This is some pretty blatant anti-Chinese sentiment. There are plenty of aspects about China to disagree upon -…
You're right that we should avoid anti-Chinese sentiment and focus on facts, not fiction. But it's also important not to equate the lack of a declared war with being non aggressive. China's actions in the South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, and along the Indian border reflect a pattern of assertive military posturing and strategic coercion. Militarizing artificial islands, harassing foreign vessels, and enforcing expansive territorial claims go beyond peaceful diplomacy.
And while it's true the U.S. has been involved in many wars, often controversially, the key difference is transparency and public debate. U.S. policies, including military actions, are widely scrutinized both domestically and internationally. In contrast, the Chinese government often suppresses dissent, and shuts down criticism, both from its citizens and from abroad.
So no, pointing out China's current military behavior isn't "warmongering" or anti-Chinese, it’s acknowledging reality. If we want real peace, we need to hold all major powers accountable, not just the ones that admit what they’re doing.
I get why his character feels frustrating, but it makes sense when you see how he grew up. From childhood he lived…
I see your point, but I still feel the ML’s emotional detachment goes beyond just childhood trauma. He’s had years as a cop (someone who sees the nuance in human behavior daily) and adult, yet still shows zero effort to understand the deeper reasons behind his mother’s actions or the abuse she was reacting to. That rigid mindset might’ve been his coping mechanism as a kid, but now it just comes off as narrow and lacking growth. What is most frustrating is he doesn't comprehend that understanding his mother's action is not condoning it.
This is exactly why I think a female lead would’ve made more sense. A woman in this role, especially one shaped by or adjacent to systemic abuse, would likely carry more emotional nuance, internal conflict, and empathy. Her struggle between justice and understanding would feel more layered, especially with a mother figure acting out violent protection.
The show(/writers) itself downplays the abuse. Instead of exploring it meaningfully, the writers lean into making the mom look more psychopathic than necessary, like they want to avoid engaging with what actually drove her to kill. It's like they're brushing over the real issue just to keep the ML’s moral stance clean.
Honestly now I’m really hoping the show goes there with the wife being the copycat killer, what a full circle moment that would be. It would force him to finally confront the gray he's avoided his whole life.
I might be in a minority, but i like how JDY plays here. In ep 3/4 he shows he can act very good. I seen him in…
To me, his character comes across as deeply self centered. I can understand the trauma he’s been through, but it feels like that’s all there is to him. He chose to become a police officer, yet his apparent lack of empathy for certain victims over others is unsettling. His indifference toward them doesn’t sit right. When his grandfather finally confronts him about the kind of father he had, there’s almost no emotional reaction or comprehension from him regarding why his mother killed his father. It feels like he’s disconnected from the depth of the situation and only wants to believe certain things over others, even when there is clear evidence to the contrary. Frankly, his attitude often comes across as misogynistic, too. Not complaining about the actor, its more about how his character has been written.
The more I watch this show, the more I dislike the ML's character (not talking about the actor here). I would have liked his character more if he understood at some level why his mother was killing. Maybe its just me, but I sense of lack of empathy on his part for the victim's of those his mom murdered, even the police ajusshi shows some understanding of his mom's acts of violence. He holds his judgement and contempt just for his mother or at least that is how he is portrayed. And that is exactly why a FL would have been more suitable here. I would love it so much if his wife turns out to be the imitation killer. I would want to see how he feels then.
this concept would’ve been so much more satisfying if it was a mother-daughter duo instead
100% agreed! I think a daughter's angle would have worked so much better. It would also be interesting to see the lead trying to balance empathy for victim's of the people murdered and getting justice for the people murdered because of being a woman. I dont think a ML can bring that level of complex moral conundrum to life here.
Why is it that Im feeling a wee bit sad for GC - he doesnt deserve it one bit!
Are we watching a different show? He deserves all of it and more. What kind of man forgives his mistress for killing his own little boy? He didn't even flinch when he killed JI's dad and suppressed any humanity in him after they ran over DY's sister. He helped send his grieving wife to mental institution even.
