Chingus—After devouring the first 10 episodes in five days, I took an additional four days to complete episodes 11-12. My slow watch is a combination of savoring and dreading the story’s machinations. I’m breaking down my thoughts into three posts.

1/3
Ep. 11-12 | The Love Story
Like @persianrose noted in post #128, I’m conflicted about the turn in Sang-pil and Jae-yi’s relationship. At the start of this series, I couldn’t have anticipated how much I would grow to love their realistic and low-key pairing. Now that they are estranged, I realize that I was wrong about their love not be central to the story. Specifically, the pursuit of romance is not the main storyline. Rather, their trust and partnership was our respite from the Sturm und Drang of Gisung City. Be it @caeparius’ Noble Idiocy or part of some strategem, I fear the separation will make them both more reckless.

Given the realities of politics, I don’t expect punishment for all the corrupted characters. But I’ll be heartbroken if Sang-pil and Jae-yi are unable to reconcile. It was so refreshing to have two people—with childhood wounds and all—still approach a romance with such trust and transparency.

2/3
Ep. 11-23 | Mothers
One of the glorious aspects of Lawless Lawyers is its exploration of the messiness of motherhood. Our mothers run the gamut:

Righteous lawyer Choi Jin-ae is fearless and steadfast, but her actions endanger her son, Bong Sang-pil. She’s the linchpin of our story because her life and death drive her son’s revenge.

The discussion in @marcusnyc20's (boon-soo) #135 thread about Jae-yi’s mom reflects my own ambivalence about this character. Perhaps Noh Hyun-joo and Uncle Dae-wong had a good plan in place but DW’s murder seems to have set off a cascade of crazy. Unlike the vengeful Bride in Kill Bill, HJ has everything to lose. I cringed at her insistence that Sang-pil should let Soon-ja go. It comes from a place of love and desperation but it denies her daughter’s agency. If she really knew her now-adult child, she’d know this was a terrible request.

Nam Soon-ja—the toady poster child of avarice and sycophancy—is the only mother of our series who raised her child without interruption. She exists only to elevate her daughter, Prosecutor Yeon-hee, to a position of power. I pray we’re not denied an explosion of murderous, maternal fury from Soon-ja—I fully expect her flared nostrils and jutting jaw spattered with blood by the end of the series.

3/3
Cha Mun-Sook: A Case Study of Psychopathy
Given the show’s expanded notions of family, I include Judge Cha Mun-sook among the mothers of Lawless Layers. After dispatching Hyun-joo, she actively mentored young Ha Jae-yi, paid for her education and invited JY to call her “Mother.”

@persianrose's question about CMS being a psychopath is an interesting one because I’ve been long fascinated by the blurry edge between pathology and just being a bastard. I’ll gently disagree with @caeparius's #131 assertion that maternal feelings are preposterous for Moon-sook. Her charm, ruthlessness and murderous manipulations do not preclude her from loving her (adopted) family, being a good judge and even a (grotesque) mother figure. Yes, she’s bloody awful, but maternal feelings do not have to be consistent or even come from a place of good.

@egads' #131 query about the possible gendered aspect of the psychopath question is equally intriguing. For me, it’s not a matter of gender. Both the judge and the mayor present themselves as “parents” to the people they support or protect. The difference is that Ah MIn-soo never forgets that he’s a gangster at the service of his master. The judge, however, believes her in her own piety. The most telling facet of her sociopathy is her demonic ability to manipulate and smite people in her swampy orbit while staying clean.

It’s deeply rewarding to have such fully-realized villains. As Alan Rickman was purported to have said, he didn’t play villains; he played “interesting people.” I can’t tell you the name of the hero in Die Hard, but I’ll always remember Hans Gruber.

FUN FACTOID: Occam's Razor is the problem-solving principle that, when presented with competing hypothetical answers to a problem, one should select the answer that makes the fewest assumptions.

Re Post 152: @tstsuloo BSP mother told AOJ: "I will settle any disputes through the law..." . Rather than bravery, she just did what she was supposed to do as a Human Right Lawyer. Imaging if she hasn't tried to bring CMS to justice, what would've happened?! She probably had to run away whole her life with BSP!! BSP's Mom is his role model, thus he is not going for revenge but justice!

I was reading through all the comments, and wonder why there are not too many commented on actings!! I think actors in this drama are all so brilliant!! Specially the main four characters! One of my most favorite scenes in Lawless Lawyer are when attorney Bong confronts judge Cha. OMG! their chemistry is off the charts! They both have such fierce eyes and cunning smiles, it's like they're shooting daggers at each other!!

