The Worst of Evil 최악의 악 [2023]

[abs-oluteM]

This week's episodes were so good. I find myself nervous for JunMo each time he's almost caught or being tested. That close called being frisked at the hotel to being constantly suspected by GiCheol's right hand man. How many times now did JM say "shibal" ? Him almost having to take meth   Jun Mo needs to survive this and be promoted 3 ranks or something, and go see that terrible detective who beat the crap out of him. That sort of violence when you are a cop is too much.  Anyhow, JM and that Chinese girl have oozing chemistry,  and the PD is doing an excellent job playing it up. 🔥

 

While I feel nervous for JM and would want him to succeed in this assignment, there's that big part of me that still feels for GiCheol. Not to say that what he's doing is right. But even within this world of organized crime, there's some sort of honor code, which I think he tries to abide by but those around him are betraying him left right centre. I felt it when he discovered that Jungbae has been 'stealing" from him and when his Japanese "father" had wanted to bypass him. But what is going to hurt so badly is once he finds out who "Seung Ho" is . That betrayal is gonna be worse than when he discover that noona Euijeong has been exploiting his affections. This show is killing me because they also show all this soft moments of KC - how he is with his mum, what he did for EJ's mum's memorial, his longing looks for EJ. Drama, please stop.😅 Hahahah I wish they made him a straight up bad guy. 

 

So what  did you all think of the ending where JM left that private investigator to die? I think I would probably have to do the same to protect EJ and his cover. The Naver articles were playing it up, saying that he's become evil to fight evil, and hence the title "The Worst of Evil" .  Though I thought it really hasn't come to that point yet. 

[abs-oluteM]

Oh my ! JM will have to sleep with ( maybe just kiss :D)  that Chinese girl ya . And that crazy fight scene at the start of eps 1 will be in these episodes 

 

[abs-oluteM]

Ooo this was supposed to be the introduction to Jun Mo's character for eps 1. Not sure why the PD cut it out even though he and JCW , both said it was one of their favourite scenes

Anyway in this cut, this was back when he was first working in the North Chuncheong Province. At that time he was supposed to be going for his FIL's retirement ceremony and he ended up investigating a murder scene. His sharp investigative skills lead him to discover a syringe ( so it's drug related). And you can see that how he went all out to catch the criminal. 

[Dhakra]

Episode 8+9

 

• Bibi is so heavenly beautiful in this blue dress.  She looks like a pure angel. How can anything that is so pretty be also so bad?
• Ahhhh, they kissed in the car. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. They even had multiple kisses. 
  I was so ready to drop this freaking drama, but decided to go with it and at least watch until the end.
• Because I knew JunMo will have his fair share of outside marriage adventures aswell and it would be cynical to be mad at her when JM does even worse stuff. And holy corrot, he and Haeryeon kissed, french kissed and undressed each other like newlyweds. EJ's action and fist clenching looked tame and innocent against it. 
  He really would have needed to sleep with her and go all out if they weren't disturbed.
  So I guess they are even and we can continue.
• Bibi is just so prettyyyyyy! 
• When JM arrived in the hallway and suddenly saw EJ on the other side of the floor, he totally went berserk. The moment he noticed this isn't about keeping his cover, rather about saving his wife's life, he turned into destruction itself and became God of War. He went from seeing a men die and suffer from it to all out make all men die who stand between him and his wife. 
• All I want is some private time between EJ & JM, maybe a kiss (not flashback) or something else to strengthen their bond.
  Because it worries me that she looked at the wedding ring so diligently. She also saw JM pretty much butchering a guy right in front of her, that may have caused her to look in a different way at him too.
  I want a little OTP time. 
• End is quite concerning, GC knows now that JM is skipping him and trusts Haeryeon more. Sigh, her stunning beauty would make me loyal to her aswell  I hope this won't end up in a fight between them.
• Biggest concern for me is still the marriage between JM & EJ, we haven't seen any real interaction between then outside of flashbacks, I really want them to have a few minutes in private. I hope we get a few couple shots aswell. They kissed other people more than each other, it bothers me. EJ also saw JunMo do things that aren't pretty, I hope she doesn't question her marriage or their love. 

[abs-oluteM]

1 hour ago, Dhakra said:

Bibi is just so prettyyyyyy! 

