Beyond Evil's possibilities are endless; each episode brings out a new suspect or two. It's like no one can trust anyone or anything in Manyang. At this rate, this whole demented town may be in on these killings. Joo Won's father was spot on when he told him he was too emotional and irrational and that Dong Shik was the only person thinking rationally. I couldn't agree more. Despite seeming completely the opposite, there's a strangely rational method to Dong Shik's madness the way I see it.
Everything, I mean Dong Shik, planned every detail. From Joo Won eavesdropping to purposely getting caught on the CCTV footage in the field to the one bloody fingertip found in his basement to his arrest and even the reports photographing him -- Dong Shik planned it all, and it worked beautifully. Whatever motivates him, it's not just justice but more like revenge as well. And Joo Won easily fell into Dong Shik's trap. One can tell an actor is good when they can make you believe they're going through whatever their character is going through. You can feel the rawness to the extent that it becomes hard to differentiate the actor from the character -- Shin Ha Kyun and Yeo Jin Goo are both that to me.
As twisted as Dong Shik, it's hard not to fall for his intensity and cleverness both as a character and in the way Shin Ha Kyun portrays him. I find myself spellbound by his performance. In the same breath, I'm hooked by Joo Won's passion and conviction in his belief. That again is a testament to how good Yeo Jin Goo is at his role of an insecure little boy hiding in the body of an arrogantly stubborn yet sharp and witty 27-year old screaming for recognition. His total disregard or maybe his inability to understand how damaging perceptions can be in a small town such as Manyang is quite telling other than what he did to Dong Shik; the Yoo Jae Yi situation was the worst. While Dong Shik is a man trapped and tormented by a past, he cannot change no matter how hard he tries or wants to -- tragic.
But then, I will give it to Joo Won, Dong Shik's behavior is beyond suspicious, but so is his behavior, and that's the hold of this drama just as one of them seems to might be the good guy, something comes to light that turns everything upside down and makes me question my judgment. That said, though, everyone at Manyang and even Munju is questionable. They all seem mentally unstable, dubious, and somehow chained to the town's miserable past and whatever evil lurks in it. And the only way to get to the bottom of it is for Dong Shik and Joo Won to join forces; I hope they realize that sooner.