Mouse Episode 15 Recap

(Episode 15- It Was All Me)

Mu Won falls as blood pools around him. He looks up at his killer and says, “May the Lord save your soul.”

Young Jae Hoon lifts his hand to form a cross and asks, “How do I look?”Jae Hoon turns into Ba-reum, “I asked not to be turned into a monster. I begged but you ignored my prayer. Anf you call yourself a deity? From this moment on, that job will be mine. I will judge all the fools who believe in your nonsense.”Ba-reum smiles.

Ba-reum’s voiceover says, “I am a Predator. I was the predator.”

In the basement, Ba-reum falls back in shock after seeing the contents inside a barrel. He looks up and sees sketches of the human anatomy on the wall.

1 YEAR AGO

Ba-reum sits in his basement. Han Kook is sleeping beside him. Ba-reum says Mu Chi didn’t keep his end of the deal. He looks at the time on Han Kook’s watch. He whispers in Han Kook’s ear, “Those who cant envy are sinners.”

We see a montage of Ba-reum committing all the murders (cross-killings).

He recalls Shin asking if Ba-reum went to med school. 

Ba-reum realises that it was all a show.

Flashback

Ba-reum has stolen the murder weapons and gloves from Sung Yo Han’s car’s toolkit.

As Ba-reum walks on the road. A bird’s (Eu Bong Yi) droppings fall on him. He immediately stones the bird and injures it. He tries to wring its neck but the bird flies and lands on the road. He chases after it and doesn’t notice Mu Chi’s car.

Mu Chi gets out of the car and yells at him. After he leaves, Ba-reum tells the bird that he had to bow to Mu Chi because of the bird. He decides to kill the bird slowly.

At present, Ba-reum is teary-eyed as he says he was hiding his true nature all along.

Flashback

Ba-reum wakes up in the morning. He practices smiling and crying. He walks out and watches Han Kook on the TV program as his aunt cooks. 

Ba-reum puts on a fake show of being caring towards people. 

At present, Ba-reum realises that he mistook the fake show to be real. He says none of it was Sung Yo Han’s memories. 

Just then, Dong Koo calls up and tells him that Na Chi Kook has woken up. He asks him to come over. Ba-reum hangs up and cries. His cries echo out of the basement.

Mu Chi is with his team. he points out that the knife has a crack now, which was missing after Bong Yi’s encounter with the killer a year back. They wonder if it was a revenge killing using this knife and how the killer entered the evidence room.

Mu Chi says it is someone on the inside. he is told they have checked the CCTV already. They say they are stuck between the government and the people who don’t want the case to be solved. Mu Chi says the killer knew that BOng Yi’s granny had kept this knife all along to use on the killer.

The Chief says they should report that a cop is a killer. he is held back as the team says they can’t prove the killer is a cop. Mu Chi slowly says that he doesn’t lock the evidence room always and that the passcode is his birthday. Mu Chi is told off. Finally, Park says he needs to be more careful if the killer is an insider.

Park tells the team to keep quiet about this. He tells Mu Chi to check the CCTV and the case files. He asks MuChi to check for insiders this time.

Moo Chi notes that a part of the video jumps as if it has been cut out of the footage. He immediately asks for the hard disk from the police station.

Mu Chi goes over to a person outside the Police Station and asks him to restore it.

Later, Mu Chi goes through the restored footage. He sees a person in black walking in the frame. The person reads something in his hand. It is a written statement and there is OZ tattooed in his hand. Mu Chi realises that it is the same person who had mugged him on the night of Kang Duk Soo’s murder.

Mu Chi CHi checks the parking lot footage and notes the license plate number, “67D 6264”.

He checks the activity of the car. He finds the car entering a hotel on that day.

Mu Chi goes over to the hotel to find the car still in the parking lot of the hotel. He wonders if the owner is staying here long term.

He goes over inside and finds no one at the reception desk. He calls out for someone.

He doesn’t notice the owner coming from the rear exit and get into the car. The person drives away.

After seeing that there is no one, Mu Chi comes out and is taken aback to see the car gone. Mu chi also gets into the car when Dong Koo calls him.

Ba-reum walks into the hospital. His vision is hazy and he clutches his head.

