Masked Prosecutor: Episode 4
by odilettante
Detective Min-hee’s determined to figure out who is behind the mysterious mask, and Dae-chul had better watch out because she’s no dummy. He’ll need to be quick on his feet and with his wits to avoid being caught. Min-hee, Dae-chul, Ri-an, and, well, just about everyone is also desperate to reel in baddie Sang-taek. Everyone except Hyun-woong and the Society of Eeeeeevil Prosecutors, that is, who are determined to do whatever it takes to protect their own.
EPISODE 4 RECAP
Dae-chul manages to hold off the motorcycle, and despite multiple attempts to run Min-hee over, the mysterious rider finally drives away leaving Min-hee unharmed. As Min-hee stares at him, Dae-chul (despite still wearing the mask) awkwardly tries to cover his face and avoids making eye-contact. He declares that he’s there to protect her, but she’s more irritated that this mysterious masked man is playing vigilante again.
Studying him carefully, she wonders if he knows her. When he says he’s just a warrior of justice, she scoffs and demands that he take that stupid mask off his face to reveal himself. But Dae-chul says he’ll only take it off when all the evil in the world disappears. Good luck with that.
Sighing, Min-hee pulls out her handcuffs as she mutters about how he’s making fun of a police officer. She attempts to arrest him for use of an unregistered cell phone, but Dae-chul escapes by flailing his arms to avoid the handcuffs, then runs away.
She chases after him, but gets an urgent phone call before she can find his hiding spot. He’s crouched on a rooftop, and after she walks away, he drops to the ground, injuring his heel in the process. The masked avenger limps away into the night.
Min-hee’s got an search-and-seizure warrant for Sang-taek’s company, and even though her detectives swear no one else knows about the warrant, she’s concerned word of it has somehow been leaked. Her suspicions seem well founded since Sang-taek greets them pleasantly, holding out his wrists to be cuffed.
But Min-hee keeps her team in place, realizing that any worthwhile evidence would have been destroyed already. She warns him that, as someone who used to be a detective, he should be aware that the police force won’t give up so easily. Sang-taek just smiles, pretending to have no idea what she’s talking about.
As she turns to leave, she says that she doesn’t care who’s supporting him, she’s going to dig up and reveal all his crimes from the past twenty years. Sang-taek cooly tells her that of course the police should reveal any wrongs, reminding her it’s the prosecution office that doles out the punishments.
After Min-hee and her team leave, Sang-taek calls his motorcyclist would-be assassin, who admits that he failed in his mission. No kidding. Sang-taek fires him, telling him to stop by to receive his final pay. But after he hangs up, Sang-taek sighs sadly, realizing that his hitman has outlived his usefulness, and now it’s time to get rid of him.
As they leave, Detective Pi says he’s not afraid of whatever Sang-taek will do. His job is to protect his team lead. Min-hee retorts that she doesn’t need protecting — she’ll protect herself, thankyouverymuch. But that only reminds her of the crazy “warrior for justice” masked man.
The next day she scrutinizes the CCTV footage of the night Dae-chul was caught on camera. She’s convinced that it’s the same guy, but as she looks closer, she sees something they hadn’t noticed before: the image of a woman running away in the background.
Min-hee’s at the Prosecutor’s Office to meet with Ri-na, but a happy Dae-chul calls out to her. She notes his limp as he hurries to her side, beaming in delight as he insists she must have missed seeing him. She ignores him, of course. But as they ride up in the elevator, she carefully scrutinizes him, focusing on his eyes, nose, and lips as she tries to picture how they’d look in a mask.
She breaks the silence by nonchalantly telling him she has two questions for him. The first is to confirm that if he pursued her ten years ago because he liked her so much, then why did he never try to see her again in the years since?
He defends himself by saying he was busy studying to become a prosecutor, but she’s not buying that act. She knows him too well, and knows that he’s the kind of guy who, once he sets his mind on a goal, ruthlessly pursues it. Was he quietly stalking her all this time? But Dae-chul insists he had a lot of girlfriends in the past few years, so why would he waste his time stalking her?
Min-hee’s second question is how he hurt is leg. Perhaps something happened yesterday, hmmm? Dae-chul admits that the only thing that happened yesterday was he drank too much and might still be a little tipsy. Yeah, sure. You’re gonna need to become a better liar if you don’t want to get caught.
Hyun-woong meets with District Attorney Song to inform him that Sang-taek is being investigated for his relationship to the CEO Park murder case. Surprisingly, it’s not the police ordering the investigation — it’s Ri-na. DA Song sees this as a threat, and orders Hyun-woong to recruit someone from the Southern office to their side so they can keep tabs on Ri-na.
As Dae-chul applies a medicine patch to his injured leg in an effort to help keep from limping, he receives a phone call from the hospital — they have his father’s medicine, which he said to leave with his guardian if they couldn’t get a hold of him.
When Dae-chul leaves the hospital, he realizes that his father would have been at this intersection the last day he was seen alive. Glancing around, he notes all the CCTV cameras. Soon he’s in possession of photos showing his father getting into a black sedan.
At the police station, Min-hee is none-too-pleased to see Dae-chul chatting with Detective Park. He tries to cover it up in his goofy way by asking if she’s eaten dinner yet, but she demands to know what they were talking about.
Meanwhile, Hyun-woong studies a departmental organization chart for the Southern office, trying to find a good candidate to join the Evil, er, I mean, Just Prosecutor’s Society. He circles Dae-chul’s name.
