To the drama in short: You will be (in) my memory.

-Click here to jump to my thoughts-

[EPISODE 17]
  

We backtrack a little to Dong-ho working late in his office at night when Sang-ho calls him about Joo-il’s incident. That has him rushing for the hospital, leaving his office door unlocked. A masked man enters stealthily as soon as he leaves, holding up a knife to plant in the office.

We see his arrival at the hospital ward as well as Detective Bae arresting him with a warrant as shown previously. Before the arrest, Attorney Song runs to Jin-woo to inform him about Joo-il. When Dong-ho has been handcuffed, the detective search the office and finds the plastic bag containing the supposed murder weapon. So it’s his words against the crucial evidence, and he has to be taken away by the police.

At Byeonduri Law Firm, In-ah discusses Dong-ho’s arrest with Manager Yun and Attorney Song – whether the lawyer really did it, and his relationship with Joo-il. They don’t think he would really stab his hyungnim. Jin-woo breaks his silence, saying that Dong-ho seems to have fallen into a trap.

  

Gyu-man is reading the news article regarding Dong-ho and muses that the loyalty shared between the two brothers might not be that strong. And now that Lawyer Park has to stand in court for this attempted murder, he won’t be able to assist Jin-woo in Gyu-man’s trial. Moo-suk is confident that he will overcome Jin-woo in the next trial.

Sang-ho visits Dong-ho who asks about Joo-il. And the man is still unconscious, with most of his underlings having deserted him. Dong-ho also knows that Chairman Nam must have been behind this, while Sang-ho thinks that Joo-il must have tried to protect the lawyer. So Dong-ho tells him to take care of Joo-il, and not worry about who his defense attorney will be.

Prosecutor Tak reports to the chairman about the upcoming tax audit on the 10 largest conglomerates in the country due to a change in office. He is already prepared for it, as he will raise up a different issue to distract the authorities. He runs into Moo-suk as he leaves the chairman’s room.

Moo-suk tells the chairman that he’s taken care of Joo-il’s minions by shoving them with money (yet again) and hidden the man who really stabbed Joo-il. Apparently Gyu-man is unaware that his father was behind this. The prosecutor-in-charge of the case is one of Moo-suk’s ex-juniors so it’s not worrying. He later meets with Detective Bae who pledges his loyalty to the Nams after their financial support for his father’s treatment. He had done as what he was told with Dong-ho’s case.

Sang-ho heads to Byeonduri Law Firm, requesting for Jin-woo to take up Dong-ho’s case. But the lawyer declines him since their relationship is not that amicable. The others on his team back him up, saying that they cannot accede to this request for help. Dong-ho reminisces one of his past conversations with Joo-il, and throws something in anger seeing how things have turned out.

  

Suk-gyu is at NFS receiving a report of some test results when Yeo-gyung spots him in the distance. So they sit down for some coffee and the judge tells her honestly that Gyu-man’s case will not end with just the ongoing trial, because he is also responsible for other crimes. But he doesn’t reveal anything beyond that because he wants to hear what Gyu-man has to say first.

Yeo-gyung goes to her father, showing him the file of the Seochon murder case. She says she cannot overlook a murder, unlike the drug case and appeals to her dad to stop covering up for Gyu-man because it’s not helping him. Instead, she gets slapped for her words and reprimanded for not helping to protect her brother. Tears roll down her cheek as she shivers in shock.

Gyu-man muses that it’s not easy to regain his father’s favour as he grabs a drink, and knows that his sister would not help him much. To Soo-bum, he instructs the secretary to watch Ha-young closely to keep her from talking in court.

The chaebol later visits Dong-ho in the prison, wondering why he did that to the man who was like a father to him. Dong-ho is skeptical, does he really not know or is he just pretending? So Dong-ho tells him that his father had planned this and this is the kind of person he is – he will get rid of anyone who is useless to him, and that includes his son. He gives a gentle reminder to tell the chairman to watch his back, and that the chaebol heir will be in his place soon enough. He’s that confident, and it gets on Gyu-man’s nerves. He flares up after Dong-ho goes back in, kicking a chair in the process. Later he calls Soo-bum to make an appointment with the prosecutor taking up Dong-ho’s case.

  

The judge for Gyu-man’s trial has decided to rule the video as evidence for Ha-young’s case, as well as accept testimonies from other women in the video. Prosecutor Chae calls In-ah to ask Ha-young to see if there are others who can testify at the trial. Moo-suk immediately goes to Gyu-man to ask if there were similar cases to Ha-young’s because they will have to make sure that the witnesses are on their side in order to win.

In-ah speaks with Ha-young, to ask if she knows anyone like her. And indeed she has a friend named Min-hee she had met in her trainee days but they lost contact after. Sang-ho is waiting outside Byeonduri Law Firm to ask Jin-woo to help his boss again but the lawyer doesn’t change his mind; then he tells Jin-woo that Dong-ho was going to show Gyu-man’s confession video at the retrial but couldn’t in the end because Joo-il had stopped him. He begs the lawyer to save his boss, who was prepared to lose everything for him.

Gyu-man and Moo-suk sit at some posh restaurant and the chaebol wants the now-lawyer to take care of his issues properly because both their lives depend on it. And he’s told that no one is defending Dong-ho in court yet, since it will be difficult. Gyu-man says he can defend himself since he’s a lawyer too. Just then a prosecutor, Ko Kwang-il comes in. He’s in charge of Dong-ho’s case, and Gyu-man wonders what will happen if the victim of attempted murder dies. Of course it’ll become a murder case, and he totally sounds like he will make it that way…

Ha-young is about to go home but spots a number of suspicious-looking black-suited men near the lift lobby. She quickly calls In-ah and they meet. In-ah asks her if she wants to put up at her home until the trial is over. So they go back together and Ha-young meets In-ah’s parents at the pizza store.

  

Moo-suk goes to Detective Gwak, who has turned to religion during his jail time. Their conversation is filled with threats from Lawyer Hong to be careful of his behaviour in prison.

Suk-gyu looks through Joo-il’s attempted murder case in his own office. He’ll be the presiding over the case as the judge. This news reaches Gyu-man’s ears as we see Soo-bum report it to him and the chaebol evidently isn’t very happy with that.

In-ah tells the same thing to Jin-woo, who looks like he’s deep in thought. Seeing his facial expression, she grabs his hand to bring him somewhere. They end up at some place with pretty lights, and she tells him not to worry about Gyu-man’s trial; she and Prosecutor Chae will prepare for it well. As she brings up Dong-ho’s case, he wonders why he keeps getting associated with Lawyer Park before asking In-ah whether it’s right that he doesn’t take up Dong-ho’s case. She replies that the answer is already inside him, since he has been thinking about it all day.

Sang-ho and Soo-bum are chatting over drinks at Dong-ho’s office, and the topic of the day is of course Dong-ho. Sang-ho is worried about his boss, and muses that life is hard. To that Soo-bum says it’s not life that is hard, it’s because the powerful ones in the country are jerks. He then hints that he might be leaving for abroad soon, because Gyu-man might kill somebody soon – him, if the chaebol ever finds out what he did. The secretary brushes it off as a joke, but we know that it isn’t.

  

A lady happily welcomes a visitor to her flower shop, but her face changes when she sees that it’s Gyu-man, dropping the watering can in her hand. When he comes nearer, she shivers in fear unable to look at him in the eyes. He briefly mentions about prosecutors coming by, and she immediately promises that she won’t testify in court. The irony is that he tells her to go to trial and tell the “truth”. A shaft of money follows.

In-ah is on her way with Attorney Song, to meet Ha-young’s friend Park Min-hee (the young lady at the florist earlier). When she arrives, Min-hee is still overwhelmed in shock seated on the shop floor. When In-ah introduces herself and starts to talk about Ha-young, Min-hee quickly asks her to leave as she has nothing to say and doesn’t want to testify in court.

Jin-woo visits Dong-ho and they recall the first conversation Lawyer Park had with Daddy Seo. They apply the words said back then to the case this time round. And although Jin-woo still doesn’t trust Dong-ho, he wants to know the truth.

