(Episode 20- Ba-reum’s final call)
Bong Yi wakes up in a warehouse. She walks around in a panic trying to find an exit but she isn’t able to.
Choi Young Shin walks into her house and finds Ba-reum waiting for her. He tells her that Daniel Lee had given him his next target who was a top-class predator. He says it had this address on it.
Choi is calm as she asks him why he is here. Ba-reum asks if both he and Sung Yo Han were her Lab rats. She thanks him for growing up to be a killer. She says Sung Yo Han disappointed her. She says the assembly rejected the bill to abort pregnancies with the psychopath gene. She says she needed a long-term plan to pass the bill.
She says she obtained the list of mother’s with psychopath genes from Dr Daniel Lee. She says Daniel was grief-stricken over Han killing Lee’s sister Jennifer.
Flashback
Lee hands over the list to Choi who is waiting in the car. He asks if this is right. She says she is not sure but they should fight a war to get the bill through. She says he has to do this for Jennifer.
At present, Ba-reum comments that his actions will be used as evidence for passing the bill. He says Choi formed a black operation unit within the NIS. Choi says they made sure the children were brought to term and had agents follow them. She says experts analysed their observations.
Ba-reum asks if she ordered Song Soo Ho to kill his family. She says it was an accident and Soo Ho did not have a choice. She says the experiment would have been ruined if Ba-reum had died. She says the incident crushed Song Soo Ho.
Ba-reum asks how she can take advantage of a victim’s family member (Song Soo Ho). She says it was a dream of a world with no crimes. He asks why she didn’t stop him when he started killing other psychopaths. She says he caught off guard but the public dubbed him a hero, so she changed her mind. She says the public will be seething when they find out that Ba-reum is a serial killer and the bill will be passed easily.
Ba-reum accuses her of taking advantage of the victim’s families and killing innocent people. He says she is another monster just like him.
Choi says she is a geneticist and she says only science can stop the crimes in the world. She says she wants to create a utopia without wars and crimes.
Ba-reum pushes her against the wall and points a gun at her. She asks him to kill her so the bill can be passed fast.
Mu Chi reaches another location using the GPS. He walks in wondering whose house it is. He feels it is someone’s summer house. He finds a photo with Choi and the members of OZ titled, “The Land of OZ, the crimeless utopia”. He finds Detective Lee and Song Soo Ho in the photos. Mu Chi looks through the desk and finds the laptop which was taken from Shin. He looks further and finds Bong Yi’s granny’s brooch and Mu Won’s pendant.
Mu Chi runs inside and finds Choi Young Shin tied up in the corner.
Earlier
Choi tells him to kill her. Ba-reum tells Choi that the surgery had given him emotions that a psychopath doesn’t have. He says this lab mouse of hers can no longer kill. She is hysteric and orders him to kill her. Ba-reum says she is pitiful.
At present, Ba-reum drives away in the rain. Daniel Lee is escorted by the police. He watches Choi taken into custody.
Mu Chi checks his phone and listens to a voice message from Bong Yi. She mentions that she is going to kill the guy who murdered Mu Won and her granny. Mu Chi lets out a curse.
Meanwhile, Bong Yi hides in the warehouse when she hears someone walk in. Ba-reum’s aunt comes in and Bong Yi asks where Ba-reum is. She says Ba-reum did this to keep her safe. She gives Bong Yi a phone and she says she will find out everything soon. Bong Yi runs out of the warehouse and Ba-reum watches from afar.
Earlier
Ba-reum had abducted Bong Yi to keep her safe from OZ who had threatened to harm Bong Yi. He told his aunt to keep Bong Yi here.
At present, Ba-reum’s aunt says Ba-reum is no longer the person he used to be because he didn’t kill Choi Young Shin. Ba-reum says that doesn’t change anything and walks away. After Ba-reum walks away, Ba-reum’s aunt turns around in shock.
Ba-reum drives down the road and hits the breaks as he finds Bong Yi standing in the middle of the road drenched in rain.
Mu Chi reaches Ba-reum’s house. He finds no one there. He asks an officer to track Bong Yi’s phone. He notices a mound on the side of the house. He digs it up and finds a dead cat in it. Just then he receives a call stating that the plastic which Mu Chi found near Ba-reum’s basement is a part of Han Kook’s goat-man mask. He is told Han Kook’s DNA was found in it. Mu Chi realises that Jung Ba-reum is the one who killed Mu Won.
Meanwhile, Ba-reum gets out of the car. Bong Yi calls him a jerk and asks he was enjoying this. She says she fell for the guy who killed her grandmother. She asks if he had fun toying her around. She prays to her granny to give her strength.
Bong Yi says and eye for an eye is his favourite quote and she will kill him just like he killed her granny. She runs towards him with an iron rod and attacks him but he dodges her. After a few misses, she swings the iron rod at him. He holds it tight, blocking it. She dares him to kill her as he killed her granny.
