Defendant: Episode 13

by TeriYaki

A successful escape is only the first of many hurdles that our fugitives must face. The good guys are on the run as Jung-woo looks forward to a long-awaited reunion with Ha-yeon—that is, unless Min-ho finds her first. Fortunately, Sung-kyu and Eun-hye are ready to go above and beyond the call of duty, but will their efforts be enough to counter Min-ho’s constant interference?

 
EPISODE 13 RECAP

The warden sings to himself as he walks to his office, his good mood ruined by the sight of the door’s broken glass. He yells for guards just as the three escapees are noticed by Tae-soo’s fellow guard in the tower. While Tae-soo prevents him from shooting, the cellmates run off, accompanied by the sound of the prison’s alarm.

Rockfish, Gangster Hyung and Mil-yang sit up in concern at the alarm, but pretend to be asleep when they hear someone coming. The warden enters their cell and discovers the empty sleeping bags. Rockfish tries his best to act surprised when a guard finds the prison map on the back of a sleeping mat.

Tae-soo’s colleague shakes him in anger before realizing the seriousness of their situation. After pulling up the rope that the inmates left behind so that they won’t be blamed for the escape, officer PARK SANG-TAE receives an order to find the three missing inmates. He warns Tae-soo not to admit that the inmates escaped from their tower before leaving him with the makeshift rope.

The three fugitives run across a very long bridge, and poor Mong-chi just can’t keep up. Jung-woo proposes that they split up, so the men agree to meet at the Woljung factory near the train station.

Running alone through the woods, Jung-woo diverts attention from his slower companions. After running over a smaller bridge, Jung-woo pauses to catch his breath. He turns around to see a police car parked on the side of the road just as he’s ordered to put his hands up.

Panting, Jung-woo raises his hands before turning to face a very nervous policeman. He asks the young officer to calm down, but he argues that he heard the sirens. Chul-shik helps Mong-chi to the school, turning around when a gunshot rings in the distance. The prison guards head towards the sound of the shot while Chul-shik and Mong-chi run for the school.

Jung-woo falls backwards and the policeman wonders if he passed out. He holsters his gun to check and is grabbed by Jung-woo when he gets too close. He ends up restrained with his own handcuffs, allowing Jung-woo to get away.

His partner returns from a bathroom break, scolding the officer about fooling around with blank ammunition, just as the guards arrive on the scene. Pretending that they are on a training exercise, the prison guards are pointed in Jung-woo’s direction.

Chul-shik is shaken by the gunshot, but Mong-chi reasons that if Jung-woo had been caught, there would have been many shots. He makes sense, which scares Chul-shik even more. They find the clothes left by Eun-hye just as they hear a van pulling up to the school.

The guards search the building, and the head of security spies a prison shoe. He orders the team to move out, allowing the inmates to believe they are safe. Stopping the van a short distance away, the head of security informs the guards that the inmates are in the school and orders them to quietly apprehend them. But then they knock over a can, alerting Chul-shik and Mong-chi of their return.

As they run from the guards, Chul-shik kicks the same can. With the guards close by, he and Mong-chi disappear just as a walkie-talkie update informs the guards that Jung-woo was seen on his way to the train station. The guards are dispatched to the station before the next train can leave.

Overhearing the news, Chuk-shik reassures Mong-chi that Jung-woo wasn’t shot. They peer out of their hiding spot and decide to continue to their meeting place, confident that Jung-woo will make it. Jung-woo runs from prison guards, promising Ha-yeon that he’s on his way.

At the prison, the warden orders that the search be focused on Jung-woo. Reviewing a map, he locates the train station and notices the nearby factory, demanding to know who was sent to check it. Chul-shik and Mong-chi are already at the factory, hiding from the workers as they anxiously wait for Jung-woo.

Mong-chi uses a cell phone to check the time, advising Chul-shik that they’ll need to leave if Jung-woo doesn’t arrive soon. When the phone vibrates with an incoming call, the men argue over who should answer it before they both respond, “Hello.”

The warden escorts a team of guards to the factory just as Jung-woo turns from the road for the meeting place. A car stops in front of him and Eun-hye, along with Chul-shik and Mong-chi, lean out to urge Jung-woo into her car. She pulls onto the road and drives away just as the warden’s team shows up.

