Heartless City (Moojung Doshi) - Episode 16 (A SqueeCap)

kakashi: Please put your hand up if you hate fake-outs! We all saw how Baksa slowly moved his face to peek through the panel, right?
JoAnne: I saw it! So did the Eyes of Thighs!
Shuk: The dagger stare yes yes!
Fake out!
Episode 16

kakashi: But not in this version. Here, Neanderthal is just very angry, and Baksa speaks in a very sinister voice, but there is no eye contact. While holding the wonderfully scared Ahn by the throat, Baksa asks for Neanderthal's help in catching Pusan. But Neanderthal isn't interested in cooperation: All he wants to know is whether Baksa really did not kill his VeryBoringOtherHalf (as he said on the phone). Of course he did not, but they still shout at each other, it culminating in Baksa yelling: "We will find the one who killed her together, do you understand!". Yes, finally, Neanderthal does understand and lowers his weapon - Baksa knew her?!
JoAnne: Meanwhile, Behind the Screen: Baksa's thinking oh shit oh shit oh shit
Shuk: Followed up with "Okay, this conversation is over."
kakashi: Baksa does not answer, but pushes Ahn on top of Neanderthal, to get a head start. He leaves (i.e. walks first, cooly, and then runs, less cooly). The Ineptness Squad follows with their cowboy hats and toy guns etc. etc. etc., in the end, Baksa gets away easily. Who is surprised? 
JoAnne: Seriously, even for Baksa. I was like Dooooooooooood...RUN. He limped, did you see that?
Shuk: [shake head] How in the...? What are the police....? Oh hell, nevermind.
kakashi: Back in the Bak garage, he is sighing in his car. I am not entirely sure why. Because he is really saddened by how incompetent his fellow police officers are? Or is it because Neanderthal found out he also knew TheVeryBoringGirlfriend? Or because he is just generally tired of everything? Pull yourself together, man!
JoAnne: That is the International Face of F***, What Next?
Shuk: He's thinking "These guys couldn't find their butts with both hands and a bird dog - how can I even think that they can be used to help me?"
kakashi: Neanderthal is home and undresses, but only a little. He is also sighing heavily. Then, he realizes Soo-min isn't around and has a minor freak-out. But she only went to buy some food. Yeah, eat, woman. How much do you weigh? 30 kilos? 
JoAnne: Her thighs still have to be introduced to each other. They didn't even attend the same school.
Shuk: [spit take of her Butterfingers milkshake from Sonic]
Blue vs Black!
kakashi: At the Bak Cave, there is a meeting of people in blue clothes. They look awesome. I picture them as a rock band and like it. Doc tells his driver to get "that woman" off Ahn, because she's been discovered, and get her to a new place. Awwwww. So sweet of him. Everybody knows that woman is the driver's own true love.
JoAnne: They make an adorable couple. I hope they both live. I noticed the blue too, and giggled. Jin Sook's dress is nice except for the implements of torture lining the inner edge of her sleeves.
Shuk: Both Jin-sook and Cutie-soo were making similar nervous gestures with their hands at the same time. And I think Soo-min will be less angry with Baksa if he didn't get her childhood friend killed, so good move all the way around.
kakashi: They discuss drug business next. They need the "Professor" (Jang) for making delicious drugs. Jin-sook says she's on it but she will use "somebody else" to track him down. Cutie Soo, always suspicious, wants to know who that is, Jin-sook tells him it's none of his business, while Baksa just looks alarmed/weary. And I just wished that soccer thing were finally over so that we did not get banners and footballs covering our beautiful gangsters' heads and torsos. And ... are Jin-sook and Cutie Soo flirting?!
JoAnne: They are! Baksa gave them a 'what the heck' look, too, did you see that?
Shuk: What is Cutie-soo doing with that tongue? Nevermind, I don't want to know.
kakashi: Oh. That. Very clearly sexual agitation on his part. 
