Forest of Secrets 2: Episode 14
by quirkycase
If you ever thought the previous episodes were moving too slowly, this one’s for you. It’s an action-packed hour, folks, as everything finally starts coming together, and we get some major breakthroughs in the case. Armed with new information, the search for our missing prosecutor reaches a fever pitch. Our leads are both desperate and emotionally drained, but the end may be in sight.
EPISODE 14
Yeo-jin searches the small house, but it’s empty. Meanwhile, as Hoo-jung flees, we see a flashback to his “friends” visiting his place, looking decidedly unfriendly. He looked like a prisoner as he drove them to the beach.
He led those very drunk “friends” to the water. Afterwards, he’d quickly changed his clothes and returned to his room to dry off. We see his hand got scratched, presumably from when he’d held them under. He’d then went back to the beach and called to report his “missing” friends.
In the present, Shi-mok and Yeo-jin finally catch and handcuff him. They take him back to the house, and Yeo-jin demands to know where Dong-jae is. Shi-mok marches over to the closet and opens it, making a sound of disgust at the smell. Hoo-jung remains silent as Yeo-jin screams at him.
Shi-mok checks his car, but the dashcam is missing. Forensics is called in, and Shi-mok explains that the entire place smells of bleach. Dong-jae was likely moved recently. They’ll use Hoo-jung’s GPS routes to see if any lead to Dong-jae.
The landlady is horrified as the police check the grounds in case Hoo-jung buried Dong-jae there. She smelt bleach the previous morning, but Hoo-jung had claimed he was cleaning. Back in the house, the police note that the flooring doesn’t match the photo.
At the station, Yeo-jin and Shi-mok interrogate Hoo-jung who still isn’t talking. They found bloodstains in his room and car, and Shi-mok assures him they’ll use his GPS data to find where he took Dong-jae. Hoo-jung thinks of Dong-jae’s second call but stays silent.
Yeo-jin is at the end of her rope, but Hoo-jung won’t even tell them if Dong-jae is alive. Shi-mok scrutinizes him quietly. At the Supreme Office, Tae-ha and Sa-hyun are shocked to learn the identity of the culprit.
Shi-mok interviews one of Hoo-jung’s former neighbors, but she doesn’t recognize the drowning victims. Hoo-jung only lived there for a couple of months tops and moved suddenly after complaining his apartment was too cold. Shi-mok asks if there are any well-known delivery places nearby.
Yeo-jin interviews someone (a classmate?) who tells her Hoo-jung was a good, quiet student from a well-off family, so he was an easy target at school. She didn’t expect him to keep in touch with the victims after graduating.
Suddenly, Hoo-jung’s lawyer father comes bursting in, angry they arrested his son without a warrant. Yeo-jin argues he fled and lists his charges: kidnapping, murder, and abandoning a corpse. He yells that his son is barely 20 and got a full scholarship to Yonsei University, like that precludes murder.
Shi-mok interrupts to ask him to leave. Hoo-jung’s father sees he works for the Supreme Office and brags he worked there too. What year did he graduate? Since he appoints himself his son’s attorney, they have no choice but to let him stay.
Yeo-jin states that he told a teacher that he was being bullied back in junior high, and his brilliant solution was to sit them together so they could be friends. (Who made that man a teacher?!) The bullying naturally continued.
When Hoo-jung’s father shouts that his son was never bullied, Yeo-jin plays the recorded conversation wherein the girl claims the whole school knew of the situation. Hoo-jung, who’s looked nervous and docile since his father entered the room, finally speaks when his father roughly grips his shoulder and coerces him to say those boys were his friends.
His father continues to answer for him, arguing it’s not a crime to break your lease. Yeo-jin remarks that he ordered chicken a lot. Did they bring the girls over? We hear the deliveryman claim that the apartment was always a mess. Hoo-jung’s two “friends” would often bring girls over. We see Hoo-jung sitting outside a nearby convenience store looking miserable.
Hoo-jung testifies that he invited his “friends” and the girls over. He starts to tell Yeo-jin he didn’t tell the guys he’d moved, but his dad squeezes his leg to shut him up. When Shi-mok asks for his alibi the night of the kidnapping, guess who heads him off and starts yelling again.
One of the officers comes in during this tirade and asks about the missing dashcam. Hoo-jung’s infuriating father obstructs them again, so the officer mentions the blood. Hoo-jung says it’s from a dog he hit with his car. The vet said it wouldn’t live, so he took it home.
He first says he buried it, but then “remembers” he tossed it somewhere. Hoo-jung conveniently doesn’t remember which vet clinic he went to either. The officer pulls Yeo-jin and Shi-mok aside to explain that the bleach contaminated the blood, so they probably can’t get anything from it.
Alone with his son in the room, Hoo-jung’s father reiterates that he can’t say a word no matter what. He’ll make sure they can’t get a warrant. An officer comes to collect Hoo-jung. In the hallway, his father yells that he should ignore the cops who are of no consequence.
Elsewhere, Chief Choi makes a call, worried they’ll have to release Hoo-jung due to his father’s influence. Tae-ha’s call doesn’t go as well. He’s told to be cautious; Hoo-jung’s father went to a Supreme Court judge and complained, and the judge in turn called the deputy prosecutor general.
They’re being told not to issue the warrant on the grounds that Shi-mok’s objectivity is compromised since he knows the victim. Tae-ha is having a fit, but Sa-hyun thinks he’s overreacting. It’s not like they’ll have to release the suspect. Except they might. Sa-hyun calls a judge he knows who’d have seniority over this other judge. (This is ridiculous and infuriating.)
At Yongsan, Yeo-jin and Shi-mok look over maps and try to figure out where he could’ve hidden Dong-jae. They run out when she gets a call about the GPS log and head to the place Hoo-jung visited at 3 A.M. When they get to the spot, it’s on a street without many places to hide a body.
Shi-mok notices a clothes donation box and tries to break the lock off with a rock. The cops help cut the padlock off, and inside they find a bag of bloodied clothes that stink of bleach. He must’ve dumped the body before coming here.
Later, Shi-mok meets with Hoo-jung alone and asks if Dong-jae said when and why he suspected him. Hoo-jung recalls agreeing to meet Dong-jae in Itaewon, but he says nothing. Shi-mok remarks that most victims of bullying harm themselves, not others, as they wait for the time when they’ll be free of their tormenters.
In a flashback, the bullies show up at Hoo-jung’s new place to his horror. Hoo-jung guesses Shi-mok only knows about bullying from books, but Shi-mok says he remembers the experience even if he can’t remember how it felt.
Shi-mok observes that Hoo-jung is now a successful adult, yet he’s still living as that teenage boy who was bullied. Another flashback shows those bullies insincerely apologizing for selling his computer (with all his work on it) and equipment because he didn’t lend them money when they’d asked. They then “borrow” his car. That’s when he orchestrated the beach trip.
Hoo-jung looks close to breaking as Shi-mok asks him how it felt. Is Dong-jae alive? What’d he do to him? Shi-mok looks calm as he lists the ways he could’ve killed Dong-jae, but he grips the photo in his hand tighter and tighter.
They can still charge him without the body based on the bloodstains, the fact that he fled, and now the clothes he tossed. He throws down pictures of the clothes they found in the donation bin.
When Hoo-jung still won’t talk, Shi-mok finally loses his cool and bangs the table. “What did you do to him, you jerk?!” he yells. Whoa. Hoo-jung trembles and begins to cry as Shi-mok says he’ll be charged either way. Is there a chance Dong-jae is still alive or did he kill him?
Hoo-jung ekes out that he doesn’t know anything, making Shi-mok stand in anger. Yeo-jin bursts in and marches Hoo-jung out: his internet history shows he commented under Ki-hyuk’s comment on the video of Dong-jae’s wife.
