The Judge from Hell: Episodes 9-10
by DaebakGrits
Our drama finally deviates from its previously established formula to focus on some of the major plot lines, namely the mysterious serial killer from our detective’s past. These episodes aren’t without their fair share of violence, of course, but it’s more of the demon-versus-demon variety.
EPISODES 9-10
Da-on’s grief over losing his adopted mother is on full display in this week’s opening scene, as he and his fellow police officers hold an extremely formal outdoor funeral for So-young. For obvious reasons, the atmosphere is extremely somber, but Ah-rong, who crashed the funeral to pester Bit-na, talks through the whole ceremony while dressed like someone who dug through a pile of dirty laundry for an outfit to wear on her midnight soju run at the corner convenience store. Ah-rong has always been a little extra demented, even by demon standards, but what was previously an amusing character quirk has now been amplified in such a way that makes her increasingly obnoxious. She’s more obsessed than ever with getting Bit-na back to hell and away from the human who has made her soft and emotional, and as Da-on breaks down mid-eulogy, with rain pouring for added dramatic effect, her always watchful eyes spy the tears trailing down Bit-na’s cheeks.
I know Da-on’s character is going through some major shit right now, but I rolled my eyes over the theatrics of his public — and totally inappropriately timed — declaration that he would personally hunt down and kill So-young’s murderer. Once again, I find his behavior incongruent with his earlier characterization. I get it, he’s grieving, and So-young was the arrow in his moral compass. Without her, he’s untethered — except… what about his adoptive father and sister? Given how little screen time they’ve gotten since So-young’s death, it’s like the drama wants us to conveniently forget that Da-on still has two other morally righteous adoptive family members who would hate to watch him lose himself on his quest for revenge. Not to mention, way to disrespect So-young’s memory, and make her funeral about you, Do-an.
But maybe there’s still hope for our (former) lawfully good hero because even Bit-na is regretting her agreement with Da-on — not that she’s ready to acknowledge her new emotions yet. She’s back to being comically in denial, and tries to brush off her doctor’s suggestion that the cause of her leaky eyes are due to her being in — *gags* — love.
And yet, despite the unbelievable diagnosis, Bit-na’s actions bely her feelings. She takes care to ensure Da-on is eating and comes to his defense when he aggressively confronts a man graphically speculating over the details of So-young’s murder. Unintentionally, Bit-na steps up to be Da-on’s guardian demon, and it’s a good thing, too, because his guardian angel can no longer fill the role as his protector.
Yeah, that’s right. Basement Halmoni is actually the angel Gabriel in disguise, and because of Da-on’s dying mother’s last prayer, Gabriel has been watching over Da-on and ensuring he found a new family in So-young. However, because heavenly law dictates that Gabriel can only protect those who are “good and poor,” he can no longer watch over Da-on. Apparently, just thinking about murder gets you assigned to the naughty list, so Gabriel tells Bit-na it’s up to her to protect Da-on. Oh, and by the way, Gabriel adds, I’ve had this prophecy that states that only you or Da-on can live, so if you save him, then you…*slices hand across neck*
And here we believed demon logic was convoluted, but it doesn’t hold a candle to laws ruling the Good Place. For starters, if Gabriel is on earth to protect the “good and poor,” then where the heaven was he when So-young was fighting for her life? Even if we chalk So-young’s murder as a fated event and that it was “her time” to go, what in the Minority Report is this BS stating the mere thought of killing someone is enough to revoke your guardian angel privileges? How loosey goosey are the angels with this law? Because if it is as black and white as Gabriel paints it, then hell must be overflowing with people who’ve been cut off in traffic or fantasized about killing their boss.
Then again, Da-on is doing a little more than fantasizing at this point. He’s gone from trying to prove Bit-na committed the forehead branding murders to actively hiding evidence that ties her to the killings. Since our detectives are without a murder-of-the-week case to solve, they and their new team leader are given Bit-na’s string of killings their full attention, which means Da-on has his work cut out from him if he wants to keep his new partner (Choi Dae-hoon) from figuring out he’s covering up Bit-na’s crimes.