Shuk: [hands over eyes]  LALALA - I can't see you!
kakashi: At the House of the Lonely Hearts, Soo-min voices her disbelief about what Neanderthal is telling her. What? Baksa warned him about her? Why? Isn't he a monster? And why hasn't he told Jin-sook about her being an undercover agent? Neanderthal, who seems kinda depressed, overall, sighs that Doctor's Son may not be the one that killed her sister. Are you listening, woman? Not really, because Jin-sook calls ... and asks Soo-min to come over. Neanderthal isn't happy about it. Me caveman! Me protect woman! Soo-min goes anyway.
JoAnne: She's actually pretty ballsy, this girl. I like her. She better not do something stupid that gets Baksa Adeul killed.
Shuk: So it was okay for her to enter that wretched hive and scum and villainy, and sell her virginity and be placed in harm's way, but now all of the sudden it's too dangerous? Me don't get it.
kakashi: Jin-sook hands Soo-min Professor Jang's file and tells her to go spot him at the bars he frequents. That's easy enough! When Soo-min tells Neanderthal about her task, he immediately realizes that Baksa wants to get into drug production, too - and that This Is War in Drugland. Evil Overlord aka The Chairman also knows Baksa is looking for a Chemist - and he moves to prevent Baksa from getting said chemist. Yeah, he hasn't killed anyone recently, he must be getting bored. Also after Jang now? The Special Ineptness Squad. Oh. This will be fun.
JoAnne: Since none of these people ever succeed at anything they attempt, Jang is now effectively the safest man in South Korea.
Shuk: For realz.
kakashi: While Baksa is broodily thinking about the someone that Jin-sook is sending to find Jang (why is he always brooding in front of the shower and not in the shower?) Soo-min gets ready for her mission. I get a giggle fit. Is she supposed to be a Rainbow Brite doll?!
JoAnne: You and me. We are so connected. I questioned his standing there and whispered how good the hot water would feel on his tired, achy body. And I giggled in disbelief at her FUGLY FUGLY FUGLY outfit and hair.
kakashi: Unni! I looooooove you!
Shuk: There's a reason why redheads rarely wear pink. And she is more forgetable-looking when she is just herself, since she's supposed to search and not get caught. Would Baksa be as successful in escaping if he was wearing, say, Grandpa Leetueks's leisure suits and purple hair??
kakashi: And ooooookay, I'm giggling even more, cause Baksa and Cutie are standing there, drinking booze together, when Jin-sook comes in and asks them whether they're in love. Her and Cutie? Definitely flirting!! That's good. Cause if he gets her hormones flowing, it will lessen the shock when she finds out that Soo-min and Baksa, you know ... did the beast with two backs. It's kinda cute and Cutie Soo is mighty impressed by his "auntie". He even thinks she is "so cool".
JoAnne: Still, they WERE bent over close enough to be doing that couple drink thing.
Shuk: Later on, we find out he was Shi-hyun's friend all these years because he was crunching on his Auntie...
kakashi: While they drink, flirt and worry a little bit about this and that, things are heating up elsewhere. Pink Wonder Girl has spotted Jang, calls Jin-sook, and Jin-sook leaves to meet up with her. Neanderthal is also going there. We know Pusan's men are going there. And I'm sure Baksa is also going there. For a reason that completely eludes me, Soo-min transform from Pink Doll to Black Badass in hallway. I would have understood if she put on sneakers or something. But the shoes are the only thing she does not change. 
JoAnne: And the clothes were where, exactly? She only had that tiny bejeweled hardsided purse. I know she's a bitty thing but if her outfit fit in there, I give up.
Shuk: Maybe it was a Victoria's Secret Compartment Bra?

kakashi: Jin-sook gets there and they go up in the elevator to get the Professor. Yikes! The Toothpick and his men are already waiting for them inside the hotel room! But Jin-sook is too street-smart to be fooled. The lack of security at the door alerts her, and she and Soo-min manage to flee. Things are not looking too good for them, when The Neanderthal appears and saveth his womenz! (I am rather impressed when I notice that all the gangsters even wear the same ties)
Shouldn't they be in Slytherin?
JoAnne: I would have liked to see him appear, though, you know. Not just magically be in that room with them. Although the hilariously awkward conversation was hilarious.
