Jeon is cross with Hee Woo when Hee Woo says he declared war on Jo Tae Seob. He says this is the reason behind those transfers. Hee Woo says he won’t stop and plans to take this till the end. He says Jo Tae Seob will respond then. He asks Jeon not to tell him to stop. Jeon calls him a lunatic and asks him what his plan is. Hee Woo says it is time to use what he had prepared.
Hee Woo gives Hee A a file Sang Man prepared while acquiring JQ Constructions. It contains his shares along with the merger and acquisition agreement.
Hee A says it feels weird to do it without him but says she will go ahead and make the announcement public. Hee Woo tells her to become the Chairman and she says she will.
Han Ji Hyun tells Jo Tae Seob that Chunha Group is acquiring JQ Constructions and Hee A is presiding over it. Jo says Hee Woo is probably behind this and asks Jin Woo to call up Prosecutor General Yoon.
Soon, Jeon informs Hee Woo that they are sending Hee Woo to the US to participate in a training course. He says it starts next month. Hee Woo says he will go but he will cut off Jo’s right arm before leaving.
Jin Woo comes to the Prosecutor’s Office as Jeon tells him he wants to discuss Hee Woo.
Hee Woo is waiting for Jin Woo and asks to speak with him. They speak on the roof. Hee Woo says Jin Woo did that to Sang Man. Jin Woo laughs and asks if he wants revenge. He points out that you need the power to seek revenge. He tells Hee Woo to try all he wants but assures him that Hee Woo will end up feeling powerless and realise that there is nothing he can do.
Hee Woo says he is going to quit being a prosecutor and Jin Woo’s smile fades. He says Jin Woo was also a prosecutor and knows that a prosecutor can catch anyone if he is ready and determined to quit.
Hee Woo points at the large TV screen on the other building. Jin Woo is shocked that a picture of Jin Woo and Jeon Seo Yoon is on it. The news reads that defence corruption is uncovered as a broker is seen bribing an arms dealer.
Flashback
Hee Woo and Jin Hyuk (Hee A’s secretary) are in the car. Jin Hyuk clicks pictures of Jin Woo meeting Jung Seo Yoon and also of the money transfer.
At present, Hee Woo explains that in an hour the news stations will flash photos of Jin Woo where his face is visible. Hee Woo also says he was listening in on Jin Woo’s conversation with Jung Seo Yoon. He says the amount of money involved will make the public furious. Hee Woo says he even has the picture of the money being put in Jin Woo’s trunk. Jin Woo is stumped. Hee Woo says he knows that the bribe wasn’t from a broker but he took a leaf out of Jin Woo’s book.
Jin Woo tries to leave but Hee Woo stops him. Jin Woo tries to hit him but Hee Woo pins him down and grabs Jin Woo’s phone. Hee Woo says this is not the only thing that he has on Jin Woo. Hee Woo holds a document that lists loansharking, real estate bid rigging, instigating assault, blackmail and money laundering. Hee Woo laughs as he says it is the first time Jin Woo is experiencing being hunted.
Jo is shocked to see Jin Woo’s face on TV as a broker. Han Ji Hyun explained that the tipper wanted to show the broker’s face before revealing his identity. She says the media didn’t know it was Jin Woo.
Jo orders everything to be taken down at once. Just then, Hee Woo calls up and Jo takes the call. Hee Woo asks if Jo has silenced all the media outlets. Jo says Hee Woo doesn’t want to go to the US. Hee Woo says he doesn’t like long flights.
Hee Woo says he will fight till the end and Jo says Hee Woo can’t win against him. Hee Woo asks if Jo is scared of him. Hee Woo says he has put a leash on Jin Woo and will arrest him soon. He says he is curious to see if Jin Woo will be tight-lipped when Hee Woo pokes him. He says even Jo must be curious if Jin woo will remain loyal or betray him. Hee Woo says he is coming for Jo Tae Seob next. Jo warns Hee Woo not to lay a finger on Jin Woo. Hee Woo tells Jo to save his threats for someone else and hangs up.
Han Ji Hyun says she can’t reach Jin Woo. Jo orders her to find him.