Dong-ho: “It wasn’t me. I didn’t try to kill Joo-il.”

Once again, Jin-woo reminds Dong-ho that he is not defending him for his sake, but because he wants Chairman Nam and Gyu-man to reveal the crimes they’ve committed by themselves; since the truth cannot speak for itself.

Jin-woo’s team members have different reactions to him taking up the case for Dong-ho. Attorney Song wonders why he would even take it up, to which Jin-woo says he will just look at the case which has a lot of suspicious points. Manager Yun respects his decision but is worried if he’ll be okay; he tells her he just got a new client as a lawyer. In-ah silently supports him with a smile.

  

Jin-woo goes to meet Detective Bae at the station, asking about the case. The detective answers as though the sentences has been rehearsed and doesn’t say much about him knowing Dong-ho on a closer level. Jin-woo also wonders if the detective found anything suspicious since he is in-charge of the case, which he also denies. So he doesn’t probe further and takes his leave.

Moo-suk tells Gyu-man that Jin-woo is the lawyer representing Dong-ho. The chaebol doesn’t understand why the youngster would do that – he can’t read Jin-woo. He begins to think that they might be planning something. Moo-suk tells him they’ll know once they see what Jin-woo does in court.

Later as Moo-suk talks about Il Ho Group’s business getting checked with Prosecutor Tak, they meet Prosecutor Chae along the way. And war is declared on both sides again.

  

As Soo-bum reads Gyu-man’s appointments of the day to him, the chaebol doesn’t have the mood to have a meal with an assemblyman and wants it to be cancelled. He takes the diary from Soo-bum, asking why he has such a packed schedule. Soo-bum can only answer with an apology. Then his phone vibrates – it’s a text message from Suk-gyu, telling him that he would pass on the evidence to the person who needs it the most. Gyu-man manages to read out “that evidence”, scaring Soo-bum. He turns around nervously, telling Gyu-man that it’s his girlfriend which prompts Gyu-man to ask her age.

Suk-gyu has called Jin-woo and In-ah to his office, where he passes the real murder weapon of the Seochon murder case to them. He tells them that the one submitted at the court was fake and this one has Gyu-man’s fingerprints as well as Jung-ah’s blood on it. He then gives them the report from NFS. Jin-woo and In-ah are unable to say anything at first because of the huge impact from the truth they just heard. The judge says that Soo-bum gave it to him when In-ah asks; Jin-woo thanks him since it must not have been an easy decision to make, and assures him that he will make sure this evidence is put to good use. He’ll file a motion for retrial now.

  

The next moment we’re already in the courtroom for Ha-young’s case trial. Moo-suk summons Min-hee as witness to the stand to cross-examine her. When he asks if Ha-young has ever told her that she liked Gyu-man a lot before, Prosecutor Chae objects. But it’s overruled when Moo-suk argues that it’s an important question to determine if the crime was rape or if the relationship was mutually consented. Then he continues to ask if Ha-young told her that she wanted to date Gyu-man.

Min-hee pauses for a long moment before answering that Ha-young has never said anything like that. Then we see that In-ah brought Ha-young along to find her at the florist shop again and managed to persuade Min-hee to tell the real truth with In-ah’s and Ha-young’s encouragement. And so she recounts everything in all honesty despite evident fear on her face. She even brings up the fact that Gyu-man tried to bribe her, slamming the envelope with money on the witness stand. Agitated, she looks straight at the chaebol and tells him she doesn’t need the money; does he think that money can solve everything?! So much satisfaction from this scene! After the trial, Ha-young thanks her friend for mustering up the courage.

  

Jin-woo visits the crime scene of Joo-il’s attempted murder and spots 2 different sets of footprints. Later he is at the NFS, where he is given a report from the inspection of Joo-il’s wound. It is to find the position and movements of his attacker and it looked like the person was on the passenger’s seat; along with the discovery of some defensive wounds which means that the attacker must have been wounded from Joo-il’s retaliation as well. At night he is at his office, replaying the video from the car’s black box looking for flaws in it.

Chairman Nam watches the news reporting about his son’s misdeeds. Gyu-man gets an earful when he enters the room, even blaming Moo-suk for the trial not turning out the way he wants it to. But his father blames him only and tells him to stay low until the trial is over. He will also not allow him to take over his company. Gyu-man tries to take issue with it, but gets cut off. He even gives Moo-suk a stare before leaving.

Jin-woo is recording a video again, this time for his father. He apologises for taking up Dong-ho’s trial. Later he’s alone in the courtroom as he clutches his hands together, looking at the empty defendant’s seat from the audience bench.

  

Dong-ho is brought to court by 2 policemen, and he takes his seat beside Jin-woo. Jin-woo tells his client that he will fight till the end for him, though he might have given up his sense of duty at the trial four years ago. Sang-ho looks at them, unable to control his own emotions while In-ah watches on. Suk-gyu is the judge for this trial.

And the trial begins with the prosecution submitting a police report from their investigation, arguing that Dong-ho was the only one at the scene when the crime took place. Jin-woo disagrees and brings up the fact that the initial police investigation might not have been properly conducted by submitting a set of photos he personally took while he was at the crime scene. It contains the clear direction of 2 different sets of footprints, which suggests the possibility that a third person was at the crime scene. Prosecutor Ko tries to argue that it’s speculation but Jin-woo proves that the length of each footprint was different so it’s conclusive evidence.

The prosecution’s next argument is the murder weapon planted in Dong-ho’s office – it contains Joo-il’s blood and skin fragments. But Dong-ho’s fingerprints were not there, to which the prosecutor says it was because the defendant was wearing gloves. He then submits evidence of the murder weapon, adding that leather pieces was found on the knife handle. Jin-woo begins to say that it’s all circumstantial evidence…

  

But his mind goes blank as memories of Suk-gyu passing him the Seochon case murder weapon flash through. He states that the murder weapon is fake as the accused’s fingerprints are not found on it. However, the prosecution has submitted a report from NFS so Suk-gyu asks if he has proof that it is fake.

His memory loss symptoms are acting up as he starts to talk about the defendant as if it was his father. Oh dear… his sad and confused look is heartbreaking T.T Dong-ho looks up at him in bewilderment, while In-ah is dismayed as she realises what’s happening. Suk-gyu asks him to repeat himself and Jin-woo recalls the day of Dad’s trial before saying that the accused did not kill Oh Jung-ah. It doesn’t make sense to everyone in the court, but hearing that brings tears to In-ah’s eyes. And Jin-woo still can’t grasp what’s going on. D;

[End of EPISODE 17]

[EPISODE 18]

  

Suk-gyu adjourns the court and that’s when Jin-woo realises his mistake. Outside the courtroom, In-ah worries if he would be able to continue. Jin-woo replies that he’s okay, but he wonders what Dong-ho would think of this.

So he goes to meet his client, and the first thing Dong-ho does is to ask after him. All Jin-woo says is that he should have told him earlier, but he couldn’t. And he can change lawyers if he wants to. Dong-ho laughs it off saying it is fine for him, and he’s the only trustworthy person now.

Gyu-man has gotten news of Jin-woo’s odd behaviour at the court, as Moo-suk tells him. He wants Soo-bum to dig up Jin-woo’s medical records for he might have the same disease as his dad.

The first trial continues with Prosecutor Ko arguing that the most important thing in attempted murder cases is the motive for murder. He backs this up by cross-examining a witness who saw Dong-ho fight with Joo-il a few days prior to the crime. It’s one of Joo-il’s minions, and the man confirms it adding that there were many others who saw it too.