LAWLESS LAWYER EPISODES 13 & 14 MARKER

THE "PERFECT" ANTIDOTE FOR NOBEL IDIOCY

Without going into too many details, who knew the perfect antidote for NOBLE IDIOCY would require treacherous gangsters, a loyal scorpion, a barrel, a corrupt mayor, a "swim with the fishes", and a lawless lawyer. This is one talented writer. The icing on the cake was by the end of the "treatment", Jae-Yi's mother was planning on visiting a shaman to get a "lucky" wedding date.

BEST HERO MONOLOGUE in K-DRAMA!

Moon-Sook's planning was masterful, she was using him to rid herself of all her liabilities. However, Moon-Sook's had made one fatal mistake. She never considered that he would partner with, the super sexy and almost perfect female role model, Jae-Yi. Their partnership would bring about her downfall and a couple of super adorable children, future lawyers.

NOTE: I may have taken some liberties with the wording.

SORRY, BUT GOING OFF TOPIC FOR A MOMENT

@egads - In a previous post we discussed the role of conflict in a K-Drama. The currently airing "What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim" is too perfect an example, of a K-Drama without conflict, to ignore. It is at episode 6 and thus far has relied completely on the unbelievable super cute, fish out of water main couple. However, even watching puppies and kittens play becomes akin to watching paint dry. This will happen a lot quicker than you might think. This K-Drama is rapidly approaching uber boring. It needs a rapid injection of conflict. Even with that it might be too late to properly save it. Poorly crafted conflict can be just as bad as no conflict. Be careful what you wish for, you might actually get it and be bored to tears.

Finished ep.13 last night. This is what has me intrigued at this point. BSP uncle sacrificed himself but seemed to have a plan of his own in doing so. His leading man (KMB) seems to suddenly have turned on his own gang or "family" and now works directly for CMS herself. That was sudden. He is now seemingly the lead of the entire gang, the new leader and inheritor after BSP passes away and he chooses that moment to go to the other side and serve as CMS new "dog". KMB character is interesting in this episode for 2 reasons: 1. If his loyalty to BSP uncle was only skin deep then that shows his uncle had terrible judgement in choosing his number one man. The uncle himself told BSP trust no one. Yet, he puts himself at risk, dies and leaves the whole gang in KMB hands. Why make such a simplistic move to help CMS gain a stronger ally? 2. The encounter between (KMB) and CMS "number 1" (NSJ) is very interesting in this. It shows that KMB is no pushover to NSJ but in that scene Scorpion is in the background overhearing their exchange. There is something very subtle in that exchange that made me think , "What if KMB didn't betray BSP uncle? What if this was part of his uncle's plan? The knife against the gun. The only way to win that encounter would be to place an exactly strategic mortal wound in the opponent. To do this you need to get close enough to the enemy. CMS took an awful big risk in accepting KMB as someone within her inner circle. Wouldn't that add an interesting twist to all this?

In my last comment, I meant to write, after BSP's uncle passes away......sorry for the typo.

Oh no.
I just realized that this drama is going to end. It will be over.
I'm not ready.
I'm enjoying the cruelly twisty turny way it is.
I don't even care what this reveals about me as a person.
Arghl.

I love that the noble idiocy turned out to be an elaborate instead. What I love more is our couple is back together to kick ass for the last few eps. Now I just have to try to wait patiently for ep 13 subs without watching it raw. It's so hard!

I believe this is not a right place to discuss WWWSK, but just to avoid any confusion, I post this here. I did not mean to say that only 10-22 yr should watch the drama (I'm watching it myself and I'm in my late 30s), I mean the drama made for that age group or should be more appealing for that age group!! Although the two leads are in their early 30s, they most of the time behave like 18-yr olds!! All the comedic parts are quite cartoonish too!! Not necessarily in a bad way, they're just mean to be that way! It's an easy watch rom-com (with lots of luxurious items that makes it more watchable because people naturally like oppa in luxury outfits and vehicles!!)... their childhood trauma so far seems to be a mixture of Kill Me Heal Me + H and J &I... no special conflict at least so far...

I think LL as a series has quite a few plot holes that require suspension of disbelief but its entertainment value makes up for it. An Oh Ju is getting to be quite a likeable villain, with his witty repartee and rather glorious singing even as he bludgeons someone with his name plate. Prosecutor SB has been underused in the last few episodes and I like his interactions with BSP. BSP's character is all the better for respecting someone who always brings him down a notch or two. It's ironic that BSP and HJI end up working with and defending all of Judge Cha's key minions. I would find it hard to even tolerate the man who stabbed my mum or the woman who ordered her death (NSP did coldbloodedly order HJI's mum death). That collaboration does humanise the bad guys and the drama's better for it.