Jin Woo stands on the roof of a building. Hee Woo had asked Jin Woo to betray Jo Tae Seob. He burns the list of charges Hee Woo had given him. Jin Woo decides to take the fall for all the crimes and wishes Jo Tae Seob succeeds. He throws himself over the roof.
Jo Tae Seob is shocked as he watches the news that reports Jin Woo’s suicide and amounts to increasing pressure on the bribery case.
Hee Woo stands on the other side of the police line at the scene of the suicide. He walks away disgruntled.
Jo is in his study and visibly disturbed. He calls Jin Woo a fool for making such a choice. Han Ji Hyun watches as Jo Tae Seob breaks down into tears. Jo tells Jin Woo not to wander around and walk into the light as he cries.
The next day, Hee Woo resigns as a prosecutor. He says he can’t go to the US. Jeon says Hee Woo did a good job as a prosecutor.
Hee Woo stands beside the Prosecutor’s oath in the lobby as Min Soo joins him. Min Soo asks if Hee Woo is quitting and Hee Woo confirms it.
Hee Woo visits Sang Man in the hospital. Sang Man is still unconscious. Hee Woo makes a call and says he has made his decision.
Hwang walks into the Daehang meeting room. He says He has a nomination for Jo Tae Seob’s constituency.
Flashback
Hee Woo asks Hwang for a favour. He says Hwang may find it easy or difficult. He asks Hwang to nominate Hee Woo in Jo Tae Seob’s constituency. Hwang says he won’t win. Hee Woo says he is not doing it to become an assemblyman.
At present, Hwang nominates Hee Woo as a candidate in Jo Tae Seob’s constituency.
Jo Tae Seob hears of this and asks Han Ji Hyun to call Hee Woo for a meeting.
Jo meets Hee Woo at lunch the next day. He says Hee Woo went too far this time and tells him to stop pranking him. Hee Woo says this is not a prank and asks why Jo wanted to see him.
Jo Tae Seob says he is curious as to why Hee Woo is after him. Hee Woo says he wants to catch Jo Tae Seob because he is a criminal. He says as a prosecutor he failed to do that. Jo laughs as he asks if Hee Woo thinks he can catch him.
Jo Tae Seob says Hee Woo is a lot like him in his youth. He says he quit being a prosecutor for similar reasons. He tells Hee Woo that Hee Woo requires a lot of power to do that. He advises Hee Woo to invest 5 to 10 years into his career and grow his power. He offers to help Hee Woo to grow his power.
Jo Tae Seob says he values competence a lot. Jo says Hee Woo can overthrow him when the time comes. Hee Woo calls Jo Tae Seob delusional. He says he isn’t interested in politics but wants to overthrow him at all costs.
As Hee Woo leaves, Jo Tae Seob asks how was the last time Hee Woo saw Jin Woo. Hee Woo walks out without responding.
As he walks out, Han Ji Hyun says Hee Woo should have begged for forgiveness as there is no way he can win. She says he is a rabbit chasing a lion. Hee Woo says he has 3 questions for her. He asks if she thinks Jo Tae Seob will forgive him after all this. He asks if he looks like a rabbit. Thirdly he asks why she is telling him this.
Han Ji Hyun says she feels the world needs a person like him. Hee Woo says that he knows she is working on something to bring down Jo Tae Seob. He tells her to stop because he knows it will cost her her life. Hee Woo says he is worried for her and he doesn’t want anyone to get hurt or die.
Hee Woo tells her to wait and he will bring Jo Tae Seob down. He says that was their promise though she doesn’t remember. Hee Woo says he would like to meet Han Ji Hyun in private and asks her to give him a call if she trusts him.
Later, Jo tells Han Ji Hyun that he thought Jo lost his life to a loser. He says Jin Woo will be pleased if Jo sprinkles Hee Woo’s blood on Jin Woo’s grave. Jo vows to avenge Jin Woo. He says he will step on Hee Woo and Hwang’s blood and run for president.
The news telecasts Jo Tae Seob’s campaign for the General Elections. The reporters tell Jo that Hee Woo isn’t doing anything. Han Ji Hyun tells him that Min Soo wants to meet him.
