Forest of Secrets 2: Episode 6
by quirkycase
Our favorite cop finds herself in a dilemma this hour as she learns more about her boss than she wanted to and becomes embroiled in political maneuverings. Everyone has a justification for their questionable ethics, but where do you draw the line? That’s what our heroine has to decide as she faces the choice to sit by or speak up.
EPISODE 6
We flashback to when Yeo-jin retrieved the envelope from a police station. She does the shake test like a kid trying to figure out their Christmas present, and it doesn’t seem like a document. She stares at it in the car, but we don’t see her open it.
And now we’re back to the standoff in the National Assembly, which turns out to be very anticlimactic. Tae-ha gives a “hmmph!” and walks off, and Chief Choi walks in the other direction. Shi-mok and Yeo-jin stare at each other for a second before leaving.
Shi-mok recalls Tae-ha’s order to find out what was in the envelope as he follows Yeo-jin out. She notices him behind her while she’s driving, but he soon goes his own way.
Assemblyman Nam anxiously rips open the envelope to find a USB. The envelope is addressed from Nambu Police Station (the one that was originally on the nepotism investigation). That night, Shi-mok stands outside that very station after having glimpsed the name on the envelope.
Shi-mok stares at the directory, assessing which department Yeo-jin might’ve gotten the envelope from. He leaves, unable to ascertain anything. He researches the station, and an article about how they turned a Kyungsan Group exec over to the prosecution catches his eye, as does an article on a doctor caught using drugs.
He’s interrupted by a call from Dong-jae who asks what Yeo-jin might’ve meant by her question earlier about why Dong-jae chose to visit the prison. Dong-jae, who clearly wanted to show off, is annoyed by Shi-mok’s deductive skills that led him to reason Soo-hang must be key to the case. Dong-jae does get to share that Soo-hang is the nephew of the ex-chief Ki-hyun reported, though.
Feeling competitive, Dong-jae is determined to find Soo-hang before Yeo-jin does. Right after Dong-jae hangs up, he gets a call from his superior asking him to be the designated driver since everyone else is drunk at the work outing. He hides his frustration and agrees.
Elsewhere, Yeon-jae meets with CEO Kim Byung-hyun of Sungmoon Daily. The conversation is polite yet barbed. She accuses him of lacking journalistic integrity and having ulterior motives, but he claims he merely invested in Hanjo. He, in turn, accuses her of faking her financial woes.
Yeon-jae wonders what she needs to do to get him to stop siding with Sung-jae. Byung-hyun says he’s siding with him because they’re close and Sung-jae will soon be the chairman. Yeon-jae details how she brought Hanjo back from the brink after her father’s arrest and has even surpassed his success.
Yeon-jae recites all the misogynistic comments about her that appear under Byung-hyun’s articles. If he’s looking for an investment, he shouldn’t discount her. She encourages him to weigh his options wisely as a businessman. Instead, he says her lipstick is too much (ugh) and looks rattled when she wipes off her makeup right there at the table. Yeon-jae then demands to know about her father’s condition.
Her assistant waits anxiously in the lobby and clocks her smeared makeup when she exits. He shields her from view in the elevator and personally drives her home. In the car, Yeon-jae thinks back to Byung-hyun asking if she wants to go back to when she was supporting her husband. He has a time he’d like to go back to.
Byung-hyun had clenched his fist nervously as she approached. Yeon-jae hugged him, rubbing his back comfortingly. He relaxed into her embrace. (Guess he does still have feelings for her.)
Looks like it worked, and Yeon-jae got her info. Her father has anger issues stemming from depression combined with his natural disposition. She wonders how to use that – should she provoke him? She feels bad about it, but it doesn’t stop her from ordering her assistant to get photos of her father in a rage and find out everything about his doctors and medications.
Tae-ha and Sa-hyun watch an interview with Director Shin in which he claims Assemblyman Nam’s acquittal signifies the prosecution agrees the police investigation was biased. Sa-hyun wonders what Chief Choi threatened the assemblyman with and questions whether Shi-mok will be able to get anything out of the police.
Based on the scolding he got earlier, Tae-ha thinks Shi-mok will do fine. Heh. Sa-hyun remarks getting Yeo-jin to help would mean betraying her boss. How will Shi-mok get her to agree?
Shi-mok is currently at the Suwon Prosecution Office to view some records, but the deputy chief is suspicious since someone from the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office came without warning. He goes to call the prosecutor in charge, but stops when Shi-mok lists the 19 cases he’s interested in. Pfft. Instead, he calls Tae-ha who instructs him to let Shi-mok see the records.
After he goes through the archives, Shi-mok calls Yeo-jin and asks to meet. She’s hesitant but texts him her address. We see in flashback that Yeo-jin did look in the envelope and found the USB. Oooh, and she even copied the files to her computer on her way to deliver it. (I was hoping she snooped.)
Shi-mok doesn’t waste time and lists several cases handled by Nambu Station, asking if one of them is what the police are using to threaten Assemblyman Nam. He reasons it must be a case that was kept quiet and probably never made it to trial. He speculates on whether it could’ve been the assemblyman’s son or Assemblyman Nam himself who got in trouble.
He’s leaning toward the son. Since he was already involved in this hiring scandal, another scandal could be problematic for the assemblyman. Perhaps he was one of the ones caught in the drug case Shi-mok found out about. Yeo-jin claims she’s unfamiliar with the cases he’s mentioned, so he says he’ll do another search.
She asks how far back he’s going to go in his research. Shouldn’t he be questioning Tae-ha about why the prosecution acquitted Assemblyman Nam rather than talking to her? Shi-mok notes he already did.
“I didn’t,” she admits. And she doesn’t plan to ask Chief Choi in the future. Changing topics, Shi-mok asks, “You don’t draw these days?” Aw. Yeo-jin looks over at him in surprise.
He shares that he saw the rope barrier was down in Tongyeong and thought there could be an accident, but he kept driving and didn’t do anything. It was dark and foggy, so he thought only people who had a death wish would cross it. He knew something was wrong but chose not to act, and people got hurt.
Yeo-jin gets his meaning but tiredly notes that you can’t catch all the criminals. Is that why she left violent crimes? Yeo-jin insists her desk is still there.
She stops him as he leaves, observing that he already found the answer before coming to her. Alone, Yeo-jin sighs and looks stressed.
The following day, Yeo-jin goes to talk to Chief Choi. She confirms that Chief Choi wasn’t in her current position a year and a half ago when Assemblyman Nam’s son was illegally hired. Yeo-jin states that she was, however, at the Intelligence Bureau in February.
Chief Choi realizes she’s asking if she knew about the drug dealer case, which means Yeo-jin opened the envelope. Yeo-jin didn’t lie when she said she hadn’t seen anything – she just hadn’t looked yet. Chief Choi guesses she made a copy.
Yeo-jin suspects Chief Choi wanted her to look. If it had been a confidential document, telling her not to open the envelope makes sense. But it was a USB, so why did it matter if she saw the physical object? Chief Choi wanted to pique her curiosity so she’d read the files.
Why’d it have to be her? Chief Choi observes that, once the Reformation Unit disbands, Yeo-jin will go back to fieldwork. She finds it a waste when capable people aren’t ambitious.
Yeo-jin angrily asks if this is her solution. “Is committing crimes being ambitious?” Chief Choi argues it was the only way to ensure they get out from under the prosecution. Even if they get a bill, it could be struck down since the chair of the committee is a former prosecutor.
By putting Assemblyman Nam in that seat, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office protected the assemblyman and made a point to the police that investigating was useless. Public sentiment meant the police had to bring charges, though. That’s when they got a call from Nambu about Assemblyman Nam’s son being named by a drug dealer.
What would Yeo-jin have done? Yeo-jin unhesitatingly responds she would’ve arrested him. Chief Choi says that wouldn’t have ensured he’d be charged; they’d just have made him an enemy. Then, they’d never get investigative authority.
