Ok, it’s official: Jung Hae In for Batman, please. I like him so much more than any of the current incarnations (sorry, Christian Bale!). His integrity makes him stand out in amazing and thrilling ways. Team Woo Tak forever!!

Are Bats Colorblind?

Actually, Woo Tak having Batman for his idol is an interesting parallel. In those same Christian Bale Batman movies, Bruce Wayne takes his greatest fear — bats — and turns them into a symbol of strength. Woo Tak moves one step beyond that in admitting to his greatest weakness, facing up to his greatest fear (losing his job on the police force), and showing that his weakness IS an enormous strength — heightened night vision and a better perception of light and shadow than most people.

Have I mentioned lately that the writing is brilliant? BRILLIANT, I TELL YOU.

Death Comes for the Investigator

My unni-nim warned me that Park Hye Ryun, the writer, tends to put beloved character deaths in her dramas. I was on pins and needles for Woo Tak a lot of the time, especially after he got stabbed in the chicken restaurant. (Instead, we got a nice recovery shot….*AHEM*) But after I realized that Investigator Choi was the AWOL soldier’s brother, and as his mentorship of Jae Chan turned into friendship, I knew whom it would be. That didn’t rob Investigator Choi’s death of its emotional impact, though. (Word to the wise: Don’t rewatch that scene if you don’t want to tear up and be useless for a little while. Sheesh.)

Anyway, his storyline was beautifully wrapped up — his protectiveness of Yu Beom because he shared his brother’s birthday, his final moments where he gives Jae Chan time to speak to his earlier self, his acceptance of his fate for the greater good — it all drew together so well and solidified my love of Investigator Choi. It will be interesting to rewatch this drama and see the moves he makes knowing that he has the dreams too.

Tick Tock, Justice Doesn’t Knock

Yu Beom. I haven’t hidden my loathing of him at all. I think Jae Chan hit the nail on the head when he was confronting Yu Beom in the interrogation room — it’s not that Yu Beom had bad luck, but that he kept insisting that the wrong answer was the right one. I’m not sure that he qualifies as a psychopath, but that moral compass of his that tormented him in the last episode? It went over the building with the serial killer. He was completely and totally gone, morally corrupted, and he did not care. The court was right to give him life imprisonment, because had he been released to society, he would have continued to make those choices, eliminating anyone in his way.

And now I understand — that hand washing he was doing after losing a trial wasn’t about the filthiness of his clients. It was about his anger at himself. He may have had a shot at redemption in the beginning of his career, when Investigator Choi was willing to be his mentor, but he chose the path lined with power and money, and when he was caught, all those who were supporting him fled, leaving him to go to hell on his own and by his own choices. He had no shot at redemption because he never wanted to be redeemed.

Nothing is Predetermined

The power of choice has been a guiding theme throughout this drama. There were the pivotal choices our Three Flying Dragons made to change the future and improve it, but there was also the overarching story of Jae Chan and Yu Beom’s parallel paths. Jae Chan made the choice to admit to his wrongdoings and start over, even though it was hard. Yu Beom continued to do underhanded things for his own gain, and never ever made a choice for the right reason. As Jae Chan says in his closing arguments at Yu Beom’s trial, “But despite knowing that he started walking down the wrong path, he continued walking down the wrong path.” Something else to keep in mind when I rewatch this series.

All’s Well That Ends Well

The rest of the episode I’ll leave up to you to enjoy, though I will triumphantly punch the air and say that when it came to Prosecutor Lee and Prosecutor Son’s romance, I totally called it. Anyway, the rest of the episode is full of light moments and everyone gets a happy ending.

I loved how this series came full circle. I would definitely watch this again sometime in the future, especially now that all the mysteries have been revealed. Great character depth, excellent plotting, and wonderful cinematography. Well worth my time.

It’s been a great ride, drama fans! Until next time, I remain–

Karie the Maknae

Dramas with a Side of Kimchi