, “What do you want me to do about it?” After reminding Hee-sung that they agreed to clean up their own messes, Min-seok orders him to take Mi-sook (who’s tied to a nearby tree) to the nearby cliff and then turn himself in, “Say that she fell off the cliff while running for her life. A good enough lawyer will get you a bargain.”
Hee-sung has a different solution, “Let’s have Hyun-soo do it. You said that he’ll do anything you ask.” Min-seok punches Hee-sung in the side and after showing him the unopened knife in his hand, he opens it and warns that he could have killed him. Min-seok cautions, “Don’t you ever mention Hyun-soo again,” and Hee-sung reluctantly agrees.
Min-seok promises that if Hee-sung takes his advice, he’ll be able to enjoy life for decades to come. As Min-seok walks away, Hee-sung gets a crazed look in his eyes.
In the present, Hee-sung peeks out from his hiding place as Jae-sub questions his mother. When asked who killed the housekeeper, Mom names Hyun-soo. Hoping to gain some sympathy, Mom explains that she and her husband only took Hyun-soo in because they needed someone to care for after Hee-sung fell into a coma.
With a knife against her throat, Ji-won unplugs the security monitor and once she’s done, Hyun-soo’s legs go weak. After steadying himself, Hyun-soo grabs a jacket from the nearby closet and promises, “Give me three days. No, one. I promise to be back.” When Ji-won shouts, “You held a knife to my neck,” Hyun-soo explains that he did it to keep her from looking like a willing accomplice.
Hyun-soo demonstrates that the knife isn’t sharp enough to cause serious harm but Ji-won is still upset. Hyun-soo complains that he expected Ji-won to understand him better after 14 years together and she’s taken aback by his anger.
Ji-won warns it’s not the time to get emotional and Hyun-soo unintentionally points the knife at her when he shouts, “I couldn’t possibly be more rational right now.” After setting down the knife, Hyun-soo informs Ji-won that Jung Mi-sook is alive and that Sang-chul has her.
Hyun-soo plans to catch the accomplice on his own until Ji-won handcuffs herself to him. When the police arrive, they find the workshop empty because Ji-won and Hyun-soo are hiding in the closet’s secret compartment. What the team does find is the CCTV evidence that Hyun-soo took Ji-won hostage.
While Ji-won’s team moves on, Ji-won urges Hyun-soo to turn himself in but he argues that Mi-sook will die if he’s arrested. Hyun-soo asks to have the handcuffs removed and promises, “I’ll put everything back to where it belongs. Me, Jung Mi-sook, and the accomplice.”
Ji-won refuses so Hyun-soo leads the way to the rooftop and they escape out a back door. When Ji-won stops long enough to confront Hyun-soo about the secret closet, he reminds her to take off her police ID. As Ji-won pulls it over her head, a passing bicycle causes her to drop it and it gets run over, making her photo impossible to see.
At the station, Chief Kang and Captain Yoon argue over the fact that no one realized that Do Hyun-soo was under their noses all this time. Doubtful that Ji-won was unaware of her husband’s real identity, Chief Kang promises to discipline Woo-chul’s entire team.
After Chief Kang walks out, Captain Yoon asks if Ji-won knew that Hyun-soo was behind the tip about Sang-chul’s trafficking ring. Woo-chul remembers how Jae-sub accused Ji-won of lying to the team but assures Captain Yoon, “She had no idea.”
When Hyun-soo and Ji-won climb into a taxi, he sees the driver staring at her hand in his pocket and smoothly explains that his “girlfriend” can’t stand to be apart. Ji-won awkwardly adds that it makes her anxious and Hyun-soo gets her to stop talking by advising her not to overshare. Ha.
Sang-shul locks Mi-sook in the cage in Min-seok’s basement and demands to know what she told Hyun-soo. Mi-sook whimpers that she could only tell him her name because she has no idea where they are.
When Mi-sook looks around, she recognizes her surroundings. A flashback shows Min-seok handing a dog leash to a blonde Hee-sung, who peered at Mi-sook in the cage. She tells Sang-chul, “It was them. They locked me up in here.”