Yeo-jin worked in a district with the highest drug crime rate in the nation, so she knows how this goes. Dealers never name their VIP customers. They give police some inconsequential names, and the VIPs in turn pay the dealers for their silence.
Did that dealer really give up Assemblyman Nam’s son, a VIP, voluntarily? The Intelligence Bureau already knew he’d been doing drugs, yet his dealer was only arrested right after his father was made chairman.
Chief Choi admits the police kept quiet about the situation. So what? Is Yeo-jin going to be a whistleblower? Yeo-jin asks if she’s just going to let him go, but Chief Choi says they can catch him after Assemblyman Nam steps down in six months.
If Yeo-jin can’t wait and wants to ruin their chances in gaining investigative authority, she can’t stop her from acting on her conscience. Go ahead and report. Yeo-jin stays silent. Chief Choi comments that intel reports are confidential, and she’s acting director until a replacement comes.
Chief Choi thought Yeo-jin could be the one to move up the ladder. She wasn’t trying to drag her into something but guide her. When Yeo-jin scoffs that Chief Choi could read reports at her own desk instead of sitting in the director’s chair, Chief Choi somewhat threateningly says that Yeo-jin has no idea what it’s really like to be dragged into something.
Shi-mok reports on Assemblyman Nam’s son and the drug case. Tae-ha is confused when Shi-mok says he figured it out without Yeo-jin’s help. Nambu Station was on the envelope, so he investigated from there. Tae-ha clears his throat, embarrassed at not catching it himself.
He informs Shi-mok the next Police- Prosecution Council meeting is set, so he should prepare accordingly. Shi-mok seems to be waiting for something – probably expecting consequences for his accusations – but Tae-ha doesn’t say anything.
On his way out, Shi-mok gets a text from Dong-jae thanking him for putting in a good word for him. Shi-mok is jolted out of his confusion by Sa-hyun. He asks if Shi-mok has any connections, like that person he saw picking him up in the fancy car that day.
He gets upset when Shi-mok says he doesn’t need to tell him who that was. “Don’t you know why we picked you? It was for your image.” Shi-mok finds the “we” strange considering Sa-hyun was selected after he was. Ha. Sa-hyun swallows nervously but can’t deny Shi-mok’s assertion that he was preselected since he and Tae-ha were classmates.
Sa-hyun bursts into Tae-ha’s office in a huff but doesn’t mention Shi-mok. He reports that Chief Prosecutor Kang agreed to their plan to slow down the investigation on Hanjo and put their ability to handle politicized cases on display. It’d help demonstrate that the prosecution should retain investigative rights.
Sa-hyun gets why Tae-ha isn’t a fan of Chief Prosecutor Kang and finds him too stiff. We flash back to when Chief Prosecutor Kang asked about Shi-mok and warned Sa-hyun that using Shi-mok for his image will backfire on them. Sa-hyun thought it ridiculous that a “mere prosecutor” could cause them issues. Chief Prosecutor Kang smiled and basically said, “Okay, then.” Heh.
Tae-ha laughs when Sa-hyun speculates that Shi-mok has connections and admits he even asked him about it. Sa-hyun complains that Shi-mok’s nerve is on another level, even compared to younger prosecutors these days.
Tae-ha got that from Shi-mok’s TV interviews, but he thought Shi-mok just liked the attention. Sa-hyun clearly doesn’t like when his juniors don’t fall at his feet, although he claims otherwise. After he leaves, Tae-ha calls Assemblyman Nam.
Meanwhile, it looks like Yeon-jae’s operation to get pictures of her father has commenced. There’s even a drone involved, in addition to the typical sneaky cameramen. Her assistant reports that the doctor won’t cooperate, but he hacked into hospital files and discovered Yoon-beom was diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder.
She orders him to announce that she’ll attend the shareholders’ meeting in person if her father and brother do. She also wants rowdy protestors stationed outside the building to greet her father for the meeting.
When the news about Yoon-beom’s anger issues is made public, Byung-hyun realizes he was played. The day of the meeting, protestors against the “criminal” Yoon-beom’s return to Hanjo line the front of the building. But Yoon-beom and Sung-jae send representatives in their stead, so it’s not much use. Byung-hyun also sent a representative.
The meeting starts, and it’s immediate chaos when the issue of changing the bylaws is brought up. If a new chairperson is elected, it will be effective immediately. To avoid potential embarrassment, Yoon-beom will likely only show if the bylaw change is approved.
Byung-hyun’s vote is crucial, but he remains undecided right up to the last moment when his representative calls to ask how he wants her to vote. Yeon-jae awaits her fate in her office where she receives a supportive text from Dong-jae.
Tae-ha meets with Assemblyman Nam to let him know what he knows. In a flashback, Chief Choi shares that they have evidence against his son. Back in the present, Tae-ha says he knows he can trust Assemblyman Nam not to sell them out to the police but …
Assemblyman Nam comments that isn’t it the same for Tae-ha and his wife? He continues that there was a time when the prosecution had inside information about the Ministry of Justice’s plan to close cryptocurrency exchanges.
What would happen if it got out that Tae-ha, a chief at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, used his wife to withdraw after learning this insider info, while some people lost everything? Assemblyman Nam thinks it’s only fair for him to let the police know this info since Tae-ha has dirt on them. Tae-ha smiles and backs off.
Chief Prosecutor Kang is informed that Prosecutor Ryu (formerly on the nepotism case) got a call from Shi-mok who wants to visit in person. A slightly panicky Chief Prosecutor Kang vigorously opposes that idea, but since they weren’t able to stop Shi-mok, he has to handle it himself. He calls Shi-mok out to meet, getting him to agree after promising he won’t ask him to drink.
Elsewhere, the Yongsan team investigates a crime scene. There’s a spot of blood next to a car with its dashcam removed. Inside the vehicle, Team Leader Choi finds Dong-jae’s badge. Nooo.
COMMENTS
Nooo, did Dong-jae get murdered? He better not have gotten himself murdered. Maybe he was only kidnapped? He obviously poked his nose somewhere he wasn’t supposed to, and I just hope he can use his weasel skills to survive whatever it is he got himself into. Knowing this drama, though, I’m not too optimistic about his chances. Still, until we see a body, I’m not calling it. He’s been sneaking around both Ki-hyun’s case and Hanjo, so those sides are most suspicious at the moment. Then again, who knows what else he’s been up to? I don’t want to underestimate his ability to piss people off.
Speaking of Hanjo, although I know it’s connected, all the company stuff still feels too separate from our main plot. I hope it blends better into our story soon because right now I’m finding it hard to get invested in the business shenanigans. I’m sure it’ll play into our police versus prosecution fight more in the future, and I’m hoping once this shareholder meeting is over, we’ll diver further into that connection.
We finally got a substantial conversation between Shi-mok and Yeo-jin! I really liked that rooftop scene. Yeo-jin has seemed kind of dispirited and just exhausted this season, which I get. But it’s sad to see her like that. I loved that Shi-mok asked about her drawings because it’s something I’ve missed from her lately. She was always doodling happily and giving “presents,” but now she seems burdened all the time and less herself. Last season, it was Shi-mok in need of some support and perspective, and Yeo-jin helped provide him with that. Now, he’s in a more stable place, and she’s the one in need of support. You know it’s a good friend when they’ll show up just to persuade you to do the right thing. He didn’t need any info from her, but he clearly knew she needed a little push to do what her conscience was already telling her to. This is what makes them such a good team. Their priorities are the same, but they bring different things to the table. She encourages him to be empathetic while he helps her stay the course.
Honestly, I’m surprised that Chief Choi thought Yeo-jin would be okay with all this backdoor stuff. It seems pretty obvious that Yeo-jin isn’t someone who’d put her career before ethics, and she’s been visibly uncomfortable with multiple of Chief Choi’s decisions. Maybe Chief Choi thought she’d get used to it or come around to her way of thinking eventually. Between her and Tae-ha’s dirty dealings, I don’t envy Yeo-jin or Shi-mok their positions. And now we know Tae-ha is even dirtier than we thought. This dude has got a lot of secrets. I wonder what his wife does that she directly played a role in the their shady cryptocurrency dealings.
