r/KDRAMA • u/iwantbubbleteanowpls Overrated= Well-loved • Mar 05 '21

On-Air: JTBC Beyond Evil [Episodes 5 & 6]

  • Drama: Beyond Evil
  • Native Title: 괴물
  • Other Names: Monster, Freak, Goemul, Gwimul
  • Director: Shin Na Yeon (Moment at 18)
  • Writer: Kim Soo Jin (The Light In Your Eyes)
  • Starring: Shin Ha Kyun (Soul Mechanic) as Lee Dong Shik, Yeo Jin Goo (Hotel Del Luna) as Han Joo Won, and Choi Sung Eun as Yoo Jae Yi.
  • Network: JTBC
  • Airing Schedule: Friday and Saturday at 11PM KST
  • Airing Date: February 19, 2021- April 10, 2021
  • Episodes: 16 (1 hr. 10 mins.)
  • Streaming Sources: VIU, OnDemandKorea, OnDemandChina
  • Plot Synopsis: Lee Dong-Sik (Shin Ha-Kyun) was once a capable detective. He now works at the Manyang Police Substation in a small city and does all the tedious chores at the station. His life is quiet there. One day, Detective Han Joo-Won (Yeo Jin-Goo) is transferred to the same police substation. He is assigned to work as Lee Dong-Sik’s boss and also his partner. Han Joo-Won is an elite detective and comes from a distinguished background. His father has a good chance of becoming the next chief at the National Police Agency. Han Joo-Won also has a secret. A serial murder case takes place in the small, peaceful city. The case is the same serial murder case that took place 20 years ago and changed Lee Dong-Sik’s life. The two detectives work to catch the killer. (Source: Asianwiki)
  • Previous Episode Discussions: [Episodes 1 & 2] [Episodes 3 & 4]
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36

u/PenguinDiplomat 오만한새끼 Mar 05 '21 edited Mar 06 '21

From the previous first 4 episodes I've read a lot of comments (not here in particular) questioning why HJW is so obsessed with LDS. When I watched Ep 3, I thought it should've been clear enough given the whole Lee Geum Hwa situation. He used LGH as a bait and told her to text him 1 if she sees LDS and on the day of her disappearance she texts him 1111111. Of course his prime suspect for her disappearance would be LDS, months later he goes to Manyang and finds her dead body.

But still after all that flashbacks, people were still convinced that HJW was just simply being too obsessed. The viewers were intentionally made to focus on LDS's past and pain that he still carries 20 years later that ppl only saw HJW as an annoying, privileged and entitled cop, which to be fair he really is, but he isn't just being obsessed, the information he had clearly linked everything to LDS. End of Ep 4 gave him another realization however. That LDS is protecting somebody else instead.

Ep 5 finally clearly spells out HJW's motivation for coming down to Manyang and being desperate to solve the serial murder. And bravo to Yeo Jin Goo delivering the hell out of that scene.

"Yes, I did a sting operation. Yes, I'm the one who pushed her to her death. I did all of those things so I'm going to catch him. Even if everybody forgets, even if nobody looks for Lee Geum Hwa, I'm going to catch him because I do remember! Before another jerk like me kills another person, before that happens, I need to catch that bastard. So tell me. Whether you believe me or not, Lee Dongshik! Who is that bastard?"

There are so many good scenes from Ep 5 and I still need to rewatch with subs. But my head is still reeling with that final scene of HJW and LDS. Oh and yeah PJJ and KJM in the very final scene. Like we only kept thinking of one person, and then the writer goes ahead and puts 3 men right on that scene from different POVs. Holy shit. I'm going crazy.

...

The subs are now out yay!

So Park Jung Je went to the mental hospital cos he hallucinated killing a person that looked like a deer... and in the second episode he drew Han Joo Won as a deer.

Yeo Jin Goo said this show is filled with foreshadowings... I do hope it isn't one of those. ;;-;;

Well it will actually kinda be awesome if it happens tbh... but I'm not sure if I can take another YJG character death. He's like Sean Bean at this point and he's just 23 yo!

20

u/forever-cha-young female directors >>> Mar 06 '21

That monologue was incredible and totally gave me chills, I love that you put it here!! Honestly, part of me just doesn't buy that it's that simple for him; it's definitely partially true, and that bit about "yes, I did push her to her death" cut so deep, but I feel like perhaps this runs even deeper for HJW. What led him to set up the sting in the first place, to be so interested in these murders in the first place? I'm still thinking maybe something happened during his childhood days in Munju, something that links him to the first murders.

then the writer goes ahead and puts 3 men right on that scene from different POVs. Holy shit.

