The Game Towards Zero Episode 4

The Game Towards Zero Episode 4

Kim Tae Pyung (Ok Taec Yeon) tells Team Leader Han Dong Woo to verify Mi Jin is okay. Team Leader Han calls Mi Jin. She doesn’t answer. He calls Mi Jin’s mother who reports Mi Jin just suffered a convulsion. She’s laying her father’s arms. Team Leader Han tells her to call if anything else happens.

Everyone is relieved. Team Leader Han wants to talk to Tae Pyung about the murder’s face he saw in the vision.

In the interrogation room, Tae Pyung tells Team Leader Han that 20 years ago he visited an orphanage at met the boy. Tae Pyung asks the orphanage’s name. Hope Orphanage is the answer. Watching via the two-way mirror, Chief Nam reacts. Tae Pyung states when he returned from living in the states, the orphanage was closed. Tae Pyung admits he saw himself in the man’s death scene. Team Leader Han tries to treat this information as a possibility. Tae Pyung states in the death scene he’s the man’s hostage, the police surround him, and the man commits suicide. Team Leader Han says there’s nothing to do. The orphanage is closed, the man’s death is in the future and Mi Jin is alive. Tae Pyung points out Mi Jin will be murdered. Team Leader Han says there no proof. He needs verification that Tae Pyung can see people’s deaths. Tae Pyung agree to be tested.

Detective Seo Joon Young (Lee Yun Hee) arrives and doesn’t understand why Team Leader Han doesn’t believe Tae Pyung. Team Leader Han believes Tae Pyung could have been an accomplice in Mi Jin’s abduction.

Tae Pyung sits alone in the interrogation room. He relieves Mi Jin’s death scene. He realizes that the man knew he’s look at Mi Jin’s photo again. He wonders how the man knew that. Joon Young enters the room. Tae Pyung asks if she doesn’t trust him too. Joon Young tells him she’s confirming his skills. She shows the first victim. Officer Joon describes his death. Tae Pyung describes his death. It’s identical.  She shows the second victim. Officer Joon describes her death. Tae Pyung describes her death. It’s identical.  She shows the third victim. Officer Joon describes her death. Tae Pyung describes her death. It’s identical.  Everyone behind the two-way mirror is stunned. Tae Pyung asks Joon Young why she showed her mother’s photo when they first met. She asks how he knew it was her mother.

Death scene…Joon Young’s mother holds her just after birth. Joon Young’s father talks to his wife. She names Joon Young for bright and shining.

Joon Young is surprised her mother named her.

Death scene…Joon Young’s mother apologizes for leaving.  Joon Young’s father doesn’t believe his wife will die but she does.

Tae Pyung tells Joon Young her mother died peacefully. Joon Young struggles to not cry. She apologizes. Tae Pyung says her father would be proud of the woman she’s become. He wonders if they saved Mi Jin because of her belief. He admits he doesn’t understand why the death scene changed then. But he wants to save Mi Jin now.

Chief Nam isn’t interested in Tae Pyung’s help. He warns her to catch the culprit quickly.

Joon Young tells Tae Pyung Chief Nam doesn’t his help. Tae Pyung suggests they catch the culprit before MY is killed. Tae Pyung shares that the killer knew he’d be watching the death scene. Tae Pyung doesn’t understand why the killer knew this. Little to they know that Coroner Goo is watching them. After Tae Pyung drives away, Coroner Goo Do Kyung (Im Joo Hwan) gets Tae Pyung’s contact information from the visitor log.

Tae Pyung tells Teacher Baek about his visit to the police station. He asks Lawyer Lee to arrange for a sketch artist. Tae Pyung says the murderer is the boy from the orphanage 20 years ago. Teacher Baek wonders if this is how they will meet.

Hmmm, what does that mean?

Chief Nam thinks about the boy at the orphanage 20 years ago.

