Blind- Episode 1 Recap

Four boys run frantically through the woods at night. A couple of dogs chase after them. The boys are in numbered uniform clothes. They cross a bridge but stop to look for Yoong Jae. They find the boy Yoon Jae lying motionless under the bridge. Boy 7 says they should leave Yoon Jae behind as there is no time. Boy11 protests but they stop talking when they hear a whistle. Boy 24 says it is crazy dog. A figure (Crazy Dog) whistles as he walks down the path with a flashlight.

Boy 11 stays behind while the others run away. The boy goes down and shakes Yoon Jae (Boy 13) awake. Both boys go still as the guard dogs reach the bridge and try to sniff out their scent. Crazy dog shines the flashlight below the bridge. The boys smear dirt over themselves to throw off the dogs. The dogs run away chasing the boys who ran away. Crazy dog follows them.

Meanwhile, the three boys run towards the highway. One of them hurts his ankle and is left behind. Boy 24 and Boy 7 reach the highway and try to flag down a vehicle. Instead of stopping, the vehicle runs boy 24 over twice killing him. Boy 7 is shocked as he sees two figures get down from the vehicle.

Meanwhile, Crazy dog and his dogs are combing an abandoned building. Just then, the two men bring in the lifeless body of the boy that they ran over and drop him on the staircase landing. The men don’t notice the two boys (13 and 11) holding their breath and lying under the landing covered in dirt.

Crazy dog walks over the landing and smiles as his light shines on one of the boys under the landing. The other boy lies still.

(January 5th, 2022 – The kidnapping and murder of Baek Ji Eun )

Elsewhere on a rainy night, a woman (Ji Eun) walks down the road with an umbrella. She feels she is being followed and she tries to call Im Ji Soo on her phone. She screams as someone shines a flashlight at her. Ji Eun runs but the figure grabs her.

Ji Eun’s parents are at home setting the decorations for her 20th birthday. 

Somewhere, Ji Eun wakes up to find herself tied to a chair and a bag over her face. A whistling figure walks up to her and strangles her till her body goes limp.

Ji Eun’s parents receive a message from Ji Eun’s phone that she will be late today and tells them not to wait up. Her dad tries calling the number but the phone is switched off.

(January 15th, 2022 – Baek Ji Eun’s body is found)

Elsewhere, an old woman tells off her puppy for going through the garbage by the drains again. She goes near the garbage bag and screams in horror as she finds Ji Eun’s body in it.

Soon, the forensics are combing the scene. Detective Ryu Sung-Jun (TaecYeon) is joined by Detectives Kang, Kim and Na at the crime scene. They notice that the victim’s lips have been ripped. Sung Joon rolls down the in a trash bag like a corpse and sees how it lands. The others comment that he is at it again.

Sung Jun says there are no CCTV cameras around and they wouldn’t have found the body if not for the dog. Kim says the killer is familiar with the place.

Sung Joon looks around and notices a utility pole in the distance. He visualises the killer parking the car by the utility pole and walking down the canal with the corpse and seating it.

Sung Jun says if the body is rolled from the top the body won’t land in a sitting up position.  He wonders why the killer went through the trouble to position the body that way when he dumped it in the trash.

Later Sung Joon watches Ji Eun’s father cry his heart out at the morgue.

At the National Institute for Scientific Investigation, the forensic pathologist tells Sung Jun that Ji Eun was tied to a smooth pole. She adds that the cuts to the lip are exactly 5 cm on each side and the cuts are smooth. She says that the cuts are just 5mm deep and shallow to avoid arteries. She mentions that a sharp and narrow blade was used. Sung Joon picks up a scalpel and she agrees that it could be the weapon.

Sung Jun grabs her, pushes her against the wall and places the scalpel against her lip. He asks if it was done like this and then slowly moves away. She calls him a lunatic as he walks away.

Later at the team briefing, Kang mentions that the police assumed Ji Eun had run away from home when her father reported her missing. He states it is because of the text message sent to the father from Ji Eun’s phone. He also points out that the phone’s location that night was close to Ji Eun’s house. Kang says Ji Eun was returning home after her birthday party at the club with friends.

Later, Sung Jun and Kim head to the place near Ji Eun’s house from where the text was sent. They find that the CCTV is broken. Sung Hoon tells Kim to check the other cameras in the area. Just then, Sung Jun stops a delivery motorcycle and obtains the dashcam from him.

Later, they speak to Ji Eun’s friend and ask why they left the club early. She says a VIP was misbehaving with Ji Eun and even placed a knife on her trying to get her to drink. She says he must have been high on something.

Sung Jun and Kim head to the club where the VIP is trying to force another girl to drink. The girl gets up to leave but he forces her against the wall and holds a knife against her lips asking if he should make her mouth bigger.

Sung Jun kicks the man away and shows him his detective badge. The man pushes Sung Jun away and starts beating the woman. Sung Jun pulls the man away and furiously lands punches on the man repeatedly.

