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The Judge from Hell: Episodes 7-8

by DaebakGrits

We’ve got not one — but two! — killers on the prowl this week, and while one is the mysterious serial killer from our detective’s past, the other is a man with enough money and influence to believe he’s above the law. Well, not if our demon judge has anything to say about it…

 
EPISODES 7-8

Raise your hand if, after last week’s cliffhanger, you fully expected Bit-na’s neighbor to get murdered in the name of plot progression? (*raises hand*) Surprisingly, the single mother lives to see another episode thanks to the harrowing (more like bumbling coincidental) efforts of Man-do and the landlady, who just so happened to hear Single Mother’s cries for help while on their way home from Bible study. I don’t know who this figure in black is, but one thing’s for sure, he seems kind of amateurish. I mean, what seasoned killer drags a woman kicking and screaming to a well lit alleyway, and then, when he’s caught mid-act, sticks around long enough for two idiots to whip out a cell phone and shine a light in his eyes?

Despite these rookie mistakes, the writers and Detective So-young want us to believe that this man in black is the elusive “J” serial killer that murdered Da-on’s family because his knife — which looks suspiciously demonic in origins, BTW — matches the weapon used to kill Da-on’s parents and brother. When So-young makes the connection, she and her colleagues intentionally leave Da-on out of the loop, but the other detectives aren’t so great at subtlety, and they should be thankful that Da-on is distracted by another serial killer: Bit-na.

After Bit-na intervenes and rescues So-young’s daughter from a bullying incident, Da-on is back to seeing Bit-na in a slightly more positive light. You know, classic case of the hero seeing a sliver of goodness in a textbook evil being and getting it in his head that he can save her from her innate nature. It’s with these thoughts in mind that Da-on seeks counsel with Basement Halmoni, remembering her earlier prediction that either he or Bit-na would die if they remain together. For some reason, Da-on instinctively knows that Basement Halmoni’s previous statement was more than the senile ramblings of an older woman who simply disapproves of the cocksure judge living on the second floor.

To be fair, it’s been pretty obvious from the get-go that there’s something mad-sus about Basement Halmoni, but Da-on doesn’t have the same omniscient knowledge as us, the viewers with an online certification in K-drama tropes and foreshadowing. So it’s a bit of a logic-facepalm that he freely drops the demon bomb around her. Yeah, that’s right. He spills everything — Bit-na’s demon identity, the fact that she killed him and then brought him back to life, you know, stuff you don’t normally bring up around your neighborhood grandma — under the blind faith that she will believe him. And she does.

Completely unfazed, Basement Halmoni explains that she knew Da-on’s parents and that a long time ago someone asked her to protect him “no matter what.” In order to fulfill that promise, she tells Da-on to move out and get far away from Bit-na if he wants to live and avoid her pessimistic premonition. Having said her peace, Basement Halmoni dismisses him, and once he’s gone, she turns to look at her reflection in the mirror and we see her true form, which is — dare I say it? — angelic looking.

Although Basement Halmoni couldn’t have been any clearer, Da-on chooses to ignore her advice and opts to plow ahead with his investigation. But first, a hiking trip with all the building tenants — including Bit-na, who, despite what she may have told him the night before, totally wants to be around him. It’s this very hot-and-cold aspect of her personality that, Da-on admits, keeps him confused. Just when he thinks Bit-na’s latest demon antics are the final straw for him, she does something nice (like assisting So-young’s daughter) that makes him care for her and want to open up to her.

He’s currently back to being enamored with her, so in a moment of vulnerability he reveals more about his family’s deaths and the guilt he harbors for not being able to save them. Bit-na doesn’t set out to console him, but given that she couldn’t stab him and send him to hell, she spits straight facts when she confidently assures him that he didn’t kill his family. Those are magic healing words for Da-on’s spirit, and — coupled with spirits of the alcoholic variety — Da-on becomes a blubbering love-sick puppy. Before he spouts more nonsense that will embarrass her, Bit-na lugs his drunk ass to his apartment, where he asks her to pick either the nice or naughty lane and stay in it. Bit-na insists she’s bad, but Da-on is equally emphatic that he sees the good in her. It’s just a shame he’s so confident that she killed those three people.