When Jung-woo asks why she didn’t wait to hear from him as planned, Eun-hye smiles, reminding him that he instructed her not to believe her clients. Mong-chi tries to flirt with Eun-hye, but she ignores him as she drives the men to Seoul.

Prosecutor Choi checks on the investigation into the Chamyung paper company. The head investigator asks how he acquired so much data, and Prosecutor Choi can only say that he met the right person during his investigation.

Chairman Cha’s lawyer fails to block the investigation into Chamyung because of the leaked information, admitting that the origin of the leak is still unknown. The Chairman learns from Min-ho’s driver that his son is at home and unaware of the investigation’s status.

The lawyer suggests that “Sun-ho” should take the blame, but Chairman Cha acknowledges that it will be difficult to get him to agree. Even so, he asks the lawyer to call the prosecutor’s office. When he’s alone, Chairman Cha tells himself that this is the price Min-ho must pay for taking Sun-ho’s spot.

Chairman Cha joins Min-ho’s family for breakfast. He apologizes to Min-ho for his focus on Chamyung over the years. As Yeon-hee looks on silently, the chairman promises to begin passing over his assets, telling Min-ho, “Chamyung will become yours now. Do well and make sure to pass it on to Eun-soo as well.”

Before Min-ho leaves for Chamyung, Yeon-hee asks why his father visited. He questions her about her earlier claim that the Chairman was aware of the paper company, but she tells him she said that out of concern for him.

After Min-ho leaves, Yeon-hee recalls handing over a USB file to Prosecutor Choi, telling him she heard about his investigation. Prosecutor Choi was surprised, but guessed it had to do with her late father, CEO NA JIN-WOOK. Visiting her father’s grave later, Yeon-hee greeted him and pleaded, “Wait… just a little longer.”

Min-ho’s driver keeps glancing at him in the rearview mirror, just as Seok calls to tell Min-ho that he will have Sung-kyu soon. After hanging up, Min-so asks his driver if there is a problem, but he denies it.

Min-ho’s car pulls up to Chamyung, only to be met by a waiting crowd of reporters who flood him with questions about his charges over the paper company. The prosecutors show up and arrest Min-ho, which Chairman Cha witnesses from the safety of his car.

The warden is on the phone in his office asking for a few days to find the escapees. He allows the head of security into his now-locked office, expressing frustration over the crisis before sending him to search the escapee’s hometowns as he reminds him that they will both be fired if the men aren’t caught soon. Once his top guard leaves, the warden reads an online report about Min-ho’s arrest.

Eun-hye pulls over in Seoul and turns off the radio, observing that there’s been no news about the escape. Jung-woo believes that the prison is keeping it a secret to protect themselves. Eun-hye feels that they can move freely for now, so Jung-woo asks her to hurry to Maria Hospital for Ha-yeon.

Jung-woo wakes up the two inmates sleeping in the back seat. Chul-shik tells Mong-chi that he has to stay with Jung-woo, and Mong-chi asks Eun-hye for some money before striking out on his own.

Over lunch, Ha-yeon asks Sung-kyu if she can visit her grandma. He answers that they can’t risk missing her father when he comes for her. While they are gone, Seok enters their room and realizes that they must be close by. He and his men search the area, and Sung-kyu sees them as he walks back with Ha-yeon.

Sung-kyu turns around with Ha-yeon, but Seok notices them. Sung-kyu picks up Ha-yeon and hides in a vacant building, motioning her to be quiet. Seok passes by, but turns back when he hears Sung-kyu running away. Sung-kyu puts Ha-yeon into his car and drives away, just missing Seok, unaware that a tracker has been placed under his car.

Eun-hye walks out of Maria Hospital and informs Jung-woo that Sung-kyu and Ha-yeon have been staying somewhere else. They are just about to leave when Seok’s team drives by, and Jung-woo recognizes them as Min-ho’s men.