  

Jin-woo summons his witness, who is Detective Bae surprisingly. He uses the report he had gotten for NFS regarding the movements and position of Joo-il’s attacker based on his wounds. The person who stabbed him must have been injured, but Dong-ho does not have any wounds supposedly caused by the victim’s resistance. The detective has no explanation to that, so Jin-woo moves on to the next point – how he came to arrest Dong-ho. That brings him to the black box video, which did not capture Dong-ho in the act of trying to kill Joo-il. However, the detective says, it was logically deduced. So Jin-woo plays the video in court, which shows that the camera jolted after Dong-ho left the car. What could be the reason behind it? At that time Joo-il was supposed to be injured from the stab, unable to move. When Dong-ho was inside the weight in the car was so much more, but why did the car stay still? Isn’t it because the actual time of the attack was when the camera shook? The prosecution objects, but Judge Kang (Suk-gyu) accepts its relevance to the case and allows Jin-woo to continue. Jin-woo finally asks again, is it possible that the actual time of attack was when the black box camera shook violently (which means after Dong-ho left the scene)? And Detective Bae answers solemnly that yes, it is possible.

With that, Jin-woo concludes that there is no direct evidence which proves that Dong-ho is guilty since the evidence submitted by the prosecution is all circumstantial. Therefore this proves that Dong-ho might not have been the one who did it – there’s no crucial proof.

Jin-woo: “If the incorrect judgement is rendered based only on speculation and circumstantial evidence, the accused and his family will suffer and live in pain.”

Chairman Nam gets into Moo-suk about not doing his job lately, seeing that Joo-il is still alive. The lawyer tells the chairman not to worry since he is in critical condition, but the latter wants the matter to be handled in a clear-cut manner.

Jin-woo tells Sang-ho that he cannot guarantee Dong-ho’s acquittal because all the evidence is circumstantial. The only way to ensure is for the real assailant to be caught, which means they require conclusive evidence for the prosecutor to withdraw charges. Then he asks if Sang-ho suspects anyone who could have stabbed Dong-ho. And there is one person. Jin-woo has a good plan.

Soo-bum shows Gyu-man Jin-woo’s medical records. And that confirms the fact that he has Alzheimer’s. The chaebol is happy, musing that Jin-woo has nothing having lost his family and memory. Soo-bum keeps a serious expression but has to put up an act when Gyu-man calls him out for it. He smiles as the chaebol gives him a supposed congratulatory hug. Now that is awkward.

  

We see Jin-woo telling one of Joo-il’s men that they need to make the assailant return to the crime scene. His plan starts to play out as the same man tells his fellow friends that Joo-il is has regained consciousness and is awake. They rejoice and sure enough, someone overhears all this while hiding behind a wall. He is Chairman Nam’s spy, and we see the chairman on the line saying that things will get messy if Joo-il wakes up; he wants the man to be rid of instantly.

Keum appears, in a black mask. But the person lying on the bed is Sang-ho, haaaa. This means that Jin-woo’s plan has succeeded! Then Jin-woo runs into the ward as Keum fishes out a knife.

We cut to the courtroom where In-ah sits in as audience. This is the second trial of Dong-ho’s case and Jin-woo is running late, now that Suk-gyu has entered. He asks Dong-ho where his lawyer is, to which Dong-ho replies that he would be here soon and tells the judge to wait a bit more. Jin-woo enters, apologising for his tardiness. When being asked for a reason, he tells Suk-gyu that the prosecution will answer that question on his behalf. A man comes in with a note for Prosecutor Ko, and he stands up to inform Suk-gyu that a prime suspect for the attempted murder case has been arrested so all the charges are withdrawn.

Jin-woo and Dong-ho are alone in the courtroom. The latter thanks Jin-woo and muses that it’s ironic how he doesn’t know how to feel. In the earlier episodes, Dong-ho once said that a good lawyer does not let his client stand trial; but he thinks differently now. As he sat on the defendant’s seat, he was reassured because Jin-woo was next to him. And a good lawyer is the only person who believed in him at that time, and one who fought for his behalf in the cold courtroom. Now, it’s time for Dong-ho to keep his end of the contract. They don’t have much time to take Gyu-man down, and Jin-woo has to request for a retrial as well.

Jin-woo goes to see Detective Bae. The lawyer knows he received money from Il Ho Group and betrayed Dong-ho who was a close friend. Of course the detective denies his involvement and says he doesn’t know about Chairman Nam ordering to kill Joo-il.

  

As soon as Dong-ho gets out, he rushes to the hospital ward to visit Joo-il, who tells the lawyer he waited so he could see him before he goes. Dong-ho tells him he’ll have to stand in for his dad at his wedding and see him start a family. But Joo-il goes for a fistpump and says he’s sorry before his hand falls limp on the bed.

We’re at Joo-il’s funeral service, and we see Dong-ho with Evidence 1 on the floor (CD that contains Gyu-man’s confession video). Now we go back to the day when Joo-il was at Dong-ho’s personal office. Sitting at the lawyer’s desk, he had said that he was so happy when he became a lawyer because as a gangster he thought that those who practiced law were at the top. But that wasn’t the case, because there are evil people who control those who practise law with money and power. Finally he said he had a gift for the lawyer before he left.

Back in the present, Dong-ho plays a voice recording of Joo-il’s conversation with Chairman Nam when he had ordered the gangster to deal with everyone involved in Gyu-man’s case, and that included Dong-ho. Jin-woo comes along to pay his respects and meet Dong-ho. He shows the record of dealings that Detective Bae had with Chairman Nam, which can be used to catch the detective as well. Dong-ho replies that he doesn’t need it, but Jin-woo urges him to use the law to solve things and not his fists since he’s a lawyer.

Gyu-man is having a meeting with Il Ho Group’s directors when Soo-bum knocks on the door and enters hurriedly. He’s here to deliver two pieces of bad news for the chaebol: Not only has Dong-ho been released, Jin-woo has submitted another motion for retrial. In a rage, he breaks the things in his office again and demands for the company directors to get lost. So they scurry out and Gyu-man wants Soo-bum to prepare his car; he wants to go and meet Jin-woo.

Dong-ho goes to the Il Ho mansion to see the chairman, only to be blocked by the security guards. But Chairman Nam lets him in, and the lawyer warns him to be prepared for what is to come. His self-righteous ways of handling people for business causes will come back to haunt him.

  

Gyu-man arrives at Byeonduri Law Firm, and his words are filled with sarcasm when asking about Jin-woo’s health. He also adds that it’s a pity the lawyer would not be able to remember him very soon. But Jin-woo thinks that it’s okay, at least he doesn’t have anger management issues like the chaebol. And he feels sorry for Gyu-man – he has nobody who is trustworthy around him because of the way he lives his life. He gets angry but Jin-woo continues, he’ll be gone before his own memories do.

Sang-ho and Dong-ho are having soju and cup ramen in the office when Detective Bae comes in. The lawyer grabs him by the collar: “Did you think you’d live after taking money from Nam Il Ho and framing me as a murderer?” The detective tells Dong-ho that Jin-woo has gone to see him, knowing that he had received money from the chairman for his father’s medical fee. He apologises and tells Dong-ho that President Ha from the Seogwang Group gas explosion case was never sent overseas.

With high chances of a retrial now that Jin-woo has submitted the appeal with Detective Gwak’s confession video, Gyu-man wants Moo-suk to go and talk to the ex-detective since he cannot do anything from his side now that the man is in prison. Then Chairman Nam wants Moo-suk to also do something about Prosecutor Chae since they will lose the trial at this rate. Prosecutor Tak is already preparing for a change in prosecutor on the trial, and is looking for a suitable one.

A doctor is at Gyu-man’s office measuring his blood pressure. Apparently it’s a check-up for his anger management issues, LOL. The chaebol says he’s trying to keep up with meditations, but his symptoms are getting worse. The doctor replies that his is a unique type that shows symptoms for both habitual and impulsive anger outbursts, unlike most people who show only either one. He also suggests for him to keep calm or think in others’ shoes. Enraged, Gyu-man grabs the doctor by the collar wondering if he should think in Jin-woo’s shoes. Soo-bum pulls his boss away while the psychiatrist leaves hurriedly.