Back in his office, Jo meets Min Soo. Min Soo apologises for not being able to bring Hee Woo down. He says Hee Woo resigned before he could go after him. He still gives the file he had prepared on Hee Woo.
It contains information on Hee Woo bullying his classmates. He says during school days, Hee woo once beat up a group of boys at a birthday party and was seen carrying a woman (Han Mi) out of the club. He says he has witness statements and video clips to prove it. He says Hee Woo also invested heavily in real estate through auction bidding. He says sucked the tenants dry to the last penny. Min Soo says they can convict him for violence, sex assault etc.
Jo asks if he should believe this. Min Soo says all this is true. Jo tells Han Ji Hyun to turn Hee Woo into an evil monster after fact checking it.
Hee Woo is in the Daehan Party Office when the news breaks about the school violence. He sees an interview of the boy from Han Mi’s gang talking about how Hee Woo was a bully. Hee Woo is told that there are a lot of negative comments in the online space.
Later, Hee Woo ignores the news channels and plays with a child. Han Mi approaches him and asks what he is going to do now that his public image is ruined. He asks how come she is back. Han Mi says the political desk can’t run without her and she was called back. Hee Woo welcomes her back.
Just then, Hee Woo receives a message from Han Ji Hyun asking to meet now.
Hee Woo meets Han Ji Hyun in the church. She asks if he can bring down Jo Tae Seob and he says yes. She says she is curious as to why he is not responding to their attacks. She says she asks because they may end up on the same boat. She then asks how he knew she was working on something. Hee Woo says he was a prosecutor. She says that doesn’t make sense. Hee Woo says some things in the world don’t make sense.
Hee Woo tells her to trust him if she wants to live. He says he is the only one who can handle Jo Tae Seob. Hee Woo says he will prepare everything and take Jo down step by step. Hee Woo says he can make Jo Tae Seob experience a fiery pit even on earth.
Hee Woo says his counterattacks will begin now. He says his first move will be his marriage announcement.
Hee A and Hee Woo announce their engagement in media.
Hee Woo’s parents and his team watch the news in disbelief.
Hee Woo and Hee A address the press. Hee Woo is asked about the school violence. He states that all of that was rumours spread about him. Hee Woo says he is under the understanding that his rival candidate is behind this.
Hee Woo addresses Jo Tae Seob and tells him not to work in shadows. He requests Jo Tae Seob to join him in a Public Debate.
Han Ji Hyun shows Jo the article on public debate. She tells him he need not respond to it as Jo will be winning it anyway. Jo says he will do the public debate otherwise the public will lose trust in him.
Han Ji Hyun recalls Hee Woo telling her at the church that he plans to call Jo for a public debate that he can’t refuse.
Jo tells Han Ji Hyun that Hee Woo has a knife but he has a gun.
The next day at the public debate, Jo makes his opening statements. Jo Tae Seob states he felt happy when a young person was competing against him but he was disappointed when he found out that all the allegations against Hee Woo turned out to be true. He tells Hee Woo to step down voluntarily if he has a conscience.
Hee Woo quotes the Bando Bank case and says Jo Tae Seob had created it to his advantage. Jo says Hee Woo is making absurd claims. Hee Woo says he has already submitted a video and asks them to play it.
In the video, Park Dae Ho of DH Money states that he cant take the fall for everything as this was Jo Tae Seob’s source of funds. He says he is Jo’s servant.
Hee Woo says this was filmed with Park’s approval. He says the rest of the footage will be released to the press after the debate. Jo says this is a false testimony but Hee Woo maintains that there is a lot of evidence. He says the people won’t fall for this cheap trick. Hee Woo says the people have the right to know.
The moderator asks them for their political goals. Hee Woo says he wants to put an end to dirty and rotten abuse of political power.
Jo says it is ironic that Hee Woo is also a politician. Hee Woo says Jo claims he wants to make Korea stronger but he had made a lot of minorities sacrifice. Jo says he is the one who makes sacrifices and he doesn’t make others do so. Hee Woo asks why Jo Tae Seo tried to take Woo Yong Soo’s assets, he sacrificed Kim from Chunha telecoms and Cho Yoon A the actress. Jo says Hee Woo is making baseless accusations.