Jung-woo asks Chul-shik to stay behind and check the address where Sung-kyu and Ha-yeon were staying so that he and Eun-hye can follow Min-ho’s team. Chul-shik finds Sung-kyu’s room empty and calls Jung-woo, agreeing to wait in case he returns with Ha-yeon. Jung-woo believes that Sung-kyu and Ha-yeon are on the run, leading Eun-hye to reason that if they follow the men, they will find Ha-yeon.

Mong-chi walks along happily, calculating how many years he can live on his lottery winnings. He stops suddenly and hides, surprised to see a guard in plainclothes watching his neighborhood. Doing his best to hide in a phone booth, Mong-chi calls a woman, telling her that he escaped from prison and needs her to bring him his driver’s license, warning her of the guard watching the house. Two guards follow her when she leaves, but she manages to lose them.

Min-ho undergoes questioning from a prosecutor, frustrated that no lawyer has been sent to help him. The prosecutor informs him that there is evidence from Chamyung proving his guilt, and it suddenly dawns on Min-ho that his father is behind his arrest.

Ha-yeon plays with some cats in a pet store, telling Sung-kyu that her dad promised her a cat. Meanwhile, Seok and his team stop in a parking garage and run inside a building. Eun-hye frets that they have to find Sung-kyu and Ha-yeon first, just as Sung-kyu hears an announcement calling the owner of a car with license number 5450 to the front desk, which he recognizes as his own inmate number.

Jung-woo and Eun-hye wait at the desk for Sung-kyu and Ha-yeon. When they don’t appear, Jung-woo has Eun-hye stay behind while he goes to look for them, asking her to wait with them in the car if she finds them first.

Wearing a mask, Jung-woo runs into a multi-level mall. He stops in front of the cat enclosure, but Sung-kyu and Ha-yeon are no longer there. Jung-woo sees Sung-kyu walking with Ha-yeon on a lower level, headed straight for Seok’s team. Desperate, he hits a fire alarm just as Sung-kyu makes eye contact with Seok. He tells Ha-yeon to run and manages to get away while Seok’s team is blocked by panicked shoppers.

From inside the mall, Jung-woo witnesses Sung-kyu and Ha-yeon getting into a taxi, narrowly missing Seok. He asks, “Sung-kyu, please keep my Ha-yeon safe.” Sung-kyu worries that he scared Ha-yeon, but she assures him that she’s okay.

Jung-woo reunites with Eun-hye, telling her that he saw Sung-kyu and Ha-yeon leave the mall. They are frustrated that they have no way to reach Sung-kyu, and Eun-hye regrets missing him the day that he looked for her. Jung-woo gets an idea, deciding to find a way to make Sung-kyu contact Eun-hye again.

Joon-hyuk is at the airport when he is contacted by the deputy chief about Jung-woo’s escape. Meanwhile, Sung-kyu’s taxi stops at a light, and he sees a broadcast announcing Jung-woo and Chul-shik’s escape. Now he realizes that the announcement at the mall was from Jung-woo.

During a break in his questioning, Min-ho speaks with Seok and laughs to learn of Jung-woo’s escape, but he’s unhappy to hear that Sung-kyu is still free. The investigator then returns for Min-ho, ready to continue his interview.

At the prison, the warden demands to know who leaked news about the escape, shocked to hear from a guard that Jung-woo was responsible. While posted outside Mother Oh’s store, Sang-tae lectures Tae-soo for allowing the murderer of his sister and niece to escape, but is warned to watch his words. After getting a call, Sang-tae turns on the radio to news about Jung-woo’s escape.

Watching news about his escape on television, Chul-shik calls Jung-woo to complain about the revelation. Jung-woo apologizes, explaining that it was necessary to find Ha-yeon. Promising not to get caught before finding her, he tells Chul-shik that he will be in touch soon.

The deputy chief informs Prosecutor Choi that they will be handling the case against Jung-woo just as Joon-hyuk enters his office. Prosecutor Choi is surprised to see him, but Joon-hyuk explains that he will leave for the U.N. after the matter with Jung-woo is resolved.

Joon-hyuk walks down the hallway and passes Min-ho, and the two men relocate to the roof where they can speak freely. Min-ho lists the reasons for Jung-woo’s escape (to find his daughter and retrieve the knife that Min-ho used to stab Ji-soo), explaining that the knife has his blood on it. Min-ho tells Joon-hyuk that he will find Ha-yeon, but he’s vague about his plans for her.

