Through the Darkness [Those Who Read Hearts of Evil] 악의 마음을 읽는 자들 [2022]

[UnniSara]

44 minutes ago, abs-oluteM said:

Now, I am in a dilemma..shall I watch eps 5 first? LOL...can't believe no episodes after this for the next 3 weeks! Killing my momentum. 

I totally understand where you are coming from. I watched the episode 5 before remembering about the 3 weeks hiatus. 

[mademoiselle]

OST 2

 

[Chocolate]

Despite knowing there will be a 3 wk break, I couldn’t resist. Up to 3.5 episodes now and thoroughly enjoying it.

 

The interrogation scene in episode 2 was well done. HY did not force, and subtly led the suspect to incriminate himself. It was quite unique.

 

Episode 3 was even better. The female captain has a great tone of voice. Maybe because there are so many shows with screaming females, hers was quite calm? Does she have some sort of romantic history with HY?

 

That said, I have to remind myself that this is not the usual thriller where we have to guess who is the killer in our midst. The suspense is mostly in generating the profile of the killer - what kind of person he is, why does he kill and why in that manner. Then the killers just seem to drop in the polices’ laps 😂.

 

Now the dilemma is whether to start episode 5 & 6 or wait till 3 weeks later…

 

[SilverMoonTea]

On 1/29/2022 at 1:29 PM, UnniSara said:

What did you guy's think of  Episode 5??? @SilverMoonTea  @peperomia

 

Same as you, I was rather a bit shocked with their background. YTG felt uneasy because she took credit which supposed to be SHY's. Actually on recent case, she also still taking SHY's profiling work about the butcher for her investigation, I guess she doesn't change much. I hope she will have character progress. 

 

So SHY change to suit is for the prisoner interview mainly? As CHG commented how nice KYS wearing suit just to meet him. The cinematographic and the BGM continue to be stellar, the snow fell also captured beautifully. And I'm glad that their group still exist for few years until 2003, eventhough they're clearly hanging on thin line. 

 

Profiler really needed especially if the case is done by serial killer and the victim randomly picked. Actually the chance to catch serial killer is very slim, they're more often got caught while doing the deeds in real life. It's also often suggested for police to work with public to look for witnesses or tips on someone close to them who behave suspiciously. 

[UnniSara]

5 hours ago, SilverMoonTea said:

Profiler really needed especially if the case is done by serial killer and the victim randomly picked. Actually the chance to catch serial killer is very slim, they're more often got caught while doing the deeds in real life. It's also often suggested for police to work with public to look for witnesses or tips on someone close to them who behave suspiciously. 

That is true ,  In all the crime documentary’s I have seen with serial cases, some don’t get caught until many many years. I am quite satisfied with how they mention the cooling off period between the murderers, triggers that they must be going through pushing them to kill. Or finding out why they change their MO. There are answers but sometimes the profiler doesn’t know the answer. 

[Tofu]

Does episode 6 end on a good note or is there a cliffhanger? Knowing this will help me determine if I should watch both episode 5/6 now or wait until the hiatus is over. 

[Chocolate]

Hmmm, I was a little disappointed with the ending of the mutilated child story. He accidentally killed her? I suppose he cut her up to more easily dispose of the body. Where are her 2 fingers - did I miss something?

 

I have to keep reminding myself that they are looking for insights into the killers’ childhood/lives and triggers to build a database. Though the work is valuable, it seems a slow way to show that their work is useful to mainstream detecting.

 

The discrimination that Captain Yoon is experiencing - is it a Korean thing? For those of you old enough 😂 did you go through this too? In the 1990s/2000s, society to me was already quite advanced. I never felt disadvantaged as a female.

 

The interrogation scenes are very nice to watch. HY’s bland face and the way he asks the questions is sublime. But every time his boss opens his mouth, I worry he will break the momentum 😂

 

@Tofu I think I saw one of @bluepebbles tweet that the case doesn’t end in ep6.

 

[Tofu]

Thanks, @Chocolate! I will wait then. 

[UnniSara]

5 hours ago, Chocolate said:

The discrimination that Captain Yoon is experiencing - is it a Korean thing? For those of you old enough 😂 did you go through this too? In the 1990s/2000s, society to me was already quite advanced. I never felt disadvantaged as a female.