Chairman Nam holds a meeting with a Mr Jang (whom he had called after Dong-ho came to see him) to seek his cooperation to help out for Gyu-man’s trial in the presence of Moo-suk and Prosecutor Tak. He gifts Mr Jang with a tea set (plus money as usual). Later Moo-suk asks Prosecutor Tak to go with him to meet the Director of National Tax Service the next day. But the prosecutor declines, saying he’s rather busy. Lawyer Hong says that the meeting is important and to that the prosecutor reminds him that he’s no longer his superior (meaning he can’t control what he chooses to do).

  

With information from Detective Bae, Dong-ho heads to where President Ha is at. It is somewhere outside of Seoul, where the lawyer tells him that he’ll be able to return soon. President Ha tells him about his father, including the man’s words that he can never kill a person to become an honourable father in front of his son. Dong-ho thinks about them on his drive back and tells Sang-ho he’s on his way when he calls.

Working in the office, In-ah thinks about the doctor’s words about Jin-woo’s condition. So she goes up to him and takes a snapshot of her name card, telling him he doesn’t want her to forget him. Then she asks if he wants to have dinner at her parents’ store, because Ha-young has learnt how to make pizza and wants to make some for everyone at the law firm.

Cut to: Jin-woo and co. being served pizza, along with In-ah’s parents at the table. Jin-woo says he’s happy to see Ha-young all brightened up now. When they start to dig in, Jin-woo takes a bite and tells In-ah’s dad that his father would really love this. Daddy Lee is confused, so he asks again. Jin-woo innocently replies that his father really likes the pizza here and he’d be hungry when he gets off work later. So he asks if Daddy Lee could pack another one for takeaway, without realising what he’s saying. In-ah knows and tries to help him out of his difficulty…but it’s useless because her mother probes further about what he just said. Now Jin-woo realises what he has said and quickly dismisses himself.

Later he’s on the road, and In-ah’s calls go unanswered. In-ah’s mother thinks that she is helping Jin-woo out of sympathy and pity for him even when she tells him that there’ll be no problem if she’s by his side. Tears roll in In-ah’s eyes as she thinks about Jin-woo. Her father, on the other hand is just worried.

 

  

Gyu-man asks Soo-bum to do something to make sure that the retrial is not granted. This time, the secretary musters up the courage to tell his boss to stop and that he should pay for his crimes because they won’t be able to hide forever. Gyu-man wonders where his secretary got his courage from lately and immediately thinks of Suk-gyu. He walks over the side to pick up a golf club preparing to hit Soo-bum, who uses one arm to stop his boss. He has no reason to get a beating and will stop cleaning up after Gyu-man’s misdeeds from now on. Then he leaves. Bravo, Soo-bum!

Manager Yun cannot get through to Jin-woo’s phone – it’s switched off. Attorney Song comes running in, Jin-woo isn’t at his old home either. It is only now he’s found out about Jin-woo’s condition and is in disbelief. They all wonder where he’s gone to, nowhere to be found. Then Suk-gyu enters the office.

Now, Gyu-man connects the dots: recalling what he’d seen as well as Jin-woo’s and Suk-gyu’s words. He calls someone working under his dad to the office, wanting him to do something as well.

  

The next thing we see, Soo-bum has been beaten up and tied captive in a warehouse. He’s shivering in fear as Gyu-man goes near him. And the chaebol tells his secretary that he knows about what he did. He has also found out that Soo-bum is trying to skip town to escape, tearing up the flight confirmation slip. Livid, Gyu-man demands to know why Soo-bum betrayed him. To that, the secretary replies that it was insurance because of their mutual distrust. All he wanted was to survive…Gyu-man cut him off by grabbing him at the neck. The only way he can live is to bring him the wine opener that is with Jin-woo. Soo-bum says he can’t do it, which means he’s dead. But Gyu-man gives him time to stay locked up and think about first.

Suk-gyu asks In-ah if Jin-woo is feeling okay; she hesitates but says yes. Then he talks about the retrial, which he hopes for the truth to be revealed and offers his help. Manager Yun then shows In-ah a photo of younger Jin-woo and his father and her thoughts that he might have gone somewhere. So In-ah goes running off.

Indeed, Jin-woo is at a decorative tree filled with wishes written by many hung on it. He reads a note his father had written before he passed on and thinks back to all the memories he had with his dad. What is this bittersweet feeling… In-ah goes up to him and Jin-woo starts saying stuff to push her away, which she wonders if he is even being sincere. As he stands up to walk off, In-ah tells him she isn’t staying but his side out of pity; she hurts because there is nothing she can do for him. So don’t be alone, she urges, and win the fight with her. But he says there isn’t much time left for him to remember her name and face.

In-ah: “It’s okay, Jin-woo. I will be your memory.” And they kiss.

Gyu-man is having steak at a fine-dining restaurant, where he recalls Jin-woo’s words that no one is on his side. I think he looks slightly sad upon realising that the words hit home…

  

At the Nam mansion, Gyu-man places an air ticket on the table for his sister to fly over to France and study art. He feels that she should stop being a prosecutor and go abroad to do what she likes. Yeo-gyung questions the sudden decision, saying that their father wouldn’t allow this. But oppa tells her that it was their dad’s decision. She’s left in shock. Then she heads to Byeonduri Law Firm to ask for forgiveness on her brother’s behalf. In-ah tells her to ask her oppa to turn himself in.

Gyu-man confirms with Moo-suk that Prosecutor Tak is arranging for a change in prosecutor for his remaining trial and muses that they should reward him. Cut to: Prosecutor Tak stepping into the Prosecutor General’s office and it’s revealed that he is on assignment to join Il Ho Group. He tells his superior that he will reappoint a prosecutor for Gyu-man’s trial as per the chairman’s request, but the prosecutor will be upright and it seems that he already has someone in mind.

Dong-ho goes to see Jin-woo at his office, where the young lawyer shows him the real murder weapon that Gyu-man used for the murder. It has been tested by forensics and with evidence, they will be able to bring down the Nams soon.

  

It is reported on the news that the retrial for the Seochon murder case will be open again; Dong-ho and Jin-woo plan their move in preparation for the next stage – it involves ‘Evidence 1’ which contains Gyu-man’s spoken confession about killing Jung-ah. Since it wasn’t obtained legally, releasing it outside the courtroom will be far more impactful. Dong-ho checks with Sang-ho if all the spammers have been contacted and yes, they are on standby.

Cut to: the video being played on all big TV screens in the city. Then Prosecutor Tak sits with the chairman and Moo-suk for a meal waiting for the newly appointed prosecutor for Gyu-man’s trial.  The mood is all happy and full of gratitude towards the prosecutor, until Moo-suk receives a call.

At the same time, Gyu-man is watching the video of him on his laptop. Furious, he slams the laptop on the floor and starts trampling on it just as Jin-woo enters his office. The young lawyer asks the chaebol if he’s watched the video he sent out and Gyu-man replies, “Yes I did. You’re dead.” Yet he can’t do anything except glare at Jin-woo ha.

When Moo-suk ends the call, he tells the chairman that Gyu-man’s confession video has been released. Prosecutor Tak grins as he watches their faces change. At that moment, In-ah enters the room and introduces herself as the prosecutor. So satisfying!

[End of EPISODE 18]

[EPISODE 19]

  

We return to the last scene where In-ah enters, and this time we get a full view of Chairman Nam’s and Moo-suk’s shocked faces. She will be the prosecutor in-charge of Gyu-man’s third trial. They begin to question Prosecutor Tak and In-ah helps him to answer: his business at Il Ho Group is complete. He then says he’s relieved that he doesn’t need to keep it a secret anymore.

Now we’re at Gyu-man’s office which Jin-woo enters. The chaebol insists that he wouldn’t gain anything from releasing a video that has no legal credibility but Jin-woo tells him that remains to be seen until more people watch it. He continues that he is able to escape the long arms of the law but Jin-woo tells him that it is the truth that will rise above the law and not him. Then Gyu-man brings in his illness, telling him he should focus on remembering himself. However Jin-woo is firm: he may forget who he is, but he will never forget the truth behind his father’s death. Before he leaves, he smirks tells Gyu-man he will see him in court.