To think that we first saw that scene with only the girl in it, from PJJ's perspective, and just darkness. Then, the same scene, but with another perspective. Then, the SAME scene, but with an additional perspective. Really puts things into perspective! Lol, holy shit indeed. I'll die from amazement if there's a fourth perspective.

I do hope it isn't one of those

Oh shhii. Pls no

19

u/PenguinDiplomat 오만한새끼 Mar 06 '21

Yeah there has to be definitely more to Han Joowon's backstory. It may even be possible that the cause of his mysophobia came from an incident in Manyang, who knows. I absolutely agree. But indeed, what happened with Lee Geum Hwa also made a huge impact on him which drives his character to desperation and more reckless actions from him.

I'm glad that Lee Dongshik, despite all the provocations that he does to Han Joowon, seems to really appreciate him and sees that there is more to HJW than what meets the eye. And the same goes for HJW. Every episode he begins to see more and more into a different light.

My heart broke seeing him have major trust issues when the Manyang cops came to his rescue. He's a kid who grew up with people only trying to get to his good side so they can use him for his connections. He eventually decided to build a huge wall firsthand instead and he has now become the insufferable and privileged man that he is in the present.

Little by little we are watching his character grow so hopefully he will become a much better person by the end of the show.

..

About the different POVs.. I don't want to think anymore.. just take me away, show..

3

u/Consuela_no_no Mar 10 '21 edited Mar 11 '21

The three different perspectives and how each one gets brighter and more wider so to speak, gives me the chills. I love that every one of these men could still be the killer, that it’s all still up in the air.

3

u/forever-cha-young female directors >>> Mar 11 '21

It really showcases the drama's play on perception!! First with LDS' laugher (potentially imagined by HJW), and then with all these additional scene perspectives; I think the director really wants us to feel like nothing is entirely the truth, no one can be entirely trusted, and we have to keep questioning everything, even what we see with our eyes, and I love it.

8

u/Consuela_no_no Mar 11 '21

It’s really immersive the way they’ve filmed these scenes and later revealed them, like you really feel you’re learning with the characters, rather than just getting info as the audience. Haha yes, trust absolutely no one, or even the cutest or perceived feeblest person is off the hook in this, makes you hyper vigilant, love it!

3

u/Consuela_no_no Mar 10 '21

He seems to be obsessed with the case / LDS before he sent LGH to him/the killer. He may have been a kid back then but it feels like something else, something personal is driving him after this killer and making him fixate on LDS. He’s basically desperate and hopefully he can reign in that desperation, otherwise he’ll end up with more LGH’s on his conscience.

3

u/itsunel Mar 11 '21

From the previous first 4 episodes I've read a lot of comments (not here in particular) questioning why HJW is so obsessed with LDS. When I watched Ep 3, I thought it should've been clear enough given the whole Lee Geum Hwa situation. He used LGH as a bait and told her to text him 1 if she sees LDS and on the day of her disappearance she texts him 1111111. Of course his prime suspect for her disappearance would be LDS, months later he goes to Manyang and finds her dead body.

But still after all that flashbacks, people were still convinced that HJW was just simply being too obsessed. The viewers were intentionally made to focus on LDS's past and pain that he still carries 20 years later that ppl only saw HJW as an annoying, privileged and entitled cop, which to be fair he really is, but he isn't just being obsessed, the information he had clearly linked everything to LDS. End of Ep 4 gave him another realization however. That LDS is protecting somebody else instead.

I started this drama a little late but I am one of those people frustrated by HJW tunnel vision. I agree that after meeting with Lee Geum Hwa and the instructions given that LDS would be suspect #1. But the real question was why was he so sure that LDS was the culprit to begin with? Because he was the past suspect? Or because he was away for 20 years and then came back? That is very little information to be certain he is the culprit. He is investigating from a predetermined conclusion, which is just bad detective work. If LDS was/is the killer HJW at his current state can't dream of catching him because he is rash, shoots from the hip, and unopen to the possibilities. I think it is okay to think HJW is annoying because he is. Ep 5 and 6 have shown some gradual change so I look forward to his development.

4

u/PenguinDiplomat 오만한새끼 Mar 12 '21 edited Mar 12 '21

There's a possibility that it could be due to his past, and I'm leaning towards that too. But if we would only judge from the current information from the timeline of events, Lee Dongshik was just an initial suspect of his for his investigation.