Da-on’s new partner, however, is suspicious in more ways than one. Not only does he see Da-on delete the CCTV footage of Bit-na’s car driving past one of the murder scenes — and is, therefore, suspicious of Da-on’s motives — the man himself is totally sus. From the moment he transferred to their team, he only had eyes for Da-on, and it turns out his creepy obsession with our leading man is because he’s the demon Paimon in disguise.
Let’s rewind a wee bit because Paimon’s introduction to our plot is all thanks to Ah-rong, who idolizes Justitia and is equally invested in ensuring Justitia completes her assignment and returns to hell. So when Bit-na puts the brakes on her plans to kill J, Ah-rong assumes Bit-na’s feelings for Da-on are to blame. Extremely disappointed in her idol and hoping she can remind her of her true objective, Ah-rong summons Bael with a pentagram and tattles on Bit-na, but she’s not given the honor of killing Da-on. Instead, Bael has Paimon possess the body of a recently deceased detective and assigns him the glorious task of eliminating Da-on and — unbeknownst to Ah-rong — Bit-na. Given Paimon is Justitia’s biggest rival, he’s extremely eager to ruin her plans and send her lover boy to hell.
As much as I’ve grown to dislike Ah-rong’s erratic and obsessive behavior over the course of these episodes, I guess some grace must be given to her manipulative and backstabbing behavior because she is a demon, but she is only partially correct in assuming Da-on is the reason Bit-na isn’t moving forward with her plans. Yes, Bit-na is hesitating because she’s done the math and doesn’t want Da-on to be the final kill that helps her meet her quota of unrepentant murders, but her feelings for Da-on aren’t the only reason she’s hesitating.
You see, after So-young died, Bit-na and Da-on visited the morgue so Bit-na could use her demon powers to see So-young’s memories, and the face Bit-na saw standing over So-young in her final moments belonged to Tae-gyu’s younger, deadbeat brother. Without human Bit-na’s memories, though, she doesn’t identify Deadbeat Brother until he appears in his courtroom. Call it demon intuition, but Bit-na doubts Deadbeat Brother is capable of committing the serial murders. Just because he was present at the scene of the crime, it doesn’t mean he’s the killer, so until she can confirm (or disprove) he’s J, she gives him a light sentence and sends him on his merry way like the rest of her “victims.”
Given Bit-na’s connection to Deadbeat Brother’s family, her latest verdict causes enough of a stir — thanks to one unbiased reporter who can’t be bought off by Tae-gyu and Deadbeat Brother’s father — that her boss is forced to give her a one-month suspension. Not that Bit-na cares. She views the suspension as an extended vacation, giving her the freedom to investigate J’s identity and interview the surviving family members of all his victims to ensure none of them have forgiven the unidentified serial killer.
Unsurprisingly, the cold-blooded serial killer remains unforgiven by the thirteen victims’ families — including Bit-na and Da-on’s overly religious landlady. Although Religious Landlady lost and then rediscovered her faith following the murder of her middle school-aged son, she has not found it within her to follow her religion and forgive her son’s killer. Instead, she wants answers — why her son? So while she isn’t exactly wishing the killer would burn in hell, like Da-on, she does want him caught and brought to justice.
Bit-na still plans on serving up her own brand of justice, but she’s changed her mind in regards to Da-on. She doesn’t want to stab him with her demon knife and sentence him to an eternity in hell — not when her cleaning crew confirmed on her behalf that his whole family is in heaven. Instead, she’s going to protect him in Gabriel’s absence and ensure that Da-on is the one who survives Gabriel’s morbid prophecy. Bit-na believes the loophole to said prophecy is for her to complete her mission and return to hell. If she (Justitia) returns to hell, then human Bit-na will die and Da-on should, theoretically, live. Of course, Basement Halmoni/Gabriel refuses to confirm that this plan will work, which infuriates Bit-na and causes a random good samaritan to step in before she’s arrested for elder abuse. (Say what you will about the absolute randomness of The Judge from Hell’s theology, but watching Park Shin-hye and Kim Young-ok bicker as a demon and angel is pretty dang hilarious.)
