Suspicious Partner Episode 38 Recap
Eun Bong Hee (Nam Ji Hyun) finds No Ji Wook (Ji Chang Wook) working in his office after meeting with District Attorney Jang. They agree to eat dinner together in the office. Bong Hee tells Ji Wook that District Attorney Jang was the prosecutor in the Park So Young case. She was brutally gang raped. Some of the rapists had influential parents and convinced District Attorney Jang to let their sons go. Park So Young was blamed for ruining the rapists’ lives. Unable to cope, Park So Young killed herself. They realize Hyun Soo has been methodically eliminating the men that raped Park So Young. Ji Wook recalls Hyun Soo claiming not to have killed the rapists but grateful that someone did. Bong Hee wonders what Ji Wook’s trial strategy will be.
At the morning meeting, Ji Wook surprises when he declares he’s going to charge Hyun Soo with rape.
Ji Wook informs Hyun Soo he’s charging him with the gang rape of Park So Young. Hyun Soo laughs. Ji Wook counters that Hyun Soo has been implicated by the other rapists. Hyun Soo asks if Ji Wook was compromised by the rapists with money. Ji Wook smiles and says he’ll see Hyun Soo in court.
Hmm, is Ji Wook’s strategy to incite Hyun Soo into confessing to killing the rapists AND exposing the rapists?
In court, Hyun Soo and rapist Min Young Hoon are charged with the gang rape of Park So Young. He lists the other rapists that are dead. Min Young Hoon’s attorney agrees to the charge while Hyun Soo’s attorney denies the charge.
Ji Wook questions Min Young Hoon. He confirms he and others raped Park So Young. He confirms Hyun Soo was participated in the gang rape. Ji Wook questions Hyun Soo. He claims Ji Wook is making the rape charge up. Ji Wook submits the police report where Park So Young included Hyun Soo as one of the rapists. Hyun Soo suggest the police report was fabricated. Ji Wook tells everyone that Hyun Soo was good friends with all the rapists. Hyun Soo denies this.
Ji Wook gets Hyun Soo to correct his version of the story with what really happened from Hyun Soo’s perspective. Ji Wook asks how Hyun Soo knows the details. Hyun Soo pauses then claims one of the rapists told him. Ji Wook has Hyun Soo list the seven rapists but he can only list six. Ji Wook presses him to name the last rapist. When Hyun Soo can’t. Ji Wook tells him he was the seventh. Hyun Soo doesn’t want to believe it.
Ji Wook recalls Bong Hee suggesting that Hyun Soo was one of the rapists per the police report. Bong Hee suggested that Hyun Soo suppressed the true memories and morphed it to what he wanted it to be.
Finally, after 38 episodes the real “amnesiac killer” touted in the promo materials for this series is actualized.
Hyun Soo denies being one of the rapists. Ji Wook assures him he was a rapist. Hyun Soo can’t take it in. Masterfully Ji Wook pushes his buttons. Hyun Soo explodes raging that he isn’t like them. He admits he killed the other rapists. Ji Wook asks for the proof. Hyun Soo sees how Ji Wook has manipulated him. He realizes his options are either admit to being a rapist or admit to killing the rapists. Ji Wook pushes him again when he acts uninterested in the confession to the other murders and continues with the rape charge. Hyun Soo declares the evidence to the murders is at a specific underpass. With a nod from Ji Wook, tells Cha Yoo Jung (Nara) and Assistant Jang (Jang Hyuk Jin) leave the courtroom to find the evidence.
That was a terrific moment. Ji Wook puts the screws to Hyun Soo and got exactly what he needed to send him to jail.
In a flashback, we see the rape charge was Ji Wook’s strategy to get Hyun Soo to provide the evidence they need to nail in for the murders.
With a smile for the judge, Ji Wook declares he’s done. He looks at Bong Hee knowing if the evidence if found, the Hyun Soo will finally be put away.
Yoo Jung and Assistant Jang and the police find a knife, bloody shoes, a body, and badge for Go Chan Ho.
Ji Wook gets the call from Yoo Jung and tells Bong Hee that sufficient evidence was found. They are relieved.
Back in the conference room, the lawyers share a meal to celebrate. Lawyer Ji Eun Hyuk (Choi Tae Joon) asks if Hyun Soo was one of the rapists. Bong Hee admits that Hyun Soo watched but did not rape (therefore he was an accessory). Assistant Jang puts it all in perspective. Hyun Soo liked Park So Young, but did nothing to protect her, became an accessory to the gang rape, in short, he was a coward. Bong Hee adds the Hyun Soo killed innocent people that witnessed his actions or thwarted him. Ji Wook believes the current rape trial will be morphed to include the murders Hyun Soo committed. Lawyer Ji asks if finally, Bong Hee’s name will be cleared when Hyun Soo is convicted for the murder she was falsely accused of. Lawyer Byeon Young Hee (Lee Deok Hwa) jokes that finally there will be sufficient evidence to clear her name. Smiles appear all around the table.
