Beyond Evil episode 6: in which there is a big reveal… or is there?

It’s perfectly plausible that Kang Jin-mook isn’t as grateful to Dong-sik and his family as he’d appeared to be – that he might even have resented them, and been jealous of DS’s relationship with Min-jung. But it’s still a big stretch from JM the devoted adopted member of the family to JM the homicidally possessive father. And it’s a bigger stretch from DS’s reaction when JM visited him at Munju police station, to DS’s current attitude towards JM. What changed after DS was released? Or has DS always been suspicious of JM, and faking friendship and concern? Also, what exactly was DS trying to conceal when he asked Chief Nam to cover his tracks at Munju station?

The problem is, DS is as opaque now as he was in episode 1, and mainly because of that my sympathies are beginning to shift to Joo-won. Surely DS can make better use of JW than just messing with his mind? Perhaps JW is right – maybe DS doesn’t need any information about the other victims because he already knows who the killer is or who the killers are, and is playing a long, convoluted and personal game with them. Also, if the text to JM was sent by him – and it’s a kind of baiting that seems very typical of DS – how did he get hold of Min-jung’s phone?

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    always suspicious.. initial episode when he went to take care of DS mother.. DS literally hated him touching his mom

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    It seems like JM has been putting on an act all of his life, so I don’t think that is such a big stretch. DS’ attitude certainly changed this episode, but that’s typical with a reveal. I did think he acted a little weird with him in the scenes with the mom. Maybe he has been putting on an act all of these years with JM too. Or maybe MJ’s disappearance made him certain? He searched the house afterward, maybe?

    I’m not sure JM is the only killer. I could see him killing the sister, MJ’s mom who “left” and MJ as there seems to be a possessive element there but not sure about all of the others.

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      I dunno. Even a twist or a reveal needs to come from somewhere. Actually I don’t have a problem with JM’s deceit. I’m beginning to think that he despises his fellow Manyang’ers for pitying him while quietly capitalising on their pity, like when he distributes kimchi to the cops in this episode. But the show has laid the groundwork for this “deceitful JM” reveal, e.g. by consistently showing JM using food to gain goodwill and trigger guilt. In contrast, I don’t think the “homicidal JM” reveal has been managed very well, with JM suddenly become Suspect Number 1 simply by looming into DS’s consciousness when JW asks him whom he is protecting. In fact, I’m still not 100% convinced JM has killed anyone…

      Come to think of it, Jung-je and Ji-hoon also became fishy rather abruptly, but at least DS hasn’t been shown suddenly doubting them. In fact, JM’s sudden promotion to Suspect Number 1 doesn’t worry me as much as DS’s attitude towards him. I’d be particularly disturbed if DS has been suspicious of him all this time, yet was ok leaving him to mess with his mother and his friends in Manyang for 20 years.

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        It’s entirely possible that the show is simply going to go through the whole list of people that COULD have done it, with misdirect after misdirect after misdirect- bear in mind they painted DS as the suspect at first.
        Sometimes I really enjoy the messed up and seemingly complex characterization, and sometimes I can’t help but think it’s not really that smart, just tense and confusing, and therefore faking being smart. But I don’t really know yet. I still think there’s a lot more than just the serial murders going on.

        If it is indeed JM- it is very concerning if DS knew all this time and did nothing about it. I kept asking myself why- because he had no condemning proof or evidence? *Shrugs*

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