Flashback

Na Chi Kook helps Ba-reum lift the heavy magic box around the prison. Ba-reum takes a 3-minute break as the box is very heavy. Chi Kook laughs as he says Ba-reum has no stamina. 

Ba-reum smiles as he takes out his MP3 player. Chi Kook is surprised that Ba-reum still has it. He says he got it as a birthday gift from his mother a long time ago.

They listen to classical music and Ba-reum says he always listens to this when he wants to concentrate. Ba-reum smiles. Ba-reum asks what that place is. Chi Kook says it was a place where the inmates showered after exercise but no one uses it because the showers are indoor.

Ba-reum heads inside to check and Chi Kook follows him. He opens the shower and sees that it is working. He suddenly says that he finds Chi Kook annoying.

Chi Kook is confused as Ba-reum says he has his eye on Chi Kook since 10th grade. He says Na Chi Kook is too humble and even gave credit to Ba-reum.

Chi Kook smiles and says he will be more annoying then. Ba-reum wears his earphones and says he will judge Na Chi Kook now.

He takes out his knife and attacks CHi Kook brutally. Chi Kook asks him why he is doing this. Ba-reum says a person without pride is a sinner. He asks if he (Ba-reum) was hiding like a rat and killed a helpless woman. Chi Kook sinks to the floor.

Later, Ba-reum wheels the Magic box in. He removes CHi Kook’s watch and takes it. He throws Chi Kook’s severed fingers on the floor and strips him. He calls Chi Kook the Naked Emperor and stuffs Chi Kook into the magic box along with a finger.

He removes the change of clothes from the box. He is calm as he opens all the showers and washes his hands and face.

At present, Ba-reum looks shaken as he waits outside CHi Kook’s room. Mu Chi and DOng Koo join him. They all walk in except Ba-reum. Dong Koo asks him what is the matter with him and drags him in.

Na Chi Kook opens his eyes and looks at Ba-reum who wears a horrified look on his face. Ba-reum starts to say something but Na Chi Kook holds out his hand and calls Ba-reum close. 

Chi Kook hugs Ba-reum which makes Ba-reum wonder what is happening as he is sure Chi Kook knows that Ba-reum was his attacker.

Ba-reum is utterly confused when the nurse ushers them all out as the visiting hours are over. Chi Kook smiles at him as Ba-reum walks out quietly.

Once outside, the doctor says Chi Kook’s brain would have blacked out the attack hence he doesn’t remember why he is in the hospital. His mother says she told Chi Kook that he was in a car accident. The doctor says they will still have to wait and see if his condition improves.

Dong Koo tells Chi Kook’s mother that he recognised Ba-reum. Ba-reum runs away and Mu Chi watches this with an odd look.

Ba-reum runs outside the hospital corridor. He receives a call from Bong Yi. He sinks to the floor.

Flashback to the day Mu Chi and Ba-reum find Chi Kook’s clothes on top of the Prison church.

Ba-reum is in the precinct and he receives a text from granny about her seeing the real killer. He smiles as he wonders what she saw when he was here. when he hears a voicemail with granny saying she has a photo, he wonders what it could be.

Ba-reum finds granny hiding in one of the houses. She is relieved to see him. She tells him that she found this photo of the victim in her employer’s basement. She looks closer and recognises the shirt the victim is wearing. She notes that it is Bong Yi’s button which she sewed on to Ba-reum’s shirt. Ba-reum asks where she got the photo from. Granny instantly realises that Ba-reum is the killer and tries to run away. ba-reum holds her close and stabs her multiple times, killing her. Granny’s last words are, “My puppy..”.

Later Bong Yi runs into the hospital and tells Ba-reum to find who killed her granny.

At present, tears streak down Ba-reum’s eyes as he cries outside the hospital.

Ba-reum is broken as he comes into the church where Mu Won was killed. 

Flashback

Mu Chi is on SHerlock Hong Ju. He says they have caught the killer. 

At the church, Ba-reum smiles as he hangs up telling Mu Won that it is too bad Mu Chi got it wrong. Ba-reum broadcasts Mu-won being held hostage on live television. Ba-reum watches Mu Chi with a cold gaze. Mu Chi offers to die in his brother’s place. He begs on his knees in front of the cameras. Ba-reum asks Mu Won to show wrath on the head hunter. Mu won refuses and Ba-reum slits Mu Won’s throat.