Hoo-jung’s father sees them in the parking lot, and Shi-mok holds him back while Yeo-jin pushes Hoo-jung against the hood of the car, handcuffs him, and stuffs him in the car. Shi-mok shoves the photos of his son’s clothes into Hoo-jung’s father’s hands and hops in the car. Hoo-jung’s father follows them in his car.
Shi-mok records as Hoo-jung starts talking about how he’s always wanted to make music, so he studied hard with the promise from his father that he could do whatever he wanted if he got into a good university. But those bullies wouldn’t let him go. He starts sobbing but pulls himself together. He finally got his own studio, but they even found him there. Hoo-jung just wanted a future.
Yeo-jin brings it back around to Dong-jae. River or mountains? “Mountains,” he says quietly (!). He’d been keeping him in his closet, too scared to do anything. But then he heard about the supposed culprit’s note and the witness and had to do something, so he touched him and found he was already dead.
When they get close, Yeo-jin asks where he dropped the body, but Hoo-jung isn’t sure. It was dark, and he just drove until it was remote enough. In a flashback, he pulls over and dumps the body right off the roadside.
They pull over when he thinks he recognizes the spot, and Yeo-jin calls for a search party. It’s densely wooded, so the search drags on through the night. There’s a crazy amount of activity happening with the massive search party and a swarm of reporters. Even Chief Choi personally comes to the scene to check their progress.
While Shi-mok takes care of things back at the office, Yeo-jin tells Chief Choi she should’ve caught on sooner. Why didn’t she realize that it made no sense for a kid without a job whose father was poor to have those expensive shoes? Chief Choi looks abashed as she thinks of her own conversation with the victim’s father about him not being able to buy his son those shoes.
Suddenly, there are cries and whistles blowing. Did they find him?! A flare shoots into the sky, and everyone goes running. Dong-jae’s wife is watching it unfold on the news and shakily tells someone over the phone not to let her son see the news. She breaks down sobbing as they announce that a body has been found.
At the scene, they load a body covered by a blanket into an ambulance. Meanwhile, Hoo-jung sits in a cell. When Gun walks over and stands silently in front of him, Hoo-jung begins sobbing.
In the ambulance, they uncover Dong-jae. After removing his gag, they put an oxygen mask on him – so he’s still alive?! Right as they go to cut the tie biding his wrists, Yeo-jin stops them. Wrapped around his wrists is what looks like the tie from the photo, but this one is whole and unblemished.
She sends a photo of it to Shi-mok. He thinks of when he asked Ki-hyuk why’d he taken things so far, and he’d replied, “What do you mean why?”
Yeo-jin then calls to let Chief Choi know about the tie. Chief Choi orders her to bring in Ki-hyuk – it can’t be a coincidence that there was a fake note and a fake witness. Yeo-jin doesn’t want to delay the ambulance, so she has Team Leader Choi go after Ki-hyuk.
Chief Prosecutor Kang calls Shi-mok to ask if Dong-jae is alive. He is but there’s likely to be damage even if he wakes up. Meanwhile, Team Leader Choi and his team arrive at Ki-hyuk’s place. They get him to open the door, and two of them slip inside. Ki-hyuk tries to flee, but Soon-chang catches him.
At the station, Gun gets Hoo-jung to copy the message from the “culprit,” but the handwriting doesn’t match. Hoo-jung testifies that right when he decided not to go through with it, Dong-jae had arrived at their meeting place.
Team Leader Choi questions Ki-hyuk at the station. He knew he’d lied, but he didn’t expect he’d done this. He puts down pictures of Ki-hyuk’s room with a floor and table that perfectly match those present in the photo from the “culprit.” Oooh.
He won’t admit to it. That flooring is common, he claims. All the apartments in his building have it – maybe one of his neighbors did it. Team Leader Choi asks who put him up to it, but he insists he had nothing to do with it.
Ki-hyuk is as smug as ever, almost as if he’s protected. Shi-mok enters abruptly and asks Team Leader Choi and Gun to leave. Once they’re alone, Shi-mok turns off the cameras. Shi-mok bluffs that he’s been with the Supreme Office for 10 years and says he got a strange call after he pulled the license plate stunt.
He has connections in the prosecution, doesn’t he? Will Shi-mok get in trouble for digging into this? Ki-hyuk plays it cool and denies it, but his hands are shaking. Shi-mok threatens to pay him back if he gets in trouble for indicting him. As he goes to leave, Ki-hyuk blurts out, “They told you over the phone?” Well played, Shi-mok.
COMMENTS
Whew, that was a ride. It’s like they packed all the action into this one episode. Going from the slow pace of this season to the sudden explosion of action was almost jarring. But it felt true to life; sometimes things turn upside down in a second. I still can’t believe Dong-jae is alive. I’d really thought he was a goner after all he’d been through. Of course, we don’t know what state he’ll be in if and when he wakes up. After that whole rescue mission, he’d better not die now.
Like Shi-mok and Yeo-jin, I felt so frustrated watching Hoo-jung sit silently, knowing he was the culprit. Even Shi-mok lost his cool! Seeing him so visibly angry shows how stressful and upsetting this all has been for him. It was strange watching him actually emote throughout the episode. Being so close but unable to get answers must be maddening. I wanted to reach through my screen and slap Hoo-jung’s elitist father. Even if he is a lawyer, it seems problematic to let a family member sit in on the interrogation like that. Are there no rules about not representing family? And then he had to go and pull strings. Once again we got to see the terrifying level of influence powerful people have over investigations. They were this close to having to let the murdering kid go just because some judge knew his father.
At first, I couldn’t tell if Hoo-jung’s father was denying the bullying to save face or if he truly didn’t know about it. I think it’s the latter, which is sad if it went on for that many years and he had no clue. Because that was some serious and scary bullying. It’s crazy that they followed him and continued their despicable behavior even until college – they went out of their way to find him and toy with his life, using him like their personal ATM. Not to trivialize the fact that he murdered them, but it’s no wonder the kid finally snapped. People can be so disturbing.
Then, we have the issue of the photo and witness. It’s looking like Sa-hyun did indeed orchestrate the whole thing. Since he was in the criminal division that indicted Ki-hyuk, it probably wasn’t too hard to enlist his help with the promise of protection and reward money. It was a smart plan, getting a scammer to send that photo and “witness” a cop committing the crime, and it probably would’ve worked were Shi-mok not so freakishly observant. The prosecution is going to be livid about the optics of this, and I imagine they’ll try to block it from getting out. If it’s revealed that Sa-hyun was responsible for planting fake information to frame a cop, the investigative authority fight is going to get even uglier. This will majorly swing things in the police’s favor, and I fear the prosecution will entirely blame Shi-mok. Solving the case and saving Dong-jae should give him enough public support to prevent them from firing him outright, but I’m sure his work life will get much more difficult. Poor Shi-mok will yet again get on everyone’s bad side and likely be punished for doing his job properly. Story of this man’s life. Chief Prosecutor Kang did try to warn Sa-hyun that Shi-mok wasn’t to be taken lightly, and it looks like he and Tae-ha are learning that the hard way.
Shi-mok and Yeo-jin are the actual embodiment of how the two organizations should be cooperating. They had so little to go on and so many possible links to sift through, but they got it done. It’s amazing how much can be accomplished when both sides work together using their unique positions and resources. But everyone’s too busy grappling for power for that. I shudder to think what the next Council meeting will look like, if it even happens. With only one week to go, we’ve got multiple cases to wrap up and an ongoing investigatory authority fight to resolve. There’s a lot to cover, but I have faith in this writer to bring it all together and give us a narratively satisfying conclusion.
