Shark Recap Episode 12

No cold open this time. This isn't surprising since the last scene between Yi Soo and Hae Woo had enough excitement to circumvent the need for one. Instead, we're treated to a short episode recap just before returning to the confrontation in the episode proper.

Now there's no denying that "Kim Jun" is Yi Soo, and our hero does little to try. Just like in episode 10, she promises she'll definitely stop him, but he says she'll have to follow him straight to the gates of hell if she wants to do that. She's resolved and answers she will though it isn't like they haven't dropped into hell already. He smiles nastily and informs her they haven't even come close--if she can't handle more, there's still time to back out. Hae Woo's emotions are clearly overflowing at this point,  but she refuses to let his words shake her.  She vows once more to return the Yi Soo she knew by finding the truth.

A short montage of the two breaking down rolls once Hae Woo leaves; she sobs both on a park bench and in her car,  while tearful Yi Soo stumbles through the streets.
 


He recalls the sadness of his youth and the wrong that led to it all, culminating with images of Chairman Jo.  With the man that ruined his life in mind, his composure returns and his steps steady.



Joon Young comes home to the Jo household, only to be met with the remorseless lack of humanity that is Hae Woo's father. The man nibbles citrus fruits and crows about how public memory regarding the scandal should be short.  Perhaps he should have done this sooner,  he says,  because it was easy and made him look good.

Though it's clear Joon Young is disgusted, he attempts to politely excuse himself. As he stands to leave,  Ui Sun actually says the situation wasn't a big deal because everyone makes mistakes. Joon Young snaps that a person died because of this mere "mistake." The pain that was inflicted on the victim's family can't be erased.
  
Joon Young begins ascending the stairs as Ui Sun screeches for further confrontation. In his anger, he slips out this gem:  "People act self-righteously, but they're all the same!  Do you know who made your father Chief Prosecutor?!"
 
This stops Joon Young dead in his tracks; it's like he's been hit by lightning. From the stairs, he watches as Chairman Jo emerges from his study to lay down the law on his son. He slaps him hard across the face,  lamenting that his son could have turned out so terribly. Once Ui Sun scuttles away like the rat he is,  the chairman plays grandfatherly to Joon Young in a show of comfort.

Soon enough Joon Young is alone and reminiscing on the day they placed his brother in the mortuary. Thus his words to Hae Woo's father encompassed his own feelings. It's terrible to see such a nice person suffering so much.


 
Meanwhile his father, the not-so-nice Prosecutor Oh, is out drinking when he's sent a haunting voice recording. The voice belongs to Detective Jung, who swears he only followed the prosecutor's orders. All he admits doing is hiding the watch, but he says Prosecutor Oh covered up the hit-and-run in the interest of his relations with Chairman Jo. Furthermore, the Jo father and son team must have been the ones to kill Han Young Man and Yi Soo as well. And our chief prosecutor knew everything.
 
This is Prosecutor Oh's very own psychological lightning strike and he drops his cigarette in shock. With weak knees,  he reaches for it--but is interrupted by an unknown caller.

Over the line, Yi Soo's voice chides that smoking is a poor health choice. So he's definitely watching nearby.  We see him a little further down the street, but it's still creepy.



As the chief prosecutor panics, our hero goes on to ask how he could cover up a hit-and-run for a powerful man after experiencing a similar incident. "Aren't you ashamed?  What would your son think?"

Yi Soo refuses to divulge his identity,  but revisits the idea that all things come full circle and we reap what we sow.  He gives Prosecutor Oh three days to reveal the truth he knows...and only this much, because of his care for the kind Joon Young.

Hae Woo is still suffering when she bumps into her dad outside their home. Because of the situation with the recording,  he refuses to acknowledge her as a family anymore.  Their conversation is cold and stunted.

We cut to her speaking with her grandfather soon after. Though she apologizes, he doesn't allow it, saying the situation was unavoidable. He does ask who sent the video file, but our heroine has smartened up and says she doesn't know. The chairman dismisses her.

She doesn't leave however, and instead asks about her great-grandfather. Hae Woo is on the right track;  Chairman Jo seems suspicious as soon as the subject is broached. They converse on the subject and he seems forthcoming enough and he shows her the "only photo"  that exists of his father. The others were destroyed in a fire. Mm-hmm.

It's interesting that they both agree he must have taken after his mother. I wonder what that could imply,  especially since he doesn't want anyone to see a photo of him with his father.



We get the story of what happened to great-grandfather. It's a harrowing tale of war camps,  torture,  and an unjust execution at the hands of the North Koreans. The body was returned to them shortly afterward. Hae Woo wonders her grandfather was not with him at the time, but he says it was because he was advised to stay away.

The chairman has his own wonder next: why is Hae Woo suddenly so interested in the family history? She responds that it's nothing but curiosity,  but nobody buys that.

Hae Woo returns to her room with Joon Young. Their relationship has seemed very strained lately for obvious reasons. A chat about the conflict with Ui Sun slowly becomes another uncomfortable poke at Hae Woo's secretive behavior. Joon Young's attempt to alleviate the mood with humor also has no effect.



