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Witch’s Court: Episode 4

Some of the hardest things to swallow are your own words, and Yi-deum has a hefty helping to choke back. She’s always drawn a line between herself and the victims, but now she’s forced to see things from their perspective, and it isn’t pretty. Luckily, she has a lot of spunk and a talented team to back her up no matter how fiendish their opponent may be.

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EPISODE 4 RECAP

Arriving home, Yi-deum dances about as she strips, unaware that Sang-yoon is watching her from hidden cameras. It isn’t until she’s out of the shower that she notices that her bathroom mirror is blinking. Pulling off the knob, she is shocked to discover the tiny camera.

Meanwhile, Jin-wook returns to the building and waits for the elevator, spotting Sang-yoon as he exits the stairwell. Jin-wook starts to follow, but the realtor catches him to say that he’s found a new tenant for Yi-deum’s apartment.

Thinking quickly, Jin-wook asks if this person was wearing a black cap like he’d just seen on Sang-yoon, and when the realtor confirms it, he demands the passcode for Yi-deum’s apartment. Panicked, Jin-wook fumbles with the keypad but succeeds in getting the door open before cautiously stepping inside. (Did he just grab a beer can for a weapon?)

Terrified, Yi-deum hides around a corner, clutching a frying pan. As Jin-wook’s footsteps draw near, she squeezes her eyes shut and jumps out, pan flailing. Fortunately, Yi-deum misses, and Jin-wook grabs her arms to stop her swinging again. Finally looking at her presumed assailant, the relief from seeing a familiar face saps the strength from Yi-deum’s legs, and Jin-wook catches her as she collapses to the floor.

Worried, Jin-wook asks if she’s okay, but Yi-deum explodes, demanding to know what he was thinking by barging into her apartment like that. Jin-wook starts to tell her about seeing Sang-yoon, but she cuts him off by asking if he’s entered her apartment before when she wasn’t home, and if he’s the pervert that planted the cameras. Frustrated, Jin-wook can only let out a sigh of disbelief.

Cut to: An officer removing the cameras while another questions the realtor about Sang-yoon. Glancing nervously at Yi-deum, the realtor says that perverts don’t necessarily look like perverts, but while Yi-deum is willing to give him that, she wants to know where he was when Sang-yoon was installing the cameras. The realtor begins to argue that he’d had a business call but trails off under Yi-deum’s gaze, mumbling that he has no excuse.

The officers hand the cameras over to Jin-wook, and he softens a bit at the distressed look on Yi-deum’s face. He tells her that they’ll start by reviewing the footage, but just then, one of the officers learns that Sang-yoon has turned himself in.

Seated in the police station, Sang-yoon morosely gives his statement to an officer. Eyes downcast, he says that that he felt vilified by Yi-deum’s interrogation, but deeply regrets doing such a foolish thing.

Behind him, Yi-deum bursts into the station, and he flinches when their eyes meet. Quickly glancing around, Yi-deum grabs a fire extinguisher and swings it at Sang-yoon, but Jin-wook steps in to catch it. Calmly, he points out that making a scene only helps Sang-yoon, and as if on cue, Sang-yoon drops to the floor to beg for Yi-deum’s forgiveness.

Bitterly, Yi-deum asks if he enjoyed seeing her naked, but Sang-yoon just bows his head and apologizes. Crouching down to his level, Yi-deum promises to break him to pieces, only for Sang-yoon to smirk in response. Whispering so that only she can hear, he not-so-subtly threatens to share the videos if she tries to use them. Visibly shaken, Yi-deum doesn’t even move as Jin-wook hauls Sang-yoon away.

The next day, Investigator Gu explains to Yi-deum and Jin-wook that the cameras only sent the video along and that the actual footage is contained on Sang-yoon’s tablet. Nodding, Jin-wook suggests they watch it, but before Investigator Gu can even turn it on, Yi-deum snatches the tablet away.

Horrified at the idea of viewing it together, Yi-deum says that she’ll check it herself. Jin-wook protests, but falls silent when Yi-deum cries that she was caught in the shower. She tells them to recover the footage from the broken PC first and then stalks out with the tablet.

Cradling the device to her chest, Yi-deum glances around nervously and finally darts into the bathroom. Locking herself in a stall, she shakily brings up one of the videos and can barely look at the screen as her eyes begin to tear.

At the team meeting, Prosecutor Min asks about the footage, but when Yi-deum is reluctant to answer, Jin-wook tattles that Yi-deum took the tablet to view first. Annoyed, Yi-deum admits that she’s in shock, and the other two female prosecutors rally to her defense, offering to take her case.

Yi-deum quickly thanks them but declines, citing the need to take care of her own problems. Wary, Prosecutor Min points out that as a victim, Yi-deum interrogating Sang-yoon would be seen as revenge, but Yi-deum clarifies that she only meant that she’d do her best as the original victim’s prosecutor. Seeming to accept this, Prosecutor Min assigns Yi-deum’s case to Jin-wook, much to his chagrin.

On the roof, Jin-wook tells Yi-deum that he refuses to take her case. He knows that she has no intention of handing over the tablet and will only push him around with her seniority, but she argues that they have enough to prosecute Sang-yoon as it is. Despite Jin-wook’s protests, Yi-deum is adamant.

Frustrated, Jin-wook repeats that he won’t take her case, but Yi-deum declares that the incident is partly his fault. She reminds him that he was the one who wanted her out of the apartment, thereby spurring her to put it up on the market. Covering her face, she chokes out that she wouldn’t have been caught on camera and suffered such humiliation… only to be called out by Jin-wook for faking. Hehe.

Admitting that he holds some responsibility, Jin-wook is firm that he’ll only give her a day to hand over the tablet, or he’ll be forced to report her for withholding evidence.

Jo Gap-soo marches through a busy fish market with his campaign posse, enthusiastically greeting citizens but as soon as he’s away from the cameras and crowds, he grumbles with irritation that elections are a bother. His right-hand man whispers something in his ear and the scene cuts to his office, where he tells a man over the phone that they’ll sell Hyunjae Hotel once he wins the election.

The man on the other end tells him not to bother and just send a good lawyer over. As soon as he hangs up the phone, Lawyer Heo enters the office, offering to take the case. She’s taken aback when he swiftly declines, and scoffs when he suggests that they use Yi-deum, but Jo Gap-soo snaps that Lawyer Heo lost to Yi-deum. Dismissing her, he tells Sang-ho to fetch Yi-deum for him.

Having just received his case, Lawyer Heo meets with Sang-yoon in prison. He’s pleased to have her represent him, but Lawyer Heo is wary of all his charges. Sang-yoon points out that they can’t prove that he uploaded anything, plus, he’d threatened Yi-deum that he’d post her video online if she tried to reveal it.

Unamused, Lawyer Heo wonders if he’s aiming to get thrown in jail, but Sang-yoon reasons this is his first offense and thinks that if he acts remorseful, he’ll get off. Lawyer Heo tells him that although she doesn’t normally take cases like this, she’s making an exception because of Yi-deum—however, Sang-yoon needs to tell her everything.

Arriving at their office the next morning, Jin-wook notices Yi-deum’s absence and tries to call her. Turns out she’s lying on one of the beds in their break room, and when his name flashes across her screen, she tuts that she’ll catch Sang-yoon with the original victim’s video. Her phone buzzes again, but this time, it’s Investigator Gu.

