Voice: Episode 16 (Final)
by odilettante
“Are monsters born or made?” It’s the eternal question, but the more pressing question for our Golden Time Team’s last adventure is how does one capture a monster without getting killed in the process. There’s no easy answer, and it’s a battle to the finish as Kwon-joo and Jin-hyuk go from being the hunted to becoming the hunters as they finally get their long-awaited closure — and possibly revenge — for the brutal deaths of their loved ones.
The Final Chapter
Jin-hyuk and Kwon-joo find the fresh blood stains leading from the driveway into the house, which means they know Tae-gu is inside with one of his victims. That victim happens to be a scared and bloody Dae-shik who kneels in the middle of Tae-gu’s murder basement as Tae-gu looks over his instruments of murder. With smile and a crackle in his jaw, he asks Dae-shik how he’d like to die.
Thanks to the information Hyun-ho gave her, Kwon-joo is able to figure out that twenty-five years ago, Tae-gu’s mother saw her husband kill someone and she ran (barefoot!) to the local police station to report it, but CEO Mo said she was just reacting poorly to sleeping pills and covered it all up. But a few days later the body of a businessman was found in the lake.
It was declared an accidental death, but it’s no coincidence that the body belonged to someone that stood in the way of CEO Mo merging with another bus company, and thus potentially preventing him from controlling the largest transportation company in the country.
Kwon-joo believes that Tae-gu must have witnessed that murder, and a flashback reveals that she’s correct. Young Tae-gu heard noises coming from the basement and went down to explore. His father and.. is that Sang-tae’s father? …were there beating a man who was tied to a chair. CEO Mo mostly watched, but in his irritation due to a bus line being stolen from him, he slaps the knife he’s holding against the other man. When the other man curses CEO Mo, declaring that his children will suffer from CEO Mo’s greed, CEO Mo angrily flails and kicks at the man — accidentally stabbing him in the throat.
Tae-gu’s mother calls down the stairs, asking where Tae-gu went, but the young boy stares in shock at his father and the man he just killed. His mother tries to cover his eyes, but Tae-gu can’t stop looking. Kwon-joo believes this incident marked Tae-gu’s turning point to murderous psychopath. Jin-hyuk is bitterly amused to realize that CEO Mo must have felt guilty all these years for what Tae-gu saw, and therefore spent his life trying to clean up after his son’s evil deeds by way of recompense.
The adult Tae-gu grabs one of his many kettlebell options and calmly advances towards the terrified Dae-shik who tries to crawl away from him. Tae-gu tells him that secrets should remain secrets — the truth can be really exhausting. He crouches down and drops the kettlebell on the floor, asking if Dae-shik knows when a human is a complete.
Pulling a knife from his pocket, Tae-gu slices the palm of his hand, answering his own question: “Through pain.” Picking up the kettlebell again, he swings it against Dae-shik’s head. Noooooooo!
Jin-hyuk cuts the wire of the electronic security lock on the front door, and he and Kwon-joo cautiously enter the darkened house with their guns and flashlights raised. But as they look around and gradually turn on the lights, there’s no sign that anyone is there.
As Dae-shik’s body writhes due to shock and pain, Tae-gu searches through his pockets, finding the key card he’d been looking for. Dae-shik manages to ask Tae-gu if he killed all his victims in this room, angrily adding that Tae-gu will spend eternity in hell for his crimes. Tae-gu responds by picking up the kettlebell and swinging it down on Dae-shik’s head a couple of times. Double noooooooooooo!
Tae-gu seems almost disappointed when Dae-shik is no longer responsive, and, exhausted, he staggers back towards the kettlebell table. Movement on the security feed catches his eye, and he realizes in surprise that Jin-hyuk and Kwon-joo are inside the house. Instead of being worried that they’ve found him, he laughs in delight.
Jin-hyuk’s convinced that Tae-gu is only playing with them, no doubt watching them from somewhere close by. He’s not wrong, because with a few taps on his keyboard from his murder room, Tae-gu shuts off the lights to the house and also blocks any cell phone reception. That means the detectives can’t call or radio for back-up. He also electronically locks the doors — there’s no way out.
Cackling to himself as he watches them on his security feed, Tae-gu presses another button. A scream can be heard from somewhere in the house, and Kwon-joo and Jin-hyuk hurry to the direction it’s coming from, but Kwon-joo thinks it sounds a little strange.
As they cautiously enter a bathroom, there’s a body in the bathtub, covered in a sheet. Kwon-joo worriedly calls out as Jin-hyuk reaches to remove the sheet, no doubt concerned that he’ll see Dae-shik’s body under there. But it’s actually the plastic-wrapped body of Gyu-ah. I guess she’s been upgraded from the closet. Kwon-joo finds a recording playing screams from horror movies, which explains why they sounded odd to her. Jin-hyuk angrily points out that Tae-gu keeps purposefully toying with them.
Kwon-joo hears the scrape of a kettlebell on concrete and realizes that it’s coming from somewhere below the house. Repetitive banging sounds help her isolate where it’s coming from, and with Jin-hyuk’s help, they find the secret door leading down to the basement.
Their guns drawn, they follow a trail of blood leading to the murder room. Jin-hyuk is the first to enter the room, and you know something is suspicious because the door is wide open. Jin-hyuk hurries forward when he sees Dae-shik’s body in the middle of the room, but Kwon-joo screams that it’s a trap.
Too late, though, as Tae-gu suddenly emerges from his hiding spot and uses the butt of his rifle to slam it against the back of Kwon-joo’s neck, sending her to the floor. He kicks her fallen gun away from her as he aims the rifle at Jin-hyuk.
Jin-hyuk aims his gun at Tae-gu, ordering him to drop the rifle, but Tae-gu switches him aim back-and-forth between Jin-hyuk and the unarmed Kwon-joo as he asks if Kwon-joo got the gift he left her. He thought she would appreciate it. Yeah, because what woman doesn’t want a box of hair from murder victims.
She spits out that he’s totally crazy, but he continues to babble that both she and he are special — they’re different from other people. But Kwon-joo refuses to accept it, telling him he’s not the superior being he seems to think he is. The only reason he’s still alive and free is because of his father, but soon he’ll get the judgement he deserves.
Annoyed by her response, he mutters that he’ll change up the order (of killing them, I presume) and aims for Jin-hyuk, who dives and rolls as he fires back on Tae-gu. He should probably stick to kettlebells, because despite a few attempts, his shots miss their mark. But Jin-hyuk manages to graze Tae-gu in the arm, knocking him off balance. Jin-hyuk pursues Tae-gu when he runs upstairs, and they have a shoot-out as they run through the house.
Kwon-joo runs to check on Dae-shik, and even though he’s still unconscious, his body is still shaking in shock, so at least he’s still alive. Kwon-joo then hurries over to the security feed and turns off the jammer so she can call for backup and an ambulance.
Tae-gu hides around a corner as he reloads his rifle, and Jin-hyuk demands to know if this house is Tae-gu’s murder playground. Jin-hyuk warns him that he’ll die by his hands today as recompense for killing his wife, but Tae-gu just laughs as he points outs out that Dae-shik is the one who’s been covering it all up for the past three years.
Gritting his teeth, Jin-hyuk tells Tae-gu to never defile Dae-shik’s name by uttering it with that vile mouth of his. Yeah! Stepping around the corner, both men continue shooting at each other, and Tae-gu makes his way out of the house as Jin-hyuk tries to follow him through the maze of hallways.