Although corruption was a theme in the first season too, it’s being explored through a wider lens this time. It’s permeated every level of both the police and prosecution who are both too busy worrying about power and keeping themselves out of trouble to actually do their jobs. It’s easy to become dejected and think there’s no way to root out such a massive problem, and that’s what Yeo-jin seems to be grappling with of late. You’ll never eradicate corruption entirely, but you can at least try to hold people in power accountable. We know there’s at least one prosecutor who’s particularly good at that.
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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 poliwag
September 2, 2020 at 5:11 PM
I'm keen to see how it all ties together. So far there are nine (!!!) different cases already brought up, and I worry the bloat would bog the story down, even if they've been resolved since the show stresses about how everything is connected :<
I have a hunch that Dongjae has been taken by those against Hangjo since they were making a move there, but I'm not mentally prepared to lose the THIRD Lee Joonhyuk character in a row jhsdhsjh
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jillian
September 2, 2020 at 5:43 PM
I dont think anybody is ready to lose the weasel after all those scenes with ShiMok. I do want him to stay.
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knewbie
September 2, 2020 at 8:47 PM
I agree about Hanjo doing the weaselnapping. I can't see why anyone among the cops or prosecution would want to do him any harm. Lee Sung-jae, on the other hand, has probably noticed him hanging around his house and his rubbish bins.
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pickleddragon
September 2, 2020 at 9:32 PM
I suspect the housekeeper ratted on him.
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poliwag
September 2, 2020 at 10:50 PM
It would be fantastic if this was the way they revealed Sungjae's actor. I have a list of people I want to see as him but we shall see jgsdgsgj
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knewbie
September 4, 2020 at 12:29 AM
Wait. Dong-jae was looking for one of those nasty Segok cops wasn't he? The one related to the Dongducheon police chief? Then I guess Baek Joong-gi and co are also suspects. Since Choi Bit and Yeo-jin are looking for the same nasty nepotistic cop, maybe they will get to rescue a weasel in distress.
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SeeSamME
September 4, 2020 at 1:39 AM
Yes he was tracking the missing cop.
If someone wanted to kill or kidnap DJ, why left his car and ID for everyone to see and it happened to be in the neighbourhood of Yongsan police station? Coincidence? It’s like “look here is the missing prosecutor, please investigate what happened to him”
poliwag
September 4, 2020 at 1:13 AM
That would make Shimok a target too since they were both aware of the Segok case. I feel it's likely something UNIQUE to Dongjae's knowledge, so much so that he had to be removed.
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pickleddragon
September 2, 2020 at 9:31 PM
Wow - nine is a lot! Thanks for keeping track (I wasn't!). I agree about the bloat - it's time loose ends started being tied up now. This weekend will be (*sniff*) the halfway mark for the show.
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drabea
July 3, 2021 at 7:49 PM
I'm really trying to like this-- because I appreciated Forest Of Secrets so much -- but this writing/directing/editing/subbing is just erratic and unnecessarily convoluted.
I also miss the subtle looks and communication that Si-Mok and Yeo-Jin used to share.
So far, I can't enthusiastically recommend FOS2 like I did the original.
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SeeSamME
September 2, 2020 at 9:49 PM
At times i worried how the writer would tie up all loose threads nicely. They perhaps intentionally want us to feel like we are in that fog of secret. Hope it doesn’t cost them a big drop in viewers as many might find the story too complicated to follow.
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Diana Hansen
September 3, 2020 at 8:04 AM
i am one of those viewers who is quite lost but i will persevere because i really like it overall. these recaps help me see what is going on and beanie comments clarify it more so thanks to all!
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ar_arguably romantic
September 3, 2020 at 4:38 PM
For me, it's like those tough jigsaw puzzles where half of it is just sky. I'm excited for the pieces to come together and show the big picture.
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Eazal
September 2, 2020 at 10:57 PM
I'm not over City Hunter, so I'm in total denial with DongJae no longer being alive.
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poliwag
September 3, 2020 at 1:25 AM
And Equator Man...and Designated Survivor...and The Lies Within...on this increasingly growing list, Along with The Gods... SIGH
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Eazal
September 3, 2020 at 1:37 AM
But in City Hunter he was also a Prosecutor!!!
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poliwag
September 3, 2020 at 1:38 AM
He was one in Equator Man too ;~; And he also died ;~;
Eazal
September 3, 2020 at 2:18 AM
@poliwag enough is enough!!!!
drabea
July 3, 2021 at 7:57 PM
CITY HUNTER was my Kdrama gateway drug (like BLACK SWAN was for BTS), and I've watched it at least 3 times.
NAKED FIREMAN was lighter fare than CH, but I enjoyed Lee Joon-Hyuk in that, too.
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drink ur water
September 2, 2020 at 11:44 PM
I also want to start seeing how all these cases connect since I myself am already losing track. I find myself going back again and again on some info-loaded dialogues on the cases just to grasp them since I keep mixing up the people involved.
And like what quirkycase pointed out, I hope we also start seeing how the Hanjo side of things fall into place in our main police-prosecution conflict. Because so far, it’s as if I’m watching a whole different, unrelated side of the world whenever the Hanjo scenes come in.
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knewbie
September 3, 2020 at 1:00 AM
Yes this is by far the most dialogue-heavy show I've seen in a while. And when there's no dialogue I'm staring at faces, eyes and even hands for clues. E.g. Choi Bit smoothing her jacket on the back of her chair in this ep reminded me of things she did with her hands in the first couple of episodes: her beseeching gesture when asking Director Shin to agree to the council; her hands decorously folding again after Shin seems to capitulate; touching the nameplate of the Investigation Bureau's disgraced director.
Agree about Hanjo seeming rather remote from the main action. So far the links have been pretty tenuous, but with Kim Sa-hyun mentioning Hanjo during his meeting with Kang Won-chul's guys (requesting that they take their time to investigate Hanjo) and probably eventually realising that it was Lee Yeon-jae's car that SM got into, I think Hanjo and the prosecution are finally beginning to converge a bit more quickly.
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dramalover4ever
September 3, 2020 at 2:36 PM
I had to go back for a rewatch and note taking. I was starting to get confused. There are so many potentially significant moving pieces.
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Kasumi
September 3, 2020 at 11:37 AM
I guess I’ve accepted that the cases might not all tie in to the central story. To me each case is an illustration of how the system failed someone. If the writer manages to tie them all together then that’s great but if she leaves them as illustrative examples I’m okay with that too. So far it’s been an interesting ride just watching the characters navigate the situations they find themselves in. I watched a season 1 interview of the cast and Lee JoonHyuk said his one word for the series is “relationships”. I feel that word is even more relevant for this season.
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dramalover4ever
September 3, 2020 at 2:38 PM
I'm expecting some knitting together. I am wondering there is a connection between the drowning and the drug dealer and the expensive shoes, but I could be spectacularly wrong.
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2 Zora
September 2, 2020 at 5:18 PM
That last scene was just 😭
I hope our favorite weasel survives.
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jillian
September 2, 2020 at 5:42 PM
Oh I do think he will. As long as there is no body, there is hope.
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ar_arguably romantic
September 2, 2020 at 8:22 PM
I hope so too! But I feel like he talked enough about his family in the previous episode that it marked him for death....
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Zora
September 2, 2020 at 8:23 PM
😭😭😭
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pickleddragon
September 2, 2020 at 9:34 PM
If this does happen, and if the dialogue was meant to foretell this, I'll be disappointed in Lee Soo-yeon - it's just cheap writing :/ I expect a cleverer twist from the likes of her.