By now, Chairman Nam has realised that they have fallen into Prosecutor Tak’s trap. Still, he does not back down and questions their motive. In-ah tells him that it’s to show the world their true colours and it’s over for them.

Dong-ho and Prosecutor Tak meet up for drinks now that the lawyer has found out that the prosecutor did not betray them. He couldn’t tell Dong-ho about it so that Chairman Nam would believe him completely.

  

Jin-woo and In-ah are at a café and he asks her how it feels like being a prosecutor again. We see in a flashback that she had been to the Prosecutor General’s office upon Prosecutor Tak’s recommendation. She replies that she’s still unsure because she’s afraid that she might feel skeptical over the prosecution and has to compromise against her beliefs, but Jin-woo tells her that the skeptical feeling came from a person and not the organisation. She gets some whipped cream on her lip and Jin-woo wipes it off for her. He also encourages her to be bold and stay true to her convictions.

Moo-suk reports to the chairman that the situation has gotten out of hand. The trial has to proceed as it is without any change of the judge or prosecutor because no one wants to get involved following the confession video’s release. The public opinion is unfavourable to them at the moment and they will need to rebuild their image again. And to do that, Chairman Nam has to step forward. Being Gyu-man’s father, he might help gain some sympathy points.

Gyu-man enters the Il Ho office building with two bodyguards in tow. He stops to wait for the elevator behind two employees. Unaware, the man starts gossiping to the female co-worker that he should resign if he has a conscience, while she points out that they don’t know for sure; the video could have been fabricated. So he announces his presence and ends up being violent on the male employee. The whole process is being recorded by other workers in the company with their phones.

With the confession video and the confirmed retrial, Jin-woo tells his team that the only thing they still need is witnesses – Detective Han will be one of them, but Soo-bum will be crucial for the witness statements. They decide to approach Suk-gyu, who readily agrees to help talk to the chief secretary though it will not be easy. But when he makes a phone call it obviously does not go through because Soo-bum is still locked up where Gyu-man took him. His pleas for help go unheard.

The video of Gyu-man hitting the male employee has spread like wildfire since Moo-suk wasn’t able to stop it. Lawyer Hong is berated for not doing a good job, but he tells the chaebol that he should have been careful because he has been scrutinised heavily in the public eye since the release of the confession video. He adds that he should prepare for the worst in the third trial.

  

Chairman Nam issues a public apology regarding his son’s misconduct and tells everyone that he will make Gyu-man resign from his positions in Il Ho regardless of the trial’s results. Dong-ho is watching from the back at the press conference filled with reporters. Later he goes right into their path and does not forget to tell the chairman that his company is done for and mocks Moo-suk for serving the Group like a dog. Chairman Nam is all smug at first but he frowns at Dong-ho as the lawyer says his piece. Ha, he must be fuming inside.

In-ah heads to her parent’s pizza store and announces that he has got back her prosecutor job but her mother doesn’t look happy. She tells In-ah that she can do whatever job she prefers but dating Jin-woo is a no.

Moo-suk advises Chairman Nam on the duration of jail time Gyu-man has to serve if he is found guilty – 20 years and says he will try to get him out during that time. Just then the chaebol comes it to question his dad about his position removals but is not entertained. Instead he gets an earful. Lawyer Hong goes to Detective Gwak in his attempt to move people and the jailed detective seems to hesitate as his hands begin to tremble… Noooo

Suk-gyu barges into Gyu-man’s office looking for Soo-bum while the chaebol is in the midst of meditating. Gyu-man lies that Soo-bum has resigned and should be in the United States now. Later Suk-gyu goes to tell In-ah about this, adding that he is still bothered by Gyu-man. She agrees to help search for Soo-bum’s whereabouts and calls Jin-woo for help too. Attorney Song remarks that Gyu-man is still causing trouble while standing on trial.

  

Sang-ho also starts to wonder where Soo-bum is since he’s uncontactable. He informs Dong-ho, who is certain that something must have happened and instructs Sang-ho to call up some men while he goes and settles things his way. Dong-ho engages someone he knows to find Soo-bum. Then we see injured Soo-bum in a pretty bad states. Gyu-man splashes water on his face to wake him up. He begs his boss to let him live but Gyu-man wants him to get the wine opener back from Jin-woo first. Soo-bum is not agreeable to it so obviously Gyu-man is not planning to let him go. He is also aware that Soo-bum is an important witness to Jin-woo.

As he leaves with his men in tow, Dong-ho drives in and politely asks the chaebol to hand Soo-bum over. But he orders his men to hit the lawyer and so they surround him and a fight entails. Dong-ho retaliates but he is outnumbered. I like how he still takes lightly of the situation during his chat with Gyu-man. As he is about to get a critical blow from a metal pipe, Sang-ho arrives with his men and they fight back. It’s hilarious how Gyu-man watches everything unfold like, what is going on here? He begins to grumble when his men look like they’re on the losing end before leaving in his car. The mission to rescue Soo-bum is a success and he’s now in Dong-ho’s car. They are all relieved and Sang-ho suggests that he stays in Dong-ho’s office for now since his own house is unsafe. Dong-ho doesn’t object.

Gyu-man’s retrial will be over the moment Soo-bum testifies as witness, so Moo-suk has a solution: by faking his death before the trial and the lawyer will help him on the condition that he is given a golf course in California under Gyu-man’s name. Their conversation is overheard by Yeo-gyung. And thanks to Moo-suk’s ‘advice’, we later see Gyu-man seriously contemplating the idea of skipping town and faking his death in China before returning with a new identity as time passes.

While Jin-woo is on the line with Attorney Song, Dong-ho comes to say that Soo-bum has been found. Later the young lawyer is already outside Dong-ho’s office, knocking on the door. Soo-bum is visibly nervous when the two sit across each other, but says he’s prepared to pay for his crimes. He is then asked to stand trial as witness to indict Gyu-man successfully, which he refuses because the chaebol will not let him off.

  

As Jin-woo suits up and prepares for court, he thinks back to a time when he visited his dad at prison during his high school days before. They had talked about their shared memories – Dad was sorry that he couldn’t create more good memories with Jin-woo and sad that the memories would vanish (because he would forget them). But Jin-woo had tearfully assured him that all their memories would with him. That was in the past, but I still find it heartbreaking… In the present, Jin-woo tells Dad he’ll do well.

Jin-woo and In-ah meets outside the courts, and he thanks her for helping him all this time – he wouldn’t have done made it up to this point without her. She gives him a hug and says a final word of encouragement before they enter the courtroom. Dong-ho sits in as audience and gestures a ‘Hwaiting!’ Awww~

  

The trial begins with Detective Gwak at the witness stand. This time, he testifies with the truth but is unable to provide sufficient grounds for his statements which differ from the previous trial. Jin-woo proves it by submitting the real murder weapon and forensics report which point to Gyu-man as the murderer. However, the source of the evidence cannot be verified without Soo-bum’s statement as Jin-woo tries to explain that the informant is in some circumstances. The judge does not accept the evidence and this is when Soo-bum enters the courtroom. He is allowed to take the witness stand and relays everything that had happened 5 years ago, along with his reason for hiding the real murder weapon as per Jin-woo’s cross examination.

Later Jin-woo ends in his closing argument that he hopes the law would do his father justice even if he wasn’t around anymore. And thus the final decision is made – Seo Jae-hyuk’s name is cleared. Jin-woo’s tear-stained face is just… heartbreak

Dong-ho and Jin-woo share a heart-to-heart talk in the empty courtroom and it feels like the burden they’ve been carrying inside them can be put down now. The two have really come a long way and Jin-woo says that Dong-ho should move on with his own life now. But Lawyer Park replies that he’ll live his life paying for the wrong he’s done.

Now that Soo-bum has spoken the truth in court and Gyu-man will soon have the police coming after him, Moo-suk urges him to quickly move on to the next stage of their plan.

  

Jin-woo returns to his old home for the first time since his short-term memory loss previously and looks through his father’s belongings that he’d kept in the prison – it includes their photos before everything happened and the letter that Daddy Seo had written in his cell previously. As he reads it, Jin-woo cries that he’s sorry it took so long to prove Dad’s innocence.