Unfortunately, Investigator Gu’s news isn’t good. Although he finished restoring the files on the PC, the video of their victim is corrupted and only the audio is intact.

Yi-deum and Jin-wook meet with Lawyer Heo and the judge. Lawyer Heo argues that the prosecution’s evidence is invalid as the key video lacks visuals, and the other recorded footage could’ve belonged to Sang-yoon’s roommate, since they shared a computer. Her main argument, however, is that they arrested Sang-yoon and searched his house without a warrant.

Yi-deum points out that there was no choice but to act before obtaining the warrant for fear that Sang-yoon would destroy the evidence, but the judge argues that they violated procedure and then kept quiet about it. Dismissing the video from evidence, he asks where Yi-deum’s video is, and she and Jin-wook hesitate before Jin-wook admits that there’s a problem.

To Jin-wook’s surprise, Yi-deum quickly assures the judge that the video is being restored, but she looks anxious as Lawyer Heo notes their expressions carefully.

Outside, Jin-wook accosts Yi-deum, demanding what she plans to do now that the victim’s video was dismissed and Sang-yoon may go free. He asks her again where the tablet is, but she tells him that she threw it out. Their voices rise as he warns her not to joke, and she shouts that she’s telling the truth.

Cut to: Mi-young and Investigator Gu dragging Yi-deum, who’s literally kicking and screaming, down the hallway. They shove her into the interrogation room and lock the door, apologizing before running away as fast as possible. Hee.

Investigator Gu then leads a search of Yi-deum’s office while Jin-wook braves the mess in Yi-deum’s apartment. Surveying the clutter, Mi-young says that it doesn’t look like Yi-deum’s been home in a while, but Jin-wook mutters that it always looks like this. She then says that she wouldn’t have wanted to sleep where cameras had been either, which gives Jin-wook an idea. Spinning around, he confirms if the break room at the office has lockers.

Back at the office, Prosecutor Ma chides Jin-wook for letting Yi-deum get out of hand. She tells him to write a report and then book Yi-deum for withholding evidence, but Jin-wook asks her to let Yi-deum slide. He explains that although he doesn’t want to let Yi-deum off either, she is a victim, and taking that into consideration, he can understand how she must feel. He adds that he’s also positive that Yi-deum isn’t so thoughtless to have thrown away the tablet.

Next thing we know, Jin-wook is releasing Yi-deum from confinement. As she stomps off, he asks if she’s hungry, and though she scoffs, he stomach betrays her by growling loudly.

In a restaurant, Yi-deum shovels food into her mouth while Jin-wook asks again for the tablet. Annoyed, she demands to know if he looks down on her because she’s a renter and was secretly filmed. Sighing, he says that he doesn’t look down on her, but it was somewhat gratifying that after she’d brazenly declared she’d never be videotaped, she could now see that no one becomes a victim by choice.

Jin-wook says that the reluctant second victim had decided to come forward, but without Yi-deum’s video, Sang-yoon could go free. She asks if he’s telling her to choose between resigning and baring her naked body to the public, but he amends that she’s choosing to either prosecute the perpetrator or run away as a victim.

Afterward, Yi-deum goes into the break room and retrieves the tablet from her locker. With a determined sigh, she turns it on… and finds the video files erased.

We flip over to Lawyer Heo meeting with Sang-yoon as he tells her that he’d installed an app on his tablet that deletes videos an hour after being viewed. Confidently, he tells her there’s no way the prosecution considered this, or else they would’ve submitted the video into evidence. Thinking back to Jin-wook and Yi-deum’s anxious behavior at the meeting with the judge, Lawyer Heo smiles to herself.

The day of the trial, the woman who’d been reluctant to testify sits in the witness box (albeit behind an obscuring partition) and gives her statement. She laments that she’d been fearful of pressing charges when her video was released, but she realizes now that she could have prevented more victims by speaking up sooner.

Lawyer Heo begins by asking if the video was taken with the victim’s consent, and while the victim argues that Sang-yoon had promised to delete the video after, she can’t deny that she had agreed to filming it. Lawyer Heo then asserts that the victim never saw Sang-yoon upload it, nor did he ever threaten or ask her for money. Arguing that Sang-yoon stood to gain nothing, and that the so-called videos cannot be produced by the prosecution, Lawyer Heo declares that Sang-yoon cannot be found guilty of the crimes of which he’s accused.

Sang-yoon takes the stand, and Jin-wook presents the cameras from Yi-deum’s apartment. Although he confirms installing them, when asked why, Sang-yoon flounders and looks to Lawyer Heo, who mouths for him to just apologize. He does.

Jin-wook then points out that Sang-yoon had admitted to resenting Yi-deum and asks why he chose to film her illegally as revenge. Sang-yoon doesn’t have an answer, and Jin-wook wonders if Sang-yoon had intended to make Yi-deum feel ashamed, as his other victims had.

Lawyer Heo addresses Sang-yoon’s intentions with installing the cameras, and he fervently denies planning to film anything. He tells her that he regrets his actions, and when Lawyer Heo asks why he did something he was going to regret, Sang-yoon admits that while he did film his girlfriends, he was also hurt when the videos were leaked. Despite this, Yi-deum had treated him like a criminal, and he’d become enraged.

Addressing the jury, Lawyer Heo proclaims that Sang-yoon admits his faults and is deeply remorseful, but Yi-deum can’t take it anymore. She snaps at them to drop the theatrics, since it’s becoming confusing as to who the victim and offender are. The judge admonishes her, but Lawyer Heo takes the opportunity to call Yi-deum to the stand.

Lawyer Heo attacks by demanding to know why the original victim’s video was not presented at trial, to which Yi-deum retorts that Lawyer Heo is the one who complained about something minor and had it removed. Aghast, Lawyer Heo wonders if illegally obtaining evidence is something “minor.”

Jin-wook raises an objection for irrelevance, and the judge tells Lawyer Heo to get to the point. Turning to the jury, Lawyer Heo declares that Yi-deum is known as a prosecutor that’s willing to anything to win, so she can’t help but wonder why Yi-deum didn’t submit the most crucial evidence in her case: the video.

Lawyer Heo asks if there’s a special reason Yi-deum withheld it… such as it never having existed, or somehow being rendered useless. As Yi-deum falters, Lawyer Heo smirks cruelly.

The judge recalls the prosecution promising to submit it, but Jin-wook doesn’t have a response. As the spectators begin to mutter, Lawyer Heo goes in for the kill and shouts that Yi-deum is lying about a nonexistent video in order to corner Sang-yoon.

Demanding an answer, Lawyer Heo is perplexed when Yi-deum smiles and looks over at Jin-wook, who nods as she cocks her head in a “go ahead” motion. Standing, Jin-wook holds up a flashdrive, which he submits as Yi-deum’s video.

A flashback shows us that after Yi-deum discovered the files missing on the tablet, Jin-wook had burst into the room and snatched it from her. She had demanded it back, but he’d refused, deftly avoiding her attempts to kick his shin. Exasperated, she’d told him she’d had her reasons and explained about the app Sang-yoon had installed to wipe the files.