Totally a Korean thing. I also due to cultural differences the Asian aren’t welcome to changes. That is why Captain Yoon is suffering because there are old school cops who don’t respect woman like Chief Kim doesn’t. 
 

I recall they found only 1 finger but not the other one @Chocolate

 

 

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

There's a special eps that they are showing ...you can watch it here. Thanks @suhodorable for the links

 

[peperomia]

I watched to episode 6. I was not expecting the time jump, but since the Behavioral Analysis team was only given a year to prove its worth before it was to disband, it was nice to see them last through the years - even though barely. From a viewer’s perspective, they should already be a permanent asset to the police department by 2003, but I understand the politics within the organization does not help the situation. Some believe their responsibilities are simply tied to deskwork. They should not be in the field investigating the cases, which the crime squad believes it is their territory. It is a good thing there are some who support them such as Chief Heo, Superintendent Baek and Forensics, but they deserve full recognition from the organization – starting from the top.

 

What is amazing is Captain Kook does not mind it. Of course, he wants to prove the credibility of criminal profiling and build the database, but over the years, he and his team has turned over their hard work to the crime squad without expecting any kind of merit back. They just want to do their part in solving the cases and most importantly, prevent further crime from happening.

 

Just as much as I love Ha Young, I really admire Captain Kook’s passion, conviction, and tenacity. His ability to build and maintain his team, with limited to no resources, is quite something. Previously, we learned that he willingly took a demotion to pursue criminal profiling. Now we see him spending his own money on equipment for his team and moving heavy file cabinets all by himself. Although he constantly faces pushback from the organization, at least, he has a great team who believes in him. For his birthday, it was sweet of Ha Young to have his mom make seaweed soup for Captain Kook and to gift him a dress shirt. Love their relationship. Really cute how as opposed to smoking cigarettes to relieve their frustration from work, they have banana milk together instead!

 

Regarding Captain Yoon, I was a bit confused in how she treated the Behavioral Analysis team in 2003. They seemed to work well together in episodes 3 and 4. What happened over the years? They took many steps back. I wasn’t expecting the backstory of her and Ha Young either. After how he had saved her life, it is too bad she cannot get past her insecurities and yet has a complex from it. Even if it is due to mistreatment as a female in the profession, he had spoken up for her before. She should recognize that he is different and not like the others. I do believe she has good intentions as a detective. She needs to change some of her ways though.

 

The current killer is interesting. In episodes 5 and 6, he is targeting rich/elderly couples in affluent neighborhoods. However, a few years ago, a victim of his seemed to be a young lady at the end of episode 4. We did not see him kill her, but it alluded so. He keeps changing his M.O. and has sporadic cooling periods which makes it difficult to profile him. Episode 6 ended with a new killer so it seems his case may take place through more of the series.

 

Last and least, Kim Bong Shik is so annoying. He really kills the mood.

 

On 1/29/2022 at 11:59 PM, SilverMoonTea said:

So SHY change to suit is for the prisoner interview mainly? As CHG commented how nice KYS wearing suit just to meet him. The cinematographic and the BGM continue to be stellar, the snow fell also captured beautifully. And I'm glad that their group still exist for few years until 2003, eventhough they're clearly hanging on thin line.

 

I am not sure why Ha Young started wearing suits. It could be for the interviews, but I noticed he is wearing them even while investigating the crime scenes. He looks good though! Yes, the cinematography and BGM is superb. The snowfall is absolutely beautiful. I really like the shot of Ha Young at the bus stop looking and smiling at the family in hanbok.

 

19 hours ago, Chocolate said:

Hmmm, I was a little disappointed with the ending of the mutilated child story. He accidentally killed her? I suppose he cut her up to more easily dispose of the body. Where are her 2 fingers - did I miss something?

 

13 hours ago, UnniSara said:

I recall they found only 1 finger but not the other one

 

Oh, I thought the 2 fingers were still missing at the close of the case. When they realized the killer had 2 missing fingers himself, Ha Young seemed to conclude that they will likely never find them. The killer never intended them to. I need to re-watch this part again.

 

On 1/27/2022 at 11:25 PM, abs-oluteM said:

@peperomia I am gonna watch eps 3 & 4 today. Finally have the day off...long break for me next week being the Lunar New Year.