In the interrogation room, Dae-chul insists the only reason he was asking about Lee Jang-kwon, AKA Hitman Lee is because he’s curious. He blusters that he just wanted to help, even though it isn’t his case, and he just wants to impress Ri-na.
Min-hee’s eyes narrow as she asks one more question: what was he doing last night between 7pm and 9pm? He tries to avoid answering, but Min-hee’s not playing around, and he finally admits he was watching a movie. Alone. She demands to see the ticket stub, but he explains he downloaded the film from the internet (legally, of course!).
She’s ready to sic the cyber team on him to verify, but now it’s his turn to ask questions, demanding to know why she’s hounding him, and pulling out all his legalese to get her to back off. She just wants his alibi, but he’s crying for due process.
Hyun-woong calls her just then to see what she knows about Dae-chul. Raising her eyebrows as she glances at the “suspect” sitting across from her, without letting on who she’s referring to, she admits (with a smirk) that she knows him a little bit, calling him a mess and a snob. She tells him that Dae-chul is the kind of guy who will be confident in front of people he can overrule with the law, but will like a meek mouse when he’s in front of powerful people. He’s the kind of guy who’s only concerned about his own welfare.
Min-hee’s ready to get back to interviewing her “suspect” and prove that Dae-chul is the man in the mask. But she receives a text from the masked man’s phone right then, warning her to be careful because even detectives can be killed. Ha, it was sent by that rapscallion thief Ho-shik, muttering complaints about all the stupid things Dae-chul makes him do.
Dae-chul makes a big show of his empty hands, proving that he couldn’t have been the one to send that text. Watch it, buddy. You’re gonna give yourself away since you’re not supposed to know what message she just received. But it’s enough proof for Min-hee, who sighs that he’s free to leave. She’s concluded he’s just an “innocent snob,” which, ha, makes him realize that the person she was referring to on the phone was him.
Dae-chul (and a few other detectives) are keeping an eye on Hitman Lee’s newly opened kimbap restaurant, but they haven’t seen him around the premises. But when the delivery guy arrives to pick up an order, Dae-chul recognizes the car as the same one that picked up his father by the hospital. It’s now decorated in the logo of the restaurant, but it’s definitely the same car.
He chases after it, and when the driver pulls up to a stop, it’s Hitman Lee. The mocking smile he gives as Dae-chul pounds on the locked door is chilling. Hitman Lee quickly drives away, leaving a panting Dae-chul lagging far behind.
Dae-chul then has to psych himself up to meet with Hyun-woong, who had invited him to a private karaoke room to discuss business. Dae-chul plays the deferential self-seeker to the hilt, appeasing Hyun-woong as he asks if Dae-chul wants to join the ranks of the “carnivores,” that is, the powerful who eat the weak.
While Hyun-woong keeps an amused and watchful eye on him, Dae-chul throws himself into the role of carefree boozing womanizer, only pausing for a second to remember that Hyun-woong is his half-brother — and the one who had a mother for all his life.
Overseeing a search-and-seizure at CEO Park’s business, Min-hee notes that one of the workers there recently hurt her neck — and there’s a photo that shows she might have been a little cozy with CEO Park.
At the prosecution office, Ri-na is pleased to have figured out the link between Sang-taek’s company and Jong-ho’s company: Im Ji-sook, Joong-ho’s wife who also is on the board of directors at Sang-taek’s company. Ri-na is ready to bring her in for questioning, but a worried Dae-chul asks if it would be okay to bring her in, since she’s Hyun-woong’s mother.
She’s surprised by that familial connection, but it only makes her want to bring Im Ji-sook in even more. Dae-chul asks if he can be there when she’s interviewing her, and Ri-na agrees. But she’s curious why Dae-chul, who had handed over this case to her, is still so interested in it.
When he reveals that everyone they’re focusing on is just one step below the big fish, DA Song, Ri-na chuckles, assuming now that the only reason Dae-chul gave it to her is so he could hide behind her during the fall-out and take credit later. Offended, Dae-chul reminds her of the prosecutor creed, that they are one body. What she eats, he eats — they’re a team!
His father’s phone records for the last few days of his life have been pulled, and Dae-chul goes down the list, calling all the unfamiliar numbers, stopping in surprise when he reaches Hyun-woong’s office. He uses the chance to warn Hyun-woong that Ri-na is going to interrogate his mother.
Min-hee takes CEO Park’s office assistant out for coffee, and in an effort to get her to open up, quietly tells her own story. When she was younger, she never looked in a mirror — she thought she was too dirty and terrible. But one day, she thought to herself that she is just herself. It’s the world that’s dirty and terrible.
The office assistant fights back tears as she confesses that CEO Park would always call her over to his house to theoretically sign papers, but in reality, he would force her to have sex with him.
Over dinner, Im Ji-sook is surprised to know that she’ll be called in by the prosecution office — she wasn’t even aware she was on the board of directors at Sang-taek’s office.
Turns out Joong-ho just borrowed her name for business purposes and he reassures her that she doesn’t have to go. But Hyun-woong knows that, strategically, she will, and he smiles at her, asking if she trusts him. They’ve already got an ally in that office that will make sure nothing happens to her.
That ally would be Dae-chul, who at that moment is busy studying his wall of evidence and blaming Hyun-woong for his father’s death.
Ri-na interviews the office-assistant-now-witness-to-a-murder (with Min-hee sitting close by in support). She explains that she was in the bedroom that night, and looked out to see the Hitman Lee standing over CEO Park’s body. She escaped out the window, which is how she hurt her neck.
