A new case is here, and while our chalk and cheese partners bicker as usual, our timid captain stumbles across a clue that turns the case upside down. However, on the heels of that discovery comes an accident that leaves her unconscious.
With one player/brain out, the bickering duo has to continue the investigation on their own, and it might be a cloud with a silver lining, and our detective-scientist duo might get much closer than expected.
Introduction to our recent case
An article is out, picking up where we left off, but it is the opposite of what Ha-ru has in mind. Instead of criticizing Myung-Se as a corrupt cop receiving bribes, he is portrayed as a good-hearted person who even took a loan in his name to help a diner’s owner and prevent him from committing suicide.
Instead of “uncovering” Myung-se’s so-called corruption, Ha-ru ends up scoring an own goal since everyone is now praising Myung-se’s actions. In other words, the joke is on you, Ha-ru.
This week we have a new case about a woman being found dead in a container. Unfortunately, the woman’s face and fingerprints are burnt beyond recognition, so DNA analysis is the only way to identify the body.
For now, the woman is believed to be Thoung, a Vietnamese factory worker. What is interesting is that Thoung’s husband, who is believed to be the prime suspect, suffers from a face blindness condition. Could he have killed her despite not being able to recognize her?
To check whether the husband is telling the truth or just pretending, Ha-ru and Myung-Se conduct a small test, swapping places with each other mid-investigation, with Myung-Se getting out of the room and Ha-ru getting in instead.
When the husband fails to recognize Ha-ru’s “handsome face” and mistakes him for Myung-Se, Ha-ru believes the husband is telling the truth.
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A new suspect
With the condition of the husband checking out, the investigation’s focus is now shifted to Thoung’s best friend, Hoai.
You know, it can’t be a coincidence that Hoai went off the grid after Thoung was found dead in the container where Hoai lived. Since the police can’t get a hold of Hoai, Ha-ru, and Myung-Se, go together to bring in Hoai’s boyfriend, who also happens to be the one having reported the dead body.
On their way, Ha-ru pretends to be cooperative, teaching Myung-Se some Vietnamese words for better communication. Unsurprisingly, those words turn out to be insults and not pleasantries like Myung-Se is first led to believe.
This earns Myung-Se a beating. While carefree and not apologetic, Ha-ru takes a peek into Myung-se’s car as he initially planned.
After clearing up the misunderstanding and some chase after the boyfriend, with Myung-Se doing the legwork and Ha-ru showing up at a crucial point and blocking the boyfriend’s way with the car, the boyfriend is finally caught but not before trying to climb some pipes and getting tasered by Ha-ru.
After Ha-ru and Myung-se’s conversation with the boyfriend, we are left with more reasons to suspect Hoai since it turns out that before her death, Thoung asked Hoai to return the money she lent her.
Further, some high school girls testify to spotting Hoai leaving the neighborhood “on foot” since taking public transport might leave behind some traces.
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A shocking discovery
Since more than CCTV footage is needed to catch Hoai, So-Jung visits the factory where Hoai and Thoung used to work for evidence, where she stumbles on a photo of both women, which seems to be more valuable than expected.
So-Jung tries to contact Thoung’s husband on her way out, but unfortunately, before she can reach him, So-rang gets into an accident when the rope-tying panels of wood get cut off, leading to wood panels falling on her head.
To make matters worse, a nail sticking out from one of the wood panels sticks through So-jung’s head, but despite successfully removing the nail, So-Jung remains unconscious. Which makes it difficult for Ha-ru and Myung-Se to find out what she wants to tell the husband.
However, when we have a genius brain (Ha-ru) on the team, nothing will stand in the way of uncovering the truth. Through a technique to detect the activity of So-jung’s brain waves, Ha-ru learns what So-jung discovered.
Shockingly, the one who died wasn’t Thoung, as we were first led to believe, but Hoai. Then, what about the DNA result that came out as positive? It turns out the evidence was staged, and instead of Thoung’s toothbrush, the police collected Hoai’s toothbrush, so of course, the result came out as positive.
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Our bickering duo is getting closer than expected
With those recent revelations, Myung-Se and Ha-ru head to Thoung’s husband’s house to get a sample of Thoung’s DNA, but it seems the husband isn’t there. At the same time, Myung-Se wants to abide by the rules and wait.
Ha-ru suggests they barge their way in, which they end up doing just before getting locked up in a freezing container where nothing they can do can stop the temperature from going down.
What about contacting someone to get them out? You know, we are in the drama land, which means Ha-ru’s phone is in the car, and the battery of Myung-se’s phone is about to die.
The only words Myung-Se manages to tell the chief before the call gets disconnected are, ” we are about to……”. Funnily enough, the chief takes it as if they are about to get back when they are actually about to freeze to death.
With no way out, Myung-Se starts banging like crazy on the door, ignoring Ha-ru’s request to stop since the banging causes severe headaches. It doesn’t take long for Ha-ru’s headaches to get more serious than he can handle, and we get a few snippets of his childhood memories, which we don’t know what to make of yet. Since he can’t take it anymore, Ha-ru pushes Myung-se away from the door, and the two engage in a fight where Ha-ru turns violent, contrary to our impression of him.
Realizing that Ha-ru isn’t just whining but is in pain, Myung-Se asks Ha-ru about the cause of his headaches. We get their first proper conversation where Ha-ru tells Myung-Se that while in kindergarten, he got into an accident that left him with a traumatic experience. Since then, he has gotten severe headaches whenever he hears a banging sound.
More time passes, and our duo is still locked in the container. The ice on Ha-ru’s face gives me Titanic vibes, but the genre here isn’t romance but pure comedy, with Ha-ru claiming that meditation is the best way to save energy while Myung-Se keeps moving around in frustration.
Soon enough, we end the episode with our bickering duo, holding each other tightly to preserve their body heat, which cracks me up.
Aside from the case, I enjoy the dynamics between Ha-ru and Myung-Se. They are the opposite, with Myung-Se going by the book and Ha-ru just doing what he wants, despite the consequences. How will those completely different individuals turn into impressive partners?
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