Lawless Lawyer Recap – Episode 13
Episode 13 starts off with Sang Pil explaining to Kwang Soo as to how Judge Cha had manipulated him by sending him the black book (anonymously) and used him to eliminate her enemies.
Judge Cha gets a Phone call from Prosecutor Jung who says that everything is taken care of and Ahn Oh Ju is doomed.
Sang Pil says she used him since they shared the same enemies but this time he saw through her plans and he intends to use it against her.
Jae Yi is searching for her mother as she tries her mother’s phone which is still switched off. Judge Cha’s face flashes in front of her when she had told Jae Yi that she shouldn’t look for her mother here since she had disappeared 18 years ago. Jae Yi has a serious expression on her face as she sees Ahn Oh Ju getting out of his car and walking towards her. He asks her the reason as to why she wanted to meet him. She asks him where he has kept her mother and threatens to destroy him if he doesn’t tell. Oh Ju maintains that she is dead and is surprised when Jae Yi tells him that her mother worked as an acupressurist at Judge Cha’s house. When she finds out that Judge Cha and he are enemies now, she asks him to find her mother and in return, she will represent him in court. She reminds him that he will hit rock bottom without her help and Oh Ju gives a laugh as she walks away. After she leaves Oh Ju grasps the situation and figures out that Cha has abducted Hyun Joo who is the only witness to the murder 18 years ago. He gets a call which says that he has received an appearance notice form the prosecution.
Sang Pil meets with scorpion and tells him that Kwon Man Bae (currently leading Dae Woong’s gang ) had betrayed the family. He tells that Judge Cha had approached Man Bae and this betrayal happened long before Dae Woong’s death. Sang Pil also identifies his attackers at the hospital as Man Bae’s men. When Sang Pil asks why Dae Woong sent Scorpion to Kiseung, Scorpion said Dae Woong had visited him in the prison the day before he passed away and asked him to keep Sang Pil safe if he doesn’t make it. Sang Pil asks Scorpion if he would help him.
Hyun Joo is thrown into a room in the basement and Soong Ja slaps her. Scorpion is also there when Hyun Joo asks Soong Ja how long she thinks she (Soong Ja) can leech of Judge Cha. Soong Ja is extremely angered hits HyunJoo again and orders Scorpion to keep an eye on her before walking out. Two more men walk into the room and shut the door.
Soong Ja walks out with Scorpion at the tow. She sees a man standing there and asks him who sent him. He asks her to leave if she is done with her work. He refuses to reveal his identity when she asks and tells her that takes orders only from Judge Cha. She figures out that he is Ahn Oh Ju’s replacement and comments that he seems too confident for a thug. He threatens her and tells her not to call him a thug. She is scared and leaves after asking him to guard Hyun Joo.
Sang Pil walks into Judge Cha’s chambers and she welcomes him saying that she was waiting for him. He says he is honoured that she waited up late for him. He goes on to say that he knows she is behind what happened to Jae Yi’s mother and Judge Cha gives a laugh. She asks him to tell Jae Yi to resolve family matters by themselves. Sang Pil reminds Judge Cha that he knows everything and asks her again where she has kept Hyun Joo. Judge Cha asks him to bring evidence to prove it was her doing so that she can be rightfully punished for the crime. Judge Cha moves back as he leans forward and tells her that innocent people never ask for evidence to be provided. So he deduces that either she has gotten rid of all the evidence or has found someone to take the fall for her. Judge Cha reminds Sang Pil of their previous conversation where she had said that he isn’t the first person to threaten her. He gives her the same response that he gave her that day and says that he will show her the end of it and asks her if she remembers that. He tells her that Jae Yi’s mother will reunite with Jae Yi no matter what and Judge Cha says that she hopes so too. Sang Pil gives a sarcastic smile and starts to walk away but he turns around and says that the people who had spoken with her previously would’ve failed or given up because they didn’t know her inside out. As he walks out she asks him if he wants justice or revenge. She says justice won’t be enough and revenge will be too much to handle. Sang Pil doesn’t reply but gives a shrug and walks away.