Bit-na, who has been confused this whole time by Da-on’s confidence that she’s behind the forehand branding murders, discovers the source of his conviction when she opens his closet and finds the crushed Cola Z can he found at the scene of her second murder. As you can imagine, Man-do gets quite the earful for his failure to properly recycle her can, but Ah-rong thinks he got off lightly. Normally, Bit-na would be a lot madder, and why did she ask the lesser demons to leave Da-on alone? Suspicious, Ah-rong tells Man-do to report back to her if he ever sees Bit-na cry.

For the time being, though, Bit-na is back to her baddie ways because a new murderer-of-the-week has entered her courtroom. This time our killer is a sadistic CEO (cameo by Oh Eui-shik) who kidnapped, tortured, and murdered the leader of the union workers (cameo by Kang Shin-il) protesting the working conditions of his company. Sadistic CEO had some thugs do the kidnapping and murder part, but he personally used the union worker as a target at the driving range before having his thugs disguise his murder as a suicide. Despite the coverup, it’s obvious to everyone CEO is guilty. There’s even an audio recording on the victim’s phone proving that Sadistic CEO beat up the union worker. Unfortunately, Sadistic CEO has everyone — from the police chief to the prosecutor — in his back pocket, and there’s no evidence proving the union worker’s death was anything other than a suicide.

Desperate to learn the truth, Da-on turns to his resident demon if she has any sort of superpower that could prove his suspicions. Sure enough, Bit-na has another parlor trick up her sleeve, and when she touches the body of the union worker, she’s able to see the moments leading up to his murder. However, she lies to Da-on and tells him that it was a suicide because she doesn’t want Da-on to interfere with her plans to send Sadistic CEO straight to h-e-double-hockey-sticks. She really needn’t worry, though, because even after Da-on finds a witness who vouches that the union worker was not suicidal, said witness is threatened into giving a false testimony.

And so, Bit-na lets Sadistic CEO off with a slight slap on the wrist and begins plotting an another elaborate torture and death scenario, but she isn’t the only one who has been invested in the outcome of her case. You see, her demonic cleaning crew, who have day jobs as — wait for it — cleaners, knew the union worker and his family and showed their respective concern in a ways that were decidedly not demon-like. One of them personally killed Sadistic CEO’s hired thugs while the other donated money to the hospital where the union worker’s sick daughter was getting cancer treatments. Said daughter was also miraculously cured of her illness thanks to the divine intervention of Basement Halmoni, who definitely plays for Team Angel.

Meanwhile, Da-on still isn’t on board with the demonic judicial system, so he tries, once again, to convince Bit-na to turn over a new, less evil leaf. Bit-na may be softening, but she’s not at the point of abandoning her selfish desire to complete her quest and return to hell. Instead, having learned that he’s the surviving witness in the serial killer case she’s been researching, she baits him with a counter offer to catch his family’s killer on his behalf. Da-on is shaken but he doesn’t bite, insisting that he will catch the murderer on his own and see that he is punished the good ol’ fashioned human way.

I find his trust in the judicial system, however, a bit at odds with what we’ve seen in this drama thus far. Lest we forget, when we first met Da-on, he was on trial in Bit-na’s court, and he seemed surprised by her ruling, suggesting that he was not expecting the law to be in his favor. Add that to the numerous times since that Bit-na has used legal codes to lighten the sentences for the murderers who wind up in her courtroom. Given all that, one has to wonder why he has so much faith in a fallible system — especially when faced with a demonic being whose sole job is to send bad people on a KTX train straight to hell. Well, guess what folks, it’s time for that faith to not only waver but straight up shatter.

You see, Da-on may have let Bit-na leave, but his parting hug when he thanked her for explaining it wasn’t his fault that his family died was also a means to hide a tracker on her. So, after Bit-na does her thing [insert gruesome amusement park themed torture and murder montage here] she drags Sadistic CEO’s body off a ferris wheel and finds a disgusted Da-on filming her with his phone. He got his proof, and to ensure she complies with his arrest, he tosses sulfur powder on her to render her powerless (a neat little trick he learned from Man-do). But before he can drag her off to the police station, he gets a call that So-young, who disappeared while trying to hunt down J, has been found.

Since Da-on took the time to handcuff a powerless Bit-na to the ferris wheel before rushing off, I’d hoped that So-young had been found alive, but sadly she joined a long line of Uncle Bens in dying so that our hero can rise — or, in this case, fall. We flash back to when So-young found Da-on at the scene of his family’s murder, and from there we watch her transition into becoming his adoptive mother. Although the timing of the flashback was too late for me to feel sad that her character has been abruptly ejected from our plot, it did serve well (enough) to show us how important she was to Da-on and, therefore, explain his sudden about-face.