Dae-chul slips into the office and overhears this, but as Min-hee and the witness turn to leave, she gives him that “not you again,” look. As soon as she sees the witness out, Min-hee returns to Prosecutor Seo’s office, demanding that she not give Dae-chul the case back, like he’s begging her to. He only wants to be in charge of the case again because he’ll get recognized for the efforts that Ri-na’s been making.
Much to Dae-chul’s surprise, Ri-na smilingly agrees with her, and he switches his tactic to declare he’ll be Ri-na’s assistant on the case, instead. After all, they are one body. After Min-hee leaves, the two prosecutors strategize how to take down Sang-taek. The best way to get to him isn’t through Hitman Lee, but find proof that Sang-taek ordered the hit. To do that, they’ll need to look into the past.
Im Ji-sook arrives at the Prosecution Office, and a smiling Dae-chul pleasantly greets her, escorting her to the office. As they ride the elevator, he reminds her that she should answer everything truthfully, but if she has anything to hide, to remain silent.
After all, she has that right. Even if she did something unthinkable in the past, she can remain quiet and leave it buried in her heart. Uh, we’re not just talking about shady business dealings and murder, now, are we?
In the interrogation room, a silent Im Ji-sook sits alone. Ri-na and Dae-chul watch through the one-way mirror, and his face hardens as he says that Sang-taek and Ji-sook’s present are the result of mistakes in the past.
As Ri-na questions Ji-sook, she admits that she was unaware she was listed as the head of directors at Sang-taek’s company, and she doesn’t even know him. But Ri-na mentions a past association that surely would be memorable — Sang-taek was the detective who arrested Jong Do-song, her first husband.
That makes Ri-na curious — why is her current husband currently working together with the man that arrested her first husband? Ji-sook says that’s enough, refusing to answer anymore questions.
From behind the one-way glass where he’s been watching, Dae-chul’s face falls. This is enough proof for him to realize that his mother might not be as innocent as he hoped. The knife is further twisted in his heart when Ji-sook snaps at Ri-na to not bring her husband or her son (Hyun-woong) into this.
But Dae-chul’s back to his pleasant, smiling demeanor as he escorts her back to her car. As he watches Ji-sook drive away, Min-hee saunters over, having arrived at the Prosecutor’s Office to chase a lead. She’s curious about the woman, and Dae-chul answers simply, “It’s Mom.” Min-hee is surprised to learn Dae-chul has a mother, but he clarifies: “It’s Hyun-woong’s mother.” Ohhh, ouch.
Min-hee reports to Ri-na about a potential lead for Sang-taek’s motive to have CEO Park killed, but the documents were stopped and buried in the legal office, making it difficult for the police to track it down. Dae-chul insists that the one who stopped the paper-trail was Hyun-woong, but Ri-na wants to arrest Hitman Lee for the murder of CEO Park and also arrest Sang-taek as the behind it.
Dae-chul says that Min-hee doesn’t have the capability to catch Hitman Lee, which makes her angry. Of course. She mutters out her favored curse, calling him a “dog,” and Dae-chul agrees that he is, even barking back at her.
As they stand in the hallway and bicker, Dae-chul tells make sure her arrests are official, and to be careful because who knows what they’re capable of. After all, the reason she became a detective and he became a prosecutor was so that they could bring justice to those who had died unfairly.
He bids his adieu by telling her she’s a good detective, even if she’s a little bit lacking. As she mutters under breath about how she should just avoid him, he pops back out of the office to tell her that will be impossible, since he’s sure they’ll continue to run into each other. She rolls her eyes and gets on the phone with her team to prep for the arrests.
Dae-chul watches her go, and the ever-observant Ri-na amusedly inquires about their relationship. He says that he and Min-hee are just at the level of exchanging text messages. Pffft. Yeah, but she doesn’t know it’s you.
Sang-taek’s on the phone with one of his minions to tell him to “clean up his mess” before he leaves. He seems awfully unsurprised to see Min-hee pull up in a cop car, arrest warrant in hand. The “mess” that needs cleaning is apparently Hitman Lee’s. Sang-taek’s minions have kidnapped his pregnant wife to hold hostage until he completes his mission.
At the police station, Min-hee presents the proof of a connection between Sang-taek and Hitman Lee, but Sang-taek refuses to talk. Well, at least he refuses to confess to anything, because he’s not afraid to boast that it’s obvious they don’t have enough evidence if they’re trying to badger a confession out of him. Min-hee says they have more than enough evidence — they have a witness.
Sang-taek scoffs. That woman didn’t even see him. Min-hee: “How did you know the witness is a woman?” Whoops. Time to lawyer up.
Min-hee’s already come to the conclusion that her witness is in danger, and she and Detective Park rush to her apartment. She wants to know who also knows the location of the witness, and Detective Park admits he told Dae-chul. She also wonders why Detective Pi isn’t answering his phone.
That’s because he’s bound and gagged, helplessly watching as Hitman Lee advances on the witness, knife at the ready. Dae-chul bursts through the door and, with a flying kick to the face, tackles Hitman Lee.
He’s not just there to protect the witness, though. He also wants to know why Hitman Lee killed his father. Who ordered the kill? Was it Sang-taek? Hyun-woong?
At the sound of police sirens getting closer, Hitman Lee stands and makes a phone call. He tells the unnamed person on the other end of the phone that he’ll be taking responsibility — just let his wife live. But Dae-chul is desperate for an answer. Hitman Lee: “I’ll tell you — in hell.”
CRASH! Hitman Lee’s body falls from the apartment and lands on top of a parked car, and it doesn’t look like he survived the fall. Min-hee, having just arrived at the scene, looks up to see Dae-chul lean out from the broken window. He stares down at the body as he cries out in anguished frustration.
