Heartless City Episode 17 Recap

Shit finally hits the fan as Soo Min comes to the realization about who Shi Hyun really is. Moreover, Busan is now laid out like a prize waiting for the internal crown wars to be over to see who will be the victor-Safari or Park Sa. It’s a dangerous fight for both of them, but even more so for Park Sa because the path to bringing down Chairman Jo, and subsequently Busan is getting harder and harder for him.

P.S. Forgive the bad aspect ratio of images and all. I’ve reinstalled everything on my system, hoping to make it work better and although everything else is perfect, it won’t give me the option to adjust my screen resolution so everything is wrong! 😦

Episode 17 Recap:

Jin Suk and Soo Min are chased by the minions so Jin Suk decides to give Soo Min the chance to get away by giving her Shi Hyun’s number and asking her to call it in case anything bad happens. She then heads back inside on her own to draw the baddies away.

Outside, a car zooms into the parking lot and Soo rushes out of it.

Jin Suk comes upon the guys looking around frantically and patronizingly tells them, “Kids, I’m right here!” From upstairs, Soo sizes up the situation and comes down, calling out to Jin Suk, “Noonim, Noonim.”

Jin Suk and everyone else turns to him and she tells him not to bother and just leave but Soo defers-he can’t just leave her alone now, can he? With that, he slips his car key into her hand and motions for her to run while he takes on her attackers.

Jin Suk runs, he knocks a few guys out and follows behind her, knocking more and more guys out. Finally, he makes it out where Jin Suk drives the car up to him and they both make their getaway. Jin Suk wonders why he came and he tells her Park Sa asked him to come.

Their getaway is cut short however, when a van cuts the path ahead of their car and head minion steps out while the other baddies catch up from the back.

Inside, Soo Min considers Jin Suk’s words and connects the dots-wondering if Shi Hyun really is Park Sa. She can’t bring herself to accept the possibility and shakes her head. At the same time, Park Sa is mulling over Hong Ki’s words when his phone rings-a message from Soo Min. He calls her up and his first question-how does she know this number? Soo Min’s answers, although truthful, seem a bit calculated as if she is trying to decipher whether he really is as she suspects.

Park Sa makes a frustrated face at realizing Jin Suk gave Soo Min the number. Soo Min tells him about Jin Suk being taken and asks him to take care of her. He hangs up and she does the same with a solemn expression. Park Sa thinks for a few moments before heading out.

Chairman Jo confronts Jin Suk and starts by giving her a hug. Ewww. She tells him she came because there was something he wanted to say and he asks her to take a seat. He compliments her on her beauty ‘as the rumors told’ and asks about himself ‘is he the same as his rumors say?’ Jin Suk agrees, telling him he also resembles his son a lot.

Chairman Jo presents her with a gift-a bound and gagged Soo. His terms-make a deal with him or save Hyun Soo. He admits that he’s heard her and Soo’s relationship isn’t that well, and muses it must be an easy decision-Soo or the deal?
Soo manages to remove his gag and shouts at Jo to just kill him, telling Jin Suk she’ can’t. Minion moves in to kill Soo and buts his vein in one hand. He collapses to the floor. Jo tells Jin Suk there’s little time and asks for her decision.

“I won’t make a deal. So save that bastard!” She tells Jo, motioning to Soo. Bravo! I like you, Jin Suk.

Jo laughs-since they have no deal, why should he save Soo? He then tells her to call up Park Sa.

She takes the phone and dials someone, shouting in the phone, “Come here right now! I’m about to die so come here right now you bastard!”

And then we see the person she called on the other end was Hong Ki. And what’s most amazing, is that you can see the fear on her as she trembles and a tear falls from her eyes, and still, she makes the decision to keep Park Sa out of it and calls Hong Ki instead. Jin Suk, you are one amazing woman! Hong Ki probably decides to look into it.

Chairman Jo is smart too though, and guesses that the person she called is not Park Sa since she saved the name as ‘Fuck’ (yes, that is the literal translation and the word Jin Suk utters every time she sees Hong Ki) and asks who she called.