Keeping Da-on out of hell might be a task easier said than done, though, thanks to Paimon and Ah-rong’s interference. Together, they blackmail Man-do into using his voice mimicking demon power to lure Da-on to a secluded location, and working under the false pretext that Bit-na is in danger, he hastily comes to her rescuing — driving off in such a rush that leaves his campfire burning and triggers every forest park ranger who’s preached wildfire prevention commercial.
Man-do, the little demon that turned good enough to receive aid from Gabriel, may have reluctantly assisted with Paimon and Ah-rong’s plan, but at the first chance, he escapes Ah-rong and warns Bit-na that Da-on is in trouble. Thankfully, Man-do had the forethought to bring Bit-na her combat boots, because when she reaches Da-on’s side, she proceeds to hand Paimon an epic beatdown full of CGI, glowing demon weapons, and wall smashing.
It was a nice change of pace from the weekly gore porn, and in this instance, Bit-na finds herself on the other end of Paimon’s mindfuckery when he casts an illusion that makes her believe Da-on is attacking her. The real Da-on yells her name and helps her break the illusion and skewer Paimon with his own weapon. He appears defeated, but one does not simply kill a demon. As soon as Bit-na turns her back on her foe to check on Da-on, he unpins himself from the wall, yanks his weapon from his chest, and sends it hurling in Bit-na’s direction. Annnnnd, that’s when Da-on steps in and heroically shields her with his body.
Whew, talk about a cliffhanger! But the last seconds of Episode 10 aren’t the only thing making me look forward to next week. Overall, I’d say these were my favorite episodes of the series so far, and a lot of it can be attributed to the fact that our drama is finally delving into the meat of our story and the mystery behind the elusive serial killer J. Our characters have begun to suspect — as viewers have for several weeks now — that the killer is probably Satan, given the ritualistic nature of the murders.
As for the identity of Satan, I’m with Bit-na on this one in believing it’s not Deadbeat Brother, but given he was at the scene of the murder and was later shown accessing the killer’s knife, Satan is likely a member of his family. Age-wise, the assemblyman seems more appropriate, given how long ago the initial murders occurred, but I suspect that Satan committed those murders in a different body and has since taken up residence in Tae-gyu’s body. For starters, if he jumped into a child’s body, that would partially explain his twenty-five year hiatus. Secondly, I imagine Satan is the vain type, so if he’s on the hunt for eternal life, he’ll want to spend eternity in a young, attractive meat sack. And finally, Tae-gyu accused Bit-na of not being the real Bit-na — and not in an oh-you-haven’t-been-the-same-since-you-almost-died kind of way. Instead, his statement was very accusatory, as though he was aware she was demon possessed.
And speaking of the real Bit-na, the drama keeps dropping breadcrumbs about her that makes me extremely curious about her character — and equally worried that the drama will never circle back to her in a satisfactory manner. We’ve been told that she was sent to hell by mistake, suggesting she was a good person, so I’ve been running with the assumption that she called off her marriage with Tae-gyu — and was subsequently murdered — when she realized he and his family were corrupt. However, Tae-young suggested human Bit-na was too bougie to associate with poor people — a trait that’s usually reserved for K-drama antagonists, or the lead’s love interest. (But we’re not going to go down the rabbit hole of what that would imply for our ending if Justitia returns to hell and the real Bit-na resumes living in her body.)
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- Park Shin-hye
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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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1 TwoCentsWorth
October 21, 2024 at 5:16 AM
Great recap Daebakgrits. I agree with the weaknesses of the show, but also that these were better episodes. We're finally moving! (Ofc, if we will close the plot circles is anyone's guess). And I really appreciate the recap because they threw in so much that I didn't even remember all of it. But two more items stood out to me:
1) ¡They've introduced Frankenstein into the plot!
2) The little rom-com moments (dabbing ointments for injuries, Soju drinking, etc) were adorable, and I loved that Bit-na learned them (incorrectly) from watching dramas. Ha ha.