 

Happy Lunar New Year! I hope you are enjoying your long break. I celebrated with my family over the weekend. 

 

On 1/28/2022 at 4:47 AM, SilverMoonTea said:

@peperomiaKNG is a kidult - kid adult haha... His variety show Trans Siberian Pathfinded is a pure joy to watch. I really enjoyed that show. 

 

LOL. I got that impression of KNG from the BTS. Since the show is on a break now and I am not watching much else, I will try to check the variety show. I saw Lee Sun Kyun is also in it. I like him too!

[Chocolate]

On 1/31/2022 at 11:15 AM, Tofu said:

Thanks, @Chocolate! I will wait then. 

 

I've just finished ep 6. I think you can watch 5 & 6 now. It's not such a cliffhangar that you will be waiting in suspense. The drama shows a passage of time for the team. We're spoilt by crime thrillers where they are chasing killers and it seems the crime is solved the next day 😂 but here, it is more realistic. It takes time to catch a serial killer, if at all.

 

Thanks @abs-oluteM for highlighting the special episode.

 

8 hours ago, peperomia said:

Oh, I thought the 2 fingers were still missing at the close of the case. When they realized the killer had 2 missing fingers himself, Ha Young seemed to conclude that they will likely never find them. The killer never intended them to. I need to re-watch this part again.

 

Yes, that was what I assumed as well. The killer took the 2 fingers because he himself had lost 2 fingers. And that's why I was disappointed with the killer's explanation. Accidental kill seemed like an excuse so that he would get a lighter sentence. But there is scope here to delve deeper because it seemed premeditated. Why did HY/Kook not ask why and what he did with the 2 fingers? HY had also said earlier that there were 2 reasons that someone would cut up a body. What was the 2nd? And that's my small gripe about the drama - though I know the focus is not on the crime, it would still be nice if the crime is tied up nicely too. 

 

8 hours ago, peperomia said:

Regarding Captain Yoon, I was a bit confused in how she treated the Behavioral Analysis team in 2003. They seemed to work well together in episodes 3 and 4. What happened over the years? They took many steps back. I wasn’t expecting the backstory of her and Ha Young either. After how he had saved her life, it is too bad she cannot get past her insecurities and yet has a complex from it. Even if it is due to mistreatment as a female in the profession, he had spoken up for her before. She should recognize that he is different and not like the others. I do believe she has good intentions as a detective. She needs to change some of her ways though.

 

Agree. I didn't like her so much in episode 5 & 6 too, though she is meant to be a good detective. Considering that she suffered prejudice, she should be aware enough to not do the same to the BAT. Even if she doesn't go out of her way to help them, she should not criticise/hold them back, especially when her team benefited from their help in 3 & 4. Afterall, the crime squad was getting nowhere. What is the harm to listen to another viewpoint? But it was nice of her to reassure HY that the decision to publish the APB was not his burden, that they all agreed to it. Hopefully, they work together properly in the second half.

 

Btw, is her anger with that awful Kim Bong Sik because he tried to pimp her out earlier or is there more? And how does KBS get promoted? Even his boss knows he does nothing 🙄

 

[peperomia]

16 hours ago, Chocolate said:

Yes, that was what I assumed as well. The killer took the 2 fingers because he himself had lost 2 fingers. And that's why I was disappointed with the killer's explanation. Accidental kill seemed like an excuse so that he would get a lighter sentence. But there is scope here to delve deeper because it seemed premeditated. Why did HY/Kook not ask why and what he did with the 2 fingers? HY had also said earlier that there were 2 reasons that someone would cut up a body. What was the 2nd? And that's my small gripe about the drama - though I know the focus is not on the crime, it would still be nice if the crime is tied up nicely too

 

To be honest, I was disappointed about the whereabouts of the 2 fingers too, though I do believe Ha Young would've pushed harder during the interrogation if he felt there was hope of finding them. The killer felt no remorse and was not capable of being honest. (I think it was definitely was premeditated, not accidental.) He was never able to find his own 2 fingers when his accident happened. He made sure the police would not never find hers either. Ha Young knew that so I think that's why he felt no point in asking what he did with them. I agree if he did, maybe us viewers would feel a bit more closure. I am getting the sense that the cases will not have full/perfect closure though.