At present, Ba-reum falls to his knees in front of the words “I am the almighty” splayed on the wall. 

Ba-reum speaks to the almighty, “You should have let me die that night. At least the old me wouldn’t have been in agony with overwhelming guilt. Is this your way of punishing me?”

Mu Chi is back at work. He recalls Na chi Kook watching Mu Chi and then holding Ba-reum closer. Mu Chi feels like there was something between Mu Chi and Ba-reum. He wonders if they argued the incident.

Ba-reum rushes to his old house. He thinks that the least he can do is return Han Kook’s remains to his mother before the excavator crushes his body. (Han Kook’s body is inside the barrel.)

Ba-reum runs into the basement to find it empty. He is told to get out of there as the place is going to the demolished.

The person says they didn’t touch anything.

Ba-reum goes over to Daniel Lee and demands him to hand over Han Kook’s body. Daniel says he has no idea about where Sung Yo Han’s victim’s body is. He asks Ba-reum if he remembers something from Sung Yo Han’s memory. Ba-reum moves away.

Ba-reum realises that there is someone else who knows that he is the killer. That person has removed the body.

Mu Chi visits Chi Kook. When he enters, Chi Kook is shaking all over as he has a nightmare. He mutters, “don’t kill me… don’t kill me..”. He wakes up with a start. He looks at Mu Chi and topples out of the bed in alarm. Mu Chi goes over and calms him down. he helps him back on to the bed.

Mu Chi tells him to calm down now since the assailant is dead. Chi Kook looks up and asks if the person who stabbed him has died. Mu Chi says Chi Kook’s mother claimed that he had no memory of the attack. Chi Kook immediately says his mother told him. Mu Chi says his mother mentioned that she told Chi Kook he had been in a car accident. 

Chi Kook says he is slowly regaining the memories. He says he doesn’t remember the killer’s face as he was attacked from behind. He says he was attacked in the shower room.

Chi Kook asks who died. Mu Chi finds it odd that Chi Kook wants to know who died rather than who his attacker was. Mu Chi says he will ask Ba-reum to give him the details. Mu Chi wonders why Chi Kook gets tensed up whenever Ba-reum’s name is mentioned.

Mu Chi visits the correctional facility. When he asks if there are more shower rooms, he is shown to the outdoor shower room.

Mu Chi holds his hand to his nose as he steps into the shower room. He opens the shower and follows the water trail. Mu Chi finds traces of blood near the drain. he is told the place has been closed for 2 years.

Mu Chi walks out with the sample. He recalls Ba-reum saying he had left the box for thirty minutes at the auditorium’s backstage which is 3 minutes from the shower room. Mu chi says it is not possible for the attacker to carry a bleeding Na Chi Kook all the way to the auditorium.

Ba-reum walks down the road and spots Han Kook’s mother on the road, handing out flyers. He thinks that the least he can do is confess to her.

Ba-reum walks up to her and she smiles in recognition. He tells her she should stop looking for her son. Before he can say further, the news bulletin on the intersection reveals that han Kook’s body has been found in a deserted factory.

Ba-reum is puzzled seeing this. Han Kook’s mother faints on hearing this.

At the factory, Mu Chi is crestfallen as the police escort a hysterical Han Kook’s mother away from the scene. Ba-reum is beside Mu Chi wondering who left the body here.

Mu Chi yells that it was Sung Yo Han and he never intended the police to find the body. He is told that since the body was preserved in formaldehyde they can’t tell the time of death. Mu Chi checks the watch Han Kook is wearing (12 oçlock). He is overcome with guilt when he remembers that he was drunk after Mu Won died and he didn’t work on Han Kook’s case. Mu Chi asks if the lungs are there and the forensic expert shakes his head. Mu Chi beats himself up and holds himself responsible for Han Kook’s death.

Hong Ju comes running to the scene but she is held back.

Meanwhile, Daniel Lee is on the phone and he learns that Han Kook’s body was found in the deserted factory. He realises that Ba-reum got his actual memory back. He says he has to stop Ba-reum.

Ba-reum comes back and tries to shoot himself. He doesn’t realise that there is an intruder in the house. Someone hits him on his head with a wooden plank.

The figure takes Bong Yi’s granny’s brooch and walks out of the building.