Flashback…The boy that sees his father brought to the crime scene with crowds screaming murderer. Detective Nam makes the man reenact his crime. Reporter Lee is there too. Horrified what people are calling his father the boy screams for him.

Flashback…Chief Nam visits at Hope Orphanage and sees Joon Young walking next to the boy from the crime scene. He grabs her and whisks her away.

Chief Nam learns the Orphanage closed in 2004 due to a fire which destroyed the records. He asks about the boy he thought died. He’s told the boy’s friend identified his friend. He’s told the boy committed suicide per his friend.

Flashback…We see Coroner Goo looking at pictures at a young Joon Young.

Joon Young learns Hope Orphanage closed in 2004. She explains she stayed there briefly. She asks about Chief Nam’s whereabouts.

Chief Nam worries that if the boy didn’t die, then he’s planned these crimes.

Flashback…3 years ago…Chief Nam gets gifts from his team for his promotion. A man calls him. He says he knows the real culprit in the Jo Pil Doo cases. Chief Nam says this must be a prank. The man insists the killer is still killing. The man says the real killer’s name is Kim Hyung Soo.  He says the man runs an animal shelter in the country.

It looks like the caller was Coroner Goo.

Chief Nam arrives at the animal shelter. It looks deserted.

Flashback…Chief Nam arrives at the animal shelter. He enters the shed but doesn’t find the box the caller said would be there.

Chief Nam learns the owner of the animal shelter went missing 3 years ago and uses two names – Kim Young Bae and Kim Hyung Soo.

Flashback…Chief Nam repeats the information the caller gave him. The caller asks Chief Nam if he’s more worried about everyone learning he arrested the wrong man.

Good question!

At the hospital, Joon Young and Officer Joon and Officer Bong wait until it is 7:30pm. Mi Jin is safe. As they leave, they agree to keep watch. Coroner Goo watches them walk away. He sees the single guard at Mi Jin’s door.

Joon Young calls Tae Pyung to let him know Mi Jin is okay. He asks to meet her tomorrow. He says he’s got something to show her. Tae Pyung turns to the sketch artist and has him adjust the hair color.

Gosh that does look like Coroner Goo.

Coroner Goo passes Mi Jin’s room and is ID’d. He sees the police officer telling a doctor friend he can’t make rounds between 6 and 8pm. The doctor isn’t pleased. Captain Lee walks past Coroner Goo. He doesn’t recognize Coroner Goo but Coroner Goo stares after Captain Lee.

Lawyer Lee looks at the sketch and wonders why a good looking man would kill. Coroner Goo calls Tae Pyung. He looks around his house. Coroner Goo asks why Tae Pyung is trying to save Mi Jin. He asks if Joon Young is the reason. Tae Pyung gets angry. Coroner Goo says that he’ll understand what this is about soon enough. He hangs up. Lawyer Lee asks if everything is okay.

Tae Pyung looks at a picture of a man in a coffin.

That’s a weird picture to have on a wall.

The reporter asks Captain Lee what to do about the Jo Pil Doo angle. Captain Lee tells him to run an article titled “The midnight killer copycat…did Jo Pil Doo instigate the crime”?

The public eats up the article. New reporters tell how Jo Pil Doo is in prison, how the crime mimics one of Jo Pil Doo’s crimes, etc.

The police aren’t impressed with the sensational reporting.

Coroner Goo reads the article.

Tae Pyung listens to the news reports.

Tae Pyung arrives at the police station. Joon Young gets a call from Officer Ji who states the DNA from the scene matches Jo Pil Doo. Joon Young is surprised. Officer Ji reports the footprint was made by the same sneakers Jo Pil Doo wore 20 years ago. Joon Young says a man in prison didn’t abduct Mi Jin. Officer Ji agrees and said she looked into it further. On the day Mi Jin was abducted Jo Pil Doo was on a day pass for cancer treatment at the local hospital. Joon Young tells Officer Ji she’ll check out the information. Tae Pyung asks to go with her.