So then he’s looking through the phone when it rings again. This time, it is Park Sa and he tells Jo he won’t ask him to let the others go, but asks him to at least not hurt ‘his friends’ until he gets there. Jo tells him to hurry and then turns back to Jin Suk.

Since Park Sa’s coming, he tells her, he has no more need of her but that he won’t just kill her. He asks her if she still remembers her old gisaeng house and muses that she must miss it, proclaiming he’ll send her back there. He makes a gesture and his minion proceeds to beat her up by slapping her around.

Hong Ki is lost in thought in his office, still contemplating Jin Suk’s phone call. He calls up Officer Oh and asks about Ji Hyung Min. Since he’s not around, he gives Oh an order.

Park Sa arrives at the place and goes into silent rage as he sees a bloody and unconscious Soo on the ground and minion slapping Jin Suk around. I love the little details here, how he unconsciously starts moving towards Soo when he sees him and how the baddies have to hold him back when he sees Jin Suk being mistreated and held with a knife to her throat.

Jo orders Park Sa to kneel and asks if Park Sa remembers his promise-that he’d kill his loved one in front of him by cutting their throat. The panic in Park Sa’s face is obvious and he tries to tackle the baddies holding him but one of them stabs him with a knife and he’s forced to kneel. Jo reminds him he always keeps his promise.

Park Sa shouts at him, “I’ll never forgive you for this.”

Jo laughs at his audacity and tells him to do as he wishes. As minion moves to cut Jin Suk’s throat, Hyung Min bursts through the door. Aha! I like the Hyung Min Park Sa team! Flashback shows us Park Sa had been the one to call him and ask him to come.

So a fight breaks out-Hyung Min and Park Sa take on their baddies while Jin Suk knocks the head minion to the side and makes her escape from him. Jo watches it unfold worriedly before leaving.

And another of my favorite bits. Park Sa sees Jo is leaving, but turns right back and goes to Soo, bandaging his arm with Jin Suk’s help and carries him out to the car. Once there, he asks Jin Suk to take care of Soo. He’s off to catch and kill Chairman Jo. She protests but he holds the car door open for her and shouts at her to go.

Hyung Min is still fighting off a dozen baddies by himself when Park Sa joins him and they update each other as they stand back to back, facing the bad guys. Hyung Min reminds him he has to turn Chairman Jo over to him if he does catch him but Park Sa flatly tells him, “I’m sorry. But I have to kill Chairman Jo.” Before Hyung Min can react, he rushes straight into the fight and to chase Jo.

He knocks the three bodyguards with Jo down one by one, calm as you please while Jo watches, expression going worried. Park Sa takes off his tie, wraps it around the head minion’s neck and punches him flat. Then he takes back the tie and opens the top button on his shirt as he turns back to Jo.

Jo tells him, “Alright, Let’s do the deal as you want. You’ll have Jo Oh’s position! How’s that?” Something tells me it’s too late for that, Jo. And so Park Sa reminds him.

“I already told you, I won’t forgive you.” With that, he moves in for the final kill but Hyung Min interrupts, walking up to Jo and handcuffing him, all the while, his eyes mostly on Park Sa. He knows what he’s interrupted but Park Sa doesn’t say anything.

Police sweeps the area, finds drugs and eeewww, Jo Oh’s body in a plastic bag. Man, I liked Jo Oh. Couldn’t Jo have shown him some respect! Luckily, the officers agree with me.

Back in the car, Park Sa breathes deeply as he undoes his tie and top button (Wait, when did he button it up and put the tie back? Lol) Taking out medicinal supplies from his car’s dashboard, he puts a bandage on his wound.

Soo Min is waiting in Jin Suk’s office when Hyung Min calls her up and tells her it’s all ended. He says he should never have sent her there and tells her there’s nothing more to worry about anymore, asking her to come home so he can explain it to her. Damn, this is going to go wrong, isn’t it?

Park Sa goes to the hospital and asks about Soo and Jin Suk. Jin Suk is relieved to know Hyung Min arrested Chairman Jo.

“I thought you again… If there’s someone to kill, I’ll kill. You can’t do it ever, alright?”

Soo is thankfully going to be alright and Park Sa sits by his bedside.