COMMENTS
Oh, show. I want to like you, I really, really do. But I’m still feeling a distance with the show, a sort of disconnect that I’m blaming on the direction because the actors are amazing and doing some great stuff with their characters. I’m pretty sure Kim Sun-ah and Joo Sang-wook are single-handedly keeping the energy alive in this show. Even so, the premise is still intriguing, especially since our masked avenger now has a purpose that not only makes sense, but actually brings a sense of danger (and begs the question of what will be his true mask — the goofy self-serving lawyer or the professional wrestling vigilante).
There’s a nugget of what could be a fascinating push-and-pull between Hyun-woong and Dae-chul as Hyun-woong tries to convince Dae-chul to join the darkside, and Dae-chul tries to keep from being outed as who he truly is. Then you add in the entertaining layer of Dae-chul and Min-hee’s bickering (all the while knowing they’re so totally going to end up together, no question) as he tries to make her believe he’s not that crazy masked guy, really! Then add in the depth of Min-hee’s back story and how that gives her the drive and purpose to get justice from the baddies who abuse the system. Add in a dash of evil via a corrupt District Attorney, sworn to protect his power at all costs, and you’ve got a compelling — or at least interesting — drama on your hands.
Which should be this drama, but it isn’t. All the elements are there — I can sense them, teasing at the edges. Yet, somehow, everything falls flat. For awhile, I thought it was perhaps so much of the show was exposition, and it would perk up once more action was added. Except the action scenes are woefully… tepid. Almost laughable, really, when you consider how obviously choreographed they are. There’s no element of danger or surprise. I never felt that Min-hee was truly threatened by Hitman Lee on his motorcycle (and even laughed out loud when he drove down the steps, only to slam on his breaks to keep from hitting the truck).
So obviously the show shouldn’t add more action if it can’t be believable. But it definitely needs something. More menace, perhaps. Sang-taek seemed like he could be believable menace, but there’s something so disappointingly elementary about him being caught out with the “Ha! How did you know it was a woman!” ruse. I thought he was smarter than that, considering how he’s been able to manipulate District Attorneys and do mysterious gangster stuff for years without getting caught. But I guess I thought wrong? But I need a smart villain to bring that danger to our leads’ lives. I want to know how important and precious those ideals are they’re trying to fight for and protect — so much so they’d risk their lives to see the good guys win.
I’m also sheepishly going to admit some of the connections still confuse me. Still. Even with the ages of backstory we’ve had, I’m still having to pause and rewind to try and untangle who is who and what side they’re on. I wish the show had given us small doses of the backstory, like it’s done with Min-hee. I know, factually, very little about what happened to her as a child, but I know enough to know why she is the way she is. I know that she’s suffered a traumatic life. I know enough that being born due her mother’s rape may have given her severe psychological and emotional damage, but it’s that rage against a system that favors the rapist which fuels her and her work.
All this, I understand from those brief and vague glimpses, yet when the show does it’s best to spell out exactly how Sang-taek’s company relates to Joong-ho’s company, I’m still bewildered.
Maybe I’m expecting too much from this show. Maybe I should just kick back and enjoy the fun moments, like any time Joo Sang-wook and Kim Sun-ah are on screen together. Honestly, that’s what I’m clinging most to right now. Those two have such great chemistry and comedic timing that I’m hoping they’ll be able to save this show.
Because I do think it can still be saved. I’m not giving up on it. Not yet. It’s not mind-numbingly awful — it just hasn’t lived up to my expectations. Admittedly those expectations may have been a bit lofty, borne solely by the amazing cast the production team was able to assemble. But that’s also why I expect more from it. Not just for me, the viewer — but me, the fan, who wants reassurance that Kim Sun-ah’s long-awaited return to Dramaland won’t result in a total dud. So c’mon, you dog of a show. Get your act together!
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Tags: featured, Joo Sang-wook, Kim Sun-ah, Masked Prosecutor
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1 maknae_reader
June 1, 2015 at 3:18 AM
As much as I adore the cast, I'm getting off on this one.
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sunnyl
June 1, 2015 at 4:30 AM
I might too. How can they not do better with these casting, I can't figure that out. Meanwhile How I wish ex-girlfriends club was recapped. Sigh..
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growingbeautifully
June 1, 2015 at 4:34 AM
Ex-girlfriend Club? Yes, me too! :)
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aen03
June 1, 2015 at 5:14 AM
same here; pretty please
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Scarlett
June 1, 2015 at 12:53 PM
Or maybe baby recaps? Or just the comments?
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growingbeautifully
June 1, 2015 at 3:45 PM
Recaps of any size might be difficult, but we can do our own baby reviews in OT?? :)
Scarlett
June 1, 2015 at 4:45 PM
@Growingbeautifully, sorry, but what is OT?
bean
June 1, 2015 at 7:44 PM
@Scarlett
OT=open thread
Scarlett
June 2, 2015 at 2:42 PM
Thank you, @bean!!
Lizzie
June 1, 2015 at 5:55 AM
same. :/
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2 growingbeautifully
June 1, 2015 at 3:45 AM
Thanks Odilettante!
I'm still on board. I feel OK enough about this episode... at least in the balance of positive and negative... the positive wins out and I still believe in the potential of the story.
I thought that it was OK to have most of the back-story out of the way, (although I felt it was quite a lot to chew, all in Ep 1) so that we can focus on the present day. And as they are moving along investigation-wise and relationship-wise, I'm not complaining about the pace.
