Connection: Episodes 13-14 (Remaining)

by solstices

Our hero faces his previous in additional methods than one, searching for out ugly truths and revisiting a forgotten reminiscence. To the very finish, Connection stays true to its central theme, wrapping up all its free ends in a satisfying conclusion befitting its characters. Not a second is wasted, and never a second extra is required.

EPISODES 13-14

In the end, Jae-kyung learns the entire reality of Chae Kyung-tae’s demise from classmate Noh Gyu-min. The fireplace had been unintentional — Jong-soo had knocked down each Kyung-tae and the oil canister — however after Tae-jin had ushered the gang out, leaving the unconscious Kyung-tae within the burning home, Jong-soo had returned to retrieve his fallen identify tag. Kyung-tae had nonetheless been respiratory then, and when he’d regained consciousness briefly to beg Jong-soo for assist, Jong-soo had as a substitute clobbered him to demise as a way to conceal his crime.

Flashback to a summer time trip, when the Audiophile membership went on a visit to the seashore. Whereas Yoon-jin secretly listens in from her tent, Jae-kyung hears from Joon-seo that Jong-soo’s gang had merely paced about exterior as a substitute of dashing in to avoid wasting Kyung-tae. When Joon-seo hadn’t reported the incident regardless of promising to, Jae-kyung went forward and did it himself, leading to his college suspension.

Again within the current, Jong-soo discovers Tae-jin’s distribution of the lemon meth tablets behind his again. Livid on the double-crossing, he beats each Tae-jin and Sang-eui up, however Sang-eui manages to catch him off guard with a hammer. The pair make a run for it, and Tae-jin smashes Sang-eui’s telephone, instructing him to delete any recordings he has and escape overseas inside the subsequent twelve hours.

The subsequent day, Tae-jin orders a search and seizure of the freezer storage, intentionally exposing the drug lab. Then he provides Chairman Gained a deal — if he permits him to take Jong-soo into custody, he’ll enable KH Group to get off scot-free. Will he select his son, or his firm? Chairman Gained seems pained, however he finally chooses the latter, dealing a horrible blow to Jong-soo.

Within the midst of the operation to seize Jin-wook, a part of Chang-soo’s black field footage is lastly recovered — and it clearly exhibits Chang-soo rolling down the window and swerving off the highway with none provocation. Dismayed and disenchanted, Jae-kyung cuffs the chastened Chang-soo’s wrists.

The present should go on, and group chief JUNG YEON-JOO (Yoon Sa-bong) goes undercover within the guise of a fellow stowaway. Besides their cowl has been blown, and Jin-wook makes a run for it, boarding a ship at one other close by port. With no different possibility, Jae-kyung wraps a rope round his trembling hand to regular it, then shoots Jin-wook. His bullet finds his mark, however proper then, cops present up and arrest Jae-kyung for taking medication.

Calling out their inadmissible strategies — they ran checks on a strand of hair pilfered from Jae-kyung’s locker — Yeon-joo pulls Jae-kyung apart to listen to his facet of the story. Regardless of her insistence on believing that he hadn’t taken medication of his personal free will, Jae-kyung confesses the reality of his dependancy, and she or he entreats him to lie that he’d solely been uncovered to medication just lately throughout the undercover operation.

Earlier than Jae-kyung is summoned for his investigation, he asks Chang-soo for his motive. Chang-soo had been sick of the limitless cycle — capturing drug addicts just for extra drug addicts to floor — and so he’d struck a take care of Boss Yoon to handle the drug scene. But Jae-kyung counters that they will’t take shortcuts. Toiling day and evening, even when there isn’t any finish in sight, is the very nature of their job; it’s their obligation to satisfy.

In the course of the interrogation, Chang-soo shocks everybody by confessing to drugging Jae-kyung. Submitting the deleted CCTV footage of Jae-kyung passing out within the workplace and Chang-soo feeding him the stolen lemon meth tablet, Chang-soo lies that he’d gotten Jae-kyung hooked on throw him off his scent, so his dealings with Boss Yoon wouldn’t be found. “Jae-kyung has accomplished nothing flawed,” Chang-soo insists, avoiding Jae-kyung’s gaze, whilst Jae-kyung pleads that it’s not true.