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Dylan [Suffering from Judge from Hell brainrot]
October 21, 2024 at 6:00 AM
Her nursing him because that's what she saw in dramas... her fussing over the damage to his handsome face... then the "we can't do this!" and the way Daon imitates her later... Prime romcom from a show about demons killing people.
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ar_arguably romantic
October 21, 2024 at 4:32 PM
I nearly lost it when it turned out that the ointment was really lip balm.
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Aigoo-ka-choo
October 25, 2024 at 9:48 PM
Just because it's a bugbear of mine (and to save Mary Shelley's old bones from turning in her grave) - a reminder that they've introduced the idea that Satan/J is creating Frankenstein's MONSTER, who was created from stitched together body parts. Dr Frankenstein is the scientist...👀
Thanks for coming to my TED talk (and apologies for the anal interruption) 😬🙏
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Lostpanda is celebrating My Ajusshi 💔
October 25, 2024 at 10:01 PM
What’s an “anal interruption”?
🫣
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Seon-ha
October 26, 2024 at 7:15 AM
It's like an anal interjection, only longer.
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Aigoo-ka-choo
October 26, 2024 at 5:58 PM
Sounds like something the ladies might be selling in a Virtuous business, right??🤣 'Anal' in this context being nitpicking/OCD 👀
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TwoCentsWorth
October 26, 2024 at 4:36 AM
Really? 🤨 Though if we're nitpicking, I didn’t specify who Frankenstein was in this drama.
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Aigoo-ka-choo
October 26, 2024 at 6:01 PM
No offence intended TwoCents! - it's a general point not directly aimed at you, because it's a point of confusion I see often...
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2 Kafiyah Bello
October 21, 2024 at 5:42 AM
Episode 10 was all over the place for me. The mythology was off. Why would Bael allow Da On to be killed when he just saved him, his mindset may have shifted, but he was still an innocent. Why give Paimon permission to kill Justitia? Why would a demon not believe in God? It just seemed messy to me. The writer needed to get from point A to B, and so just made some stuff up. Very weird. I like episode 9 though.
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Dylan [Suffering from Judge from Hell brainrot]
October 21, 2024 at 5:58 AM
Yes, I'm a bit confused about Bael too. The whole reason he sent Justitia up here was bc she punished an innocent human. He punished her even more when she killed an innocent human (Daon). And now he's rules lawyering Paimon into making Daon kill someone? So Daon can be killed while obeying the letter of the law?
Did Bael even check on how Daon is impeding Justitia's mission? Or is he doing this bc he knows the Daon x demon ship is sailing?
Re: demons believing in God - I think it's more that Mando is actively *worshipping* God. I think they are all aware that God and angels exist.
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Kafiyah Bello
October 21, 2024 at 6:27 AM
Re: your last paragraph, that makes more sense.
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TwoCentsWorth
October 21, 2024 at 7:05 AM
“Did Bael even check on how Daon is impeding Justitia's mission?”
I may be giving the show too much credit but I suspect Bael has something up his sleeve that we’ll find out later.
But if not, you might think he’s acting like old J: act first, think later. On the other hand, I noticed the J did not kill the sus brother without a thought. And that’s character growth for her!
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RenOIshi
October 21, 2024 at 6:57 AM
Yeah that plot hit me like a slap in the face. It made no sense. At first I thought it was because he had sinned by swaying her. But then during the fight scene she cries out that Daon is innocent and Paimon agrees 🤔
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tabong
October 21, 2024 at 11:24 AM
The way I see everything is that Bael had been trying to get rid of Justitia since the beginning. He doesn't like her, but she's probably going to be his successor and he doesn't want that.
Otherwise I don't see the point of him sending the part timer demon to spy her, and then ask her enemy of 400 years to kill the human she happens to like and also kill her (which could be possible now that she's weak because she's becoming more humane).
I never thought Bael was trying to help her or help people, or help anyone. They're demons who feel proud of doing bad stuff, so I would be actually surprised if he really was trying to teach her a lesson on how to be "less bad".
I'm not saying the writing is all that tight, tho. It's just how I see it for now, but I don't really know where we're going.