BA-reum wakes up to find Daniel Lee sitting on the couch. He asks why Ba-reum tried to kill himself.

Ba-reum says he was the one who killed them all. He says he isn’t a human but a monster. Daniel says Ba-reum doesn’t have much time left as he is dying.

Daniel says 21 years ago he had come to Korea for a seminar. He received a parcel containing 2 mice. He says he realised that Han had succeeded in a brain transplant. Daniel says he had studied the mouse. He says its health kept deteriorating and it died in 30 days. He had closed the file since Han Seo Joon had failed. He says Ba-reum will die too.

Daniel says he had no idea that Ba-reum was a predator. He says he assumed that Sung Yo Han was a predator when he ran the gene test on the fetus. He says he lost contact with Han’s wife. One day Hong Ju has called him up regarding a programme. He tracked down Sung Yo Han. He says he observed Sung Yo Han at the hospital and he had displayed psychopathic traits. He says he found a dog in their house which looked like it had been abused as a puppy.  

Ba-reum says he remembers all the murders clearly. Daniel says Ba-reum cant die irrsponsilbly. He tells Ba-reum to kill other predators as atonement. Ba-reum asks if his sins can be atoned. Ba-reum gets up to walk away in disbelief.

Daniel asks if Ba-reum wants Sung Yo Han to go down in history for the murders he didn’t commit. Ba-reum says Sung Yo Ha didn’t report him but tried to kill him on his own. Ba-reum says Sung Yo Han was a psychopath too.

Daniel says Sung Yo Han had taken the genius gene and he wasn’t a psychopath. He says Sung Yo Han has the will of a pure soul. He says he was biassed and assumed that Sung Yo Han was a predator. He says Ba-reum is feeling emotions from Sung Yo Han’s part of the brain. He says if Sung Yo Han had been a psychopath, Ba-reum wouldn’t be feeling any pain after finding out that he was the real killer. Ba-reum says he wishes that he doesn’t have any of those stupid emotions.

People pay homage at Han Kook’s memorial erected at the amusement park where he was abducted. Ba-reum watches the memorial. Ba-reum recalls Sung Yo han asking Ba-reum to save Han Kook. Ba-reum decides to prove Sung Yo Han’s innocence before he dies. He feels that is what Yo Han’s brain also wants to do while it is in his.

Mu Chi pays his respects at the memorial. he vows to catch all the psychopaths out there.

Hong Ju and her team come for lunch. Bong Yi goes back to get her phone. The people around them are gossiping about Hong Ju. Her friend tells her that this will soon die down.

Hong Ju calls up the nanny and asks how her baby is doing.

The nanny plays poker with her friends and ignores the baby who is on the floor. She tells Hong Ju that the baby is sleeping.

The nanny and her friends shove the baby and speculate that the murderers’ blood runs in his veins.

Bong Yi waits for the elevator. She overhears some of the staff gossiping. She learns from them that Hong Ju had Sung Yo Han’s son. Bong Yi is shocked as she runs to her desk and reads up on the article.

Hong Ju comes home to find the baby crying. The nanny complains that the baby has a nasty temperature. Hong Ju pays her and the woman leaves.

After the woman leaves, the baby is cranky and cries a lot. Hong Ju tries to calm him down and wonders why he is crying. She sings a rhyme for him.

Flashback

Park Hyun Soo (Hong Ju) and her brother are alone at home while Detective Park and his wife are working. Park Hyun Soo tries to give him some milk but he pushes it away asking for his mother. She calms him down and both of them sing the same rhyme.

They hear the door open and her brother runs to the door. Park Hyun Soo follows him out. She finds a figure holding her brother with a hand clamped over her brother’s mouth.

Park Hyun Soo and her brother are trapped in the killer’s car. She says the car will slow down at the turning and they can jump out then. At the next turning, they jump out of the car.

They run on the highway shouting for help. The killer’s car turns around and drives towards them. 

Both the children run on the mountain in an attempt to escape. Her brother says his legs are hurting. He refuses to go further. Hyun Soo tells him to wait behind a rock as she runs to get help. He begs her to take him with her. She tells him to wait and runs. 

She stops running when she sees a flashlight. She crouches away from sight and sings the rhyme to calm herself. The killer finds her.