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Tags: Bae Doo-na, Choi Moo-sung, Forest of Secrets 2, Jeon Hye-jin, Jo Seung-woo, Lee Jun-hyuk, Yoon Se-ah
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1 gadis
September 30, 2020 at 5:03 PM
As expected, Lee Soo-yeon wrote the greatest "villain". Human, flawed, and real. So real it hurts like no other. She weaved a compelling story as her character crossed that fine line that turned them from wronged victim to willing perpetrator.
I'm not sure what does it say about me that I barely blinked an eye at the systemized corruption in the prosecution office, and yet that tidbit about Hu-jeong's teacher left me gaping in both horror and astonishment. That's probably the stupidest attempt ever made to allay bullying, if I've heard one. It's a testament to the excellent writing that Lee Soo-yeon managed to insert a bold statement about the non-existent set of rules to deal with bullying case at school just from that small scene. Sadly, a very common occurence in real life that has all the potential to explode in a nightmarish situation just like this one.
Dong-jae's kidnapping case also gave a perfect illustration of how the broken justice system worked in real life. How the people working on field are the ones throwing their effort, time, and everything to save life, to stop a crime, to make the smallest difference in the world. While those high ups too busy jokeying for power and establishing pecking orders and generally make a nuisance for those under them, making sure everything they worked on become twice more difficult to handle because of their superior's petty squabling. All those phone calls and ranting on who would be above whom made me want to scream that there's life hanging on balance here, for goodness sake!!
The most insulting thing probably is the fact that someone has brazenly used the kidnapping case to further their organization's coveted agenda. Because apparently, making sure that the police is not going to come out of this case unscathed is ten times more important than making sure they can find their colleague alive as soon as possible. God, that's disgusting!! And if Dong-jae who is a part of the prosecution only "deserved" a very small concern, I shudder to think what the ordinary people can hope for from these people of authority.
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halofan68
September 30, 2020 at 5:41 PM
"If honor and the law are no longer on the same side, how are we to choose?" -- Anne Bishop
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knewbie
September 30, 2020 at 5:49 PM
But whatever Choi Bit, Woo Tae-ha and Kim Sa-hyun may have done earlier or later to obstruct the investigation, the irony is that all the phone calls and jockeying for position had been done to help Yeo-jin and Shi-mok catch the culprit and find Dong-jae. Without the manoeuvring among the higher-ups, they might have had to release the boy and reached another dead end in their seach for DJ.
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gadis
September 30, 2020 at 5:59 PM
I know, which is why I refer to it as a broken justice system. The "jockeying for power" is maddeningly corrupt, but the system demanded it from them. They got to play by its rules regardless of whether they wanted to use it for something good or bad. It's a very slippery slope. No wonder it's a hard work for them to stay in the just line, just like what Chief Kang demonstrated with the Hanjo case.
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dramalover4ever
September 30, 2020 at 6:19 PM
That's right - they are trapped by and in the system
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knewbie
September 30, 2020 at 6:30 PM
Agreed, and it was sad that even when they were not being a nuisance to the people in the field, and actually trying facilitate their subordinates' work, they had to play by those rules.
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amara
September 30, 2020 at 8:59 PM
the thing is like is it broken if it was made that way? broken implies mistakes where here—i would seriously argue especially with the way it evolved with american influence—it's intentional. set up for this exact outcome. "justice" is not the rule it's the exception
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Kwan
October 3, 2020 at 12:03 PM
In America the justice system is broken because most of the time the police and the prosecution work together to convict a person even if they are innocent. Because of this our police are corrupt, not because of bribes, but because they coverup each other's wrong doing. They are an almost impenetrable wall keeping true justice out. I truly despise our police system.
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halofan68
September 30, 2020 at 6:07 PM
What I find interesting (although the last 2 eps may prove me wrong) is that with respect to the cops vs. suits issue, the show seems to have chosen a side, without actually making it explicit: in addition to Tae-Ha, Sa-Hyun and a host of off-screen judges gaming the system, you have not one, not two, but three former prosecutor/judges being very bad boys (Mr. heart-attack on the road, his successor for Hanjo and Hu-Jeon's dad). On the other hand, the Segok station cops (1) did not kill their colleague; (2) did not engage in systemic (just individual) bullying, and (3) took bribes to pay for a colleague's mother's healthcare. The single most obnoxious cop, Mr. Anger-Management, the crime he committed was...steal overtime?
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
September 30, 2020 at 6:52 PM
While this is all true, the point remains that they aren't corrupt because they don't have the power to be corrupt. If you want to get a prosecution or to stop a prosecution you target a prosecutor. Police corruption is smaller because police power is smaller. Now imagine the issues we've seen with the police and extend that out to what would happen if they had investigative rights. Shi-mok is right - if you want to do it you need to put in place mechanisms to stop that corruption simply shifting its goalposts.
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knewbie
September 30, 2020 at 8:26 PM
Well, we still don't know what Choi Bit has done...
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SeeSamME
September 30, 2020 at 11:08 PM
Exactly, all the times CB tapped her fingers while strategising and calculating were for something right?
finalparadox
October 1, 2020 at 4:58 PM
I suspect she helped cover something up but wasn't as deeply involved as Taeha and the other prosecutor who died. She was more invested in the Dongjae case than the other higher ups, despite hating the field work
bewitched
September 30, 2020 at 9:30 PM
That scene of Woo Tae-ha and Kim Sa-hyun is by far the best scene to illustrate the theme of the show. Power and status are conveniently used in your favor. How natural that conversation is for them is off putting, even though through that networks of senior and junior could the warrant be secured.
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Eazal
October 1, 2020 at 10:00 AM
It still astonishes me to a point I can't explain all the "you MUST respect the rank" in SK. The fact that someone is one year older and thus you have to obey makes me want to ask all the time: "why the hell" because older doesn't mean wiser. I know it's like that, that I can't change it, but is shocks me so much, no matter I know it's like that. So all that: find a sunbae to that guy made me feel I was watching science fiction (and yes, I know it is like that, but I will never understand...)
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2 kellie
September 30, 2020 at 5:20 PM
It was a good one, finally. The first episode where I really felt engaged from start to finish.
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3 dramalover4ever
September 30, 2020 at 5:21 PM
This episode was a classic illustration of how everything the show has been troubling at happens. This is how it went:
The drownings were not simply drownings, and the perpetrator was a victim, a victim of bullying.
The perpetrator’s father was an ex-prosecutor who knew influential people in the prosecution who were able to block an arrest warrant.
The only way the prosecution could get an arrest warrant was to find someone even more senior to the person in power and influence in order to override them.
The whole episode shows how it works if you have power, and where the abuse of power comes from, if the law comes close to touching those we love. It shows that the potential for corruption lurks in the family, in our protection of those we love and for whom we wish all good things.
On top of that sits the system of seniority and collegiality that preferences whoever is senior in age, social status, and professional status. This then creates an elite who band together by prestigious University and by year group and who inhere through ties of loyalty.
FOS exposes, like so many other dramas, the pragmatically ambitious and self-protective collectivism with ancient foundations in Confucianism. The remnants of Confucianism are a fundamental part of Korean society that shape
• the moral system
• the way of life
• the social relations between young and old
• the basis for much of the legal system
• and holds the nation together
How can this possibly be uprooted? In the face of what this episode illustrates, how can the President of South Korea’s promise of a more equitable society ever be realised when this system of respect, interconnectedness, and obligation is continually exploited in order to avoid taking responsibility for the unlawful actions of individuals or institutions and to maintain the status quo?
The students who bullied Hoo-jung came from poor families, and they were taking advantage of a weaker student from a wealthy privileged background. He was their meal ticket. Their oppression of him could be seen as their protest at the injustice of wealth and privilege (but still no excuse for the horror that they created for their schoolmate).
This is what happens when patent inequities sit side by side.