Ba-reum thinks that he will not allow her to become a monster like him and pushes her away. Bong Yi falls. She cries as she says her granny cared for him so much.
Ba-reum’s eyes well up as he kneels down and apologises to her. He says he will turn himself in. He asks her to let him turn himself in.
Bong Yi runs towards him and pushes him down. She almost hits him but he blocks her blow. He then loosens his grip and she is about to deliver the fatal blow but she stops. She recalls him confessing to her that he killed Kang Duk Soo. She remembers him saying that he kill Kang Duk SOo because she might be in danger. Ba-reum had said he was sick but he was hopeful of getting better.
Ba-reum opens his eyes as Bong Yi drops the iron pipe. She tells him he doesn’t deserve to die like this. She tells him to turn himself in and live his entire life in misery. She says she hopes his guilt eats him up. She says she hopes he lives his life miserably wishing he was rather dead. She says that is how she wants him to pay for his sins.
Ba-reum breaks down into tears as she walks away.
Ba-reum turns around to see Mu Chi holding a gun at his head. Mu Chi calls him a murderer. Ba-reum gets up and asks Mu Chi to arrest him. he says he will do what Mu Chi wanted to do. Ba-reum tells Mu Chi not to ruin his life as he promises to do what Mu Chi wanted to do. Mu Chi tells him not to lie. Mu Chi fires the gun.
Flashback
Daniel Lee observes the mouse which Han had sent him. The mouse seemed healthy in the beginning but it died on the 30th day. The box with the mouse is thrown in the gutter.
At present, Mu Chi wakes up in the field. He drives back in the car. He sees the news and is shocked to see that Ba-reum had turned himself in. He is furious as he watches the footage of Ba-reum’s arrest.
Kang escorts Ba-reum through the furious crowd. Park and the chief watch in shock. Ba-reum’s eyes meet Hong Ju’s over the crowd.
Earlier
Hong Ju had hit Mu Chi over the head before he could fire the gun. She tells Ba-reum to keep his promise to Go Mu Chi.
Flashback
The scene shifts to a flashback from one year ago as Hong Ju is getting prepped for a procedure to abort the foetus. She recalls Sung Yo Han hugging her and saying he was scared. He had said the sun made him sad. Hong Jo withdraws from the procedure as she recalls Daniel Lee saying psychopaths don’t feel emotion.
Later Hong Ju goes to Sung Yo Han’s house and wonders why the photograph was found in his basement. she later goes to the abandoned hospital where Han Kook was supposedly kept.
After thoroughly searching the place, she is about to return when she hears a feeble voice calling out to her. She goes back and finds Dr Daniel Lee hiding among the plumbings.
She helps him out and he tells her that Ba-reum is the killer. He says Yo Han saved his life. Hong Ju instantly regrets her decision to tell Choi Young Shin.
Later, Hong Ju sits by the ocean blaming herself for killing Sung Yo Han. She removes her shoes and prepares to jump into the ocean. She clamps her mouth as she remembers the foetus.
Hong Ju goes to Dr Daniel Lee and nurses him back to health. he tells her that he hid in the passage with leads to the sewer when the police raided the place. He promises to do everything to clear Sung Yo Han’s name.
Hong Ju says that is not enough. She tells him that Ba-reum has lost his memory. She tells Daniel to use Ba-reum and kill the people who deserve to die before Ba-reum’s instincts awaken. She says if Choi tries to tell the world who he is, they should beat her to it. She says they should expose her.
Hong Ju says that Han used Hong Ju to lure the victims he killed. she says she knows what kind of monster Han is. She says he can never change. She suggests they use Ba-reum to get rid of other psychopaths so that there won’t be any more victims like Jennifer or Sung Yo Han. Daniel Lee asks for lab equipment.
At present, Hong Ju walks away after watching Ba-reum being escorted into the police station.
Sung Ji-Eun cries silently as she watches the arrest on TV.
Mu Chi rushes into the police station but is dragged away. Kang notices Sung Ji-Eun in the hallway.
The chief questions Daniel Lee as to why he was found tied in the house. Daniel Lee keeps quiet. he refuses to answer questions about his disappearance.
Kang walks in and tells the chief that Sung Ji-eun wants to meet Ba-reum. The chief is against it because she will try to kill Ba-reum.
Daniel Lee says nothing will happen and tells them to allow her to meet him because Ba-reum is her son.
Sung Ji Eun sits before Ba-reum.
Flashback
Sung Yo Han tells Sung Ji-Eun that there is a boy in his class who gutted a rabbit. Sung Ji-eun had gone to take a glance at him to make sure it was her son.
She had followed Jae-hoon and Jae-min into the woods and she found Ja-hoon trying to bury his brother. She had saved JaeMin and tried to strangle Jae-Hoon/Ba-reum. She tells him to die as she says she shouldn’t have given birth to him. Jae Hoon’s vision is blurry as he is being choked.