Even though he’d just, hours earlier, insisted that he would apprehend his family’s killer and have him judged in a court of law, So-young’s murder changes Da-on’s mind. When he returns to the amusement park shortly after Bit-na regains her powers, he’s an emotional, rage-filled mess. He destroys the phone containing the recording of Bit-na killing Sadistic CEO, and as he hands over what’s left of the only evidence of her demonic killings, he asks her to help him hunt down J so that he can get his revenge.

Bit-na reminds him that he will go to hell if he kills someone, but he’s fine with that. “After I kill that bastard,” he says, “you can kill me and send me to hell.” Bit-na is pleased and accepts his two-for-one offer, but then Da-on begins to cry. The evolving emotions that Bit-na has no control over flare up, and her heart starts thumping painfully in her chest — bam! Tears. Our demon baddie has fallen for our detective, and there’s no turning back.

We end this week’s episodes with two diametrically opposed characters — good vs. evil — shifting and meeting somewhere in the middle of the morality scale. Bit-na has been growing gradually and showing subtle signs that she’s developing sympathy and love for humans the longer she’s around them and — more specifically — Da-on. I’m a little surprised to see her cry so soon, but it makes sense that she would instinctively shed tears when faced with Da-on’s pain and raw emotion.

Contrastingly, I’m not so thrilled about Da-on’s reversal. Up until the point, the writers have made him such a die-hard lawfully good character — despite literal demons — that it feels like a major cop-out for the writers to pull the death-of-a-loved-one trope card and abruptly reverse Uno his morals. Don’t get me wrong, I’d much rather see him team up with Bit-na and hunt down bad guys than have him stupidly try and arrest a demon, but I wish his character development had evolved at a similar pace to Bit-na’s.

As we head into next week’s episodes, I’m not exactly sure what direction this story will take, but I do hope the writers start circling back to some of the earlier plot threads that are still dangling. Like, what happened to human Bit-na who, as far as I know, is still stuck in hell thanks to a clerical error? And what about the whole Satan and his missing Kylum side quest that was introduced last week? Or Bit-na’s shady ex-fiancé and father-in-law and the redevelopment plotline, who’ve made recurring appearances that just reaffirm what we already know (that they’re rich assholes)? C’mon, writers, cut back on the weekly gore porn and start filling in the holes in your story and character development, please and thank you!

 
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Tags: Kim In-kwon, Kim Jae-hwa, Kim Jae-young, Kim Kwang-kyu, Kim Young-ok, Lee Kyu-han, Park Shin-hye, The Judge from Hell

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lol @daebakgrits thanks for this fun recap!

How dare they kill Noona. I wish they went about timid a different way. I too wished we saw him lose faith in the system over time rather than this.
Nevertheless, I am curious how the show will go from here. I am getting tired of the punishments.
I want more of the main plot to move - like Bitna death, Satan and catching J!!

I am more worried for the Devil catching feelings and Arong already sensed it. Hope she listened to Mando and kept away from her.
It’s all going to get super ugly. There is no happy ending here.

The drunk semi confession was cute. And our demons with their protective glasses. Pffttt.

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Thanks for the recap.
In my POV, I think DaOn's reversal is inevitable bcz you can see he has lost all his blood parents and brother, and now his adopted mother (who unconditionally, simply chose to become his family).
He knew that he can't tie serial killer with his past murderers anymore (like BitNa mention) and he obviously saw what she can do with her demonic power. The ending clearly points out his rage that's why BN is shocked to learn that. And, he joined hands with a demon. Yay!

Regarding the execution scenes, some may find it gore,but some look forward to it bcz the mirror scenes are exhilarating and satisfying (some criminals are not punished enough within the law, many Koreans mentioned that in their tweets and naver talk ). That's the reality.

I think the remaining revelations will come out in the
later 6eps bcz we have plenty of time (I think there is no need to be rushed). Many drama watchers can't guess further bcz all the scenes in Highlight vid are out already 😅
So, let's just sit and enjoy the chemistry and the plot ☺️

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I think his faith in the system was rooted in his adopted mother. Now that she's gone, he's become untethered. I think he may still back down from wanting to actually kill the serial killer. The pain is just very fresh now. Eventually, I believe he will do what he believe his adopted mother would do. But the serial killer likely being a demon will also complicate things.