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SeeSamME
September 2, 2020 at 8:46 PM
He is one of the main lead, they don’t just kill him off like this. LJH said he wanted to follow BDN and CSW to take part in as many seasons as he can,
I am more curious about the reason why he was suddenly promoted to Supreme Court and what he found when tracking that missing police.
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drink ur water
September 2, 2020 at 11:31 PM
In the cast interviews and promotionals, they have alluded that SDJ's character plays a central role in this season's plot. So I'm keeping my hopes up that it's just a case of a missing weasel.. and nothing more dire. We believe in you, weasel!! T__T
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ar_arguably romantic
September 3, 2020 at 4:44 PM
I'm worried that he's dead and we may only see him in flashbacks. Dong Jae was doing a lot of investigating into these shady things even before the first episode. Yeo JIn and Shi Mok may have to retrace his steps.
I'm being pessimistic in hopes that the fates will prove me wrong and have him show up injured but still talkative.
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3 kellie
September 2, 2020 at 5:26 PM
Really liked the strange rooftop dialogue scene between the leads. That's one of the most interesting scenes I've ever seen in k-drama -- the silences, the hesitations, the feeling that heavy stuff was being exchanged, but in code. I'm having some trouble following things but that scene woke me up.
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jillian
September 2, 2020 at 5:40 PM
They were speaking in codes so as to not implicate the other with their bosses. Plausible deniability which ShiMok did when he was asked by Tae Ha.
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drink ur water
September 2, 2020 at 11:39 PM
The soda can YJ popped when SM brought up the illegal drugs case. And when YJ said as SM "You already have the answer" and SM raising his soda can, is if understanding the reference... I mean, the depth of their understanding for each other is on another level. Makes me wish I have someone in my life that can get the flow of my thoughts just like that the way these two just get each other.
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ar_arguably romantic
September 3, 2020 at 5:05 PM
I thought she had accidentally gave away the answer with the popped can. Knowing how observant Shi Mok is, she knew he would pick up on it. After the heart-to-heart portion, the "you already have the answer" was her freely giving him the answer even though she knew he already had it. It wiped away some of that distance that was growing between them ever since she found out he was sitting on the prosecutor side of the Police- Prosecution Council meeting
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dramalover4ever
September 3, 2020 at 2:41 PM
It was a careful conversation. They are caught in being professional and loyal to their positions and their instincts for justice and their loyalty to each other.
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4 jillian
September 2, 2020 at 5:34 PM
Comment was deleted
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jillian
September 2, 2020 at 5:37 PM
Have to edit my comment but it didnt give me an option.
Thanks for the recap @quirkycase!
Seo Dong Jae does have that special ability. I sure hope our favorite weasel is okay. He has managed to escape tight spots before, hopefully he can do so again. There are a few suspects on his kidnapping but I hope that its someone that doesnt want him dead
Seeing ShiMok and YeoJin at that rooftop and have their moment was a very much welcome.
It was a quiet but significabt conversation between them. I like the references to the restriction line case and about what their roles should be as public servants.
Chairwoman Lee is spectacular in the episode as she try to outmaneuver her father and halfbrother for management rights for Hanjo Group. Her assistant's methods to get that money shot of her father is of a different level.
I also found her compelling as she meet up with SungMoon Daily's CEO, Byung Hun. We know their history and I loved that she played up her beauty and brains in that meeting. She appealed to him for his vote by laying out what she has done for the company. As a woman, she needed to work extra hard to be taken seriously in the mans world. I sure hope she succeeds in getting the rights for herself.
Woo TaeHa and Choi Bit looks like to be different sides of the same coin. I sure hope that YeoJin and ShiMok will team up soon and find a solution to the conundrum they are in.
Can't wait for the new episode. 🤓
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dramalover4ever
September 3, 2020 at 2:48 PM
There was so much tension in their meeting. The lipstick moment was shocking. Was he trying to reduce her to "female" status, was he telling her that her "seductive lipstick" was too obvious in her attempt to win him over, was he just being a superior male jerk (or all of the above), That she rubbed it off the way she did and the horror that made of her face was brilliant. He had to go to the window. He's had a thing for her from episode 1, but then it looked like he was miffed that he missed out on the prize of son-in-law status to Hanjo. But this scene made it clear that his feelings are more than that. He ended up becoming putty in her hands, but she came away shaken to the core too. And all the while Sec Park was sitting outside sweating it. Great complications.
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
September 3, 2020 at 2:58 PM
He was saying that her attractiveness discounted her from being taken seriously as a professional. And yes that was motivated by his own feelings for her but that makes it worse, not better. The Catch-22 of patriarchy is that as a woman you can either be seen as attractive or competent but never both. At the same time if you're not attractive you're ridiculed as well. She cannot win on this score and this just drove that home.
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jillian
September 3, 2020 at 3:31 PM
I think it was all of the above. He was being a jerk, trying to bring her down and blaming her for being attractive in a hope that he can hurt her somewhat. She was brilliant in that scene and got the info she wanted. He is putty in her hands eventually. knowing what he gave and what she did with it. He will think twice before messing with her again.
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amara
September 8, 2020 at 7:56 PM
all of the above. knocked it out of the park w/ the writing in that one. shows such a huge diff in the way that lcj and he valued her. when he said "want to go back to a time" it really hit me what the men think of her in this drama. she landed herself in a predicament that someone that loved her wanted her out of. sucks 2 see capitalism drag ig out of u
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amara
September 8, 2020 at 8:21 PM
also anything about her would never work. she would probably have been "fixed" anyway coming from a rich family like hers (ie PS) so there's really no danger in her being "ugly" but even so any makeup is too much makeup, any lipstick isn't good enough, any clothes, nothing. she's a woman, nothing is good enough. (aside: that's why i'm glad more shows talk less about how pretty women are at work because it's so ridiculous, the score is already stacked against you.)
then there's the trouble of her actual business but yea. the show handling women in these situation is really interesting but there's always the truth that no one ever wins anyway, there's no compromising lol but god he is so fucking SALTY it's really amazing. she will always have a hold over him though for going as far as she did and in the fact that he's still in love—or whatever he is—with her and he knows the only perseon she'll ever love thta deeply is in his eyes way below him in status. but maybe it was because in lcj's own veryf ucked up and flawed way he respected her and truly saw her, who knows!! (i wrote a logn comparison about the two / the way the world viewed her and the conclusion is still capitalism bad. i miss them together thooo)
5 InfinityK
September 2, 2020 at 6:08 PM
One or two episodes ago, I think Prosecutor Sa-Hyun said that a man only visits a woman at night if they're dating... and then the rooftop scene happened... (^o^)
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InfinityK
September 2, 2020 at 6:36 PM
Even though I feel like this second season is more slower paced, I can't imagine cutting any scene or plotline out. Also, for some reason, these past few episodes have reminded me of Hyena (minus the whimsical aspect). Hyena was carried by its characters, so I hope that we get to see more significant character interactions in the future.
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Kasumi
September 2, 2020 at 6:42 PM
In another instance Sahyun says that ShiMok won’t get any intel out of YeoJin because the information is such that YeoJin can’t even tell he spouse!
I think the writer is deliberately baiting the ShiMok-YeoJin shippers. 🤣
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6 knewbie
September 2, 2020 at 6:21 PM
Before this episode I hadn't thought of any visible character as a true villain, but Assemblyman Nam more than qualifies as a true weasel. In fact he gives weasels a bad name. With slimy guys like him in the upper echelons of government, no wonder both sides are doing all this sneaky underhanded stuff - prosecutors removing evidence to manoeuvre him into a favourable position; cops hoarding evidence to use against him at a favourable time.
In the meantime, Lee Yeon-jae, Choi Bit and Woo Tae-ha seem to be in the same boat - or, as Choi puts it, are struggling in positions that they have all been dragged into. All three have been fighting dirty, but I can't help feeling sorry for them. However, I can't deny that there's an element of personal gain. For Yeon-jae and Choi Bit, it seems to be matter of ambition, while Woo's use of dodgy cryptocurrency dealings to fund his kids' very expensive education is sadly reminscent of Dong-jae doing favours for money and luxury cars in Season 1.