At present Ba-reum realises that it was not a dream and she did strangle him. he says she should’ve killed him. She says they switched babies.
Flashback
Sung Ji Eun tells Kim Hee Jin that Jae Hoon tried to kill Jae Min. Kim Hee-Jin is horrified to learn of this. Sung Ji Eun tells her to kill Jae-Hoon for Jae-hoon’s sake.
At present Ba-reum comments that Sung Ji Eun thought he killed his own family. Sung Ji-eun says she tried to find him to kill him but his aunt had taken him. She says she wished he was dead when she found that his social ID had expired. She says she slowly forgot about him.
She says she instinctively knew it was Jae Hoon/Ba-reum who was committing the Moojin Serial murders. She says she had seen Ba-reum speaking to Bong Yi in the hospital room and she recalled Han’s will to reproduce.
Ba-reum asks why she didn’t take action. Sung Ji-eun says Yo Han found Ba-reum before she could do anything. She says she went to ba-reum’s hospital room after Yo Han’s death. she had hidden in the restroom when Bong Yi had walked in. Ba-reum had lost his memory.
She says she had visited his new home and noticed that he seemed like a kind person. She says she has been watching him since then and his actions gave her hope that he might have changed. She says that is why she didn’t go through with it.
Tears streak down Ba-reum’s eyes as he says that she and Han are the same to him. Sung Ji-eun cries. Kang comes in to take Ba-reum for questioning. Ba-reum tells Sung Ji Eun that he didn’t try to kill Jae Min that day and he didn’t kill his family.
Sung Ji-eun cries as he walks away.
Later, Sung Ji Eun walks out of the interrogation room. Mu Chi is demanding to be arrested for killing Sung Yo Han. Mu Chi bangs his head on the floor in protest.
SUng Ji Eun finds Mu Chi where he is getting his first aid. He turns away in guilt. Sung Ji-eun walks up to him and says that he is not the one who took Sung Yo Han’s life. She tells him not to feel guilty. She says Han Seo Joon was the one who killed him. Mu Chi understands that is what caused Ba-reum to change.
Meanwhile, Ba-reum tells the detectives about Han Seo Joon’s secret hideout.
The detectives find Han’s hideout (the same place where Hong Ju found the tapes).
Mu Chi visits Han in prison and asks if Ba-reum is Han’s son. he asks if that is the reason Han operated on ba-reum and saved his life. Mu Chi asks how a death-row convict was allowed to operate. Han says there is nothing that Choi Young Shin cant accomplish. He laughs as he says Choi begged him to save the National Son.
Mu Chi says Han thinks he is a genius but is as dumb as Mu Chi. Mu Chi says Choi used both Han and his son. He says Han’s son is going to get disposed of miserably. Han wears a menacing look as he realises that Mu Chi is right.
Sung Ji-eun stands over the edge of the cliff by the ocean.
Flashback
Sung Yo Han follows Sung Ji Eun when she watches Jae Hoon in the woods. He had watched her strangle Jae Hoon. He had overheard her when she mentioned that she shouldn’t have given birth to Jae Hoon.
Sung Yo Han tried hard not to believe his ears as he had grown up as the murderer’s son.
One day, Sung Yo Han(adult) retrieves Sung Ji Eun’s coat from her closet. He finds a photograph of Sung Ji -Eun holding another baby. Sung Yo Han had taken a specimen of Sung Ji-Eun and Han’s DNA.
After finding out the results, Sung Yo Han visits Sung Ji Eun. He tells her that she knew his son was a murderer. He asks how she could do this. Sung Ji-eun apologises to him but he pushes her away. Sung Yo Han says she is no different from Han and Ba-reum. He says he will never forgive Ba-reum for killing his family and his only friend Kim.
He says he is going to kill Ba-reum. Sung Ji-eun tries to stop him. She says Ba-reum is a monster and he will end up killing Sung Yo Han. Sung Yo Han pushes her away and walks out. She takes a kitchen scissor and cuts herself. He rushes back and stops her. He pushes her down and grabs the scissor from her. The staff comes into the house and assumes that Sung Yo Han was the one who attacked Sung Ji Eun. Sung Yo han walks out.
At present, Sung Ji stands at the edge of the cliff. Her voiceover says, “I didn’t have the courage to tell you the truth. I was scared you will hate and resent me. My poor son, Yo Han. You probably think I am a terrible person. But I want to be by your side.” She jumps over the cliff.
At the precinct, the Chief and Kang wonder why Daniel Lee is not speaking despite him being a victim. He says they won’t be able to get a warrant for Choi if he doesn’t speak. Kang says the blue house is getting involved because the elections are coming up.
Just then, Choi’s lawyer gives a press interview. He says Choi has no idea how the laptop and victim’s belongings ended up in her house. He claims Ba-reum had planted them in Choi’s house.