Sang Pil comes to the law firm and asks about Jae Yi. Geum Gang says that after meeting Oh Ju she had gone to the police station but was unable to file a report. Sang Pil comments that she must be feeling frustrated. Kwang Soo tells informs him of Scorpions release from prison to which Sang Pil says that he had already met with Scorpion and leaves for Jae Yi’s house. When Geum Gang asks Scorpions identity, Kwang Soo says that he is the person who stabbed Sang Pil and the 3rd in command of the gang.
Prosecutor Jang tells Judge Cha that Oh Ju isn’t cooperating with the police. She tells him to stack up reasons for obtaining a search warrant and hangs up. Soong Ja enters and Judge Cha tells her that she will not be holding Soong Ja responsible since she was the one who hired Hyun Joo. Judge Cha tells her that she should’ve given a call before coming and shows her out. Judge Cha chuckles to herself after closing the door.
Jae Yi is in her room and thinks back to when she confronted Sang Pil and told him that she doesn’t trust him anymore. Sang Pil walks but she asks him to leave her alone. When he asks her where she was, she tells him that she met with Oh Ju. Seeing he doesn’t approve of it she says there is nothing else that she can do. Sang Pil holds her hands and asks her to trust him and wait a little more. She asks him to leave and closes the door to her room. Sang Pil waits for a few seconds and leaves.
Sang Pil is in his car outside the photo studio and he sees Jae Yi watching him from the window. In his mind, he thinks “It is fine if you don’t trust me, as I might be deceiving you anyway (It becomes morning and he is still outside the photo studio), however, I worry about you and won’t allow anything bad to happen to you. I’ll never stop looking out for you, at least believe that.” When Jae Yi is leaving for work she finds him still waiting in his car outside the studio. As he gets off the car to talk, she walks past him without giving him a second glance.
Ahn Oh Ju is in an empty parking lot as he calls up Soong Ja and tells her that he is in laying low since they might arrest him if he goes to work. He asks her about the acupressurist and gives a smile when Soong Ja lies saying that Judge Cha is receiving a massage from her (Hyun Joo). The Editor In Chief’s car pulls up next to him as he tells Soong Ja that they need to work together but Soong Ja maintains what she said before and reminds him that they are together for money. Oh Ju hangs up.
The Editor In Chief tells him that prosecutor Jang had asked Oh Ju to cooperate with the police. Oh Ju says that Gwan Dong fabricated the voice recording when the editor mentions the recording. He heatedly asks as to what he gains from ordering a hit on a gang leader. Oh Ju then requests the editor to print an article in his favour but he is told that the situation is beyond that point and everything has to go through prosecution and the Editor In Chief drives away.
Yeon Hee learns from Soong Ja regarding the fall out between Judge Cha and Oh Ju. Yeon Hee seems anxious that Judge Cha turned her back on Oh Ju though he was loyal to her all these years. Soong Ja advises Yeon Hee to arrest Oh Ju and score brownie points with Judge Cha.
Jae Yi meets detective Gong and he asks her how she is sure that it’s her mother. She shows him the picture and tells him that all the evidence is circumstantial so it’ be difficult to proceed. When she tells that she understands that he cant do much, he tells her that if it is really Hyun Joo he will do everything he can to help. She tells him not to tell Prosecutor Cheon about it and he agrees. When he asks her about her suspicions, she says its not Ahn Oh Ju but someone else whom Judge Cha has hired to carry out the abduction. He says that he suspects Scorpion as he was released recently and Jae Yi says she will look into it. Sang Pil watches this from a distance.
Sang Pil receives a call from Scorpion who tells him that Hyun Joo is safe. Scorpion asks him why he is going to such great lengths and he says it’s because someone (he looks at Jae Yi) can’t know about this yet and hangs up. Scorpion enters the room and Hyun Joo sees the scorpion tattoo in his hand and remembers Sang Pil telling her that the man with the scorpion tattoo will keep her safe.