Reporters catch the gist of Chairman Jo’s arrest again and the news spreads wide and far. Hong Ki’s in his office when Hyung Min arrives and asks how Hong Ki knew to send the police to the location. Hong Ki says he has his sources and Hyung Min expresses his interest in finding out who it is. Hong Ki deflects his question and asks how Hyung Min went there, and Hyung Min answers the same-that he had his own source. Both smile at each other, but one can detect an undercurrent of mistrust there.

Jo is left stewing in the interrogation room-this time a fan placed near his face so he doesn’t sweat so much. Haha! Hyung Min starts interrogating him regarding Jo Oh’s death and tells him he’s finished now. Jo yawns just as his prosecutor friend walks in and tells him she’s sorry. Jo walks again-there’s nothing she can do.

The reporter comes by while he’s brooding but doesn’t approach him.

Ahn meets Hyung Min’s dad and Daddy HM tells him it’s now their turn to take over the case.

Hong Ki comes to meet Park Sa and asks him what happened, reminding him there was no point in having Jo caught since he’s walked free again. He tells Park Sa if he can’t become Jo’s man, catch him from the inside with bigger fish, his undercover mission would be a failure. Then he leans in close and tells Park Sa once again to quit if things become hard. That really isn’t a nice glint in your eyes, Hong Ki!

Jin Suk returns and Soo Min gives her a drink, worried about her. Jin Suk asks if she called Shi Hyun with the news that Jin Suk had been caught. In future, she instructs Soo Min, only do as you’re told. Soo Min apologizes but says she was too worried for Jin Suk. Here, Soo Min takes the chance to ask about Shi Hyun-who is he? Jin Suk introduces him as her lover, and Soo Min passes off her curiosity as nothing much although the news bothers her and she spends hours thinking about it and staring at her phone.

Park Sa calls up Hyung Min and asks to meet. Ah, I love the rooftop meets. Park Sa asks if Chairman Jo was let go and Hyung Min confirms the news. Park Sa then tells him Jo might be the one behind Kyung Mi’s death and asks for his help. Hyung Min can’t understand why Jo would want Kyung Mi dead and Park Sa passes it off, saying that someone from the police was probably involved.

Hyung Min agrees-he’ll help Park Sa catch Chairman Jo.

“But after that, I’m coming for you. Even if you didn’t kill Kyung Mi, don’t forget the fact that you are a drug lord.”

He tells him he made a promise to Kyung Mi to catch guys like him from the world .The words resonate with Park Sa and he makes no comment except, “I understand.” And turns to leave but Hyung Min asks him one more question.

If he knew Soo Min was undercover, why didn’t he tell Jin Suk. Did he know about Kyung Mi and Soo Min from the beginning? Park Sa tells him he didn’t but Hyung Min stops him again.

“Just what is your real face? The drug lord I know, is that really all you are? Is it?”

Park Sa turns back. “I’m Park Sa Adeul.” With that, he walks away.

Back at his home, he shrugs off his jacket and drinks as he remembers Hyung Min’s words asking who he really is. At home that night, Hyung Min also remembers Park Sa’s words.

HM’s Dad and the reporter’s dad meet up. HM’s dad’s plan is to use Safari to catch Jo and the other man says it is a little too risky. HM’s dad says that since Jo knows too much, it is best to deal with the problem before it is too late. The deal is to use Park Sa as a scapegoat once Safari catches Park Sa and HM’s dad says he’ll make sure things go smooth. If Safari won’t work, he tells the other man, he is ready to let Park Sa take his place. And then HM’s dad asks him about the problem of a ‘friend (cop friend) from America’. The other man tells him not to worry too much since he also has his own thinking.

Hyung Min interrogates the minion to find the location of the drug factory by telling him Jo has left him to be the scapegoat and no one, except Hyung Min can help save him right now. He decides to give him time to think it over and offers to buy him anything he’d want to eat. The minion worriedly clutches his already bloody hand-the one Jo cut. From the other side of the looking glass into the interrogation room, Hyung Min spies the man speaking-to himself?