This episode shows how an injustice breeds retaliation and feeds further retaliation, just like last season. The combined actions of the police and prosecutors simply expose the perpetrators and at the same time reinforce the structures of privilege that feed the injustice and inequities.
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Kafiyah Bello
September 30, 2020 at 5:29 PM
Well said!!👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
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dramalover4ever
September 30, 2020 at 5:37 PM
Thank you!!!
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gadis
September 30, 2020 at 5:48 PM
Well said. 👍🏼
This careful and frank exploration of how the interconnected system really worked in real life is one of the reason this season is (in my opinion) more superior to the 1st season. This is not a matter of catching the bad guy anymore. This is a discussion of how to change things that has been set comfortably for the last few hundreds of year. This is a massive undertaking for those who care, and I think the drama would probably conclude its story with several important questions for us all to ponder instead of giving us the easy but unrealistic "happy ending".
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dramalover4ever
September 30, 2020 at 6:10 PM
I agree, and it will end like that because there is not yet a solution in sight in the real world.
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
September 30, 2020 at 6:55 PM
I agree and I've been waiting for the writer to pull these threads and show us her grand garment. This season is superior IMHO and I hope that the final two episodes really bring it home. Except hope is not required because she has my complete trust.
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amara
September 30, 2020 at 6:02 PM
i think you mentioned jeong do jeon, right? it's so funny and like...sad. i am really nomt with the confucianism teachings and the way order and age are used to protect power without question (in either of my cultures we obviously don't call it that but it's the same type of thought basically and it's always these traditional cultural ideals that refuse to evolve because of who it benefits)
super well said! i don't know if the show or the crew, actors, etc believe this but really like....it cant be reformed. i would argue that's kind of the point but i'm not sure people are ready to face that reality and do what needs to be done to dole out equity (defunding, education...)
i guess another part of it is, like you mention with the bullies, things just aren't "that simple." he didn't think about taking the money from the couple (well they didnt have to introduce it) because he wouldnt have needed it. they could utilize his wealth but it was at a grave expense of his mental health and he couldn't really take advantage. but, in the end, he was allowed to murder two people. we feel bad for him because it's fucked up but he's also lucky
when hyj and choi bit are reflecting about the shoes were they frustrated that they could believe that somebody would go through lengths to get what they want (arguably could symbolize youth) or that they thought it would make sense that he could obtain something with 0 means (which like...credit cards...) then again i could see this being metaphorical for like "we live through things" the shoes could have been a huge giveaway they didn't explore but we all covet things and find ways to get them so. were they supposed to think "he's not worthy of the shoes, therefore he couldn't obtain them rightfully" before they thought of him as unworth therfore he couldnt obtain them in a way that wasn't "bad"
were people thinking, "why would this rich kid have poor friends?" or did they think it wasn't possible without some completely disgusting power imbalance (literal power of force v. a greater power of what money can do.) IDK anyway fuck the justice system
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amara
September 30, 2020 at 6:08 PM
i got distracted from my point but if the details of it are layered (two rich people cut a rope, rich kid gets away with murder and gets protected) then couldn't we see that somehow people are redeemable? that justice purely can't be punitive or hatred localized?
we understand why he did what he did, that's an insane bout of trauma, but now neither of these men have lives to look back on and this kid ruined his own life. while understanding all they say is "don't break the law" as if it's that easy. as if he had any way of getting help anyway and as if, if they had survived, those two men could have gathered funds to get any sort of defense. and now if he goes to jail he will just....go to jail. he would have no reason to do shit like that again bc there's no factor that made him feel so crazy he had to. the parents of the boys—will they get restitution? therapeutic help? will the family help them? that couple was once thought to be responsible but they have no recourse for their actions. it's all picking and choosing and in the end doing absolutely NOTHING to stop it from happening again. when hoo jung gets out he still has opportunity. when people like kim su hang get out they get no compassion and understanding and are simply lucky to have a job.
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dramalover4ever
September 30, 2020 at 6:14 PM
so nothing changes...
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amara
September 30, 2020 at 6:26 PM
yep. but the thing is: we know this. it isnt' some magical discovery. why do we keep trusting the same things that yield the same results? or, at least, "they" won't admit it so people don't know. i had recently read this piece on what we know about weight and the rate of amputations for black diabetic patients in southern US and it just blew my mind how careless and intentional things are to a) just not deal with it AT ALL and b) make money and retain power (actually b is more important than a but they aren't mutually exclusive.) so like.. just like the diet and wellness industry knows diets don't work and capitalizes off of massive inequality to promote billions. they try to make their language more digestible to our current sensibilities of thinking about body positivity but still want a level of conformity because it simply isn't lucrative——not lucrative for insurance companies, gyms, drug companies, no one
what makes us think nothing else in our society would repeat these behaviors? why is the rate of punity and repeat offenses SOOOO high for poor people in SK? why would black people be >x% american of a population but make up more than <x% of prison populations??? how many redos does it take? and i don't believe in "reform" but i guess really the question is like.......reform isn't possible because they have nooooooo interest in reforming it so why don't we rebuild it? focus on true real health, quality of life, if we can't come up with some RaDiCaL model of hurtling towards anti-capitalism then MAKE PEOPLE PAY THEIR TAXES. i can't help but think that hwang si mok's question is "what will it take?" or "how do we change the broken system?" but there IS no broken system. why would south korea take so well to american imperialism and allow american influence to so easily affect the prosecution? these things don't just happen magically! like you said, there was already a foundation laid and people whose interests align with that will always ALWAYS ALWAYS support the option that favors them ALWAYS because they resent the have-nots. they hate them. they need someone to harm to stay in power. whether that's intentional or not. so no we know nothing changes
amara
September 30, 2020 at 6:38 PM
i cant speak for SK for all of it since all our systems differ but the one interest of the state (as in law and order) that is constant around the world is it has to exist to sustain capitalism because inequality is man-made hierarchy (and it is not a human indigeneity thing) like magically nothing has changed in state punishment since the fucking 19th century??????? all they do is find ways to manipulate people back into the belief and it works EVERY TIME!!!!!!!! every! damn! time!
knewbie
September 30, 2020 at 8:34 PM
You've got a point re: the shoes. I guess Yeo-jin and Choi Bit were just thinking that someone must have given the shoes to the kid since he didn't have the money to buy them himself, but it's still a bit of a leap from that to the kid having extorted the shoes from someone. Looking at it more positively, the fact that Yeo-jin and Choi Bit missed that detail meant that they at least did not immediately assume the shoes were ill-gotten gains.
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amara
September 30, 2020 at 8:42 PM
definitely agree on both! i guess they're supposed to think more "deeply" but why would you even need that conclusion? what about lack of funds would make him more predisposed to extortion (when it's also proven it's...the other way around lol.) you can't prove something that you didn't know was a problem in the first place. which, ironically, is like a huge chunk of law enforcement's issues so
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bewitched
September 30, 2020 at 9:37 PM
I think it's also because of the norm where people only remember the goodness of the deceased. It's hard to suspect someone that is already dead. Hoo-jung successfully painted the image of which the 3 are good friends met with unfortunate fate on the beach.
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amara
September 30, 2020 at 10:09 PM
very very very true
knewbie
September 30, 2020 at 11:17 PM
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knewbie
September 30, 2020 at 11:23 PM
Agreed, but when trying to establish the motive for a crime, cops would also check who hates the victim and why. In this case they didn't know there was a crime, let alone a suspect whom the victim might have wronged, so I guess that's another reason why both YJ and Choi overlooked the shoes.
amara
October 1, 2020 at 12:30 AM
also v true. it would have been an actual "perfect crime" i mean i guess he wouldnt have gotten away with it either way but he truly shot himself in the foot with this one LOL
jillian
September 30, 2020 at 6:58 PM
I couldnt have said it any better myself. Bravo! 👏👏👏
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Eazal
October 1, 2020 at 10:11 AM
This is so perfectly said! Brava!