Just then, everyone receives a message from Ba-reum’s aunt requesting an interview as she has information on the OZ organisation.
Earlier, Ba-reum’s aunt said she will ask for a press interview after Ba-reum surrenders because Choi may try to get out. She says she has the evidence. She says her husband will pick up her son and she will do the interview after the plane leaves.
AT the venue, Ba-reum’s aunt doesn’t turn up. Ba-reum is tense as he calls Kang. Mu Chi walks in and he vows to kill Ba-reum. Ba-reum tells Mu Chi to find his aunt as she had evidence. He says they have to clear Sung Yo Han’s name.
Meanwhile, Choi’s lawyer claims that both Jung Ba-reum and Sung Yo Han are psychopaths.
Ba-reum tells Mu Chi to find his aunt as she had evidence. Mu Chi finds Detective Lee escorting Ba-reum’s aunt and her son in the CCTV. Mu Chi tries to track Lee but his phone is turned off.
Mu Chi tells the chief that he saw Choi’s lawyer visit her and his expression was grim. Mu Chi says he will do everything he can to clear Sung Yo Han’s name.
Choi is told that Lee is missing. She is worried as he was the one who had to bring Ba-reum’s aunt.
Hong Ju watches all the reporters walk away because the aunt was a no show. She recalls meeting with ba-reum’s aunt the previous night. The aunt mentioned she would do a press meet.
Hong Ju visits Bong Yi and gives her all the evidence she has collected. She says she will change the program today unannounced. Bong Yi goes through the evidence and agrees to help. Hong Ju says they have to try to get an arrest warrant.
As the night falls, Mu Chi has no luck but OZ finds detective Lee who is sitting beside a camping tent.
Bong Yi gets ready to leave for the show but someone is at the door,
Ba-reum is taken to the profiler. He speaks about his first victim Song Soo Ho. The commissioner watches this from the other side. He receives a call.
Hong Ju starts her show on Ba-reum’s confession. She mentions that someone induced the crimes.
Ba-reum tells the profiler that Choi Young Shin had watched him and Sung Yo Han as children if they displayed the psychopath gene.
Meanwhile, Choi’s lawyer asks them to request her warrant. the chief says they can detain her for 48 hours. The commissioner comes in and tells them off for detaining Choi. He tells Kang to request a warrant. As soon as Kang requests it, the warrant is denied. Choi walks out.
Hong Ju says Choi Young Shin carried on illegal surveillance on 2 children and their families. She says she misused the power and that Choi’s statements are in direct conflict with Ba-reum’s statements.
Hong Ju mentions that the arrest warrant for Woo Hyun Chul (rope knot killer) was denied on request. She says she approached the prosecutor and he mentioned that he was following orders from higher up. Mu Chi’s chief also gives an anonymous interview about the incident.
Hong Ju says that Woo Hyung Chul’s crime scenes were staged by OZ to make it seem like copycat murders.
Choi and her lawyer are swarmed with reporters. The lawyer denies that Chi denied the warrant.
Hong Ju broadcasts Dr Daniel Lee’s interview where he mentions that in 1995 the bill was rejected in the legislature meeting. He says Choi had taken a list of the children with psychopath gene. He says Woo Hyun Chul was also on the list. He says he approached Choi to stop the operation. Choi had said that it is easier to pass the bill when Ba-reum kills more people. As he persists, she tells him to wait till the presidential elections.
Choi tells the reporters that Daniel is making unfounded claims.
Flashback
Earlier, Ba-reum had told Mu Chi that if Lee hasn’t brought his aunt to Choi he must have a reason. He says he saw a picture of Lee with the OZ from the hotel.
Mu Chi visits a man who says Yu Jung (the woman in the photo) was stalked for 7 years and then killed by a man who was disguised as a delivery man. He shows the man Lee’s photo. The man says Yu Jung and Lee were inseparable during high school. Mu Chi asks where her ashes are scattered.
Mu Chi goes to that place and finds Lee sitting outside the tent. He grabs Lee. Ba-reum’s aunt and Hun Suk come out of the tent. She says Lee offered to take her to the broadcast station. Lee apologises to Mu Chi. He says Choi promised a world without crime.
Mu Chi takes Ba-reum’s aunt and Han Suk to Bong Yi’s house as she is about to leave for the broadcast station.
At present, Ba-reum’s aunt said she was taken into OZ operation after she joined NIS in 2005. She goes on to tell the role she played in OZ as Ba-reum’s aunt.
Choi tells the reporters that she doesn’t know this woman.
Ba-reum’s aunt passes the evidence to Hong Ju’s team. the file contains photos of Choi presiding over the OZ meetings.
Choi tells the press that these photos are fabricated.
Just then, spycam footage of Choi ordering them to text Song Soo Ho’s address to ba-reum is broadcasted. Choi says 5 victims are not enough and they have to wait for Ba-reum to kill more.