I am very new to k-drama/korean culture and only familiar with Chinese norms but is it weird that HJI and BSP get called by their full names even by their loved ones. Why not just SP or JI?

I'm not satisfied with the reunion of Jae Yi's parents. Like why didn't her dad question what happened to his wife? Even if Jae Yi did tell him the truth (something that this drama didn't show), why there's no scene of her dad being furious at Judge Cha for what she did?

Just my quick note on ep 14, I don't think HJY is dumb enough to fall on AOJ threat and come to the most thug in CMS gang face to face. It wasn't the first time she did a harsh thing like this, it seems to me that she's never learned! I do understand that she doesn't want to get her family involved in her and BSP war, but that doesn't justify her irrational move. At least get Tae Kwang-So involved, he's BSP no 2 right? The same thing applied to BSP, he was just lost it when AOJ picks up HJY phone.
Yes, I know that they were the leads but that doesn't mean they can't be smarter.
Then again.... its heart overruled the head. I know that, but still.... it's cliche to me. We are down to last 2 episodes and I thought the writer can do better than this!

Who is to blame for the terrible, amateurish scene cuts? A freeze-frame that stays on screen for more than a second. Why. It takes me out of the story. Grr.

I haven't watched Ep. 14 yet. Does anyone comment on Jae-yi's haircut? She looks fierce. If this were a sci-fi series, she'd have a shaved head for their last battle. (Think Ripley in Alien or Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max.)

Beware of Spoilers

I'm in the midst of rewatching ep. 13 before seeing ep. 14 for the first time.

A couple of things jumped out at me this time around:

1) I realized at last that Gisung is Gotham City, and now the larger-than-life villains make sense to me. It hit me in ep. 13, @0:01:30, when we see Judge Cha at her seat in her empty courtroom as she hears from the chief prosecutor that Hizzoner is doomed. The lighting of the dark, panelled wall and emblems of the court above her and on the chairbacks suddenly struck me.

http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu26/dramabeans/drama/2016/MoonLovers/MoonLovers_11/moonlovers11-00600.jpg
[final image in MOON LOVERS ep. 11 recap]

2) I'm still wondering how Judge Cha learned that little Sang-pil escaped with his life. Was Samchoon's #2 already co-opted when the kid arrived on Unc's doorstep? Even back then?

3) Scorpion is #3. Samchoon told him to go to jail, and visited him there the day before he died to tell him to protect Sang-pil. Dae-woong obviously knew that his first mate was unreliable. He did what any smart person does: He kept his friends close, and his enemies closer.

4) The fix is in: Judge Cha tells Madam Nam to get rid of all her borrowed-name accounts, but to keep a few in Nam's and her daughter's names.

Is Nam stupid that she doesn't see that she and her prosecutor daughter are being set up to spend a lot of time in jail? No. Madam Nam is blinded by greed, and is so mesmerized by the prospect of wealth that she ignores the warning signs of betrayal.

"It will never happen to me."

She should be thinking: "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts."

Those accounts are a Trojan horse.

5) Hizzoner walks in on toady Seok Gwan-dong looting his safe, and is ready to shoot him. The terrified henchman tells his boss that he's playing into Sang-pil's plan to make the Mayor a murderer. What an inspired defense! This is exactly what Judge Cha does, but not Sang-pil.

I really think that Hizzoner was testing Gwan-dong, and scaring the crap out of him so he would not abandon him. He and Mr. Kim, his aid who's been on the lam since taking the fall for the murder blamed on Sang-pil, are the only two underlings who are still "loyal" to Mayor An Oh-ju.

Hizzoner's motivational methods are hair-raising.

* back to watching ep. 13 *

Ep. 13 -- Beware of Spoilers

1) Man, that Scorpion is one smooth operator. Talk about grace under pressure. As soon as I saw the barrel, I knew there was going to be a switcheroo. Maybe it was Sang-pil's attention to detail that made them bring bags of ballast to swap for the masseuse. But I loved how seamlessly Scorpion and his men pulled off the switch and hotfooted it to the dock before Hizzoner's crew could catch them.

2) When Scorpion eavesdropped on Samchoon's former #2 [Kwon Man-bae], I couldn't help but wonder if he had a way to secretly hack the surveillance system and send copies of incriminating evidence even more juicy than Madame Nam giving the order to whack Jae-yi's mom.