I'm hoping for a good resolution somehow for DC - how to reconcile wanting to think well of a mother who sold out her first husband, kow-towing to a half brother who could be in league with the enemy and reconciling his silly, doofus persona with his serious revenge-seeking maybe-super-hero one.
I'm also wanting MH to find peace with her past and for her samchoon, herself and DC to become family. It's sad for DC to be alone again! My heart broke hearing his mum say, 'her son, Hyun Woong, her only son'. :(
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growingbeautifully
June 1, 2015 at 4:41 AM
I just remembered the funniest part(s)
1) The bad guys want to make a member of the Seoul Southern District prosecutor office one of their own ... and they choose Ha Dae Chul LOL!!! This is a great set-up for the double crossing of the Evil Club and bringing down Song. I hope DC gets to use his 'new' position as their boy, but that it does not stop him from donning the mask.
2) MH refers to DC as a suspect she's interrogating which is actually true :D And speaks disparagingly about him loudly ... right in front of him! LOL! I just love this couple's interactions and sparring... and that they are equally matched in smarts. :)
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Selenette
June 2, 2015 at 12:13 PM
@gb
I scrolled up and found this comment of yours after I replied to the other one.
I wish they didn't make Kang Hyun Woong pick Dae Chul randomly like that. One red circle and one phone call and BAM he is inducted into the Just Prosecutors? It diminishes the prosecutor's villainy level. They should've shown him reading Dae Chul's profile and other potential recruits too, at least.
Ah I'm sorry for complaining a lot. I'm just missing Uhm Ki Joon's character in Ghost. Ah well.
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vanilleaflavor
June 3, 2015 at 5:27 AM
Kang Hyun Woong inquired about Dae Chul first, he called Min Hee to ask (when MH was interrogating DC) and it seems MH's answer made HW think that DC is ambitious enough to be introduced/invited to Just Prosecutors
Also yes KJ's character in Ghost was one of his best T_T His micro expression shift there kept the drama alive. Jo Hyun Min is my favorite of his roles, along with the insurance investigator in Life Special (which is a total opposite of his Ghost role)
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growingbeautifully
June 3, 2015 at 5:51 AM
@vanilleaflavor and @ Selenette
Yes, Hyun Woong just did that one bit of research to find out if DC was self-serving enough to be used, and of course MH had nothing good to say about him LOL and the part about his carrying those in power was what guaranteed Hyun Woong would choose him. :)
growingbeautifully
June 3, 2015 at 5:55 AM
@Selenette
It's good to read you again! You get me thinking more and doing research!!! Heheheh! I know you watched Falling for Innocence. Did that show work out OK for you?
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Sun
June 1, 2015 at 6:58 PM
I really like the drama and usually I'm really picky. The comments make me feel like I'm watching a different drama.
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3 evelynray
June 1, 2015 at 5:19 AM
I don't get why some want to get off on this drama. I mean, maybe it's just me, but I feel that this drama is good! Not that veryyy great, but it still makes me want to watch more. Probably Joo Sang Wook is part of the reason, but still.
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growingbeautifully
June 3, 2015 at 5:59 AM
@ Evelyn L
:D That's the way with us humans... sometimes we don't even understand ourselves. By all means, do enjoy this show. I'll be watching it a while yet and will probably stay on til the end, even if I do watch half with a critical eye and half with an eye purposely turned 'blind' if that's even possible LOL. So join me, do. :)
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4 riri123
June 1, 2015 at 5:53 AM
"Oh, show. I want to like you, I really, really do. But I’m still feeling a distance with the show, a sort of disconnect that I’m blaming on the direction because the actors are amazing and doing some great stuff with their characters."
I'm with you on this. I think the storytelling and directing part are lacking which make us feel this way. I also totally agree with all your thoughts about this show. The premise is actually promising and I like the chemistry between Dae Chul and Min Hee, but Idk somehow it falls flat and the suspense is also so confusing to be followed up (I've been watching lots of suspense mystery thriller dramas all this time, and I've never felt this way before like I felt towards this drama). I was wondering if I was the only one who's feeling like this, but turns out there are plenty who think the same.
I think it's the directing, pacing, and storytelling fault.
For now I'm still holding on but I'm not confident I won't drop it in the future.
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5 Rose
June 1, 2015 at 7:19 AM
I REALLY love this drama ! Yeah it has its loopholes but which drama doesn't have them ?
It's fun so let's enjoy it !
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growingbeautifully
June 3, 2015 at 6:00 AM
+10
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6 Dramaddict
June 1, 2015 at 7:22 AM
I think Sang-Taek might be the one who assaulted Min-Hee's mom....
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nasalhazel
June 1, 2015 at 11:33 AM
I've been trying to figure out, too, who the rapist dad is from the characters we've been introduced to. Show, don't add any more characters, please!
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Sun
June 1, 2015 at 6:48 PM
I was thinking maybe it's the high up prosecutor. It'll be hard to pin evidence on him on his other crimes because he was careful to keep his hands clean, but the DNA could prove he's a rapist.
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Selenette
June 2, 2015 at 11:14 AM
@Sun
The rapist could either be the Chief Prosecutor Song Man Seok or ex detective Jo Sang Taek. Both of them must be very familiar with the rape kit and rape investigations to make sure that they would never get caught.
I wonder why Min Hee's mother didn't go to the police. Did the rapist scare her or even drive her to the point of insanity? Or did he perhaps intentionally show her that he worked for the law enforcement, and that was why she could only keep her silence before her untimely death?