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7 Kasumi
September 2, 2020 at 6:38 PM
Episode 6 was amazing! So many compelling moments.
-ShiMok and YeoJin at the rooftop 💗
-DongJae’s humiliation, frustration and perseverance. 👏🏽👏🏽
-YeonJae’s frustration, manipulation and anger
-Chief Choi’s conniving
-ShiMok being ShiMok to SaHyun and SaHyun confusion about it 😂
I don’t think the big bad are Woo TaeHa and Chief Choi. They are too open about their ambition and corruption. They are part of the system that is disillusioning our favorite prosecutor and cop. They are the drip drip drip that slowly grinds the rock.
I’m now wondering if there is a big bad or are we going to get a meditative season with no sides taken. The skill the writer is showing is amazing. I’m along for the ride. This season all the characters have more depth which is amazing since these were already well written characters. ShiMok shows patience and understanding. YeoJin is showing cynicism. DongJae is more sad than weasely. YeonJae is aggressive and competent. All these characters are the opposite of what they were last season but still consistent. I’m amazed.
The ending left me speechless!
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gadis
September 2, 2020 at 7:26 PM
I wouldn't be surprised if there's no big baddie in this season. Shi-mok and Yeo-jin are basically fighting against the system while they exist within the very flawed system itself. Everything is slow and frustrating. The corruption is massive and it touches every aspect of the organization. I wonder what kind of conclusion that we can take as some sort of happy ending with this kind of endless conflict.
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pickleddragon
September 2, 2020 at 9:38 PM
I agree - no individual is going to stand out - everyone is in grey territory, and our favourite cop and prosecutor are struggling with their own demons to not mistakenly step into this same territory themselves. This season about the larger murkiness that surrounds us that we have taken for granted and become numb to.
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Kasumi
September 3, 2020 at 11:32 AM
Well said! It’s everywhere and it’s hard to see it and harder to fight it.
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SeeSamME
September 2, 2020 at 8:57 PM
I have a feeling the writer wanted to really push herself with her writing this season, her vision, complexity of the story and characterisation. She trusts the production team, actors to deliver her ideas and may be her audiences, fan of FoS to follow her story.
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8 gadis
September 2, 2020 at 7:10 PM
You know how I said that Dong-jae felt too much like an easily used pawn this season several eps ago? Well, it's supposed to be just a theory. A harmless theory that shouldn't have been proven true by the end of eps 6. Graarrghh... that ending!! I'm still in denial because I don't want any of this to be true. And I just started to enjoy and even anticipate his exasperating conversation with Shi-mok. And right after I felt bad for him after his superior called him to be his driver too. Can we at least hope he wouldn't be another Eun-soo? For all of Shi-mok's reluctance at Dong-jae's attempt to be friendly, I do think they "enjoyed" each other's presence. And I don't think Shi-mok is ready to lose another friend so soon after Eun-soo's traumatic death.
Onto another topic. It's interesting that Choi Bit invited Yeo-jin into the team fully knowing what she was capable of (and she even goaded her into action about the cases on their hand), while Woo Tae-ha basically used Shi-mok quite blindly (oh, of course he believed he knew what he got himself into, but it's also equally clear that he underestimated Shi-mok's resourcefulness quite a bit). And yet, both of them clearly weren't prepared for the havoc these two could and would wreak the more corruption they have to unearth as the coalition member. They are both so tired with this long, endless fight that seemed to have no happy ending whatsoever. At this point, I couldn't help wondering if Dong-jae's disappearance would be the final trigger for them to band together and fight back, their respective organization's goal be damned.
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meowingme
September 2, 2020 at 8:39 PM
If nobody lets Shi-mok eats, seems like nobody wants Dong-jae to join their get together! A driver, geez, that's just mean. It's true about "enjoying each other's presence", maybe because they get the measure of each other. It's only episode 6, we can't lose him this early, nooo..!
Am kinda hating on Choi Bit for trying to besmirch our pure Yeo-jin! But really can't blame her for trying to create a trustworthy ally in her harsh world. Had this happened in season 1, it's clear what Yeo-jin answer would be, but the way season 2 is set up makes us feel her quandary. Like meeting Yoon, I think she sees him as part of the victim of the system...
Woo Tae-ha makes me wish he is one of the good guys to root for from the way he kinda proudly state, oh, that Shi-mok guy actually scolded me, LOL.
Love, love the banding together idea! But they have to clean up a whole lot of cross-purposes for that and it may take forever...
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gadis
September 2, 2020 at 10:24 PM
Heh. I feel that both Choi and Woo are becoming too used to certain types of people surrounding them at work, that Shi-mok's and Yeo-jin's blunt honesty and clear disagreement became very interesting. I bet it's not often those 2 superiors got to deal with someone that principled that "getting scolded" turned into a novelty. I just hope the annoyance and fear for further complications don't come anytime soon, or we would have to fear for Shi-mok and Yeo-jin's lives too on top of this whole Dong-jae debacle.
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Eazal
September 2, 2020 at 11:02 PM
Diary of a Prosecutor had that same scene where one of the prosecutors is invited to a dinner just to be the driver of the others. I find it so mean, and then back here you have the scene. I felt really bad for Dong Jae.
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Kurama
September 3, 2020 at 12:12 AM
I think it would be ok if they decided at the beginning who doesn't drink and there is tournus. But calling someone in the middle of the night for that... Take a taxi!
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Eazal
September 3, 2020 at 12:29 AM
It’s all about power.
I always find the “I can bend you” / “you have to bend to me because I’m older / superior” angle in kdrama so strange.
gadis
September 3, 2020 at 12:35 AM
And South Korea has people working as a substitute driver. Tsk... tsk...
@eazal I also found it strange, but sadly, it's very much true to life.
knewbie
September 3, 2020 at 1:40 AM
It's possible Woo Tae-ha really did pick Shi-mok for his image alone. However, it's precisely because Woo has breezily shared this with the clueless Kim Sa-hyun that I suspect that Woo's plans for SM aren't that simple. Whatever Sa-hyun might think, I'm almost certain Woo does not regard him as an equal or even as a co-conspirator. Moreover, even after being "scolded" by SM, Woo is still weirdly behaving like SM is a fount of delightful surprises (in contrast to Choi Bit, whose response to being confronted by Yeo-jin was the typical "I had such high hopes for you, why are you such a disappointment" guilt-tripping thing). He's amused when SM accuses him of a cover-up. He smiles indulgently when Sa-hyun complains about SM. I bet he's going to think it's the funniest thing ever when SM interrogates him about Dong-jae's disappearance next week.
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ar_arguably romantic
September 3, 2020 at 5:30 PM
I feel like Woo Tae Ha probably sees him as this puppy trying to figure things out. Sure Shi Mok gets a little naughty sometimes - like accusing him of a cover-up- but he's often quiet and keeps to himself. Shi Mok is the least threatening looking person in the drama and has this wide-eyed innocence even when dropping truth-bombs. Tae Ha underestimates him and it's going to be fun when he and Sa Hyun finds out how right Chief Prosecutor Kang was.
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dramalover4ever
September 3, 2020 at 3:04 PM
I wouldn't be surprised if both Choi Bit and Woo Tae-ha, knowing the wild card capacities of both Shi-mok and Yeo-jin, have them beside them, respectively, because they both want to harness/control them and also use them - perhaps make them the fall guys in the end. It looks like Tae-ha has underestimated Shi-mok, but in his response to Sa-hyun's ruffled feathers, it seemed like he was both enjoying Shi-mok's "offensiveness" and holding something back, and while Choi Bit is making the case for ambitious women, she seems not only to be implicating Yeo jin and also baiting her. Getting Yeo-jin mixed up in the "set up" of the Assemblyman's son was a dirty tactic. I wonder how long Yeo-jin can tolerate it.