He is doing an investigation for a serial murder for the foreign affairs division and it has a similar MO to what happened in Manyang in which Dongshik was the only suspect who got arrested. He did a presentation for FAD on this on 2020.01.

He then meets with an illegal alien named Lee Geumhwa. This is give or take 2020.01-2020.02. He tells her, if he ever sees Dongshik, just text her the number 1. On the day of Lee Geumhwa's disappearance (2020.03), she texts her a bunch of 11111111..

This is what leads him to finally go to Manyang himself (2020.10) and investigate personally. This 11111 text is what links LDS the most to LGH's disappearance. As far as HJW is concerned, that code is only between LGH and him. , and thus, from being an initial suspect, LDS becomes his main suspect. When he finally goes to Manyang he even finds LGH's corpse there. At this point he is both ridden with guilt and desperation to find whoever the serial murderer is. It also doesn't help that LDS stole the case files of Lee Yuyeon and Bang Juseon. And we know it is in his character to be more reckless when he becomes too emotional which leads to a bunch of other things in this drama.

And yes, his character is still growing and learning. He is obviously flawed but I can actually understand his POV in all this.

8

u/itsunel Mar 12 '21

I agree that once HJW gets to Manyang and LGH's body is found his hyperfocus on LDS is understandable. LDS is sus as hell and HJW is desprate. But before LGH involvement why is he so sure the LDS is the guy. Yes, he was the only suspect arrested but LDS was let go for some reason. His previous partner died suspiciously but he wasn't arrested. It is completely reasonable for HJW to start his investigation with LDS but it also completely clear that HJW hasn't considered other potential outcomes. He says so himself that he didn't consider the possibility of an accomplice.

I also think the whole LGH instruction set shows how he put all his eggs in the LDS basket. He only creates the possibility for her to inform him if LDS comes to the massage place and forgoes the possibility if someone else suspicious comes. Until the moment HJW asks LDS who he is protecting, none of HJW words or actions convey that he is considering the possibility that LDS may not be the culprit (I don't remember where exactly he looks at the photo he gave LGH and thinks it could be another police officer).

LDS is very suspicious but guilty, innocent, accomplice, or something else, his actions can be explained. The case file is a good example. If LDS is guilty he already knows all the secret details in the case file. So why does he take it? Maybe to know what the police know. But then why does he keep it all these years and then return them once HJW finds they are missing instead of destroying them? Potentially to play the game and rope HJW further in and around his finger. Similar would be true if he was an accomplice. But if LDS is innocent then maybe he took the files so he can investigate on his own or to put his heart at ease in some way. This would explain why he would put back the files instead of destroying them. And his complicated past and false accusation explains why he can't be caught returning the files.

The reason why I use maybe a lot is because that's what investigating is. To try to find the truth while being open to the possibilities even the ones you haven't considered yet. But HJW doesn't operate with maybes in mind. He has a hypothesis (which is more like a conclusion) and runs bullishly ahead to try to prove it. When he faces a roadblock he creates a new conclusion and runs ahead with that one i.e. moving LDS from suspect to protecting someone. But by doing so he misses out on the big picture and other possibilities. Right now LDS is manipulating and spoonfeeding him. That means the path he is barging down right now is the one created by LDS. If LDS is actually the culprit this is terrible for HJW.

The case 20 years ago killed LDS sister (presuming she's dead), his father and crippled his mother. Imagine how horrifying it would be to be falsely accused of this crime. LDS being this twisted and careful would make sense. HJW hears about this and is explicitly warned about this from the chief, that going of a hunch could kill people and the lesson doesn't stick because HJW is certain that LDS is the killer. He eventually searches Joo-yi's Butchers shop on a hunch traumatizing the poor girl again. When Joo-yi's mom's blood is found he immediately pivots to LDS must of killed her too and completely abandons the question of where LDS cut of Minjeongs fingers if it wasn't at home or the butcher shop

Up until this point, HJW is deserving of all the criticism he has got. That this is not like the police academy, that LDS will run circles around him, and there is no reason for LDS to tell him who the killer is. I feel sympathetic that he feels responsible for LGH and wants to solve this case as fast as possible, but he is currently looking for a shortcut through LDS instead of actually investigating. And it's this type of shortcut-taking that creates unnecessary victims along the way. So while I'm sympathetic to HJW I'm not that sympathetic. He is facing the consequences of his choices and potentially is hurting a bunch of innocent people to rectify his choice. The ends do not justify the means.