 

1 hour ago, Dhakra said:

Bibi is so heavenly beautiful in this blue dress.  She looks like a pure angel. How can anything that is so pretty be also so bad?

 

1 hour ago, Dhakra said:

Haeryeon more. Sigh, her stunning beauty would make me loyal to her aswell 

I had to laugh because you interspersed your recaps and concerns with these fanboy comments about Bibi! . I have to say for a relatively new actress, she's doing a good job with the right amount of charisma. Plus, I feel she even has better chemistry with JCW compared to Im Semi who plays the wife. 

 

I am halfway through episode 9 but had to stop by to say how insanely good eps 8 and the beginning of episode 9 were. In between those kisses and blood bath , I found myself worrying for everyone. JunMo in particular has had to make plenty of compromises to keep his cover and ensure that all the sacrifices he's made doesn't come to naught. I am glad they showed that he did not particularly enjoy that make out session with HR, especially because I don't see that as "cheating" on EJ. It isn't any worse than all the lines he has already crossed considering that  he's employed deception and violence to complete this mission. The day he agreed to this mission, we should not be surprised that his moral code would be tested over and over. 

 

I was surprised EuiJeong kissed GC too, but I think that was important for the narrative going forward. GC was already very suspicious of her , and she needed to use that last card to distract him and to ensure that JunMo's cover is not blown too. It's clear that both EJ and JM have had to put up with a lot for for this mission, and I am wondering if their marriage would come out intact. I don't doubt the love they have for each other though.  

 

GC continues to tug at my heartstrings. Those tears falling as he kissed EJ highlights how it's pained him having to doubt her sincerity. She teared up too and I think it is not so much because of JM but because GC at one point in time was someone that mattered to her . I think I might cry for him once he finds out how he's been betrayed by both EJ and JM. Of course he has to pay for his crimes behind bars but I do hope he'll have a decent redemption arc. He isn't violent for the sake of violence itself - he does have his honor code and what he is ultimately after is respect. 

[Dhakra]

58 minutes ago, abs-oluteM said:

I had to laugh because you interspersed your recaps and concerns with these fanboy comments about Bibi! . I have to say for a relatively new actress, she's doing a good job with the right amount of charisma. Plus, I feel she even has better chemistry with JCW compared to Im Semi who plays the wife. 

 

Have you not seen her in the stunningly blue dress? She has such a cold gaze in her eyes, but is so elegant and pretty at the same time. She killed them all with her eyes at the table. And then later she wore that beautiful blue blazer to the date with JM  Why do the pretty girls always have to play the baddie.

She will never trust a man again after this, she followed her heart for the first time and went against her dad. 

 

I noticed that too, they do have better chemistry, but I think this is because JCW & BIBI have more scenes together than JCW & Im Semi. They didn't have any chance yet to proof any chemistry, since they rarely share the same screen. 
That's why I desperately want them to have more scenes as a couple. 

  

 

1 hour ago, abs-oluteM said:

I am glad they showed that he did not particularly enjoy that make out session with HR, especially because I don't see that as "cheating" on EJ. It isn't any worse than all the lines he has already crossed considering that  he's employed deception and violence to complete this mission. The day he agreed to this mission, we should not be surprised that his moral code would be tested over and over. 

 

Well, it isn't cheating because it is part of his alias. He sleeps/kisses her as thug, as Tae-Ho's cousin, not as EJ's husband. He doesn't enjoy it, kudos to him for that, but he knows to make sure he achieves his goal, it is necessary. 
EJ's kissing is much more genuine, she also didn't like it, but she kisses GC as cop, as herself. She just lines up lie after lie and tries to cover the real truth. 

 

I guess his moral code is always updated and refreshed whenever he sees EJ. You can see his deep affection for her, whenever she is in danger or present, he almost forgets everything. 

 

1 hour ago, abs-oluteM said:

GC continues to tug at my heartstrings. Those tears falling as he kissed EJ highlights how it's pained him having to doubt her sincerity. She teared up too and I think it is not so much because of JM but because GC at one point in time was someone that mattered to her . I think I might cry for him once he finds out how he's been betrayed by both EJ and JM. Of course he has to pay for his crimes behind bars but I do hope he'll have a decent redemption arc. He isn't violent for the sake of violence itself - he does have his honor code and what he is ultimately after is respect. 

 

Ahhh, Noonalicious.  Can you smell it?  The tides have finally turned.