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ar_arguably romantic
October 21, 2024 at 4:46 PM
I always thought Bael was rules guy since he brought Da-on back to life and I could understand if he appeared before Justitia and cut her down for getting human feelings, but the getting a third-rate lackey to do the job felt almost too human.
Looking back, I think you're right that he's been trying to find a way to get rid of her since the beginning. I wonder if the real Bit-na really was a terrible person who really did belong in hell and Justitia was just lied to.
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tabong
October 21, 2024 at 5:42 PM
I think he knows the prophecy, so he brought Da On back because the one who needs to die is Justitia.
He needed them to develop a bond and that's why he told her to not kill him and instead gave her more work on earth, to get them together.
The Bit Na mystery had something to do with Satan, but we still don't have new clues.
All we know is that he started to kill again because he wants everyone from the village to move out... Satan is probably the weirdest of the group.
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3 Dylan [Suffering from Judge from Hell brainrot]
October 21, 2024 at 5:57 AM
Fun fact: Christian Landlady and Daon's stepmom/boss are sisters IRL! Plus, the lady playing Christian Landlady's daughter in the drama... is *also* her daughter IRL.
I was literally thinking, "this seems like the type of show that would straight up kill the ML. I mean, there's no way there'll be a happy ending anyways"... And lo and behold, at the end of the episode, the ML gets killed off (??) did I manifest this?
Re: Arong and her behaviour with Justita - a lot of netizen noted the parallels between fans and how they treat idols who don't conform to expected behaviour...
On the romance front, she's not even hiding it anymore. She straight up said "the next guy who hurts my bf, I'll jinjja kill him" no wonder Arong, Mando, the entire villa and half of Hell suspects her.
my other fav scenes were the hug at the end, her tearing up on his behalf when they visited his childhood house, AND Daon's belief in his demon gf: "you'll never beat Kang Bitna anyways"
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Kafiyah Bello
October 21, 2024 at 6:28 AM
That is a fun bit of trivia. I did note that the woman who plays her daughter looks like her.
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RenOIshi
October 21, 2024 at 6:59 AM
Oh I thought they were all sisters IRL.
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Kafiyah Bello
October 22, 2024 at 5:43 AM
They are all sisters, I just read it on Soompi.
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TwoCentsWorth
October 21, 2024 at 7:08 AM
Oddly enough, I thought if only one could live, it’d be J who’d die. If nothing else, JYK cries so pretty, the producers could milk it to the max. LOL. While I do like my HEAs, I do appreciate a show that keeps us guessing, even about a tragic ending. It’s really my c-dramiest kdrama.
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hacja
October 21, 2024 at 7:53 AM
After watching the ridiculous overacting by Kim Jae-young during that funeral, I have to say I found it a major relief that he was the one stabbed in the back at the end. But maybe he'll come back as a demon, and they'll have a demon marriage, living happily ever after in hell.
(I know that is a phrase from a lyric of a Stephen Sondheim song in the musical Company, which I've never seen, but I doubt it describes a true happy ending.)
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TwoCentsWorth
October 21, 2024 at 8:41 AM
LOL. I can't defend that scene. I can only defend his teary eyes.
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Seon-ha
October 26, 2024 at 6:37 AM
We did NOT see the blade entering his body, and so by K-drama logic it did not.
I'm afraid I find this a little tedious.
hacja
October 26, 2024 at 11:59 AM
@attiton And....as it turns out, you were right! I'm continually impressed by your insight into these complex kdrama plot developments!
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stove
October 21, 2024 at 9:29 AM
What fun bits! I actually was thinking wow they cast the mother daughter duo really well!
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ar_arguably romantic
October 21, 2024 at 4:54 PM
Thank you for the awesome trivia! A whole acting family.
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4 hacja
October 21, 2024 at 10:13 AM
Thanks @daebakgrits for your recap, which as is often the case pretty much captures my sense of the show.
Believe me, I'm not taking it too seriously, but I’m still curious about the overarching “religious” vision here.