Choi is unable to deny this and she gets into her car which drives away.
Ba-reum and the entire team watch Hong Ju’s show on TV at the precinct. The chief orders Choi Young SHin’s arrest. Mu Chi stops her car and arrests her.
Hong Ju asks the aunt as to why she didn’t come sooner. The aunt says Choi controls all the government offices. She says that is why Sung Yo Han tried to kill Jung Ba reum by himself.
Hong Ju plays footage of Song Soo Ho’s mother who says Yo Han helped her survive. She says she owes her life to Yo Han. Bong Yi (as a blurred image) also mentions that Sung Yo Han was the one who carried her to the police after she was attacked. Daniel Lee mentions that Sung Yo Han saved his life when Choi’s men tried to kill him.
Hong Ju plays another recording which she found.
In the video which was recorded a few hours before Sung Yo Han’s death, Sung Yo Han eats the lunch which Hong Ju had made for him. He cries as he eats alone.
Hong Ju says that psychopaths never put on an act when they are alone. Yet the video shows Yo Han crying when he was alone.
Hong Ju concludes by saying she is involved in the case too. She confesses that she told Daniel Lee to use Ba-reum to kill other psychopaths instead of going to the police.
Ba-reum is shocked to hear this.
Hong Ju says she will turn herself in and cooperate with the investigation. Later, as she steps out, the reporters gather around her. Hong Ju says she is a killer as she killed a person 26 years back (Han’s victim SOng Soo Jung).
Flashback 26 years ago
Hong Ju/Park Hyun Soo lures Song Soo Jung under the pretext that her father met with an accident. Han attacks Soo Jung violently as Hong Ju cries.
At present, Hong Ju says she has lived with guilt all her life. She says she apologises profusely to Song Soo Hyun’s mother.
SOng Soo Ho and Song Soo Hyun’s mother weeps as she sees this confession on TV.
Detective Kang and Park reach the broadcasting station. Park says he will arrest her and he walks towards Hong Ju with a look of recognition. He says it took a long time for her to come home. She says she couldn’t face them after she abandoned her brother. She apologises to him. He arrests her and walks her to the police car as Bong Yi looks on.
Ba-reum’s aunt is taken into custody while her son Hun Suk boards the plane with his father. The members of OZ (Lee) and all the people involved (doctors and police officers) in the operation are arrested. They also find the flash drive which has footage of Han performing Ba-reum’s surgery.
Shin’s father is elected as president. He mentions that he had voted against passing the bill but now he says he will let the people decide this time around.
Jung Ba-reum’s trial starts.
Later, the people vote for the bill and the government passes the bill to abort the psychopath gene in the foetus.
At his hearing, Ba-reum is sentenced to death and he is to serve his time in isolation. Ba-reum cancels his appeal and chooses to take the death penalty.
6 MONTHS LATER
Bareum is brought into the same correctional facility as Han. Ba-reum notes that Dong Koo is one of the prison guards there. Han watches Ba-reum come in. He says his eyes look different now. Ba-reum watches Han and walks away.
Kim Soo Chul comes and places food in Ba-reum’s cell. Ba-reum grabs his hand and says he is the only person whom he failed to kill. He asks if he remembers how his friend Kim Byung Tae died (Kim Byung Tae (butcher who poured cleaning chemical on the child) and Kim Soo Chul had killed a child and burnt her). Ba-reum looks menacing as the man runs away traumatised.
Dong Koo watches Kim Soo Chul run away and he goes to talk to Ba-reum. Ba-reum asks if Dong Koo volunteered to work here because he missed Ba-reum. Dong Koo asks how Ba-reum could do that to Na Chi Kook, Bong Yi’s granny and Mu WOn. Ba-reum asks what is wrong if a lion kills a few rats. Ba-reum says he didn’t kill Dong Koo because he isn’t worth it.
Dong Koo runs in and attacks Ba-reum but Ba-reum overpowers him. Soon the officers rush in and pull them apart.
Ba-reum visits Han’s cell. He says, “I missed you, dad.” Han gets up and says he recognised Ba-reum’s eyes and knew that Ba-reum was as superior as Han. He says he was extremely proud and happy when he found out that Ba-reum was his son. He says their genes are superior to normal ones. He tells him to keep that look in his eyes always and not lose it. Han spreads out his arms and calls Ba-reum for an embrace.
Ba-reum walks towards Han and Han hugs him. He tells Ba-reum not to worry as he has made plans to get out of here. Ba-reum asks if that is for the best. Han starts to speak but Ba-reum stabs him. Han’s eyes widen in shock. Ba-reum stabs him multiple times. Dong Koo closes his eyes as he stands outside.
Earlier, when Ba-reum had a scuffle with Dong Koo, he had asked DOng Koo to leave Han’s jail cell open for Ba-reum. He says he needs to finish it.
