As Shi Mok and Dong Jae dig into Police Office Ki-Hyun's suicide, they find more about Ki Hyun's death than met the eye. Same with Yeo Jae as she finds out that Ki Hyun was transferred to the Segok Police Station after blowing the whistle on his superior. His current superior, Officer Soo Hang, is his former superior's nephew. But what was most baffling to me is that amidst all this, Chief Choi tells Yeo Jn to focus on where Ki Hyun was transferred and not the why. And stranger still was that Ki-Hyun's death was never reported, so not even the Intelligence Bureau was aware of it not until Dong Jae brought it to Woo Tae Ha's attention, and he in turned uses it as a weapon against the Police Agency.
So, in that sense, the ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people (MLK Jr.) -- seeing Chief Choi manipulate the Segok Police Station situation to the police's advantage rather than get to the truth was disheartening. I felt Yeo Jin's apprehension. But the prosecution wasn't any better. To that end, I enjoyed Shi Mok's unfiltered depiction of the situation in Woo Tae Ha's face. I bet Tae Ha now realizes he has bit off more than he can chew with Shi Mok.
Whether or not the officers outright murdered Ki Kyun, like Yeo-jin told Chief Choi or not, it's clear they played a part in his death. Their treatment of him for doing the right thing was more than shameful, particularly since the team leader actively encouraged it. And the fact that the police may have known and covered it up to save face makes it even worse—exactly the information the prosecution needs to push their agenda of autonomous investigative authority forward.
Much as I thought how Dong Jae would fit in this season, I wondered the same about the Hanjo Group. Still, I needn't worry because what Dong Jae told Woo Tae Ha about the now-dead former chief prosecutor advising Hanjo before his suspicious death, it's only safe to assume Hanjo is tightly connected to the events unfolding within the prosecution and police agencies. However, Yeon Jae may be related to the former chief prosecutor's death or cover-up, her telling her Director Park (Jung Sung Il) Chief Choi’s transfer from her prior rural Chief of Police appointment to HQ was connected means Dong Jae was right to suspect foul play with the former chief's death. I love how protective Director Park is of Lee Yeon Jae. I wonder if he is catching feelings for her if he isn't in love already.
On a separate note, knowing what we know about Dong Jae, I was not surprised about his disappearance even though I didn't expect it. He had been poking his nose around some compassionate cases, be it with Ki-Hyun's case or the Hanjo Group, trying to find more information for Yeon Jae's father who seemed to have cut her off after her husband exposed his dirty laundry and committed suicide. I hope nothing sinister has happened to him.
It was such a pleasant surprise and an emotional one at that, the cameo from Lee Kyu Hyung as Prosecutor Yoon Se Won (he has such a beautiful smile). Yeo Jin's reaction to unexpectedly seeing him at the prison was quite touching, as was his. I was glad to hear someone from the outside world sent him a gift; it definitely meant a lot to him. I wonder if it's Shi Mok that sent him the care package. I hate seeing our two heroes at opposite ends, and things are about to worsen, especially for Yeo Jin, who seemed torn between her conscious and the questionable ethics of a boss she very much admires and looks up to but hopefully, she can draw the line before its too late. In that sense, though, I love that Shi Mok and Yeo Jin have each other.
It never fails how much I admire Shi Mok's deliberateness with everything he does and says and that he remains unaffected by the norms of the culture. It's a shield of protection almost. What I found most telling about how much he appreciates Yeo Jin was his question about her drawings; it was quite telling. It's almost like he was asking if she feels lost in this new job. It made me wish Yeo Jin had the same shield as he does. It’s sad to see her burdened all the time and less herself. Last season when Shi Mok needed some support and perspective, Yeo-jin helped provide that to him. And now, as he is in a more stable place, be it at the job or with himself, she needs the support he is there for her. That is what I love the most about these two.