I can only imagine what it must have felt like for Dong Shik to be accused of murder at such a young age but not only that of his sister's disappearance as well. I get the sense that everybody in that town has somehow wronged him. That he is completely different than what others perceive him to be is quite evident but is he really what he seems to be, or is there more to him than meets the eye. As they say, looks can be deceiving.
I'm still trying to come to grips as to why Joo Won has developed such tunnel vision when it comes to Dong Shik. That he doesn't seem to know much about him is evident. His bewildered reaction to seeing how calmly and gently Dong Shik handled the incident in the rain proves it. Besides Joo Won's dynamic with Dong Shik, the one with his father interests me the most. They seem to have a pained past that's affected how Joo Won interacts with those around him. The question remains how are Joo Won and his father tied to the most recent victim found in Manyang; the mystery widens. And whatever phobia Joo Won seems to have is bound to be cured in this town that knows no boundaries nor understands the concept of personal space.
I like the Manyang's Chief, but then I like most of the residents of that town; they all seem to have high regard for Dong Shik and care for him a lot. I loved that he tried to set Joo Won straight about Dong Shik, not that I think it will make much of a difference because he seems determined to continue with whatever brought him to this sleepy town.
Solid, solid acting from both Shin Ha Kyun and Yeo Jin Goo in the first week of this episode Shin Ha Kyun, however, sets the bar very high. His performance in the last scene of the episode is probably the best I have seen from him thus far. The way his expression, more like his whole body, went from grief to anger and back again in mere seconds was mesmerizing -- I was moved -- I teared up before I even realized I was. But what about that ending; it must be a red herring. I refuse to believe it, and luckily Dong Shik has 14 more episodes to prove me right. Watch Episode 2 here.