1. So demons are good people once they get to earth, unless they are, like Ah-rong, part of a secret demon policing group, or assigned by Bael to kill humans, like Paimon.
2. Satan as a separate devil is truly evil, more so than Bael, who seems constrained by some rules.
3. God is not omnipotent, and cannot stop Satan from gathering human limbs as a serial killer, but does occasionally seem to answer some prayers, very arbitrarily, via the angel Gabriel.
4. God or at least the angel Gabriel, is less forgiving than the demons, who can only kill unrepentant murderers, whereas Gabriel cannot help anyone who has even contemplated murder, which of course means the creators of this show are and probably most of the rest of us are done for.
5. The Christian faith is somehow so powerful that it mysteriously converted a demon, and causes a despairing mother to bloody her feet running to church barefoot. But the essence of belief in this show is not solace, and certainly not forgiveness. In fact the only people in the show who MIGHT believe in forgiveness are the police detectives, who have mysteriously dropped everything, even day to day cases, not to mention even a thought about who might have killed their dead colleague, to solve the vengeance killings of brutal murderers by Justitia. But once they capture her, will they say to her "serve your time and you are redeemed?" I’ll be interested in seeing what happens there.
Anyway, got to say Park Shin Hye is still looking pretty divine to me!
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DaebakGrits
October 21, 2024 at 10:58 AM
Yeah...there's a lot going on with this drama. 😅 My theory on your first point, though, is that the demons in this drama are kind of like the ones in the American show Lucifer. They are created in hell, but their origins don't necessarily make them innately evil. They're more a product of their environment until they are exposed to a new environment (earth, people, love, religion, etc.) that gives them a new perspective. But, yeah, I don't know where to begin in trying to rationalize or make sense of the rest of this drama's logic. haha
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hacja
October 21, 2024 at 11:03 AM
Makes sense. That is, I think it makes sense!
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tabong
October 21, 2024 at 11:38 AM
Gabriel is probably the most useless being in kdramaland's fantasy history. We really didn't need this character.
And why is this angel more annoying and mean than the demons? That scene at the restaurant made Gabriel seem like the demon, not justitia.
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Midnight
October 21, 2024 at 11:58 AM
You mean even more useless than the fantasy gang in Faith? or Go Kyung Pyo character in My Roommate is a Gumiho? Maybe it's a challenge by this point: Think of the most useless character you can shove in a fantasy...
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tabong
October 21, 2024 at 2:18 PM
But GKP was more like a cameo, right?
Gabriel is part of the show (even has a place in the promos pics/poster), and has the role of a holy angel who helps others, but literally does nothing in the whole drama while everyone is getting killed and used. This angel is here only to say that someone is going to die... Flash news: everyone dies, Gabriel. At least tell them when and how?
I don't remember the gang fantasy in Faith, so maybe they were even more useless? LOL
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5 Britney
October 21, 2024 at 12:12 PM
I don't find Daon's rage or grief particularly weird or out of place because people can lose their mind over grief and rage. He lost his entire family and then years later he lost the adoptive mother, that he idolized, to the same murderer (or in the same way). It's just not surprising to me that he's barely in control to the point where he would act that way at the funeral. People *do* get extra at funerals. It may be off putting, annoying, regrettable, etc but I didn't see it as unbelievable.
What I do find kinda strange is how obvious EVERYONE is. Justitia acts in VERY suspicious ways and she's always telling people she's a demon. She is the one who made the murders look like a serial case. Even if she can't be tied to the murders, she seems awfully corrupt. For Daon, he very obviously seemed to be covering for her which just makes him look more suspicious.
I don't understand this demon logic where both Daon and Justitia are deserving of death. Justitia was still carrying out her sentences even it Daon knew about it and was covering for her. In that instance, he wasn't impeding her progress so how was he a problem?
It was interesting to see the two men fight vs when Justitia fights.