After complimenting his mother’s performance, Hee-sung reminds her that the statute of limitations ran out on any crimes related to his car accident long ago. With Hyun-soo wanted for murder and using a false identity, Hee-sung reminds Mom that all she has to do is sound convincing when she gives her statement to the police, “Sound sincere as we practiced.”
Hee-sung’s smile disappears when Sang-chul calls. Moving to his room, Hee-sung reminds Sang-chul that he no longer needs him. When Sang-chul mentions Jung Mi-sook, Hee-sung remembers that Sang-chul had called with the news that he’d found her just before hitting Hyun-soo with his car. Sang-chul arranges to turn Mi-sook over to Hee-sung at midnight for $500,000 in cash.
Chief Kang joins the police commissioner and Dr. Baek in a private dining room at the same time that Ji-won and Hyun-soo walk down a hotel corridor. When Ji-won reminds Hyun-soo to act naturally for the security cameras, he points out that she’s the one who’s looking around nervously.
At his apartment, Moo-jin offers Hae-soo the use of his bedroom so that she can lock the door. Hae-soo explains why she’s so uncomfortable around him, “I’m always hurting you and using you whenever I need you. That’s what I’m doing right now. Why is my life such a burden on others?”
As it’s reported that Hyun-soo was discovered after living for years under a false name, an angry Ms. Kang calls Moo-jin. A forensic team collects evidence while the reporter who’s been bothering Hae-soo reports on television that Hyun-soo took his wife hostage and fled. When Woo-chul breaks the news to Ji-won’s mother, she clutches her chest.
Alone in a hotel room, Ji-won asks about Hyun-soo’s plan and she’s surprised when he snaps, “I know too well that nothing I say is worth anything to someone who suspects me.” Hyun-soo starts to apologize but stops himself, “I’m not sorry at all. Because I don’t know why these things have to happen to me.”
Sensing Hyun-soo’s anger, Ji-won asks, “How do you think I felt when they found your fingerprint…?” After Hyun-soo reminds Ji-won that his fingerprints aren’t in the database, she confesses, “I suspected you. So I checked. Is that so wrong?”
Hurt, Hyun-soo explains that while he never cared that others hated him for no reason, “Because it’s you, I couldn’t be more devastated.” Seeing Hyun-soo’s tears, Ji-won cries too and asks, “How can I blindly trust you when I don’t have all the facts…You give me too much credit.” When Hyun-soo tells Ji-won that he didn’t kill the housekeeper, she hugs him and together they cry over his latest injustice.
Dr. Baek insists that he was unaware of Hyun-soo’s real identity and the commissioner urges Chief Kang to overlook his involvement. Pretending that he’s embarrassed about the favor, Dr. Baek just asks for them to do everything they can to save Ji-won. Ugh.
Moo-jin gets dirty looks from his colleagues when he shows up to see Ms. Kang. After she yells at him, Moo-jin explains that he and Hyun-soo were working together to catch the accomplice. Ms. Kang informs Moo-jin that not only did Hyun-soo take his wife hostage, the police found the housekeeper’s hair in the trunk of his car.
With the handcuffs off, Hyun-soo explains that the accomplice used that phone call to lure him out to Makmun-dong so he’d be blamed for the housekeeper’s murder. Hyun-soo tells Ji-won that a check of his phone will prove that he called the owner of parked car near the phone booth to ask for the dash cam footage.
Hyun-soo is convinced that he’s the only person who can prevent Mi-sook from being handed over to the accomplice, but he needs it to look as if he’s no longer working with the police. When Hyun-soo contacts Sang-chul, Ji-won records the phone call on a laptop.
Hyun-soo gets Sang-chul to agree that the accomplice framed Hyun-soo for the housekeeper’s murder. Hyun-soo guesses that Sang-chul must still have Mi-sook since he’s alive but he cockily claims that he’s not easily fooled.
Hyun-soo reminds Sang-chul, “I managed though. And the accomplice was able to outsmart me.” After successfully planting doubt in Sang-chul’s mind, Hyun-soo suggests working together, “You’ll pocket the money, I’ll capture the accomplice, and Jung Mi-sook will live.”