Once outside, they stand-off against each other, their fingers on on their respective triggers. Tae-gu taunts Jin-hyuk, telling him that they’re not so different — they both are evil by natures. Jin-hyuk tells him to stop babbling and just fire already. Or is Tae-gu actually scared for once?
Police backup has finally arrived, and the Violent Crimes Detectives along with the local police surround Tae-gu, all of them pointing their guns at him. Tae-gu slowly lowers the rifle, but Jin-hyuk orders him to keep it raised and he shoots at Tae-gu’s feet, sending the cops scattering back a few steps.
With a smile, Tae-gu silently lowers his weapon and allows the cops to arrest him. Furious, Jin-hyuk continues to point his gun at him, and as Chief Jang cautiously approaches to get Jin-hyuk to lower his gun, Jin-hyuk says that he’ll give up his badge if it means getting to kill that bastard. But Chief Jang manages to get him to put away the gun, and Jin-hyuk watches helplessly as Tae-gu grins while he’s led away. Tae-gu knows this isn’t the end for him.
Dae-shik is strapped to a gurney and carefully put into an ambulance, which I’m taking as a good sign since it’s not a body bag. He has severe injuries to his skull, though, and he’ll be immediately taken to a hospital for neurosurgery.
The news is already reporting about the murder house, and CEO Mo goes into full damage control as he calls in favors of one of the directors of a hospital. He also calls Commissioner Bae. But between this and the bus incident, trying to cover up for CEO Mo isn’t looking as easy — or as rewarding — as it used to be. Commissioner Bae realizes that all his efforts to climb to the top have now been toppled in a split second.
Tae-gu is also being transported to the hospital, thanks to Jin-hyuk’s bullets grazing him. He’s handcuffed to the gurney, but he can’t stop laughing to himself. He’s escorted by a couple of cops, but the paramedic seems to be in CEO Mo’s pocket because as he tends to Tae-gu’s wounds, he manages to convince the cops to reroute to the closest hospital — with the director that owes CEO Mo a favor — since Tae-gu had a seizure. Jin-hyuk’s convinced it’s all a ruse as he follows Tae-gu’s ambulance.
The cops from the ambulance wait outside the emergency room as the doctor attends to Tae-gu. He injects Tae-gu with something that causes temporary suspended animation, making it look like he’s dead. He also stuffs into Tae-gu’s mouth a cotton ball soaked with something that will make it smell like Tae-gu killed himself by cyanide poisoning. That’s straight-up Hollywood spy movie nonsense, but whatever works to help him escape, I guess.
They confirm that Tae-gu’s unresponsive and that there’s evidence of potassium cyanide, and the doctor says that they need to move him to the morgue right away. Jin-hyuk finds that super suspicious, and has Hyun-ho and Eun-soo look into the doctor’s background, which reveal that he’s connected to Sungwun Express.
Kwon-joo listens carefully, and can hear the sound of a stretcher being moved to an elevator which is going down to the parking lot. They race down the stairs, and as they do so, Tae-gu regains consciousness as the doctors assist him into the waiting car. Jin-hyuk and Kwon-joo arrive a moment too late.
Tae-gu gradually regains control of his body again, and looks over the Japanese passport and ticket on a passenger ship to Japan that his father’s given him. CEO Mo wants his son to hide out overseas until everything settles down, but Tae-gu throws a tantrum, insisting that he doesn’t want help to run away. He screams for Kwon-joo and Jin-hyuk.
Hyun-ho’s already figured out that CEO Mo must have purchased a ticket to Japan for Tae-gu who will be using a fake passport, and so Jin-hyuk, Kwon-joo, and the Violent Crimes Unit all head to the harbor where Tae-gu is supposed to board his ship.
CEO Mo’s called in Prosecutor Park to help clean up Tae-gu’s mess. He promises Prosector Park anything he wants — money is no object when it comes to saving his son. But Prosecutor Park says things aren’t looking good right now, and it’d be better if CEO Mo turns himself in. CEO Mo desperately spins a story about making it look like Tae-gu died, asking Prosecutor Park for help in creating the necessary documents. Whoa, buddy, you’ve already fake-killed your son once tonight, let’s not try for the Worst-Dad-of-the-Year by doing it again. Prosecutor Park can see the writing on the wall, and decides to bail out of the Sungwun Express sinking ship.
The sun is already rising by the time the detectives reach the harbor. Tae-gu’s car gets blocked in, so he and his assistant make a run for it, weaving through the stacks of containers until they start running along the train tracks. The detectives lose sight of them, but Kwon-joo can hear the distinct sound of someone running on gravel, which gives them Tae-gu’s general direction and they sprint to chase after him.
Tae-gu and his assistant hide on a fishing boat, and it’s probably not a good idea to turn your back on a desperate psychopath, especially when there are so many many potential murder weapons around, because he picks up a metal pipe and beats his assistant to death before dropping him into the harbor.
The sound of the splash alerts Kwon-joo of Tae-gu’s location, and she radios the other detectives who all hurry to the water’s edge. They arrive just in time to see a body disappear beneath the surface and Jin-hyuk dives in to try and identify the body, but it’s too hard to see. When the harbor police finally retrieve the body, they confirm that it’s not Tae-gu.
As the Violent Crimes Unit detectives race off to arrest CEO Mo now that they have their warrant, Kwon-joo holds an interview with one of the news stations, telling everyone that Tae-gu is the one who was responsible for the murders three years ago. She confirms that Tae-gu is a psychopath, but not all psychopaths become murderers.
Even though Tae-gu was born with a psychopathic mentality, he didn’t become dangerous until he saw his father kill someone. Tae-gu watches the interview on a TV through a shop window, and his reaction makes me worried for Kwon-joo’s near future.
She returns to her apartment, but as she starts to unlock the door, Tae-gu appears from around the corner where he’s been waiting for her. He brandishes the knife he’s been holding and rushes toward her.
CEO Mo drowns his sorrows in alcohol as the news station gives a special report on Sungwun Express’s corruption. He blames himself for what Tae-gu has become, having helped raise him to become the monster that he is. He decides that his death might be able to pay for Tae-gu’s sins. Retrieving a gun from his desk drawer, he raises it to his temple.
The Violent Crimes detectives rush in at that moment to arrest him, but before Chief Jang can finish saying “You’re under arrest,” CEO Mo pulls the trigger and blows his brains out.
Tae-gu and Kwon-joo have somehow made it to the roof, and Tae-gu continues to advance on her as she crawls away from him. Tae-gu asks if she came back to this place to find him, and wonders if she knows how many times he let her get away. But she tells him that he has no authority to judge and punish others.
Furious, he pins her to the ground, letting her know that she’s gone too far now, and it’s her turn to be punished. She tells him how desperate she’d been to hunt him down and punish him for what he’d done. But now she sees how pitiful his life is, having stayed by his father who helped turn him into a monster.
She admits that she wanted to become like him, to tear him to pieces for what he did to her father. But someone once told her the police are there to catch the bad guys, so she’s choosing the legal path for justice. She adds that in his next life, instead of choosing to be a monster, he should choose to stay close to those who love him — that’s the way he’ll be saved.
Tae-gu’s had enough of her chatter as he raises his knife. But he stops when he sees her laugh. The reason for her smile becomes clear when Jin-hyuk appears and shoots Tae-gu in the leg, causing him to roll away from Kwon-joo. Turns out she’d purposefully used the interview to lure Tae-gu out, knowing he’d be waiting for her at her place.