At present, Detective Park is with his wife who is in a good mood. He is told that she doesn’t dig the ground anymore. The wife says her daughter comes by to see her.

Meanwhile, Hong Ju finds bruises on her baby’s hands. She realises that the sitter was abusing her child. She places a nanny cam on the shelf.

Ba-reum rushes home to find granny’s brooch and Mu Won’s locket gone. He comments that those were the only pieces of evidence he had to prove that he is the killer.

He goes to the evidence room and finds granny’s knife gone. He then wonders why Sung Yo Han had the photos of Ba-reum’s victims. He wonders why Sung Yo Han didn’t go to the police but came to save Han Kook himself.

He recalls Sung Yo Han trying to say something before he died. Just then, he receives a call from Hong Ju saying that Bong Yi hasn’t come for work. She asks if he can check on her as she isn’t answering the calls. Ba-reum says he is busy. Hong Ju decides to check on Bong Yi herself.

Hong Ju reaches Bong Yi’s house. Bong Yi is hostile towards Hong Ju because Hong Ju bore Sung Yo Han’s son. She asks if Hong Ju offered her the job because she felt guilty that Hong Ju’s lover had killed Bong Yi’s granny. Hong Ju tries to explain but Bong Yi isn’t interested. Ba-reum who also had come to check on Bong Yi overhears this conversation. Bong Yi says she will wish Yo Han’s child dead as long as she lives. Bong Yi slams the door on Hong Ju. Ba-reum is hurt as he sees Hong Ju cry.

Meanwhile, Na Chi Kook goes through the articles on the internet regarding his attack.

At the forensic lab, Mu Chi is told that the blood in the shower matches with Na Chi Kook’s.

Ba-reum places a suicide note on the roof of the building and climbs over the roof’s wall. In the suicide note, Ba-reum mentions that SUng Yo Han isn’t responsible for the Moojin Serial Murders. He confesses that he is the one who did it.

Flashback to the day Mu Chi shot Sung Yo Han

Ba-reum speaks to Sung Yo Han outside Ba-reum’s house. Ba-reum says he killed the wrong person Kim(Sung Yo Han’s friend/alibi). He says Kim didn’t say a word because he wanted to save Yo Han. Ba-reum asks how Sung Yo Han got the victim’s photos.

Sung Yo Han asks Ba-reum to save Han Kook in the basement first. Ba-reum says it is too late for that as Mu Chi missed the deadline and is busy drinking. He says a promise is a promise and that he judged the kid as soon as it was time. He says those who do not envy are sinners.

Sung Yo Han fumes up and Ba-reum says he loves that look of anger in his eyes. He asks if he didn’t bring any cops along.

Yo Han says he came alone so that he can kill Ba-reum. He says it is useless to call the cops as he doesn’t know what Ba-reum may do next if he is left alone. Sung Yo Han tells Ba-reum to allow him to kill him as it is for the best. He says both of them are very sad people.

Ba-reum is offended that Sung Yo Han called him sad. Yi Han tries to attack him but he is overpowered. Ba-reum says he is a deity.

Sung Yo han says Ba-reum is nothing but a psychopath with a mutated gene. Sung Yo Han pushes Ba-reum away and runs to the roof. Ba-reum follows him. Sung Yo Han comes up from behind and attacks Ba-reum who falls. Sung Yo Han hits Ba Reum on the head repeatedly. Just then, Mu Chi shoots him.

At present, Ba-reum’s suicide note says that Sung Yo Han died while trying to protect Han Kook and Bong Yi from Ba-reum. He requests the public to stop condemning Sung Yo han and his family. He mentions that he doesn’t know how to apologize to the victims’ families and asks them to never forgive him. He hopes that the skies never forgive him.

Ba-reum is about to step off the roof when his phone rings. He tries to ignore it but he sees that Na Chi Kook has texted him asking to meet.

Mu Chi checks Na-Chi Kook’s case again. He sees that Chi Kook has defensive wounds on his hands and also he lost his fingers while trying to defend the weapon. Mu chi realises that Chi Kook is lying that the killer attacked him from behind.