Dad’s letter wrote: “Jin-woo, even if I lose my memory, you will remain in my heart forever.”

Yeo-gyung searches her brother’s room and finds his forged passport but gets caught by Gyu-man. She asks him what he’s planning to do without their father knowing. His priority is to save himself from going to prison. So he takes the passport from his sister and tells her to pretend that she didn’t see anything.

The next moment, In-ah leads a team of prosecutors to Gyu-man’s office, which is already empty. She tells his assistant to track his car and place him as wanted, before calling Jin-woo to inform him. Another group of law enforcers head to the Nam mansion with a warrant to arrest Gyu-man, but only Yeo-gyung is there and she asks to meet In-ah.

She’s on the road and they’ve found Gyu-man’s car headed towards a dock. Jin-woo is also driving down there. Chairman Nam asks Moo-suk if he knew of his son’s escape plan but the lawyer feigns ignorance. Of course, the chairman is enraged.

  

At a police inspection point, a van crashes through and has the cops chasing after it but another car drives through the broken barrier with Gyu-man in it.  In-ah meets with Yeo-gyung and she’s told of the chaebol’s plans. It’s Yeo-gyung last bit of pride as a prosecutor and an attempt to correct the wrongdoings of her family members all this time that she’s saying this. When Jin-woo is informed, he realises something and changes route. At the same time, Sang-ho is told by Dong-ho to speed up.

Dong-ho’s car arrives at the dock and he intercepts a black car but it only has the driver and no Gyu-man inside. Instead, Gyu-man is at a large open space where a helicopter is ready to take off. Jin-woo arrives and the chaebol is like, you’re here again. Catch me if you can (LOL) as he turns towards the chopper. But it takes off without him and it’s funny that Gyu-man is calling after it as if he will come back. Then In-ah arrives on the scene with the police as well. Gyu-man’s face is all, Aish I got caught. Ha, that expression is priceless.

[End of EPISODE 19]

[EPISODE 20 – FINAL]

  

In-ah had found a record of a helicopter from Il Ho Group requesting to take flight and told Jin-woo about it. He’d connected the dots and made his way to the ground where Gyu-man is actually taking off in a chopper, which led to the ending previously.

Gyu-man gets questioned by In-ah who is the prosecutor for the case but he chooses to remain tight-lipped until Lawyer Hong comes. Following the chaebol’s arrest, Soo-bum plans to turn himself in after visiting Gyu-man for the last time. Dong-ho tells him he can plead for favourable sentencing in his case.

Moo-suk visits Gyu-man with the chairman, who says that he told the helicopter to leave since there was no way Gyu-man could get away scot-free. His dad still wants to bank on the third trial, where the people he’s bribed must help him now. They will do everything it takes to release him from prison.

Jin-woo and In-ah will prepare to reveal all of Gyu-man’s crimes at the trial, while Dong-ho and Prosecutor Tak will do a search and seizure of Chairman Nam’s place. In-ah is sure that the other side is busy making their move. Later they collate the evidence and Soo-bum’s agreement to testify at the third trial. But it’s not enough to put him in jail for life – they need another witness. We then see Jin-woo meeting Gyu-man’s friend Chul-joo, asking him to stand as witness.

And yes, the chairman has called someone to meet over at his house. Yeo-gyung is about to leave home with her packed luggage and she stands up to her dad for condoning her brother’s actions. She also points out that the reason her oppa turned out this way was Chairman Dad. She totally hit the bullseye.

  

Chairman Nam’s guest meets at the Nam household and says it’s difficult for him to render help on this trial since the whole nation is focusing on it. But with some threats the other party agrees to meet with the Chief of Justice. And he is to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

Soo-bum visits Gyu-man as he had said earlier. The latter still attempts to persuade his friend into reversing his testimony and offers him money (again) but Soo-bum has made up his mind. He replies that one never knows what would happen in life and tells him to be good in prison.

Soo-bum: “It isn’t your enemies that make you lonely in life, it is your friends. All this time, I was very lonely because of you. Take care, friend.”

After he leaves, Gyu-man voices out that he wasn’t the only lonely one.

Moo-suk delightedly reports to the chairman that there has been a change of judge for the trial thanks to their guest before. Chairman Nam does not want any backlash.

Gyu-man maintains his gleeful smile while being brought out by the police even as members of the public are raising boards and shouting in protest to dissolve the Il Ho conglomerate and give Gyu-man the death sentence. He doesn’t flinch until eggs hit his back. Getting all worked up, he charges towards the people protesting but gets dragged away.

  

Jin-woo thanks In-ah for all she’s done, and feels like he gave her a heavy burden. But she says that it’s what she must do as a prosecutor, and something she must do for him too. She’ll do her best at the trial. They only find out about the judge replacement when the trial starts. Chairman Nam also receives news on it.

As soon as In-ah requests for Soo-bum to stand as witness, she is denied permission. The judge even warns that she would be removed if she interferes with the trial process. One of the audience members gets up and tells him to run the trial properly but only gets escorted out by security. They take a recess. Then we see In-ah and Moo-suk seated across the judge in a conference room, where In-ah tries to request Soo-bum to be witness again. But he will not change his decision. A while later Jin-woo approaches the judge along the corridor…

The trial continues. In-ah requests a second witness and the judge allows it this time. Gyu-man and Moo-suk are alarmed. We turn back to moments before – Jin-woo showed the judge a news clip of Chairman Nam’s guest getting arrested for receiving bribes after telling him that he knows that he had met with Lawyer Hong. He’ll have to reside over the rest of the trial fairly if he doesn’t want to appear on the headlines the next day.

The witness is ex-detective Gwak who admits to being a part of Gyu-man’s crimes and is currently repenting. In-ah submits evidence to further prove Gyu-man’s guilt – Chul-joo’s written statement of his other crimes and the doctor’s confession to perjury at the trial 5 years back. And she calls for the final witness that is Jin-woo. And our young lawyer lists perfectly all of Gyu-man’s crimes, starting from Jung-ah’s murder. He states them at he stares straight at Gyu-man whose looks could kill. Moo-suk has to stop him from doing anything rash, as In-ah submits more evidence to support Jin-woo’s testimony.

  

The verdict is announced – and finally, Gyu-man is proven guilty of all his crimes. As he receives his sentence, his teary eyes evolve into rage until he is dragged out of the courtroom. He even throws a punch at Moo-suk.

Suk-gyu visits Soo-bum to inform him about Gyu-man’s sentence and he says somehow he feels sad that he turned out like this. To that, Suk-gyu tells him that he’s sad too seeing his two friends in jail. Because they’re friends.

Gyu-man gets to the prison doctor’s office, asking for painkillers but is chased out. Along the way, he runs into the ex-detective who is reciting verses from the Bible and Gyu-man doesn’t even get him at all, lol.

Jin-woo visits Gyu-man for the last time, telling him to face his fate now that he’ll be in prison forever. But the chaebol insists that he will get out of there no matter what it takes and tells him never to forget him.

Gyu-man: “You can lose all your memories, but don’t forget me.” It’s quite sad how he wants to be remembered, even in this way…

Jin-woo just sighs that Gyu-man’s pitiful. He shouts back that they are the more pathetic ones to him, but I think he knows that that’s not the case.

  

Dong-ho chats with Jin-woo at his own office and they share the same thoughts about the justice served – they just feel calm instead of great. The topic turns to Jin-woo’s condition and he asks Dong-ho to pretend not to know him if he cannot remember him anymore. And he honestly explains that he has more memories of Lawyer Park that he wants to forget than remember. But he has a favour to ask before he loses all his memories, and asks if the 50000 won contract is still in place. It is and Jin-woo wants him to stick to it.

Chairman Dad visits Gyu-man who asks for help. But he doesn’t have any plans of doing so, since he only has eyes for the company he spent his whole life building. He disowns Gyu-man, leaving him with the statement he lives by of throwing someone away when one is done with his use. Gyu-man breaks down in tears as he calls for his father but no, he’s not coming back.