Struggling to his feet on his one good leg, Tae-gu laughs as he greets Jin-hyuk — who immediately shoots him in the other leg. Tae-gu just doesn’t know when to quit, and he gloats to Jin-hyuk that his favorite thing about killing Ji-hye was hearing the sound of her skull smashing.
Jin-hyuk just shoots him in the arm. Propping himself up on the only good limb he has left, Tae-gu continues to taunt Jin-hyuk until Jin-hyuk shoots him in other arm, which forces Tae-gu to sprawl helplessly out on the roof. As twisted as ever, Tae-gu is pleased by Jin-hyuk’s reaction, pointing out the law is useless when it comes to justice, so Jin-hyuk should of course matters into his own hands.
When Jin-hyuk presses his gun against Tae-gu’s head, aiming right between the eyes, Tae-gu looks almost euphoric as he tells Jin-hyuk to shoot. Kwon-joo pleads with Jin-hyuk not to do it, but Jin-hyuk pulls the trigger and… click. The gun is empty.
Taking Tae-gu’s knife instead, Jin-hyuk presses the blade against Tae-gu’s neck. He asks if that’s what Tae-gu wants, and then apologizes that he can’t live up to expectations. He admits that he’s dreamed for the past three years of how he’d kill Tae-gu with his bare hands, but he’s now realized that it’d be better to leave him in a place where Tae-gu won’t be able to torture or kill anyone ever again.
Tae-gu starts to look angry and distressed, and Jin-hyuk gently caresses his hair, pleased that he’s finally getting the reaction he wanted. He tells Tae-gu that he hopes he thinks of him every day for the rest of his life. To Kwon-joo’s relief, Jin-hyuk sets aside the knife and officially arrests Tae-gu.
That night, Jin-hyuk visits his son in the hospital. Dong-woo is sound asleep, but Jin-hyuk tells him he’s finally fulfilled his promise. He then rests his head on the pillow next to his son, and I hope he finally gets the rest that’s been denied him for the past three years.
In the morning, Jin-hyuk and Kwon-joo visit their respective family memorial plaques. As he stares at the photo of his late wife, Jin-hyuk apologizes that it’s taken him so long to visit her. He promises that he’s now going to focus on looking forward and not obsessing about the past. With tears in his eyes, he tells his wife that she’s now free to rest in peace.
Kwon-joo rubs the the dust away from the photo of her and father, telling him she hopes he can rest well. She adds that even though she knows he was worried about her ability to hear sounds no one else could, she was able to use that ability to catch his killer.
Both Kwon-joo and Jin-hyuk visit Dae-shik in the hospital. Despite the neurosurgery, he’s still unconscious, although the doctor says that it’s a good sign that he no longer needs life support and can now breath on his own. One of his finger twitches, which I’m going to take as a good sign, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll fully regain consciousness.
Jin-hyuk silently wills Dae-shik to wake up so they can get back to work. He wants his talkative partner back. Aw, it’s just nice to know that Jin-hyuk forgives him.
Tae-gu is at a mental hospital, and apparently drugged out of his mind in order to keep his violent tendencies at bay. The doctor sees the drool marks on Tae-gu’s hospital pajamas and tells the orderly to clean him up after he makes sure Tae-gu takes his medication.
The orderly rolls Tae-gu’s wheelchair down the hallway and into a large, dark abandoned room where the wheelchair perfectly stops in the middle of one of the spot lights. Tae-gu flinches at the weird inhuman sounds around him, his jaw crackling as he nervously looks around at the shadows. Slowly advancing towards him like zombies are other patients of the mental hospital, and the doctor steps forward and stares at him.
With a nod, the doctor silently orders the other patients to attack. Like a pack of wild hyenas, they stab and brutalize Tae-gu’s body as he screams out in pain. The doctor advances with a meat tenderizer in his hand. Tae-gu, bloody and gasping in pain, watches in terror as the doctor raises it above his head, swinging it down to smash against Tae-gu’s skull.
In a voice-over, Kwon-joo tells us that she found out later Tae-gu was killed by another patient at the mental hospital. Also, most of the officials at the police station were replaced, and Commissioner Bae was prosecuted for accepting bribes.
The Golden Time Team is reinstated as a permanent team, and Kwon-joo finally feels like her ability to hear could really be used to help save people. Even though saving people in such a short time period can be stressful, and mistakes can be made, she wants to strive for a world without crime.
Eun-soo receives a call that a man with a knife is terrorizing people on the subway. Settling at her desk, Kwon-joo dispatches a response team as she declares the start of the Golden Time.
COMMENTS
This show hasn’t been perfect. There have been plot holes galore and a severe lack of characterization. It feels like the writer had a good concept but could have used a few more editorial passes to tighten up the script. The saving grace has been the atmospheric directorial style (bless this lighting director!) and the stellar cast. I do wish we could have seen more from Yesung and especially Son Eun-seo, and if it weren’t for his incredible performance in the last episode, I’d also be wondering about the waste of Baek Sung-hyun.
However, Lee Ha-na and Jang Hyuk were brilliant (as to be expected), and Kim Jae-wook definitely deserves recognition for bringing a crazed killer to life in such a way that felt real and not simply a two-dimensional mustache-twirling villain. I hope this show gets him more recognition and respect, and definitely more roles in the future (or, at least, ones that don’t require me to wait another three years for a new project from him).
Despite the constant “fridge logic” and the “wait, what, how did we get here?” moments (because seriously, how did Tae-gu and Kwon-joo end up on the roof?), the show has remained riveting from start to finish. I was worried that the finale wouldn’t live up to my expectations until I realized I didn’t have any expectations other than it would be a nerve-wracking hour where I wouldn’t be sure of who would survive until the end. And the episode did more than deliver, as it hurtled from place to place while we watched Tae-gu spiral more and more out of control. The trademark suspense and brutality were all there, and so, in that sense, I am satisfied with the ending, especially since our heroes all managed to survive to hopefully lead a happier life. (Because Dae-shik is gonna eventually wake up from his coma, right? Right?)
I’ll admit, however, I’m still a little confused about Tae-gu’s ending. Am I supposed to take the action at face-value? Is this doctor gearing up to be a new psychopathic villain we should be worried about (or anticipating in the hopes of another season)? I can only imagine the ethical quagmire of using your own patients to help kill another person. Or is it the wild concoctions of Tae-gu’s addled brain, now forced to live with the consequences of his actions without anything to distract him. Is he projecting the screams of his victims and his own bloodthirsty tendencies onto the patients and the doctor? Is this what Jin-hyuk meant by making sure he lived each day thinking about what he’s done?
Because it was odd that the filming turned to black and white during that segment, and that the doctor never spoke as he killed Tae-gu in a manner eerily similar to all the ways Tae-gu has killed before. I almost wish Kwon-joo didn’t tell us he was killed in the mental hospital just so there could be more vagueness regarding Tae-gu’s end (and possibly spark an endless debate on whether mental torture is worse than physical). Also, I’m a little annoyed that I never got a satisfactory answer about Tae-gu’s crackling jaw. It seems to come out when he’s stressed or excited, and the orderly at the end said that there’s no physical reason for it. Yet he didn’t have it for most of the middle episodes, with no clear explanation as to why. So frustrating.