The system of seniority is something I can't understand. I mean, of course I can understand (its meaning, where it comes to, how it contents the unity of society), but I can't understand the lengths it goes and affects lives in such a way. It just blows up my mind.
And regarding the perpetrator, when he was in the car and he was telling his story to YaeJin and ShiMok, and we could feel his pain... I was almost feeling pity for him.. my mind was saying... poor guy. And then the camera turned to YaeJin and his expression was so hard and tough, it was like a slap in my face: he's killed two young kids and he kept DongJae in a closet for two weeks barely giving him a bottle of water...
I just love what this writer does!
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finalparadox
October 1, 2020 at 5:02 PM
And I think the sad reality is that irregardless of whatever system that can potentially come in its stead, the power imbalance will always find a way. People will always create constructs of hierarchy even in the overt absence of it. In the end, there is a need to constantly speak out against the wrong (despite the futility of the act). As the show said, whoever remains silent is complicit
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dramalover4ever
October 1, 2020 at 5:36 PM
"whoever remains silent is complicit" yes, now it really makes sense to me
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CS
October 2, 2020 at 10:23 AM
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CS
October 2, 2020 at 10:25 AM
Yes! This is the thing that struck me the most from ep. 14. The argument about Prosecution/ Police investigation rights is really a mote point when it comes to all the other factors that influence corruption in this system. The comical (?) scene of trying to think of any other judge who could use his seniority over the judge that wanted to stop the arrest warrant. Ugh. It made me feel sick inside. The police would be nearly powerless in that situation. They didn't attend the same university and legal training center, etc. as the judges and don't know off the top of their heads who graduated in what class.
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4 Kafiyah Bello
September 30, 2020 at 5:27 PM
First, I am glad Dong Jae is alive. Second, this writer is so masterful. Everything is connected even when you don't think it is. Sometimes the connections are not loud or obvious. In this case subtly was the name of the game. Dong Jae realizing the Hoo Jung was an abused victim who killed his abusers. Poor Hoo Jung was so traumatized he felt the only way out was murder and honestly, I get it. Imagine being hounded and abused by the same people for close to a decade from middle school to college. Did they deserve death? thankfully that isn't the question at hand, because that is complicated. However, we do know Dong Jae didn't deserve his treatment.
Now, Sa Hyun, SIGH. For Why sir did you think this was a good idea, My goodness what a horrible thing to do, not only did it derail the investigation he could have caused irreparable harm to an innocent man. I can't wait to see this unfold in our final two hours.
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knewbie
September 30, 2020 at 8:50 PM
There's lots and lots to admire in Lee Soo-yeon's script, but this juxtaposition of two very different bullying cases (Segok and Tongyeong) and their link to Dong-jae's kidnapping and the police vs prosecution battle are truly extraordinary. Even more amazing is that each case is complex enough for an entire drama to itself. Hoo-jung's dad being a high-powered lawyer and ex-prosecutor was a master stroke. And tbh I was close to punching the air when HJ used the Tongyeong trip that had been forced on him to murder his bullies.
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Kafiyah Bello
October 1, 2020 at 4:47 AM
Yes, yes!!!! Totally agree.
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Eazal
October 1, 2020 at 10:13 AM
I still hope it's not SaHyun, though. But only because I like less WTH.
Regarding the rest, so well said, as always!
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5 halofan68
September 30, 2020 at 5:28 PM
"Poor Shi-mok will yet again get on everyone’s bad side and likely be punished for doing his job properly."
Get ready for FoS 3: Shi-Mok and Yeo-Jin find themselves battling a corrupt pig farm collective out in the sticks or murderous conch divers at the seaside...
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finalparadox
September 30, 2020 at 5:40 PM
tbh, as long as Bae Doona and Cho Seung Woo are in it, I'd watch the hell outta it
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halofan68
September 30, 2020 at 5:41 PM
Seconded...
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Eazal
October 1, 2020 at 10:14 AM
And he can finish his meals, please.
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finalparadox
October 1, 2020 at 4:17 PM
Watching that man eat is the catharsis I need
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dramalover4ever
September 30, 2020 at 5:41 PM
LOL But then they'll call them in again when they need a sharp knife.
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gadis
September 30, 2020 at 5:55 PM
They are annoying (sometines probably aggravating) thorns on the police and prosecution's sides, but they have their sharp use. The higher ups would never cast them away because they would be much more dangerous outside. But they would have no qualm "hiding" those 2 away in some remote places until they needed them again.
What a bitter yet very real representation of real life.
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6 finalparadox
September 30, 2020 at 5:38 PM
I was on the edge of my seat for this episode! I'd already made my peace with Dongjae's character being killed off, but still couldn't deal with the anxiety when the police was searching the forest! I the tension was sold because Shimok and Yeojin were both so deeply invested in the case and Dongjae being dead would have been a huge blow to them, especially after what happened with Eunsoo in the previous season.
Our two leads are clearly being pushed to the limits and the cracks are beginning to show. The rushed, emotional way in which they both conducted the interviews were an example of that and I didn't really see that coming. I think they're done playing by the rules because it's not getting them anywhere. The previews for the final two episodes appear to build on the pressure they are feeling and it should be good! I have a feeling Yeojin is going to be more impacted in the end because of her inherent sense of idealism clashing with the reality of the system she is stuck in.
Also, unrelated (or maybe related)...what happened to Geon's face? Did I miss something? I don't remember him being hurt during the episode...
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ar_arguably romantic
September 30, 2020 at 8:43 PM
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zitless
September 30, 2020 at 11:10 PM
There was a gang fight in Episode 13. Guess he got the bruises from stopping it. Another small detail I applauded the production team for adding. That or either something else that would prop up in the final episodes. Nothing is ever wasted in this drama.
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Kurama
October 1, 2020 at 12:17 AM
But in front of the clothes donation box, his face looks fine.
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zitless
October 1, 2020 at 5:08 AM
Was it? I thought I saw the busted lip but not the scratch during a rewatch. Anyway we will find out this weekend or never. But such an oversight will be hard to miss.
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bewitched
October 1, 2020 at 1:59 AM
I read on Twitter people also question Geon's face and if he was the accomplice during Dong-jae's kidnapping. I personally hope he wasn't, Yeo-jin would be crushed if he is. But his reluctance during investigation certainly made him not the most likeable character at the moment, considering how much we want our favorite weasel to be found.
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finalparadox
October 1, 2020 at 4:27 PM
I can see him potentially being strong armed by the corrupt prosecution I guess...that would hit Yeojin hard as well. I remember when Geon first joined the police-prosecution council, the Chief told him to bring Yeojin back. Maybe in some way his actions will bring her back to the station, but at what cost??
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bewitched
October 1, 2020 at 6:37 PM
yeah, judging from season 1, Geon is someone that is swayed quite easily by just given a little nudge.
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7 amara
September 30, 2020 at 5:51 PM
"gorl" is all i have to say cos that was a ride and im rewatching it from the beginning like "this bitch rly is a murderer OKAY"
both seasons aren't comparable but cant function on their own. s1 has a really grim end to it but it seems almost valiant (i guess.) this one is grim and just fuckin sad. i still dont like him but damn. so i can't say what i like better but i can say maybe this was is better to me and technically in some aspects. regardless, they did an outstanding job and i'm going to miss it.
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8 Yuyuu, The Drama Queen
September 30, 2020 at 6:50 PM
I don´t even think I breathed throughout this episode!
There´s a lot to be said about this episode, but I especially loved the editing. That scene when Yeojin and Shimok where driving the culprit to the crime scene...? PERFECT. Especially the sound effects. When Hu-jeong said Dongjae was dead, the sound literally matched my heart stopping. And Shimok putting his head in his hands was just the perfect detail to put me further into shock. I just love how this show ALWAYS manages to put us in the character´s shoes. We´re not just looking AT them, we´re right there WITH them.