Moo-suk gets a slap in the face (with papers) when he reports to Chairman Nam the damage done to the company after Gyu-man’s crimes were revealed. He counters that he has a solution… and we see him meeting with Dong-ho and Prosecutor Tak where he offers his help to take his boss down. Wow, taking the big fish all to yourself.

Later when the good guys are alone, they decide to go along with Moo-suk’s plan by getting information from him but after that catch him as well.

  

Prosecutor Tak brings a team of prosecutors to Chairman Nam’s home, carrying out a search and seizure. As everything is confiscated, Dong-ho joins the prosecutor and tells the chairman he had said that he’d put him and his son in jail together. Chairman Dad stills insists that he would not go down easily.

Alone in a prison cell, Gyu-man thinks of the time his father had promoted him to president of Il Ho Insurance and Dong-ho’s warning that one day his father would throw him away too, just like he did to many others. Now that he has lost all hope and support, tears brim in his eyes and he decides to take his own life…

Chairman Nam receives the news and it is only now that the tears fall. It’s too late, you know. The same news is broadcast to the whole nation and soon, everyone has heard about it. Jin-woo and his team watch the news solemnly. Later he looks up at the wall in his secret room, and now Gyu-man’s photograph bears a red ‘X’.

Moo-suk does not answer any calls from Chairman Nam, and we see him getting hired at other law firm. Very soon, Chairman Nam is arrested with a warrant brought by Prosecutor Tak who says that things turned out like this because of his ambitions and tells him to repent, even if it was for his son. Dong-ho and Young-jin (Prosecutor Tak) share a drink as they watch news of Chairman Nam appearing in court. Now they have one thing left to do – catch Moo-suk.

  

In-ah and Jin-woo have a nighttime walk at a beautifully lit place, and he tells her his plan to quit being a lawyer. He’s done all that he wanted to do as an attorney so he’ll have no regrets. And he needs some rest. In-ah is told not to poke her nose into others’ business, to which she replies that they wouldn’t have met if she hadn’t been nosy. Ha.  Jin-woo recalls the fond memories they’d shared, and smiles. In-ah tells him that they should do everything they’ve never gotten to do so far, including a real date. He agrees.

In-ah arrives home to rice balls leftover by Mom from dinner. Mom has relented and they’re getting along again. Her dad tells her that Mom doesn’t mean the words she says sometimes. In-ah knows ^^ Moo-suk is quick to pledge loyalty to the representative of the law firm he has just joined…but In-ah is here to arrest him. Prosecutor Tak had given her the authority to cuff him with information from his side to successfully indicting him.

Jin-woo is at Daddy Seo’s memorial; he muses that the whole family could have lived happily together like many others as he asks after them. Dong-ho is here to visit his father too and after paying respects, he calls Jin-woo’s name. But Jin-woo wonders if he knows him. Lawyer Park is visibly torn by that reply. Then Jin-woo remembers his name, and that they’ve met quite a few times at the same place. All that is left are the happy memories…he even says that they have so much alike. As Jin-woo turns to leave, he asks if Dong-ho knows the best compliment a lawyer can give to another lawyer and that is, “Please represent me.” He tells Lawyer Park that it somehow came to mind after meeting him. Dong-ho: T.T

  

At night, Jin-woo has made two diaries, with memories he wants to cherish and forget respectively. He throws the book with those he wants to forget into a fire. The next morning, In-ah goes to the office only to find it empty. She goes into the secret room and sees things that Jin-woo has left behind. On the side lies a tablet that he addressed to her. Upon switching it on there is a video inside with a message. He wants her to live with happy memories after all she has suffered together with him.

Jin-woo: “Even if all my memories disappear, I will remember you forever.”

1 year later.

We see Dong-ho defending an ajumma in court. Suk-gyu is the presiding judge, while Sang-ho and Soo-bum are sitting in the audience. Later Suk-gyu praises Dong-ho for a job well done. In-ah meets them along the corridor too, when Suk-gyu asks if she’s heard any news from Jin-woo. But there has been none. In-ah is sure that he is doing well somewhere, but is worried inside.

We’re back at Byeonduri Law Firm where Dong-ho is now maintaining and Sang-ho, Soo-bum, Manager Yun and Jae-ik assists him. They’d received roasted sweet potatoes from the halmoni as payment for the court case earlier. The rest are rambling on about how they won’t be able to pay the rent with sweet potatoes, lol. But Dong-ho hasn’t forgotten about Byeonduri’s motto and thinks back to the time Jin-woo asked him for a favour to take over the law firm and represent people who really need the law, and those that the law needs to protect. To become a lawyer helping people like them fight in the cold courtroom. With a quivering voice, he’d told Dong-ho to help him do that which he cannot do. Soo-bum adds that besides Dong-ho, they now have two other lawyers. They engage in frivolous banter. It’s nice to see them happy. 😀

  

Jin-woo is at the wishing tree where he was with In-ah before, and she spots him in the distance. She smiles, but Jin-woo just walks past her. She calls him but he doesn’t recognise her. Though he says that he’s sorry if they’re not meeting for the first time. Holding back her tears, In-ah replies that she was mistaken because he looked so much like someone she knew. He then leaves. In-ah looks at the wish that Jin-woo had hung on the tree.

It read: “I’m sure that the pieces of memory I’ve lost are with you. Please cherish those memories forever. Wherever I am, I wish for your happiness.”

In-ah is extremely happy that he has not forgotten her and runs after him. She calls him again, asking if he remembers the necklace. It’s the one which he had hung rings on. But Jin-woo answers no; he doesn’t.

In narration, Jin-woo says he was a lawyer who could remember everything, and that was both his ability and disability. Due to all the memories, he was both happy and sad. On video, he tells them that he’d never forget all the time they had spent together and thanks everyone for the good memories. And although memories are lost, the fact that he existed does not.

[END OF FINAL EPISODE]

Thoughts

At first, I wasn’t prepared to say goodbye to the characters in Remember although it has been a long time since I had to give the drama its much-needed closure. Now, months have passed since it ended and before I knew it, the completion of this post took until now. I am sorry for the (extreme) delay, but I guess it’s better late than never, heh. 😉

Generally, I feel that Show had a solid plot throughout despite being slightly repetitive in the middle. The story always knew the direction it was headed for, since the titular son’s war was declared right from the start. By the end, I was even more certain that this was the kind of story it wanted to be, not what everyone might have wanted it to become. And this is to the credit of the production team, writer and brilliant cast. I think I’ve mentioned this throughout my course of recapping but the cinematography is so nice! I don’t remember much from director-nim’s previous dramas but the camera work here is totally my style. From the lighting, colour tones to the frames: loved the visuals which also made it a delight to watch the show. And the music too – from the emotional to the dramatic moments, the cues are so on-point! For one, the songs are nice ❤ It also includes the instrumental piece during Gyu-man’s scenes and some in the courtroom! Everyone also played their roles with depth; the acting performances were strong across the characters, even for those who appeared only in certain cases. One thing that was a pity though: I felt that the potential of the characters’ development was not maximized. (More on that later) For me, this drama is definitely worth the ride for particularly the performances and cinematography; but I guess you need to be prepared for the heartbreak, especially in the earlier part of Show. Still, no worries~ it’s not melodramatic.

The show revolved around the war Jin-woo started for his father and in the end he emerged victorious but it sure took a lot of blood, sweat and tears for it to happen. Yoo Seung-ho carried his character with the right amount of depth, both emotionally and as a lawyer with perfect memory. The scenes with his father Seo Jae-hyuk (Jun Kwang-ryul) – both the happy and sad ones showed their close relationship. The kinship ties were precious and strong; it was clear Jin-woo loved his father as much as Dad did. After the time jump from his high school days, we saw Jin-woo strengthening his mentality and slowly but surely gaining the capability to deal with our villains. He was no longer the 18-year-old student, but a young aspiring lawyer ready to fight.