Ba-reum cries as he hesitates for a moment before slashing the blade across Han’s throat.
Mu Chi watches the news which reports that Han Seo Joon, the Head Hunter was decapitated.
Hong Ju learns of this news in prison. Both Mu Chi and Hong Ju think that Ba-reum has kept his promise.
In his prison cell, Ba-reum clasps his head as he is in excruciating pain. The officers run in to check on him. Ba-reum begs them to kill him.
Mu Chi meets Detective Park over drinks. Park says he visited Hong Ju in prison and she said Ba-reum is in a lot of pain and is dying. he says Ba-reum says it feels like a mouse is gnawing at his brain. Mu Chi says it isn’t enough and he has to suffer more. Park says Mu Chi should visit Ba-reum. Mu Chi says he won’t go see the dirtbag.
Later, Mu Chi is heavily drunk as he visits Song Soo Ho’s mother. He asks her how she managed to forgive both the head hunter and his son for killing her children.
Song Soo Ho’s mother says she said she had learnt to let go because she had to live. Mu chi says he can’t forgive Ba-reum and she says he understands. She says the ones who survive have to resort to something to live on. She tells him to do the same. she says she wishes he is also free from the pain as that is what Mu Won wanted.
She holds Mu Chi close as he cries his heart out.
Mu Chi visits Ba-reum. Mu Chi says Ba-reum is lucky that he is dying on his own. He says he wanted to decapitate him. Mu Chi says he wanted to see how pathetic Ba-reum looked. Mu Chi says he will not forgive Ba-reum though he chopped off his father’s head.
Tears well up in Ba-reum’s eyes as he apologises to Mu Chi. He says he is thankful. Mu Chi realises that there is emotion in Ba-reum’s eyes and they are not empty. He learns that Han’s child is in pain.
Ba-reum requests that his assets should be used to help the victim’s families. Mu Chi says that won’t wash away Bareum’s sins. Ba-reum says he misses Bong Yi.
Mu Chi informs Bong Yi and brings her to visit Ba-reum.
Bong Yi visits Ba-reum. She says she came to see him because she heard he was dying. She says he is dying comfortably and he should die as his victims did. She asks him why he wanted to see her.
Ba-reum says he is sorry. She says she will never forgive him for as long as she is alive. As she is about to walk away, Ba-reum asks tearfully, “In my next life, I’ll be born as an ordinary human being. Then if I do…”.
Bong Yi gives him one last glance before walking away.
The next day, Ba-reum walks into the church.
Jae Hoon sits in the church and prays, “I was born a monster. Please don’t let me become a monster. Please.”
Ba-reum sits next to his younger self and says that the almighty finally heard his prayers. He says, “You are no longer a monster.” Ba-reum hugs his younger self and tears streak down both their faces.
3 YEARS LATER
President Shin grants a pardon to Choi Young Shin. Choi is released amidst protests.
Hong Ju is also released. Her parents and Song Soo Ho’s mother come to pick her up along with her child.
Meanwhile, Choi Young Shin’s car drives into an abandoned tunnel. She looks up in confusion and is shocked to see the driver draw out a knife.
Mu Chi sells eggs in his mini truck and he uses his megaphone to wake Bong Yi up. Bong Yi walks out complaining. He says she is getting late for class and she has to get ready because he is paying for her tuition. Bong Yi says she is finding it difficult to balance both work and class. She says has an offer to write her own show.
She notices that Mu Chi has bought beans. She says Hong Ju must be out by now and she asks him to go to her. He ignores her.
She tells him to drop her off at the market because she has invited Hong Ju’s family for dinner and she has also called Dong Koo. She invites him too. Mu Chi says he can’t come after what he has done to them.
Bong Yi makes her purchase and walks back home. It is raining as she comes near the bridge. She stops for a moment but continues walking with a smile as she makes dinner plans.
Hong Ju finds Mu Chi. They sit in awkward silence. Both of them apologise to each other. Hong Ju says she was the one who didn’t trust Sung Yo Han, so his death is on her. Mu Chi says both of them are at fault. He says they shouldn’t be forgiven. She says she will atone for it for the rest of her life. Mu Chi says he will too. They wish each other happiness. Mu Chi goes on his way.
Bong Yi finds Hong Ju’s child and Jae Hee (Sung Yo Han’s sister) watching a bird. Bong Yi names the bird Eoboengi, after Ba-reum’s pet bird.
Mu Chi drives down the road in his truck as his voiceover narrates, “There was a monster who couldn’t be saved. But the almighty granted him emotions.”
We see a montage of Ba-reum dying at the church after realising that he is no longer a monster and that his prayers have been answered.
Mu Chi’s voiceover narrates, “And in the end, he died in extreme pain and misery as he repented his sins. Did the deity do that to punish him or to save him?”