Team Leader Han tells Chief Nam that Jo Pil Doo was out of prison on the day Mi Jin was abducted. He warns Team Leader Han this news can’t get out.

There’s a protest at the prison. Everyone is yelling execute him. The reporter on the scene calls Captain Lee to detail the scene. Captain Lee directs him to make sure the focus stays on Jo Pil Doo. The reporter tells Captain Lee that Joon Young is at the prison. Captain Lee repeats the news. Coroner Goo is right next to him and overhears. He puts a cell phone in the garbage can next to Captain Lee.

Mi Jin tells her mother that dad sent a text. Mi Jin’s mother reads the text which asks her to get something from the car in the basement parking garage. She calls her husband but he doesn’t pick up because he’s talking to the reporter. Mi Jin tells her mother she’ll be safe with the police officer outside her room. Mi Jin’s mother asks the officer to guard her daughter well. Coroner Goo approaches the room wearing a mask.

Inside the prison, Joon Young, Officer Joon, and Tae Pyung learn that Jo Pil Doo was out of the prison on the day Mi Jin was kidnapped.

Back at the hospital, a distraction in the hallway causes the police officer to leave his post. Coroner Goo enters Mi Jin’s room. She stares at his eyes but there isn’t a flicker of recognition.

Jo Pil Doo is brought to the interrogation room. Tae Pyung stares at his eyes. He thinks back to the seventh victim’s death scene. The murder WAS NOT Jo Pil Doo. Joon Young talks to Jo Pil Doo and tells him they are investigating an abduction. Jo Pil Doo declares he didn’t kill anyone. Joon Young says her father died because of him.

Flashback…a young Joon Young is at the police station when JPG is brought in. She asks him why he killed her father.

Jo Pil Doo recognizes Joon Young. She holds up the picture of the victims. Jo Pil Doo screams his confession from 20 years ago. Joon Young realizes he memorized the confession. Jo Pil Doo starts spitting blood. The officers drag him away. Joon Young shows Mi Jin’s picture and asks if he tried to kill her. Tae Pyung flashes to the man saying he needed to experience what his power could do. Tae Pyung realizes this is what the man meant. Tae Pyung tells Joon Young that Jo Pil Doo isn’t the serial killer. Tae Pyung says the seventh victim wasn’t killed by Jo Pil Doo. Joon Young asks if Jo Pil Doo was framed. Tae Pyung realizes the framing of Jo Pil Doo was the point to this. He grabs Mi Jin’s photo and stares. He sees her murdered but the clock changes from 1900 to 1600!!!

OMG, talk about messing with your head!

Tae Pyung says Mi Jin’s death changed again. He says that changing Mi Jin’s fate wasn’t their will to save Mi Jin but the murderer’s message that he can change fate.

We see Coroner Goo leave Mi Jin’s hospital room. She’s dead on the floor.

Tae Pyung, Joon Young and Officer Joon look at their watches and realize Mi Jin could be dead. They rush away.

At the hospital, Mi Jin’s mother sees no one at her daughter’s room. The police officer gets a call from Joon Young. Mi Jin’s mother finds her daughter on the ground. The police officer rushes in. Captain Lee arrives. Other officers arrive. Captain Lee finds his daughter dead on the ground. Joon Young hears the commotion in the background. They sprint to their cars. The reporter sees them leaving quickly and wonders why.

The police officer reports Mi Jin is dead. Joon Young orders the hospital sealed. Tae Pyung tells the officer what the masked murder looked like include a cut on his forearm and sneakers. We see Coroner Goo’s cut on his forearm. We see him change out of the clothes he killed Mi Jin in. Joon Young order the officer to search for the culprit. The officers in the hospital are alerted. Coroner Goo sees the commotion and avoids the police. He exits down the stairs into the parking garage. He gets into his car. He exits only to run into a policeman. They ask him to step out of the car. Fake out…it’s not Coroner Goo!

Instead Coroner Goo strolls up the stairs.