Shocked, Jin-wook had desperately swiped at the tablet before Yi-deum cheekily held up a flashdrive. Continuing her explanation, she’d recalled how he’d had the original victim’s video destroyed and figured there was no way he’d save her video nicely. After she’d viewed the footage, she’d copied it and the next day found it missing from the tablet.

Sighing, Jin-wook had begun to ask why she hadn’t told him, but she cut in that they should use this to their advantage, allowing their opponents to think they were empty-handed and then BOOM, they’d surprise them like mail bombs from the Zodiac Killer (to which Jin-wook deadpans that she’d meant the Unabomber). Heh.

Back in the present, the spectators have been cleared out so that only the judge, jury, and council watch as Yi-deum’s video is played. Although she stares straight ahead, Yi-deum’s fingers fidget and her eyes are glossy as her shower scene plays behind her, and Jin-wook notices.

Yi-deum: “I’m a prosecutor. I’ve prosecuted numerous cases and thought only about how to prove the crime, and how to maximize the punishment. At times, I didn’t consider… the victim’s pain. Now that I’m here as a victim myself, I think… I can understand that pain for the first time. I showed that video, which may follow me and humiliate me for the rest of my life, as a penance for the victims who may have been hurt… by the person I used to be and what I did in the past.”

Pointing a finger at Sang-yoon, she pleads for the judge to punish him severely.

As they wait on the steps outside for a verdict, Jin-wook asks Yi-deum if she meant it when she said she’d done it to pay for hurting victims in the past. Smiling, she recalls that he had been a psychiatrist. Jin-wook confirms it, and Yi-deum asks if people change. He thinks for a moment before saying no, to which Yi-deum smiles and agrees.

Looking at her, Jin-wook can’t help but release a small laugh, but his gaze is soft. Yi-deum catches him and asks what’s with the “gross smile,” and it quickly disappears as they both look away. But a minute later, he laughs again.

Jo Gap-soo’s man, Sang-ho, arrives at the courthouse with orders to bring Yi-deum as soon as her trial finishes.

Jin-wook receives the call that the verdict is in, and he and Yi-deum make their way back inside just as Sang-ho comes up the steps, spotting them. Strangely, he recognizes Jin-wook and has a brief flashback where a high school Jin-wook asks the then-police officer, Sang-ho, to find out the address of a woman, whose picture we can’t see.

In the present, the judge sentences Sang-yoon to three years in prison, and Sang-yoon glares at Yi-deum, who fiercely holds his gaze as he’s guided out of the room.

Prosecutor Min praises the team for their hard work, particularly Yi-deum. Prosecutor Jang suggests they celebrate, but Yi-deum takes a rain check, preferring to drink alone tonight. She excuses herself, and Jin-wook’s eyes follow her as she goes.

Investigator Gu proposes that they celebrate anyway, prompting the remaining female prosecutors to excuse themselves. Jin-wook remains lost in thought, and Mi-young looks less than thrilled as Investigator Gu looks up bars on his phone.

Back home, Yi-deum starts to undress only to stop, her eyes darting around suspiciously. She shakes it off and tries to use the bathroom, but freaks out when she looks up at where the camera had been in her shower. Cautiously, she checks behind the bathroom mirror, but there’s nothing there.

Regardless, we cut to violent thrashing beneath her comforter, and when she emerges, she’s changed into her sweats. For a moment, Yi-deum thinks she sees the blinking of a hidden camera, but when she looks back, there’s nothing. Shaking her head, she mutters, “I can’t do this.”

Jin-wook arrives home, but before keying in his combination, he glances at Yi-deum’s door. He steps in front of it, hesitating for a moment before pressing the bell.

But Yi-deum isn’t home. She’s at a table outside a convenience store, on the phone with a telemarketer. Clearly drunk, Yi-deum thanks the woman for calling since she was soooooo lonely today. She whines that the eight cans of beer she just drank are stuck right before releasing a tremendous belch, at which point the telemarketer promptly hangs up.

Jin-wook appears and sits across from her, but Yi-deum says that she didn’t offer him a seat. He argues that she just said she was lonely, and she wonders if he had the place bugged. Scoffing, Jin-wook informs her that he has patience for everything but drunken stupidity.

She urges him to sit down, promising to give him a mental workout. Ignoring her, he asks if she wants to sleep at his place. Shocked, she asks loudly if he wants to sleep with her just as some women walk by. Heh.

Leaning down to meet her eyes, Jin-wook clarifies that he was offering to let her sleep at his place if she was nervous about the cameras that had been in her apartment, likening it to providing damage support as a prosecutor. Yi-deum playfully calls him a punk and giggles that he must like her. Unamused, Jin-wook tries to leave again, but Yi-deum calls him back, admitting that she was teasing.

Jin-wook takes Yi-deum to his apartment, and she marvels at how clean it is. Making herself at home in his recliner, she muses he must come from a rich family. Jin-wook ignores her and fixes the bed with clean sheets, telling her that he’ll sleep at her place, but when he turns around, she’s already passed out. Picking up a blanket from the couch, he watches her for a moment before throwing it roughly on top of her.

Elsewhere, Jo Gap-soo asks Sang-ho about Yi-deum and is shocked to learn he knows her mother, but that’s not all. Sang-ho also tells him that Jin-wook is the son of a woman called Go Jae-sook, which apparently also rings some bells.

Jin-wook picks his way through Yi-deum’s filthy apartment and wonders what he’s got himself into. Just then, his phone rings, and he panics when he sees it’s his mother who has seemingly just finished an interview. We don’t know what she does, but the plaque on her desk indicates a high position.

Flustered, Jin-wook answers his mother’s video call, and she immediately notices he’s not at home. He fumbles that he’s at a friend’s house, but his weird reaction has his mom wondering if it’s a girlfriend’s house. He awkwardly denies it before quickly asking what she wants. Apparently, she’d sent a housekeeper to his house earlier and she’d forgotten to plug his fridge back in.

Back in Jin-wook’s apartment, a woman is cooking in the kitchen with her back turned. Yi-deum snaps awake and looks over, surprised to recognize her mother. Mom chides her for sleeping so much, but Yi-deum just grins, saying it’s been a while. Mom holds out something for her to taste, but Yi-deum declines, saying that she can see Mom longer if she stays where she is.

Eyeing the meal, Yi-deum guesses that her mom came because it’s her birthday. Mom jokes that no one else would celebrate for someone so mean, and Yi-deum admits that she’d thought a lot about her today.

But it’s all a dream because at that moment, Jin-wook is bending to plug in the fridge in the dark kitchen while Yi-deum sleeps in the recliner. As he’s sneaking back out, Jin-wook hears Yi-deum call for her mother.

In the dream, Mom says she needs to run to the market, and Yi-deum pleads with her to stay a little longer. Finally, Mom turns to face her and asks if she’s sick, reaching out to touch her forehead. In the real world, Jin-wook sees tears streak down Yi-deum’s face as she whimpers for her mom.

He reaches out to touch her forehead, and as she takes her mom’s hand, cupping it to her cheek in her dream, she does the same thing with Jin-wook’s hand in reality. He stares at her softly as she cradles his hand and weeps for her mother.