Despite my quibbles, I did really enjoy this finale and the show overall. Once you decide to just accept the crazy logic of the show, it’s the perfect kind of drama to sit-back and enjoy (even if I sometimes watched from behind my fingers). I’m willing to overlook imperfections provided a drama manages to remain compelling the entire way through, and this show definitely did that and then some. I’m thankful for the time I got to spend with these characters and the many ways they’ve tried to save their community, although I’ll never look at a kettlebell the same way again.
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Tags: Episode 16, featured, Jang Hyuk, Lee Hana, Voice
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1 mk
March 15, 2017 at 2:14 PM
Voice didn't live up to its brilliant premiere but it did give us a great heroine and a great villain. The highlight of the show wasn't the partnership of Kwon Joo and Jin Hyuk but the intense game of cat and mouse between her and Tae Gu. Though there's plenty that could have been improved, my main wish is that there had been more focus on their relationship (if you can call it that) and how Kwon Joo was seemingly worthy in Tae Gu's eyes. I loved that his focus was always on her and her intellect and I wish we could have seen more of that.
I do also really like that the heroes didn't fall into a cycle of vengeance. While thematically it's very dramatic, there's so much power in choosing to do the right thing despite the lack of personal satisfaction it can bring. I like that the show ended on a hopeful note (besides Tae Gu's weird, hallucinogenic end? what the heck was that?).
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prettysup
March 15, 2017 at 5:09 PM
My take is that the hospital gruesome scene was all his hallucination caused by his drugs probably. He died later in a separate incident during a fight with another patient.
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lolalarue
March 15, 2017 at 9:53 PM
That's what I thought too.
Was pretty disappointed by this series overall. But as the reviewer said Lee Ha Na and Kim Jae Wook made it worth checking back in for the finale.
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elana
March 16, 2017 at 6:39 AM
why disappointed?To me i am very satisfied with how the events linked to each other and finally end up catching the right crooks.credits goes to every actors and actresses in the drama.It definately a THUMBS UP for me.LHN and KJW and JH did their utmost best to portray their characters.GOOD JOB EVERYBODY!
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Susan
March 16, 2017 at 10:55 AM
I was hoping that as well, that it was just a hallucination, but I think it was supposed to be a literal happening--which I thought was really warped. Granted, the producers seemed to want to push that "you get punished in the end by what you do to others," point, but it just seemed so out of line with the rest of the way the show was produced that it really threw me off there! I was hoping Tae-gu would just suffer in some isolated ward room in the mental hospital unable to get his revenge. I think that would have been more satisfying to me.
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Serendipity
March 16, 2017 at 1:19 PM
My thoughts exactly...that black&white scene was so surreal to be real :-) I believe he was hallucinating and was killed later.
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Louie
September 5, 2017 at 7:16 PM
I think because of the season 2 this show is too good the scenario were almost real and if you could imagine in real life is so disturbing
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2 Miky
March 15, 2017 at 2:17 PM
Well,that was was a gruesome ending for Moo Tae Go,i guess karma really returned him 100% all the deeds he did all his life...I must confess i felt actually bad seeing his last minutes...His Dad ended being such a coward,choosing the easy route till the last minute...I really liked the little moment between Tae Go and Gwon Joo and JinHyuk as well on the rooftoop...It's sad seeing that such a monster could have been prevented if he had been given treatment while young...So many lives would have been spared and in the end even his...All in all the cast did an amazing job and loved Lee Hana in the role and how the writer somehow choose to have her character the center of the story rather than being the same old male center type drama...
Hope to see Lee Ha Na back soon again in a good role as it really fits her this genre along wih Kim Jae Wook,i confess i'm curious what character he will tackle next as i know he doesn't like being stereotyped in one mold...
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3 ijaymia
March 15, 2017 at 2:38 PM
Am i the only one who wished that Tae gu had a different end, or at least a vague one?.....all in all, i really liked the show, plot holes and all.
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satsuki92
March 15, 2017 at 4:59 PM
Me too! The ending was so weird. I thought it was Tae Gu's psychotic hallucinations, like the one he had of the detective's mouth fusing together.
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ijaymia
March 15, 2017 at 8:29 PM
Man that was all kinds of weird! I wish the show gave us more info on his obsession with mouths
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CrimeFighter
March 15, 2017 at 10:16 PM
Me too...I thought it was his hallucinations, but later KJ said that he was killed in the mental hospital by another patient? (is that 'doctor' a fake one but actually a patient???)
But I must add that I love the last 2 episodes of Voice and that we have a a better and explainable and deserving ending for the main villain. It is not so for Missing 9.....*grumbles*
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Blah
December 14, 2020 at 8:20 AM
Yes OMG I wish he stayed alive ngl
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4 Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
March 15, 2017 at 2:47 PM
Not breating much new ground here, but the scene where Tae-gu got killed was hard to take literally. He was killed by a bunch of insane-asylum inmates armed with everything you want to keep away from crazy people, and by a doctor with a huge meat tenderizer (just the thing for tenderizing hard-hearted, hard-headed killers)? But why would they only attack Tae-gu and not each other or the doctor? (Or were they non-decomposed zombies?)
You could take it as a metaphor, or maybe Tae-gu's nightmare or the good guys' wishful thinking. Or plain old karma. But I'd be happier if one of the doctors was a relative of a victim and got creative in making Tae-gu's life both miserable and short.
I wouldn't mind a season 2 with Kwan-joo. Jin-hyuk I could do without. Eun-Soo needs to be in it so she finally gets a chance to do something. Dae-shik is welcome to show up but I'm afraid his face might be so messed up he'd have to wear a mask like the killer in Strong Woman.
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Miky
March 15, 2017 at 3:58 PM
Because they clearly were inflicted by fear of the Doctor that is like the Boss,they are clearly scared of him and will do anything he orders them...I guess from that scene there are gruesome things happening at that Metal Hospital were Nurses and stuff are involved all in one...Doubt Tae Gu is the first one to be killed in that manner...More than sure those patients were beaten and killed as well...
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CrimeFighter
March 15, 2017 at 10:20 PM
haha I nearly laugh at your last comment (skin mask eh)....
yes when watching that scene, I too thought that maybe that 'doctor" is the family of one of the victims Tae Gu has killed before and also the group of zombies or ghostly patients attacking him I thought it is his hallucination of the ghosts of the ppl he has killed before (it was kinda at the 'basement' he has killed many before)....anyway I actually like the karma he was getting....being killed the same way he did to all his poor victims .....
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Blah
December 14, 2020 at 8:22 AM
No I need jin Hyuk he’s amazing
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5 Grapes
March 15, 2017 at 2:48 PM
I will never forget about this show, i loved it despite all it's faults and imperfection, what's perfect in life anyway?
The ending was satisfying for me, i think that those people who violated TG in his mind are the souls he has killed through this years and the Doctor resembles his fears maybe he fears that Doctor because he's the one controlling and monitoring him.
But i have to say this since it's the only thing that's bugs me, no one could've survived that hit from the kettlebell, he hit Dae Shik 3 times maybe, i was surprised that he's alive and his head wasn't smashed. I was prepared that he's dead.
I agree that Yesung and ES specially ES's character was wasted I thought she will have a bigger role in the team other than promoting for subway, Yesung at least was useful. Otherwise I enjoyed everything and the cases were interesting.
