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Black Out: Episode 14 (Final)

It’s been a long, dark journey for our protagonist and the few people he can now confidently call friends. But while Black Out serves as a cautionary tale about the terrible lengths some people will go to absolve themselves of any semblance of guilt, it also offers a ray of hope that, sometimes, justice can and does win out in the end.

 
EPISODE 14

Black Out: Episode 14 (Final)

Despite Jung-woo’s desperate attempts at resuscitating him, Hyung-shik is dead. And, of course, Assemblywoman Ye set it all up in advance to look like suicide. Like the polished, manipulative politician she is, she carefully words her public speeches — replete with fake tears — to make herself look as innocent, grief-stricken, and honorable as possible. In other words, she “takes full responsibility” for her late husband’s crimes without actually admitting complicity.

Just as calculating is Chief Hyun, who makes a show of taking questions from reporters — but when someone points out his close relationship with the guilty parties, he acts like he’s the one being falsely accused here. After all, if he has a habit of letting his friends get off easy, why on earth would he make his best friend’s son pay for someone else’s crime? (Much later, he’ll admit he resented Jung-woo’s father all along, but not publicly and not with any intention of changing.) Perhaps sensing a sinking boat, Chief Hyun is already in process of bailing on Assemblywoman Ye and cozying up to a different politician in hopes of securing that ever-elusive promotion.

Chief Hyun is so busy covering his own backside that it takes him a while to realize Su-oh has been in the greenhouse basement for an awfully long time. Upon investigating, he discovers the secret room, where Su-oh is talking to Da-eun’s rotting corpse like she’s a coma patient. The gruesome sight sends Chief Hyun straight into a panic cycle. After failing to shield the corpse from his father’s view, Su-oh runs away to find Jung-woo and beg him to “help save Da-eun.”

Having just learned from Min-soo about Chief Hyun’s role in the cover-up, all Jung-woo has to hear is “Da-eun” and “at my house” to put two and two together. Back at the greenhouse, he confronts Chief Hyun, who thinks “I believed Geon-oh killed Bo-young, and I just wanted to protect him” is good enough justification for scapegoating Jung-woo. Worse, he claims the only thing he has to be sorry for is that he hoped Jung-woo really did kill Da-eun (so some of the punishment would be warranted). Now, he says, they need to protect Su-oh by cremating Da-eun’s remains.

And yes, he means that literally. Before Jung-woo or Su-oh can stop him, he sets fire to the corpse and locks himself in the secret room. He’s ready to face the despicable truth about himself, and seems to think the noble thing to do is pay for it by dying here, but really he’s too cowardly to face public condemnation. You know, the thing he was more than willing to make pretty much anyone else face instead. But Jung-woo’s not about to let him take the easy way out. After getting Su-oh to safety, he breaks down the door and carries Chief Hyun out of the smoke.

Black Out: Episode 14 (Final)

From there, Black Out takes the time to see justice served all around. Assemblywoman Ye not only loses her election, but is arrested, and cries alone in her office as her empire crumbles around her. Chief Hyun survives (though the episode lets us wonder about his fate for quite a while) and ends up in prison where he belongs. Dong-hee visits after being discharged from his own prison term, but can’t think of a single thing to say to the man who manipulated him into framing an innocent person. And Na-kyeom? The last we see of her, she’s in a mental hospital telling Jung-woo over the phone that she loves him. (Though something tells me he’s not actually on the other end of that line…)

Dong-min also serves time in prison, but unlike the others, he demonstrates true remorse for his actions. It’s very striking that the one person who was painted explicitly as a bad guy from the start is one of the few to be somewhat redeemed in the end — not because his wrongs were excused or explained away as misunderstandings (far from it), but because he had the decency to reflect, acknowledge that how he treated people was wrong, and willingly face the consequences.

I’d nearly forgotten Seol’s backstory, but we get a quick refresher about how she got in trouble for speaking up in the operating room when a patient died on the table due to malpractice. At the time, she caved to pressure from higher-ups and didn’t say anything else. Now, she’s ready to advocate for victims of malpractice, even if it makes her a social outcast and a target for vindictive faculty. But not to worry, because she has a new friend in the department: Jung-woo, who finally gets to pursue higher education.