 

At the end of episode 6, it looked that the killer was preparing to start dismembering his victims. Maybe the 2nd reason will be covered there.

 

16 hours ago, Chocolate said:

Agree. I didn't like her so much in episode 5 & 6 too, though she is meant to be a good detective. Considering that she suffered prejudice, she should be aware enough to not do the same to the BAT. Even if she doesn't go out of her way to help them, she should not criticise/hold them back, especially when her team benefited from their help in 3 & 4. Afterall, the crime squad was getting nowhere. What is the harm to listen to another viewpoint? But it was nice of her to reassure HY that the decision to publish the APB was not his burden, that they all agreed to it. Hopefully, they work together properly in the second half.

 

I agree. This was why I was confused with her behavior in episodes 5 and 6. I thought her perspective of Ha Young and BAT was already resolved in episodes 3 and 4. They did seem to be on a better wavelength at the the scene you mentioned. Hopefully, they all will work better together from hereon.

 

16 hours ago, Chocolate said:

Btw, is her anger with that awful Kim Bong Sik because he tried to pimp her out earlier or is there more? And how does KBS get promoted? Even his boss knows he does nothing 🙄

 

It is primarily because he had tried to arrange her with the prosecutors in exchange for their evidence. He saw her only as a woman, not as a fellow detective. He has not changed for the better at all after all this time so that is why she slapped him. She told him she thought she was over the past, but realized she was not. Slapping him was not right, but he definitely deserved it and more. Hoping by finally confronting him, she is able to move on and have a better rapport with the others who do respect her as a colleague.

 

I really don't know how Kim Bong Shik got promoted. I am at a complete lost here. I am sure this aspect factors into her anger toward him as well. It's totally unfair.

[abs-oluteM]

Good news...hope we get subs. I have held off watching eps 5 & 6 but now that I am close to being drama -less or more like I don't feel like watching anything else , I am resuming this.

 

 

[bluepebbles]

SBS Catch uploaded this too so we might have english subs soon.

 

here is the thread of episode 1:

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

Eps 5

When I watch this episode and knowing full well that this show is based on a true story, I come to appreciate how much leg work is done by those who do profiling / criminal analysis. The early years weren't easy for the team since most seem to look down at what they do.  The fact that the department's existence was based on yearly contract said a lot. Of course by the end of episode 5 with the serial murders, it would become the team's time to shine. 

 

What I like about this show besides Kim Nam Gil of course , is that it is almost like watching a documentary. The work the team does is most unglamorous and it isn't easy listening to these criminals 'gloat' over their "achievements" . See how affected Ha Young was here. 

Spoiler

 

And from the interviews, they began to question if these criminals were born this way or a product of their upbringing & environment. Very likely both factors ( nature vs nurture ) would have their roles to play.

 

I am not sure who is worse though. These serial killers or the  rude punk of a cop - Kim Bo Sik?  Corrupted, lazy and foul mouthed. Clearly not on good terms with both Ha Young or Yoon for that matter. But did you all wonder what he meant here ?

Spoiler

Did she really take credit for HY's work ? He did help her catch the culprit. And I wonder why there's so much animosity between them. I mentioned in earlier episodes I couldn't quite warm up to her, and at this point I can't say much of that has changed. But I do think she's a good detective and if she would work alongside HY or give some cooperation to help him, they may be able to crack the case at hand.

 

[bluepebbles]

@abs-oluteM knets are raving the show not just because of its realism but at the same time not glamorizing the criminals (by not being explicit in brutality of crimes except maybe for episode 1-2) .
 

Here are some annecdotes of Prof ilyong that has been translated to Seol Yina’s creative freedom. 
 

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

23 hours ago, bluepebbles said:

@abs-oluteM knets are raving the show not just because of its realism but at the same time not glamorizing the criminals (by not being explicit in brutality of crimes except maybe for episode 1-2) .

I agree with them...unlike Signal which had a more dramatic flair to its story telling ( and to  which I had initially compared this show to), TTD is a rather realistic procedural. Like in eps 6, there wasn't very much breakthrough in solving the case. I am not sure if they are any closer to finding the answers but that is exactly what it's like IRL. Plus then they were just starting off collecting data for their analysis, they can't be expecting miracles.