 
COMMENTS

Ooof! That really tugs at the heartstrings. The loss of her mother has always been Yi-deum’s driving force, so it makes sense that on her toughest day (and birthday to boot?), she dreams of the person she most wants to see. That entire exchange was lovely and sad, and it just drives home how deep Yi-deum’s scar runs. It makes you wonder if part of the reason she avoids empathizing with the pain of others is because her own pain is so great.

This episode was so satisfying. As much as I love Yi-deum, her disregard for the feelings of the victims tended to leave a bad taste in my mouth so, like Jin-wook, I felt gratified to see Yi-deum forced into their shoes for once. It was a hard lesson, and while I don’t think Yi-deum will suddenly be as empathetic as Jin-wook, I do think that she’ll be a bit more cautious in regards to victims going forward.

Yi-deum’s always argued that winning cases requires sacrifices, and this time, it was her turn to pay up. I was impressed with how she handled it and applaud her for her instincts in copying the evidence, but I only wish she’d felt able to trust Jin-wook rather than leaving him in the dark until nearly the final hour. Having basically grown up on her own, she lacks the ability to rely on anyone other than herself, and I’m looking forward to seeing Jin-wook break down that wall.

I really loved their exchange on the courthouse steps because I think there’s more than one way to interpret what was said. You could take it at face value that while she made a lovely speech in court, people don’t really change… but I think she meant that she’s not really as cold-hearted as she would have everyone believe. And how cute was the way that Jin-wook just smiled at her? He’s slowly starting to see that she’s really not made of stone, and that final scene where he looked at her so tenderly as she cried just goes to show that he’s already got one foot in the danger zone.

I’m nervous about Jo Gap-soo’s interest in Yi-deum, and now that he knows who her mother is, that concern has only intensified. It’s not hard to do the math, and if he really is her father, it won’t take long for him to put the pieces together—and who knows what he’ll do with that information?
Not to mention that there seems to be something with Jin-wook as well. Who was a teenaged Jin-wook searching for? And does Jo Gap-soo only know his mother professionally, or is there something more sinister at play?

 
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Loved the episode even though I had postponed watching it by 2 whole days because I just knew it would be hard to watch.

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If Ma Yi-Deum is a daughter of Jo Gab-Soo then I can understand where she got the bad blood LMAO

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lol, I do admit they're both cunning that's why Gab-soo is so amuse watching her in court.

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Probably Gab-soo saw her as himself but in young and female version lol

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That dream sequence about her mom is so heartbreaking, I don't know about romantic scenes but when it comes to family I can't deny it makes me sadder than any romantic gesture can do.

Also its good that we finally see something about Jin-wook, its about time to see his personal backstory and why he decided to volunteer to CAGU of all places.

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Yup. Jin Wook has been feeling a little flat without any backstory so I'm looking forward to learning more.

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Ep 4 was another solid and smooth episode.

My 3 favorite parts of this episode:
1) That ending. Ooof. I bawled like a baby (and I did teared while reading the recap for that scene). The editing was done soo beautiful and the song played really elevated the mood and tears. The entire dream sequence and the reality of it was raw, powerful, and emotional. Major kudos to Jung Ryeo-Won for her A+ acting.
2) Her speech at court. Initially I was disappointed that the writer made her a victim (and slightly worry about her characterization). I'm glad that by being a victim, Yi-Deum can reflect and learn how to empathize with her clients. I'm also happy that the characterization for Yi-Deum is still solid. And major props to Yi-Deum for submitting the video in. That was very brave of her.
3) Jin-Wook's adorable smile he gave to Yi-Deum on the court steps.

I'm dying for Monday to get here. I said it before and I'll said it again, can we skip the whole weekend and just go straight to Monday and Tuesday? Can everyday be Monday and Tuesday? lol

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Or can we have the episodes everyday instead?

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lol that works too. Maybe the entire series in one day?? XD *Really far-fetch wishful thinking*

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I thought it was interesting that the writer made her one of the victims. Since she is the main character, we have a better look and understanding at the effect of this sort of crime.

Granted, Yi Deum is a pretty unusual person and has been hardened by her past so is likely more equipped to handle something like this, there was still some ptsd - with her anxiety when the video was finally shown and later not feeling that she can even change out of her clothes at home or even sleep there.

Jin Wook's smile on the court steps made me fall in love with him.

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Yi Deum trying to change her clothes is what got to me the most. I didn't think that the writers needed to make her a victim to make her empathize with the other victims, though. I think they victimized her character so that Jin Wook could see her as something other than a cold badass. As a viewer, I felt that I knew that underneath Yi Deums hard exterior lies a soft and sweet heart and as good as the episode was it felt like Jin Wook and their manager was kicking Yi Deum when she was down to make her understand that their way is the best way.

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love love this show, but please please dont tell me that we are being set up for a possible birth secret between the OTP?!?!?!?!

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i think both of them have separate birth secrets? I'm sure Yi Deum has a birth secret but i don't think Jin Wook would have?

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Totally hope you are right ◡̈

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Yikes! Please no.

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I wouldn't be surprised if Yi-deum and Jin-wook are half siblings. I really hope this drama doesn't turn out to be a makjang.

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I think both have birth secret, but not siblings or half-siblings. That will be way too makjang. Lol. But just because she was born from her mother raped by Jo Gab-Soo, it does not make him her father (morally). Yi Deum has no obligation to feel anything for him. Likewise, Gab-soo is not the type that will have fatherly love for her.

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*phew* Ma Yi Deum remains Ma Yi Deum, as stated by Beanies in last episode's recap. Caught this just in time.

But I remain unhappy that Ma Yi Deum was forced into the shows of the victims. Comments on another forum (not my beloved DB :*) helped me identify why: Someone actually said "she deserved it" and would learn to empathize. However, nobody deserves something like this. I don't know the writer's intention, but this is not how I wanted her to become a more sympathetic character whether in the show towards victims, or whether in the eyes of the audience.

I'm glad she remains badass and the Show didn't suddenly do away with her personality. BUT I wish they hadn't pushed her into the victims' shoes. Sympathy, empathy and self-reflection for Ma Yi Deum are going to happen with her mother's (hypothised) situation anyway.

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yup, I agree. Sooner or late she will learn to symphatize once she knows about what her mom experience.

And if Gab-soo's interest in her is anything to go by, he might sway Yi-deum into working for him and then she might realize she inadvertently help the man her mom hates. *crosses fingers that this does not happen tho*

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Yikes. The whole Yi Deum working for Gab Soo plot sounds too makjang for my taste. I hope the show does not veer into those murky waters either.

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Ma Yi-Deum should work for Jo Gab-Soo just to stab him at the end she's capable to do that lol

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yup. I can already picture the badass smirk on her face when he finds out

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I don't think that she needs to learn to sympathize, though. I think in her head (well, she's said it and I believe her so far, I guess) that winning the case--prosecuting the person that hurt them (the victim) no matter the cost is her job.At the end of the ep when she showed her video I saw it as her putting her money where her mouth is in terms of how she tries cases. Yes, she would have rather no one ever see that video and she was embarrassed and humiliated but to her it was worth that price to see the villain go down.
I wouldn't be surprised if Yi Deum had somehow hardened her heart against becoming too sympathetic because if you're too sympathetic you won't be able to do whatever is necessary to win the case. I think we've been shown pretty often that Yi Deum has a lot of emotions that come spilling out of her---just not when she's at work.