GC is your Shi-Ho. 

 

I disagree, I don't think her tears were any lingering feelings or related to GC at all. She cares so much about JM, she went multiple to JM's superiors and blamed them for putting him in so many dangerous positions. I felt like she cried because she had to do what she tried to avoid the most. Kissing him was the last bastion, she hoped she never has to do. 
She knows he is lying and sugarcoating everything he is doing. She knows what an evil guy he actually is and the gang war just proved it. He continuesly tries to deceive her. 

You reap what you sow. He became a thug, drug dealer and murdered all on his own. I won't cry a single tear once he ends up in prison.

[40somethingahjumma]

For the first time in the show I really thought (in Episode 8) that Eui-jeong should probably not have insinuated herself in this investigation. For a brief moment I thought her inclusion was a mistake. But then she managed to turn things things around to their advantage with a nice bit of "ick" on her part. Even then I think it would have been better if she stayed out of the investigation altogether because it is putting Jun-mo on edge and he often comes across as being too eager or too much of a hurry. It's definitely a double-edge sword but I accept that once she found out about the undercover gig, there was no stopping her.

 

For the first time too I felt for Gi-cheul too. I'm not disregarding the terrible things he's done and he will have to pay for them one way or another but he hasn't completely lost his humanity that he's beyond redemption. When Eui-jeong kissed him, I felt sorry for him because he thinks it's the real deal. He does deserve what's coming but his affection for Eui-jeong is undoubtedly sincere. He has people he cares about and she's one of them. Sadly the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And terrible choices.

 

(Is this Wi Ha-jun's first onscreen kiss? Dang it. Why couldn't it have been with Kim Go-eun in Little Women? Why is he so hot? Why? Why? Why?)

 

It's amazing to me that the show didn't take the safe route. I doubt this would have been made several years ago. Husband and wife were put in temptation's way. More the case with the husband than the wife. I don't think Eui-jeong felt anything but resentment. She's definitely doing it to keep Jun-mo safe. At least that's her intention.

[abs-oluteM]

On 10/19/2023 at 1:48 AM, Dhakra said:

Ahhh, Noonalicious.  Can you smell it?  The tides have finally turned.

GC is your Shi-Ho.

Shi Ho who ???? ....ok ok...I mean I don't have SLS in the truest sense of the word. I still think that GiCheol will have to pay for his crimes and narratively speaking I don't expect the leads to divorce. But there will be a lot of "healing" that needs to take place. 

 

The ending of Ep 9 was unexpected but then I can completely see why JM went ahead to approach HR. This deal cannot collapse or JM will not be able to catch anyone. But what he didn't see coming was GC making arrangements with the new Japanese boss who killed his "father". GC is certainly going to think that JM is being overambitious and doesn't respect him. 

 

3 minutes ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

(Is this Wi Ha-jun's first onscreen kiss? Dang it. Why couldn't it have been with Kim Go-eun in Little Women? Why is he so hot? Why? Why? Why?)

Yes....Little Women was such  waste - all that teasing of romance that came to nothing. 

 

Agree with your assessment of EuiJeong. I was happy to see that she wasn't just there to create jealousy. Quite a few times now that she has been able to turn things around. Her distraction tactics have somewhat worked to keep JM's cover safe. 

[abs-oluteM]

Preview for the last 3 episodes. Can't really guess how it will end  but they are trying to mislead us making us think that JunMo would cross over or that he will defy orders to stop?

 

[gilaswan]

Just came across this thread - has Infernal Affairs vibe. I reckon it’s good but anything that could make my heart stop multiple times is not good for my wellbeing… hahaha…

[mademoiselle]

BTS Stills

 

And this must be Bibi, @Dhakra's new girl. 😄

Spoiler

 

I haven't moved an inch from episode 4. I'm now waiting for it to end, so I could binge during the holidays. Hehe.

[Dhakra]

On 10/23/2023 at 2:55 PM, abs-oluteM said:

Preview for the last 3 episodes. Can't really guess how it will end  but they are trying to mislead us making us think that JunMo would cross over or that he will defy orders to stop?

 

EJ's hand touchung GiCheul worries me a little, but I guess it has nothing to say. What bothers me more is finally we get some time between JunMo and EJ and they fight? Is she trying to stop him, but he tells her he is going to finish the job to proof to her family that he is worth something?