After eleven years of hardship, Jung-woo’s life takes a turn for the better. His mother wakes up from her coma, and he stays by her side throughout her slow but steady recovery. He also tells his (true) side of the story before a judge, who overturns the original ruling and declares him, at long last, not guilty. Sang-cheol accompanies him for the entire re-trial process, and afterwards Jung-woo addresses him as “hyung” and thanks him with a giant hug (aww). Once Geum-hee has sufficiently regained her strength, she and Jung-woo move away from that hateful little town, and she opens up a new restaurant. And my favorite part of this ending? Su-oh goes with them, and finally gets the loving, supportive family he deserves.

We close with Jung-woo scattering flowers in the water for his father, Bo-young, Da-eun, and Geon-oh, asking them to watch how he lives from now on. As Geum-hee puts it, they’ll never forget all the terrible things they’ve endured, but they can move on with their lives.

Black Out: Episode 14 (Final)

I honestly don’t think I could have imagined a more satisfying, hopeful ending than this one. And for a drama that examines such a dark side of human nature, I’m both impressed and thankful that it did end this way. Even the plotlines I’d consider the weakest parts of the story — Seol’s and Sang-cheol’s backstories — served the conclusion well enough that I can appreciate what the show was trying to do with them. Seol went from hesitating to speak against her superiors to refusing to keep quiet despite the negative repercussions of doing the right thing. And Sang-cheol went from blindly condemning every person labeled a criminal to no longer making excuses for the ways in which his own oversight contributed to his wife’s murder.

While both transformations could have been better developed, they still tie right in with the contrast between Chief Hyun (who tried to protect his sons by hiding the truth) and Jung-woo (who actually protected them by fighting off bullies, never letting his “friends” get away with ridiculing Su-oh behind his back, and ultimately exposing the truth about Bo-young and Da-eun’s murders). Because you don’t protect people by sweeping their bad behavior under the rug. You do it by calling out injustice whenever and wherever you see it — including within yourself — and making the world a safer, kinder place for everyone.

Black Out: Episode 14 (Final)

 
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Thanks again @mistyisles. I agree totally with you, this was truly a satisfying, happy ending, without being fantastical. The lesson that Seong-chol conveyed to Jung-woo, that he should now just live his life, without dwelling on the past, was the best possible moral in the circumstances. Seong-chol's growth was a very positive part of this drama, but the fact that the most heinous blamer of Jung woo, Dong-min, was the only one to apologize (while perhaps this is unrealistic) was the most optimistic of all, so I liked that plot development

On the whole, as I've said throughout, I thought this was really a high quality drama, well written, well directed, and excellently acted. I've read criticisms of this that it was "predictable" and yes, after it was clear that Jung woo was innocent, it was pretty clear who was guilty. But this was never just a who done it. It was rather a study of how normal people could turn evil to protect their own interests, but this last episode showed as well, that it isn't necessarily that everyone is evil by nature, and there is some hope!

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The flashback between Jung-woo and Geun-oh broke my heart. Geun-oh was the only innocent person among those involved that night and his death hits me now harder than any time. Geun-oh, Su-oh and Bo-yeong are the only ones who cared genuinely about Jung-woo among the high school group.

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It was really a good drama!

I was happy Chief Hyun didn't die, after all both killers of the girls got killed and never were punished for their crimes. I think they gave too much power to this character by making him a cop.

I really liked the end. It was positive and we could see a future for Jung-Woo. Sang-Cheol's advice was good, even if it will be hard, his 10 years in prison weren't a good time, the people he trust were all guilty. It was nice to at least one person to apologize, Dong-Min had a lot to be forgiven but he didn't try to look better than he was.

I think it was a good adaptation of the book. A lot of things were changed but it didn't bother me. I did wish they followed the fact Jung-Woo was a natural seducer : charming, smart, good at sport, very handsome. In the book, he was accused because he dated both girls. He broke up with Bo-Young to date Da-Eun, it was a love/passion crime. And when he got out of prison, he dated Na-Kyeom. Ha Seol who was a teenager in the book, fell for him. And one of the cop who investigated was a woman who wasn't indifferent to his charm too. I think Byun Yo-Han could have played this part very well.