3) Famous Last Words Dep't.:
Judge Cha to Chief Prosecutor: "I am so relieved to have you at my side."

Translation from Cha-Speak: "I am so thrilled to have another oblivious stooge to throw under the bus. After I rob him of all his assets, of course."

4) I felt like barfing during the scene of Judge Cha filming her spiel about being drafted to serve as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Her pious claptrap about revising the law or whatever was said in a tone of voice that really got my goat. I'm just waiting for her to start peaking with the imperial we.

5) Did anyone notice how later closeups of Judge Cha are soft-focus? In one of them in her chambers, she was smiling to herself at how her cleaning house and getting rid of her opponents was going. In the past, the lighting and focus were hard and sharp-edged. I think it is signalling that she's losing focus, but I could be wrong. She's counting her chickens before they've hatched.

Ep. 13-14: Beware of Spoilers

During the scene in which Sang-pil takes Jae-yi to a house to meet her mother after Scorpion and his boys rescued her, I was ready to tear my hair out. Instead of meeting indoors, they stand around outside where anyone with good vantage point and a telescopic sight or telephone lens could see them. Dumb! Dumb! Dumb! It's like loitering in a crosswalk at night with your back to oncoming traffic. Sheesh.

Aside from that beef about potentially lax security, I was very glad when Mom told Jae-yi that she had sworn Sang-pil to secrecy, and also asked him to break up with her daughter to protect her.

Cue up Paul Simon (1972).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJmiIekAZXQ

The later reunion with Photog Dad was weird. Earlier I opined that he might have been in on Mom's leaving for Thailand (as evidenced by his not remarrying in the intervening 12 years). Perhaps he was in shock. Or hedging his bets until the final battle is over.

@pakalanapikake Re Post #173 : I like this idea that Judge Cha's minions are motivated by materialism and greed! They're not necessarily out-of-this-world smart people: with dark background or artificial motivations... they're just acquisitive people who see money above any morality...

LAWLESS LAWYER EPISODES 15 & 16 (FINAL) MARKER

Episode 15 – Beware of Spoilers

Part 1 of 3

Episode 15 opens up with Attorney Ha Jae-yi in the clutches of Hizzoner An O-joo and henchman Seok Gwan-dong. When lawyer Bong Sang-pil roars up to rescue her, the mayor pulls a gun on him and is ready to plug him. In a room nearby, Jae-yi listens with growing alarm and finally tramples over Gwan-dong to stop O-joo from shooting her partner. She reveals the memo book Judge Cha used to sic her former friend's son on the mayor. Hizzoner is agog at the revelations until he regains his presence of mind and moves on to the mandatory fight scene, which is very nicely choreographed.

The bare-knuckle fisticuffs reveals that Hizzoner's no-holds-barred street-fighting moves give him the edge over Sang-pil, at least in the beginning. He's bigger and stockier than the nimble lawyer, whom he repeatedly tosses through the air without breaking a sweat. Decades of thuggery have perfected his headbutts, eye-gouging, and other unsporting tricks. It has also toughened his hide and raised his pain threshold.

During the break following round one, Gwan-dong ministers to his boss by fanning him, giving him water, and generally carrying on like Rocky Balboa's manager (memorably played by Burgess Meredith). The only thing missing is hearing Choi Min-soo hollering “Adrian!”

Round two resumes. Eventually Sang-pil whacks him with his own nameplate from city hall. (Is that how his left forearm fractures, or does it snap later during their death grapple on the floor?) Jae-yi manages to persuade Sang-pil to refrain from choking his opponent to death. A vanquished Hizzoner mulls over whether to testify at Madam Nam's trial, with the understanding that the prosecution will rescind his all-points-bulletin. As Jae-yi drives them back to the office, Sang-pil notes that the former mayor has only two options: to take the fall for Judge Cha, or to take her (and retroactively, her father) with him.

Back at the office, Geum Gang & Co. demonstrate their rousing cheer for Judge Moon to the attorneys. It's hilarious – and Geum Gang has a great singing voice. The Lawless Team's contribution to the demonstration exhorting Judge Cha to accept the appointment as chief justice apparently pays off as news of her upcoming confirmation hearing breaks. In a related matter, several members of The 7 support her presiding over Madam Nam's trial as her final case in Gisung. The party leader does, too. When that news airs, the defendant freaks out and calls Sang-pil to meet in jail.