Chairman Jo certainly makes a lot of phone calls in the dark. He asks his poison-touting minion to find whether Kim Jun might actually be Yi Soo. So it seems everyone is catching on.

Elsewhere,  Dong Soo and Secretary Jang drop in on Yi Soo. This meeting serves as a way to let our hero know that Yi Hyun is having a hard time;  she's learned that her real father wasn't guilty after all. It was nice of him to bring the food over from her adoptive family's shop though. We also get a cute smile out of Yi Soo from their interaction and it's a pleasant surprise for Dong Soo and the viewer both.



Detective Byeon drops in on Yi Hyun,  who is miserably looking over internet articles regarding the hit-and-run. She's clearly suffering from the lack of resolution Jo Ui Sun's revelation and apology have afforded.  Though her own father was cleared, only he was punished. Nothing has been changed by the new turn of events. She can't garner any relief or peace, so she breaks down into tears while her adoptive parents try to soothe her.

Another phone call in the dark has Prosecutor Oh revealing the deadline communicated to him by Yi Soo.  Chairman Jo promises him a higher position than even Chief Prosecutor when he seems to waver. The promise is laced with a threat: if either of them goes down, they both do.

We cut to Secretary Jang contemplating a letter from Junichiro, clearly addressed to Jo Sang Geuk. In her flashback,  he says that it will be Yi Soo's savior. One can only wonder what it contains and it's clear she's struggling with her own curiosity.



Detective Byeon and his partner are going over the case evidence when he's called up by the forensics team about Detective Oh's doing. He seems surprised.

He brings Hae Woo along to visit the tech, but stops outside to make sure they both understand what they might find out. There's clearly a secret buried in the documents that killed the professor and Han Young Man,  while forcing Yi Soo to go missing. That secret regards her great-grandfather,  but since he's dead...

...the only one who would care about a reveal would be the chairman,  his son.

Hae Woo is still refusing this as a possibility because of her deep respect for her grandfather. She believes someone else is involved, but I feel she's in denial. What else makes sense?  Detective Byeon is a sweetie and doesn't push further, partially because he has no concrete evidence. But he wants her to be prepared.



When they actually visit the tech, our sleuths learn that Detective Oh brought that old photo he found around for inspection. The man doesn't recall much since he only saw it briefly, but it looked to him like a family photo. With some more prodding, he recalls the inscription on the back that said "Me and Sang Geuk," along with a date.   Oh, and that our late detective also looked for a photocopier. So , there's a copy right?
 


A shot of Prosecutor Oh (so many Oh's to write about) shows him opening an envelope with a copy of the very same photo. The texture of the envelope resembles that of the letter Junichiro sent to the chairman earlier.

Back with our sleuths, it appears that no photo was found in Detective Oh's possessions. Soo Hyun gamely volunteers to go check it out which prompts Hae Woo to ask him to also look over the deceased's computer files. She finally raises the question I've had all along: how can an ordinary photo cause so much trouble?  It's just a family portrait. Isn't it?

Detective Byeon gets a timely call that the security footage was tampered with at the library. The viewer knows who did it already, of course, but hey.



In the meantime, Yi Soo swings by his sister's work place for a visit. However, she's on her way to lunch so he'll have to be served by another worker. Not sure what to do, he eventually calls after her to see if she'll eat together with him. Since she doesn't know who he is and isn't well acquainted with the Kim Jun persona, this comes off as strange. But Yi Hyun is a sweet girl and eventually accepts his invitation.

There are a lot of rare Yi Soo smiles as they eat together at this fancy Italian place. The sequence is a little awkward but heartwarming, being the closest to normal our hero has been in a long time.



The two get on the subject of spaghetti, since Yi-Hyun heard it was well-made here. Yi Soo wonders why she didn't order it then, but it's because she no longer can stomach the stuff. We learn her aversion comes from the fact she had been eating spaghetti with Hae Woo at the time of her brother's accident. This prompts Yi Soo to order her a serving to help her overcome her feelings of guilt.  He gently pushes her to try, but it's too much and she bursts into tears.

She tells him that her brother must have suffered while she ate spaghetti, unknowing of his plight. Yi Hyun bolts out after, too emotional to be in his presence any longer; Yi Soo chases after to apologize and offer alternative food options. As expected she declines,  but he grabs her hand and asks her if she'd like to get rice rolls to eat at the park.

Sounds like he's asking her for a date since she doesn't "know" him, so the sequence reaches a fever pitch of awkward as Yi Hyun pulls her hand away. She asks if he likes her, because she likes him... but "not in that way." Yi Soo seems to finally read the situation as he returns the sentiment in kind. I don't even know what to say right now, but they both seem relieved so that's good?

As Yi Soo watches his sister go, he doesn't seem to notice Chairman Jo's assassin watching him.



At the Jo household, the chairman finally receives Junichiro's mysterious letter. Like Prosecutor Oh's envelope, it contains the ever-problematic photo.

