One man’s devil is another man’s angel. We often hear that those who fight monsters should beware not to become the monster they fight because when someone stares too long into the abyss, it will eventually stare back, and I truly believe that. But if one can imagine what makes a perfectly normal human being become a devilish avenger, as Go-On views Yo Han without even knowing what drives them. It becomes apparent that it’s hard for others to understand another person’s pain if they haven’t experienced it themselves.
My heart shattered for Go-On to believe for the longest time that the person responsible for causing his parent’s suicide was in prison only to find that wasn't the case; I can imagine the pain, rage, and injustice he must've felt. But only when Go-On experiences’ that level of pain does he understand Yo Han’s and recognizes the system he so very much trusted, believed, and swore to uphold is not only broken and manipulative but corrupt and rotten to the core. Justice-seeking monsters or devils like Yo Han do not just appear out of thin air; they are created; they become who they are because something unimaginable happened, and the magnitude of it only matters to them.
In that sense, everything Yo Han does matters because it's not just personal for him anymore; it may have started as revenge at a personal level, but it's morphed into something much, much bigger, and even Go-on knows it. I loved how Yo Han pitted the President, Chairman Min Yong Shik, and Saram Media Owner Park Du Man against each other and got them on TV yet again. As the saying goes, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, and think these idiots run the country.
Everything Yo Han does is meticulously planned. From his live broadcasts to the cases he picks to the events that unfold in them, even the selection of Go-On as a judge, it was all planned for maximum effect because, in dystopia Korea, popularity is everything. This had me thinking about Oh Jin Joo (Kim Jae Kyung) became part of Yo Han’s team; was she his pick or pushed on him; I get the sense that he is starting to figure out she is his weakest link. Could that be the reason why he hasn’t confided in her; I mean, he doesn’t seem to have much use for her unless it’s to parade her in front of the Foundation, and if he’s using her as bait, I would have to say it’s working because Sun-Ah is definitely sinking her teeth into her.
I knew Yo Han had "K" (Lee Ki Taek) on his side that was very comforting to know he wasn't on his own. Still, I was even more delighted to find out that Attorney Ko In-Guk (Park Hyung Soo), the part-time worker/actress (Ju Ah Yeon), Jo Min-Sung Yoon Soo Hyun's police boss are all working with him to exact his and their own justice. I've been suspicious of Supreme Court Justice Jung Ho (Ahn Nae Sang) from the start; he’s been intensely against Yo-han from the start, obviously without any evidence of corruption going as far as poisoning Go-On against him, but the why has been wracking my brain; it's not because Yo Han is corrupt; it's because Justice Jung Ho allowed those in power to abuse, manipulate, and corrupt the system, in a sense, rendering it completely rotten but rather than blame himself and those like him for not protecting it he blames it on an obvious target Yo Han, the devil.
I am sure some people believe there isn't much difference between Sun-Ah and Yo Han, but I say there is quite a huge difference. Sun Ah's revenge is very personal, if we can even call it revenge. It's all for her and about her; she's not an avenger, nor does she have good intentions. In fact, her views are entirely incorrigible because she is utterly convinced of her moral perfection and the righteousness of her own cause, which makes her very sadistic and pretty dangerous. I think she actually enjoyed it when Yo Han choked her. She lives for that rush.
Sun-Ah’s obsession with Yo Han and the way she deals out her notion of due punishment with the belief that it's deserved justice proves that she’s become into a monster just as evil as, or even worse than, the ones who she believes hurt. Her murdering Seo Jeong Hak, the Foundation Director, confirms it. On the other hand, Yo Han seeks justice in revenge; Sun Ah just wants revenge from everyone who has ever had more than she did. It’s so true when they say evil always comes disguised in systems and dignified by law. Outside of Judge Oh Jin Joo, the only other character I don’t get is Yoon Soo Hyun; as a matter of fact, I don’t appreciate her at all. I don’t see what value she adds to the drama. HuckleBerryFinn's Tempest OST hits the spot. Watch Episodes 7 & 8 here.