Thanks for the recap
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6 Yesindeed
March 15, 2017 at 3:26 PM
That scene with TG getting shot reminds me of the Knight Who Says Ni from Monthy Python and the Holy Grail. He got all limbs chopped off but still wanted to fight.
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plumwine
March 15, 2017 at 4:48 PM
Wasn't it the Black Knight? Whoever, I thought the same thing. It kinda of felt like poetic justice in this case, though.
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yesindeed
March 15, 2017 at 6:35 PM
Yes, you are right. it was a long time since I've seen the movie.
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PakalanaPikake
March 15, 2017 at 5:50 PM
LOL! I immediately thought of the Black Knight, too. At least there were no killer rabbits lurking in the shrubbery.
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7 wifey
March 15, 2017 at 3:43 PM
I've been waiting for this recap to get all the beanies take on Tae Gu's ending. At first I thought it was all his past killings coming back to taunt and torture him but then there was the doctor and Kwon Joo saying he had died. Could they possibly be hinting at season 2 with a psychopathic doctor working in a mental hospital?
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8 verzaholicbee
March 15, 2017 at 3:48 PM
About Taegu's death, I wonder if what was shown was indeed what happened. Maybe Taegu had killed the donctor's family member or loved one, and the doctor took revenge and cleaned it up putting the blame on a patient. I wouldn't have liked if our protagonists had killed him themselves, but I am actually fine with another person who suffered from his murders killing him. I mean, it's not real life anyway, so why not?
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wifey
March 15, 2017 at 4:10 PM
I thought that might be the case too.
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plumwine
March 15, 2017 at 4:55 PM
@ Bee and @ Wifey - At first, I thought it was his delusion of all those he had killed who came back to torture him and he just happened to get killed in the midst of it, but now I also am left wondering if this is a season 2 setup.
Also, in fiction - totally ok with the family of murdered victims getting real revenge. Although personally, I would have kept him alive because I think mental torture while physically unable to move is probably the worst thing ever.
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wifey
March 15, 2017 at 7:09 PM
I personally wouldn't mind a season 2... ??♀️ With maybe a little more of a story line for Officer Oh and Eun Seo
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9 Islander north
March 15, 2017 at 3:51 PM
Why was Moo Jin-hyuk's son in the hospital? What was his illness?
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satsuki92
March 15, 2017 at 5:02 PM
If i rmb correctly, he has cancer/leukaemia?
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10 minnie
March 15, 2017 at 4:02 PM
Grrr, this episode was developing nicely, but then Taegu's death scene happened, and I am so angry. Just for clarification, I think the "crazy" doctor was actually one of the patients pretending to be a doctor. That's what I got out of the scene. But Taegu's death was such a cop out and anti-climatic. It came out of nowhere, and the big baddie of the show was offed by a character we had never seen before. That's poor writing. I did like the idea behind the scene, though. Instead of killing him, they should have just kept the part with the patients stabbing him over and over again, but instead of screaming in terror, Taegu would just laugh in insanity because fear just really doesn't suit him, and then the camera could have just panned out to show this is all going on in his head rather than in real life. What kind of mental hospital allows its patients to be anywhere near weapons or turn a blind eye to a crazed patient playing doctor? Where are all the doctors?! Ridiculous.
Just a minor note, but I guess we will never find out why Taegu had a white teddy bear in his car. I thought it would have been the present for Jinhyuk's son, but he got a robot or something. Maybe Taegu likes stuffed animals?
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wifey
March 15, 2017 at 4:12 PM
I didn't think of that! I guess the doctor could have been a crazy patient...
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prettysup
March 15, 2017 at 5:12 PM
The white teddy bear was a gift from the welfare center for Dong-woo. Tae-gu swapped it with his robot toy.
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satsuki92
March 15, 2017 at 5:03 PM
I really thought he was gonna give it to kwon joo
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PakalanaPikake
March 15, 2017 at 6:17 PM
Just for clarification, I think the “crazy” doctor was actually one of the patients pretending to be a doctor.
I thought the same thing.
What kind of mental hospital allows its patients to be anywhere near weapons or turn a blind eye to a crazed patient playing doctor? Where are all the doctors?!
That would be a Sungwon Express-style mental hospital, where the sociopaths are running the asylum. As for the doctors, if there ever were any, they've all flown over the cuckoo's nest.
But Taegu’s death was such a cop out and anti-climatic. It came out of nowhere, and the big baddie of the show was offed by a character we had never seen before. That’s poor writing.
Another name for it might be Poetic Justice, because Tae-gu gets a taste of what he's been dishing out for 25 years. But then it's much more depressing to consider that there's an even worse Big Bad bumping people off who is further below the radar than Tae-gu was.
On one level, it's a smackdown for Tae-gu, who is now officially dethroned as the ultimate serial killer. On another level, it's the worst nightmare of police officers like Jin-hyuk and Kwon-joo. Helpless victims continue to be preyed upon out of sight. Instead of homeless people, they are institutionalized mental patients.
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boomboompow
March 15, 2017 at 10:33 PM
I think what's more anti climatic is MTG's dad's suicide - they tried to catch him for so long and he serves no justice. But then I suppose if he “just“ went to jail, he might have escaped or got a special treatment since he's buddies with all the dirty cops.
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11 apple
March 15, 2017 at 4:05 PM
Repetitive, monotonous, and Subway.
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CrimeFighter
March 15, 2017 at 11:19 PM
Kdramaland just love Subway....
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rosaline
March 16, 2017 at 1:06 PM
not as MUCH subway as goblin *cringe*
can subway STOP sponsoring shows ? seriously.
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klurker 🐙 Dora-Momo makes me wish I was young again
March 16, 2017 at 5:49 PM
as long as they have the moolah, I guess we won't be seeing an end to characters munching on / brooding over / making life-changing decisions while chewing a Subway. Lol
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12 PakalanaPikake
March 15, 2017 at 5:04 PM
But it’s actually the plastic-wrapped body of Gyu-ah. I guess she’s been upgraded from the closet.
Hmmm. A "frequent die-er" upgrade.
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Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
March 15, 2017 at 6:46 PM
lol !
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klurker 🐙 Dora-Momo makes me wish I was young again
March 15, 2017 at 11:17 PM
Lol, indeed! With free daily baths and all.
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13 prettysup
March 15, 2017 at 5:15 PM
PD Hong said in a recent interview that he has already some concept and ideas for Season 2, and he thinks there is a possibility for one. However currently there are no concrete plans for it yet.
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14 prettysup
March 15, 2017 at 5:17 PM
Love the ending, everyone had some sort of closure and it was all wrapped up nicely. I don't care how Tae-gu died, as long as he died.
The scene which Jin-hyuk visited his wife's grave was so touching, didn't realise that he actually did not visit her for the entire 3 years due to guilt. Jang Hyuk delivers his emotional scenes really well, I was tearing up even before he did.
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ItsMeDF
March 15, 2017 at 9:19 PM
It feels lonely saying anything about JH here ? But anyway I'm here to agree that, his farewell to his wife, was the most touching moment in the entire drama and the only time I actually cried. I wouldn't watch a S2, unless JH was dragged to participate. But it would be torture. If the characters were never developed who is to say they will on a second season? Nah! I appreciate the actor's and PD efforts but this wasn't a great drama imo.
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15 abc
March 15, 2017 at 5:48 PM
Thank you so much for all the recaps. Tbh, i started just planning to read recaps but then the recaps piqued my interest to give it a try.