Ba-reum visits Na Chi Kook. Chi Kook says, “It is you.” Ba-reum’s hand trembles. Chi Kook says he wants to live happily with his mother. He asks Ba-reum to turn himself in. He says Sung Yo Han died because of Ba-reum and Ba-reum should feel guilty of it. He says he is scared but he can’t turn a blind eye to save his own life. he says it is up to Ba-reum and that is how everyone will live.

Later, Ba-reum rushes into the restroom and is violently sick. He takes the pills he was prescribed. He cries.

Mu Chi walks into the hospital to see Ba-reum walking out and he sees that Ba-reum seems to have zoned out.

Mu Chi walks into Chi Kook’s room to find him clutching his chest and twitching on the bed. Mu Chi brings the doctor. They try to revive him but Chi Kook dies.

Mu Chi runs out in time to find Ba-reum near the hospital entrance. He calls out, “Jung Ba-reum!”

Ba-reum turns around and looks at Mu Chi with teary eyes.

Mu Chi’s eyes widen in shock as he looks at Ba-reum.

Epilogue

Flashback

Mu Chi is locked up in his house after Mu Won’s death. He is starving himself and is only drinking.

Ba-reum (in crutches due to his injury) comes up to Mu Chi’s house and hangs some food outside. He tells Mu Chi to get up so they can find Han Kook together. He gets no response.

Ba-reum curses under his breath, “Darn it. This is boring if you keep doing that. Come out so that it will be fun for me.”

He removes the crutch and walks away normally without a limp.

Image Courtesy- TVN

Review

This episode focussed on the turmoil Ba-reum went through when he figured out that he was the killer and recalled the memories of the murders.

It was revealed that Ba-reum had put on a show to hide his true character in the first half of the series. Lee Seung Gi has done a great job in portraying Ba-reum’s dual sides. One is the Ba-reum who is filled with guilt and the other is the Ba-reum who committed the Moojin murders. He has portrayed fake affection and innocence well as it seemed ingenuine right from the start as he is incapable of empathy. In the flashbacks, Ba-reum comes across as cold, emotionless, contemptuous and spiteful. He brings out all these emotions on his victims. The scenes with Ba-reum’s memories of the murder were well made. It showed how he goes into a frenzy while killing.

The classical music playing in Ba-reum’s MP3 player was the same one that played when Han was operating on Ba-reum and Sung Yo Han (Episode 9). I am curious to see how the two are connected.

Sung Yo Han and Kim (Suseong murder) were both framed for murders they didn’t commit. Woo Hyung Chul’s father (tie-knot murders) owned up to a murder he didn’t commit. There are a lot of people who are wrongly accused of murders. I wonder if there are more of these cases.

Someone is working hard to keep Ba-reum out of prison. This makes me wonder if there are other killers out there who are being kept out of prison for some reason.

It was interesting to see how Ba-reum’s fake life fooled him into believing that he was innocent. Daniel Lee confirmed that Sung Yo Han is a genius and he was indeed capable of feeling emotions.

Sung Yo Han’s name is tainted in society. It was saddening to see how Hong Ju’s baby was treated by the sitter and her friends. Considering how society treats the child, the child is bound to grow up with issues. One can only imagine the ostracising Sung Yo Han and his mother would have faced while growing up. Changing their names didn’t help them much as he did face bullying in school.

OZ is a mysterious character. He might be the same person who stole granny’s brooch from Ba-reum’s house. 

It is intriguing as the identity of Park Hyun Soo and her brother’s kidnapper wasn’t disclosed. This goes to show that there may be another killer involved.

Mu Won knew who his killer was. Yet he chose not to mention Ba-reum’s name on live television. Na Chi Kook also remembered it was Ba-reum who attacked him. He also chose not to tell Mu Chi when he had the option to.

Ba-reum seemed injured at the church and when he was walking on the road. The reason behind his bleeding forehead wasnt revealed.

Daniel Lee said that Ba-reum is dying. I wonder if that is true or he said that to keep Ba-reum from turning himself in. It is difficult to believe that Ba-reum attacked Na Chi Kook.

The Ba-reum who is present now isn’t a psychopath as he is remorseful and I don’t think he is capable of committing further murders. His human side took an upper hand in this episode as he repeatedly tried to kill himself or turn himself in. 

Ironically, Ba-reum’s prayers were finally answered and he became human, only to suffer in extreme self-condemnation and remorse. 

-By Soul Sword-

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