Mu Chi puts up a wooden grave marker among the other markers and walks away. We see a montage of the grave marker which stands before the cross.
Image Courtesy-TVN
Review
The series finale left no stone unturned as it solved all the mysteries right from episode one.
Choi Young Shin was the one in the black car. Daniel Lee had given her a list of children who had the psychopath gene.
Hong Ju had decided to keep the baby when she realised Sung Yo Han was innocent. She was the one who had helped Dr Daniel Lee after Sung Yo Han’s death.
Dr Daniel Lee was not functioning under the orders of a boss but he had a deal with Hong Ju where she asked him to use Ba-reum to kill psychopaths.
By performing the surgery on Ba-reum, Han thought he is keeping his heir alive. Little did he know that he had unknowingly helped the cause which would wipe out his kind forever.
Ba-reum was rightfully punished for the Moojin serial killings. He tried his level best to right the things in his messed up life. He even decapitated Han and yet he didn’t receive even an ounce of empathy from anyone. No one acknowledged the fact that he was a victim in the case too.
Ba-reum was still capable of killing and he chose to keep his emotional side awakened and the killing one dormant. He was going out of the way to solve the case and he was finding it hard to get people to listen to him. It was like none of the characters noticed the character change he had undergone after his surgery.
It was interesting to see how the episode was penned. It emphasised more on the public and Ba-reum’s acquaintances hating on him as he faced a worse fate than Choi Young Shin who had schemed the whole thing.
Intriguingly, Ba-reum did not get this far without help. At every point in time, one character or the other kept playing a part in keeping him alive. Most of the time, Ba-reum wasn’t aware of this though.
All the character arcs were ended well. Hong Ju and Mu Chi managed to start from where they left off but they will be carrying their guilt to their graves.
Mu Chi seemed to be the only person who had noticed that Ba-reum had indeed felt emotion and pain in the end(as he puts up a marker in Ba-reum’s memory at the end).
Sung Yo Han remains the character who receives all of the viewers’ sympathy and pity.
It was ironic that Ba-reum was a monster when everyone assumed him to be a humanitarian and when he finally was a humanitarian he was deemed a monster by everyone. Only his elder self knew that he was no longer the monster he used to be but unfortunately, he was left alone to deal with his emotions.
The scene where Ba-reum speaks with his younger self was well made as he realised he is feeling emotions and is repenting of his actions. Though no one believed he was a changed person, it was important for him to believe in it and that was portrayed well.
After seeing Ba-reum’s childhood, one wonders how much of his violence was triggered by the OZ. He keeps insisting that he was not going to kill his brother Jae-Min on that day. He did take after the psychopath gene but I wonder if his psychopath gene would have been awakened in the first place if he was brought up in a better environment. Ba-reum grew up as an outcast all his life and the adults around him made it worse.
Sung Yo Han had the genius gene and he wasn’t the violent type. He grew up as a depressed child because of being labelled as the head hunter’s son.
The series makes one question if humans can be differentiated based on a gene study when a lot of people with the normal gene are way worse. Psychopaths have a reason for behaving in an inhumane manner whereas these people don’t.
Choi Young Shin misused her power to an unimaginable extent. She killed more people than Ba-reum just to get her point across.
The public ended up voting for the bill despite knowing that they would be killing foetuses which may be turning out to be geniuses like Sung Yo Han.
The members of OZ thought it is right for them to work for an institution that intruded into other people’s privacy just because they are a bereaved family of the victims.
Sung Ji Eun did as she pleased with the two children’s lives and ruined many lives in the process. She denied the possibility that there is a 1% chance of her child being a genius. She didn’t attempt to make an effort to guide the child in the right direction. Instead, she lived her entire life fearing him and hiding the truth.
Hong Ju decided to use Ba-reum and keep killing psychopaths.
The viewers feel more than once that Ba-reum is right when he kills the heinous criminals.
Mouse emphasises the fact that you don’t need a psychopathic gene to turn out to be a monster.
The series was an interesting watch and at the beginning, it seemed like just a crime thriller, but it turned out to be much more than that!
-Soul Sword-
Series Review
Mouse starts with the arrest of the notorious serial killer known as the Head Hunter 25 years ago. He is sentenced to death and he is put at a correctional facility where he serves his time as a death-row convict.
Meanwhile, at a legislative meeting, Dr Daniel Lee, a geneticist, claims that he has devised a method to find out the psychopathic gene in a foetus. He says they can abort pregnancies with the psychopath gene, so the world can be a safer place. He claims the test has a 99% success rate because the psychopath gene and genius gene are identical and there is no way to find out if the child will turn out to be a psychopath or a genius (1% chance of it being a genius). The Government panel decides against passing the bill (which allows aborting pregnancies with the psychopath gene) because they do not want to kill a foetus that may turn out to be a genius.