At the law firm, Kwang Soo refuses to tell Jae Yi about Scorpions whereabouts. She tells him that she will go crazy if she can’t meet someone and Sang Pil enters saying that he will go with her. She walks away and Sang Pil and Kwang Soo follow her. Ja and Gang comment that they hope things get better between Sang Pil and Jae Yi.
Sang Pil and Kwang Soo watch Jae Yi, who sits silently in the car as they are driving down the road. He brings her into Man Bae’s lair and Man Bae isn’t pleased to see the lawyers. Jae Yi asks him about Scorpion and if he had abducted her mother and Scorpion walks in and says they have nothing to do with it. Jae Yi and Kwang Soo ask Scorpion again and he again denies knowing anything. Sang Pil walks up to her and asks to leave when Scorpion starts smacking him on the chest asking Sang Pil if he thinks it is his turf. Sang Pil holds Scorpion by the neck and Kwang Soo drags Sang Pil away as Man Bae looks on. Jae Yi again asks Scorpion about where her mother is and Scorpion heatedly asks them to get out. Sang Pil drags a resisting Jae Yi out of the place. Hyun Joo watches this from the CCTV in the room she is being held in. Once outside Jae frees herself from Sang Pil’s clasp and walks away. He tells Kwang Soo to follow her as he has to be elsewhere.
Oh Ju is at the riverside when he hears the news report which says Judge Cha’s hearing for becoming Supreme Court Judge will be held today. His secretary Kim approaches him and says that he was unable to track Gwan Dong. Oh Ju receives a call from Sang Pil, who is watching Oh Ju from his car. Sang Pil informs Oh Ju that the thug who took over Oh Ju is at the ‘OhJu nightclub’ (Oh Ju’s stronghold) and is strutting about the city as if he owns it. He tells Oh Ju to go there if he wants to find out more. Oh Ju warns him that he will teach Sang Pil a lesson if this is a lie and Sang Pil hangs up. Oh Ju tells Secretary Kim that wherever Hyun Joo must be in a place where Man Bae is and that he must get her. He says that he has to go to his office to retrieve something.
Judge Cha gives an interview at the Lady Justice statue where she says she will handle all the pressure that comes with being a Supreme Court Judge. Beck in her office and Judge Cha orders Soong Ja to close all her borrowed- names accounts and also all the accounts under the orphans names as her hearing is coming up. Judge Cha gives Soong Ja a hug and tells her to keep some of the accounts under Soong Ja’s and Yeon Hee’s names. Soong Ja is overwhelmed at this and pledges her loyalty to Judge Cha. When asked about the acupressurist, Judge Cha tells Soong Ja that she is none other than Mr Ha’s wife Hyun Joo. Soong Ja is shocked and falls at Judge Cha’s feet when she realises what a big mistake it was to employ her. She continues to plead her innocence as Judge Cha looks menacingly at her.
Soong Ja meets Yeon Hee and tells her that they will be receiving a large sum of money from Judge Cha but since Soong Ja had committed a grave mistake, they will have to do anything that Judge Cha asks them to do if they wanted to be safe.
At Oh Ju’s place, Gwan Dong opens the safe and is taking all the money he can get hold off and is putting it in a suitcase. As he is stuffing more money Gwan Dong frees as Oh Ju walks in and calls him a sneaky rat. He seats himself at his desk and pulls out a gun from the drawer and asks Gwan Dong to stuff his mouth with the money. Gwan Dong is petrified and starts pleading with Oh Ju by saying that if he doesn’t spare his life then Oh Ju would be losing to Sang Pil. Seeing that Oh Ju isn’t convinced, he goes on to say that only he is there to serve Oh Ju and Oh Ju shouldn’t kill him. Oh Ju responds by pulling him up and placing the gun at Gwan Dong’s head and asks him to stuff his mouth with the money and Gwang Dong does it. Oh Ju then drags him to his desk and places Gwang Dong head on it, points the gun at him and wonders whether to shoot him as Dong starts screaming.