I usually don't like gore, but I really like the execution scenes here as it makes the murderer go through what their victims experience. Sometimes what pains the victims and the victims' families a lot is that the killer/perpetrator cannot empathize with the pain they've caused and it's frustrating. Here, we get the frustration out.

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"I think he may still back down from wanting to actually kill the serial killer. The pain is just very fresh now."

My immediate reaction to Da-on's reversal was also surprise. But you make a good point. We can be so unstable in the aftermath of an emotional shock.

And while he may go back to his righteous way, I think this will help him see it's not always easy to stay in one lane as he demands of Lady J. It's actually really human to live in shades of gray. Oh look, Lady J is also beginning to do the same.

And now, plot progression and romance progression. Yay!

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this show is about a demon brutally sending murderers to hell and I'm obsessed with the romance here... idk if it’s the chemistry, the angst, the enemies to lovers… but it just works for me.

At times, it does feel like this man’s pretty eyes are the only things tethering Justitia to compassion and empathy.
 
Also shoutout to the people styling Bitna/Justitia. she is slaying in each and every scene (Literally and figuratively)

I do get what people are saying about the long, drawn out punishment scenes for the criminal of the week. It does get a little bit stale after a while, huh?

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It is like the show is following the same formula. Bad guy gets caught, ends up in her courtroom, somehow manages to escape judicial punishment and then ends up being killed. I wrote it on my wall that any decent police department should have immediately zoned in on that pattern after the second body was found. Only DaOn was into it and no one else cared.

Hated hated noona’s death. Totally unnecessary.

I do enjoy the gore though. It is very satisfying to see fitting punishment but it is becoming oh so mundane! Let’s see what the writers have in store for us next.

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Wouldn't the general public notice that all these criminals from high profile cases keep getting brutally murdered? Especially after Judge Kang Bitna lets them off? Honestly, this is one of those shows where you turn your brain off and just enjoy the chaos.

Noona's death was 100% unnecessary, but I've noticed that crime kdramas love killing off secondary female characters for the sake of raising the stakes.

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I feel like no one cared because they were - deep inside- relieved that the murderer was killed. I feel like they would have cared if it was like a sweet grandma or if the victims' crimes were low-level, like shoplifting. And if there are a lot of other cases, a case where some murderer who got to avoid jail time due to some technicality got killed in a gruesome way, would be closer to the bottom half of the to-do list. Except for the murderer CEO, the rest of the murderers, conveniently, don't seem to have loved ones who will picket and protest that the police investigate their murders.

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Thank you for the recap. 😈👩‍⚖️👮‍♂️🔥

@DaebakGrits I am impressed with your exhaustive knowledge of serial killers' MO. 🩸🗡 Surely you are uri @enriquequierecagar's soul sister. Gosh you guys have watched a lot of dramas. But we deeply appreciate your detailed knowledge. Thank you for sharing what must surely be a very hard-earned expertise gained from your "online certification in K-drama tropes and foreshadowing". 🙏🏻🫰

I was of the opinion (or rather tbh hope 😅) that the Nation's Halemoni would be an eternal being from Justitia's side of the underworld. 🙃🤭 Imagine my disappointment to know she was actually from the other team. 😳 😇 Not to say that Kim Young Ok is anything if not angelic.

Earlier it seemed that only Daon was playing hot and cold but what is it with Bitna refusing then tagging along for the hike!? Also how/ why does she seem almost offended when he calls her out on her three kills. The residents bonding time hike was definitely a waste of time IMO and achieved zilch. Surely the drama could have gotten Daon drunk 🥴 during an intimate binge with Bitna as before (without the other residents) perferably on the Rooftop with a full moon in the beautiful night sky. 🌕🌝 At least all residents now know about uri OTP's mutual attraction which was anyways an open secret by now.

As you so rightly point out Daon's about-turn seemed to come out of nowhere especially since he promised 🤙🏻So-young (before her Uncle Ben treatment) that he would always remember that he is a Detective and would accordingly uphold the law. 😢 A gradual progression to this stage where he willingly accepted Bitna's kind offer to tag team would have felt so well earned right about now. 😆 On the other hand Bitna's tears seemed so organic and natural although I too was a bit taken aback by them.

While I have a sneaking suspicion the writer's room didn't get your memo, your recaps are super fun. So kindly continue in the same vein - Please and Thank you!! 🥰😘

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I feel like Angel Granny could have done something for So-young. I mean the serial killer was hanging out in her neighborhood. It's too unfair that Da-on's family was killed, then his adoptive mother was killed, and also he has fallen in love with a demon (going to hard to make it work). Shouldn't have let my guard down after the neighbor with the son was saved. It seems like the serial killer was quiet for 25 years. Why return now?