Later at the police station, the woman from the club tries to go out. Sung Jun stops her and says she can’t leave. She says she has to use the restroom. He takes her hand and leads her the other way.

Just then, Kwon Yu Na’s guardian Jo Eun Ki (Jung Eun-Ji) walks in and mistakenly thinks that Sung Jun is forcing himself on Yu Na. She straightens up when he tells her that he is a detective.

Yu Na walks out. Song Jun tells Eun Ki to take better care of Yu Na and walks away. Eun Ki goes out to talk with Yu Na. Yu Na asks why Eun Ki is so keen on her case.

Eun Ki says it is her duty as a social worker. She says Yu Na has a long way to go before she completes her community service. She asks Yu Na to stay at the shelter and separate herself from the runaways. Yu Na doesn’t seem interested.

Meanwhile, at the precinct, Sung Jun sits across from the VIP and interrogates him. The VIP is in bad shape but maintains that he didn’t kill Ji Eun. Kim walks in and tells Sung Jun that the VIP’s alibi checks out. The VIP celebrates by saying that his father is rich and vows to sue Sung Jun.

Sung Jun tells the VIP that his father is a supreme court Judge and his brother is also a judge.

Meanwhile, at the district court, Judge Ryu Sung Hoon (Ha Seok-Jin) eats alone in the cafeteria. His colleagues say that he eats alone to avoid people from asking him to do favours at trials. They say he aims to become the Chief Justice.

Back in his office, Sung Hoon meets with the ex-chief justice. He tells Sung Hoon that his first case after opening a firm was assigned to Sung Hoon. He says he needs a favour. He says the client is a medical student and he used drugs by mistake. he asks Sung Hoon to let it go. Sung Hoon refuses to let it slide as this person is a drug dealer and consumer. 

The ex-judge threatens to sue Sung Hoon’s brother Sung Jun since he beat up the same client. Sung Hoon still .refuses to let the man go and urges him to go ahead and sue Sung Jun.

Sung Hoon says he is disappointed that the ex-judge came to strike a deal with him this way. He says he will report this to the administration. The ex-judge is furious as he storms out.

Just then, Sung Hoon gets a call from his father.

Meanwhile, Sung Jun gets told off by the chief for arresting the wrong person. Sung Jun says the man did threaten Eun Ji and he was a drug abuser. The chief says Sung Jun has been sued for direct assault again. The other detectives calm the chief down and ensure they will take good care of the case and walk away.

Just then, Sung Hoon calls up Sung Jun and asks him to come for the family meeting at 6.30 pm. Sung Jun tries to avoid it but Sung Hoon asks him if he isn’t a part of their family.

Sung Jun walks into their parents’ home. Sung Hoon is already there. As Sung Jun sits at the table, his mother Na Guk Hee asks if he got into a fight again and he says he was just catching a suspect. She says he should have become a judge like Sung Hoon. They toast to her nomination as the Minister For Health And Welfare.

They clink glasses (avoiding Sung Jun’s glass). Their mother apologises to Sung Hoon as he had to go through a lot while she worked hard. Sung Jun watches her placing a loving hand over Sung Hoon. Their father says Sung Hoon worked hard looking after Sung Jun who always got into trouble.

Sung Hoon says if they explain this case maybe the committee will understand Sung Jun’s case. He says the person who sued Sung Jun is getting a lot of public hate. Sung Jun’s parents are worried that Sung Jun will again get into trouble.

As they return home, Sung Jun tries explaining to Sung Hoon why he hit the VIP. Sung Hoon says Sung Jun has been violent since childhood and he always feared that Sung Jun may end up killing someone. (We see a montage of a young Sung Jun beating up other boys in the subway. He takes a rock and smiles as he hits a boy with it.)Sung Hoon says he was happy when Sung Jun wanted to become a police official. Sung Hoon says he wonders now if there was a different reason why Sung Jun became a detective.

Later that night, Song Jun drinks by himself at their usual restaurant which is empty. The lady who owns the restaurant watches him quietly as he drinks.

Meanwhile, Song Hoon takes out his wood sculpting kit and works on a small sculpture.

The next day, Sung Jun meets Ji Eun’s father Baek at the funeral parlour. He asks if there is someone who may harm Ji Eun. Baek says there is no one. Sung Jun asks if there is anyone who uses a knife like a medical student or a chef. Ji Eun’s mother mentions a person named Jung but Baek takes her away.

Later, Kim tells Sung Jun that Ji-Eun’s father, Baek Moon Kang served in the special forces. He says Baek runs a company called Hope Foods. Sung Jun notes that the company is located in the same area where Ji Eun’s body was dumped.

Sung Jun goes over to Hope Foods and asks if there is an employee named Jung. The manager says there is no one by that name. Sung Jun watches the men cutting the meat with different knives. Sung Jun notices a man slip away.

The man makes a call to Jung and informs him that Sung Jun is looking for him. Sung Jun corners the man.