Soong Ja visits Judge Cha at her office and tells her that she has taken care of the accounts. As they walk out Soong Ja says that everything has been liquidated and Judge Cha has nothing to worry about. Soong Ja also says that she will take care of Jae Yi’s mother to which Judge Cha smiles and says that Jae Yi’s mother died 18 years ago. Soong Ja pauses for a moment and then agrees. She tells Judge Cha that she will protect her and earns a pat from Judge Cha who leaves in her car.
Oh Ju throws a cigarette butt at Gwan Dong who is alive and standing outside the car. Oh Ju asks Secretary Kim who arrives there regarding man Bae and Kim confirms Man Bae using the nightclub as the base. Oh Ju says that the nightclub was his 1st business in Kiseung and Gwan Doo comments that Sang Pil is helping them and laughs. Oh Ju chases after Gwan Dong with a cane after hearing this but Gwan Dong runs away.
Scorpion follows Man Bae and overhears the conversation he has with Soong Ja. Soong Ja orders Man Bae to toss Hyun Joo into the sea since she was supposed to be dead 18 years ago. Seeing Man Bae doesn’t respond she reiterates her authority and says that her words are Judge Cha’s orders and that he should listen to her hereafter. Man Bae acknowledges and bows to her. After Soong Ja leaves Man Bae turns and looks at a recording device placed in the wall.
Sang Pil is on the phone with Scorpion who relays everything to Sang Pil. Sang Pil asks Kwang Soo if he got what is needed and when Kwang Soo confirms it Sang Pil asks him to come with him (leaving Geum Gang behind). They both walk out.
Man Bae meets Judge Cha in her car and shows her the video recording of Soong Ja’s conversation. Judge Cha laughs and comments that when the tiger leaves the den, someone else comes out to play. When he asks what he should do with Hyun Joo she tells him to do what Soong Ja had asked but she asks him to personally oversee it.
Man Bae’s men are about to put Hyun Joo in a steel barrel when Scorpion tells them to wait till Man Bae arrives.
A worried Jae Yi sits at home with a stuffed toy on her lap.
Oh Ju is driving down in his car with Kim at the wheel and Gwan Dong next to Kim. Oh Ju reflects as to how fast things change. Gwan Dong tries to cheer him up but earns a kick from Oh Ju.
Sang Pil and Kwang Soo wait outside the nightclub and he tells Kwang Soo that this is the location where Hyun Joo is being held. When Kwang Soo tries to make his move Sang Pil stops him saying that someone else will come and as he is talking, Oh Ju arrives. Seeing Oh Ju arrive Kwang Soo realises this is a part of Sang Pil’s plan.
Man Bae walks in and orders Hyung Joo to be put into the barrel as Scorpion looks on worriedly. A thug comes and informs Man Bae that Ahn Oh Ju is inside the building.
Oh Ju struts inside the club and warns Man Bae about Judge Cha. He tells him that if Man Bae follows her, he would end up like Oh Ju. Oh Ju asks Man Bae to hand over Hyun Joo. Man Bae and his men are hostile as they get up and Man Bae says that he is not weak to give up on his first assignment.
Judge Cha meets with Chief Prosecutor at her office and tells him that she is glad to have his support.
Oh Ju orders Gwan Dong and Kim to search for the woman and when they are stopped Oh Ju fires a shot from his gun at the floor. Oh Ju challenges Man Bae to a fight as Gwan Dong spots the barrel being rolled out with Scorpion at its tow.
Gwan Dong chases after them as Scorpion and 3 of the thugs roll the barrel into the sea. Gwang Dong is worried as everyone including Oh Ju watch the barrel sink into the sea. Man Bae and his thugs leave behind a dejected Oh Ju who leaves with Gwan Dong and Kim. Sang Pil’s car drives past Oh Ju but Oh doesn’t seem to have noticed him.
Chief Prosecutor tells Judge Cha that they will issue an arrest warrant for Oh Ju tomorrow since he refused to appear. Judge Chas says that he should be punished for his crimes. She receives a call and she attends it after Chief Prosecutor leaves. Man Bae tells her that Ahn Oh Ju turned up but they got the job done. She tells him that she will change her number and asks him never to call her again and move to Seoul. Man Bae acknowledges.