Mi Jin’s mother holds her dead daughter and sobs. Captain Lee can’t believe it. He backs away. He sees room number without his daughter’s name. He closes his eyes and slumps to the ground in grief.

Tae Pyung gives Joon Young the sketch of the culprit. She stares at the sketch. Tae Pyung asks if she knows him. Joon Young says is Coroner Goo.

Flashback…Joon Young recalls her discussion with Coroner Goo.

She tells him it’s Coroner Goo.

Team Leader Han tells Chief Nam the hospital is seal and Mi Jin is dead. Chief Nam is shocked. He says they have a sketch from Tae Pyung. Chief Nam says they need to go to the hospital.

In the doctor’s lounge, Chief Nam learns the girl in 307 was just killed. He feigns shock.

Tae Pyung stand outside the sealed hospital.

Nightmare…a young Coroner Goo asks Tae Pyung how he dies. An adult Coroner Goo says Tae Pyung will lose something precious to him then he’ll understand.

Joon Young asks for Coroner Goo’s cell phone number.

Coroner Goo arrives in the hallway to see Captain Lee yelling at the officer. He tells the police officer he’s a coroner and hear there was a murder. He gets a call from Joon Young. She asks where he’s at. She asks if he’s on the third floor. Joon Young confirms this. He smiles at Captain Lee’s pain.

Tae Pyung thinks his prediction to the young Coroner Goo turned into a curse.

My Thoughts

Coroner Goo murdered Mi Jin. Writer Lee revealed Jo Pil Doo was Coroner Goo’s falsely accused father. Mi Jin’s abduction pointed a potential finger at Jo Pil Doo. But Joon Young and Tae Pyung’s prison visit made Tae Pyung realize Jo Pil Doo was not the murder of the seventh victim. Someone else is the midnight serial killer. WHO? If Coroner Goo abducted Mi Jin to reveal his father’s innocence, he killed Mi Jin to hurt Captain Lee who crucified his innocent father with news coverage. How can Coroner Goo wait patiently for Joon Young to arrive with a sketch of him and the cut on his forearm from Mi Jin? Will he scoff at Tae Pyung’s visions? Tae Pyung will recognize Coroner Goo from his vision. Writer Lee, revealing Coroner Goo in the last episode surprised me. Revealing his father was the falsely accused Jo Pil Doo and letting him wait for Joon Young and Tae Pyung like he doesn’t have a care in the world surprises me this episode.

The reveal that Chief Nam knew Jo Pil Doo wasn’t the serial killer and that he whisked a young Joon Young away from a young Coroner Goo at the orphanage tied Joon Young and Coroner Goo together in a way I wasn’t expecting. Chief Nam’s appeared to be guilty about something, so Jo Pil Doo wrong imprisonment was logical. When did Chief Nam know Jo Pil Doo wasn’t the killer?

Detective Seo Joon Young (Lee Yun Hee) realized Jo Pil Doo recited his confession. She was surprised but not surprised when Tae Pyung declared Jo Pil Doo did not murder the seventh victim. She believes in Tae Pyung’s ability. The interrogation victim lineup was hard to watch. Joon Young has to be the precious one that Tae Pyung will lose.

Kim Tae Pyung (Ok Taec Yeon) saw Mi Jin murder by Coroner Goo…and then the clock flipped backwards 2 hours. Tae Pyung’s prediction of a young Coroner Goo’s suicide changed him. With this episode’s reveal that Coroner Goo will commit suicide holding Tae Pyung hostage surrounded by police, should mean that his culpability will be revealed and Tae Pyung’s prediction would come true. But now we can’t fully trust Tae Pyung’s visions with Coroner Goo’s machinations. What did Teacher Baek mean when wondered if this was how Tae Pyung would meet “him”?

I rate this episode as terrific, 9 on a 10-point scale.

About KJT (aka kjtamuser)

Asian drama fan. I watch and blog dramas on https://kjtamusings.wordpress.com/.

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