Our sleuths make their way to the library, where a member of security informs the pair that only the date they're looking for is missing.  Every other tape is fine.

From here, Hae Woo checks through every book Detective Oh looked at the day he died. She soon finds a picture of her great-grandfather in one of them and rightly assumes he must have seen it.



The two leave, pondering why the photo is important enough to warrant erasing the security tapes. Byeon thinks it was because the killer was recorded, but Hae Woo isn't so sure. In any case,  the footage should be restored within ten days,  so they'll soon find out. The detective also mentions that Yi Hyun isn't having the greatest time, so Hae Woo agrees to pay her a comforting visit.

Another phone call in the dark,  and Chairman Jo's minion is reporting on the awkward meet-up between Kim Jun and Yi Hyun. He laughs darkly but advises no action to be taken yet; they need to size up their enemy and his support, should he have any.

We cut to Junichiro, the aforementioned support, pulling a Yi Soo as he stares into the fish tank. He asks our hero whether he'll be okay; after all, the chairman is nothing to shake a leg at. By now he probably knows that Kim Jun is Han Yi Soo...and that Junichiro is one that rescued him.
 
Yi Soo answers that he won't be found out, but Junichiro goes on to say that he needs to focus on the "bigger picture" and not just Chairman Jo. The conversation is uncomfortable because it's clear Yi Soo is working as a loose cannon within the constraints of their plan.

As Junichiro leaves, Yi Soo's phone rings though he refrains from answering it right away. Junichiro halts his exit to declare "It's probably Chairman Jo."

Our hero finally checks his phone  and sure enough, it's the chairman wanting to meet. He invites Yi Soo to his home turf, which just sounds ominous.
 
Back at the Jo household, Hae Woo learns her grandfather isn't home and drops into his study for some snooping. She sees the envelope on his desk and goes through its drawers. One of them is locked and as she tries to gain access to it, Mrs. Park briefly delays the chairman in the lobby. When he finally catches her, she seems to lie her way out of danger effectively...but it's obvious he knows what she's been up to.

Her husband is acting on his own suspicions in the meantime, meeting with Soo Hyun for a chat in the park about the hit-and-run. He gets to the heart of the issue, asking whether his father already  knew what was going on.

It's clear Soo Hyun isn't being honest when he makes his denial; he practically gulps. Joon Young is so right when he says he's terrible at lying. He then asks how long his dad's been involved.  Could it have been the entire time?

This time  Soo Hyun answers honestly with a silent yes. Though he attempts to justify Prosecutor Oh's actions, it has no effect on Joon Young. He stalks off clearly upset, especially since he's found out that even his wife knew and kept it from him.
 


We next see him crying in his car. It's a little refreshing to see him emoting so much, but it's probably not a good idea to have a break down while driving. He nearly mows down some children in his grief.
 
Yi Hyun and Hae Woo finally have their meeting at the juice bar. It's a lot less awkward than the earlier one with Yi Soo, despite it being all about what the Jo family did to the Han. At the same time Hae Woo obviously tries to steel the younger girl in the face of the painful truths still hidden from her. I'm not sure it's a good idea to continue to keep things from Yi Hyun, however, especially with the serious hurt Joon Young is experiencing. It seems to make everything worse in the long run.



"Kim Jun" arrives for his meeting with Chairman Jo. Their conversation begins with pleasantries but turns to the subject of "Han Yi Soo." He believes "that boy is still alive." When the chairman also goes on to reject the hotel merger, it becomes clear he's figured it all out, down to the connection with Junichiro.

The chairman remarks that no human can judge another fairly and truth can be destructive. Our hero retorts with his favorite "what comes around,  goes around" adage. As Yi Soo leaves, Chairman Jo warns that the truth is deeper than he thinks...and he should recall who he's messing with. Them's fighting words, Grandpa Jo.

Yi Soo manages to get the last word AND a revelation as he leaves. The bookshelf serves as a reminder as to how often the chairman actually visits that used bookstore Hae Woo recommended to him.

Prosecutor Oh sits in his office with a resignation letter at the ready. He calls up Chairman Jo in order to let him know he'll be doing as Yi Soo demanded, but is interrupted by his son's arrival. Joon Young confronts him almost instantly about his complicity in the hit-and-run, and what he was thinking,  if he never thought of the son that was killed. It's heart-wrenching to hear him say that there's nobody left in the world that he can trust.

As Joon Young leaves, Hae Woo finds him in the hall. She's obviously found out what happened from the tiny snippet scene with Soo Hyun and has come to calm her husband. All his patience and joviality from earlier episodes is gone; he has nothing to say to her and refuses to listen.

Meanwhile our hero is hanging around the used bookstore. He remembers his time there with Hae Woo in the good old days, but is interrupted in his thoughts by the real thing. They have an awkward exchange and she parts from him. He nearly abandons at the store to follow her...

...but the sound of a clicking pen pulls him back to his purpose. We see him put the pieces that that the old man is also Chairman Jo's assassin. There's a moment of recognition and Yi Soo's smirk closes the episode.