Sang Pil checks if anyone is following them before asking Hyun Joo to sit up. We hear through voiceover Sang Pil explaining early on (when she wanted to go into judge Cha’s house to turn Judge Cha against Soong Ja) to Hyun Joo that since she (Hyun Joo) is the only witness to the 18-year-old murder Judge Cha will try to kill her (Hyun Joo ) again and will try to somehow find a way bury Soong Ja along with the crime. Sang Pil says that he will use this weakness against her. He also had said that he will set the stage for her death but he says that he prefers if she doesn’t do it. He asks her to be careful seeing that she wasn’t going to stop now.
We cut to Scorpion letting Sang Pil in through the back door after Man Bae had left. Sang Pil lifts her out of the barrel as Kwang Soo fills the barrel with sandbags that he had brought along. Sang Pil then nods to Scorpion before leaving with Hyun Joo.
In the car, Oh Ju realises that something is not right and feels that Sang Pil had used him.
Jae gets a call from Sang Pil who tells her that he is coming over with her mother to an address he will send through text. Jae Yi finds this impossible to believe and asks him if this is true. Sang Pil smiles as he hangs up and Hyun Joo thanks him.
They reach the meeting place and Sang Pil opens the door for Hyun Jo while Jae Yi waits at the garden. Jae is overwhelmed as she sees her mother walk into the garden with Sang Pil and Kwang Soo. Hyun Joo hugs her daughter as they are reunited. Sang Pil watches this with a serious expression and leaves with Kwang Soo giving the mother and daughter privacy.
Back in the car, Kwang Soo asks Sang Pil if Jae Yi is going to be okay to which he just smiles but doesn’t reply.
Hyun Joo And Jae Yi take a walk when Hyun Joo tells her that she had asked Sang Pil to refrain from telling Jae Yi her true identity. She also tells her that she had asked him to leave Jae Yi because she thought that was the only way and didn’t like it that she was planning something dangerous with him. She apologises to Jae Yi and says that she feels bad for Sang Pil and Jae Yi gives her a hug saying its alright.
At the law firm, everyone complains that Sang Pil didn’t include them in his plans to which Sang Pil says that this time he had to keep it to himself. Kwan Soo praises him as Jae Yi walks in with a stern look on her face. Sang Pil gets up as he sees her and asks her what’s wrong. She says that he had fooled her and before he can explain she starts throwing punches at him. She doesn’t stop when Geum Ja tries to restrain her and continues to hit Sang Pil but stops when he apologises sincerely. She tells him that she needs to talk to him and goes to the balcony. Sang Pil asks the others to continue their work and follows her but everyone is worried and watch the couple.
As he joins her in the balcony, she hugs him and thanks him profusely for bringing her mother back. He apologises for keeping things from her. Seeing them, Geum Gang says that it seems like he won’t have an attorney brother-in-law as there is no place for Geum Ja between them.
Sang Pil and Kwang Soo wait outside the house (address where Jae Yi and her mother met) as Jae Yi and her mother comes out with Hyun Joo’s luggage. Hyun Joo asks Jae Yi not to worry as she will see her soon to which Jae Yi says that she knows Sang Pil will take care of it. Addressing Sang Pil, Hyun Joo says that Dae Woong had told her than Sang Pil was fighting enemies who were too big for him and it was like bringing a knife to a gunfight. Even if he sacrifices himself he will make a small hole in the rock and with that small hole, you can win the gunfight. Hyun Joo says that those were his last words. She says that she will do anything to protect the knife. Sang Pil smiles and tells her that Scorpion will keep her safe and she thanks him. He tells her not to worry when she asks him to take care of Jae Yi.
After Hyun Joo leaves Sang Pil and Jae Yi head back in the car and he tells her that Judge Cha was the anonymous sender of the black book and her plan. He also tells her that Cha has now joined hands with the senator and has roped in real gangsters. Sang Pil says that they will have a showdown with Cha Moon Suk soon.
Judge Cha wears an evil smile on her face as she sits in her chambers.
