Evilive: Episodes 5-6

by solstices

Our evil-not-evil protagonist spearheads a lucrative venture for the newly-minted big boss, dipping his toes into uncharted waters that may yield as much risk as reward. While their schemes may yield immeasurable profit, bartering one’s morals away may eventually incur an unforeseen cost.

 
EPISODES 5-6

In the wake of Dong-soo’s successful trial, Do-young follows up with another tempting offer. Set up the online casino for him, and Dong-soo will receive enough to clear his family’s entire debt. It’s too good of a deal to refuse. Pairing up with a programmer ex-client of Dong-soo’s, Beom-jae draws up a plan, though he’s not without his reservations. Still, he can’t say no to his hyung.

In contrast, Dong-soo gives his sales pitch with a touch less desperation than he is wont to display in front of his prison clients, and his newfound self-assurance satisfies Do-young. In accordance with Dong-soo’s suggestions, the gang sets up a PC bang for virtual hwatu card games. By farming game currency through pilfered personal accounts and reselling them to casino users at a premium, they’re all set to capitalize on the accessible and addictive nature of online gambling.

In the midst of all this, however, there’s discontent brewing in Do-young’s gang. The former number two is bitter that Do-young had him replaced with the brand-new right-hand man KWON OH-JAE (Bae Nara, yay!!), and the green-eyed monster of jealousy has him ratting out Do-young’s machinations. Namely, the scheme that restrained Attorney Moon from his trial and framed him for a crime.

I have to admit my attention span wanes terribly once the grumpy old men start twiddling thumbs and talking politics, so here’s the gist: Chairman Moon is less than enthused by his son’s wayward behavior, especially since the party has just replaced Attorney Moon with the rival candidate Park Chung-ho. Also, since baddies of a feather flock together, Chairman Moon is in cahoots with the Shinnam Ferry CEO — and gambling house owner — KIM JAE-YEOL (Joo Jin-mo), who’s incurred Do-young’s ire by being a condescending, betraying prick. Do-young can’t wait to oust CEO Kim with his virtual casino, while also asserting the Yoosung gang’s turf to their rivals.

It’s opening day, and our masterminds gather round the main computers to monitor the situation. Except the server goes unresponsive for a few torturous moments, sending shivers of nervous anxiety down our brothers’ spines. Do-young glares. Dong-soo gulps. Then the phone calls start flooding in. Turns out the server crashed from the massive influx of users — in other words, the casino is a massive success!

There’s just one last thing Dong-soo needs to guarantee — the ability to get off scot-free in the event of a crackdown. Never fear, because Dong-soo’s exploited every advantage of the online servers. The gang wipes the evidence clean in five minutes flat, leaving the cops dumbfounded and empty-handed.

With the casino up and running, Dong-soo’s job is done, and Do-young generously rewards him with a hefty suitcase of cash and a brand new car. It’s clear Do-young is loathe to let him go, and he offers Dong-soo a mutually beneficial partnership — he’ll take down the slimy CEO Kim, and Dong-soo can take down the arrogant Chairman Moon. However, Dong-soo turns the offer down. He’d much rather wash his hands of the city’s criminal underbelly.

Even Dong-soo isn’t above greed, though. Once he realizes just how much Do-young is raking in, his generous payout starts to look paltry in comparison. After all, the casino was his idea. Yearning for what could have been his, Dong-soo ends up spinning a false-but-close-enough tale to commiserate with his cop neighbor MA CHUL-JIN (Kwon Hyuk), who seems amiable but errs on the edge of being a little too observant for his and our hero’s own good.

Now that Dong-soo is free of his shackles, he prepares to emigrate to Australia with his family — until a deliberate act of arson cruelly snatches his mother away. It’s heartbreaking to see her dementia clear up momentarily in the ambulance, allowing her one brief moment of lucidity and one last apology to Dong-soo before she breathes her last.

That’s the final straw for our browbeaten hero, and he finally shows his fangs when he strangles Chairman Moon midway through his morning jog. For a moment it looks like Dong-soo’s about to teeter over the edge, until a passing bicycle bell snaps him back to his senses, sparing Chairman Moon (for now). Then Dong-soo’s off to meet Do-young. He’ll take him up on his deal. His glasses are off, and so are his scruples. It’s time for revenge.

Ooh, I like it. The plot may be fairly predictable thus far, but it’s an entertaining ride nonetheless, bolstered by nuanced acting and a compelling hero. (Or should I say anti-hero?) I like that Dong-soo visibly wavers; he may be steadfast and resilient, but his moral compass doesn’t always point towards virtuous ethics. Instead, he often lets himself be guided by pragmatism — first and foremost, he needs to survive.

That tendency is particularly apparent this week, where we see Dong-soo slip right into his new role with an ease that’s almost concerning. It’s not that he doesn’t have any qualms about what he’s doing, but rather that he’s able to compartmentalize his feelings and focus on the task at hand with cold efficiency. With his quick thinking and razor-sharp cunning, I can’t help but wonder how illustrious Dong-soo’s career could have been had he not been disgraced in the legal world.

One thing that hasn’t changed about Do-young since his introduction is the unsettling way he seems to see right through Dong-soo in every moment and every situation. He feels like a panther that’s playing around with its prey for the sheer amusement of it — the visual symbolism of their drastic height difference certainly doesn’t help the power imbalance in the least. Even so, there’s more to Do-young than mere control and manipulation; he seems to have acknowledged Dong-soo on a certain level beyond just a disposable underling, judging by the respect he showed Dong-soo by attending his mother’s wake with his subordinates in tow.

Resolving to cross the line into mafia-aided vengeance may potentially do wonders for Dong-soo’s dwindling self-esteem, but it’s also widening the distance between the brothers. Beom-jae has been growing increasingly suspicious of Do-young’s ulterior motives, and I can’t help but worry that he’ll get caught in the crossfire. It was his fingers on the chopping block last week, and I sure hope it isn’t his neck next.

 
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