Hee Woo holds a phone in his hand. He says this is Jin Woo’s phone and it has a lot of information about Jo Tae Seob’s corruption on it. Hee Woo asks if Jo still claims innocence.
Jo tells the moderator not to air the contents of the phone without checking its authenticity first. Hee Woo complies. Hee Woo says he is aware this was an illegal tactic but says there was no other way. He says Jo always silences the media and manipulates through the prosecution.
Jo demands Hee Woo should apologise.
Hee Woo says he will pay for his crimes but states it is time Jo paid for his crimes.
Han Ji Hyun recalls Hee Woo saying his final step will be to go down with Jo Tae Seob. Han Ji Hyun walks out.
Meanwhile, Jo Tae Seob says he believes Hee Woo may have something to do with Jin Woo’s death. He says he has nothing right now for rebuttal. Jo then shows the video footage that he has. It shows Hee Woo in a scuffle with Jin Woo on the roof.
Jo demands Hee Woo to explain Jin Woo’s death. Jo concludes by saying Hee Woo doesn’t deserve to be here but in prison. Hee Woo promises to clear all accusations against him in future investigations. He asks people to make reasonable judgements.
Jo walks out and Hee Woo walks a few feet behind. Jo asks for Han Ji Hyun as he is surrounded by the press.
Just then, their attention is diverted to a TV screen. Han Ji Hyun is in a newsroom with Han Mi. Hee Woo is confused as he sees her on TV.
Han Ji Hyun says she is about to reveal the truth about Jo Tae Seob. She says Jo constantly worries about the future of the country.
Hee A watches from the broadcast room. She recalls Han Mi calling her up and asking for help as they will be able to bring down Jo Tae Soeb with this.
Hee A tells the station Director that this will be good for them. He says it is risky. She says he will lose the sponsorship if he stops the broadcast.
Han Ji Hyun says that though his intentions weren’t bad when he started, his methods weren’t right. She says his goals were just but his means were not. She says Jo moved a lot of funds and sacrificed many people to keep control of his power.
Han Ji Hyun plays recordings of Jo Tae Seob talking with Park Dae Ho regarding funds. She also plays the recording of Jo discussing Kim Seok Hoon with her that she has recorded long back.
She plays other recordings that prove Jo Tae Seob’s control over the prosecution, manipulating the media, conducting civilian surveillance etc. Han Ji Hyun says Jo turned her brother into a murderer. She requests Jo to stop using these methods as he cant change the world with them.
Jo Tae Seob tells the press that they have gone this far to use his closest associate. He says the truth will be revealed soon and he has trust in the people. Hee Woo smiles and walks away.
On his way back, Yoon calls Jo up and promises to make things disappear. Jo makes a call and asks Han Ji Hyun to be brought to him.
Lee Hyun Seok and Sung Jae pick up Han Ji Hyun from the broadcast station and drive away. They call up Hee Woo and say that they are being followed.
Jo switches news channels in his office and sees all channels reporting that this will affect Jo’s career.
Meanwhile, at the harbour, Sung Jae and Lee Hyun Seok prove no match to the assassin. The assassin floors both of them and opens the car door. He orders Han Ji Hyun to step out. She is teary eyed as she refuses.
He says he has no other option and tries to strangle her. He stops short as he hears Hee Woo honking his car and blinding the assassin with the headlights.
Hee Woo gets out of the car and tells the assassin that Jo Tae Seob is going to jail and this is over. He demands the assassin let Han Ji Hyun go. The assassin says it is over only when Jo Tae Seob says it is over.
The assassin walks away from the car toward Hee Woo. Hee Woo smiles warmly at Hyun Seok who gets up though he is hurt. Hee Woo gets ready as he vows to wipe the assassin from his memory today.
They both try to overpower the assassin but they fail. Finally, Hyun Seok grabs the assassin by the torso but the assassin holds him by the neck and strengthens his grip. Hyun Seok yells out to Hee Woo. As the assassin is distracted, Hee Woo jumps at him and lands a blow on the head.