Because of Chang-soo’s testimony, Jae-kyung’s case is wrapped up as an unintentional dependancy within the line of obligation. He’s given a break from work to obtain remedy, however Jae-kyung requests for simply three extra days — he should see Joon-seo’s case by to the tip. The composite sketch of Yoon-ho’s assassin comes out resembling Chi-hyun, and Jae-kyung cuffs him at Yoon-ho’s funeral — the place Chi-hyun is the one buddy in attendance.

As for Yoon-jin, she receives a tip-off from Sang-eui with images of the town mayor cozying as much as bar hostesses. When she asks how he obtained the pictures, he dismisses her, claiming it’s extra necessary to avenge Joon-seo by blocking the Pilo-dong redevelopment. To that, Yoon-jin calls out his “friendship” to Joon-seo for what it truly is — an obsession. She’ll write the article, however it’s not for his sake — it’s as a result of she will’t stand individuals who lick the boots of the wealthy, all whereas ineffectually cursing them out behind their backs. Similar to Sang-eui.

Throwing all warning to the wind, Sang-eui orchestrates a confrontation with Tae-jin, calling Jae-kyung over as nicely. Gloating over lastly wresting management of the Pilo-dong mission, Tae-jin locks all their telephones in a protected to bypass any recordings, then smugly goads them into asking any questions they’ve. In spite of everything, Tae-jin’s already received; nothing can carry him down now.

Revealing that the redevelopment space is the place Kyung-tae used to stay and disclosing how Jong-soo murdered Kyung-tae, Jae-kyung corners Tae-jin with the inconsistency of Joon-seo’s footwear. With that, Tae-jin nonchalantly admits to the homicide, with out the slightest shred of regret. Joon-seo out of the blue needed to disclose their scheme, simply when Tae-jin’s plans have been lastly coming to fruition, so how may he let him stay? An confederate tranquilized Joon-seo earlier than pushing him off the ninth ground whereas the remainder have been within the elevator, thereby creating an alibi for Tae-jin.

Tae-jin is up to now faraway from empathy and human decency that it’s truly unsettling; he demeans Joon-seo for obeying his each order, then scoffs that Joon-seo must be pleased about the alternatives he gave him. How dare Joon-seo try and insurgent? Unable to bear it any longer, Jae-kyung yells Tae-jin’s identify, prompting Tae-jin to show round — and a gunshot rings out. Ahh, it’s Chekhov’s gun! With Jae-kyung’s stolen pistol, Sang-eui has shot Tae-jin level clean, ending his life immediately. Tae-jin has died by the hands of the particular person he appeared down upon essentially the most.

One month later, Jae-kyung visits the unrepentant Sang-eui in jail. “The revenge that you simply carried out in Joon-seo’s identify?” Jae-kyung says. “Maybe he could not have needed it in any respect.” In response, Sang-eui tells Jae-kyung to not come go to anymore. “After I hearken to the phrases you communicate to me, I find yourself feeling responsible, as if I’ve let Joon-seo down. Regardless that I’ve no motive to really feel that manner.” Earlier than he leaves, Sang-eui tells Jae-kyung the primary half of the password that he overheard from Tae-jin — it’s Ji-yeon’s birthday. Tae-jin really thought that little of Joon-seo.

Joon-seo’s post-mortem outcomes level to Chairman Gained’s chief secretary, however the arrest appears a bit of too simple, as if the confession had been premeditated. Jae-kyung confronts Chairman Gained, switching off his telephone and smartwatch to show he isn’t recording their dialog. The haughty chairman admits that Joon-seo had knowledgeable him of Tae-jin’s drug enterprise and Jong-soo’s homicide of Kyung-tae, however he sniffs haughtily that he’d performed no half in Tae-jin’s plan.