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9 Kennedyd
September 2, 2020 at 7:10 PM
Can someone refresh my memory? What was the previous relationship between Yeon-jae and Byung-hyun. I don’t recall from season 1.
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gadis
September 2, 2020 at 7:31 PM
If I remember correctly, they were engaged before Yeon-jae chose to marry Lee Chang-joon. In season 1 someone made an allusion that the Sungmoon CEO still have some feelings for her, and I guess that must be true. That would explain the strange tension between the 2 this eps.
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10 pickleddragon
September 2, 2020 at 7:12 PM
For some reason, I feel the text messages are not from Dong-Jae but from an impersonator.
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Kasumi
September 2, 2020 at 7:16 PM
I had the same feeling. Either they were being used to set the timeline for the events or implicate ShiMok and Hanjo in the conspiracy.
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gadis
September 2, 2020 at 7:29 PM
Exactly. It felt like someone is trying to establish a fake timeline of the crime. The messages do sound like his, but something is off. At least, I expected him to call Shi-mok to brag a bit instead of sending him a simple text.
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pickleddragon
September 2, 2020 at 9:40 PM
I feel like Shi-mok will figure this all out soon, and voila, crack the case.
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SeeSamME
September 2, 2020 at 9:25 PM
Only DJ know the part that he asked SM to gives good words to the higher up. Same with the conversation he had with YJ and how he wanted to root for her. An impersonator wouldn’t know these details.
It’s funny how everyone thinks SM has all sorts of connections this season 😁
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pickleddragon
September 2, 2020 at 9:41 PM
good points - although a kidnapper could have coerced DJ to send these messages too (and he used them as some kind of code?). just thinking out loud...
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
September 2, 2020 at 9:43 PM
I don't know, I found it suspicious that Woo TaeHa asked Shimok where Dongjae was right before he got a text thanking Shimok for putting in a word for him. it implies that Dongjae had been given a task by Woo either to set him up or to do dirty work for him that has now backfired. Either way I'd believe strongly that Woo is involved in some way and he was testing whether Shimok knew anything.
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Eazal
September 2, 2020 at 11:03 PM
It didn't fit.
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Kafiyah Bello
September 3, 2020 at 4:47 AM
I would disagree but only because DJ mentioned Shi Mok putting in a good word for him at the prison. So unless someone else overheard the convo the text is likely from DJ. The question I think would be whether he sent the text under duress. At that point it would be a clue something was wrong.
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pickleddragon
September 3, 2020 at 5:24 AM
yeah, 'sent under duress' is my second guess.
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dramalover4ever
September 3, 2020 at 3:05 PM
Ohhhh. It could be.
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11 Withyakyu
September 2, 2020 at 7:27 PM
Show, do you build sentiment toward Seo Dongjae inside of us only to make it hurts more when this happen? Isn't it too cruel?
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SeeSamME
September 2, 2020 at 8:27 PM
He has to be a sacrificial lamb for our duo to team up 😜 Don’t worry, he would talk his way out of any dire situations.
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
September 2, 2020 at 9:44 PM
It's skillful though, I hated his slimy ass in season 1 and now I'm sad. Poor pickled weasel.
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immawish
September 2, 2020 at 10:23 PM
The way they exactly did this to Eunsoo in Season 1, yet I almost didn't see that coming for Dongjae jdhdhshhs
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12 ar_arguably romantic
September 2, 2020 at 8:20 PM
I loved the tension in this episode and how it had me taking shallow breaths throughout the entire episode. Reminds me of the first season when things really got going.
I completely trust Shi Mok. But what was so good and eerie was how from Yeo Jin's perspective, due to the recent turmoil of the prosecution vs police turf war, there is almost a sense of anxiety and even almost paranoia/distrust towards Shi Mok. Like when they both left the National Assembly, it seemed like Shi Mok was following her. It was tense, and then he went onto a different lane and onto a different direction. Yeo Jin was also hesitant about him coming over. They met outside even though her apartment was right there. Even handing over that can of beer was filled with unease. She seemed to be less on guard after Shi Mok shared his thoughts about the rope barrier and about choosing not to act.
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knewbie
September 2, 2020 at 8:40 PM
I get that feeling too, and I think even Shi-mok is aware of it. In that car scene, Choi Bit was on SM's left and YJ was behind CB. YJ looked like she was about to follow SM to discuss what'd just happened, but SM moved his hand a little to the left, as if to warn her that her boss was waiting to see what she'd do. YJ's gaze moved from SM's to CB's car; she mouthed "ah" and proceeded to follow CB's instead of SM's car.
I think both Choi Bit and Woo Tae-ha are watching YJ and SM like hawks, and neither is particularly surprised that they are starting to rebel. What they ARE surprised about, I think, is the bond and loyalty between them. For example, I don't think Woo was embarrassed about not spotting the envelope - I think he was amazed at SM staunchly denying that he'd got his info from YJ, and going to such lengths to get the info himself.
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SeeSamME
September 2, 2020 at 9:16 PM
I was wondering about the car driving scene. It makes sense what you explain. Same with the rooftop scene, little spoken but So much understanding between them. No wonder, the writer describes their relationship as soulmate.
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pickleddragon
September 2, 2020 at 9:44 PM
That car scene was so well done! I loved it. It shows how tight the connections between the two are.
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neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~
September 2, 2020 at 11:45 PM
And a great PPL for Hyundai
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Withyakyu
September 3, 2020 at 8:39 AM
The way I see the car scene, at first Shimok's left hand position was on upper part of the steering wheel as if he was going to turn left, and then he moved it to the left showing he was going straight. Yeojin saw the hand, looked at the street, and was like 'ah, he's going that way'. I think it was only Yeojin who was bothered that the three cars left the building together and afraid Shimok was trying to follow her. Cmmiw anyone who drive in Korea? In my country, on some traffic-light intersections they have two lanes two turn left/right.
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knewbie
September 3, 2020 at 8:53 AM
Ah I see what you mean. I don't drive, so it didn't occur to me that his hand's original position might be in preparation for turning left. I just rewatched the scene and now I'm not even sure if either SM or YJ can follow the other without violating traffic rules!
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meowingme
September 2, 2020 at 8:50 PM
I think Yeo-jin still trust Shi-mok a lot, feels more like she doesn't trust/is loosing faith in herself. Love that she just took it in stride when Shi-mok said he did confront his boss about Assemblyman Nam, like she expected him to. Her confession that she didn't is kinda like unburdening herself to him.
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
September 2, 2020 at 9:46 PM
She was testing him, almost begging him to reveal he was just as compromised as she feels. "Oh I bet you didn't even confront your boss about his role in this, oh you did. I didn't. *sigh*. What's the point?"
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meowingme
September 2, 2020 at 10:22 PM
Shi-mok forever being Shi-mok ><
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13 meowingme
September 2, 2020 at 8:47 PM
Yeon-jae and Kim Byung-hun interaction made me feel exceedingly uncomfortable. So much tensions there! So far it looks like she has the upper hands because he still has feelings for him, but what if he is feeding her fake information while siding with the brother? She did use her father condition to her advantage, no matter how bad she feels about doing it. For all we know, this might be her brother's trick to pile more discord between her and her father. Well, assuming that her father is actually alive and aware...
That silent and protective move from Assistant Park, tho... *swoon* Please don't be bad and stay on Yeon-jae side forever!
And am totally with Chief Kang when he gave Kim Sa-hyun that pitiful look about Shi-mok and the troubles he brings ^^
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pickleddragon
September 2, 2020 at 9:46 PM
I found Assistant Park a little slimy - I can't say I like his attention towards Yoon-Jae. I want her to be able to fight this on her own.
(and my (already deep) love for Yoon Se-Ah just shot through the roof - how can she be so good!)