I admired his sense of confidence and determination to clear Dad’s name. In a way, these qualities were also what improved his abilities and developed his true passion as an attorney. He became one so that he could clear his father’s name but later fought for others not just because he didn’t want them to end up like Dad, but also because he became really committed to his profession. The actor also says his lines with sensibility and maturity at a young age, and that likely comes from much experience since his days as a child actor.  I liked that they portrayed Jin-woo’s character with his real age. Frankly, I actually liked the ending writer-nim gave Jin-woo. Given his personality, he wouldn’t have stayed with In-ah to let her watch his condition continue to deteriorate. Leaving on his own was sorrowful, but it also showed his firm belief in her besides not wanting to hinder her future path as a prosecutor.

In-ah’s most outstanding quality would be her sense of righteousness and that was what allowed her to become Jin-woo’s best ally. Her unwavering support for him definitely made the journey for justice less lonely, and her presence was probably one of his greatest source of strength. I liked how she stopped being a prosecutor for some time because of Jin-woo, but also returned to the service to help him. The best part of it was the fact that she found the reason why she became a prosecutor in the first place again, after losing the same belief in the earlier half of the series. It was ultimately not just for Jin-woo’s sake, but also enthusiasm towards her job. She was sad about leaving too; so I’m really glad that she decided to go back. In this sense, In-ah’s story also ran complete in one round. I felt for Jin-woo a lot, but I felt as much for In-ah’s heartbreak too and it must be because Park Min-young portrayed these emotions well. One of my favorite story arcs is also In-ah’s development from an idealistic prosecutor to realization of the reality in the world, that things are never ideal.

Romance took a backseat in this drama, but I enjoyed the little, quiet moments In-ah and Jin-woo shared nevertheless. Remember was never about the love story, so just the fact that they were by each other’s side, silently giving one another moral support was enough for me. At least they were happy during the dates they’d gone on, smiling genuinely and putting Jin-woo’s war out of their minds for a while.

The rest of Jin-woo’s team in Manager Yun and Attorney Song was great help too, and another reminder that he was not alone. I liked that we were shown how Jin-woo ended up working with them after he became a lawyer. He wouldn’t have been able to pull off many things if not for these people whom have became a really important part of his life throughout his time in Byeonduri Law Firm. I’m sure he treasures them as much as they care and worry about him. Their interactions in the office sometimes probably lessened the burden on Jin-woo a lot; also before In-ah and Dong-ho came into the picture.

I was so glad that Prosecutor Tak Young-jin turned out to be on Jin-woo’s side. I thought I would have been able to see it coming but there were so many betrayals, so this was a nice surprise. And considering what we know of his character from the beginning, it was fitting of his personality and the good kind of prosecutor he was. 🙂

To me, Dong-ho will always be a special character in kdramaland – I was intrigued from his first appearance, up to knowing his personality. I guess Park Sung-woong really did it for me; I liked the way he handled matters on his own that made it distinct even after Jin-woo began to venture towards the ‘grey areas’. For instance the show never stops to remind us about Dong-ho’s past as a gangster because it certainly influenced how he resolved problems, somehow. From his connections to the (literal) physical fights (particularly the scene when he fought with Gyu-man’s men to save Soo-bum), it suggested that he was still different from Jin-woo. However, I wish that we could have known more about his past, in terms of the development.

He also shared a unique bond with our protagonist lawyer – they had differing personalities, walked entirely different paths but were also similar in many ways. I liked their relationship, despite the massive changes it had gone through. The end was satisfying too – Dong-ho helping Jin-woo to live his dream, and at the same time finding out what he truly wants to do as an attorney that is not being manipulated by the rich and powerful, but providing legal aid for those who really need it.

Dong-ho’s bromance with hyungnim Joo-il (Lee Won-jong) was another highlight. It was in danger of falling apart, but proved to be stronger than ever when we found out that Joo-il never wanted to put Dong-ho in harm’s way. And it’s so precious, especially in Remember’s world. I also have to mention his bromance with Prosecutor Tak (Song Young-kyu) – loved their blossoming friendship at the start and how it turned out 🙂 Their meals/drinks together were always accompanied with great conversations. Definitely a fan of all the bromances in Remember 😀 including the one between Sang-ho and Soo-bum!

Namgoong Min dominates the screen whenever he appears as chaebol Nam Gyu-man – I mean, his acting is splendid, so brilliant. He leaves a strong and really good impression with every scene he’s part of. As the main antagonist, he portrays Gyu-man superbly that I can’t imagine Gyu-man being played by another actor. His expressions, actions, tone of voice; there’s a difference between the calm type of anger and the blowing up kind of rage. Coupled with all the additions he made himself on top of what was on the script, it made an excellent performance. It was a delight to watch: he was a villain that I’d loved to hate and vice versa. He has brought the word “villain” to a whole new level.  He was so good it was clear he immersed himself completely in the role. It was even funny to see him flare up in the drama’s last stretch. Gyu-man was a well-written character but Namgoong Min’s acting definitely made him a more compelling baddie to watch.

In all the scenes where he destroyed items in his office, he apparently broke a total of seven brand-new laptops. And he did it all in single takes, isn’t that amazing? I see the actor in a new light now (I didn’t watch The Girl Who Sees Smells), and will be sure to look out for his future projects. He also expressed his wish to play a good guy with the string of evil roles he’s portrayed and it came true in the currently airing rom-com Beautiful Gongshim, where he continues to steal fans’ hearts!

I doubt anyone could have foreseen a happy ending for Gyu-man but it was still poignant at the end. I understand his decision to take his life even before he was served the sentence because it was driven by the desperation he felt after everyone left his side. It was his father, Chairman Nam in particular that broke him because all he wanted in his life was to gain acknowledgement but he was abandoned instead. To begin with the relationship with his father was dysfunctional as he was brought up the wrong way; there are reasons why he turned out this way. It’s sad but given Gyu-man’s character, it was the only path he could take at that point in time. He had gone so far it was probably personally difficult to imagine himself turning over a new leaf after serving jail time. I’ll be honest here, I teared up seeing him cry for his father D;

Jung Hye-sung’s role as Gyu-man’s younger sister Yeo-gyung, unfortunately, never felt like a major character to me although she was on the main poster. I think that she was so underused; even the other characters Soo-bum, Sang-ho and Prosecutor Tak felt more important than her in the story. I think it was a pity they didn’t develop Yeo-gyung as much as I had expected, for example her relationship with In-ah after they both became prosecutors. This is what I meant by the characters’ potential earlier on, and it’s particularly the good guys.

While I know that Jin-woo was the main son in this show, it’d be good if the focus towards the other 2 sons was slightly more to make room for more character development, including the side characters. Not only for Dong-ho but for Jin-woo’s team as well – In-ah, Prosecutor Tak, Suk-gyu etc. I wanted to know more about Dong-ho and his father, as well as what had happened to Gyu-man’s mother (since she was mentioned, though just once). A lot more could have been achieved if these relationships were explored further.

There was frustration because Jin-woo’s side kept facing injustice and multiple setbacks in the middle part which I totally understand, but that’s what made the victory in this ‘war’ all the more worthwhile because it’s not a thriller if they have it too easy. And to think about it, Jin-woo did score some wins as he took steps to bring down Il Ho Group.

I read about some dissatisfaction regarding the ending so I thought I’d give my two cents about it. Writer-nim left it open for us to think about it ourselves which may not sit well with some viewers but I thought that everything important was given proper closure: Dad’s name was cleared, the baddies and their allies were punished for their crimes and our good guys continue living on. This is probably an unpopular opinion but I didn’t dislike the ending. For me it was in fact an apt way to finish the story- because it was realistic. This is what I meant by Remember being the story that it wanted to be: I think that it’s important for a drama to stay true to what it wants to tell and live up to its title. Actually we didn’t need to know how bad Jin-woo’s condition was or whether he’d really forgotten about In-ah. When all is said and done, the memories made are what is important. And like what they say: the memories may not be in one’s mind but it’s all in the heart, right?

[Thank you to everyone who read and followed my recaps, you are all great!]

With love ❤ 🙂