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Someone below pointed out that the crime against Ma Yi Deum is categorically different from the perpetrator's other crimes, which I think is true. I have not seen episodes 1 and 2 in their entirety yet, so I can't really comment on what Ma Yi Deum deserved, but I think Ma Yi Deum comes out on top here. She actually used her situation as a victim to win the case in the most convincing way possible (she sat there while the video was shown and threw the defense off guard by making it seem as if she was going to be like other victims). Also, she's not like other victims. The perpetrator broke into her home and filmed her without her consent. Moreover, he did it because she was doing her job and defending women who were less interested in defending themselves than hiding what happened to them. Obviously, you could argue that she cared less about the women than her own success, which is a valid point, but it doesn't change the fact that she now has a reason to doubt the security and privacy of her own home (which is traumatizing in an entirely different way). The women in this case were in a consensual relationship with the perpetrator and consented to being filmed. That does not make his actions any less wrong, but it does indicate flaws in their judgment, which is also why they are in a much more compromising position than Ma Yi Deum. They feared people would fault their character, and the show doesn't suggest they're wrong. The real lesson should be that the perpetrator violated their trust in him (that their private indiscretions would remain private and not become fodder for public judgment and condemnation). The leading guy is on point when he asks if Ma Yi Deum has ever been in a relationship, but I think she is also right to believe that misplaced sympathy could actually stop her from doing something that needs to be done. We see what happens when the other prosecutor's concerns for the voyeur's son actually puts the boy at greater risk. In the case of sex crimes, yielding to the fears and concerns of victims can empower the perpetrators. To the extent that those crimes extend to others, the priority should be to stop the perpetrator.

If they wanted to make Ma Yi Deum out to be a hypocrite, they would have had her try to conceal a crime perpetrated against her by a romantic partner. Instead, she is more concerned for her professional reputation than her personal reputation (which remains unblemished), and she proves her point that victims may have to suffer a little humiliation to overcome their oppressors (and she is willing to lead by example). Also, it's not clear why the entire video is shown, in this case, when you'd think a brief glimpse of the footage would provide a good indication of the content. It was necessary to play the audio in the rape case to reveal who the perpetrator actually was (and for shock effect), but I think Ma Yi Deum's ordeal was intended to endear her to the audience.

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I also don't like how she was forced to become a victim. I don't want Yi Deum to change so soon and become sympathetic. She's more likable as a dislikable character. I want to warm up to her over time.

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Damn, the ending got me bawled my eyes out. It's so sad to see how Ma Yi Deum misses her mom so much. And her being victim for the first time, she really needs her mom so much to comfort herself. I'm glad that Jin Wook is there for her.

Anyway, I'm so confused when the other prosecutors mad at her for hiding the evidence. I know it turned out well at the end, but what I don't get is that when Ma Yi Deum didn't want to disclose the videos of herself (her private life), everyone there blamed her for making the case difficult, but when that gay guy didn't want to disclose the recording which is the most important evidence, and Yi Deum used that evidence anyway, the head prosecutor mad at Yi Deum for doing that. What makes that gay guy's case and Yi Deum's case different? Both of them are victims, and they both don't want to disclose their private life. Why is it okay for that guy to request such thing, but not Yi Deum?

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Nice catch. Within the logic of the Show, that is a definite inconsistency. Similarly, they threw everyone out of the Courtroom for the video of Ma Yi Deum, but had no qualms playing the audio recording of attempted rape in open Court. How is it any less traumatic for the gay guy to have the whole world witness (in audio) the scene, than it is for Yi Deum to be forced to show a video of her naked body?

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Yeah, was wondering about the cases similarity too. Was in fact kinda waiting for Jin-wook to throw Yi-deum's words back to her, about evidence being evidence and need to be turned in no matter what. And she'd probably say to him like what you comment here, haha. The drama shud really put this scene in, at least...

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Haha I actually wanted Yi Deum to say to Jin Wook, "now you desperately want the videos to ensure we win this case against Sang Yoon even when I don't want to disclose my private life to the world. Now you how I felt when I used the recording to win that case, but you called me psychopath" right on his face HAHA I was waiting for such scene. I kinda dislike Jin Wook asking straight to Yi Deum's face when he asked about how Yi Deum felt right now, that now she experienced it herself and those women don't even think that they'd be filmed and the world can watch them. I think Yi Deum's case and those women's case are different because those women knew that they were filmed and they let that pervert filmed them anyway, but Yi Deum didn't have a choice to say no. I get it that when Yi Deum somehow did victim blaming is not a good thing, but wow, Jin Wook is quite a jerk to ask that question to Yi Deum. I know some beanies do ship them together, but as of now, I like Yi Deum on her own. Thank God that Yi Deum is such an awesome badass that she didn't become as vulnerable as I thought she'd be.

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@hannaehh Great insight! I never thought of this, I guess I'm blinded by Jinwook's hotness, haha! Oh well, every hero has his flaws!

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AGREE!!!!

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I had mixed feelings about it. It was not nice of Jin Wook to forget that Yi Deum is like one of the victims he advocates for and to pour salt into her wounds, but I actually liked that it was brought up, since it's something other people and viewers would bring up. It's pretty much like the writer is saying "let's not pretend you're not thinking this too and let's get it out of the way. Okay? Now, we can move on."

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To be fair, Jin-wook did speak up for Yi-deum and asserted that she should be treated as a victim when their boss want to punish her.

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I think because of Yi-Deum reputation and character (brassy, I don't give a f*** attitude) that her co-workers think submitting a video should be an easy thing for her. They overlook her as a human being and they forgot that she, too, has a vulnerable side.

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In addition to her reputation, I also think they don't think of her as a woman. She is even dressed more masculine than the guys. I think that also affects her image as a victim.

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Exactly! The prosecutors in this show are self-righteous.

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I think it’s because when the female rapist case, they already saw/heard the audio evidence that proof the professor is rapist, but in Yi Deum’s case they didn’t saw the video, if the video really filmed Yi Deum or not, that’s way they insist to see the video, if it can be used as evidence or not. I think after they make sure about that, there will be a talk (like with the gay student) if they will used the evidence or not in trial
but for sex video case it’s hard to win the case without submit ‘the video’. because it’s the real proof about his crime

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I get your point, but the scenario is quite similar that this time they desperately want to win this case no matter what. Their behaviors toward the victims (the student and Yi Deum) are different. I get that they haven't seen the video, which they can't decide whether it can be used as evidence, but Yi Deum has watched it and she said to Jin Wook herself that it's either she will be fired for hiding the evidence or showed the whole world her naked body, which actually means that there is a video of her taking shower. Even if they did get to watch the video, and if Yi Deum was vulnerable to ask them to not disclose this in the court, I don't think that they would show any sympathy towards her because they clearly said to Yi Deum that if she didn't give the video, she'd let that pervert gets away. It's kinda weird that they desperately wants to put Sang Yoon in prison for what he did and neglecting Yi Deum's feelings as a victim, but mad at Yi Deum for disclosing important evidence that could make them put a female rapist in prison because Yi Deum didn't care about the guy's traumatic experience. I wonder if this is a gender discrimination against the defendant, because this time it's a pervert guy, so they want to ensure he'll be out from the society but the previous case is a female rapist, which they might think about it lightly that they didn't really care about winning or the possibility of the case to turn that the victim might be accused to be a rapist instead.