I guess he will do the latter, defy orders to stop and finish it while losing himself a little. 
Please let me get just one kiss or good scene between the OTP.

 

6 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

And this must be Bibi, @Dhakra's new girl. 😄

 

Yessssss. Forget everything I said. JunMo grab the boat, take BIBI and SAIL INTO THE MOONLIGHT. 

[Dhakra]

Episode 10-12

 

• The tension at the table, are they questioning each others feelings? They both know they just act, right? They have a mission and play their part. But it felt like they don't know if there are some real feelings mixed up in there. 
  EJ also seemed very surprised to hear Junmo having a "girlfriend". It almost felt like she wanted to get back at him when HR touched Junmo's hand.
• BIBI IS SO CUTE. When she walked together with Junmo  I could listen to her all day talking about her homeland, China and other stuff. She's so interesting!
  JM being able to resisting kissing HR That's pure strength and dedication. 
• Oh  boy, Junmo thinks EJ feelings for GiCheul are real. He totally got lost in this. It was so dumb to get her involved in this in the first place. This was bound to happen. 
• Hae-Ryeon is so cuteeeee at the river. She really trusts Junmo and builds up his confidence. She finds the right words. Ahhh, can they be married soon please? They have much more chemistry. 
• The scene on the rooftop between the three cops was intense, but I think for the first time we see some sort of Junmo's feelings for EJ when he mentioned she got involved in this.
• I would have never expected HJ to actually do THIS if she found out. Holy Macaroni, her love is endless  Junmo was trying to safe her, telling her to flee to a totally different country. It's like he knew in this moment she knows his secret. She trusts him indefinitely. She really wants to protect him and the love she has for him. 
• I always knew BIBI was badass and meant to play a villain some day, if you watch any of her MV's on YouTube, she does this kinda stuff all the time. So I knew she would excel at this role, but damn, this was on a whole different level. 
• Honestly don't like the ending at all. Everything is in shambles, Junmo fatally shoots GiCheul for no reason, initially I thought he was just trying to stop him from commiting suicide, but why shoot him in the heart? He could have just shoot his arm or shoulder. Anything that prevents him from pulling the trigger
• It seems like the marriage between EJ & Junmo is over, which honestly feels unsatisfying, because they never felt like having an unbreakable bond anyway, but also because this kinda feels like the drama not having a good ending. 
  With this ending and Junmo actually declining the promotion, it would even more sense if  Junmo seeks out HR in Hong Kong. It looks like Junmo is more loyal to her than to his wife. He actually saved her from everything. 
• Was Junmo puting his wedding ring onto GiCheuls grave? Does that mean he let's EJ go? Since EJ seemed to have visited his grave earlier, does that mean she griefs about his death and blames Junmo for it? Did she genuinely love GC at the end?
• Is this ending just because EJ cared for GC when he died before her? It is not uncommon to react like this if someone you even care about a little dies in front of you. He may have chosen the wrong path, but deep down he was not a bad bad-guy. 
• Ahhh, I don't know how much I like this drama, I was hoping for a nice, clean end and a few quiet romantic scenes between EJ & Junmo. We got no action between them and much more between their undercover partners.

 

 

I also noted some things I want to address, typical K-Drama Wonderland

 

• I know Junmo told Jeong Bae to hide, but damn, how good ís he at hiding? He hid so well, he never appeared in the drama again.
• And why does no one, especially not Gi Cheun ask about Seo Jong-Ryul's whereabouts? He just got arrested for murder, but no one even asks where he has been. JB could have easily warned and told GC about all of this. 
• Junmo also never learned that his father is some kind of drug kingpin.

Edited October 25, 2023 by Dhakra

[40somethingahjumma]

It's no masterpiece but it's an immensely watchable character study that throws up plenty of moral conundrums. It's certainly not for the fainthearted but acquits itself particularly in the way it plays out the respective trajectories of the main male leads. I watched this primarily for Ji Chang-wook and Wi Ha-joon. Neither disappointed me. In fact I think both elevated aspects of the script and made their characters likeable and even relatable.

 

The ending was very dark. More so than I would have expected. It ended the way I speculated it would but not in the way I thought it would. Last week I said that Eui-jeong's inclusion in the investigation was a mistake. As it turns out, it probably was on the part of the character but not by the script writer. It was a deliberate device... a very subversive overturning of the first love trope. She tried to be a lifeline to two men and couldn't hold on to either. After what happened to everyone with multiple deceptions at play, a happily-ever-after would never do.

