The intrigue and plotting keep unraveling in “The Judge Returns”! Although the momentum from the first half of the show seems to be slowing down, there’s still so much going on that you hardly notice it. And while the push and pull game between Lee Han Young (Ji Sung) and Kang Sin Jin (Park Hee Soon) can be a little tedious at times, in these couple of episodes, we get to see the hero definitely moving one step closer to taking his adversary down. Here are some of the turning points that could lead Lee Han Young to his victory!
Warning: spoilers from episodes 9-10 ahead!
1. Kim Jin Ah teaming up with Lee Han Young
No hero can succeed without a bit of help. In Lee Han Young’s case, he probably wouldn’t have been able to get this far without his best friend, Seok Jeong Ho (Tae Won Seok), by his side. But as things escalate, Han Young is forced to seek more people who will trust him and help him no matter how crazy things turn. But now, it’s Kim Jin Ah’s (Won Jin Ah) turn to reach out to him, as she is convinced that only a judge as fearless and daring as Lee Han Young, who is even willing to put his life on the line, can make a difference in the current judiciary system. After she joins this team, even Park Cheol Woo (Hwang Hee) pitches in, albeit a little reluctantly.
In a team effort, they are able to trick one of Kang Sin Jin’s aides to make him invest some of their dirty money and steal a large sum right under their noses. At some point, they even seem more like a money heist group than actual prosecutors and a judge. And it is so satisfying to watch. Even if there’s no romantic chemistry like it happens in some other legal dramas, their chemistry as a group is more than enough. Of course, this is barely a minor setback for Kang Sin Jin, who doesn’t hold back from retaliating against his subordinate, but this little scheme does prepare the field for Han Young’s next move.
2. Lee Han Young getting justice for his father
From the first moment that Han Young realized he had gone back in time, he had a very clear purpose: to get revenge on all the people who wronged him. And now it’s time for Hwang Nam Yong (cameo made by Kim Myung Soo), the presiding judge who wrongfully imprisoned his father, to pay. Despite Kang Sin Jin’s desire to position Hwang Nam Yong as the Chief Judge in the Supreme Court of Korea, Han Young has no plans to let that happen. This moment feels especially intense because both Kang Sin Jin and Han Young are head-to-head fighting to see who can outsmart the other, and somehow, Han Young knows he is being used as a part of another game.
Nonetheless, Han Young stops Hwang Nam Yong from becoming Chief Judge and even confronts him about his past misdeeds. Revealing the man’s past connection to S Construction and having his son’s corruption case as leverage, Han Young is finally able to avenge his father and the pain their family went through. This moment becomes even more emotional when Han Young faces his father and apologizes for the first time since he was a teenager, giving closure to that shameful scene in his life.
3. Discovering Kang Sin Jin’s connections
As Han Young continues to dig further into Kang Sin Jin, he finally gets a lead about the person who is backing him up. It’s the former president Park Gwang To (Son Byung Ho). But even though Kang Sin Jin appears to be merely a puppet under the man’s control, he is preparing to finally set himself free from his master. That’s one of the most interesting things about this villain. He, much like Han Young, has tried to overcome his poor circumstances and survive in a rotten system. However, he’s done it by defiling himself as well, something Han Young refuses to do anymore.
Surprisingly enough, Han Young earns Kang Sin Jin’s trust enough to allow the judge into the president’s inner circle, but not without risk. At this moment, Han Young enters the wolf’s den, and he has to do it all on his own. The last scene, where they show how these men gather to play a game of power over the whole country, is actually revolting, but it also highlights the dramatism of the situation and how important it is for Han Young to succeed. But will he be able to actually defeat these power-hungry parasites? Let’s find out in the next episodes of “The Judge Returns”!
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Andy zar is an avid drama watcher, from K-dramas to C-dramas, she believes any weekend is a good weekend to enjoy 12 hours of binge-watching dramas. She loves romance, web comics, and K-pop. Her favorite groups are EXO, TWICE, Red Velvet, and BOL4. Find her on Instagram @wuaitboni.
Currently watching: “The Judge Returns”
Plans to watch: “My Page in the 90s“