Shuk: It kind of breaks the Thigh's mold for him to NOT be in the thick of the fighting. Was he tracking them? It's seems like a scene that was not well thought out. But I loved the fighting afterwards! And I welcome back the leg bullet injuries!!
kakashi: Brave Neanderthal takes a severe beating so that the women can escape. Well, he probably didn't think he would be beaten, but Toothpick remembers what the Chairman said about The Ji-Boy being a nuisance and "ending the relationship", which is just a euphemism for "kill", as we now realize. Toothpick pulls out this really loooooooooong, really blurry knife and wants to stick it into our brave detective, when ... Baksa arrives and kicks everybody's ass! Baksa FTW!
JoAnne: I did cheer quite loudly to see the two boys teamed up, however briefly.
Shuk: Pistol-as-brass-knuckles is awesome!
kakashi: He checks Neanderthal's revolver ... one bullet left. And then, Toothpick says: "Long time no see, Baksa Adeul!" Finally! The cat is out of the bag! Yes, Neanderthal ... this beautiful man is Baksa Adeul. The way he holds the gun? A dead give-away. Cop training. Definitely. Though he never got any, I don't think.
Shuk: Shi-hyun graduated from police academy, kakashi,so he knows the South Korean two-handed pistol stance.
kakashi: He has? I am not sure. See further below (conversation with Min in church). I think he's like Soo-min: made undercover before training.
JoAnne: When he fights he returns to a boxer's ready position, too. I guessing Neanderthal is a bit wonderstruck at the moment, plus he's taken quite a beating.
Shuk: He does seem a bit woozy.
kakashi: But Toothpick has a groggy Neanderthal at knife-point, and Baksa cannot shoot him. Then, Baksa pretends to drop the gun, no, he actually does drop it, but he has signaled the Neanderthal to be at his guard before, and the Big Dude manages to overpower Toothpick with his elbow. Baksa kicks the gun over to Neanderthal. It isn't a challenge, it is his way of saying "I didn't do anything wrong and you probably know it and will not kill me or arrest me".
JoAnne: I squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed. The dog woke up and burped in my face. It sort of ruined the moment for me, so I thought I'd share the disappointment with ya'll.
Shuk: LOL - poor JoAnne. I thought the elbow hit to Toothpick's face was epic. And the stand off was even better. Certainly better than me screaming at my television, "Think, you idiot cop. USE THE BRAINS GOD GAVE YOU!"

kakashi: And Neanderthal lets him walk. I'm thinking two things: a) this could be the beginning of another great bromance and b) Neanderthal looks really hot all bloody and bothered.
JoAnne: Yes because A) yes please and B) duhhhhhh Actually the bloody mouth was a turn off.
Shuk: a) They need to clean up - Jimjilbang Scene! They can compare notes and scars while scrubbing each other's backs; and b) tears and blood? Definite heart tug for Detective Dick, dammit.
kakashi: While Baksa is also a bit rattled by the beginning romance, Neanderthal's dad hears about what happened to his son from Ahn and clearly doesn't like it. But he is meeting with The Chairman and the power relationship doesn't seem all that equal anymore ... The smiling Killer tells him to sit still and shut up, because who made him what he is now? And who could unmake it, too? This is not good. Not goot at all.
JoAnne: I was like, whoaaaa, dudes, what IS this? What happened to peace love and harmony, dads? Do we have some jockeying happening at this level, too?

Shuk: So the implication is that Chairman Jo is Pusan? Not the congressman or the chief prosecutor? Hmm, seems like a red herring to me. On the other hand, Awful Arthur's company has been neatly tied up; the widow committed suicide and the company has been scatter to the four winds.
kakashi: Baksa gets out of his car (we see that he has Jang!) and wants to go brood in the Bak Cave, when he spots Jin-sook and Soo-min going in! No. Noooo! Jin-sook! Not a good idea! Abort! Abort! Cutie Soo is up in arms when Jin-sook walks in with a stranger. This is Bak Cave! What is she doing?! While Soo-cutie and Soo-min have a little stare-down, Soo-min realizes who he is ... Doctor's Son right hand.
JoAnne: But she's been warned off Baksa now, right. She knows he helped Hyung Min, she knows he probably didn't kill Unni.