Ahn gets Hyung Min the word that Chairman Jo is apparently quite ill and can’t believe it since it doesn’t make sense. So Hyung Min crashes daddy dearest’s meeting. Daddy tells him the case will reopen once Jo gets out of the hospital. Hyung Min can’t believe his dad is such a coward and asks him to finish. Daddy says he’s doing it to protect Hyung Min but Hyung Min begs him, for the last time, to stop.

So Daddy goes to see Safari and asks if it’ll be enough to know where Jo will be. They meet in a theatre and tells Safari he doesn’t want to see Chairman Jo anymore. Does he understand what he’s saying?

And then he goes to Park Sa. He expresses displeasure at the fact that Hyung Min was the one to help Park Sa, not the other way around and repeats his words that he has to deal with Jo since he doesn’t want to see him anymore. Damn, he’s setting him and Safari up. As Park Sa’s driving away, he gets a message from Hong Ki so goes to see him.

Hong Ki tells him the details about Chairman Jo leaving the hospital and Park Sa wants to know how they can catch Jo. Hong Ki repeats that they need evidence. Park Sa asks if it’ll end when Jo dies but Hong Ki tells him it won’t. Somebody else will simply take his place. Thank you, for once I like you as the voice of reason, Hong Ki. Hong Ki tells Park Sa to abandon all useless thoughts and reminds him he’s a police officer. Park Sa reasons that he has to end it quickly because Jo was going to kill Jin Suk but Hong Ki persists.

Jo is discharged and Park Sa gets a message with the details.  Jo smiles at the nurse and tries to get handsy with her only to realize it is Eun Soo. And the door opens to reveal Safari. Park Sa pulls up to the ambulance just in time to see Safari taking the man away.

Hyung Min gets the call from his prosecutor friend. Safari gets a call from Park Sa and tells him it’s the end for Safari if he kills Jo. Safari asks if he didn’t have the same idea-isn’t that why he came to that place? Park Sa says he doesn’t want to fight anymore and asks him to give up but Safari defers, there’s nothing else for them to do if they want to live and tells Park Sa he’ll see him later.

Soo Min tries to ask Jin Suk more about her ‘lover’ and says she’s just curious. But before Jin Suk can press anymore, Soo Min has to leave as a ‘guest’ arrives. It’s Park Sa and she spies him going towards Jin Suk’s room.

Jin Suk asks Park Sa if he remembers Soo Min, telling him she’s much interested in him-telling him she introduced him as her lover and wants to show him off. Park Sa asks her how far she’s going to involve that woman. Jin Suk tells him there’s no point in stopping Soo Min-she’s already in and it’s her own decision.

Soo Min thinks back to meeting Soo and remembers the place she went to-sure that it was Park Sa’s hideout and makes a decision. And so she heads out. And for once she’s NOT wearing heels! Omo, what has the world come to?!

She arrives at the place and sees Joon Young who has come there to meet Park Sa’s minion. The minion, although interested in Joon Young too, sends her off. Aww, he’s loyal. So Soo Min goes back to her car and calls up Joon Young and asks her how she knows that man and asks her to distract the guy for a bit. She buys Joon Young with the excuse that it’s the way to get to Kyung Mi’s killer. So Joon Young flattens her tyre, calls him up for help and mutters an apology for ‘deceiving’ him. Aww, here’s a girl with a good conscience!

Once the guy’s out of the way, Soo Min enters Park Sa’s place by picking the lock on the door.

Park Sa gives Jin Suk the update and Jin Suk says isn’t it better? Safari is easier than Jo but Park Sa is worried about Jo dying at Safari’s hands. Jin Suk reminds him they’re just fighting-don’t get any other ideas. Then she asks him to answer a question honestly. Was he really responsible for Hyung Min’s lover-the dead police woman? He tells her he wasn’t and she tells him she knew it wasn’t him.

Park Sa leaves Jin Suk’s place just as Soo Min starts going through everything at his place. He arrives as she’s still looking and she quickly hides. Through the glass, her eyes widen in realization when she sees him.

Park Sa’s phone rings and it’s Soo on the other end. Even more damning. Park Sa closes an open cupboard as he answers the phone, not realizing what it might imply. He looks around, but Soo Min is gone from where she was hiding. She’s still there, but hidden under a table and he misses seeing her.