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I was thinking about reading the book to see the differences so thank you so much for this explanation. I can imagine the book might have played the "did he do or not"" thing longer and more insistent than the korean drama, that has always portrayed jungwoo as this one good guy that everyone liked it. it was hard to believe he would do something like that since the begining (at least to me. maybe because its a korean drama and I knew the main lead wouldnt be the bad guy lol). it would be interesting to see book version of him, especialyl how byun yohan would play it

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How is it possible that nobody in Chief Hyun's house could smell Da-eun's rotting corpse for eleven years? We know the housekeeper cleans the greenhouse since she found Su-oh's grotesque paintings. I wish our finale had more of a resolution to Da-eun. Did Chief Hyun burn her body completely? Did her grandmother hold a funeral? Was she really dead when Su-oh carried her from the warehouse? If he had called for help that night, could she have been saved?

I know every one of Jung-woo's "friends" betrayed him, and Su-oh only wanted to protect Da-eun and doesn't know any better, but Jung-woo and Mom are such good people to take care of Su-oh, who was also directly responsible for putting Jung-woo in prison. Does Ha Seol know about Su-oh and Da-eun?

My heart when Jung-woo called Sang-cheol "hyung" and hugged him. After Sang-cheol overcame his initial prejudice, he really did do everything in his power to help clear Jung-woo's name. I love their brotherly relationship so much.

I really wish we got a reunion scene between Mom and Ha Seol, who had asked Jung-woo to call her when Mom wakes up. Also, one between Ha Seol and Su-oh oppa. I'm still waiting for her to call Jung-woo "oppa," though it may never happen now that he's her college hoobae.

We know Assemblywoman Ye was only crying because she lost the election.

The cast of Black Out describes this drama as "ending matjip" (delicious endings), which is so true with all the twists and turns of its cliffhangers. This drama was amazing from its writing to its acting from beginning to end. Thanks a ton for recapping it, @mistyisles!

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I also wanted to see more after daeun's body was found. I don't think the drama left any doubt that she was indeed dead when suoh carried her body, but I wanted to see the legal aspect of his involvement, he still commited a crime hiding that body for years

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In the book, it was better explained. If you want, I can explained it on my fanwall.

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pliplipli @jsourgod I agree, but then again, Bo-young was still alive.

Yes please, @Kurama! Or maybe you can explain here since the drama has ended so it's no longer a spoiler? Thanks for offering!

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I didn't want to parasite the drama with the book :)

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Did you post it already, @kurama? I just finished Black Out.

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Wish we'd seen Ep. 13 and 14 together - the 'Snow White' imagination vs reality reveal would have hit harder. But it was a relief to watch this end on a hopeful note. So glad he's still able to pursue his dream of studying medicine and that they moved away from the village.

I think the payoff for Da-eun's death was a little less compared to Bo-yeong's. It was also hampered with a rather trite politician-cop nexus storyline - don't think the Assemblywoman added anything to the story. The creepy hospital director who preys on young women should have been enough.

Overall a well-written show with impactful performances. Can't remember the last time a story had me this invested - was absolutely rooting for someone to just burn down that Hell Village.

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I know this drama will never be a hit or a majority pleaser lol some people might find it too slow, especially the first couple of episodes; some people will probably think it gets boring since we pretty much find out what happened midway through.... but I will always be the one defending it because I thought it was really good. the directing is a bit of a miss to me - sometimes it felt like a policia mystery drama from 2010 lol - but the writing was always tight and the performances were phenomenal. easily the best part of the whole thing.

I was happy jungwoo's mom woke up and they could have their happy ending. I mean.. as much as they can be happy after everything they went through. in general, I think all the plotlines were covered, even though the second half of the last ep felt a bit rushed, showing what happened with everybody. my only complaint would be that the final resolution of daeun's murder - finding her body - ended too abrupt. I wish we could have seen her grandmother getting some resolution, what happened to suoh bcs he still commited some type of crime hiding that body. jungwoo main thing has always been finding their bodies so I think it should have been longer than it was. and I also think the whole congresswoman storyline was useless. we could have the creepy doctor as a character without his ties to her. he could be powerful on his own as a doctor to make the chief police cover for him for years. I didnt care about that woman at all, even her downfall.

overall.. excellent experience. it lived to the hype with the cast and its probably one of the best dramas from 2024 for me.

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Great drama. Hulu showed first 8 episodes and then made you wait 3 weeks. After episode 14, I said worst drama ending and then realized Hulu made it 16 episodes, WTH? Don’t know how or why they did that, no new content. Town filled with disgusting, awful ppl.

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