 

My favourite scenes are those between Jun-mo and Gi-cheul because when I see them together I lament with regret about what could have been. In a another time and another place they could have been friends because on some level they are brothers born out of similar circumstances. To the other guys, Gi-cheul was the leader, someone they looked up to but to Gi-cheul, Jun-mo/Seung-ho was a confidant and a fellow traveller.

 

It is a tale of two men with very similar motivations in different circumstances. Both crave respect and ironically both find it in crime. Park Jun-mo lives on the edge as a cop hunting criminals venting his violent impulses on the job. Going undercover puts him in the position where all those tendencies are given an outlet. Jun-mo is not a "good" man but a cop with a dysfunctional past. He's married to a fellow cop who birthed from a family of cops. He gets no respect from them and indeed his wife has to stand up to them in his stead. His rationale for going undercover is for promotion in order to be respectable in the eyes of his wife's family. But when he infiltrates the gang, he has a taste for the life of crime and revels in it. There he finds his kindred spirit -- Jung Gi-cheul, someone who understands him better than anyone -- more than his wife, more than his mentor Capt Seok. In fact he could have been Jung Gi-cheul considering that his father is some kind of minor drug figure. Temptations abound and his wife instead of being a lifeline as she thought, became another trigger for all the the worst aspects of his personality. In Jung Gi-cheul he sees himself gone astray. In Jung Gi-cheul he gains the respect he's always wanted.

 

Jung Gi-cheul was a kid that grew up in the church but made some crucial decisions as an adult that changed the course of his life irrevocably. He never wanted to be any kind of crime lord. His fatal flaw was also that he desperately wanted respectability. It was the girl he wanted. He thought money would get him there. Of course he was wrong about that because the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. But he knew too that he couldn't serve both God and money although the thought of redemption was never far from his mind.

 

At this point the two men's trajectories intersect. It's a meeting that would change Jun-mo effectively. Gi-cheul was probably always on the lookout for an exit strategy because in reality money was not his endgame. Being respected by his peers was. Meeting Eui-jeong and Seung-ho gave him hope. But a false hope that destroyed the man within. 

 

It's a tragedy... Shakespearean on some level. If Gi-cheul couldn't get his happily-ever-after then neither would Jun-mo.

[abs-oluteM]

GC being betrayed on so many levels hurts like hell. I keep thinking his downfall is his own doing...he was too kind as a gang leader don't you think? It wasn't just EuiJeong that was his "weakness", he wasn't ruthless enough. He should have not allowed Jung Bae to live.  But I suppose  that is also exactly why I ended up having so much love for GC. He treasured loyalty and wasn't ungrateful.  I wasn't expecting a fairy tale ending but I had this regret that GC never took that second chance  to truly reset his life.

 

I found this a good drama since I was engaged throughout. I didn't mind the ending too much @Dhakra since I was preparing myself  mentally for it. GC's death was tragic in some ways ( for me) but what came after that  was very sad. Had JM not shot GC, would the marriage have survived? Somehow I think JM's inferiority complex & her family looking down on him would have yielded the same result. 

 

Like @40somethingahjumma I too love JM-GC scenes the  most. It was the relationship between GC and JM , the parallels between their characters and background that kept me invested. .

 

There were complaints that EJ's character was rather underdeveloped. That at the end she did nothing for either man and was merely a plot device that complicated things. I disagree with that though...

[Dhakra]

4 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

Had JM not shot GC, would the marriage have survived? Somehow I think JM's inferiority complex & her family looking down on him would have yielded the same result. 

 

I think the marriage was already dead from the start, starting episode 1. The fact that he hid the undercover mission from her and only did it to get some recognition from her family tell a very clear story. In GC last breaths EJ actively decided against Junmo with her choice of words, she could have told him it was all an act and she only loves her husband Junmo, but she decided to talk in riddles because she actually has feelings for him too. She loves two men, with one being her first love. She spent much more time with him than necessary, that's why Junmo was so angry at the rooftop, she crossed his paths for no reason more than once. 