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When Ma Yi Deum asked for the recording from the victim's boyfriend, she basically told him he had no choice but give the recording to the prosecutors because they already knew the existence of the evidence otherwise he would be prosecuted for hiding evidence. In Ma Yi Deum's case, the other prosecutors were aware of the existence of the video recordings and Ma Yi Deum wouldn't have access to them if she were not a prosecutor herself. So if she decided to hide the evidence, she would be accused of both hiding evidence on purpose and prosecutorial misconduct. Once the prosecutors have the evidence, it is up to them to decide whether to present it in court or not. I don't think they really forced Ma Yi Deum to disclose her private life. All they wanted was to check the evidence first.

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Interesting point. You're saying it's a legal issue, but who would accuse Yi Deum of hiding evidence. The other side? Unlikely, because they don't want her video to be used as evidence.

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This episode showed the start of a character growth for yi-deum. In a way I was kinda glad this happened to her because she was finally able to understand the pain of being a victim.

The last scene was very emotional. her missing her mom was very sad. jin-wook was finally able to see a side of her she never ever shows to the world. her tough girl wall was down and he saw her raw emotions for the first time.

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I respectfully disagree with this view.

The gladness or gratification an audience member feels, seems to be because Ma Yi Deum is in a position where she needs to show empathy, and doesn't. But her being an unsympathetic prosecutor doesn't mean something like this happening to her is even remotely a happy thing.

I think this is the writer's way of making her more sympathetic in the eyes of the audience and I sincerely wish it wasn't done this way - where audience members are able to rationalize, justify or in way feel gratified that it happened to her. I don't like the kind of feeling it evokes and promotes in people.

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I get your point but don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to justify what that disgusting pervert did . i really hated the fact that she had to go through that .

I even hated the fact that the pervert's attorney was glad he filmed her because of petty rivalry. it made my blood boil.

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No, no, I didn't mean to target you. If anything, I'm targeting the writer and director and actors for creating a situation where the audience feels a certain way. It's MEANT to evoke that kind of feeling from the audience, while recognizing that it's horrible.

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I think I will screenshot her signature smirk from every episode because its so badass !! She is so awesome , she already became one of my fav #Antihero

Despite throwing curve balls in the episode that Ma Yi Deum might cave in when the asshole manages to take a video of her in the washroom and threatens her, I still knew she was too badass to do that !! She didnt only sacrificed herself but also manages to trick that asshole ... Ugh too cool !! (Lol even the defense told him not to underestimate her ).. And props to Jung Ryeo-won to portray a badass lawyer and a victim. Although i smiled like a goofball when she made that signature smirk and the prosecutor provided the video but then the next scene it showed how vulnerable she is as a victim. It actually brings awareness to the people who writes this off as just videos or does victim blaming.
And the last scene ... Oh man .. i cried.. it was so heartbreaking ! :'( :'(

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I'm sensing some TARDIS level timey-wimey happening in their apartments. They seem to be bigger on the inside. Ridiculously high ceilings, no windows, tons of space between the doors, large rooms and mysteriously dim lighting (the last one is not TARDIS). o_O

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I caught myself thinking "wow how big" when they entered Jin-wook's place, so yeah, agree with this!

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I think the exterior is real apartments the interiors are inside studios which set only for shooting (I don't know the exact name in English) I guess all kdrama apartments are like that.

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Agreed... I also noticed that while Jin-wook's door is to the left of Yi-deum's on the outside, there are stairs inside that lead in the same direction, which wouldn't make sense since that's the space Yi-deum's apartment should be occupying. It could be a simple fix if they'd just switched the external doors.

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i don't know.. my theory is that hero is the son of villain.. and result of rape.. his mother is the woman who died in ep 1 .. the then lawyer gave him up for adoption to probably a friend (read nice rich family whom she personally knew)

Ma on the other hand is not his daughter.. and her mother wasn't scared of that guy because of rape but that she knew what he was capable of.. and she was a witness.. safeguarding the only cassette/proof

i can't piece together any clues from her reaction that she was raped by this man too

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I got that feeling too, after that flashback to young Jin Wook and him looking for a woman - who must be his real mom. I also suspected he might have been the son of the woman who committed suicide, but then wouldn't he have known his mom's friend was the guy accused of raping his bio mom? And the show has been making Yi Deum out to be a child resulting from rape too.

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Jin-wook, how can you be so sweet? Offering the stay-over because he knew Yi-deum must be traumatised, and then looking at her crying with such tender concern; gah, I just melted into a puddle...

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Favourite episode so far and it just put the witch on the top of my October drama list.
Seriously that was her birthday having her naked body showing off to people from work, man those writers really don't go easy on her. But the best scene so far was her dream with her mother. Here we also find the perfect setup for romance, a woman usually looking invincible not showing her true self, then the man finds the woman crying sering how vulnerable she is and he can never look back. Haha
I hope from now on we will gradually see her trusting and relying on JW bit by bit as they grow closer before it is all ruined by past events.

Somehow I think the woman that teenage JW was trying to find was YD's mum. Dramas always like to connect the leads by an important life changing past event good or bad.

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This is really an awesome series! I love how cunning the female lead is and I am excited to see how her character will develop.

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I would've liked this drama more if the main villain hadn't been acted so atrociously bad. His take on the character makes him seem like a caricature, and let's not even mention his terrible fake accent. If you can't handle Gyeongsang-do saturi, just don't. do. it. Because of this he comes across as a try-hard villain, and not one that elicits fear naturally from his charisma. As a result I can't take him seriously. For reference, take some notes from Jung Bo-seok over at Mad Dog, now that's a well-acted villain even though on paper they may seem similar.

Jung Ryeo-won is doing quite well though, teetering towards brash and unlikable, but she has a desperate side that makes viewers feel sympathy towards her, especially in that ending scene.

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I agree. But it's not only the main villain, in each case, the culprit always act so obvious like acting "I'm the villain, so please hate me" facial expression. It makes the scene less intriguing. The effect is, The court scene become looks so obvious, less layer and become boring.

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Well, now that we've had Yi-deum become a victim, apparently as a vehicle for her to gain some empathy ..... I wonder if the writer has plans to have Jin-wook also be a victim, in an attempt to have him realize that empathy can get in the way when legal justice is the goal.

It'll certainly be interesting to watch what happens.

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I think i'm in love...... jinwook is so swoony...

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I know riiiightt??? I love how he's a bit of a nerd, with his suit and backpack. Ooooh.. and when he wore his glasses. It almost became i hindrance for me to actually appreciate the drama, because i kept coming back to my shallow self and enjoying only the sexiness hahaha

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a hindrance*

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This is an awesome episode! The scenes I love:
- when YD covered her face and faked crying (?) and JW saw through it
- JW managing to escape her 2 kick
- YD's "BOOM" speech. I was so worried about the missing files. YD was so smart!!!
- the courthouse steps scene. JW's gaze and "gross smile"
- JW inviting YD to sleep at his place; he's so direct with "wanna sleep at my place?"
- the last scene. JW's hand is really big!!! Almost as big as YD's face...