It feels formulaic by now, but I still find it refreshing when Bitna starts to torture the murderers. I love she brings the murderers to various settings. The outfit changes!

It's expected, but also interesting that the show notes that if Da-on kills the serial killer, that is still considered a hellworthy deed. The execution of a murderer should only be done by the demons.

I love Bit-na and Da-on's chemistry, but I suspect this drama will be a bit like Sell Your Haunted House, where they don't get together by the final episode. I'm not sure if Bit-na has actually fallen for Da-On in a romantic capacity, but I do think she cares for and loves him as maybe the first human being to make her feel human emotions.

The scene where Bit-na offered to kill the serial killer in exchanging for Da-on's not trying to arrest her was perfectly pitched as the devil offering temptation.

Random: but there was a scene of Bitna carrying a whole liter of her fave Cola drink which I found funny. I wonder if she became a fan of the drink after she got into BItna's body or if that was a fave drink while she was in Hell.

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I actually found Da On's progression very well explained. He was a child who experienced immense loss at the hands of a criminal, he has again and again seen the law fail with how judge Bit Na applies it, and in fact started off in the 1st episode expressing out loud that he was surprised the law worked in his favor. So here's an adult who subconsciously or in the background, or logically, totally agrees that the law doesn't find or punish criminals properly. But he also grew up with 2 upright police officers, who btw were such a huge influence that he chose a career in it. I believe in order to be such a good officer he would've had to believe in following the law, almost like a habit? A coded belief that this is what he should do? So the minute that very influential parent figure was killed, the belief that was in the background, came to the forefront, got confirmed, and might I say - became a core belief in that moment? Which is why he flipped so easily. It wasn't sudden, it was always in the background. I think he'll end up being somewhere in the middle of these 2 conflicting beliefs when we reach the finale.
Also, Justitia so far has been presented as so black and white, to the point of being reckless on how she passes judgement the minute she gets a whiff that someone might be a murderer - no nuance whatsoever. So this actually makes sense that as she's growing more human she will come to see the nuance of things. I think that's where both of them are headed - realizing that there's more grey in human emotions than just anger, revenge. After being at the opposite ends, and now meeting each other in the middle, they can probably discover this together.
Since we're at the midpoint I think the writers will now open up more about the plot and give more details. Waiting to find out more about Bit Na and the kylum

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Sigh. I ought to read all the comments before I post. But I absolutely agree with your better analysis of why there is so much gray in human emotions and how it is bringing the two leads together.

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As of this 8th episode it seems likely that Bit Na's ex is the serial killer J who because he wants to develop the real estate has revived his old identity to drive out the remaining residents. Perhaps Bit Na's original murder (by stabbing) was due to Bit Na, the human, discovering something incriminating about her ex leading her to break off their relationship and triggering her murder. The ex leaves her alone because she has no memory prior to her 'attempted' murder. Also her ex is a good candidate for Satan which would tie up arcs. We should have seen Satan among the characters by this time.

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This possibility didn't occur to me: Ex = Satan = Serial Killer = Bi-na killer. It would indeed neatly tie up all the loose strands. I like it.

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I would say, in terms of the serial killer, you should not overlook the brother of the ex-fiance, who was looking sketchy in an early episode. In terms of Satan, I think the father, who arranged Bi Na's judgeship for political purposes, is the more logical Satan. Bit na was sent to hell, despite living an apparently blameless life. Why? She made a "deal with the devil," probably hoping to use her position for good, in an ends justifies the means sort of way.

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There is something definitely dodge about the brother but then again if the theory sticks that his brother is a killer and his father is satan perhaps imbibing copious amounts of booze and pills is not entirely an inappropriate response...

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I judge this show by genre standards; the way you might view a slasher show differently than prestige TV. But I admit, even by that lower bar, these were not great episodes. Still, they still had some great bits in it, and I'm hoping this was a mid-show slump. I still like it and hope the writing will improve in the second half.

Also, while this was the least interesting case, and I pretty much ffw'ded thru it, I did pause to admire the fluffy-wuffy demonic lions. That was new, right? And such terrible CGI. I love it! LOL. Stay campy, show.

BTW @missvictrix and @daebakgrits are you tag-teaming the recaps?