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Eazal
September 2, 2020 at 11:05 PM
She was amazing in that whole scene, from the minute she entered the restaurant to the moment she was in the cart. Top notch.
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14 Kurama
September 2, 2020 at 9:27 PM
I loved Prosecutor Kang remark to the other Prosecutor, you can't use Shi Mok, and Tae Ha will see it soon. Sa Hyun was chosen because of his connections and he didn't look proud when Shi Mok understood it. It's funny how they think that he has connections just because he doesn't act like others, they think he's fearless when he just doesn't care :D
It's sad to see Yeo Jin loosing so much energy because of her own side and because of the villains. It was so hard to be in this situation.
When I said I wanted a murder, I was not talking about a main character >_< I hope they will find him alive.
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Eazal
September 2, 2020 at 11:06 PM
That was a kick ass Chief Kang! HA!
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15 axis3
September 2, 2020 at 9:51 PM
Shi-mok asking Yeo-jin about her drawings is super nice. It showed that he really appreciated her funny doodles of him (I missed the drawings too hahaha)
Everyone's favorite weasel aka Dong-jae has finally gotten himself into trouble. Let's hope that both the police & prosecutors can team up to actually save him......
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16 LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
September 2, 2020 at 9:55 PM
The scene between Shimok and Yeojin was honestly one of my favourite scenes in a drama - ever. The layers to that conversation, about justice, the system, personal responsibility, the unending exhausting brick wall that they've been throwing themselves again for years.
This writer is truly masterful in how she used the images of the fog, the headlights and the cut restriction line in just a few minutes at the beginning of episode 1 to give us metaphors for justice that she's still teasing out six episodes later.
There is something harder than finding the courage to do something when you're in a system that is working against you. That is, working out what to do at all. The paralysis that comes from not knowing what the correct course of action is, where you should make your stand, when you should draw the line.
Is this it? This line here? Is this the one I should stop and fix? Or should I drive by and save my energy for the next one. What about this one? Is this the one? Am I driving past a small problem to save myself for the big ones or was that a big one and I just didn't know it? Should I stop for all the lines being crossed and if I do will I just burn out and achieve nothing anyway?
The path in season 1 was unclear but the destination wasn't because murder is a very clear wrong to correct. But the path through a fog is harder because everything looks the same when you're in it. You have no clear destination at all.
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InfinityK
September 3, 2020 at 7:07 AM
Perfect explanation! Totally agree.
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17 Eazal
September 2, 2020 at 10:16 PM
Things that touched me in this episode (in a good or bad way).
- YeonJae's encounter with Byun Hyung. I was furious as she was when she had to defend her actions and declare herself not a a "pretty face". The way she defended herself with the facts is the way many women have to defend themselves and their professionalism in a man's world. I was also a bit disappointed when later her lipstick was lighter, yet I understand why she did it.
- ShiMok and YeoJin in the rooftop. I loved how SHiMok cared about her asking about her drawings. They are both exhausted, and it shows. They need a break. I'm overwhelmed by YeoJin situation and struggles, and I can understand how many pointed out about her hair being a burden. Also, I loved the white coat back.
- Every episode I like less and less WTH and Choi Bit. Even if at the end they are not that bad and just grey. I don't like them. Period.
- No way I'm admitting Dong Jae is dead. No, no, no, no, no. I just hope this is the case that would bring back together ShiMok and YaeJin as a team. They need to spend time together and join the dots and talk... and eat a decent meal, of course.
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Kafiyah Bello
September 3, 2020 at 4:52 AM
I hope he isn't dead too, but this writer is not at all precious about the characters, but all deaths serve a purpose. Nobody dies for nonsense in this drama.
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18 neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~
September 2, 2020 at 10:17 PM
Sa-hyun's look during his conversation with Shi-mok was hilarious! I want him to be more taken aback. Especially now that it's confirmed that they chose SM because of his image.
While I was happy that our team is finally sharing a screen together, it was a little heartbreaking. The first meeting a few eps had that reunion feels while this one has more tension. Each word carried weight and several meanings. Like SM's question of 'Aren't you drawing these days?'
Yeon-jae *slow clap* the way she carried or manipulated that conversation with Byung-hun *slow clap*
DONG-JAE! Our resident weasel can't be dead. No body, no death.
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19 immawish
September 2, 2020 at 10:18 PM
First things first, you have NO IDEA how much that few minutes rooftop conversation mean compared to every other scene in this episode. It does feel like i'm finally getting Secret Forest back. I just love how they say so little yet we finally understand so much about their current stand on this matter. And idk bout you buy Shimok is so so so so much softer to Yeojin (Ofc) even much softer than in season 1 and I love it.
Dongjae........ Last episode I was weirdly finding myself rooting for him when he actually told Shimok and Yeojin to their face that after all both their objectives is to uncover the truth despite all these Police-prosecutor fight. And it comes out of Dongjae, can you believe that????? And that actually persuade Yeojin..... Then.... Like what Secret Forest best do, they made us suspicious of someone, slowly warming up to them then poof! (exhibit 1 : Eunsoo.... I'M NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT IT IM STILL HEARTBROKEN ALL RIGHT). Next episode preview finally shows Dongjae's wife so I guess they're going to wring the angst outta this one eh?
Ps. I just realized Yoon Seah (Yeonjae) and Tae Inho (Sungmoon's CEO) were also in Rain or Shine/Just Between Lovers together as asad-fated lovers! Gah their chemistry!
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20 SeeSamME
September 3, 2020 at 12:15 AM
When YJ said "she didn't ask CB and she wouldn't do it tomorrow", SM didn't ask her why or told her what to do. He simply told her about the restriction line and his guilt over the accident. If through YI, SM learns to express his emotion. He is, in return a rational voice she needs when her judgement is clouded by emotion. Similar to S1, when YJ were unsure what to do with her corrupted colleges. SM told her to make a decision based on who YJ was up to that point.
"Don't you draw these way" is one way to show he misses her drawing but also a reminder of who she is.
They are very different but like yin and yang, complement each other, with a friendship built on trust and same belief.
I think I repeat myself multiple times but here I have to say it again I love their friendship so much. It's so beautifully written and acted.
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21 Mina00
September 3, 2020 at 12:39 AM
I can say it clearly now after watching episode 6 :) I didn't like it !It is not a slow burn it is just aimless even our main heros Shi-mok and Yeo-jin are not there . It is like their ghost ! Such a big disappointment ! This is a drama it is not education video for law students!! There is no serious interest between the stories , no surprises although they intended to be ,acting is cartoonish . I suddenly felt like watching Ethernel Monarch again :))
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Withyakyu
September 3, 2020 at 2:32 AM
is that supposed to be sarcastic?
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dramalover4ever
September 3, 2020 at 3:40 PM
I have to say that this drama is so true to life. From personal experience, I know of members of a corrupt police force whose best friends were at the center of operating a graft and bribery network that permeated all the layers of the force. Not only did they live with that, they also experienced being marginalised, and ended up dying at 45 years from cancer. What do you do when you are trapped in a corrupt system and your livelihood depends on the job? On top of that, you know that they won't leave you alone if you leave. There is nothing academic about what is being depicted in FOS. Just because we are not seeing some incredibly boring American show of cops shooting each other up with bodies sprinkled all over the place (usually women). (Not saying you are American or anything, but don't miss something rather wonderful because it is not what you are used to.)
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22 Withyakyu
September 3, 2020 at 2:23 AM
So I listened to this commentary podcast about FoS S2 up to ep 6. They invited a reporter specialized in news related to police and prosecution, and I think the broadcast is pretty informative. Since it’s in Korean I’ll just share some summary here:
- Police-prosecutor power struggle over investigative rights started in 1954 and at that time the power was handed to prosecutors. In 1962, the Constitution was revised and the application of warrants became limited only to prosecutors, like stated by Choi Bit in the drama. So, the prosecutors hold authority to investigate and prosecute, also to request warrant while police only have the right to investigate. In 1997, the president attempted to establish “Independent Police Investigation” for small crimes but received strong opposition from prosecutors and failed. Similar situation happened under the next president in 2002. In 2010, it was more dramatic where the prosecutors in supreme office and the chiefs in regional offices threatened to mass resign. The most recent one was in 2017 when President Moon Jae-in again addressed the issue and the position of prosecutors at that time has weakened because of Park Geun-hye’s case.