Oh Ju sits with a grudge-bearing look on his face as he holds his Mayor Nameplate and kicks the table and walks away.
Sang Pil shows the lady justice projector to his entire team and they are thrilled. Sang Pil says that he intends to allow Judge Cha to think that things are going according to her plan. Sang Pil says that he has cast a big net to catch the fish. He says that they have to pick up each fish carefully without missing even one. Jae Yi comments that there must be on fish that will be struggling to get out and she asks if it’ll be easier to pick that one first. Sang Pil agrees and asks her whom does she think that fish would be and she responds with Soong Ja’s name. He smiles as she gets it right.
The next day Soong Ja drops of Yeon Hee at the courthouse and before she leaves Detective Gong shows up with an arrest warrant. To Yeon Hee’s shock, he says that they have a video recording of her mother ordering a murder. As Soong Ja makes a racket as the Miranda rights are read to her as they arrest her and take her away. Yeon Hee is unable to do anything but call out to her mother.
At the Oh Ju groups headquarters, everything is being confiscated and Detective Gong is there.
Oh Ju is in his car as he gets a call and they say that a warrant has been issued against him and Soong Ja has been arrested.
Detective Gong tells Prosecutor over the phone that Oh Ju is off the grid and they will be tracing his vehicle.
Oh Ju says that it is not over till it is over and since Sang Pil and Judge Cha are using the law to get to him he has to do this. He asks Gwang Dong to start driving.
The news broadcast says that the mayor and his aide are on the run and a warrant has been issued for their arrest for their involvement in a conspiracy to commit murder.
Sang Pil walks into the courthouse and up the stairs of the lady justice statue.
Judge Cha puts on her robes as she watches the news Soong Ja’s arrest for murdering a Thai acupressurist and for other illegal activities. Cha switches of the news and walks out of her chambers.
She runs into Sang Pil in the lobby as he holds out the notebook that she had sent him and says that he had a blast with it. He tells her that she didn’t write the ending though. She smiles and asks him what that ending might be and he says that it’ll be the end of Cha Moon Suk. She asks him to write the ending and she is curious to see it too. She tries to walk away when he accuses her of taking Jae Yi’s mother away from her twice and that he will never forgive her for that. She denies any involvement in that and asks him to prove that the acupressurist is actually Jae Yi’s mother.
He gives a sarcastic smile and tells her that he knew she won’t give him any answers right away. As he turns to walk away she tells that she has to admit that there was one thing she didn’t anticipate while sending the book to him and that was him and Jae Yi getting together. She warns him that the relationship will be an obstacle in his plan for revenge. Sang Pil disagrees by saying that it’ll have the exact opposite effect as she not anticipating the relationship between Sang Pil and Jae Yi will be the major flaw in Judge Cha’s plan.
Image Courtesy- TVN
Review
This episode was a little on the slower side as compared to the previous ones as it did not add much to the storyline, but it did lay down the foundation for the next episode.
Sang Pil quickly learnt from his mistake of being manipulated by Judge Cha and took a leaf out of judge Cha’s book and in turn used it against her. He smoothly manipulated Oh Ju to take down Man Bae, who was Sang Pil’s and Oh Ju’s common enemy, just as how Judge Cha had used Sang Pil to take down their common enemies.
Sang Pil deserved Jae Yi’s punches as he had sent her on a wild goose chase throughout the episode while he knew all along what was going on. Apart from that, It was a brilliant move on his part to use Jae Yi to keep Scorpion’s cover intact in front of Man Bae. It was nice to see that the misunderstanding between the couple has come to an end and not dragged on to another episode. Keeping Jae Yi’s father out of the picture for the entire incident was a good move as he would’ve complicated things if he had got a whiff of it.
Judge Cha has said before that she sees family as a weakness and now I feel she sees Jae Yi as Sang Pil’s family. I guess that’s what she meant in the last scene when she called their relationship as an obstacle and she might use that against him.
The next episode looks very promising as we will be seeing Sang Pil in the courtroom again after a long time.
-By Soul Sword-
The Writers Room 
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