And that also goes for even the villains, who are just one dimensional but have depth and are well fleshed-out in their own right, with understandable motives.
Given this writer, I´m sure we´re in for another twist in the finale week. I can´t wait to have the final piece of the puzzle and see how everything ties in! I´m a little sad it´s ending, but also excited to rewatch the complete season (both seasons together)!
AND HOW BLESSED ARE WE THAT THIS SEASON LIVED UP TO THE FIRST (methinks)? I´m forever grateful to everyone involved in the creation of this masterpiece!
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Yuyuu, The Drama Queen
September 30, 2020 at 6:53 PM
And that also goes for even the villains, who are NOT just one dimensional***
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amara
September 30, 2020 at 8:44 PM
i love how when they said he was dead it wasnt even like a huge cue. they just kept driving. and i was like OH MY GOD bc it made the scene on the bridge (esp with all the lights) so much heavier. you're right about being with them. it was like we didn't have time to stop and think about it either. omg if you watch both of htem together you have to tell us what you thought. why didnt i even think of doing that?!??!? i can't believe we now have two whole-ass seasons to rewatch that respond to each other SO well. ahhhhhhhh
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9 jillian
September 30, 2020 at 6:54 PM
I love Shimok and Yeojin stubborness and drive in solving the kidnapping. Their collaboration and support of each other is what the system was designed for. Its a pipedream that the higher ups will see it for what it is and instead may use versions of solving the case to further their own agenda.
DongJae's wife breaking down is what got me crying too. The raw emotion of relief, worry and apprehensions of them finding her husband finally but not knowing if he is alive or dead. Ugh 😭
Its a very tragic story for everyone involved. And our young kidnapper's story is no exception. I can not imagine the repeated bullying he has to endure through the years. And the adults and people of authority who were supposed to protect him, like that darn teacher, failed at their basic role in the young man's life. Don't even get me started on his parents who knew nothing of whats going on. I would not know if I was in the same situation if I will end up doing the same thing. But it was probably extreme desperation for him to make that decision to do away with them in the most horrible way. I do not condone it and would be easy for me to say I would never chose to murder anyone. I just pity him that he came to the point that he felt that he had no choice but to kill them. Absolutely tragic all the way through. The system failed him and he now has to face the consequences of his actions. His tragedy in no way excuse the two counts of murder, and kidnapping and attempted murder of a third person.
i felt bad that I cheered that TaeHo and SaHyun knows another more senior judge who could block Hu Jeongs father's lobbying for his son with another judge. Its this level of corruption that the show is highlighting that has to stop but seems like a normal everyday thing for them.
I am looking forward to what Shimok will do with his recent findings. SaHyun and TaeHa will know what Chief Prosecutor Kang was warning them about.
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
September 30, 2020 at 7:04 PM
Regarding Dong-jae's wife, I don't remember if I said anything about it at the time but there is this thing we get around grief where we're supposed to respond to loss or pain in a set of socially-determined ways and if we don't then we get judged. And it's particularly bad in Korea (at least from what I've seen in TV and films). And so that whole thing where she was trying to keep it together and protect her children and was constantly being judged for not responding the "right" way made me quite angry. And you can see in this episode that she just let out all this pent-up emotion in one cathartic cry and then instantly acted to try to protect her children. There was a fair dose of misogynism involved here as well, as there is around all the female characters. And I feel like with this small scene they dealt with it really well.
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egads aka Dame Maggie
September 30, 2020 at 7:28 PM
I think it's really interesting that so many people were quick to judge both parties in this relationship, whether it's speculating that Dong-jae was having an affair with his junior, or his wife not reacting in some prescribed way to her husband's kidnapping.
The public face of what we see is not necessarily the truth of the thing. And this keeps repeating throughout the drama.
The socially determined appropriate response to loss is very much a thing here too.
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amara
September 30, 2020 at 8:50 PM
the thing is (for me at least) that seo dong jae has a VERY bad track record so it would make sense. he did his best to be better (i guess) because he saw something awful and it was lcj's literal last wish but he's very much a garbage husband and father (one of the funniest moments and most pathetic of his is when he almost k words eun soo and mentions his wife and kids after his career and THEN when he's listing all the reasons hsm shouldn't arrest him and he lists his like mom and kid last he's a fucking mess.) which is why him being alone and in a small room with just his phone in his work clothes was so pleasing (to me lol) and fucking sad. he was able to get away and he was lucky on so many levels but the emotional repercussions and his disposability (to a broader system) in itself played out the way he knew they would....you really do reap what you sow.
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dee23
October 1, 2020 at 4:46 PM
To be fair, nothing is what it seems in this series. Everything and everyone is suspected. ☺
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amara
September 30, 2020 at 8:46 PM
i was angry at her for being cold but i wasn't thinking the way that i should have and the way that si mok wasn't. i love it when they exploit that in the execution because it's so ridiculous and unfair. but so many of us will always catch it late, you know? like the whole nail polish thing was another example of how hwang si mok is in no way immune to the environment around him about women, money, intelligence etc
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10 LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
September 30, 2020 at 6:58 PM
Shi-mok is a knife that ends up cutting himself
*girds loins*
*approaches incoherence*
Only one week to go.
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
September 30, 2020 at 7:21 PM
To be more serious for a second, if Forest of Secrets is ultimately about how corruption is inherently human then the writer could not have given us a more human criminal. And with Lee Chang-joon last year she very carefully and masterfully said, "yes this is human, yes it's understandable, yes we can see how he get here, yes he is still a monster". And that's what this was - the portrait of a normal kid with money, influence, loving parents and every opportunity society could provide him turning slowly into a monster. You take one step and then one more and then you're here - dumping the body of a prosecutor and preparing to attack a cop.
And I don't know what struck me more. Maybe that his father was completely unaware that this was who his son had become. To him he was this bright, hardworking good kid who aspired to be an artist and was making his way in the world on his own. And there's an irony there I guess in that what his son needed wasn't his connections, seniority or social position. In the end none of that mattered. What he needed was something that this society couldn't give him. And a monster was born.
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amara
September 30, 2020 at 8:56 PM
they were also hinting at the emotional and physical pressure from his dad which i think sometimes kdramas actually get right when it comes to like reactions to parenting and interactions with other people. i honestly have no clue how i feel about him comparatively to lcj. i think for me my mind is boggled at how someone could murder two people and then do the rest of what he did partly because of a sense of entitlement. but goddamn it's like yea dude ur ife fucking sucked. and i know that there's nothing you can do but be sucked into it even with more resources. that being said there's two different types of selfishness. i don't want hu jeong to take his life but like hsm said to kwc...another wasted opportunity for anybody to learn something. at the end of lcj's line it was himself. and for some ODD reason hu jeong thought he could get away with it which like prosecutorial wise probably but he thought he wouldn't even get mildly clocked that's wildddddddd and he fumbled his own ball trying to clean up his mess (which is perhaps the most ironic part about using systemic advantage for your own skewed sense of living cos you always fuck up even with a lack of consequences someone will always know)
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11 E
September 30, 2020 at 8:11 PM
Isn't it funny that this whole time, the team was investigating Dong-jae's shady dealings and getting nowhere (because of COURSE Dong-jae must have finally poked his nose in the wrong place), only for him to be in this mess because he was actually doing his job properly?
And all those pitiful, humanizing moments in the beginning--is this season the Redemption of Dong-jae?
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12 redoy21
September 30, 2020 at 8:16 PM
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13 redoy21
September 30, 2020 at 8:21 PM
And again this writer proves why is she so good in writing thriller. This whole 14 episodes was th built up and this last few episodes including this one will be the pay off. And she will love teasing us that the evidence was right there but we chose to ignore it like the expensive shoe that yeo jin and chief choi missed. So she wrapped up the first drowning case of the season and the bullied cop suicide case. Seems to be bullying is one of the themes of the season.