- Continued -

Episode 15 – Beware of Spoilers

Part 2 of 3

I like the strategy to bring Jae-yi to court as co-counsel. Madam Nam's discomfort at facing her daughter's rival is proof that it could bring pressure to parties who still have a vestigial conscience. I would not include Judge Cha in that population, to be honest. I think she's a sociopath who is incapable of any emotional connection with other life forms. But every little bit of unexpected pressure or weirdness may prove to be useful in ruffling the judge's feathers. – It is also good to learn that Jae-yi is going after Cha and not wasting time or energy on her self-appointed #1 Henchperson.

Contrast that scene with the next one, in which Prosecutor Kang meets with her mentor to plead for her help with her mother's case. Judge Cha coldly tells Kang that her mother has to face the music for the serious crimes she committed. When Kang protests that Madam Nam would be taking the fall for things she did not do, Cha tells her that as a public figure, she herself cannot become embroiled in the misfortunes of her colleagues. If she wants to stay by her mentor's side (and later get stabbed in the back just like Mom – just sayin'), she has to convince her mother to take the fall and do her time in jail.

To be honest, it serves Prosecutor Kang right. Her greed for money and power, which apparently is hereditary, got her involved in The 7. Actually, I think that was Cha's insurance policy all along. She's got plenty of leverage against both mother and daughter. I fully expect that Kang will eventually be disbarred for her association with The 7, especially when the Prosecution's forensic auditors get their hands on the borrowed-name accounts that Madam Nam kept in her and her daughter's names at Judge Cha's urging. With Kang a known protege of the Crookedest Judge in Gisung, I'm betting that every case she prosecuted will have to be retried.

With all the double-crossing in the air, I can't help but wonder about the party leader who stabbed Judge Cha's father in the back. Will she have the chutzpah to pull him down when she falls, or has he insulated himself sufficiently? Is it possible that he's egged her on by dangling the Chief Justice position in front of her while being fully aware of her misdeeds? Has he been giving her enough rope to hang herself until the inevitable infighting breaks out among her underlings? Will the biggest fish get away?

- Continued -

Episode 15 – Beware of Spoilers

Part 3 of 3

I love straight-arrow Prosecutor Chun Seung-bum to pieces. He rescinds the APB [all points bulletin] so that An O-joo can appear in court as a witness. What a great “in your face!” moment when he tells off the Chief Prosecutor and refuses to accept his undocumented evidence of illegal campaign contributions against Hizzoner. He doesn't mess around, and is refreshingly immune to graft, bribery, and other forms of corruption. He must be Teflon-coated or something. Kudos to Park Ho-san for projecting a stalwart, incorruptible image.

Hats off to Samchoon's faithful second mate, Scorpion, who continues to loyally support Sang-pil in his campaign against Judge Cha. I think he is played by Kim Yong-woon (b. 1976), judging from the extended cast photos at HanCinema.

Hizzoner's face-to-face meeting with Judge Cha was full of warm fuzzies. Not. Her statement that he would end up obeying her commands was the dumbest thing anyone could have said to a ruthless gangster, especially one who is cornered. It just goes to show how convinced she is of her superiority, as if it's some kind of privilege for mere mortals to be ordered around by her. I can't wait for her to get her comeuppance.

What is in that message that is passed to Madam Nam in the clink? A little love note from Hizzoner? Gloating by one of The 7? I doubt it is a message from Judge Cha, her daughter, or her lawyers, all of whom normally speak with her in person.

At the launch party for her humbly-titled autobiography, Lady Justice, Judge Cha holds forth in such a sanctimonious tone of voice I want to scream. Sheesh. I'm glad we're nearing the end of the show because I don't think I can take much more of this claptrap. Later, at dinner with bigwigs and justices, Congressman Park hits a tender nerve when he brings up the photos from 18 years ago. I'm glad that someone recalls them.

Madam Nam dramatically keels over as she's about to testify. Did someone slip her a mickey? Is she faking it? Does it have something to do with that note she received the previous night?

I've been wondering where Hizzoner's Secretary Kim has been hiding out. Surprise, surprise. He's been in cahoots with Judge Cha all along. I should have seen that coming.

What I did have a correct inkling of was haplessly mercenary Seok Gwan-dong meeting a grisly end. Although he was still sticking around for financial reasons, the doofus remained loyal to Hizzoner. He was one of my favorite baddies. Maybe if he'd had a mom like Sang-pil's or Jae-yi's, he would have gotten off to a better start in life. As it was, he died a hero's death while trying to protect his boss. In Gisung, that's about as good as it gets for people in his line of work. Thank you, Choi Dae-hoon, for bringing the lovable scamp to life.

-30-