"The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them" ~ Ida B Wells-Barnett.
There’s so much pain in Deluxe Taxi, and sadly it’s that debilitatingly unforgettable pain that bonds them together. My heart broke for Choi Kyung Goo and Park Jin Eon’s loss, but I can‘t stop wondering why Jang Sung Chul would invite Prosecutor Ha Na to the Blue Bird’s meetings unless he’s trying to recruit her to their revenge service. He doesn’t seem worried she’d find them out. And from the looks of things, Sung Chul may have her where he wants her before long. He seems to already have her boss Cho Jin Wook (Yoo Seung Mok) on his side.
Baek Sung Mi continues to baffle and intrigue me at the same time; it looks like besides being a loan shark, she may also be an organ trafficker; I don’t get how Sung Chul justifies being in business with someone who isn’t much different from those he‘s hell-bent on punishing. When does the end ever justify the means; never. And as much as I think that Sung Chul takes his avenging quest too far, as much as I understand why, for there’s nothing worse than people who think their own interests weigh more than others. Not having the law that’s supposed to serve, protect, and punish all injustices on the victim's side makes it even worse. That is the reason I love Ha Na’s persistence to maintain justice for all, not just the powerful or influential, despite all the hurdles she keeps facing. I hope she continues to act like a swaying bamboo tree but keeps her heart upright like the never-bending grass blade like Investigator Hwang (Lee Yoo Joon) told her. I love him in this role. As they say, do not mistake law for justice, for justice is an ideal, and law is just the tool.
I love that Taxi Drive takes on a new case with every episode, and this episode’s case is blood-gurgling mad. I swear nothing I loathe more in k-drama than the tradition of forcing employees to work-sponsored dinners and karaoke bars. I wouldn’t mind it so much if its purpose were to build and strengthen workplace relationships rather than harass, terrorize, degrade, and humiliate to exert control over powerlessness. Workplace bullying, in my opinion, is nothing more than domestic violence at work with the abusers on and controlling the payroll. And as much as it tore at me to watch Seo Young Min’s workplace harassment story, well, more like mobbing, really, as much as I appreciate Taxi Driver as a show for tackling this very important and horrifyingly prevalent issue.
I keep saying this, but the abuse was just too hard to watch in all its forms -- physical, emotional, digital, financial, and even stalking. I had to keep pausing to be able to get through it. And if neither the police nor prosecution can help, who can one turn to; thank God for Taxi Deluxe; this is one case that deserves a full revenge service. I don’t care how good or well-respected U-Data is as a company; one look at those good-for-nothing shameless, weak-ass idiots who dare to call themselves human beings would‘ve stopped me from wanting to work there.
Rather than a cloud content service, these monsters seem to be running their business for the sole purpose of demeaning and torturing others. And for that, I find myself more than okay with whatever service Deluxe Taxi hands out. But I would rather they didn’t get caught while doing it. I loved the episode’s epilogue for its bold statement in that only those who have felt the pain can recognize it in others. I suspected early on Go Eun might have feelings for Do Gi, but now I'm sure of it; I wonder if he does as well or will Prosecutor Ha Na get in the way. Watch Episode 5 here.