Sang-chul describes the accomplice as too crazy to have as an enemy but he’s curious about what Hyun-soo has to offer. After reading a note from Ji-won, Hyun-soo announces, “No negotiations,” and hangs up. When Hyun-soo wonders if Sang-chul will accept his offer, Ji-won points out that because he kept talking, he’s already on their side.
Sang-chul drops some food near the cage for Mi-sook and then sits down to make his decision. Before Sang-chul can check the coin that he tossed to settle the question, Mi-sook begs, “Can you just kill me now instead of sending me to that blonde?”
In a flashback, Mi-sook whimpered when Min-seok ordered Hee-sung to take her to the nearby cliff. As Min-seok walked away, Hee-sung hit him in the back of the head with a large rock and while he hit him again and again, Mi-sook broke free and got away. When Mi-sook tells Sang-chul, “He killed his friend. He sneaked up behind him and struck his head with a rock,” he realizes that Min-seok didn’t commit suicide and finally checks his coin.
While Ji-won listens to the recording of the phone call, Hyun-soo calls the front desk to ask for extra towels. Encouraged now that there’s a chance to prove Hyun-soo’s innocence, Ji-won suggests continuing as his hostage to win Sang-chul’s trust.
Hyun-soo holds out his arms and when Ji-won goes to him, he quietly murmurs, “I love you.” Ji-won picks up on his sadness and Hyun-soo explains, “It’s time you go back…to where you belong.”
Handcuffing Ji-won to a table, Hyun-soo adds, “I can’t let you get involved no matter what happens.” After removing his watch so that he can’t be followed, Hyun-soo turns to leave but he stops when Ji-won cries out, “I’ll never see you again. So please don’t go.”
Hyun-soo returns to kiss Ji-won and promises, “I’ll be back…Don’t say goodbye to me with such a sad face. Just wish me luck.” The best that Ji-won can do is beg, “Don’t get hurt.” After Hyun-soo walks out, he passes the maid with the towels that he requested, guaranteeing that Ji-won is about to be found.
Hyun-soo calls Sang-chul from a phone booth and after learning that he’s accepted his offer, they arrange to meet.
Moo-jin chases after Hae-soo when she leaves his apartment with her suitcase. She’s upset because Moo-jin urged her to stay away from Hyun-soo and when Hae-soo reminds him that her brother was framed, he doesn’t look convinced. What Moo-jin is sure of is that Hyun-soo won’t be able to prove his innocence.
With disappointment in her eyes, Hae-soo asks, “Why do you always turn into a coward just when I need you the most?” After Hae-soo gets on the elevator, Moo-jin runs back to his apartment to grab his phone. Before Moo-jin can go after her, two detectives show up to take him in for helping Hyun-soo hide his identity.
At the hotel, Ji-won corrects a patrol officer who calls her a kidnapping victim, “I’m not a victim.” When Woo-chul arrives, Ji-won requests a complete review of the housekeeper’s murder because she’s convinced that Do Min-seok’s accomplice killed her.
At the station, Woo-chul and Ji-won play the recorded phone call for Chief Kang and Captain Yoon, who are shocked by the possibility that Jung Mi-sook is alive. Woo-chul asks for media silence about Ji-won’s return to keep the existence of the recording a secret.
When Ji-won agrees, Chief Kang balks at following her advice but Captain Yoon urges him to trust her. After Woo-chul reminds Chief Kang that they finally have a chance to catch the accomplice, he agrees to their plan.
Dr. Baek has Sang-chul’s money and when his wife shares her fear that he’ll keep coming back for more, Hee-sung hides a smile. Chief Kang calls with the news that Ji-won has been recovered but warns that Hyun-soo is still at large. After hanging up, Dr. Baek reports that Ji-won plans on proving Hyun-soo’s innocence but he has no idea if she has evidence.
Hae-soo arrives at her apartment while someone is trying to break in. When the intruder runs away, Hae-soo tries to stop him and her sleeve is torn in the process.