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6 kimchiturka
October 21, 2024 at 1:42 PM
I think the sooner we all stop looking for any kind of logic in the rules of the „theology“ here, the better. Because spoiler alert: there will be none. It is exactly the same as The Angel's Last Mission, where we learned that if there is anything more convoluted and non-sensical than 90% of the usual fantasy K-dramas, it is K-dramas „based“ on Christianity, lol. I'm only here because the awesomely dressed demon and her police crush are pretty gorgeous together, and because of the sweethearts that are Mando and the nice cleaning demons.
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kimchiturka
October 21, 2024 at 1:43 PM
And because SSR kind of makes spiders look hot.
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Seon-ha
October 26, 2024 at 6:40 AM
He'd probably look less hot if he were actually shown walking on those legs. Can you imagine? With your human body all hanging there, useless, as your back legs scuttle along?
No, I didn't spend some time thinking about this instead of listening to the actors. 😬
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kimchiturka
October 29, 2024 at 6:15 AM
Iihihi! :))) Well that's why he's obviously using them just to show off, who cares about the anatomical correctness
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7 Britney
October 21, 2024 at 4:53 PM
Oh! I forgot to mention the moment when Daon was impaled. How?
I thought once the gehanna was said, the door to hell was supposed to open and the being is dead yet Paimon *supposedly* dies, the gehanna happens, and then he comes back to his senses enough to take the weapon out of himself and try to stab Justitia? This after it was said a demon can kill a demon.
Is the screenwriter just free writing?
It's funny that the things that stand out to me, that I don't like, are things others don't seem to care about or mention yet the things others find issue with, I think is believable or isn't that big a deal haha.
Like I can, objectively, understand someone who lost their faith getting back into it. The way it played out was kinda weird. I don't know how long she was in her grief striken stupor but the fact that her daughter was now the age her son was when he died seemed to be the catalyst. Maybe she wanted to pray for daughter's safety? Maybe it seemed like the only thing she felt she could do? I don't know cause it played kinda weird. She just seemed to be in a trance.
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8 ar_arguably romantic
October 21, 2024 at 5:30 PM
I love how Justitia knew that Mando and the Demon Cleaners were doing good deeds - going to church, killing the kidnappers, and paying for the young woman's hospital stay - and had been turning a blind eye to these deeds.
Da-On was a little much during the funeral, but after it had really hit me that the serial killer was trying to take parts (was it made clear before?), I can see how he lost it after what he had seen. It's not just the murders, but the utter brutality. And once Da-on's had 3 family members killed like that, he probably didn't expect the universe to come back to him in 25 years and be like "Sorry, bro. We need to take another one from you. I know the other families get to lose 1-2 family members, but you get to be extra special."
I am worried about his future with Justitia even if they both live. He is quite naïve and has very little genre-awareness to help him navigate. If I were Justitia, I would have been offended that he rushed off to save me after getting that "help me!" call. I hope he doesn't die, but I wouldn't be surprised if the drama kills him off since the story is mostly about Justitia's journey.
I'm not into religion, but it was great to see the church lady's faith destroyed and how she found it again. I loved her response when one of the visiting mourners was like "God was short on angels and needed your son to be one of his angels" and she's like "then maybe your son should die and be an angel too".
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tabong
October 21, 2024 at 5:49 PM
I'm giving him the grief card, because reacting to the call was plain stupid.
He knows Justitia is way stronger than any human, that means that only a demon or something could hurt her, and if that was the case, why would she call him? A weak human? Even if she didn't have her powers, again, why would she call him, a simple mortal? 😆 Plus, Justitia would never talk like that, and the phone call had TRAP written all over the place.
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ar_arguably romantic
October 21, 2024 at 6:17 PM
LOL! I know! Besides not making sense at all, I was disappointed he didn't know her well enough to realize that it wasn't her. Also, the only time she would probably ever call for help would be if she had run out of the soda that she is addicted to.
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tabong
October 21, 2024 at 7:53 PM
LMAO Yes!!
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9 9TailedVixen (formerly 9TailedFox)
October 22, 2024 at 12:33 AM
I have enjoyed this week's episodes (as always). A few thoughts:
1. Park Shin-Hye's acting chops is really carrying this drama. I've found myself overlooking plot holes etc because she's so awesome in this role!