Lawyer Ji asks Bong Hee how things stand between Ji Wook and her. She admits things are still uncertain. He advises her to follow her heart. When Ji Wook enters the room, they stare at each other.
Bong Hee enters the empty courtroom. She remembers the first time she saw Ji Wook in his prosecutor robes. She remembers the trial. She remembers him declaring the mistrial because of the false evidence District Attorney Jang planted. She remembers falling in love with him. Ji Wook enters the courtroom. Bong Hee runs to him and throws her arms around him. They hug. They stare into each other’s eyes. Bong Hee kisses Ji Wook. He kisses her. It heats up.
My Thoughts
Hyun Soo admitted to the murders in court. He cannot wiggle out being the murderer anymore. I was pleased with Ji Wook’s strategy to force a confession from Hyun Soo. It worked like a charm. Hyun Soo had to either admit to raping the girl he likes OR admit to killing the rapists to avenge her. Unable to cope with the possibility that he raped, he admitted to the murders. But Ji Wook didn’t stop there, he used Hyun Soo’s taunting words against him and asked where the evidence was. That was satisfying! Hyun Soo identified his hiding place for the evidence and we got confirmation that Go Chan Ho was dead when his body was found. Hyun Soo was a smug irritating murderer that dodged almost every attempt to bring him to justice. Finally, his run of astonishing luck ended.
Lawyer Ji Eun Hyuk (Choi Tae Joon) urged Bong Hee to make up with Ji Wook. That was good advice and she acted on it.
Eun Bong Hee (Nam Ji Hyun) made up with Ji Wook. I liked that she hugged him first. She kissed him first. It was fitting because she was the one that pushed him away. They are a good couple. They have chemistry. Their kisses have a bit of sizzle, often lacking in kdramas which relish the sweet over the heat.
No Ji Wook (Ji Chang Wook) nailed Hyun Soo in court. He devised and executed a strategy that cracked Hyun Soo’s cool smug exterior and forced him to confess he was a multi-murderer AND provide the evidence to convict him. Super satisfying! Then we ended the episode with Bong Hee and Ji Wook kissing and making up. I’m a fan of Ji Chang Wook’s kissing technique. Nam Ji Hyun was a more than capable partner in the more intense kissing scenes. We all know that it’s natural to express love with physical contact. This kdrama acknowledged that fact with lovely moments between our couple. Last but not least, the hair stylist returned Ji Chang Wook to the swept back hair which is much better than the fashion of the moment split bangs.
What’s my wish list for the final episode?
* The series could have ended with this episode. I don’t NEED anything more, but I WANT more.
* Close the book on the murderer Hyun Soo and find him guilty and sentenced to jail.
* Lawyer Ji and Yoo Jung remove the self-imposed restraints and admit their feelings for each other.
* Warm, passion, and humor for our couple.
* Bonus – Ji Wook’s family and Bong Hee’s mother come to together and accept and bless their relationship.
Asian drama fan. I watch and blog dramas on https://kjtamusings.wordpress.com/.
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Hi!
Just decided to share my opinion on the episode.
Despite what Hyun-soo had done I still can’t hate him. Now, hear me out I agree that he deserves punishment. But think that him being in a mental asylum is a better option than prison. It`s obvious that he is an unstable person who suffers from a severe trauma that went untreated for 13 years.
About his past in my opinion the drama dragged the mystery far too long which is a shame. For a main villain he got the least screen time I`ve ever seen for an antagonist. I think the drama should have focused or explored more on him, as he feels at this point as a supporting cast. If the drama took a riskier route and made him the main protagonist. It would have been an intriguing take on a drama that has a thriller genre.
I found the trial scene too cruel. Yes I know I sound like a hypocrite. But there is nothing more terrifying than to remember that you were responsible for the fate of your beloved one. This whole time he believed what he was doing “justice” by killing the ones who raped her. I`m well aware that he hurt innocent people too.
Not remembering that he was there and could have done something and that just what makes him all the more tragic. But then what could he have done? Him against 6? Back then he was a different person.
One of the rapists described him as a coward and a loser. But we had to keep in mind who is telling the story and if it’s actually true. Sadly victim is dead and if she was alive she probably would have recalled events differently. The scene where we see her running away from presumably Hyun-soo. Was that after or before the gang rape? What I`m saying there’s still so much untold of that horrific incident.