 

But of course with people dying like that and no new clues,  I can see why "unbelievers" like the annoying Kim Bong Shik would scoff at what they do. Nevertheless, it was pretty out of the box for HY to ask them to put an ABP on the criminal. This was a gamble , and at the moment it isn't clear if that has worked . The positive thing was that there were no new murders but the guy went into hiding.

 

I think the biggest development for me in eps 6 was seeing the recognition by Captain Yoon for what HY and team does. She was not too keen for them to be at the crime scene at 1st but by the end of the episode she does give some encouragement to HY - the lack of results doesn't mean that nothing was being done. I am warming up to her. Maybe her telling KBS off and giving him a slap scored some major points with me . 

 

[abs-oluteM]

@bluepebblesdo you know if anyone subbed this

Special eps Part 1

Special eps Part 2

Spoiler

 

 Woot new trailer!

 

Love the 1st OST

 

OST 2

Spoiler

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

I am missing KNG...so cute that they do a comparison with Fiery Priest...

 

[bluepebbles]

@abs-oluteM SBS catch subs it 2-3 days aftee, and the subs are up now ! 😍

 

 

[peperomia]

On 2/16/2022 at 12:50 AM, abs-oluteM said:

I am missing KNG...so cute that they do a comparison with Fiery Priest...

 

I have not seen Fiery Priest. Would you recommend? I see a lot of mentions about it. I am drama-less at the moment so I do have some time. I thought the 3 week break would be no biggie, but it feels like eternity. LOL. Miss KNG too! 

[abs-oluteM]

11 hours ago, peperomia said:

 

I have not seen Fiery Priest. Would you recommend? I see a lot of mentions about it. I am drama-less at the moment so I do have some time. I thought the 3 week break would be no biggie, but it feels like eternity. LOL. Miss KNG too! 

One of my favorites but I need to put a caveat on this recommendation as it has this wacky sense of humor which not everyone would appreciate. Writer wrote Chief Kim and Vincenzo as well so at times can be over the top (in some of its scenes ) but I personally had a blast.  And KNG  was very good in it. 

Try 1st few episodes and see if it is your taste. Have you seen Live Up To Your Name? I love that one too. 

[SilverMoonTea]

9 hours ago, peperomia said:

 

I have not seen Fiery Priest. Would you recommend? I see a lot of mentions about it. I am drama-less at the moment so I do have some time. I thought the 3 week break would be no biggie, but it feels like eternity. LOL. Miss KNG too! 

 

Same felt so long too... so sad... 

I have watched Fiery Priest and it's very entertaining. But his character is very different with our Ha Young. So I recommended to finish TTD first then going back for FP. I have a serious good laugh because of FP 😂

[ktcjdrama]

I binged ep.1-4 since last night. Not a good idea... I think this is a show to be watched weekly so that I can at least "recover" a little bit before going into the next case. 

 

I like seeing the friendship of the older men Kook Young Soo, Heo Gil Pyo and Baek Joon Shik. Love seeing the persistence of Kook in persuading the other two to support the formation of the profiling team. The other two, although seemingly reluctant and grudgingly complained, did actually help Kook in pushing for the team to be formed.

 

The first case was alright as introduction to Ha Young's position as the officer that is shunned by his team members because of his aloofness. The transition of him leaving the team and joining Kook was done smoothly with the closing of the Red Cap case. I was so mad at his team leader who beat up the main suspect into confession to a crime he didn't do. Glad to see the strong belief and persistence that Ha Young had that this friend was not the real culprit so that this person could finally be released. 

 

The second case broke my heart. I have heard of dismemberment murder cases, but this is a first that the victim was a little girl. Does anyone know if this case is based on real story? It made me so angry what this repeat offender did to this little girl. Like Officer Yoon, I can't bring myself to even spell out what was done. I cried when the parents were being informed of their daughter's body being found, I cried when Kook called his wife and asked about how their daughters are, I cried when the parents were gathering the belongings of the little girl when the case wrapped up. 

 

One thing I like about this drama is that it focuses on telling the story of how a profiling team came about and was set up in the past, without dwelling too much on the personal stories of the victims, yet, we're given enough glimpses into the victims' stories that we can be empathetic about the cases. 

 

I guess I will dive into ep.5-6 after a couple of days, in good time to wait for ep.7-8 to air.

 

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by ktcjdrama