I feel so conflicted about Taegu's ending. I actually felt kind of bad for him despite all he had done because of that rooftop scene was so powerful, when his psychopath exterior cracked for a split second when Kwonjoo wished him to choose to not be a monster the next time and walk the path of love, and Kwonjoo's speech of sympathy to him felt so sincere that he seemed wavered and even struggled to continue when he asked if she's done talking. Even in previous episode when he broke into her house, after celebrating in jumping joy upon finding about her wall dedicated to him, he actually looked touched when he's trying to regain his cool...or am i the only one seeing that?
Taegu always strikes me as a little boy, or rather, little devil trapped in an adult body from how he reacts. He seem to just want attention, but the kind he could never get or ask for, so when he found Kwonjoo had a wall dedicated to his doings, he's surprised to get that kind of attention he craved for, i guess? And I'm surprised he sees Kwonjoo as his equal-saying they're both different. He regards her highly and seem to admire/look up to her. And he's not used to be receiving sympathy or kindness so he was caught offguard...and even looked like he's blinking away possible tears?
The rooftop scene makes me think that maybe, just maybe under the guidance of Kwonjoo whom he quite frankly didn't even seem like he wanted to kill her(i mean, he's already charging with the weapon towards her at her front door and yet he still spared her life), maybe there's hope for him to even have the smallest of mental recovery to be humanized even by a little. I would rather if he go through a period of mental or even physical torture rather than such quick death anyway. lol. The doctor and his crazy patients team raised so many questions for me though and i'm totally interested to know what's up with that scene. It'd be better if he felt everything that happened but it wasn't real. Isn't that more torturous? (i'm evil)
Anyway, Mo Taegu definitely makes for a major factor that made this series interesting, since he's the drive of the whole story and the main motivation for Jinhyuk and Kwonjoo. If they're thinking of season 2, I just can't imagine that huge empty space that will be left in the show, without Taegu always adding in the fun...Jinhyuk already got his revenge and i wish he'd be able to settle down with his son now and hopefully Daeshik too in a less stressful life. I wouldn't mind if they make a second season without Jinhyuk since he got his closure already unless they're going to make his son a conflict point now.
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abc
March 15, 2017 at 5:55 PM
As for Kwonjoo, she's definitely needed since the story revolves around her special hearing ability afterall...but...I definitely hope Kwonjoo just happen to get false information about Taegu's death, and what we're shown isn't even real, so that Taegu can come back to life and 'grace' the second season lol. (gets bricked by everyone who wants him dead)
Overall, I agree with extremely poor characterization and logic fails all around, but the cast, the acting, and that suspense factor are really the saving grace that elevated this drama's quality that many people manage to overlook the bad for the good. The acting game in final episode was really strong.
I still want to know about that doctor and his patients though...
Even with the neatly tied ending...i'm still left with so many questions. But anyway, thank you so much again for all the recaps.
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boomboompow
March 15, 2017 at 10:37 PM
Mo Tae Gu's character needs no redemption, if anything he needs exorcism, he's like the devil incarnate.
But yes, I might not be tuning in for second season if there's no Kim Jae Wook, he's so enigmatic to watch.
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abc
March 16, 2017 at 3:43 AM
It doesn't have to be redemption from bad to good,...but if he gets to be humanized a little and still have to bear the punishment/consequences of his doing, while now being aware of how much he earned it, wouldn't it be better, than receiving his punishment not knowing why?
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Mel
March 16, 2017 at 12:24 AM
Oh! I like where you are going at! If I could add a little bit.
Since the scene where MoTaeGu was being killed was shown in black and white, it is highly likely that it was all his hallucination. Perhaps the information about him being killed by a patient was faked to bail him out of the mental hospital? Maybe someone who worked for him managed to disguise the body of another patient who was killed by being smashed in the face until unrecognizable as MoTaeGu's and now he is actually out in the world again. And thus season 2 we will see MoTaeGu again!
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satsuki92
March 16, 2017 at 3:23 AM
Perhaps he did really survive the bludgeoning attack. Now, he is the serial killer wearing the Freddy Krueger skin mask, in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon.
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16 loveblossom🌸
March 15, 2017 at 6:02 PM
The finale was awesome!
I'm happy and satisfied with how it turned out. There were intense scenes like Jin Hyuk's and Tae Gu's shooting scene and the rooftop one.
The show could have transitioned the rooftop scene a bit better now that you mentioned it. But I didn't mind it. When it was revealed that Kwon Joo and Jin Hyuk had planned to trap Tae Gu all along, I imagined that she had ran towards the rooftop and lured him there with JH hidden away.
It was good seeing Kwon Joo laughing back at Tae Gu and catching him offguard. She showed him that she wasn't afraid and he had lost.
And it was cool watching Jin Hyuk shoot TG in his arms and legs without a word. Just badass and straight to the point. There are times that I dislike when the good guy in a story is too good, even to the villain. I didn't want JH to kill TG, but hurting him a little was just fine to me. Tae Gu was a despicable villain who committed such extremely horrible crimes and never felt any remorse that I wanted him to feel pain. I'm glad that Tae Gu's story did not have an open ending! I would have been pissed if he had gotten away.
Jang Hyuk was great in this role. He balanced his tough cop side with his tender father side well. The image of him resting beside his son was lovely. His final speech to his wife was heartbreaking. Such a poignant scene that left me teary-eyed. I felt like he can finally have closure now and move on.
The mental hospital ending was thought-provoking and lead the way to a possible second season. We could interpret it in many ways. It's not clear if what we saw was what really happened to Tae Gu. It could be the truth and the doctor is a psychopath using and killing his patients in whatever ways he wants. There's a chance it could have been Tae Gu's imagination. Later, Kwon Joo stated TG was killed by another patient. When I heard that, my immediate thought was that was not true. It could be a cover-up to the truth. But who knows?
Overall, I liked this show a lot. I wanted a badass, compelling crime thriller and I got it. There were a few minor things that were off, but the good parts definitely outweighed the bad. This show was consistent from beginning to end. The creepiest and most violent OCN show I've watched so far.
I'm glad the show introduced me to Lee Hana. I thought her acting was good. Kim Jae Wook nailed his character too. I hope he gets more recognition and roles after this drama.
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17 Sakura
March 15, 2017 at 7:05 PM
I'm so satisfied with the ending! Its been a thrilling ride all the way to end that I'm able to look past the flaws.
I will miss the Golden Time team, I'm all for a season 2. And I didn't realize how much I liked Mo Tae-gu's character until the last episode lol. Wish we got more of him and his "relationship" with Kwon-joo. Its cool seeing a female heroine vs a male antagonist.
This show introduced me to Lee Hana and Kim Jae-wook. I will look forward to their next projects (hopefully together because call me crazy I actually saw some kind of thrilling chemistry between them lmao)
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klurker 🐙 Dora-Momo makes me wish I was young again
March 15, 2017 at 11:21 PM
Yeah! Kim Jae-wook and Lee Hana could be a quirky couple in a rom-com-thriller. Jae-wook's the slightly unhinged one while Hana's the more controlled one. Forgive me father, for I have sinned. Now I imagine them passionately kissing each other. LOL!