Junmo fell in love with Hae Ryeon too though, I am pretty sure he slept with her at the start of episode 10. She was someone he valued a lot, a simple girl valueing simple things like a red apple, the scent of water at night or playing video games in the street with kids. She was also from a high society family, but was much more pleasant to be with. He also felt valued by her family and more importantly, she was totally into him. 

 

JM shooting GC was just to have a little revenge, kill off the marriage and make sure EJ despises him. I think both parties knew their feelings shifted apart from each other. 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Dhakra

[40somethingahjumma]

10 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

GC being betrayed on so many levels hurts like hell. I keep thinking his downfall is his own doing...he was too kind as a gang leader don't you think? It wasn't just EuiJeong that was his "weakness", he wasn't ruthless enough. He should have not allowed Jung Bae to live.  But I suppose  that is also exactly why I ended up having so much love for GC. He treasured loyalty and wasn't ungrateful.  I wasn't expecting a fairy tale ending but I had this regret that GC never took that second chance  to truly reset his life.

 

 

I've seen a lot of comments that he should have been more cunning or menacing. But I think the point was that he wasn't your archetypal godfather, kingpin underworld figure. He just wanted to be a businessman and rake in the big money at the shortest amount of time possible. It would have been more convenient if he had eliminated all his potential opposition but I think he was a boy who was raised Christian and killing was a last resort.

 

The fact that he didn't take the second chance that Jun-mo offered him was the single most disappointing thing about his character. It flew in the face of what he said earlier about wanting to change and be a good person. Apparently that wasn't true. He just wanted the girl. Like Jay Gatsby.

 

5 hours ago, Dhakra said:

 

I think the marriage was already dead from the start, starting episode 1. The fact that he hid the undercover mission from her and only did it to get some recognition from her family tell a very clear story. In GC last breaths EJ actively decided against Junmo with her choice of words, she could have told him it was all an act and she only loves her husband Junmo, but she decided to talk in riddles because she actually has feelings for him too. She loves two men, with one being her first love. She spent much more time with him than necessary, that's why Junmo was so angry at the rooftop, she crossed his paths for no reason more than once. 

Junmo fell in love with Hae Ryeon too though, I am pretty sure he slept with her at the start of episode 10. She was someone he valued a lot, a simple girl valueing simple things like a red apple, the scent of water at night or playing video games in the street with kids. She was also from a high society family, but was much more pleasant to be with. He also felt valued by her family and more importantly, she was totally into him. 

 

JM shooting GC was just to have a little revenge, kill off the marriage and make sure EJ despises him. I think both parties knew their feelings shifted apart from each other. 

 

I think it's a stretch to say that their marriage was already dead from the start. :D There were definitely problems like the lack of respect from the in-laws but it wasn't just their marriage but him too. His family background was definitely an issue -- his father came barging in during their wedding ceremony. Despite all that Eui-jeong stayed married to him and even stood up to her family when they were attempting to demean him for being a lowly cop still. Honestly she didn't have to marry him at all knowing his background and the opposition from her family but she did. What Jun-mo craves is respect... as do all men... but he's not getting that from his wife's family that see him as being inferior to her.

 

I read the final showdown rather differently. I don't think Eui-jeong was in love with Gi-cheul. She may have had some nebulous feelings of goodwill due to their past affiliation. But I think it is more likely that she pitied him especially seeing what he'd become. If she had been in love with him, I think she would have confessed to him much sooner and asked him to run away with her. But she didn't. All she wanted to do was get him to back down and put an end to a string of rather terrible choices. Falling for Gi-cheul's charms goes against everything she believes in.

 

I think we should remember that she had a pistol in her handbag when she told him that she loved him. She was trying to protect her cover and by extension Jun-mo's cover. Even when they kissed she had a clenched fist. I think we should remember that she is the daughter of a police family. If she cared that much Gi-cheul I think she would have kept in contact but instead they broke off contact after his mother's arrest, she went on to graduate from the police academy and follow in the family tradition. That shows where her ideals are. Her lovey dovey talk was all an act, that's why it hurt Gi-cheul so much when he found out who she was really married to. She didn't deny that she used him and his trust in her.