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growingbeautifully
June 3, 2015 at 6:03 AM
Yes I agree that it needs to be one of the people we've already met so far... for one thing, it's this kdrama coincidence-in-plot thing that must be fully utilised :D ... and for another, we need the rape to bring down the baddies if nothing else will. :)
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7 Aigoooo
June 1, 2015 at 7:40 AM
I wish they can explain to me the evilness better. It seems like we get introduced to all these evil characters but I still have no clue what they are up to that makes them so evil. They have all the elements of being the baddies but none of the motivation I guess. Unless I totally missed that bit of information while my head was going dizzy from figuring out who is who.
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growingbeautifully
June 1, 2015 at 8:23 AM
@Aigoooo
Maybe the evil is not compelling enough?
I found it quite bad already in that we have Kang Joong Ho betraying his friend to gain money/leverage with Song Man Seok (then a prosecutor)... who then gets Dae Chul's father unjustly arrested so that he can rise in the ranks. All this for self-gain. Joong Ho gets money, gets the credit for DC's dad's work, gets the DC's wife. Man Seok gets power.
This evil continues with Song Man Seok now heading the Central Seoul Prosecution Office, to corrupt all prosecutors to protect himself and his friends ... they ensure that the police cannot bring to justice those criminals who could incriminate them and their high up friends who do the kind of thing that Jo Sang Taek does for Joong Ho, ie intimidate businesses to give them profitable deals and probably worse.
In the write-up about this show in Drama Wiki it says this is a, "... story ... about a man, with a double identity... (who) is a righteous prosecutor, but at night he wears a mask and seeks to punish those that the law could not." And that is what he has been doing and what I want to see him succeed in doing with Song, Sang Taek and Joong Ho. :)
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growingbeautifully
June 1, 2015 at 8:39 AM
They are now spreading their corruption by trying to draw in Dae Chul, little knowing that he has his own agenda and already by getting Hyun Woong in as prosecutor to sweep away 'troublesome' cases. So this continuing evil is what our good guys are up against.
I guess what Pinocchio did (ie make a hard hitting comment) about media responsibility and what Angry Mom did for bullying and also corruption at all levels, Masked Prosecutor might be trying to do for law enforcement, in particular the Prosecutors of S. Korea,... however the effect of the evil has not hit us, as hard in the feels as it has to, in order to make us care. (It definitely worked better in the other two mentioned dramas. I was so angry at Cha Ok and Do Jung Woo).
Somehow the suffering of DC's dad seems too remote to us and even DC was not impressed initially. So we don't really care yet. Until we do, I expect that many of us will just be wondering what's going on. I believe I've got to give it a few more episodes to see how it 'feels'.
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Selenette
June 2, 2015 at 11:40 AM
@gb
We meet again way far from Angry Mom! I think the show is trying to emulate that show by giving us funny teasers while they actually aim for a darker tone and storytelling.
I'm sad to say that I agree with the recapper and several comments here that somehow I still can't connect with the show at a deeper level than as a simple viewer. I don't know if this is the right phrase to use, but for me the problem is "disjointed narrative". I find their villainy too abstract to connect with the cronyism among the villains, just like you do. And so I can't fear them and I can't hate these villains. Yet. Except maybe Im Ji Sook, because a child's abandonment is one of the fundamental evils that I can easily detest.
I'm a viewer who can only engage with the trials and tribulations of a show's main characters when I can hate the villains enough. I want to hate Jo Sang Taek &co as much as I did (and still do) Hong Sang Bok and Do Jung Woo of Angry Mom. Hating Principal Hong and Teacher Do helped me to sympathize with Jo Kang Ja and Park Noah's plight more.
And I agree with you that the show is trying to follow the current trend of social protest in the wake of Healer, Pinocchio, and Angry Mom. I read that before their Criminal Procedure Act was amended, the power of South Korean prosecutors was similar to that of a half-judge. People could be convicted based on hearsay evidence (hence the arrest of Dae Chul's father).
So they are actually arguing for law reform here, or at least, an evaluation of law reform... because the Code was already amended. It is a good cause, so I hope to see a more solid storytelling and a more compelling direction.
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growingbeautifully
June 3, 2015 at 6:11 AM
@ Selenette
What you say is true... we need to feel more in order to be more engaged with a show's characters and thus to care about how the story goes. We need to love our characters to root for them, to hate the bad guys so that we empathize more with the good underdogs, or to feel the pathos for said underdogs so much that we hate the baddies.... all that is somewhat lacking, but still, as long as the story holds together coherently and the actors work their magic (especially emotionally and romantically), we can forgive the rest.
Thanks for giving us more info on the Korean law reform. I did not bother to look it up, but am glad to glean any information that makes the shows I watch more understandable. Will be reading ya!
Sun
June 1, 2015 at 6:55 PM
It's mundane evil. The law protecting the rich. Crime hand in hand with business. Corruption. I think there is little exposition because all of these relationships have been explored in other kdramas before. The story is not new but the characters make it fresh and enjoyable.
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growingbeautifully
June 3, 2015 at 6:22 AM
@ Sun
That's it! This show's evil is mundane, but no less evil... in fact, because it appears so normal and accepted, it's even worse ... that's how evil gets away with so much, because it becomes common, appears ordinary or expected and is more easily glossed over as something so deep seated that there's nothing much 'little-old-me' can do. Then the most atrocious crimes can be hidden and will continue. It almost appears innocuous but is actually more dangerous because few will think to take action against it.
Of course over the top evil will make for more compelling drama, but this mundane kind of evil should be addressed as well. :) It will be great if this story can get us to ask ourselves the tough question ... what will I do when I encounter crookedness and corruption.