On the street, Ho-joon and Jae-sub apprehend the intruder, convinced that they’ve just caught Hyun-soo. When Hae-soo yells that it’s the accomplice, Jae-sub pulls off his hood and she recognizes the reporter who’s been following her.
At the station, Woo-chul hands Ji-won her cell phone which was recovered from her home. As Ji-won apologizes for deceiving the team, Ho-joon walks in and shares his relief that she’s all right. Jae-sub soon joins them and while he scolds Ji-won for worrying him, Hae-soo hovers near the door. Seeing Hae-soo’s torn sleeve, Ji-won throws her jacket over her shoulders.
During the reporter’s interrogation, Ji-won instructs Ho-joon to ask about his whereabouts at 2:30 a.m. She explains to Jae-sub and Woo-chul that’s the time that the accomplice called Hyun-soo from a phone booth in Makmun-dong.
When an officer walks in with Eun-ha, Woo-chul informs Ji-won that her mother is in the hospital. Crying, Eun-ha asks her mother, “Where’s Daddy?”
While Ji-won calls her mother, Eun-ha stares at Hae-soo and politely asks, “Who are you?” Unsure how to answer, Hae-soo just smiles at Eun-ha warmly.
With no one else she can trust, Ji-won asks Hae-soo to take care of Eun-ha and she promises, “I won’t let you down.” Hae-soo holds Eun-ha’s hand while Ji-won explains, “Ms. Do will be teaching you how to paint and draw.” Eun-ha smiles up at Hae-soo and confesses, “I love to draw.” So sweet.
When Eun-ha asks about Hyun-soo, Ji-won tells her about his promise to come back soon. Hae-soo tries to return Ji-won’s jacket but Ji-won stops her, “Once things are back to normal, we’ll invite you over. You can give it to me then.”
Min-seok appears to Hyun-soo during his bus ride to meet Sang-chul and he urges his son to disappear instead of acting like a detective like Ji-won. Min-seok warns, “It’s not until we face the choice that we finally get to see who we really are,” as Hyun-soo stares out the window.
In the back of a taxi, Hae-soo gently strokes the hair of her sleeping niece. Hae-soo finds Ji-won’s shattered ID and returns it to its pocket when Moo-jin calls. He was worried after finding Hae-soo’s unattended suitcase outside of her place and is pleased to hear that she plans to return to his apartment with Eun-ha after picking up some of the girl’s things.
After apologizing for the harsh things that she said, Hae-soo grasps the necklace around her neck and asks, “How is this necklace exactly the way it was? It’s still just as dazzling.” When Hae-soo promises to see him soon, a thrilled Moo-jin picks up her suitcase and practically floats away.
The taxi drops Hae-soo and Eun-ha off at Hyun-soo’s workshop while someone watches from across the street, the front door lock to the house at his feet. Noticing that the lock is missing, Hae-soo assumes that the police forced their way inside and she takes in the mess that they left behind as Eun-ha heads for her room.
While packing Eun-ha’s things, Hae-soo hears a noise and she instructs Eun-ha to stay in her room while she checks it out. In spite of the dark living room, Hae-soo freezes when she sees someone sitting on the couch, dressed in black.
After the intruder calls her “Ji-won”, Hae-soo shuts Eun-ha’s bedroom door and tells her, “…please lock the door.” When Eun-ha does as she’s told, Hae-soo adds, “Don’t open it for anyone but your mom,” and then places Ji-won’s ID around her neck.
Hee-sung stands up and when he removes his face mask, Hae-soo remembers him from her father’s funeral and her hand begins to tremble. After tying up his hair, Hee-sung inspects Ji-won’s ID and explains that he has to eliminate her because she’s a variable he can’t control.
Hae-soo controls her fear to ask, “Please don’t hurt my daughter. I beg of you.” Hee-sung agrees, as long as she answers his question, “Why do you believe that Do Hyun-soo is innocent?”
In spite of her tears, Hae-soo evenly explains, “Because it’s impossible for Hyun-soo to kill.” After Hae-soo adds, “He isn’t capable of loathing others,” Hee-sung breaks into a huge smile and flips open his knife.