- Police-Prosecutor Council meetings like in the drama didn’t really happen in real life in 2019. But back in 2011, the discussion and debate happened for 3 days and 2 nights as both representatives lodge together. Although what happened was only endless debate pointing out each other’s flaws and didn’t show result.
- The police and prosecutor offices layout in the drama are identical to real ones. The kind of sofa used in chief prosecutor office, the frames they hang on Woo Taeha’s wall, and the layout of chairs in police station. The reporter on the podcast said Kim Sahyun feel so real, the way he speaks, his gesture, the things he said, everything is like a real prosecutor lol Also about how Choi Bit’s generating news to move public’s opinion is also real, reporters often got news material more from the institution rather than external informant.
- Seo Dongjae was like a prosecutor struggle ambassador when he talked with Shimok about their relocation every two years. Prosecutors relocation route is Seoul (like western office) – Other Metropolitan Area (like Incheon, Gyeonggi) – Region (like Tongyeong). It’s very logical that Dongjae choose to live separately from his family because they can’t follow him every time. But once they are in elite position, it’s possible to stay in one office for a long time. Like Shimok who’s on paper serving his 2 year period is on Wonju branch, but he is physically working in Supreme office in Seoul.
- Prosecutors from Supreme office can’t do crime investigation directly. That’s why Woo Taeha warned Shimok not to give away his name card and let Seo Dongjae do the work. Shimok also didn’t join the questioning with the Segok police team leader. The investigators and officers at Supreme office coordinate with the prosecutors in the area, and...
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Withyakyu
September 3, 2020 at 2:31 AM
the supreme prosecutor process from their report. (This part actually bothering me because… that means Shimok with his current position can’t freely investigate Seo Dongjae’s disappearance? Like, how far can he do it if it has to be secretly? But since our Yongsan police station team are in charge of this case, I hope they’ll just let Yeojin and Shimok do their investigation freely nevertheless.)
I stopped listen after that because the podcast start to discuss current situation of investigation process in Korea and that might be a spoiler. I’ve been avoiding information regarding that.
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dramalover4ever
September 3, 2020 at 3:17 PM
Could you give the link? Even if it is in Korean...
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Withyakyu
September 3, 2020 at 5:06 PM
There you go : http://podbbang.com/ch/9213?e=23730883
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SeeSamME
September 3, 2020 at 3:17 AM
Thanks for the information. Did they say anything about what type of car prosecutors normally drive? All Huyndai? 🤔
I have been wondering who is the actor playing Kim Sa Huyn because i am really impressed with his acting. Easily overact with this kind of role but he delivers naturally.
Didn’t know Supreme court can’t do crime investigate. How about our Shi-mok? Reason why he teams up with YJ :)
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Withyakyu
September 3, 2020 at 5:44 AM
They don't talk about the cars but I think Hyundai is simply PPL, every one in the drama ride it lol Even Lee Yunbeom and Lee Yeonjae ride Genesis (Hyundai's luxury brand) which is rather on the lower price compared to its competitors in luxury cars category. I didn't give Kim Sahyun that much thoughts before (except that he is a bully) so when they point out how real the character is I came back to observe haha
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knewbie
September 3, 2020 at 3:25 AM
Interesting stuff, thanks. I'm glad the Kim Sa-hyun character has been singled out, cos the way he's written and played is just incredibly vivid and true to life. He isn't just a typical Korean prosecutor, he's also a very recognisable type in middle management everywhere. In many ways, I find him far more believable than Dong-jae, who can be a bit OTT and inconsistent.
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Midnight
September 3, 2020 at 4:22 AM
Very interesting. Thank you
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Kurama
September 3, 2020 at 5:33 AM
Thank you very much for the information.
It means Shi Mok is not at a good place for him, he's very good at investigating.
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23 captainlaika
September 3, 2020 at 8:37 AM
Thank you for the recap! That rooftop scene has been my favorite scene so far. I'm still hoping we start getting more teamwork because I feel the show's shooting itself in the foot a bit by keeping everyone so separate. Maybe Dong-jae's disappearance will provide an olive branch? (I refuse to believe Dong-jae dies that easily, man's too much of a cockroach)
I do find it a bit funny that Tae-ha/Sa-hyun brought Shi-mok on for optics with apparently zero knowledge of the trail of disgruntled superiors he leaves behind. Same with Choi Bit thinking Yeo-jin would be fine with "the ends justify the means"
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24 PYC
September 3, 2020 at 8:51 AM
After Ep 5 and 6, I can't help but once again salute to the cast and crew especially the writer for this supreme production.
It is even ten times more complicated than Season 1 but yet every scene is essential watching requiring your 100% attention. So much has been talked about the nuances and poignancy in that SM-YJ rooftop scene, and the very compelling LYJ-KBH restaurant encounter (as if the tension could flare into fire anytime) but small talk on the corridor between Chief Prosecutor Kang and KSH is equally brilliant.
I am totally trusting the writer to navigate us on this journey. The only complaint, though, is the weariness our two leads can't seem to get out. And it finally made sense of what Bae Doo-na said in the interview that her long hair is to make her look being pulled down and tired.
Wonder what's in store in Ep 7 and 8.
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Withyakyu
September 3, 2020 at 8:58 AM
I wonder though how Korean watch it during the broadcast on tvN. A moment Mom asks you to take something in the kitchen and you loose essential information. And you might have difficulties to understand things that come after that 🤯 Me as a netflix viewer can just rewind all I want which results in average of 1,5 to 2 hour watch for an episode 😂
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PYC
September 3, 2020 at 9:03 AM
Most dramas do re-run on their channel, though outside prime time. BUT dramas like FOS are made for repeat viewing, right?
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Withyakyu
September 3, 2020 at 9:07 AM
Absolutely made for a rewatch ☺️ The more you watch it the more you realize it's a masterpiece..
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25 laladaisical
September 3, 2020 at 10:47 AM
The rooftop convo reveals, I believe, the animating theme for this season: ethics related to obligation and how hard it is to maintain one's sense of moral duties when everyone, even the institution one works for, seems to have abandoned them. Last season, HSM and HYJ had each other and a group of relatively like-minded individuals working towards a common goal (yes, they were also operating as the ethical sword for Lee Chang-joon). This season, they are two adrift on their own islands, answering to voices who clamor more loudly than their conscience.
HSM can't be jaded because he knows the laws and rules aren't bent, it's just the people who apply them are bent. HYJ, on the other hand, has lost that innocence, that belief in justice and the expectation that her fellow officers share in that belief. That's why she no longer draws. She's went through the agony of experiencing and witnessing compromise, and it has left her jaded.
Hopefully working with HSM again will show her that, even though they may be on opposite sides institutionally, they are on the same side of truth. She's not alone.
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26 mary
September 3, 2020 at 11:52 AM
:'(((((((((((((((((((((((((((
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27 sargevee
September 5, 2020 at 2:56 AM
Comment was deleted
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28 sargevee
September 5, 2020 at 2:59 AM
Im just starting to really like DongJae so please show, keep him alive! I know it is also possible he gets killed off eventually (im still hoping not!) but I think episode 8 is too early for that! Even Eun Soo got past half way in season 1 and DongJae is more of a main character than she was! The preview for episode 9 showed the police will be interviewing his wife - Im curious to know what kind of person she is.
On a side note Im getting very annoyed with that Sae Hyun character. I enjoyed that scene when Simok just gave him a taste of his 'Simokness'. He needs a few more doses of those I think!
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