@missvictrix thank you for the weecap.
The backstory is really powerful and so sad. His tenacity in the face of so much corruption was commendable. It did not make sense that knowing the higher ups were corrupt that he would still feel comfortable keeping the evidence and the game plan in the office because they would keep shutting him down or use it to be one step ahead. If only she had sent photo’s or told him what she had seen she would not have died in vain and I wouldn’t have had to fast forward through that highly tense train journey knowing something bad would happen. I get why he continues to wear the dark glasses but the flamboyant hair and suits still need explanation. I don’t know how he can stomach going into court and facing the corruption.

Is Jihun the illegitimate son of a mistress because he called his sibling older brother or was that a misunderstanding on my part it would explain why he lived in another country and had no links with his mother’s family. He seems so distant from the half siblings so I wonder if he was brought up by his dad and step mum when his mum died or did they send him to a boarding school so he had minimal involvement with the family? He seemed to deliberately avoid the birthday get together. At the graduation ceremony if he was a legitimate son he could have had a photo with his dad and been introduced proudly even if not able to openly admit the relationship as he was such a prominent figure in the field it could have been seen as a selfie with him and only they needed to know why.

Going back in that prosecutor office in the earlier episode when he saw his old colleagues must have been so hard.

I really don’t know where they will go with this drama in terms of next round of cases and storyline to wrap up the story. The murder case was a shift I had hoped would be a one off but now we understand his ‘what’s the worst that can happen’ approach because he already knows it won’t ever be as bad as what he has already experienced.

Its great that we already know JiHoon's backstory. Its full of tragedy much more than I expected. As much as I like that we already know what happened dueing JH's prosecutor days, I for one, did not like the two and a half episode tonal change since I think that it couldve been interwoven more artistically with the present without bombarding us with the full backstory for that long. But I wanted to know our hero more so I guess I just have to be careful and be specific on what to wish for. It just kinda ruined the momentum for me. (Same thing happened with Showtime Begins but it was in much later episodes. I did not like it then, same as with ODL). Mostly, I just miss the present day gang which is what got me tuning in to the show.
Also I feel bad that Lee Chung Ah only has special appearance here.
Now with the backstory out of the way, I do hope for a lighter tone next week before we see JH's past comes back to haunt him. Hopefully we get bread crumbs about the people responsible for the death of his loved ones. So I will know who to hate and look forward their downfall.

It was surprising to get 2 whole episodes as flashback. The ton was very serious and dark. Now, I don't understand why she didn't just scan the documents and sent them by mail... it would have been so faster and at least useful... I mean she protected baddies for years, she should know how they worked.

For the rest of the drama, I guess we will see the bigger story, Ji-hoon catching the bad guys behind his father's death.

I've seen this kind of backstory many many times - derided and blackballed into tightest most uncomfortable corner possible in the ends of the earth for pursuing what is just. Still this doesn't fail to land in the gut punch. Not when his beacon of hope and one anchor was stripped away and all he could do is watch. I don't know who I feel for more. Joo-young or Ji-hoon.

Thank you, @missvictrix, for the weecap! So Ji-hoon's an illegitimate son (he's a Cheon, his father's a Kim) and that jjajangmyeon is replacement for a missing father. Two episodes for two backstories, I think, was a little too much but may be connected to later episodes.

In my head, I know she couldn't possibly know the future but I was still wishing Joo Young would take pictures or have some kind of back up about those documents.
I liked seeing the reason behind some of his things such as the ring or the reason for the legal fee.

I think Min Hyeok's dad is somehow involved in the slush funds and cover ups.

Oh Jihoon, being the only one (along with his team) trying to fight the good fight and then being stimied by the higher ups. It makes it even more satisfying to me that he beat these types of guys now as a lawyer.

I cried so much during episode 8, especially at the part of JH finding JY on the subway and putting 1,000 won in the jar in the office, with JY being his first client (to find who killed her). I absolutely loved that the idea of one dollar lawyer came from JY and not JH. JH is continuing her work in her honor while secretly trying to find who killed her and his father. Going back to episode 1 and rewatching, a few details can be picked up: JH defended the office to Mari saying that its precious to him, the jar he fills with money, the lawyer badge (which I think is actually JY's), and the ring that JH wears (JY's engagement ring) . Just the smallest of details gives me "ahh" moments.

Well, I wanted backstory and backstory is what we got ..... and wow, it delivered quite a punch. What a tremendous load of sadness and loneliness has Ji-hoon had to carry for most of his life. To know that in spite of all the odds, obstacles and personal losses, he's carried on is truly admirable. Others might have folded much, much earlier, but not Ji-hoon.

Kudos to Namgoong Min for what he's doing here, going from the light comic beats to the dark sadness and doing it seamlessly.

I knew the back story would be sad and I knew they would go with the corruption route even with the wife being killed. But that scene when they're both laying in the rain just kicked me in the gut. I don't know because it was different or just beautifully shot. Also, the scenes when she touches his face on the train the look of disbelief in his eyes, and when he says she stood by him when everyone else turned their back. The man can sell a scene. I'm looking forward to the rest of the show.

I wasn't expecting so much backstory, but I have to say I preferred it to the modern one. I was also intrigued at JH coming to collect MR from his very swanky apartment. I'm wondering why he's not paying the rent.
It's going to be quite jarring if it does another 180 and flips back to the original tone, I'm not sure how it will do that. The scene of both of them on the ground, in the rain, was very poignant.
Loving Namgoong Mins acting for the backstory scenes, he's definitely nailed the pathos.
I think things will lead back to MaRis grandfather.

I am guessing JiHoon is rich in his own right (perhaps money from maternal side). I had thot his parents divorced, hence he hardly see his dad. But he called his other brother 'hyung' ...

Loving the team spirit between YeJin, MinHyuk and Jihoon in the good old days. MinHyuk was genuinely concerned for JH. I hope he will be JH's ally throughout this show. Kinda worried he will turn against JH because of Marie (i hope he takes the rejection graciously!)

About Baek Law Firm... I hope Marie's grandpa doesn't have anything to do with documents which accidentally landed in JuYeong's hands and caused her death. But if it's not him,then would it be MinHyuk's dad? Not a happy thought too.