25 years later, the nation is terrorised by another set of gruesome serial killings. Jung Ba-reum (Lee Seung-Gi) is a righteous and compassionate new recruit at the Police Station. After his friend is brutally attacked, he decides to involve himself in the case. They find that the case may be linked to the recent serial killings. The investigation is lead by Detective Go Mu Chi who has lost his family to the Head Hunter twenty-five years ago. Mu Chi’s goal is to go to prison after killing a serial killer. He declares that once he is in prison, he will kill the Head Hunter who is serving the time there.
On the side, the viewer is introduced to Jae-Hoon, a child with the psychopath gene. True to Daniel Lee’s studies, his murder instincts are awake and killing is like second nature to him. Jae-Hoon’s life as a child is shown throughout the series which leads one to keep guessing as to whom Jae Hoon grew up to be. The series progresses as the grown-up Jae Hoon is roaming freely hunting for new victims. This narrative is interesting as one is already faced with numerous characters and any of them could be Jae Hoon.
How the team uncovers the murder mystery forms the rest of the series.
The drama has a deeply knit plotline that keeps the suspense alive till the last episode. In the beginning, the main plot seems vague as the narrative is fragmented with a lot of partial flashbacks and time jumps. Throughout the series, the team handles a lot of serial killing cases which makes one wonder where the storyline is heading. But at the end of the series, one understands the significance of every case as it adds an important aspect to the main storyline.
Every case is gripping and well-portrayed because it keeps the viewer’s attention. Some cases are based on true incidents (namely the Cho Doo Soon case). These crimes are depicted very well and their portrayal is emotional and thought-provoking. The series also touches upon the Ghost Surgery practice.
The drama has its share of plot twists which keeps changing one’s perception every few episodes. Mouse is guaranteed to keep the viewer guessing.
Officer Jung Ba-Reum (Lee Seung-Gi) is a good Samaritan who always watches out for his loved ones. Due to an unexpected incident, he undergoes brain surgery which leaves him a changed man. Ba-reum appears as a normal character in the beginning and slowly but steadily takes over as the protagonist. Lee Seung GI portrays two different personalities in this series – before and after the surgery. He fits well into the role and has done justice to it.
Go Mu-Chi (Lee Hee-Jun) is a hot-headed Detective who has good intentions but gives out a wrong image by always jumping the gun. Mu Chi often finds himself singled out during investigations as he accuses without evidence. He is always brimming with emotion and emotion always gets the better of him. Though he vows to kill, when faced with the situation, he struggles to pull the trigger. He comes across as a total contrast to a psychopath. Lee Hee Joon has delivered the role well.
Han Seo-Joon (Ahn Jae-Wook) forms a major part of the storyline as the Head Hunter. Though the series is sprinkled with numerous psychopaths, Han Seo Joon leaves an impact as the head of all the serial killers. Ahn Jae-Wook portrays Han’s steel resolve and cold-blooded stature very well. Han’s scenes are easily among the best parts of the series.
PD Choi Hong Ju (Kyung Soo-Jin) hosts the TV show named “Sherlock Hong Ju” where she showcases case studies of crimes/current affairs. She plays a major role in the series as she comes across as a shady character with many secrets. Kyung Soo Jin has carried off the role well as she adds to the mystery of the plot with her performance.
Sung Yo Han (Kwon Hwa-Woon) is the head hunter’s son. He grows up in a society where he is known as a head hunter’s son. He is a surgeon and is also the prime suspect in the serial killings. Though his screen space is minimal, he plays a vital role in this series.
Oh Bong-Yi (Park Ju-Hyun) is a young and smart school girl. She lives with her grandmother. Though Bong Yi comes across as an ill-tempered girl, she is fiercely loyal towards her loved ones. She has a childhood trauma, which she struggles to cope with. She plays Ba-reum’s love interest.
Jung Jae Hoon (Kim Kang-Hoon) is a child diagnosed with the psychopath gene who wants to be normal. He holds God accountable for him turning out to be a monster. Though Kim Kang Hoon is the youngest actor in the cast which has many serial killers, he has given a laudable performance as young Jae-hoon with his emotionless stare and dialogue delivery.
The drama takes up 8 episodes to develop the foundation and base plot for the story. The later part of the series is gripping as one gathers where the plot is heading. There are a lot of characters in this drama. Every character plays a vital role in adding to the plot. The last few episodes answer every mystery which was created in the earlier episodes.
Though the series is lengthy, it is a thrilling and emotive one. It hits the mark in showcasing a psychopath’s mind. It is a known fact that psychopaths are incapable of emotions. Mouse depicts what it exactly means to be a person who is totally devoid of emotion. It also shows that you don’t need to have a psychopathic gene to turn out to be a monster.
Mouse is guaranteed to bring out the detective in you. The series was an interesting watch and at the beginning, it seemed like it was just a crime thriller, but it turned out to be much more than that!
-Soul Sword-
The Writers Room 
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