Min-ho reveals that Jung-woo threatened him with the knife evidence before he lost his memory. Now that his memory has returned, Min-ho is sure that Jung-woo will find the knife, but he wants Joon-hyuk to find it first. Joon-hyuk promises that if Min-ho finds Ha-yeon, he will find the knife and dispose of it.

Mong-chi tries to hide behind a newspaper in front of a bank, worried because it’s almost closing time. When his sister finally arrives, he scolds her for not taking a taxi, but she protests at the cost. They are in the bank when they see the news about the escape, prompting his sister to blurt out, “Were you caught?” (These two are definitely related.)

Mong-chi and his sister walk out of the bank calmly before exploding in happiness. Suddenly tearful, Mong-chi hands his sister the bank book, asking, “Sis, we’re rich, right?” He entrusts her to keep the money safe until he gets out of jail, but refuses to give her the passcode. She asks how long he’ll be in prison, but Mong-chi doesn’t know and just promises that he’ll be back soon.

Discouraged, Eun-hye pulls her car over just when an unknown call comes through. She answers the call but no one speaks on the other end. Jung-woo takes the phone and asks if it’s Sung-kyu, and the young man finally speaks. Jung-woo asks if Ha-yeon is all right and learns that she’s sleeping.

Promising to come right away, Jung-woo asks Sung-kyu for his location. Assuring Sung-kyu that he’ll come alone, Jung-woo recites an address as Eun-hye writes it down. Relieved, Jung-woo tells her, “Now we’re set.”

During questioning, Min-ho insists that he doesn’t know about the documents in front of him, offering to take a lie detector test in spite of his lawyer’s objections. He passes all of the questions until the investigator addresses him as, “Mr. Cha Sun-ho.” Suddenly, the graph registers a false reply.

Every time Min-ho acknowledges that he’s Cha Sun-ho, the polygraph shows a false response. When the investigator whispers to the test administrator, Min-ho imagines that he has guessed his secret.

Suddenly paranoid, Min-ho jumps up and removes the machine’s wires before realizing that the investigator is staring at him. He manages to calm himself before walking out of the room. Once in the hallway, he calls Seok for an update.

Jung-woo calls Sung-kyu when he and Eun-hye are close by. Hearing that Ha-yeon is awake, he asks to speak with her. Fighting tears, Jung-woo tells her that he’s on his way, and Ha-yeon promises to wait for him. Eun-hye parks her car as Jung-woo covers his face with a mask. Taking her cell phone, he runs into a motel.

Jung-woo finds the room and knocks, calling out, “Ha-yeon.” When no one answers, he turns the door handle and enters the room, finding Sung-kyu alone, bleeding from his side. Grabbing a towel, Jung-woo applies pressure to Sung-kyu’s wound, telling him not to talk, but Sung-kyu still manages to eke out, “They took Ha-yeon.”

Suddenly, Jung-woo hears sirens approaching. Eun-hye hears them too and pulls her car into the street, blocking the approaching police cars and forcing the officers to proceed on foot. Jung-woo calls for an ambulance as Sung-kyu begs him to find Ha-yeon, insisting that he’s fine.

Hesitant to leave Sung-kyu alone, Jung-woo eventually walks away. He runs to the roof to avoid the incoming police, just as Eun-hye’s phone receives a call from Min-ho. Jung-woo answers and is greeted with, “I won, Prosecutor Park Jung-woo.” When Jung-woo growls, “Cha Min-ho,” the CEO laughs from his vantage point atop a different roof, claiming his win in the game to find Ha-yeon first.

With tears filling his eyes, Jung-woo calls Min-ho a crazy bastard. Looking out from the roof, Min-ho screams at the top of his lungs, “I won!” Jung-woo promises, “If you touch Ha-yeon, it’ll be over for you, too.” Min-ho smugly wishes the prosecutor luck as someone behind Jung-woo approaches him.