Besides Chairman Gained slips up, mentioning that Tae-jin left Joon-seo’s footwear on the ninth ground to disguise it as a suicide. Jae-kyung instantly zeroes in on the discrepancy, piling the stress on, and Chairman Gained cracks. Erupting in a rage, Chairman Gained admits to embellishing Tae-jin’s homicide scheme, as a way to shield the Keumhyung empire in any respect prices. However what can Jae-kyung do about it, with none proof? To Chairman Gained’s horror, Jae-kyung reveals a hidden voice recorder tucked inside his blazer. With out the chief secretary round, nobody had carried out a radical physique search earlier than letting Jae-kyung in. Chairman Gained has led to his personal downfall.

Two weeks later, Keumhyung is crumbling down, whereas the Gained father and son are despatched to jail. Jae-kyung has been receiving remedy for his dependancy, and he’s nicely on the highway to restoration. Ultimately, he and Yoon-jin obtain Joon-seo’s insurance coverage cash, which they generously share with Yoon-ho’s widow, the scholar Hyun-woo’s household, and Ji-yeon. The latter could come as a shock given all she’s accomplished, however our leads lengthen an olive department to her, and maybe it’s within the spirit of what the sort and forgiving Joon-seo would have needed.

Whereas serving to Ji-yeon transfer home, our Audiophile trio uncover an outdated tape from their summer time journey. Tears of nostalgia and grief nicely up of their eyes as they watch the footage, during which Yoon-jin requested Joon-seo what his dream was. His reply was easy: he simply favored spending time along with his Audiophile buddies. Oh, my coronary heart.

The trio go to the seashore once more, reminiscing their recollections. Musing upon their highschool bonds, Jae-kyung shares some smart phrases about friendship. When you grow to be too fixated on it, you’ll find yourself leaving scars on one another, and as soon as cash and greed enter the image, friendships collapse. Turning a blind eye to 1 one other’s misdeeds and scratching each other’s backs isn’t friendship any longer, however a mere connection.

As for our trio, they’re certain that their bond — newly reforged by Joon-seo — will without end stay a pure, harmless friendship. (Which successfully dashes poor Joo-song’s goals of romance with Yoon-jin, LOL.) Then Joo-song remembers that they’d designated the day of the seashore journey as their “friendship day” — and Joon-seo had remembered it, even years later. A big date which types a four-digit quantity? Cue lightbulb second.

Proper then and there, Jae-kyung enters Tae-jin’s half of the password, and Joo-song enters Joon-seo’s half. It’s the final password try left earlier than the account is locked without end, and — they’re in. Cue a hilarious mixture of exhilaration and panic, as the buddies scream excitedly over the sudden windfall whereas Jae-kyung yells that they should relinquish the unlawful income to the nationwide treasury, ha. Some issues by no means change.

With that, our journey alongside the Audiophile membership attracts to an finish. It’s really a mark of excellent storytelling that I’d love extra episodes with these characters, whereas concurrently not wanting extra episodes as a result of the story’s pacing would endure for it. Although its lightning-quick plot developments usually left little respiratory room for us viewers, Connection was all the time sure of the story it needed to inform, and it confirmed in its tight narrative.

Bolstered by deft directing and compelling appearing, the intricate plot unfolded in a sprawling internet that related its in depth solid collectively by constant motivations and deeply human flaws. For that motive, its twists weren’t merely for shock worth; somewhat, they have been believable revelations that supplied perception into its characters. The drama laid the groundwork by delicate foreshadowing and minor particulars that seemingly pale into the background, just for these plot threads to return in surprising methods. And when one thing did come completely out of left discipline, it was the nice form of shock — just like the comparatively low-stakes password reveal, to finish off on a excessive notice.

With the sheer quantity of content material that was packed into our finale week, it was inevitable that some particulars have been sped by, and a few comeuppances have been compressed. I’ll admit I used to be initially bowled over on the consecutive villain monologues from each our last villains, however in hindsight, I feel it is sensible. We’ve seen Jae-kyung’s remark and deduction abilities all through the present, however a detective should additionally be capable to draw out confessions from criminals, and that’s precisely what our hero does.