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Byunnyjoe
March 19, 2017 at 12:43 AM
LOLILOL you're the same as me XD i was actually hoping that during the rooftop scenes, instead of going to kill her i want him to kiss her instead >____<
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18 inna
March 15, 2017 at 7:10 PM
I should hate to the core for this Psychotic Killer but Kim Jae-wook is really damn good, he portrait his character too well. I feel sorry to poor soul name Mo Tae Gu. His voice is sweet and his pronunciation is addictive. What a waste XD
I love the last scenes between Mo Tae Gu and Kang Center. The soft puppy eyes of Kang Center looking at his eyes. How she's pity on him and wish he born into 'Normal person' in other life.
Hope in future I can see Kim Jae-wook and Lee Hana as a couple in dramaland. They have such weird chemistry.. I don't know how to say, but both of them are look nice.
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19 michykdrama
March 15, 2017 at 7:17 PM
Sadly, still no good explanation for Tae Gu's crazy end- Im inclined towards it all being his imagination since we know how crazy it can be, but Kwon Joo saying he was killed by a patient just threw me for a loop.
Interestingly the show spent most of the time reminding us, through Jin Hyuk especially, that humans aren't God and not meant to be the ones to judge or take lives. Don't become a monster to catch one. And then, strangely they decided to kill off Tae gu, in the weirdest way possible. Perhaps only a monster can kill another monster? While the rest of us with a conscience just have to believe in karma, suffering in the afterlife or judgement after death.
Regardless I enjoyed the heart thumping ride and keenly look forward to Jang Hyuk, Baek Sung Hyun and Kim Jae Wook's next performance.
If i have anything to quibble about is that Lee Ha Na's performance somehow left me with a tiny sense of disconnect- I always was hoping for just that little bit more every time she had a confrontation with one of the bad guys. And that Officer Park's language skills were sorely under utilized for all the hype that she was given at the start.
For as awesome as it was to have a high ranking kick ass female lead who didn't need a guy in her life to be great, the feminist in me will always crave for more cool and independant female characters, even in the supporting cast. But that's just me being greedy I think. ?
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prettysup
March 15, 2017 at 10:02 PM
Perhaps the crazy ending was deliberately done this way to let viewers have their own interpretations.. stir up some controversy
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CrimeFighter
March 15, 2017 at 11:19 PM
Just like Missing 9 when we do not know what the heck is happening in the last scene of the finale??
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ap
March 21, 2017 at 9:32 AM
i would like to think that they let the ending of Mo Tae Gu that way for us to interpret what really happened to him. An open ending. well, it's up to us to think of a possible ending the way we wanted.
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abc
March 16, 2017 at 3:46 AM
I keep wishing for Kwon Joo to be more badass too. But somehow, I keep having to remind myself that afterall, she's just originally an officer from the police call center. Still a little more fight for self defense would have been nice.
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Jelly Conanan
March 16, 2017 at 12:36 PM
Imo, Kwonjoo's hearing abilities is already badass alone. plus her ability to calm down and symphatize with folks over the phone is a tough and serious job. Maybe Jaewook can teach her self defense on season 2.
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20 mysterious
March 15, 2017 at 8:04 PM
I'll never look at kettleballs the same way again, either. I saw an ad featuring one the other day and I cringed. True the show wasn't perfect, but Kim Jae-wook was! Seriously, this man needs more roles, meaty ones.
Not too sure about Tae-gu's death, but I take it to mean the doctor is a psychopath too which means the Golden Time Team's work isn't done. Second season? Though how do you top a villain like Tae-gu?
I enjoyed this show. There was a little misdirection that I liked in that when Tae-gu killed earlier in the series, his voice sounded different, like it was modified to throw us off, so even when he came onscreen, I didn't realize he was the killer at first.
The acting was phenomenal. I didn't concentrate on the holes, just the characters (and a certain someone's cheekbones). I am certain Dae-shik will wake up, because in dramaland twitching fingers means a full recovery. All in all, it seems our duo got closure which is what I really wanted for them. So OCN, thanks for another great ride!
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21 PakalanaPikake
March 15, 2017 at 8:07 PM
Thanks for recapping the entire series, odilettante! I've appreciated your insights and comments. Am looking forward to reading along with you in the future. ;-)
Baek Sung-hyun's performances in the final two episodes were great. I hope that Dae-shik recovers after his encounter with Tae-gu, and am cautiously optimistic after seeing his finger twitch. I was also glad to see his partner busting his chops to get back to work.
I'd also like to give Kim Roe-ha another shout-out. He did a terrific job portraying Nam Sang-tae.
My main reason for tuning in was Jang Hyuk. He delivered as expected, not only in action scenes, but in those with family -- and the confrontation with Dae-shik.
Kim Jae-wook's turn as serial killer Mo Tae-gu was as creepy as it was stylishly handsome. Here's hoping we won't have to wait another 3 years to see his next role. I'll have to re-watch COFFEE PRINCE to overwrite Tae-gu in my memory banks. Come back, Wafflemeister! I don't need any more nightmares, thank you.
It irritated me that Chairman Mo took the coward's way out, but I guess it was in keeping with his personality. He behaved so mercilessly towards anyone he perceived to be weaker than himself, but was such a wuss in reality. Did he really off himself out of guilt over all the ways he failed his son? Or was it because he was finally caught and could no longer bribe or coerce his way out of facing the music? What a loser.
I felt bad for Tae-gu's assistant, but the guy had been complicit in so many crimes that he had it coming. Plothole Alert: We saw him chauffeur Tae-gu and Dae-shik to the vacation house, and shortly thereafter officers Kang and Moo arrived. So where was the assistant? He wasn't in the house, apparently. If he'd left in another car, wouldn't the police have seen him leaving? It must have been a deus ex machina exit.
The scenes of Kwon-joo and Jin-hyuk visiting their loved ones' memorials was touching and brought the story full-circle. I was so glad to see Detective Moo with his boy. Although it would have been nice if we got to see cute little Dong-woo awake, having Dad show up late at night indicates that he went to the hospital as soon as possible, which is even better.
I don't usually watch dark, dystopian murder mysteries. This one was particularly horrifying. The note in the closing stated that many of the crimes depicted in the series had happened in real life. A sobering thought. It makes me grateful that there are so many dedicated public servants (police, firefighters, EMTs) at work in the world.
My thanks again to odilettante, and DramaBeans for hosting the recaps and discussions. Thanks again, my fellow Beanies, for an enjoyable live-watching experience. ;-)
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22 gerry13
March 15, 2017 at 8:56 PM
Great ending- will forever remember Tae-gu
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23 Mrs.Kim
March 15, 2017 at 9:35 PM
Am I the only one who think that Kim Jae Wook with that suit and tie and weapon in his hand was so damn fine??? (and creepy of course)
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atz
March 18, 2017 at 12:00 AM
I agree! He got a handsome face and his tailored attire made him look more polished. Usual villains do not come with the package.
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24 Elle
March 15, 2017 at 10:36 PM
I hope Tae-gu is alive and crazy with guilt. Otherwise, it robs the cops of their psychological victory a bit.
Tae-gu felt revenge and murder were just. The cops did not kill him on the rooftop because they believed that murder is never justified. To turn around and just pass the murder duties off to someone else (especially ill patients) is a cheat by the show.
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25 Elle
March 15, 2017 at 10:37 PM
Forgot to say, thanks odilettante and DramaBeans! I so enjoyed the recaps!
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26 wingedswan
March 15, 2017 at 11:59 PM
As I understood it, Tae gu started immitating Sang Tae's jaw crack when he was little, he probably did it so much, and hanged around Sang tae so much, it became a thing for him.