And what is left is lawyer heart attack case. I think that will be the culmination of all the things that happened in this season. As expected Forest of Secret 2 didn't disappoint.
My one wish was having more Yeo Jin and Shimok scenes but the writer keeps them being apart for the reason to show us that they incredibly good when they are together as if she is trying to send the message that if the polices and prosecutors keeps their biases in check and are not corrupt and work together they can be the force for good like Shimok and Yejin
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amara
September 30, 2020 at 8:57 PM
what if
they kissed
im half kidding lol but when theyre together all the wait is worth it
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14 ar_arguably romantic
September 30, 2020 at 8:36 PM
What a breathtaking weekend of FOS2 episodes! Thank you, @quirkycase, for recapping and sharing with us your thoughts!
I thought it was almost comical how Sa-hyun and Tae-ha were trying to find a judge to block that other judge to whom Hoo-jung's dad complained to. It felt like something that could have come out of Diary of a Prosecutor.
I had totally written Dong-jae off as dead. It sounds like the kid is totally responsible for the kidnapping, but I found it suspicious that Dong-jae was able to survive. When Dong-jae was trying to escape, the kidnapper walloped him until blood splattered everywhere. I have a hard time imagining that was Hoo-jung viciously beating Dong-jae even though he did drown his 2 bullies and kidnap Dong-jae in the first place. And if it were for the fake witness, was he planning to keep Dong-jae in his closet indefinitely?
The bullies were terrifying. Murder isn't the answer, but I was relieved to know that the two bullies are dead. I'm also reminded that if I should ever be in the position to secretly murder someone, I should wear gloves. It's scary to think that one of the bullies was acting like a filial son at home.
All evidence points to Sa-hyun planting that fake evidence. I'm impressed he was able to get that same tie pattern!
Thought the scene of Choi Bit letting the reporters' cameras come closer to light up the spot was a great parallel image to a similar image in the opening credits.
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knewbie
September 30, 2020 at 9:10 PM
I think he'd walloped Dong-jae with the chair cos he was scared and angry that Dj was trying to escape. But I'm a bit puzzled as to why he'd attacked DJ with the brick in the first place. DJ may have become very adept at spotting bullies and bullying victims, but I doubt he had concrete evidence of the bullying, let alone the Tongyeong murders. Maybe Hoo-jung just panicked, but it's a bit weird that he would panic at that point, after all that he'd gone through with cops, the public, the chaebol couple and Oh Joo-seon. Maybe DJ had more evidence than I'd thought, or he said something that just happened to send HJ into a panic.
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SeeSamME
September 30, 2020 at 10:54 PM
I think there is more to Dong-jae kidnapping. Like SM and YJ clearly said, to do such thing to DJ, have to be someone big and strong or need two people. I don’t believe the kid could by himself attacked and abducted DJ who is taller and bigger than him and without leaving any traces on the crime scene. The show wouldn’t contradict itself, not with this writer.
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knewbie
October 1, 2020 at 12:06 AM
I think it was physically possible for him cos he had a car and a room nearby. He'd managed to drown two men in Tongyeong after all. (Well, they were drunk, but he did it in the sea and during a storm! He really really hated them didn't he.) What I'm more worried about is WHY he did it. Hopefully there'll be an explanation and/or a flashback next week.
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ar_arguably romantic
October 1, 2020 at 1:20 PM
I wonder what made him think he needed to hit him with the brick right then when he's capable of just planning out murders and cleaning up a crime scene very well.
Dong-jae was already bound and gagged and was right outside the closet door so I thought it was excessive to hit him that hard repeatedly. And after that just left him in the closet until the witness came out? If I had hit him that hard, I would just go and dump the body. HJ claims that he didn't touch him until the witness came out.
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knewbie
September 30, 2020 at 9:15 PM
That one of the bullies seemed like a filial son is a fantastic detail for such a peripheral (and dead!) character. And he really might have been a good son. Bullying is a weird thing - some bullies actually grow to believe that their victims deserve to be bullied.
Yup it looks like Kim Sa-hyun and Woo Tae-ha have something to do with the fake witness, but I'm not holding my breath. Two hours is more than enough time for this writer to pull off another twist.
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15 Kurama
September 30, 2020 at 9:15 PM
Hoo-jung's story was sad, his teacher's idea was so stupid. And the fact nobody told to his parents... The father was a jerk but we could see he had no idea what happened to his son.
I'm disapointed by Sa-Hyun about all the fake picture-witness but again he was the one who remained calm and got the warrant when Chief Kang was useless.
Like what, the Judges are as problematic as the Police and the prosecutors.
I wonder why Jang Gun was injured in the face at the end?
Only 2 episodes left and so many questions.
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Kurama
October 1, 2020 at 2:15 AM
*Chief Woo not Kang... Me and the names...
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16 bewitched
September 30, 2020 at 9:18 PM
"that was a ride"
Yes that was a ride! So much happened in 1 episode. In a way it's a bit too fast to follow to the point that during the first watch my stupid brain even think Hoo-jung put Dong-jae inside that clothing box lol.
Shi-mok and Yeo-jin are all in their smart intelligent badass glory this episode. It's apparent they're the only people (with Chief Kang, and maybe Team Leader Choi) that is invested emotionally during the search. Their frustrations on Hoo-jung is palpable. Like didn't he understand Dong-jae could die anytime while he's sitting stupidly saying he didn't know. And it's clear that Dong-jae is the sacrificial lamb. He's deemed to be better not found for the sake of others.
Forest of Secrets 2 is really a season 2 well made (hopefully including the next 2 episodes). In season 1 Lee Chang-joon said that the society will collapse if corruption continues. And in season 2 the cases are the exact example of what he said.
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knewbie
September 30, 2020 at 11:12 PM
I confess that I, too, thought for a split second that the kid had stuffed DJ's body into the clothes recycling box. But I'm not sure if anyone preferred DJ not to be found, though. They might have been anxious about what he knew about Segok or Park Gwang-soo, and there were certainly attempts to make use of the case for the police vs. prosecution war. But once they realised that his abduction was linked only to the Tongyeong case, I think everyone at least tried their best to hold on to Hoo-jung, i.e. the only person who knew what had happened to DJ.
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bewitched
October 1, 2020 at 1:43 AM
Ikr, feel stupid for thinking the box would fit Dong-jae lol. I personally think Woo Tae-ha already put Dong-jae aside once the fake witness framed Team Leader Baek. He was fighting for the warrant to be issued, as you said, just after the kidnapper is figured out to be Hoo-jung. Had Min-ha not contacted Shi-mok and he didn't figure out the similarity between middle school bullying case and Tongyeong, Dong-jae would die in the mountain. And I have a feeling that Woo Tae-ha would probably be fine with it, since he thought Dong-jae knows too much about Park Gwang-soo's case.
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knewbie
October 1, 2020 at 2:07 AM
Woo Tae-ha is looking extremely fishy at the moment, especially at the end of ep14 when his mobile was ringing and he didn't pick up. But IMO he wasn't the only one who had kind of given up on DJ - Choi Bit was happy to let Uijeongbu take over, while Lee Yeon-jae and Director Park seemed to think they could put it aside too. IMO even Kang Won-cheol didn't seem particularly bothered by it, unless SM mentioned it first. If we consider the relationships that DJ had with all these people, in a way it's most reasonable for Woo and Choi to give up on DJ first, cos compared to the others they were barely acquainted with him. Also, earlier they seemed to genuinely regret that their refusal to talk about Park Gwang-soo might seal DJ's fate as a eternally missing person. (Though their regret isn't in the least helpful...)