I also like YD's hand action whenever she said she wanna fix JW's brain or give him mental training!

Side note: Saw this in I Live Alone - Yoon Hyun Min was learning English and wanted to have an English name. He decided on Brad, but wrote Bread on all his books! Hilarious!

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You named all my favorite scenes! I have the add the one where YD suddenly smiled and the lawyer Heo was confused. I was giddy that Lawyer Heo got punked twice!

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Hehee I liked those scenes too.

And cute side note! I gotta look up that episode. ^^

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Bread is the best! XD

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For all her flaws, Ma Yi Deum remains my favorite character. Because she's true to herself. She walks her talk. She told the victim from the 1st ep that if he wanted to win, they should blame the recording even at a great personal cost. Faced with the same decision, she chose to show the recording of her being violated. She's strong, she's smart, and she knows what she wants.

I can't say the same for the rest of the prosecutor team, esp Prosecutor Min. Y'all were ready to let a case die just to save the victim from further trauma but can't give the same consideration and sympathy for Yi Deum. Even Jin Wook, who is supposed to be a psychiatrist, and thus more in tune w/ how people think and behave, can't seem to extend the same sympathy to Yi Deum except when it's convenient to push the romance narrative.

Don't get me wrong, I love this show, but mainly because of Ma Yi Deum. I find the rest of the characters too flat and inconsistent, and the plot, too lazy or contrived. These prosecutors were so disdainful of Ma Yi Deum and her tactics, but when SHE was the victim and SHE needed protection, they were not as quick to extend her the same benefit (except the two other female prosecutors and maybe Jin Wook, a little). What gives? Because to them, Yi Deum isn't a good person, and they are? That's bull. Two episodes ago, they were sermoning about empathizing with the victims, and now, they want to win at all costs? A little consistency would be nice. I can't tell if the writer just didn't pick up on that inconsistency, thereby making the prosecutors, esp Prosecutor Min (the supposed defender of victimized women!!!), seem like sanctimonious people, or she intentionally wrote them to be that way.

Also, I don't really get the parallel between Yi Deum and the women. Her home was violated. She was videotaped without consent. They weren't. Their trust and consent were violated after the fact. I'm not saying that the other women are less of a victim than Ma Yi Deum; my point is that their situations are different so any parallel drawn is false.

And you know what, if you're a lawyer, Ma Yi Deum is correct: have compassion for the victim, but it's a bad idea to be too emotionally invested in their plight. What Yi Deum needs to work on is not empathizing with the victim, but listening to them, understanding things from their perspective, and understanding what they really want. And they all need to be more realistic with their case expectations and convey these to the victims.

And Lol, for all of Prosecutor Min's blustering that Yi Deum's incompetence is what leads her to use tricks, it was only Yi Deum who caught on to Sang Yoon's plans. She's not incompetent. She just likes to do things differently. Do I always agree with her tactics? No. But I appreciate how her mind works and understand where she's coming from.

Lol. It turned into a rant. TL;DR: Ma Yi Deum remains the best. Prosecutors need to be a little less...

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...self-righteous.

LOL okay my rant turned out to be really long. Still like the show, mainly because Ma Yi Deum is awesome.

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Ma Yi Deum is awesome. I hope she remains awesome throughout the show.

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I like to say something about the video sex tape. You said the prosecutor by all means wanted yi deum to release the video case but I don't think so. Cos they haven't seen it to count it as evidence, they don't even know if it really captured it all or anything. They were able to listen to woo sung audio recording to be able to relate with him and wishes to respect his privacy and find another way out,but it's not the same with yi deum. And besides they all just started working together and the only thing yi deum has shown them is her badass attitude,seeing her as a victim might be kinda difficult since in all honesty she wasn't acting as one. The prosecutore demanding for the video ain't about submitting the evidence, they at least need to see it to know the next step. Besides that,I agree with yi deum being an awesome character. Characters that can make you think beyond the surface, I'd welcome them anytime.

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Fair point about wanting to see the video for themselves, although, the way they were talking about it, it was in the context of: "we need this video in order to win this case." Even the way Jin Wook was trying to persuade her to give it to him--that w/o it, Sang Yoon can go free--makes it appear that they wanted that video to be presented at court. It's the same logic Yi Deum used in the first ep, which they castigated then, but are using now.

Also, I would have to disagree about Yi Deum's attitude making it okay for them to treat her that way. She was a victim. No second guessing that. As lawyers, they should have put aside personal differences and treated her as a victim, as a client, same as any other client. At that point, it wasn't about whether they liked her or not, it was about their jobs as prosecutors to advocate in favor of the victim. The two other prosecutors did, and maybe Jin Wook, but certainly not Prosecutor Min. I did not see that compassion and empathy she was touting before, at all.

But I wholeheartedly agree that Yi Deum is an awesome character. The best in this show.

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I agree with everything you say!

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Thank you for this! You actually wrote my thoughts exactly! The only thing that makes me love this drama is Ma Yi Deum. I agree that this drama lacks of consistency in terms of other prosecutors' behaviors. I also think that the sudden romance between the two leads would be too convenient.

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And I echo your thoughts! hahaha

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I think the inconsistencies are reflective of how complicated and muddy these types of cases and any sort of sexual assault case can get. What other types of criminal cases would the victim's character, personality, and preferences play such a big role in the sympathy that they get and the verdict that comes out? We still have a long way to go in prosecuting these sorts of cases. This is why Yi Deum didn't want to work in this department. It's depressing; it's a lot of hard work; and it's harder to guarantee a good result. It's so easy for the victim and the perpetrator to switch roles and to get the jury swept up in this role switch.

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"What other types of criminal cases would the victim's character, personality, and preferences play such a big role in the sympathy that they get and the verdict that comes out?" - I super agree with this! And on any other character, even Jin Wook, I would understand the character inconsistency of treating different types of victims differently, since 1) they are new to the department; and 2) not advocates of the victim. It reflects reality. But what rankles me is that this inconsistency is espoused in Prosecutor Min--the head of the department, who is supposed to be a champion advocate and seasoned in these types of cases. If any one should be able cut through the BS of assessing sexual assault victims through their past & personality, it should have been her. But I didn't see that.

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Fire on.
I know many viewers thinks the writer used this episode to make yi deum a victim in order for us to pity her but I disagree. She has always been a pitiful character behind that cockiness and badass attitude,i believe this episode just brought out the rawness of who she really is. In episode 3 even before she became a victim she said something of interest about how cacu or cagu (can't really remember) shows the ugly sides of criminals. She knows how the victim feels but because for a long time she had chosen not to sympathize so as not to complicate things,she came off as a heartless prosecutor . And also based on how she practically raised herself you cant expect her to be a candy princess. And since some are still criticizing her actions concerning woo sung case I should say this, justice ain't about how good and right the lawyer is or how much he knows the law. Justice is about that law that can be twisted and manipulated well. Might seems sick, but believe me it's what the world have come to be even though it's not how it should be.
Jin wook and yi deum -these two relationship is so delicious that everything else is always on hold when they are together. I love when two intelligent people can throw barbs at each and be realistic as hell when needs to be. Many thinks yi deum needs ji wook to guide her right and break her wall but I think they both need each other to set each other straight. It's not that ji wook view of the world is wrong but he needs to learn that the evil nature and wickedness of man is not black and white. Which is why I can't wait for when him and the villain will clash. Will his nature continue to uphold and save them or will they need yi deum cunning nature to be the saviour?