At the precinct, the team obtains the footage from the dashcam footage that shows Jung Man Chun holding a knife at Ji Eun’s throat. 

Sung Jun receives the footage on his phone and asks the migrant if this is his friend Jung Man Chun. The man says it isn’t. Sung Jun confronts the man and finds out that the man is an illegal migrant. He asks the man for Jung’s location citing that Jung is a murder suspect.

The man takes Sung Jun to Jung’s hideout. Sung Jun goes in and Jung Man Chun comes at him with a knife. Sung Jun manages to floor him Jung’s knife leaves a cut on his arm. He arrests Jung for Ji Eun’s murder. Jung says he didn’t kill her.

(January 18, 2022 – Suspect of Baek Ji Eun’s Murder, Jung Man Chun Arrested)

Sung Jun’s team arrives on the scene and arrests Jung Man Chun. They don’t notice the manager and Baek watching them from a distance.

During the interrogation, Jung Man Chun maintains that he didn’t kill Baek Ji Eun and demands to be taken to court.

The next day, Sung Hoon goes through Jung Man Chun’s case file. He notices that Jung has requested a jury trial and Sung Hoon approves it. He feels strongly that the jury can’t be swayed that easily. He says jury trials have higher rates of getting a guilty verdict.

The media calls Ji Eun’s murder the Joker murder. Sung Jun is at the restaurant eating along with his team when the news reports that Sung Hoon approved a jury trial.

Na says Jung may turn the tables somehow at the trial. Sung Jun assures them that Jung won’t get away this time.

Just then, the restaurant owner Kim Sook Hee comes to them and says she has been selected as a juror candidate.

Social worker Jo Eun Ki is also selected as a juror candidate. Shaman Kwon Kyung Ja and others are among the Juror candidates.

Later, the Jury is selected through random lots. Eun Ki and Shaman Kwon are among the Jury

Elsewhere, someone puts up the photos of the Jurors on the wall as they are selected.

(April 14, 2022 – Jung Man Chun’s Jury trial)

On the day of the trial, Jung Man Chun is brought in. 

Sung Hoon walks in with his associate judges. He tells the Jury to base their decision only on evidence and reminds them that the fate of a man rests on their decision.

Baek sits in the courtroom with his eyes closed as the trial begins. Jung Man Chun says that he threatened Ji Eun with a knife but didn’t abduct her. He says Baek hadn’t given him his salary and treated him like filth. Jung accuses Baek of making money out of illegal immigrants and not paying them. He says Baek owes him 7000 dollars. There is an uproar in the courtroom as it is a meagre sum.

Ji-Eun’s mother is hysteric as she tries to attack Jung and she is escorted from the courtroom. Baek closes his eyes again.

Jung maintains that he didn’t kill Ji Eun. Sung Hoon asks if he has proof and Jung says he does. He says there was someone else there that day.

Flashback

Ji Eun runs down the alley and finds a car with headlights on the road. She runs towards it and begs for help. Jung chases her but she gets into the car. Jung leans in and checks the driver’s seat. Sung Jun smiles at Jung Man Chun from the driver’s seat.

At present, Jung accuses Sung Jun of taking Ji Eun away in his car and killing her.

Baek opens his eyes and stares at Jung.

We see a montage of Crazy Dog spotting the boy lying underneath the landing. He smiles, “Here You are”. Light hits crazy dog’s face.(It looks like it is Baek (Ji Eun’s father).

At present, the same boy’s photo stands on Sung Jun’s side table as Sung-Jun puts on his tie with a smirk.

Image Courtesy- TVN

Review

The boys who were running from Crazy dog were in some kind of numbered uniforms. The men who ran the boy over in the car were dressed just like the Crazy Dog. I wonder if was it some sort of a correctional facility or if the boys were held prisoners there for some reason.

Crazy dog has a signature whistle and Ji Eun’s killer whistled as well. So someone may be carrying out Crazy Dog’s legacy.

It looks like one of the boys (13 and 11) lying underneath the staircase was Sung Jun. It seems like he survived that situation. I wonder what happened to the other boys who tried to escape along with him.

Sung Jun has anger management issues and violent outbursts. Though Sung Hoon calls him family, Sung Jun doesn’t feel like he is a part of theirs.
Intriguingly, Song Jun tries to put himself in place of the corpse and not the killer while investigating the case.

Sung Hoon is a righteous judge and he has voiced concerns over Sung Jun’s career choice.

Ji Eun’s father Baek has served with the special forces.It looks like he could be  crazy dog. He isn’t acting like the bereaved family of the victim. He also didnt seem keen on mentioning Jung’s name when Sung Jun asked.

The trial has just begun and someone already has their eye on the jurors as they have the jury’s photos up on their wall.

The episode hints at the possibility of Sung-Jun being a psychopath. The series has gotten a good start and I am interested to see how the drama progresses.

-By Soul Sword-

Blind- Episode 2 Recap