The owner of the car parked near the phone booth hands Ji-won the chip from the dash cam. As Ji-won and Ho-joon hurry away, the message scribbled on the phone booth’s glass can still be seen, “You can’t see me, but I can see you.”
Sang-chul parks outside of Do Min-seok’s house and reminds Hyun-soo that he’s to get his money before Hyun-soo makes his move.
With her hand clutching the spot where she’s just been stabbed, Hae-soo falls to the floor. She’s still conscious when Hee-sung cuts Ji-won’s ID from her neck and exits the house.
Hae-soo thinks about the time that she and Moo-jin splashed water at each other in a stream while Hyun-soo read a book nearby. Hae-soo called for him to help and after Hyun-soo dutifully joined in, the three of them laughed together. Her face wet with tears, Hae-soo’s eyes close.
COMMENTS
Even though I’ve believed all along that it makes sense to have Hae-soo die, now that she’s finally accepted Moo-jin’s feelings and been welcomed as family by Ji-won, giving her a chance to meet Eun-ha, I’m hoping that she survives that attack from Hee-sung. Hae-soo made up for all of her shortcomings when she accepted her fate after negotiating with a serial killer for Eun-ha’s safety. Hae-soo has known such little happiness in her life, which makes her possible death even more heartbreaking just as she found some reasons for living. But I guess Hae-soo found her strength just when she needed it the most and her sacrifice is meant to protect the life of the most innocent member of her family after Hyun-soo, his daughter Eun-ha.
I found Hee-sung’s obsession with Ji-won’s belief in her husband’s innocence particularly interesting. Considering that Hyun-soo was raised by a serial killer, who likely tempted his son to explore his dark side, he’s the one person who’s the least likely to kill in the entire bunch. Even though the world expects the worst of him and believes the worst of him, Hyun-soo has never changed. But will Hae-soo’s confidence in her brother’s inability to kill still hold true if and when Hee-sung takes credit for killing Ji-won. That has to be why he took Ji-won’s ID with him after stabbing Hae-soo, to provoke Hyun-soo when their paths finally cross.
Hee-sung is turning out to be one unhinged, completely bonkers villain. We now know without a doubt that Do Min-seok did not commit suicide and it was his demand that Hee-sung never mention Hyun-soo’s name again that sealed his fate. Hee-sung must have been jealous of that flash of paternal protection which is why he became angry enough to kill his mentor and teacher. In just the span of a few seconds, everyone’s fate changed when Hee-sung unleashed his fury.
Hee-sung wasn’t the only one whose actions had such far reaching consequences. After Dr. Baek reached out to the police commissioner, who in turn enlisted the help of Chief Kang, it’s Hae-soo who gets hurt when Chief Kang breaches professional confidentiality by leaking details of the case to Dr. Baek. If Dr. Baek hadn’t told Hee-sung that Ji-won was intent on proving her husband’s innocence, he wouldn’t have targeted her. After coming down on Woo-chul’s team and Captain Yoon and reminding them that Ji-won can’t be trusted, it’s Chief Kang who betrays the courageous detectives who just want to uncover the truth. What a hypocrite.
Never has a such a nice hotel room felt like such a waste. Forced to sit so closely together because of the handcuffs, Hyun-soo and Ji-won never felt more far apart while sitting on the edge of that bed. Their confrontation was raw and exhausting but understandable, because they have to build a new relationship based on honesty and trust. But first they have to get their disappointments off of their chests. And boy, did they ever make progress. Never at any point was their love and devotion in question, they just need to ask each other tough questions and deal with the answers. Ji-won and Hyun-soo are both fiercely loyal so I’m hoping that after they expose Hee-sung’s murderous ways, they’ll be able to start over with all of their secrets out in the open. That means that Hae-soo can be a sister to Hyun-soo and an aunt to Eun-ha (if she lives) and maybe just maybe, Eun-ha can become a big sister someday. After everything that Hyun-soo and Ji-won have been through, they deserve all of the happiness that they can find together.