The assassin releases Hyun Seok. His vision is dizzy and he wipes away the blood trickling down his forehead. He still battles it out with Hee Woo. After a long struggle, Hee Woo manages to beat the assassin up badly. As he is about to deliver the last blow, Han Ji Hyun stops him. She reveals that the assassin is her brother and he has lost his memory.
The assassin receives a call on the phone. He informs Jo Tae Seob that he has failed. He then tells Han Ji Hyun that Jo told her to leave. He passes Hee Woo the phone.
Jo tells Hee Woo that he cant catch Jo. He says if he is guilty it will be just for this crime of leaving the country and failing to change it. Jo says he failed in his mission. He adds that Hee Woo didn’t get to punish him for his failure. Jo Tae Seob says that he will punish himself. He says he will watch the country that Hee Woo builds. Jo Tae Seob hangs up.
They watch as the assassin is taken away by the police. Hee Woo says Han Ji Hyun need not hide anymore. She says she will go to prison. Han Ji Hyun tells Hee Woo that she was also doing Jo Tae Seob’s dirty work so she plans to turn herself in. She says he will need a witness to convict Jo.
The lights are off in Jo’s office. Jo Tae Seob is in his office wondering if he has come too far. He turns around and calls Han Ji Hyun’s name out of habit and sees the empty chair by her desk. Jo calls Jin Woo’s name and the silence echo from Jin Woo’s desk. Jo Tae Seob disappears leaving behind an empty office.
The next day, the news reports that Jo Tae Seob is missing. We see a montage of all of Jo Tae Seob’s pawns being arrested. Min Soo arrests Yoon Joon Gi.
Hee Woo visits Han Ji Hyun in prison. She says though she is in prison she feels free as she can live her own life now.
Hee Woo promises to help Han Ji Hyun live a great life once she finishes her sentence. Han Ji Hyun said she was jealous of Hee Woo’s loyal friends and asks if she will also get good friends. He says he will help her with that too.
Hee Woo asks her what made her decide to expose Jo Tae Seob. She says Hee Woo told her in the church that he will never be able to bring Jo Tae Seob down if he tried to survive. Hee Woo said that you cant bring down a devil unless you are worse than the devil himself.
Han Ji Hyun says though she wanted to expose Jo one day, in reality, she was following Jo’s orders as his secretary. She says she couldn’t escape from him though she knew it was wrong. Han Jin Hyun says she saw Hee Woo throw away everything and jump into the fiery pit with Jo Tae Seob to uphold justice. She says she felt a pang of conscience seeing that. She says she didn’t want to beg for her life anymore. She says Hee Woo read her mind and she thought he could pull it off.
She says she trusted Han Mi would help her expose Jo Tae Seob as she is Hee Woo’s friend. He says she is wise and her timing was perfect. She says she couldn’t hesitate as she knew this was her last chance. She says she trusted him to finish the job. He thanks her for trusting him and she smiles slightly.
Just then, Min Soo texts Hee Woo asking to meet.
Assemblyman Hee Woo watches Min Soo interrogate the assassin. The assassin says his only crime is failing to complete Jo Tae Seob’s mission. Min Soo says he is a nutcase.
Hee Woo and Min Soo have lunch at the cafeteria. Min Soo tells Hee Woo that Jo Tae Seob was a scary guy and he felt Jo could always see right through him. Min Soo says his cover would have been blown if he wasn’t a good actor.
Flashback
Min Soo asks Hee Woo to be his ticket. Hee Woo asks if Min Soo plans on going head to head with him. Min Soo says he doesn’t want his friends hurt and asks to be let to handle Jo. He tells Hee Woo to stop. Hee Woo says Min Soo cant bring Jo down. Hee Woo says he will do everything he can to bring down Jo and says he won’t be affected even if Min Soo gets hurt.
At present, Hee Woo thanks Min Soo for leaking the school bully rumour. He says things worked out easily because of that. Hee Woo says he isn’t a bully but Min Soo playfully says it isn’t.