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@missvictrix was only supposed to cover the first week while I wrapped up the finale of Cinderella at 2AM, but then Hurricane Helene swept through and knocked my power out for a couple of days. She kindly stepped in for an additional week, but -- pending no more natural disasters -- I'll be seeing this drama through to it's end. 😊😈

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Aw, that's still teamwork! So glad you're there for each other. I hope you are fine in the aftermath of Helene. And TJFHell rewards you with a satisfying run.

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Every time I watch an episode and then see the ratings, I think "I just am NOT seeing what other people are seeing". For example, it's still feels extremely weird to me that people think the leads have romantic chemistry. I don't see that at all. I still can't believe this is considered a romcom. There has to be another descripter that's more fitting.

I thought this was kinda similar to Kokdu: Season of Deity in that the mythical/supernatural being is moral gray or just a straighter serial murderer and we, the audience, are supposed to side with the morally upright opposite lead yet the morally gray character IS the more interesting character. They're the ones who you kinda don't want to change and honestly root for. Why am I supposed to say "oh no, the vile rich guy who murdered someone and framed it as a suicide didn't spend time in prison" or "the sociopathic monster who brutally murdered his family didn't get the chance to reflect and apologize" when Justitia makes them experience exactly what their victims went through before sending them to Hell, where they belong. Maybe it's a cultural thing; maybe it's a me thing; maybe it's a bit of both but I just can't really dislike Justitia's version of justice/vengence because these criminals ARE guilty of the crimes. There's no possibilty of an innocent person getting this treatment (aside from Bitna & Daon)

I wasn't totally surprised by Daon deciding to go to the dark side but more how it happened. I wasn't expecting him to be watching and recording for evidence and being so disappointed that she really was the murderer. I mean I guess I get his disappointment. Even though he knew it in his head, it's a totally different thing to actually experience it. Plus it was more dramatic for him to damage his phone then hand it over for her to destroy, visually showing them joining forces.

I think the death the basement tenant was referring to might be two fold. I think Justitia might actually physically die (because of the whole demon having human feelings thing) but Daon is being corrupted so he might experience a spiritual death meaning he could turn into a demon or something.

I don't *think* the show will end that way; even though it's dark, I think it's still too light for that.

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I love this drama even more with every episode because:

1. Justitia punishes the bad guys in a way that should be mandated for all murderers, rapists etc. I don't care if that makes me sound bloodthirsty but after working in the anti-violence against women movement for many years and seeing the extent of men's violence against women and seeing domestic abusers and rapists get away with just slaps on the wrist, seeing her make them live through the torture that they put their victims through is cathartic.

2. Justitia and Da-On have heaps more chemistry than some rom-com couples *cough cough*

3. Team Angel is not getting my vote since Grumpy Old Ahjumma Lady doesn't seem to do anything much beyond snap at and about Justitia and the occasional small miracle after people have suffered a ton. Like, if that's supposed to be what "good" is like, it's no wonder that we're rooting for Justitia. At least she gets things done even if it's brutally sending evil perps to hell after giving them a taste of their own medicine.

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I am not treating this drama as some sort of thoughtful consideration of the morality of retributive justice, but more, as @twocentsworth says, a genre show, like a slasher show.

But if I was viewing it as more than, what @daebakgrits calls "gore-porn" the obvious problem with your argument is that the fallibility of the human justice system goes both ways.

Let me take the U.S. as an example, since I know that best. Yes, there are rapists that get off with a slap on the wrist. But there is also a long history of innocent African American men being accused of rape, because it fit with the racist conception of black men as beasts. The accused were then brutally lynched, often in front of large crowds of whites, and left hanging on a tree as an "example." I'm sure many of those who viewed this awful spectacle found it very cathartic, a sign that the lynchers were "getting things done."

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I think what's cathartic about the show is that the audience and Justitia can identify the perpetrator without mistake (except for the 2 times when Justitia got lazy but there is oversight from Bael), so I don't have to worry about things like, "what if this was a frame job?", "what if he was at the wrong place at the wrong time and was misidentified?", "what if his mental illness really led him to kill his entire family?", "what if he didn't do it and just had an overworked public defendant represent him in a subpar manner?", "what if the jurors' biases?"

I think the show also already posits that it is an absolute sin for a human to take the life of another human, even for the most just reasons. It is cathartic when a demon/god, whose job is to judge, does it, sort of like when someone does something bad and you wish/pray for something bad to happen to them back, and then something bad really does happen to them, and you can be like "oh good, the universe (whether it be God, one of the gods, karma, etc.) must be punishing them!"