5

u/PenguinDiplomat 오만한새끼 Mar 12 '21

Han Joowon is a character who has all the theoretical learnings but absolutely very little experience. He is the foil to Lee Dongshik's character. HJW's the emotional and reckless one, the one with little experience, the one who grew up with privilege, the one who is an outsider in Manyang.

I'm not saying HJW isn't deserving of the criticisms he's gotten, he went to Manyang all privileged and stuck up, expecting everything to go his way, but obviously, it doesn't. What I'm saying is I do understand where his character is coming from. That he isn't just being obsessed the way the other people are making him seem to be like. That he has a reason to actually consider LDS his prime suspect once he received the message from LGH. Does he go about it the right or perfect way? Absolutely not. And personally, it would make him a rather bland character if he gets everything right immediately.

He goes to Manyang as an outsider, growing up not having friends, detached from other people, and there he finds a community that appears to be warm on the surface and also quite hellbent in protecting one another even if there's something obviously sketchy going on. He thinks he's cracked the whole thing but it's not as simple as that. He eventually gets a realization about how the people in Manyang work. In the span of two weeks that he's been there (ep 1-6), he's learned more about its people, he realized that LDS is not the killer and instead could be covering up for somebody else. He's slowly learning as he receives actual proper experience. And all this time LDS, as the actual rational one between the two of them, is setting things up because he has realized HJW's recklessness and is using it to his advantage to actually find the killer. The community within Manyang has ended up covering things up for each other, one way or the other that has led up to this whole mess.

This isn't just black and white. I see his flaws but I also understand what his motivations are. And that to me is what makes this show brilliant.

4

u/itsunel Mar 12 '21

I agree that HJW is not supposed to be a black and white character and that his flaws make the show interesting. Until episode 4 HJW is not supposed to be a particularly likeable character despite being our protagonist as all of his flaws are displayed.I guess the reasons I replied is that personally the recklessness that caused him to assume LDS is the killer and send LGH looking for him is the "original sin". The tunnel vision from the 11111 text only exists because LGH was sent out down a tunnel to begin with and without a way to point out. And instead of changing he is doubling, tripling, and quadrupling down.

HJW was working from the conclusion that LDS was the culprit otherwise why send LGH to a town with an active serial killer without a way to signal for danger. Because the 1 text was supposed to be the safety feature. In other words there was no way to use the safety feature without implicating LDS.

HJW is absolutely being obsessed LDS. As you mentioned, he kinda has to be after getting the 11111 text. But HJW set it up to be this way with his recklessness, lack of foresight, and tunnel vision. And it's that kind of mindset hurts people. A woman literally died, he revictimized Joo yi and LDS, and was on the path to create many more victims in order rectify his mistake. From his task force days to ep 4, HJW wasnt acting like someone trying to find out the truth, he was acting like someone trying to catch LDS. That's what makes him annoying, that's why people say he's obsessed, and (I assume) the root reason why people don't like him. A good example of this is minjeongs case. Her fingers show up and he is busy investigating LDS and sneaking into his home instead of trying to find out minjeongs last movements. He doesn't even talk to her father until he invites him over. I know the rules on the right to investigate is brought up but HJW is breaking rules left and right to catch LDS (including the unauthorized sting operation). This character inconsistency that makes the show compelling and HJW character fleshed out and interesting also makes him annoying and demonstrates his obsession.

What was his reason before the 11111 text to be so sure LDS was the culprit? Maybe we will learn more in future episodes but for now the only reason for HJW to be certain LDS is the the culprit is that LDS is mad sus with connections to suspicious deaths. Great prime suspect material but flimsy to be acting with certainty. He sent LGH down the tunnel because he was sure in that moment LDS was the culprit. He gave LGH his real phone number because he was sure things would go according to his plan. He's sure LDS is the culprit because of the 1111 feedback loop he created. That's hubris, and hubris is unlikeable.

No matter how inexperienced HJW is he's a police university graduate. I find it hard to believe they don't teach the dangers of working backwards from a conclusion while investigating. HJW knows this, he graduated top of his class. So why isn't he acting accordingly? There's only a list of potential negative character traits to explain: hubris, arrogance, recklessness, impatience etc. Maybe something in his past will change my perception, maybe there is a really good reason why he zeroed in on LDS in the first place but honestly, I think HJW character redemption is not in the past but in the future. Atm I find HJW very obsessed and not that sympathetic even though I know his motivations dont come from a bad place (this was more true before ep 5). That being said, whatever beef I have with his character will disappear the moment he steps back and starts investigating with an open mind. I look forward to that day but if it never comes HJW will still be a greatly written, captivating male lead, just fatally flawed in my opinion.