Just then, the news reports that the dead body, presumed to be that of former assemblyman Jo Tae Seob was found on the shores of the Daemyong Beach.
Hee Woo asks if Min Soo believes that is Jo’s body. Min Soo says he checked and the DNA matched Jo’s. Min Soo says he feels like they are missing something. Hee Woo says it is because no one paid for their crimes. He says they weaselled their way out.
Min Soo says Jang ll Hyun, Park Dae Ho, and Kim Seok Hoon are all out on probation or pardon. He says Jeon ll Bo may come out too. Hee Woo says they must lock them up again and again.
Min Soo reminds Hee Woo that he is not a prosecutor anymore and asks him to focus on making the world the people want to live in while Min Soo catches criminals. Min Soo says Hee Woo’s assemblyman pin is blinding him and Hee Woo laughs as he covers it with his hand.
Hee Woo is at the hospital reading to Sang Man. Sang Man’s condition hasn’t improved. As Hee Woo is about to leave, he notices movement in Sang Man’s fingers.
Later, Hee Woo gathers his entire team including Woo Yong Soo and Sang Man at Hee Woo’s parents’ restaurant. Hee A is beside him as Hee Woo says they are postponing their wedding. They say they haven’t gotten to know each other at a personal level. Hee A says they weren’t dating when they announced the wedding. They say they plan on dating before getting married. Hee A gifts the whole team vacation in Bali in her chartered plane.
Elsewhere, Lawyer Cha hums a tune as he washes blood from his hands. He sprays cologne to get rid of the smell of blood on him.
He walks over to an employee who has been badly beaten up. He asks how the man dares to go to the prosecutor to expose Chairwoman Chun’s embezzlement. he tells his secretary to take care of the employee and walks away.
Lawyer Cha walks into a huge meeting room. Choi Kang Jin, Jang and Kim Seok Hoon are among the others present in the room. Cha addresses the gathering. He says he jumped through so many hoops to get them out of Hee Woo and his team’s clutches. He tells them all to smile but they all have a grim look.
Kim Seok Hoon asks why they were all brought here. Cha says Chairwoman Chun Ho Ryung will be here soon and will brief them.
Just then, Chairwoman Chun enters the room and takes her seat. She says they all can go back to their lives. She tells them that she revived Jo Tae Seob’s secret club.
Assemblyman Gu points out that Hee Woo and Hwang are watching them like hawks. Chun says money can’t buy anything. She says Kim Seok Hoon will be reinstated. She says Gu can contest in the next General Elections. Jang says he is also interested in being reinstated. He points out that Chun wasn’t interested in power earlier. She says she isn’t even now.
Chun says she wants it such that no one dares to challenge the Jewang group. She says Jewang Group should not falter in Hee Woo and Hwang’s attempts. She says she wants her family to rule forever.
Chun says they will be great partners as they want different things. She says Jo failed because he wanted everything. She says unlike him, she is only interested in the money. She tells the group that they can keep the power while she keeps the money.
She says they should join hands and gestures to Cha. Cha holds up a toast. The rest of the group joins in. Cha tells them to smile. Chun laughs a wicked laugh that echoes through the corridors.
They don’t notice Hee Woo watching their building from the roof of another building.
Hee Woo says there still remains trash that he should get rid of.
Hee Woo’s voiceover says, “A country can survive even after a war. A country can also survive disease and poverty. But a country without justice will not be able to survive in the end.”
Hee Woo turns around and walks away with a smile.
Image Courtesy SBS
Review
The finale took a totally different approach to the end. Jo Tae Seob did fall but in an unexpected way.
Hee Woo started by alienating Jo Tae Seob from his minions. Getting a taste of his own medicine, Jo Tae Seob took it badly unlike Hee Woo who always improvised on the situation.
Hee Woo set a trap for Jin Woo and was banking on him betraying Jo Tae Seob. But, Jin Woo stayed a loyal Jo Tae Seob fanatic till the end. Jo Tae Seob seemed unmoved even when his son died. Losing Jin Woo broke him and for once one saw a human side to him. It looks like the possibility of losing one of his own never crossed his mind, making him forget that they are mortal too.