 

It is possible that Jun-mo developed feelings for Hae-ryung because of the similarities in their backgrounds. Despite the boss girl act, she was willing to be vulnerable with him and offered him respect. That's very attractive to a man who has been starved of respect. The irony with Jun-mo he got more respect from Hae-ryung and Gi-cheul than from his colleagues, his father and his in-laws. They saw the drive and the goodness in him. Everyone thinks he's a wild man, a bit of a troublemaker. Hae-ryung wasn't from a high society family at all. She grew up poor. They both have a drugs connection -- both their dads are in the trade.

[Dhakra]

10 hours ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

I read the final showdown rather differently. I don't think Eui-jeong was in love with Gi-cheul. She may have had some nebulous feelings of goodwill due to their past affiliation. But I think it is more likely that she pitied him especially seeing what he'd become. If she had been in love with him, I think she would have confessed to him much sooner and asked him to run away with her. But she didn't. All she wanted to do was get him to back down and put an end to a string of rather terrible choices. Falling for Gi-cheul's charms goes against everything she believes in.

It is possible that Jun-mo developed feelings for Hae-ryung because of the similarities in their backgrounds. Despite the boss girl act, she was willing to be vulnerable with him and offered him respect. That's very attractive to a man who has been starved of respect. The irony with Jun-mo he got more respect from Hae-ryung and Gi-cheul than from his colleagues, his father and his in-laws. They saw the drive and the goodness in him. Everyone thinks he's a wild man, a bit of a troublemaker. Hae-ryung wasn't from a high society family at all. She grew up poor. They both have a drugs connection -- both their dads are in the trade.

 

Still she failed to show this to Junmo in almost 12 episodes. Junmo began to doubt her feelings, her intentions and her ultimate goal. She had more than one opportunity to remember Junmo that they love each other and are a married couple. That she is doing this for him and the sake of finishing the job to get him home safely. Even during the showdown, when GC asked her straight away if her feelings were ever genuine, she didn't stand her ground and told him that she only loves Junmo and is his wife. 
Yes, she didn't deny that she used GC feelings, but she didn't confirm it either. Her answer was not really an answer. She just said it doesn't matter. It does matter, Junmo thought during the whole case he lost his wife.
During this scene they weren't undercover anymore, they were in their home. Still she dodged a clear commitment towards Junmo.

 

Maybe she was not in love with GiCheul, but she wasn't in love with Junmo anymore either. Which is fine at the end, she saw things, she saw Junmo as a monster. But in the end, it felt she was attached more to GC than towards Junmo.Which is fine I guess, Junmo completety lost himself in the case.

But ultimately this is what led Junmo into Bibi's arms and made him fall for her. 

[Chocolate]

I've finally finished this and the question at the top of my mind is - Why did JM shoot GC? I came to the conclusion that he saw that GC was going to shoot himself in the head, why waste that? If JM shoots GC, he could claim the credit of catching GC, which he did in his first call, instead of calling the ambulance. Am I wrong?

 

In the last few episodes, it felt like JM was driving the drug run, something similar to entrapment with sex workers. It seemed like it was his displeasure at seeing EJ and GC together that he wanted to end the undercover assignment asap, but it also seemed like he went a bit too deep/obsessed (走火入魔).

 

On 10/14/2023 at 12:07 AM, abs-oluteM said:

So what  did you all think of the ending where JM left that private investigator to die? I think I would probably have to do the same to protect EJ and his cover. The Naver articles were playing it up, saying that he's become evil to fight evil, and hence the title "The Worst of Evil" .  Though I thought it really hasn't come to that point yet. 

 

Morally, the first time you let someone die to protect yourself, it's time to stop the job. Of course, in reality, there are so many other considerations. For JM, it's that he valued completing the job to get his promotion more. As the drama progressed, you could see that he was developing evil tendencies. So with regards to @abs comment below, would his marriage have survived even if he did not shoot GC? I think not, because he has grown so much during this job that he wouldn't put up with her family's disrespect of him anymore. I also think he may start to find EJ naggy because she is too good a person. So I think he should just go HK to find HR 😂

 

On the side, wasn't it extremely satisfying to see HR kill that awful detective Mingoo! There were so many gangsters and no one kills him? Finally!

 

On 10/27/2023 at 12:28 AM, abs-oluteM said:

GC being betrayed on so many levels hurts like hell. I keep thinking his downfall is his own doing...he was too kind as a gang leader don't you think? It wasn't just EuiJeong that was his "weakness", he wasn't ruthless enough. He should have not allowed Jung Bae to live.  But I suppose  that is also exactly why I ended up having so much love for GC. He treasured loyalty and wasn't ungrateful.  I wasn't expecting a fairy tale ending but I had this regret that GC never took that second chance  to truly reset his life.