Shuk: I don't think she 100% believes that, even if Thighs told her. She's still focused on giving the world the finger for her unni's death. And poor Baksa - his Fortress of Solitude has been despoiled!
kakashi: Cutie insists Jin-sook follows him out and he really tells her off for bringing a stranger to the inner temple, but she keeps on insisting she'll take responsibility and it's okay. Hm. That isn't very good writing, cause she repeats the same thing over and over but it really doesn't make more sense after the fifith time. It's completely out of character for her to do this. But I guess the point is that she really, really trusts Soo-min and that Soo-min really, really needs to find out who Baksa is, quickly, cause we only have 4 episodes left.
JoAnne: As KangTo would say...Pingo!
Shuk: Standard KDrama trope: when someone says don't worry, it's a perfect time to start worrying.
kakashi: But then, Baksa calls and tell her to get that girl out. Right now. Nobody is allowed into his Sanctuary without his permission. Why the frigging hell did Jin-sook bring her, then?! Too late now! Sigh. As she walks out, Soo-min wonders whether this place is Baksa Adeul's hide-out.
JoAnne: And I wonder why those miserable excuses for grown woman thighs don't crumble into dust when she takes a step. She's cute and all but her legs are frightening.
Shuk: Did Baksa overhear her exposition about the identity of the hideout's owner?
kakashi: Baksa broods, Soo-min thinks. She is now certain: She recognizes Soo and that place is Baksa's place. When she calls The Neanderthal about her big revelation, he doesn't react all too excited. We know why, but she doesn't, and is rightly puzzled. He really should have told her more, cause this is not good. I've watched enough KDrama to know what happens if characters do not communicate properly ... he stays at the office, recovering and thinking, while she starts digging up information on the death of her sister.
JoAnne: What exactly does she intend to do with the knowledge of the type of sniper rifle used?
Shuk: She's gonna sneak back to the Bak Cave and start snooping, mark my words. She's determined to bring Baksa down, no matter what anyone says. Whether she finds his sniper rifle remains to be seen, but my guess is yes. Nevermind that it's the Elvis of sniper rifles and Thighs has one too.
kakashi: Some awesome Ahn-Neanderthal interaction follows, because the thugs Neanderthal took prisoner after the Baksa-Neanderthal bonding have walked free, of course. And then .... gooooodness no, Toothpick is asked to give The Chairman his hand and they ... cut it off?! Or is it "only" some fingers?! We do not know and I do not want to know. Ugh. What terrible working conditions.
JoAnne: That was an effective scene. I at least want to see if it's a stump, though.
Shuk: Give him a hook, then we can call him "Gaff". I would think Jo would let Toothpick keep his opposable thumb and his trigger finger at least. Wait, the All Powerful Chairman has no guns.
kakashi: The jeans models meet again in Bak Cave. It's drug production problems again. It's not easy being a gangster, it seems. Bummer, cause I always considered a career in crime, in case things went terribly wrong in my current life. They are afraid Scale might have let The Chairman know where their new facility is and Soo wants to immediately change the location, but Baksa coolly waves a hand: it's okay.
Shuk: He's thinking again, but what?
kakashi: The Lady of the Blurry Knives and Meth Kim have an awesome moment throwing thugs off a balcony. Ah. Safari is at the production site, getting everything ready for said production. But Baksa tells him that Killer Jo knows the location - and that he is producing somewhere else. A place only he knows. Safari is mildly amused by this and decides to go after the "One behind the Chairman". And who would that be? Knife-Lady and Meth Kim want to know. Safari says: "The Elder from Seochodong". That name seems to ring a bell, because both his underlings are alarmed. But Safari just smiles.
JoAnne: Have we heard that before? Is this new information? If he knew this all along, why bother trying to get into Pusan's organization to find out? One thing I don't like about this show is that they don't share with us how people find out about things like this.