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Yes, I want to make clear that I'm not accusing those who are enjoying the show as being the equivalent of bloodthirsty lynchers! I'm just saying that if you are saying that Justitia is doing something that should be "mandated" in real life than you have to take into consideration the reason it should NOT be mandated in real life.

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Yeah, I was thinking the same. They're innocent. So there's no need for punishment, and what's in action isn't any type of justice, but just racism.

In the drama Justitia makes them experience what they did (that's the punishment 9TailedVixen refers to). So if the person didn't commit a crime, what is she supposed to do to them?

This vicarious satisfaction only works because we know they're guilty. If Justitia was picking random people based on a prejudice, without proof or anything, the story would be different and our reaction to it too.

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@tabong - You nailed it about Justitia.

I'm not talking about lynching people due to racism - I'm talking about Justitia doing to the perps EXACTLY what they had actually done to their victims.

This is karma. And if there was a way to be this accurate about it in real life and so can be mandated punishment, I'm all for it.

Racism aside, rapists aren't confined to one particular race - unfortunately, rape culture and the attitude that domestic violence is a private matter (whereby a man can kill his wife and get a lesser sentence than if he went and killed someone random on the street) is prevalent wherever the patriarchy thrives.

And the patriarchy thrives everywhere.

So that's one more thing I love about this drama - the judge is a woman. A demon woman, but nevertheless a woman. And she is meting out the justice that's sorely needed even if it's pretty much an assignment for her.

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....This is karma. And if there was a way to be this accurate about it in real life and so can be mandated punishment, I'm all for it. ...

But that's my point, there is not a way to be accurate about this in real life. Race (inside the U.S.) and/or class (in cultures that are racially homogenous) always figure in the verdict.

And, I would just say that, from my perspective, masculine domination benefits from violence and the encouragement of violence. Both patriarchy and the state have always thrived on violence, whether in the name of justice or otherwise.

But I don't think this show is making that argument, or an argument against this position, for that matter. It isn't that philosophically coherent!

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@hacja Dude - I was expressing wishful thinking.

Can we go back to enjoying the show without you making it an issue?

If you work in my line of work, you'd see a lot that you can't unsee and all I'm saying is that I've seen so much harm and havoc that male violence has wreaked on women in the many years that I've worked to stop violence against women that I wish part of the punishment meted out to these violent perpetrators would be them getting a taste of their own medicine.

And while you are accurate regarding mandates like this being utilised to perpetuate violence in the name of racism (and probably economic class etc also), I'm speaking about wishful thinking in a very specific context of the patriarchy.

I'm not debating this since we're talking about a show and also because you appear to want to just tell me in so many words that my wishful thinking is wrong.

I wasn't even making an "argument" as you stated earlier - I was just stating what I thought.

Have a good day!

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Fascinating you brought up lynching because I was hundred percent in the OP side but then I spent today learning about the song "strange fruit by Billy holiday" and the more I think about it how can a black person ever through be safe on thier one skin...

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@9tailedvixen In order for me to have a good day, I have to make several more points.
First, and most important, whatever argument I am making, its not directed against you personally. I deeply respect the work you are doing, and I am horrified by the violence against women that occurs daily and globally. I recognize that my own wishful thinking, that some of this can remedied, not through violent retributive punishment, but through proper raising of boys, better education of boys, and a stronger set of civil institutions is probably foolish optimism. I am not courageously on the front lines, as you are, and I admire you for it.

As to the show. I must admit, I’m watching this show because of Park Shin-hye, who is pretty darned attractive. So I’m not on any sort of high horse, and I’m definitely not criticizing anyone who is enjoying the strictly fantasy violence (as I know many, if not most viewers are). Still, without taking it too seriously, I myself am slightly bothered by the explicit eye for an eye, or I should say, blood spattering hammer blow for hammer blow, or bloody stabbing for stabbing in this show, if only because I find it unpleasant, and ultimately uninteresting. Why couldn’t Justitia just show them Gehenna, so they realize what they are going to suffer, stamp them on the head and send them off? It wouldn’t take as much time, and I personally would find that even more cathartic, because we wouldn’t have to see Park Shin-hye’s face flecked with the culprits blood.