Jae-kyung has all the time had a knack for incisive questioning, as proven by all of the instances he obtained below the villains’ pores and skin to probe for info, and the Tae-jin and Chairman Gained confessions really feel like a fruits of his interrogative abilities. With antagonists as artful and succesful as these two, it’d be unrealistic for them to have left conclusive proof behind — the one solution to apprehend them could be by their very own admission, and that performs proper into Jae-kyung’s sturdy swimsuit.

I feel it’s deeply fascinating how a number of characters have been motivated by a love that grew twisted, demonstrating how even respect and friendship can lead one down the flawed path. Chang-soo’s unwavering devotion to Jae-kyung made him kill a person and provides a false confession to cowl up the reality of Jae-kyung’s dependancy, all as a result of he believes so firmly in Jae-kyung. His final query to Jae-kyung earlier than the interrogation — “Aren’t you going to ask me to testify favorably for you?” — felt like a last take a look at of Jae-kyung’s integrity.

It was exactly Jae-kyung’s staunch refusal to compromise his morals that proved he really is the upright sunbae Chang-soo has revered all these years, solidifying Chang-soo’s resolve to take the autumn in order that Jae-kyung can stay on the power the place he belongs. It’s heartrending that Chang-soo retains rejecting Jae-kyung’s visitations as a result of he’s too ashamed to face him in any case that he’s accomplished, and that Jae-kyung continues requesting to go to him anyway as a result of he nonetheless cares for his junior officer.

In an analogous vein, Sang-eui’s staunch loyalty to Joon-seo was a blade that minimize himself as a lot because it slashed others. With out Joon-seo as his anchor, Sang-eui went off the deep finish, throwing his morals and his future away — all for a lifeless buddy who would by no means have needed him to wreck his personal life. Sang-eui could have carried out his campaign in Joon-seo’s identify, however the vengeance he sought was for his personal warped sense of justice, not Joon-seo’s.

Unquestionably, the center of the present was Ji Sung, who anchored the breakneck plot with a gravitas that affirmed Jae-kyung’s regular ethical compass. Dealing with off towards him, Kwon Yul gave a spine-chillingly phenomenal efficiency in his last scene, and I don’t assume it’d be a stretch to say this is likely to be one among his finest works but. Tae-jin’s complexity was subtly conveyed by his hid condescension, and the second when that facade lastly cracked to disclose his self-centered superiority — I used to be transfixed by his capricious, visceral feelings.

Jong-soo’s belligerent conceitedness and inferiority advanced, Chi-hyun’s quiet obedience and responsible conscience, Yoon-ho’s sinister killing intent and impulsive recklessness, Sang-eui’s egocentric scheming and spineless cowering, Chang-soo’s steadfast allegiance and inscrutable motivations — every actor highlighted each the important thing traits and distinctive nuances of their character, forming a stable supporting solid of scene-stealers. I do want the script gave Jeon Mi-do extra to work with since Yoon-jin actually began falling off the grid in direction of the tip, although I favored her morally grey character setup, in addition to how she finally grew previous her starvation for cash to increase a serving to hand. Total, I’d be hard-pressed to pinpoint a weak hyperlink within the solid, and that basically did wonders for my immersion.

It might have taken us a very long time to get right here, however in a manner, Joon-seo’s last want has come true in any case — every thing has returned to its rightful place. Our Audiophile members have reconnected once more, and the culprits behind Kyung-tae’s wrongful demise have all been served their simply desserts. It’s regrettable that every thing was solely made doable by Joon-seo’s demise, however I’d prefer to assume that he’s watching over his buddies, lastly at peace.

One factor I notably favored in regards to the present is how, regardless of its crimson herrings, the characters surrounding Jae-kyung didn’t find yourself betraying him. Yoon-jin by no means bought him out; Joo-song was a real and reliable buddy; Chang-soo could have been corrupt, however he was all the time honest in direction of Jae-kyung; and Yeon-joo was a dependable chief by and thru. Jae-kyung is surrounded by good folks, regardless of his efforts to distance himself from others. He could have been too late to cherish Joon-seo, however he can resolve to stay on like Joon-seo would have needed, treasuring the buddies that also stay by his facet.

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