The sad thing is I see nobody commenting on the commentary at the very end of the show. All the victims the Golden Time Team rescued in this show were real victims who didn't survive in real life. The message said that, they made this show so as to save the people who were not able to be resuced because no one got to them in in the golden time where they could have been rescued. And to give the korean people some peace of mine for not being able to rescue them. That alone made this show that much more worth the watch.
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crayon
March 16, 2017 at 12:56 AM
Totally agree with you. That epilogue alone made the drama that much more awesome.
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abc
March 16, 2017 at 3:52 AM
Internet problem caused to miss out the last 10 minutes of the show with subtitles...but reading about that ending commentary part, that's so beautiful and heartwarming. and to think I was getting annoyed that all victims keep getting saved in time, in all the cases because i felt that's too unrealistically perfect. At least the message makes the unrealisticness a little bearable to me now.
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27 yemimayemima
March 16, 2017 at 1:26 AM
Mo Tae Gu is the hottest villain of all time.. Kim Jae Wook brought Mo Tae Gu to life. I always enjoy his performances. And his beauty. Ahhh...
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28 Susan
March 16, 2017 at 11:00 AM
The main actors in this show were awesome. My only problem with the show was the gruesomeness of the violent scenes. I couldn't watch them and had to look away. Who really wants to see someone get beat to death? No one, unless they are a criminal and/or mentally ill. So I don't think they need to show all the details (they didn't all the time but sometimes they seemed to push the envelope on this one).
I think I was hoping for more happy-ending for our main characters. For some reason I was hoping Moo Jin-Hyuk and Kang Kwon-Joo would get together in the end, mending their broken hearts and giving Jin-Hyuk's little boy a new mom to spend time with him. His poor son got so little time with his dad given his work.
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29 rosaline
March 16, 2017 at 1:11 PM
I think they can do without Season 2...
I wish they showed more backstory to what led up to Jin Hyuk's wife's death . Like I know she probably stumbled upon MTG killing the homeless or something but I wish they showed it.
Overall the show was strong in the beginning, wallowed down in the middle then picked up again at the end and it kept me watching and anticipating every week so I'm pretty satisfied with the drama and casting.
As Lee Hana said in her recent interview, I hope she teams up with Kim jae wook in a rom-com *FINGERS CROSSED*
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30 Serendipity
March 16, 2017 at 1:25 PM
Kim Jae Wook definitely stole the show,I'm amazed.
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31 oosiee
March 16, 2017 at 10:46 PM
'Are monsters born or made?'
Haven't we all been scratching our brains since 'I Remember You' days??
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32 SapphireBlue
March 18, 2017 at 2:22 AM
Good ending, didn't mind the fact that Mo Tae Gu died, don't think he deserved redemption he was too far gone, the only humanity we saw was as a child before his mother died. Kim Jae Wook was really excellently creepy (the only other time I'd seen him was coffee prince)
There was a lot of annoying stuff, they entered his home without a warrant, I don't know how it works in Korea but there was a lot of that in this drama.
It was lacking in depth and characterization, we never got to know much about Lee Ha na's character how she got her ability, they just mentioned her accident.
There was something just missing overall, especially after the first episodes but the acting was good from most of the characters especially the main 3
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Hothoney
July 6, 2021 at 4:28 AM
Her hearing ability was developed after she lost her sight in the accident
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33 honeywell
March 21, 2017 at 9:47 PM
Can't get over this. Can't move on. Anyway good story, great cast and beautiful OST.
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34 javalar
March 22, 2017 at 9:58 PM
I loved this drama. I hated this drama. Awesome characters. Horrifying depravity.
PD Kim Hong Sun is quoted as saying, "We chose to depict violence honestly and realistically." And, "They [the actors] wanted to give an honest portrayal of real-life incidents." So my questions are: Is Korea really like this? Was it really necessary to portray the violence so graphically? Really?
And as evil as Tae Goo was, I was not happy with that ending. I felt only compassion (perhaps because he was so well crafted by Jae Wook). Let the karma play out in his mind.
I learned something from Voice. I can both love and hate at the same time. Thus, I am grateful for the experience.
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35 jaybird
March 30, 2017 at 6:51 PM
Does anyone know if some of the cases were based on real cases? The last Ep I watched had a list of all the victims of the show and then apologised for not saving them in the golden time and went on to say that they hope the drama expressed then importance of the golden time or something. It could have just been a translating error but I'm really curious
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36 Hannah
April 30, 2017 at 3:21 AM
For me, this crime series was one of my fav. I love the storyline. It always keep me in the edge of my seat. It gives me chills and mini heart attack at the same time bc of the dark scenes and thrilling sound effects hahahaha! especially the tae gu and other culprits in some episodes. Though i found some flaws and irritating scenes, I still like the whole series and how they delivered it. Especially the last scene in last episode really struck down in my heart that there's really hope that exist and never hesitate to help others when in need. :) The casts did a great job and the way they delivered it. Even the staffs, director, writer and the producer. Lastly, the OST's are superb! ❤❤❤
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37 Aijo
May 3, 2017 at 11:51 PM
The reason for his crackling jaw was briefly touched on. When Nam Sang Tae came to live with the family, he made that cracking sound. NST's father explained that he'd taught him a lesson, and that's why NST's jaw cracks. How Tae Gu was able to make that sound isn't mentioned, but he started making it when he heard NST do it.
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38 Anthojay
May 28, 2017 at 9:09 AM
This drama is at god level and perfection, giving full packed thrill and excitement to the audiences. I swear no drama has reach this type of production quality since last year's Signal. Especially the last scene where Jin Hyuk shot a few times onto Tae Gu's body and the last one without bullet, that scene was just genius and I'm as relieving as the character in the drama where they finally take down the beast!
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39 bubbles
June 15, 2017 at 3:26 PM
I just finished watching this show and just want to say ....that scene in the last episode with our killer is probably the weirdest shit I have seen in a while.
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40 Genoseyo
June 20, 2017 at 2:02 AM
mo tae gu's ending reminds me with Perfume movie ending.
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41 ryu
August 26, 2017 at 11:28 PM
i was hoping for chemistry between kwon joo and tae gu......but welpppssss.....i hope theres season 2
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42 Laura Stacey
April 12, 2020 at 5:16 PM
I have only just watched this drama. Tae-gu's ending brought me to this discussion... remember the welfare centre and the fake doctors.. the one on the floor laughing whilst Jin-Hyeok beat him... I am wondering if that's the doctor at the end. The place looks similar to the mental hospital that the welfare centre was attached to. I think that it could be that guy, pretending he's a doctor and hates rich people like Tae-Gu.
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43 Tvananh
May 14, 2020 at 8:34 PM
About the cracking sound of Tae Gu I don't think it has a really big meaning mostly because in one of the previous episodes it was shown that when Nam Sang Tae first meet Tae Gu and his father made the cracking sound while talking and then Tae Gu copied him for which his father replied "My son finds it fascinating as well" and that probably later turned into a habit whenever he was excited or frustrated
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44 radha
July 12, 2020 at 10:42 AM
All episode r superb ...and the lady police officer awesome and hero also...and murder person vow so cute I love that guys act,face,dressing sense,and voice ...nice drama 🥰🥰🥰
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45 Xuvy
December 16, 2022 at 1:25 AM
I'm only not satisfying with the end of Tae-gu's story it's unclear.
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