I think the most pitiful out of all characters is JI's mom so far. Yes, she tried to frame her son for a murder but when you look at her whole life, it is truly pitiful. Her husband just brought home a random child without telling her his origin and poor thing had to raise him as her own. Her husband could've just told her it was his sister's child and I am sure she would have still raised him but with less resentment. She only resented him because she thought it was another woman's child that her husband had an affair with. Plus her SIL secretly plotted to make the child the heir instead of her daughter to the company. Then she lost her husband, her house, her wealth, almost lost her daughter, lost her grandson and now has dementia and slowly forgetting things. And top of that, KSR traumatized her by making her a witness to an almost murder. She even got tricked and kidnapped.
I am sorry but what was the sorry a$$ excuse from the ex-wife? Even if the ultrasound didnt look promising, she owes it to the ML to tell him all the medical details before taking the decision. What did her dumb mind thinking would happen by hiding it until now? It wasn't even like she was taking the blame for anyone here. I really dislike her 'holier than thou' attitude with the ML. She is self victimizing to make the ML feel bad about himself, gaslighting him all the way.
Same with the FL's mother. She should be saying those things to both her daughters, not just the one she WANTS to make amends with. Also while she is at it, she should also apologize to her sister and BIL. Such a weak closure to the arc!!!
The one thing that worked for me in this episode was ML beating the $hit out of the animal abusing psycho and the police overlooking it. That was so satisfying.
The plot surely have down sides, which is the pay they must price for trying to make a somehow "unique"…
Hard disagree. There’s a big difference between storytelling that invites the viewer to read between the lines, and storytelling that’s simply incoherent. In this case, it's the latter. The writing and directing fall short on several fronts. Take Yeomhwa, for example, her motivations remain murky even after multiple episodes and plenty of viewer speculation. The same goes for other characters, their choices often feel inconsistent or poorly justified. A complex or “unique” world isn't an excuse for basic narrative gaps. A compelling story can be mysterious without being confusing. Unfortunately, this one hasn’t struck that balance.
In the novel, at the end, they have a daughter, I think at one point someone also propose naming her after their pet rabbit when they were little. But they end up going with a diff name.
And while it's true the U.S. has been involved in many wars, often controversially, the key difference is transparency and public debate. U.S. policies, including military actions, are widely scrutinized both domestically and internationally. In contrast, the Chinese government often suppresses dissent, and shuts down criticism, both from its citizens and from abroad.
So no, pointing out China's current military behavior isn't "warmongering" or anti-Chinese, it’s acknowledging reality. If we want real peace, we need to hold all major powers accountable, not just the ones that admit what they’re doing.
This is exactly why I think a female lead would’ve made more sense. A woman in this role, especially one shaped by or adjacent to systemic abuse, would likely carry more emotional nuance, internal conflict, and empathy. Her struggle between justice and understanding would feel more layered, especially with a mother figure acting out violent protection.
The show(/writers) itself downplays the abuse. Instead of exploring it meaningfully, the writers lean into making the mom look more psychopathic than necessary, like they want to avoid engaging with what actually drove her to kill. It's like they're brushing over the real issue just to keep the ML’s moral stance clean.
Honestly now I’m really hoping the show goes there with the wife being the copycat killer, what a full circle moment that would be. It would force him to finally confront the gray he's avoided his whole life.
Not complaining about the actor, its more about how his character has been written.
Then she lost her husband, her house, her wealth, almost lost her daughter, lost her grandson and now has dementia and slowly forgetting things. And top of that, KSR traumatized her by making her a witness to an almost murder. She even got tricked and kidnapped.
Same with the FL's mother. She should be saying those things to both her daughters, not just the one she WANTS to make amends with. Also while she is at it, she should also apologize to her sister and BIL. Such a weak closure to the arc!!!
The one thing that worked for me in this episode was ML beating the $hit out of the animal abusing psycho and the police overlooking it. That was so satisfying.