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8 Tru2u
June 1, 2015 at 7:58 AM
I Know the frustration very well but I won't stop just yet. I can't give up after waiting so long for kim sun ah's return. The writer and director needs to up their stuff. The fighting scene is just meh, I want know who is doing the choreography. I'm also not giving up since I read some reviews on this writer previous drama "big man". And read the first 4 episode was also a dud, but after those 4 it got much better. So I'll hold on, haha da chul and Min-hee bickering is enough to keep me watching. Plus I'm also liking Ri-na and Min-hee interactions, that's a change for K-drama to have such a level head second female lead.
Am I the only one lol'ed when hyun woong was singing karaoke? Haha EKJ is too funny, he was standing there like?singing, No emotions.
I must say though, this episode was a pick up from the last 3, so we're getting somewhere.
I will also say this too, this week will be much better, much better I tell yah, much better!!!!!!!!!
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vanilleaflavor
June 3, 2015 at 5:34 AM
Yes that karaoke scene was funny, DC got drunk, sang, and flirted with the ladies but HW just stood there with straight expression, even ignoring the lady beside him. But I'm so disappointed that Eom Ki-joon didn't really sing for that karaoke scene, I want to listen to his voice
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9 mono
June 1, 2015 at 8:01 AM
the cast is great but the story line is soso... Also the 2 main casts, they are great but i don't feel the connection between them.
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AJK
June 1, 2015 at 8:41 AM
This is my problem with the show -- I like the two leads but it's as if they are acting in two different dramas in the first two episodes. I haven't dropped it entirely, but haven't felt compelled to watch either.
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10 Lutisse
June 1, 2015 at 8:26 AM
I'm striking this from my list of dramas to watch. Not even that handsome face can save it. I find the plot unrealistic...even if I try to hold in my disbelief and Min Hee is really irritating. I think it's a case of wrong casting. I just don't see her in this role.
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Aisu
June 1, 2015 at 2:01 PM
whoah... I read someone said Joo Sang Wook is miscast, other said Uhm Ki Joon is miscast, this one said Kim Sun ah is miscast...to me, receives so many critics for the story, then the drama itself is a miscast XD XD, they give us false hope with comedic teaser facade.
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AJK
June 1, 2015 at 2:48 PM
I think the comic teaser was a real mis-step, trying to draw the same audience that liked Cunning Single Lady and Birth of a Beauty. And the tone of Joo Sang Wook's performance fit the teaser, but not the plot as it is now coming into focus. I think this was the director's choice, because JSW is certainly capable of playing darker (see Ten), and his co-star is already there.
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Selenette
June 2, 2015 at 11:53 AM
@AJK
I agree with you. I think they probably wanted a combination of TEN's Jo Sang Wook and Cunning Single Lady/Birth of a Beauty's Jo Sang Wook. And I'm sure the actor is more than capable of doing that, but you're right... it's probably a direction choice. For me that's the reason why I can't get immersed in the drama just yet. Characters feel like they live in their own separate worlds.
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Selenette
June 2, 2015 at 12:21 PM
*Joo not Jo.
Typo at 2 A.M
11 logan5
June 1, 2015 at 9:11 AM
I'm not sure how it is possible to take a cast this talented and make a show this blah ....
I'm going to keep watching because ... well ... I'm just a sucker for Kim Sun Ah ... don't tell my wife.
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12 alienshore
June 1, 2015 at 9:38 AM
I agree with your feelings and I definitely am putting the vast majority of the blame on the director. Something just feels wrong when I watch this drama. Great actors, great characters and a compelling plot. But the direction is plodding and the fight scenes ARE a joke. And I am still sore that Kim Sun Ah just sat there like a lump during the motorcycle attack. What the hell was that about?! I will definitely keep watching because plodding directing never scared me away from something I enjoyed otherwise before, but it is very frustrating.
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logan5
June 1, 2015 at 9:51 AM
I know right? If she's supposed to be a badass police officer ... wouldn't she be right in the middle of the fight?
I would have been way cooler, if she just rolled her eyes, and walked right up and totally trashed the motorcycle guy.
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Tru2u
June 1, 2015 at 11:04 AM
That's not what makes me angry. I'm angry by the mere fact that her uncle the one taught da chul some of the he knows, they writer didn't make her learn how to fight from him. I was excited by the fact that her uncle was a champion, so I automatically thought yes, she's going to know how to fight. Someone previously said how awesome it would've been if da chul rushed to save min-hee,only to reach and finding her already taken care of the baddie.
Heck, reaching there finding her body slamming the guy. Hahahahahahaha wishful thinking on my part.
I'm also not getting why Min-hee has yet to realize who the masked man is, why? Isn't the same mask da chul had belongs to her uncle? Hello, a wrestling mask, that should have been a dead give away. But I will continue watch.
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growingbeautifully
June 1, 2015 at 3:58 PM
True, this ... if his sister was attacked, sam chun should have taught his niece to defend herself if nothing else, ...and by now that voice of DC's is a dead giveaway, plus the fact that he has difficulty looking her in the eye, just like DC.
He might be outed by the end of the next episode (by others? if not MH), but it's taking too long for our ace policewoman.
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Aisu
June 1, 2015 at 4:22 PM
the joke to say in easy way is if our policewoman realize who the mask man then the show is over hahaha....
13 ag
June 1, 2015 at 12:26 PM
Perhaps this is NOT the right comeback drama(character) for Kim Sun Ah. There definitely is something off about this whole drama. I love Joo Sang Wook and he's the one that keeps it interesting. Not ready to drop this drama, yet!