2. Da-On really needs to become a little more worldly and pragmatic. He seems to be operating like a bull in a china shop at this point with his tantrum at the funeral and impetuously rushing off to rescue Justitia.
3. I cackled when Justitia's lackey was apologising and she told him she knew he was attending church and praised him for being all demon-y about it - lying and betraying etc! His Pikachu-Shocked expression made me LMAO!
4. Church/Landlady Ahjumma is a bit more bearable this week - not so sanctimonious and zealot-like and we see why she is the way she is.
5. Bael has something up his sleeve. Hopefully it's a twist that we can't see coming a mile away because where would be the fun in that?
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10 Carrie
October 23, 2024 at 1:54 PM
One thing I noticed was that the guy sent to kill our ML was told he couldn't kill him if he was innocent. So far our ML is still 'innocent' per the rules of the show. So I'm fairly certain that's something they will rely on to get him back. No clue how this show will end though, probably sad ending? But not yet I dont think. Also I love this show so much. So refreshing to see that a strong woman can be allowed to have romantic feelings and still be strong. Equally do I love that so far our ML is not weak or just a puppy like how it's usually when shows have a strong FL. Love power couples like this. Kind of gives Flower of Evil leads kind of vibes to a certain extent.
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11 Lostpanda is celebrating My Ajusshi 💔
October 24, 2024 at 12:21 AM
The Judge from Hell is better than it has any right to be.
I thought it was going to be a time killer while I wait for the real show that I wanted to watch. Instead, it’s turning into the show I’m looking forward to the most.
Major props to @daebakgrits for a brilliant and witty writeup that this show deserves. Well done!🫡
Major props to Park Shin-Hye for dominating the screen. She’s having too much fun in this role.
I typically don’t care for kdrama humor but that lip balm scene just about killed me.
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Margo of the Resilient Lip Gloss
October 24, 2024 at 2:59 AM
There was a lip balm scene ? Damn. Too bad I can't watch violence.
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Seon-ha
October 26, 2024 at 6:40 AM
Margo, please be absolved of any/all FOMO.
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12 Seon-ha
October 26, 2024 at 6:43 AM
Absolute highlight of the drama so far: The Angel Gabriel turning themselves into a handsome, dark-haired, tall, buff club kid. Bonus, of course, the club kid then turns **poof** into Kim Yeong-ok.
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13 s
October 30, 2024 at 6:01 AM
@DaebakGrits et al, I've been curating a thread detailing religious instances in this drama through a Christian lens. The majority of comments and scenes are actually referenced in the Bible, and those that seemingly do not are not in sacrilegious conflict with it. Of course, this is no one's first rodeo, and we all know the strong possibility that all of these symbols and references can be for naught in the final episodes, but as of now, these occurrences seem to be intentionally placed.
The thread is https://x.com/SandiKT/status/1840729016401109367. Anyone is welcome to DM me to discuss!
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14 🌸 Seeker 🌸
October 31, 2024 at 7:01 AM
Thank you for the recap. 😈👩⚖️👮♂️🔥 It really adds charm and humor to a show which has all that. Of course it is a little extra, 🤏🏻 🙄 but all is well in dramaland. Thst is why I thought Daon's outburst seemed valid, actually on point. K-dramas apparently have their own theology and nothing can be served in trying to make sense of that. Nevertheless, if anyone had told me that a show about a demon doing her devilish duty would be so hilarious (I want to see Bitna watching makjang) and romantic (sigh, Daon does have very pretty eyes), you could have knocked me down with a feather. The scenes of Bitna feeding Daon (thanks for the screencaps), applying lip balm on his hurt lip instead of ointment (she was understandably flustered), and the face-off with Gabriel are definitely scenes to remember. So ... Daon can't be killed twice can he. 🤞🏻 It is a bit early for him to go to Hell and we do have a few more weeks left. 😅 Let us then wait and watch how Bitna spins her magic. Park Shin-hye is really sinking her teeth in this role and it is one to be proud of. Like a reverse Uno of her role in Dr. Slump. Amazingly well done. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Kudos!!
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