Overall maybe it’s because I’m too kindhearted and believe in giving people a second chance. Also, it was probably because of Dong-Ha performance that made me sympathize toward his character. Whenever he cried or was at a vulnerable state my heart just broke.
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Verity Rose, welcome and thanks for sharing your thoughts!👍
I think the drama should have focused or explored more on him, as he feels at this point as a supporting cast. If the drama took a riskier route and made him the main protagonist. It would have been an intriguing take on a drama that has a thriller genre.
I had a hard time with Hyun Soo’s smugness and ability to escape the law repeatedly. I found the reason why he killed not compelling. If he had been one of the rapists would that have been more compelling? I don’t know. The victim was a memory of Hyun Soo’s and didn’t evoke any feelings. Plus they didn’t have a real relationship, he liked her. The actor that played Hyun Soo, Dong Ha, did a fine job. Circling back to your point, Hyun Soo was a supporting player. It is tricky balancing murder, romance, and comedy and Writer Kwon struggled with this at times.
there is nothing more terrifying than to remember that you were responsible for the fate of your beloved one…he believed what he was doing “justice” by killing the ones who raped her…
Not remembering that he was there and could have done something and that just what makes him all the more tragic. But then what could he have done? Him against 6? …The scene where we see her running away from presumably Hyun-soo. Was that after or before the gang rape? What I`m saying there’s still so much untold of that horrific incident.
Writer Kwon made Hyun Soo’s pursuit of the rapists hidden and murky. If it had been clearer perhaps that would have made him appear more vigilante oriented but it wasn’t that way. Hyun Soo had no qualms using, lying, manipulating, and hurting Assistant Jang, Bong Hee, and Ji Wook. Regarding her running away, I’m assuming she was running from the gang of guys, Hyun Soo included.
Overall maybe it’s because I’m too kindhearted and believe in giving people a second chance. Also, it was probably because of Dong-Ha performance that made me sympathize toward his character. Whenever he cried or was at a vulnerable state my heart just broke
I agree that Dong Ha’s performance was good. The first episode when Hyun Soo appeared to be wrongly accused I found him compelling. I hope to see more from this actor.
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OMO, my 🍭-faced Chan Ho was a rapist?! Looks can certainly be deceiving and now we have confirmation of his death 💀 it. Ji Wook was brilliant in charging Hyun Soo with rape and aggravating Hyun Soo on the witness stand; I was so glad Hyun Soo FINALLY admitted to the murders and the rapists were exposed! I hope we have seen the last of Hyun Soo’s smirk 😏. I concur with KJT that the writers took their sweet time (38th episode) to reveal the “amnesiac killer”. Why ❓ bother promoting amnesia, when it took so long to reveal; it seemed anticlimactic. 😪😴
@Verity Rose indicated Hyun Soo would have had 6 against him in an attempt to stop 🚫 the rape; Hyun Soo could have at least suggested it was a bad idea, which may or may not have made a difference. Hyun Soo didn’t take the opportunity to stop 🚫 the rape or to be a witness against the rapists after the fact. I concur with KJT that Hyun Soo’s smugness 😏, pushing his guilt of his crimes to other people, like Bong Hee, and murdering 🗡 anyone who potentially got in his way without a shred of remorse left me without feeling any pity for him. Actor Dong Ha did an excellent 🏆 job portraying Hyun Soo, he was oh so hate-able. I look 👁👁 forward to seeing more of Dong Ha’s work.
I ❤-ed it when Lawyer Byeon questioned Bong Hee “Ms. No Evidence, are you going to be Ms. Enough Evidence⁉” and then called her “Lawyer Eun”. Now we need to get Bong Hee’s Dad cleared of suspicion of murder 🔥 and clear the air between our OTP’s parents.
It was gratifying to see Bong Hee take the initiative to reconcile 💋 with Ji Wook.
I am in complete agreement with KJT’s wish list.
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Ji Wook was brilliant in charging Hyun Soo with rape and aggravating Hyun Soo on the witness stand; I was so glad Hyun Soo FINALLY admitted to the murders and the rapists were exposed
That was a stroke of genius. My hats off to Writer Kwon for that plot point.
Actor Dong Ha did an excellent 🏆 job portraying Hyun Soo, he was oh so hate-able.
Hyun Soo was hateable. But it was almost everything else BUT the murders that made me hate him.
I ❤-ed it when Lawyer Byeon questioned Bong Hee “Ms. No Evidence, are you going to be Ms. Enough Evidence⁉” and then called her “Lawyer Eun”.
Sweet moment. Bong Hee has Ji Wook’s second father’s approval.
It was gratifying to see Bong Hee take the initiative to reconcile 💋 with Ji Wook
She had to make the move and she did. Bully for her.
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