 

I found this a good drama since I was engaged throughout. I didn't mind the ending too much @Dhakra since I was preparing myself  mentally for it. GC's death was tragic in some ways ( for me) but what came after that  was very sad. Had JM not shot GC, would the marriage have survived? Somehow I think JM's inferiority complex & her family looking down on him would have yielded the same result. 

 

GC made a lot of mistakes, so the betrayals were his own fault.

• Considering his line of work, he should never have taken in JM, as long as there was a whiff of suspicion, and especially when things started to go wrong. We have watched enough gangster dramas to know.
• He should also have waited until after his last drug run to start anything with EJ.
• Regarding Jung Bae, I felt for this guy, especially when Seo attacked him in the lift after he was kicked out by GC. So I can totally understand why he would rebel. They were friends since school and had built the gang together. It was unforgivable to have been deposed because GC now preferred new buddy JM. Yes, he may have embezzled but GC should look at the reason too. Why was the distribution of funds so inequitable - and then he was so willing to give up 10% to JM - it's no wonder Hee Sung rebelled too.
• Plus JM planned to go straight all on his own? He didn't include or even share his plans with JB and HS? That's pure selfishness. A good leader would have at least given his people a choice, to follow him or to stay in the underworld.

 

So I feel that his downfall was not because he was not ruthless enough, but because he didn't care for his people enough, he was just using them to build his empire.

 

On 10/27/2023 at 10:15 PM, Dhakra said:

Even during the showdown, when GC asked her straight away if her feelings were ever genuine, she didn't stand her ground and told him that she only loves Junmo and is his wife. 

 

From a woman's perspective, a nice woman 😜, we don't knock a friend when they are down. EJ did treat GC as a friend, seeing her numerous attempts to convince him to retire now. GC already knew they were lying to him, to further confirm that she never felt anything for him and was just doing her job, would take a very hard-hearted woman to do that. I wouldn't do it at that particular time too. Perhaps at a later time when things have settled down.

 

Edited November 5, 2023 by Chocolate

[Dhakra]

18 hours ago, Chocolate said:

From a woman's perspective, a nice woman 😜, we don't knock a friend when they are down. EJ did treat GC as a friend, seeing her numerous attempts to convince him to retire now. GC already knew they were lying to him, to further confirm that she never felt anything for him and was just doing her job, would take a very hard-hearted woman to do that. I wouldn't do it at that particular time too. Perhaps at a later time when things have settled down.

 

Yeaaaaaaah, buuuuut no. She doesn't knock "a friend" down, she just questioned herself in the car how they should move on in their marriage. She knows Junmo is already questioning their marriage, he is question her feelings, she knows he is believing she has more feelings for GC than for him. She is a smart women,.she knows their marriage is in shambles and Junmo might have an affair with BIBI aswell. EJ also knows Junmo digged much to deep into this operation, the case completely ate his mind.

So she has to make a decision, save her marriage once and for all or hurting someone she already hurt and watch his downfall. He already chose his poison by walking down this path. As a high-ranked cop I expect her to have so much sight. 

 

But she chose the middleroad, again. In their own apartment, as wife. This was the nail in the coffin. Junmo cheated and sent his girl away, his wife refuses to stand with him and the guy who is responsible for this is right before him. 

The Cop Junmo killed him, the thug Junmo liked him. Thug Junmo died with the success of the operation. 

 

18 hours ago, Chocolate said:

If JM shoots GC, he could claim the credit of catching GC, which he did in his first call, instead of calling the ambulance. Am I wrong?

 

Just he didn't want to catch him, he wanted to KILL and catch him. He could have catched him the moment  he saw GC in their apartment, GC was never a fighter, two cops would have easily been able to capture him. He shot GC in a fatal spot, if he just wanted to capture him, all he had to do was shoot him in the arm, the shoulder, leg, arm, choose anything. But he went straight for the heart.

Also I am pretty sure, if you shoot somebody, you need to call the ambulance aswell. 

 

18 hours ago, Chocolate said:

, in reality,

 

Let's be honest, if this drama was even close to reality, they would have stopped after the 2nd episode. 

Edited November 5, 2023 by Dhakra