Soo Min sees a case of a rifle lying there and opens it up once he’s gone. Oh shit. It’s a sniper rifle, and the same model that was used to kill Kyung Mi. Her eyes widen with horror and she tears up, crying.

Park Sa and Soo go to Jin Suk’s place where Park Sa suddenly stops in his tracks, remembering the cupbard and this time making the connection that someone was probably inside, or had been there. He heads back to the place, but there’s no one there and he sees the rifle case now outwardly visibly. He turns on the CCTV footage outside the place to find the intruder and draws back in shock when he realizes it was Soo Min.

At home, Soo Min thinks back to the time she spent with Park Sa and cries as she mutters “Sorry, Sorry Unni” again and again.

Park Sa stands with his phone in his hand, her number written there and finally presses dial. Soo Min simply watches it ring with an angry expression.

Comments:

First off, I loved the little moments of emotions we get in this episode, and the little details that show us what’s exactly brewing under the surface-Park Sa moving to help Soo rather than going after Jo, letting Hyung Min take Jo away, calling Safari and begging him to give up just so they don’t have to fight anymore, Hyung Min and Hong Ki smiling at each other openly, yet deeply suspicious on the inside. Oooh, this was a Christmas for emotions!

Funnily enough, I don’t really hate Soo Min or find her totally annoying here. She’s just a woman on a mission, however misguided it is, and whatever conclusions she’s drawing, they seem reasonable and logical from a neutral point of view. In a manner of speaking, she’s rather brave AND foolish to go on the lone trip to Park Sa’s place-not to mention how dangerous it was, but this just shows you she’s reactive! Which unfortunately is kind of both a good and a bad quality. She’s reactive-she can take care of herself and be brave, but she’s also the kind of person to jump into things when it’s best to steer clear.

Yes, she likes Shi Hyun which is exactly why she’s so conflicted now. According to all she knows, she fell in love with the man who killed her ‘Unni’ and what makes it worse is that it seems like all this while, he was fooling her. From her point of view, Park Sa probably knew about her. After all, she did ask the man himself if he knew ‘Park Sa’. Even if he didn’t, he had the chance to come clean to her when she revealed who she was. And he didn’t take that. What adds more weight to the wrong turn in her thoughts is the relationship between Jin Suk and Shi Hyun. She has no reason not to believe the two are lovers. So now she’s not only faced with the prospect that she gave her heart to the man who killed her ‘Unni’ but also that he knowingly deceived her all the while even when he knew who she was, and what she wanted. In a way it is true-he did lie to her, except Park Sa’s reasons weren’t to deceive her but rather to keep her safe and away from a similar fate like Kyung Mi’s. But she’s not at a point where she can objectively view his actions right now and so, she’s drawing all the obvious conclusions and going from there.

I enjoyed the Hyung Min x Park Sa interactions the most in this episode-especially the rooftop meeting. It spoke volumes of how Hyung Min is coming to see Park Sa. His question was surprising-was the drug lord all there is to the man Park Sa, and resonates well with how Park Sa is getting under his skin. Park Sa isn’t even trying to be noble or a good person in front of him, yet Hyung Min can’t help but realize that the cold and calculating cover he’s seen and heard about Park Sa is not all there is to the man. I so hope this relationship continues, because believe it or not, I think Park Sa just found himself a reluctant friend who’ll help him, not for the sake of helping him perhaps, but just to ease the curiosity about Park Sa and find out for sure who he really is.

The whole Busan thing is becoming a bit fuzzy now because you are left to wonder-who, or what exactly is Busan? We know for a fact that it isn’t Chairman Jo-he’s a hotshot biggie himself, but then there are those who have the power to take him down. My guess is that Busan is the name for the whole organization or people-dirty prosecutors, congress people, policemen that operate as that faction, rather than one man. We’ve taken a deeper step into the whole politics underlying the ‘underworld’ and now the bigger question, at least for me is what will happen next. Like Hong Ki said, take out Jo and it won’t matter-someone else will just step into those shoes. So how will Park Sa bring down Busan? And moreover, what will the price for that endeavor be? Will it really take his freedom, or worse, his life?