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Aisu
June 1, 2015 at 1:22 PM
No...she fits the role perfectly as an EMOTIONAL detective, it's the writer who ruin the story and the cast image...
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14 Aisu
June 1, 2015 at 2:30 PM
Thank you odilettante for the episode 4 recap, I hope with the mess it has, dramabeans will keep the recap till the end.
The 4th episode is the most tolerable of all, the plot is more clear and intriguing, the background of all characters reason doing this and that, though some not strong enough, I can ignore that and see what the future ahead us, and ignore those amateur making for motorcycle scene. Though Joo Sang Taek has people who he can ordered to, for a chairman of even a fake company didn't he need groupies behind?? or at least fake secretary. Puih for the writer to make to detectives so hopeless, what an unrealistic thinking...if you want the show to be loved make them lovable too, don't make me roll my eyes!! I believe why they put strong cast in the drama, because the story is less than that.
I always keep my eyes when it comes to MH and JST interaction, it's a movie like. Always entertaining watching MH-DC bickering each other, their crossing pole is very cute, and I believe when they admit each other it will aroused me in a heaven way XD, their clash need more intimate approach, not just holding a shoulder.
Haha UKJ flat singing is laughable, he's somehow a flat person :))
For Min Hee is an emotional detective, I'm so pray for Kim Sun Ah for her to get energy boasting, she has to keep raise her deep voice for her emotional character, be healthy My queen ^^, I love her whatever her role is, this one is better than she is being a sick person Lee Yeon Jae.
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15 RockPaperScissors
June 1, 2015 at 4:42 PM
Thanks, Odilettante, for the recap. I had already decided before your comments came out to drop this one. I'm really super sad that the excitement isn't there, I've seen virtually everything KSA has done. I still want to keep up with your recaps, so please don't think your commitment to this drama is wasted. I appreciate your hard work and hopefully things turn around. As they say in dramas, fighting!
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16 vanilleaflavor
June 1, 2015 at 5:38 PM
Thanks for the recap Odilettante.
But can you tag Masked Prosecutor recaps with Eom Ki-joon tag too? (the previous episodes too)
Thank you :)
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17 idaida
June 1, 2015 at 10:22 PM
Woahh all the comment make me feel down about this drama, but i watch from the first eps until 4 eps, n i feel it's good drama for me n will keep watching.. hope much better in the future!!
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Tru2u
June 1, 2015 at 11:28 PM
Plz, don't feel down, I will also continue to watch it, but for me the writing and directing just needs to step up their stuff. The plot is there, the characters are there, the actors and actresses are hitting all the right place. all that's lacking is the writing and directing. Too much plot holes, and not enough suspense.
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18 kuromitsu
June 2, 2015 at 5:43 AM
I don't have a problem with the connections in the show at all. They seem relatively simple to me. There is basically that one evil organization and that one evil ex-cop that use each other, then the people around them trying to go around that.
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19 chasen8888
June 2, 2015 at 10:41 PM
I just started watching this drama and despite its flaws I actually like it. I do however agree with the recapper’s comments about some aspects of the show. Everything in a way has a link and at this point the only person who seems to be aware of all/ most of the linkages is Dae Chul who is playing the fool to catch the criminals. The show overall is watchable and in light of the fact that its 16 episodes I will continue to watch for its entertainment value or until it reaches the state of me wanting to throw something at my laptop due to its flaws/ sheer stupidity.
In terms of depth it brings out 2 key things about Dae Chul as to why is he a prosecutor (1) vengeance/revenge (2) justice to which he is broadening his scope due to his interaction with Min Hee and other law officers the good & bad. Plus it will bring about his conflict as it relates to his mother, she is guilty to a point but how does he actually plan to prosecute “ his family”. As for Min Hee it is clear as to why she became a cop but at the same time I get the impression that they are somewhat copying her background based on the US drama Law & Order - Special Victims Unit in which Detective Benson is a product of rape who fights for others with similar /like cases. The problem is that she appears not be as bad ass as Detective Benson which is typical k-drama. For some strange reason I think her father is that corrupt/evil former detective Sang Tek due to episode 3 with similar traits - “ gut feeling”.
I think this drama along with others shown this year is to add push/pressure for the reform of the country’s legal system as it is clear that though justice is blind it is clearly not for the regular citizen. There is no “ Just” in Justice for their people.
If I was to compare this drama to the one that I’m currently watching “ Mind Games - Singapore” in terms of intelligence, competence & investigative skills etc or any Japanese crime drama this drama will surely flunk but for light entertainment value at present this show is a pass. Just do not think too much to avoid headaches.
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growingbeautifully
June 3, 2015 at 5:34 AM
@chasen8888
Where do you watch Mind Games - Singapore?
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chasen8888
June 3, 2015 at 5:47 AM
I watch it on http://www.dramacool.com / http://www.myasiantv.com. The drama is from Singapore
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growingbeautifully
June 3, 2015 at 5:36 PM
Thanks chasen8888. :)
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20 Nicolus
June 12, 2015 at 6:39 AM
No more recap?
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21 Shinubi Wang
August 17, 2016 at 5:01 PM
Spoillers!
Despite it many irritating flaws, I had enjoyed this drama until Ep 14. Any prosecutor with half a brain would have kept the evidence in a safe - not only the video clip,,ut the mob phone it self was evidence. Yet he carried this evidence around and lost it.
Why did he not send the video clip over by email? Stupid arsehole? The writers could have done a better job writing the script.
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