The public debate scene was well made. Both Hee Woo and Jo Tae Seob were prosecutors and they knew how to defend themselves while accusing the opponent.
The fight with the assassin was realistically made. From the beginning, he was portrayed as a man with inhuman power and no amount of training helped Hee Woo beat him. Finally, it required two skilled and experienced fighters to bring him down. After losing his memory of being Han Ji Hyun’s brother, he ended up as a brainwashed killing machine with undying loyalty to Jo Tae Seob.
Han Ji Hyun played a vital role in the plot. It looks like she was the very first person who wanted to end Jo Tae Seob. The plot made full use of her existence in the finale.
It was revealed that Lee Min Soo was indeed siding with Hee Woo all along. Picking him was another wrong decision that Jo Tae Seob made.
Hee Woo reiterated that he has no past with Jo Tae Seob to harbour a grudge against him. He was showcased as a person who can’t stand injustice.
Hee Woo wanted Jo Tae Seob in a shared prison cell in the end. He realised that he will get nowhere with this plan since no judge would rule against Jo Tae Seob. Even if they did, Jo Tae Seob held the power to overturn the judgement through other means.
Once Jin Woo killed himself, Hee Woo decided to give up his cherished profession and run for elections in the same constituency as Jo. This route involved no trial, no submission of evidence and no procedure to slow down the justice while Jo made his plans to thwart it. Jo Tae Seob couldn’t read any of Hee Woo’s moves post that. It went downhill for Jo Tae Seob pretty quick from there as Hee Woo beat him at his own game.
Hee Woo quitting his job as a prosecutor and running for election added pace to the plot. Han Ji Hyun giving her public statement exposing Jo Tae Seob sped up the finale even further.
Park Dae Ho, Jin Woo and Han Ji Hyun were Jo Tae Seob’s lifelines. Without them, he felt weak lonely and powerless. Jo’s last words were that he accepted his failure to change the world. True to his character he showed absolutely no remorse before he disappeared. It is hard to believe that he killed himself.
Jo Tae Seob’s end was realistic as Jo was always portrayed as a man with invincible power. It is hard to imagine a person with Jo Tae Seob’s immense power being confined to a prison cell. The ending also introduced Chairwoman Chun and her right hand -Lawyer Cha. This goes to show that removing Jo Tae Seob from the equation is not the end and there will always be corrupt people cropping up who need to be weeded out time and again. Also, Jo Tae Seob’s pawns seem to be uncomfortable working under Chun. It looks like being a pawn forever is the price they have to pay.
Hee Woo was given a second life for the sole purpose of arresting Jo Tae Seob. Though he was unable to arrest Jo Tae Seob, he did remove him from the equation.
Hee Woo learnt a hard lesson in his first life that there can’t be justice without power. He still catches criminals, not as a prosecutor but as an assemblyman. Jo Tae Seob wanted to build a powerful country filled with corruption. Hee Woo aims to create a powerful country fuelled by justice.
In his quest for arresting Jo Tae Seob, Hee Woo found gratitude, friends and love. Hee Woo’s second life made a difference in many characters’ lives and it also carved out a better life for him.
The series has a happy ending with all characters appearing in the epilogue. Surprisingly, Again my life ended on a realistic note for a fantasy drama!
-Soul Sword-
Series Review
Again My Life is a legal, political crime drama with a fantasy/ supernatural twist. It follows Kim Hee Woo, a prosecutor in his quest to expose the celebrated assemblyman Jo(Cho)Tae Seob. Hee Woo misjudges Jo Tae Seob’s power and this results in him losing his life.
Hee Woo is brought back to life by the grim reaper, a woman in red, under the condition that he uses his second life to make a foolproof plan to bring down Jo Tae Seob.
Hee Woo is transported back in time to his college days. Given a second life with a heads up of the future events (thanks to his previous life), Hee Woo starts making changes to his life to put him at an advantage.
How Hee Woo hunts down Jo Tae Seob from there forms the rest of the story.
The series follows a steady pace with the story unfolding with every episode. Though it is a legal drama it has hardly any courtroom scenes making it look like a political crime drama. It mainly focuses on the relationship between the prosecution and politicians. It also shows how dangerous the prosecution can be if corrupted.