Also speaking of wishful thinking, I wish that the ML had clearly enunciated a rationale for non-violent civil justice (he did not) Instead, he was somehow supposed represent an alternative type of justice through his foolish and way over the top attempts to arrest Justitia, even though he knew she was a demon, and he even pursued her when he should have been hunting for his stepmother/mentor. Instead of an alternative, you just got the sense that he was pigheadedly stupid, and perhaps motivated by a combination of love and hate, seeking revenge for Justitia’s mistaken killing of him even as he was drawn to her.

But lets just say, as I believe, that the show is not at all consistent or thoughtful in its themes of violence and retribution. Still, up through this episode, I would say its implicit message is “wouldn’t it be great if in real life criminals could be treated this way.” And in response, I personally would say, no it would not.
But that’s back to the philosophical issue that I raised in the beginning, and don’t worry, I won’t raise this again!

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Your comments made me remember about 3 terrible crimes when people despite serious evidence against them were wrongly accused, and I'm afraid to even imagine what hell they went through because of it.
It probably would be good if Bit Na existed in real life and could punish criminals. But really really good if the justice system and policemen will do their jod properly.

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Thanks for the recap @daebakgrits!
I agree that the Bitna's weekly gore porn punishments is getting repetitive. So they need to get the other story threads moving since there are still the real Bitna's story to uncover.
I can't believe that they killed his adoptive mom. But it makes sense it that the writer want to do to make him turn back on his convictions and morals.
Daon was put in the wringer this week. His rollercoaster emotions regarding Bitna. Then getting the rug pulled from under his feet with the loss of his Noona. I sure hope he will get back to his senses and not let him cross the line.

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First comment, though I have been an avid reader for over 10 years (lovelovelove):
Major SPOILER idea coming up:
Da-on = The Kyntheum, hence basement granny was sent to protect him
Over-catholic unni = Satan - another reason basement granny wants him out
Spoiler hunch end

Never been a fan of PSH but gotta say I love her in this one. After the dissapointment that was Love Next Door and No Gain, No Love (Both with some of my fav actors), this drama has returned my faith in Korean drama authors and story telling. I am just praying to whichever entity there is (Korean drama god??) that it stays like this till the final episode.

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The ML here, of course, I am talking about the character it gives me the same vibe as the ML from Moonshine only creating hindrance for FL....in a nutshell useless. The character of FL is so empowered in both dramas, that it overpowers the other characters, there is no chance for other characters to shine.
One more thing the promise he made to her was quite unnecessary
I mean the serial killer was already on her list for her target completion, even though he didn't know he could help her locate him. Why make him kill? unnecessary twist.

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Hum... I don't really care about what is happening. After 8 episodes, I don't really care about Justicia. By giving light sentences, she tramples on the victims and their family because they will live with this judgment. They won't be able to appeal because the villains are dead. I'm not a big fan of dramas that focus on the villains instead of the victims. The principle of Hell is to punish people for what they did in their life, so she could judge them and kill them discretly in prison (accident, suicide, etc.).

I was sad they killed the cop, she was a nice character.

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omg ... i can't take this ... seeing KJY sobbing is shattering me ... and Soyeong crying with young Da On broke me again. WTH writers?

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Also, has anyone else noticed that Bit Na's outfits are getting more ... 'professional'? From the lovely tweed jackets / shorter skirts outfits / fashion statements to Hilary and Kamala 'shatter the glass ceiling' pantsuits. What does that mean? Is she taking her job more seriously now?

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Actually, in a interview they mentioned that in the middle of filming they couldn't play with her outfits as much as before anymore because of the warm weather.

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Finally, the scene of Bit Na frightened at Da On's rage / destroying evidence, and then weeping for his loss of humanity was ... everything.

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I wonder the adoptive mom died like the usual trope if her husband could have been fishy to deal double whammy to Daon. I lean towards the preacher woman or ex-fiance being Satan.

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Ok, this episode was interesting in that I thought it would be "turning" point for Bitna to start questioning if she should be killing these villains, but it surprised me with the change in daon instead. However, there is one thing I am going to be nitpicky about....didn't Bitna give the ruling that the Sadistic CEO will serve one year in jail, two year's probation and 40 hrs of community service? So, wouldn't they start off with the jail sentence first? Why is he doing only the community service part first (yes, I know the answer is a plat device so that Bitna's gang can kidnap him and do all kinds of bad things to him, but still...). Huge plot hole that drove me nuts!!! I was actually looking forward to a plotline where the murder would somehow happen inside the prison, and Daon would be even more frustrated that he cannot get evidence that Bitna is doing these killings, but guess they needed to bring his character down in this episode!

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