Shuk: I don't remember anything about an elder. Maybe aoiaheen knows; she's been good at picking out details so far.
kakashi: Ahn-Doll breaks Ahn's heart by moving out and telling him she was never serious. Baksa calls him and tells him he wants to meet his boss. Ahn tries to be difficult, because he knows who President Jung is (Baksa), but Baksa calls the bluff. Ahn is just a powerless puppet in need of "presents" (=drugs). I hope he is right. I do not get a good feeling when I watch Ahn being kicked about by everyone.
JoAnne: Yeah he stopped looking pathetic and started looking like a problem pretty much on a dime, here. I did laugh that he thought Doll was really into him.
Shuk: The slow slip to powerless obscurity is a painful thing, but fun to watch.
kakashi: And we're back at the Japanese restaurant. Yes, that one. Ahn, who is running to Chief Prosecutor Ji to tell him all about how he is being blackmailed and threatened, is being followed by Baksa. Daddy Ji tells him to find that Baksa first and then come to him again, when said Baksa enters the room. There are hidden and not so hidden threats in what Daddy Ji says the him. But when Baksa says he will take Chairman Jo's place, prosecutor Ji becomes outright scary.
JoAnne: This felt like a bucket of denouement got dumped on my head, honestly. Too much change! Too fast! But look how handsome Baksa is. He wore the good suit for this meeting.
kakashi: He is about to leave, when Baksa mentions his son - and the likelihood of that son being killed in his chase after Pusan. He offers to help the Neanderthal. Daddy Ji asks if he truly is Doctor's Son - he thought that guy would be a lot older. Baksa is very polite, pouring the Commissioner a drink and all ... offering him more than what Jo currently gives him. Oh dear. Not sure that's a smart move, boy ... Daddy-Ji smiles and pours his drink onto the table. So, would he be able to put that back into the cup? No, Baksa says; he'd give him a new one.
JoAnne: I was surprised at how badly Baksa seemed to have miscalculated (why, though, because he does it all the time, JoAnne) and then I loved that moment when it all turned around and he gestured grandly and offered Ji Pop a seat. And then 30 seconds later Ji Pop is stomping all over Baksa's game and I'm like...huh? What is happening?
Shuk: Baksa knows there's more to the organization above Ji, so I don't know what he is doing. I think Ji is bluffing to some extent, though. The new information is percolating between those perfect ears, which is good.
kakashi: Gah, scary. Daddy Ji leaves after telling Baksa not to look at the person he wants to use, but at the person in the position. Baksa says he gets it, I certainly don't. Outside, Daddy Ji tells Ahn to support his son from now on. Ahn doesn't understand, me neither. Baksa stays inside, thinking hard about what Daddy Ji said. 
JoAnne: Add me to the person/position confusion list. However, telling Ahn to support his son from now on was crystal clear. Daddy wants Baksa gone and probably Jo, too.
Daddy Ji doesn't want his son hurt, for sure, so maybe this is his way of keeping the criminals from his son? I admit, grasping at straws here.

kakashi: And Ji-Daddy (in ass-cool sunglasses) (I think you mean cool ass? I do? We say ass-cool in German, nevermind :) meets with ... Safari. ooookay, I didn't see that one coming. Is is possible that Daddy Ji is the Big Bad then? The Elder? Or is Safari just carefully feeling his way around? He also proposes to take Jo's place - and it seems as if Daddy Ji were accepting it.
JoAnne: The car commercial scene is gorgeous, but yeah, I was taken by surprise, too. And are we back to Safari wanting to kill Baksa for some unknown reason?
Shuk: And if he is the head of the organization, I don't think he would let Chairman Jo talk to him that way. Is this a setup created by Safari and Baksa to misdirect the cartel's upper management? So confused right now.
kakashi: There's a sexily brooding Cutie Soo up next and I must say, he really is delicious. He jumps up when Baksa comes home and voices his concern about that "sister" Jin-sook brought there. Baksa is cool about it. Too cool. Cutie gets suspicious; does Baksa know her? Yeah, kind of, Baksa says. Cutie warns him: she had that look on her face ... he doesn't have a good feeling about it.
JoAnne: Me neither, Broody Soo. Come get some snuggles. But first take off the gay bartender scarf. It confuses me.
