GABDONGI EPISODE 17
Recap:
Just before Section Chief Cha can be released, the prosecutor and district attorney arrive with a suspension of the statute of limitations. Mu Yeom is put in charge of the investigation. Tae Oh's mother is working on a defense with the legal team while Tae Oh considers what Maria told him about going after Gab Dong. In the hallway, our favorite chaebol crazy man is shivved, Ho Seok screaming, "I am the real Gab Dong!" Chul Geon is taken back into the fold by the police. Mu Yeom is given a CAT scan and the results are not good: he is suffering a subdural hemorrhage from the bullet lodged in his head. Tae Oh's lawyers attempt to bribe the inmates at the asylum for testimonies.
Section Chief Cha mentions the Eiffel Tower, which Mu Yeom questions various people about -- including Tae Oh -- feeling that it's some sort of clue to the next victim. Ji Wool gets to work on her next web toon, spending time with Tae Oh. She makes a comment about how she'll make him a person yet. Maria questions Cha's wife, who later lets the former section chief know that she followed his instructions. Maria meets with the section chief and he attempts to strangle her. Then he comes to his senses, looking genuinely rattled by his actions. Maria believes that Section Chief Cha has multiple personalities and wants to do a psych eval; perhaps he's not fit to testify at his trial. Mu Yeom and Chul Geon aren't buying it. It doesn't fit. They start to discuss the best way to protect Maria and take down Gab Dong...
Section Chief Cha locks his hand around Maria's throat.
My take:
Mu Yeom seems to be heading down the road of the tragic hero. That is, he has a bullet lodged in his head thanks to Chul Geon and his condition requires immediate surgery. The mere fact that he's not under the knife in this episode makes me think that once he nets Gab Dong, he will not live to celebrate his victory. Kill off the hero. The 'Iris' series was infamous for this. I'm hoping I'm wrong.
The mystery of the Eiffel Tower has everyone on edge, particularly Tae Oh. At first he didn't seem interested, now his mouth is set in a line of grim determination. There are some parallels in this case to the Zodiac Killer. That serial killer also disseminated information in riddles and the police logged many, many man-hours trying to crack his ciphers, some of which remain unsolved. I like that Tae Oh is beginning to care. I think he sees how well things will go for him if he helps nab Gab Dong.
Tae Oh, intent on solving the mystery of the Eiffel Tower reference.
Ji Wool worries me more and more every time she pops up. This episode particularly as she spends time with Tae Oh, who is very clearly not right in the head. She wants to "make a person out of him." Oh lovely. She wants to *change* him. That scenario never goes well. Aside from the heartache, he is a serial killer. What part of that does she not understand? Maybe I'm off base here, maybe I'm being too harsh on our favorite chaebol psycho. He did seem to indicate Maria and Ji Wool were civilizing influences, but I'm still not so sure. For my money, the best policy is to stay away. Far away.
Maria has now almost completely gone into victim mode this episode. Gone are the clinical analyses and calculated questions. Now she is reckless, willing to walk into the lion's mouth heedless of the danger. Consulting with Section Chief Cha, she almost expresses a desire not to take down Gab Dong, which is very indicative of victim mode, being drawn to them, sympathetic to these killers, perhaps afflicted with Stockholm Syndrome. I'm hoping Mu Yeom's plan to protect Maria works because otherwise she could well end up as the next victim.
With a mere 3 episodes left, we'll eventually see how this turns out. I'm equal parts elated and sad because I like this show, and if I had one complaint about K-drama series, it's that they're too damn short. I want more, I want Mu Yeom's quirkiness and Chul Geon's loose cannon tactics, along with Tae Oh and Maria and Ji Wool and all the rest of them. I could see dragging this through several seasons, though the story arc would have to be revised somewhat. But I'm rambling, now. Bear with me. We're almost there.
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