 
COMMENTS

I’m dizzy from all of the near misses that took place this hour. There was Jung-woo’s almost-capture by that policeman, all that running from the guards, Sung-kyu’s run-ins with Seok and Jung-woo’s frustrating inability to find Ha-yeon before Min-ho’s men got to her. All this made for a sustained tension throughout the episode, ending with Min-ho’s triumphant declaration that he won the game. I haven’t noticed any change to the pace of the story since the announcement that the drama was extended an additional two episodes, which is a real testament to the writer and director. This has to be a tough drama for Ji Sung and Eom Ki-joon since they are in so many intense scenes, but they continue to impress.

The happy spot in this tense episode belongs to Mong-chi, who finally cashed in his winning lottery ticket. His emotional roller coaster from euphoria to tearful relief was incredibly moving, his days as a poor man over. He’s ready to skip back into prison, knowing that his windfall will be waiting for him when he gets out. I’m just hoping that he won’t come out of prison an old man. Here’s hoping that a certain prosecutor and public defender will help him minimize the time he has to serve for his escape.

Speaking of our public defender, Eun-hye was heavily featured in this episode, and was instrumental in the success of Jung-woo’s escape. It was rewarding to see her working alongside Jung-woo outside of the prison. She and Jung-woo complement each other well, as both are intuitive and fast thinkers. That ability will come in handy as they move forward to recover Ha-yeon. The reveal that Yeon-hee leaked the information driving the prosecution’s case against Chamyung places her in a new light as well. Rather than being helpless, she has been playing a long con against Chamyung and Chairman Cha in order to exact revenge for her father. Whatever feelings she may have harbored for Min-ho, they are long gone, chipped away by Chairman Cha’s destruction of her family and Min-ho’s murderous actions. Exposing Chamyung’s dirty deeds will hopefully free her from her domestic prison and restore her father’s reputation.

Things aren’t looking good for Jung-woo, but he didn’t manage a daring escape from prison to give up in the face of Min-ho’s gloating. Other that finding Ha-yeon, Jung-woo now must race against Joon-hyuk to find the knife that can prove that Min-ho really killed Ji-soo, which is unbelievable, considering how much she once meant to Joon-hyuk. It appears as if Ha-yeon has permanently lost her Uncle Joon-hyuk once he agreed to work directly for Min-ho to find and destroy that knife, especially after Min-ho carelessly admitted that he used it to stab Ji-soo. Agreeing to find the knife, with no guarantee for Ha-yeon’s safety, Joon-hyuk finalized his deal with the devil. Fortunately for Ha-yeon, she has gained a new uncle in Sung-kyu, and he’s proven that he’s devoted to her well being, especially in this episode. While Joon-hyuk protects his career, Sung-kyu protects Ha-yeon, and he even got stabbed in the process. As frustrating as it was to see Jung-woo get bested by Min-ho, it was validating to know how hard Sung-kyu fought for Ha-yeon.

Even though Min-ho managed to get to Ha-yeon first, he has little to celebrate, since his father has set him up to take the fall for the paper company Sun-ho initially set up. His father treasures Chamyung so much that he’s willing to send his son to prison. Ironically, after everything that Min-ho has done to avoid prison, his father expects him to accept that very punishment. Chairman Cha has no idea just how hard Min-ho has fought to remain free.

However, in assuming Sun-ho’s identity, Min-ho has come to appreciate his personal role as husband and father. Whereas he had no family of his own before, now he comes home to a wife and son. As committed as he is to taking Jung-woo’s family from him, at what point does Min-ho realize that he should fear the very same loss of Yeon-hee and Eun-soo? While he only worried for himself before, what of the family that he always longed for? While he orchestrates Jung-woo’s total destruction, he has never once imagined how he would feel if those he holds dear were similarly endangered. I wouldn’t be surprised if Min-ho finds himself on the receiving end of some personal hurt soon.

RELATED POSTS

• Defendant: Episode 12
• Defendant: Episode 11
• Defendant: Episode 10
• Defendant: Episode 9
• SBS’s Defendant gets 2-episode extension
• Defendant: Episode 8
• Defendant: Episode 7
• Defendant: Episode 6
• Defendant: Episode 5
• Defendant: Episode 4
• Defendant: Episode 3
• Defendant: Episode 2
• Defendant: Episode 1