Jo Tae Seob the antagonist forms the crux of the drama as the story revolves around him.
Early on, Hee Woo mentions that Jo Tae Seob has built a system using his pawns that pave Jo’s way to being the most powerful man in the country. As the series progresses one can see the depth of that statement. as umpteen number of attempts from Hee Woo’s side using the press or the opposition doesn’t even create a dent in Jo Tae Seob’s image. One cant help but wonder what kind of a plan is capable of bringing Jo Tae Seob down.
Jo’s system is a deeply interlinked network of influential and corrupted men of the country. Throughout the series, these men can be seen in a tug of war for power and outshine each other to get on Jo’s good side.
Hee Woo chooses to work in stealth mode the second time around and works his way from the very base of Jo’s system. Most of the drama is focused on bringing down Jo Tae Seob’s right hand Kim Seok Hoon the Chief Prosecutor. One cant help but wonder how the protagonist will get revenge on the antagonist when getting Kim out of the way itself proves to be a huge task. The series takes an interesting turn in the last episode that wraps up the series swiftly.
There are many instances where Hee Woo meets important people who happen to be helpful in his plan. The script reasons it as the universe helping Hee Woo. But despite all of this, bringing Jo Tae Seob to justice is a humungous task.
This drama has numerous characters, all of whom play a significant part in the plot. In his second life, Hee Woo comes across certain people who are crucial to Hee Woo’s plan.
Lee Joon-Gi portrays Kim Hee Woo who comes across as a reckless and hot-headed prosecutor in his first life. In his second life, Hee Woo is a college student who is energetic and keen on working everything to his advantage. Hee Woo as the prosecutor the second time around is calm and level headed. Determined to get his plan to succeed, he is patient and keeps a poker face whenever faced with any situation. Lee Joon Gi has done a great job in portraying the role in 3 different timelines.
Jo Tae Seob ( Lee Kyoung-Young) is a dangerous and shrewd prosecutor turned Assemblyman who aims to achieve bipartisan cooperation. An extremely ambitious politician, Jo Tae Seob is a mastermind at work who explains his villainous moves as contributing to the big picture. His damage control skills are remarkable. To help him in achieving his ambition, Jo creates a system of his own. a mind-blowing system that takes care of itself. Lee Kyoung Young brings Jo Tae Seob to life as he dominates the screen space with his imposing personality. Jo Tae Seob says there is no justice without power and goes to any length to make sure that he retains the power.
Kim Ji-Eun plays Kim Hee A, a computer programming student who turns out to be one of the heirs of the Chunha group, a conglomerate that Jo Tae Seob has his eyes on. She comes across as a sweet-natured woman who plays a key role in the plot.
Jung Sang-Hoon portrays Lee Min Soo, Hee Woo’s senior in college who goes on to become a prosecutor. Min Soo is an intriguing character as he has a mysterious aura around himself since his first appearance. His actions show that Hee Woo and he share a common goal but one is unclear about his real intentions until the very last episode.
Kim Cheol-Ki portrays Jeon Seok Jyu, a Division Chief Prosecutor from Gimsan who was demoted to Gimsan for being too righteous. He works closely with Hee Woo.
Hwang Jin Young (Yoo Dong-Geun) is a righteous and ethical Assemblyman. Having retired from politics due to personal tragedy in the first life, this time around it is different.
Cha Joo-Young portrays Han Ji Hyun, the grim reaper who gives Hee Woo his second life. She does appear in the second life with a mysterious air about her. She plays a vital role in the plot.
Again My Life does a great job of showing how important power is to realise justice. It shows that it is next to impossible to abolish corruption in society. It also depicts how dangerous power is in the hands of a power monger. The power struggle between the protagonist and the antagonist makes the drama an interesting watch.
The finale is loaded with content and yet it doesn’t go for the dramatic ending. Instead, it is grounded and has a different take on fighting corruption and realising justice.
The series starts with a supernatural fantasy twist and ends with an unexpected realistic ending.
OST-
-By Soul Sword-
The Writers Room 
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