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17 pickleddragon
September 30, 2020 at 10:33 PM
This show is so much larger than the story in the show itself, and the extensive comments here are testimony to that. The mirroring and self-reflection is incisive and forces you to stop and think like no other drama has in a while.
I thought the best scene this episode was when Choi Bit asked the reporters to shine the light on the mountainside as the search party struggled when darkness fell. The analogy with our reality was sharp and clever. We need to keep our lights shining to see the real truth emerge.
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pickleddragon
September 30, 2020 at 10:39 PM
I meant to add, in this sense, the show marries cynicism and hope in interesting ways. Yes, the system is terrible, and yes, we built it, and yes, we have transgressed in more ways than one. In order to undo all this, we need to first recognize all that is wrong. It can't be too late, surely.
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SeeSamME
September 30, 2020 at 11:25 PM
The writer hopes people would think and reflect about their view of a better world after watching her drama. If she could read DB and some other Stranger’s forums and see our discussion, she would be pleased.
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finalparadox
October 1, 2020 at 4:33 PM
Agreed, the nuance and caliber of storytelling is on another level here. I really enjoying interacting with other FOS fans here on DB because the depth of the discussion is amazing!
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knewbie
September 30, 2020 at 11:30 PM
it's also a good example of how all the police, prosecution and media should be working together, not letting the likes of Hanjo use them for their selfish capitalist purposes.
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soulsearch12
October 7, 2020 at 5:55 PM
I also took it as, one authority or force shouldn't have more power over one another. If the police has more control/power, then that leads to a revolution/and police brutality. In a fair and just society, power/authority should be equal and balanced.
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Withyakyu
September 30, 2020 at 11:30 PM
Agree! It's rare to find a drama with this kind of depth that's why it's so precious <3
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SeeSamME
September 30, 2020 at 11:52 PM
There is so much to unpack from Stranger series. It has set an extremely high standard and ruined my drama watching experience 😩
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Withyakyu
October 1, 2020 at 2:07 AM
Yep, thanks to the high standard it's hard to finish any drama since 2017 😩 I start many but only finish like, 3 dramas a year...
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soulsearch12
October 7, 2020 at 5:57 PM
It feels like a British police show (Great compliment), in the likes of Luther/Broadchurch. It's even gearing towards that format too. No melodrama, no silly romance, and just smart writing that treats its audience as intelligent. K-dramas need more of this going forward, and it seems in a few yrs 5-10 from now, that'll hopefully happen as more people are wanting well written/smart stories.
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18 Eazal
October 1, 2020 at 12:31 AM
Is this the best episode un drama land ever? I think I can watch it in a loop for days. Everything is connected, I knew the drowning case was connected to evetythingc but we were focusing on the wrong detail (the rope) instead of the kid. That focus on his thumb meant something. The same way the focus on the thumb of the suspect in the last scene. That ay ShiMok knew they both were hiding something.
Watching ShiMok almost lose control was a total shock. It showed us how how stressed and tired and angry he is at all the situation.
Regarding the photo, I know eve thing points to SaHyun, but I wouldn’t want him to be involved. From the beginning I liked WTH the least, but I know this is not about who I like the least.
Anyway, I’ll gladly sacrifice SaHyun it it means Chief Kang doesn’t turn to the dark side!
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pickleddragon
October 1, 2020 at 9:41 PM
Agree about SaHyun and Kang! I'm fairly certain about who I want to stay in the clear!
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19 iamjustdanny
October 1, 2020 at 2:35 AM
This was absolutely the episode I've been waiting for this entire season!
I just wish that they didn't take SOOOOOOO long to build to it. I felt like this episode would have been better if it had taken place about 3-5 episodes back.
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Lai Pei Yee
October 1, 2020 at 4:51 PM
If you watch FOS1 and Watcher, you should know the writer believe in not revealing everything at once.
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iamjustdanny
October 1, 2020 at 9:03 PM
I did watch both of them. But even both of those shows didn't wait nearly til the end to reveal something juicy.
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20 Kasumi
October 1, 2020 at 5:53 AM
I had hope that Seo DongJae will be found alive and I was very happy he was found alive.
ShiMok getting angry was done so well. It had been slowly building. His wife’s breakdown was hard to watch especially her concern for her son.
Other beanies have written very eloquently about the corruption and the system of hierarchy and connections and I have nothing to add to it. It’s sad and infuriating and the question I hated the most “which year are you?”
Apart from the writer who is excellent, I am super impressed with the cast, the director, the cinematography, the editing, and music. The cast is so good that they make the characters so real.
FoS is one of the best shows I have seen and I would love it if they did one more season even if it’s after three years.
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Withyakyu
October 1, 2020 at 7:59 PM
Yes, we don't mind 3 years as long as it is coming T T
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SeeSamME
October 2, 2020 at 3:34 PM
Every aspect of this drama is top notch. You can feel the sense of pride to do their best from everyone. It’s worth to mention they filmed during the peak time of Covid in SK, making filming process even more difficult.
I don’t mind waiting if we can get another or two seasons.
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21 primula
October 1, 2020 at 7:25 AM
This episode is like a reward to those who have been waiting together in the fog. It’s clearing!
The contrast between a good cooperation and jockeying for power is so well written. In the end, the system is there and it’s hard to change. As I shared somewhere before, Season 1 is Just tip of the iceberg, a smaller scale of what corruption is, but Season 2 is the entire iceberg itself - the system in which this thrives. So glad to have ride on this wave. Will definitely rewatch this again!!
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dee23
October 1, 2020 at 4:47 PM
Yup, a rewatch is needed.
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22 dee23
October 1, 2020 at 4:36 PM
Wow answers (!!!) ... then more questions and just like that it's finale week.
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23 Kwan
October 3, 2020 at 11:51 AM
Loved this episode, and that Dong Jae was found--but true to form another twist to the story was uncovered. Can't wait for the next episode.
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24 bong-soo
October 4, 2020 at 8:31 PM
“Okay, Great job.” I loved that little line of dialogue over the phone from Chief Kang to Shi-mok when the Chief called about Dong-jae’s condition. Great indeed.
Having seen all 16 episodes now I consider episode 14 the best of FOS 2.
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Hilda
October 5, 2020 at 1:05 AM
I agree with you bong-soo, episode 14 is the best episode, followed by episode 1. I'm glad though that Simok learned to smile longer in the last episode, it means he is slowly showing his emotions, not repressing it. I also, like it when the two leads are eating together in the last episode, bonding moments for them again. I should have wanted a love angle, but it's alright, there was none, there was no time though.
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25 Awn
October 5, 2020 at 4:42 PM
Great show. (No spoilers here.) no magic incense or flute, no car crashes, no sex, no romance, not even a bro-mance. Just a really engrossing story.
Well done.
The only logical problem was the bullying. No one, especially no one with such a powerful father, would have endured what that young boy did. Logically, it could never have gotten to the point of murder.
The Hanjo connection wasn’t dealt with. I doubt there will be another series, but there’s enough kindling remaining for another nice fire.
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26 soulsearch12
October 7, 2020 at 5:48 PM
I may be in the minority here, but I find S2 to have better pacing than S1. I think its b/c the episodes length here vary rom 59-1 hr 1 min range compared to S2 which was 1 hr 10-1 hr 1 hr 15 min.
Anyways, it reminds me of a film. We have the puzzle pieces set-up in Ep 1/2, and up to the halfway mark, things start adding up. It's not until we get towards the end, when things start to show up and more gets revealed.
Shallow note: Love how everyone looks tired and over it lol. The stress of the job!! Esp. with our FL/ML, its refreshing to see imo. Quibble: Bae Doona is a great actress no doubt, but I sorta cringe when she overdoes the aeygo. Other than that, Shi-mok's let out some anger here which was :O
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