[Drama Review] 'Gabdongi' - Episode 8

AKP STAFF

GABDONGI EPISODE 8

Mu Yeom is beginning to doubt his sanity. This has been hinted at before, but now he admits it to Maria. Pacing about the station, Mu Yeom kicks at a wall and Chul Geon remarks on it: Tae Oh must be getting to him. Mu Yeom even warns his partner not to tell him if they find Tae Oh, because our hero�is likely to kill him. When Mu Yeom finds out where his fellow cops are looking, he calls Officer Young Ae to confirm the location. She won't tell him initially, but finally capitulates when he says he's decided to commit the fifth murder. Why would she do that? That would make me less inclined to tell him where I thought Tae Oh might be holed up, but that's me. Maybe she figured he'd be less dangerous if she just gave up the info.

Once Tae Oh sets his mind to something, he sees it through to the end. He captures Ji Wool and phones Mu Yeom with her cell, telling Mu Yeom he'd better go through with the fifth murder. After a conversation with her, he takes her to a greenhouse, and sends a message with her phone: "Time's up." What's interesting is that there doesn't seem to be any of the toying with Ji Wool as there had been with the other victims, which made me wonder: What's he waiting for? Does he really think Mu Yeom's going to cave, or is this just some sick game to further wear away at Mu Yeom's mental state?

Turns out Ji Wool was simply bait. Tae Oh�commits the fifth murder, and it's not Ji Wool, merely someone he met at the greenhouse.

Ji Wool's crush on Mu Yeom turns out to be her undoing as she has played right into the hands of Tae Oh. She guesses that she's going to die and her bravado wins out. She defiantly waits for the end. She even converses with her would-be killer, and he lets her upload a web toon that gives clues to her location. �

Ji Wool and Tae Oh's relationship just gets weirder here. She has frank discussions with him, and he's more forthcoming than he has been with anyone so far. When she asks if he's a psychopath, he tells her that it's not that simple. He even asks her what it's like to care about someone, and she relates that it's miserable. This confuses Tae Oh. "Then why do it?" he asks. "It just happens," she tells him. He admits he likes Maria, and doesn't know if "it"�has happened, "but it could happen, if it were with Dr. Maria." What is "it," she asks. "Me changing," he replies. For some reason, a chill went through me at that point. I'm not sure that's a good thing. �

I like how the writers explore Mu Yeom and Ji Wool's relationship.� We see a scene in flashback in which�Mu Yeom stops Ji Wool from jumping off a bridge, trying to commit suicide in the wake of rumors at school that she is a thief. She blames Mu Yeom for this, since he busted her for trying to steal from the temple. Despite the one-sided crush, there's no lack of regard for Ji Wool, either. I think it's a genuine friendship, and not just responsibility that forces him to act rashly in this episode. With Ji Wool's life at stake, Mu Yeom is spurred to action.

It seems Chul Geon's job is in danger as the district attorney reminds Section Chief Cha that Chul Geon will be fired if the fifth murder takes place. The scene seems to linger a bit,as if to indicate that the Section Chief might be gunning for Chul Geon's job? This has caused�Chul Geon to feel frustrated, I can tell. But he doesn't let it stop him from doing his job, endangered though it might be.�

Gentleman Choi puts in a request to see Dr. Maria. He admits that he's Chul Geon's spy, and passes on a note. Upon his return, he notes the appearance of a Bible in his room with one verse underlined. A threat of some kind, no doubt. He takes the note from Dr. Maria before she could copy the numbers it contains. We learn in flashback that the numbers are a phone number that our mysterious inmate dialed.� Choi refuses to answer any more questions. Later, Maria enters his cell, and a look of horror mars her features.

Did Tae Oh get impatient and just kill someone else, or was this his plan all along? It seems pretty obvious he intended Mu Yeom to find the corpse. Did Ji Wool make a connection with a killer, and what does that say about her? Now she and Maria have more in common than ever before. Is Ji Wool likely to put her jealousy aside so they can team up and catch this guy? And what did Dr. Maria find in Gentleman Choi's cell?

If you keep watching, I'll keep watching (and likely keep asking questions).� Tell me what you think below!