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I agree that she was already a pitiful character. In my opinion, this case didn't increase my sympathy for her much. Yes, I felt bad that she got some PTSD because of it, but I felt like the goal of having Yi Deum be the victim was not to make us want to give her a hug but to teach us that no one becomes a victim by choice. It's was more effective to have this happen to the main character. I feel like if she wasn't the main character and if we didn't get to know her that well, we wouldn't have cared as much. We gave a lot of thought to Yi Deum, but what about the woman who was about to get married (is the wedding still on?) or that pregnant woman who changed her name and living in fear about her life being completely upended?

Anyways, this case was a cautionary tale against Yi Deum's attitude - which was arrogant, cocky, dismissive, insensitive, self-righteous and victim-blame-y. That attitude is a pretty common response to these sorts of crimes. It is something that many of us can unintentionally exhibit due to societal attitudes about gender.

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Making Yi Deum a victim is not one of my favorite plot points so far. I high-key wanted to slap Jin Wook when he said that he was almost glad that this happened to her so she could learn empathy. While I do enjoy that their personalities are flipped from the norm of typical korean dramas, I'm a bit miffed at his somewhat self-righteous attitude. Like, you're someone who's grown up with male privilege, what do you know about Yi Deum's struggle against the system that has fought her every step of the way solely based on the fact of her sex?

Yi Deum is a relatable flawed character, who underneath all that bravado is a very hurt woman, but I'm curious to see more on 'Mr. Perfect'. Why did he stop being a psychiatrist, and what was his reason for joining CAGU? Lots of people keep saying they'd love to see character development from Yi Deum, but I'd like for both Yi Deum and Jin Wook to balance each other out and meet halfway.

Literally cannot wait for Monday!

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Yes! Most people are seeing Jin Wook as the opposite of Yi Deum--empathic, noble, good, and perfect. But he's really not. His behavior reeks smack dab of self-righteousness. How can you say that, to the VICTIM? Like, what???? And he's a psychiatrist, and he's smart! If his personality is not all that good, he should be trained enough how to approach victims of sexual assault. Perhaps I'm being unfair because we don't know his backstory, but tbh, it's the show's fault for not giving him are more in-depth background until now.

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The mess in Yi Deum's apartment makes me feel anxious. I really want to clean it! Was anyone else hoping Jin Wook can just clean her apartment for her?

It's hard to go from watching the clean apartment in Because It's the First Time (and Ji Ho's recycling skills) to Yi Deum's mess.

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I can't seem to like Prosecutor Min. I rewatched ep 1 & 2. From the start, it looked like she already disliked YD. I'm surprised she actually told YD that YD should not expect to be transferred to her desired unit after humiliating her boss. Duh! "Humiliate" is not the word here, lady! I thought Prosecutor Min should applaud YD's bravery to testify...

I hope YD stays awesome till the last episode. She's only a witch when she wants to win her cases. She does have friends - her childhood friend and her assistant. At the end of ep 1, JW even told YD that he could see that she's a very good person. And I think he still thinks that, hence his "gross smile" at the courthouse steps.

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So Yi Deum is seen in her birthday suit.... on her birthday (?)

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I know the final scene was supposed to be all sad & "touching", etc, but to me it seemed creepy when pervsecutor Jin-Wook was lurking by the recliner with the sleeping woman, and touching her when she was asleep.

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Really? Did we all watch the same scene? No offense or anything but am genuinely confused about the creepy part.

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he is not lurking, iirc he was attaching the fridge cable cause the helper that his mum hired forget to do that, they had switched house so that's why he can enter the place when she sleeps.

also as I remember, he tried to weep the tears cause her cry get to his attention then she grabs his hand to touch her as she did it in her dream to her mum.

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I cried again just reading the recap for that ending scene. I'm a marshmallow anyway but that scene was very well done

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My favourite part of this episode was not explicit. It was the implied gentleness of Jin Wook. He pretty much figured out that Yi Deum hid the tablet in her work locker but he waited until she was ready to give it to him. Sure, in the end he snatched it from her, but he waited and faithfully vouched for her character that she would do the right thing in the end. I just like that the lead guy is far from macho, he’s gentleness, empathicness and kindness just shines. This says a lot about how this show want to depict gender roles. Jin wook is strong, not physically or typical make bullheadedness but in his resilience of character that he seems to be able to support people in times of hardship and weaknesses.

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Thank the gods for this drama - it's dragging me out of my drama funk!

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Hi, I know you guys don't recommend one viewing platform over another, but can I ask where you saw this? I really like this show but the site I watched episodes 1-3 on isn't uploading subtitles on episode 4 for some reason.

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I think the reason Yi Deum is so hard on victims is because she’s one herself, and her refusal to admit her vulnerabilities is what has helped her succeed so far. If she identifies with the victims, she admits she is weak and she may crumble or even self destruct. She’s no one to rely on but herself. No extended family or close friends, even. So it makes sense that she presents a strong front.

Going through the humiliation she experienced in court, and on her birthday, with no one to empathize or congratulate her must be heartbreaking, even for the strongest person.

The scenes of her weeping for her mom shredded my heart, as if in sleep, she allows herself to feel what she blocks out with her conscious mind.

I’m glad at the role reversal in this drama. Usually it is the male that is isolated, and emotionally scarred and distant from everyone while the heroine is warm empathetic with a lot of support. Here, they flipped the tables and I can’t wait for her to learn to rely on Jin Wook and get closer to him.

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I was super torn with this ep. Don't get me wrong, I really liked it and I love Ma Yi Deum as much as I always have--but Jin-Wook and their boss really left a bad taste in my mouth with how they treated Ma Yi Deum after she was victimized. Their every reaction to her after that point was almost a "thats what you get!". I felt like they would never treat a victim who had been assigned to them as heartlessly as they treated Ma Yi Deum. At the end of the episode it felt like Ma Yi Deum is almost correct in her treatment of victims--she doesn't emphasize with them, she doesn't try to get to know them, she doesn't try to hold their hand: she treats everyone exactly the same and works her best to win the case. Because the boss and Jin Wook don't like Ma Yi Deum (yet) they let their dislike of her guide the way they treated her and in my opinion right up until the trial started they both treated her like crap.

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I agree with the comments on the inconsistency of MYD's colleagues, especially her boss Min. No wonder Min hasn't been promoted for years!

The actress playing Lawyer Heo, she reminds me of her baddie character in Babyfaced Beauty.

Ma Yi Deum, fighting!!! Stay witchy!

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Will skip this week's episodes. Like most viewers' sentiments, it is extremely difficult to watch when topic of this nature is broached. These crimes are still rampant, unreported & happening...and I can only pray for total surveillance/prevention, truest justice & highest punishments!🙏🏼

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If I had known what this weeks eps were about I would have skipped them myself. But---after i started I couldn't stop because I have every faith that Ma Yi Deum is going to kick everyones ass. And not think about the real children who have this happening to them every night. We can only hope that someone in their lives recognizes the signs and gets them out--even if the justice system isn't going to do it.

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