Shuk: You can always use it to tie his hands together.
kakashi: Cutie shuts up immediately when Jin-sook comes in. She tells them that Toothpick and the Tie Gang have been released and they sigh about the difficulty to "get" Pusan. But Baksa has a plan: find out where their drug production facility is. And to find that out, he meets with the evil Min - and demands he give him intel on Pusan. What's the purpose of finding that facility, Min wants to know, when you cannot prove it is Pusan's? But Baksa is confident: he will prove it. When he leaves, Baksa asks whether Min knows that Ji Hyung Min and himself would have been at the same class at the police academy. If he had attended ... would he be in the same position now? And he smiles a somewhat sad smiles as he leaves.
JoAnne: It was sad, yes. And how did he find this out, hmmm?
Shuk: Maybe snooping through DeadBoringGirlfriend's house? But then, what about that fancy-dancy uniform he had on when Min recruited him? Didn't he have an ROK ID card then, like Safari's?
kakashi: Oh. Neanderthal is talking to Min about his doubts. Min is all smiley-smiley ... until Neanderthal mentions that he has met The Doctor's Son. Oh shoot. I do NOT LIKE the look on Lying Min's face ...
JoAnne: Here's where I sat up straight and put my feet on the ground because le sheet is about to hit le fan, I'm thinking.
Shuk: Occam's Razor is gonna slice some throats, maybe.
kakashi: Baksa has 24 unanswered messages. Leaving The Min hanging, are we? When he finally does pick up, Baksa is all cool, while Min clearly loses it. What about his identity? What about Jin-sook and Cutie-soo, who he has been protecting? Protecting? Baksa says. Using, more like. Leave them alone - and abort the undercover mission of Soo-min (Does he say Soo-min? Or Jin-sook? I think he said Jin-sook). Gah, he is so cool. The other guy? Not so much. Baksa? Be careful!!!
JoAnne: I am now convinced that Baksa knows a whole lot more about Min than we do. But the pencil break thing was just a bit much.
Shuk: So maybe that whole scene with the Chief Prosecutor was done to make him look like an idiot in Ji's eyes? That's what I'm hoping!
kakashi: Jin-sook gets home but, alas, the Toothpick is waiting for her. Soo-min sees how she's escorted out. By the way, who is sponsoring the ever-same type of necklace? The two women briefly have eye-contact (whatever happened to having Soo-min killed by the way?) and Soo-min causes a distraction (uhm ... by just calling Jin-sook's name, but nevermind), which gives Jin-sook and Soo-min an opportunity to flee. More running in incredibly high heels! The two ladies manage to hide from the Special Ineptness Gangsters, but Jin-sook sees no point in trying to run any further. She asks for Soo-min's phone and tells her to call this number for help. The guy will protect her if she mentions her name. 
JoAnne: I immediately stopped the stream to check how much time was left in the episode and then began to berate the show on Twitter for destroying the next week of my life. All the while crossing my fingers that we'd see at least a TINY bit of the denouement
Shuk: Ah, the light at the end of the tunnel. It's the Truth Train, and Casey Jones isn't watching his speed. And, as a side note, Jin-sook should have had bolt holes placed in her own establishment.
kakashi: I get an ungood feeling in my stomach (is it fear? Or is it because it's almost lunch time) when Soo-min demands to know whose number it is and Jin-sook says: Shi-hyun. Jung Shi-hyun. Soo-min's jaw drops as she must be - or might be - putting two and two together. Cutie Soo + Bak Cave = Jin-Sook + Jung Shi-hyun = Baksa Adeul.
JoAnne: For a minute I thought - but she knows they know each other - and then I realized she could have just thought he was a customer of the establishment.

Shuk: Oh snap. But finally! And I loved the sad guitar and voice of the ending song.

Final Comments

kakashi: Are all the cats out of the bag and all the dénouement done and over with? This episode raised the stakes of the game (and definitely brought my heart rate up) because everything is in motion now. And pretty much everything is moving against Baksa. Four more episodes to go! Wanna bet who dies and who lives?
JoAnne: #amp;amp;#^)$%@_$(%&# WEEK you ##(@@^%#@) piece of #*^$#@% show
Shuk: Yeah, what she said.