Remember : Son’s War Ep 13 Recap (and nothing more to hide)

In Ah stares wordlessly as Nam Gyuman enters. He notes the detailed web on the wall and compliments her on the fine ‘decorations’

He muses that he was put off by the fact that he could see Jinwoo’s practice from his company, and had finally realized the reason for that. In Ah confirms that he is Jinwoo’s only goal. Gyuman wonders if they really think that a video like that (where he was beating up ex-detective Kwak) can hurt him. In Ah scornfully says that it’s indeed nothing compared to his video confession of Oh Jungah’s murder. Gyuman raises a hand to strike her.

Gyuman’s eyes darken and he warns that he’ll crush them. Neither their friends nor their family will be safe from him.

Because they’re going to beat him with the very law he’s made such a mockery of. Gyuman must leave after that comment because he isn’t there when a weary Jinwoo returns. He instantly puts on a smile upon seeing In Ah.

He pauses upon hearing that Gyuman came by before saying that it worked out well; he has nothing to hide anymore (except your illness, Jinwoo). In Ah sees that something’s off but he just says that their battle has just begun. He receives a call from Kwak though, and has to head off once more. Meanwhile, Gyuman’s being driven back home and wonders what on earth Jinwoo and In Ah are doing, fighting such a fruitless fight.

(Such a good scene. You’ll never get it, will you Gyuman?) Jinowo meets Kwak in the same warehouse hie and his father were previously held prisoner. Kwak offers him one last present now that he’s lost everything. The next thing you know, Gyuman’s received a video of Kwak confessing to having been bribed by Gyuman into framing Jaehyuk as Jungah’s murderer. Gyuman gets as pissed as you can imagine (it’s almost funny to see Secretary Ahn wince in preparation when Gyuman lifts the phone high). He smashes the phone, his laptop and anything else he can get his hands on. He orders Soobum to order Seok Joo Il to get the boys over. Meanwhile, Ta Youngjin informs In Ah that Hong Moosuk has voluntarily resigned as a result of having ‘mistaken’ Jungah’s father’s death as a suicide. He holds an assembly and tearfully vows to continue his mission to protecting the weak, and hopes that the prosecutor won’t face trouble because of his actions. Youngjin and In Ah are disgusted, especially since Moosuk pawns the whole thing off as a flaw in his assessment of the case’s evidence. But it’s back to Gyuman who strolls into the warehouse, backed by Joo Il’s thugs, to find Kwak waiting there.

Gyuman recalls Kwak all trussed up and getting the crap beaten out of him, pleading for his life. Gyuman had spared him then, gloating at the power he had over another’s life, only to be betrayed. Gyuman prepares to beat the crap out of Kwak when the police show sup. Turns out Kwak was prepared for having his life threatened and chose to call the police on himself instead of suffering Gyuman’s wrath. He doesn’t fail to have the last word either.

Burn. Lawyer Yeon finds Jinwoo watching Kwak’s video again (where he reveals that Hong Moosuk was a part of the scheme) and tentatively asks him to stop now, citing his failing memory. She reminds him that his father only wanted him to be happy but Jinwoo can’t stop. He has to have justice.

Ouch, that hurts. Hong Moosuk couldn’t care less about having taken off his prosecutor robes and tells Nam Il Ho that though Jinwoo, In Ah and co, have dug deep, they haven’t gotten all the way into the company yet. He’s offered employment as a lawyer for Il Ho. Yeokyung arrives at that point and ducks behind a pillar to eavesdrop when her father suddenly brings up Oh Jungah’s case. Moosuk reassures him that Gyuman is safe. Yeokyung freezes remembering In Ah asking her to make her brother confess and Judge Kang asking her what she thought of the retrial’s verdict but leaves.

Lawyer Yeon, and Song, In Ah and Jinwoo discuss the ongoing lightbulb case. The exploding microwaves all possess wires made by Yeong Won electronics. In Ah and Lawyer Song note that the CEO constantly avoids their requests for an interview. The name sparks recognition in Jinwoo who saw it among those involved in the Il Ho slush fund. He and In Ah pair up to pursue that line of investigation while Lawyer Yeon and Song focus on getting their hands on one of the exploding microwaves. Meanwhile, Park Dongho and his minion are pleased at Moosuk’s resignation only to sigh upon hearing that he is now their superior. They trade barbs and thinly veiled threats in the elevator and a resigned Dongho leaves for work. In Ah drops a lot of paperwork on the slush fund onto Tak Youngjin’s desk  and asks for his help in exposing it to the world. He’s in running for Moosuk’s position and agrees to help her after some flattery. Jinwoo visits Kwak in prison and asks him to reflect on his crimes for the rest of his life. Helping Jinwoo once doesn’t wipe away his crimes. Kwak says that JInwoo will have need of him in his fight against Gyuman and they come to some mutual understanding against a common enemy, despite being enemies themselves. In Ah and Jinwoo return to find Lawyer Song fervently reenacting Jinwoo’s speech to Gyuman to practice assertiveness for the next day’s trial.

He’s so proud of himself it’s adorable
HAHA. In Ah says that he could definitely stand as defense in court, though Lawyer Song quickly disagrees saying that bad things usually happen when he’s in court. In Ah promises to help him and her good humour has Jinwoo grinning.

They enter his hidden room and she asks how he first met Lawyer Song. Turns out Jinwoo wsa on hand at the courthouse when Lawyer Song was yelled at by his client for losing a case. He’d heard that Lawyer Song visited his father a month ago and went over to inquire what the hell he was doing by going to visit someone whose life he ruined. But Lawyer Song is quiet and sad, saying that Jaehyuk was his first client, and it was the first time he’d realized just hwo much his job could change lives. He gave Jinwoo his card and asked him to come by if he ever needed help. In Ah smiles, imagining the meeting and they both giggle when Lawyer Song launches into another rendition of Jinwoo’s speech.

The Miso lightbuldbcase goes on the next day with Jinwoo providing evidence that the lightbulb couldn’t have blown up if the microwave in question was being used at standard Korean wattage, and Dongho countering that it could have if the lightbulb was faulty. To corroborate this claim, he brings in Shim Byungwon who worked as a plant manager at the factory. It’s the same shifty-eyed fellow with a sick daughter that we saw in the hospital in the previous episode. As expected, he lies saying that his boss didn’t bother with the technical aspect of things. The CEO is upset but gets told to quiet down by the judge. Shim goes on and on, on how the light bulbs exploded and he was threatened to keep his mouth shut until the CEO can’t take it and yells that these are all lies but gets kicked out of the courtroom. It’s Jinwoo’s turn to examined Shim. Lawyer Song provides him with pictures that provide that Shim met with Dongho beforehand. Jinwoo thinks back to asking Shim if Dongho had made him do this, holding his daughter’s treatment as a bargaining chip. He sighs and tells the judge that he won’t be examining the witness much to Minsoo’s (the CEO’s son) horror and Lawyer Song’s shock. Jinwoo just gives Dongho this look, as though daring him to keep up with this unholy business.

Meanwhile, Gyuman holds a meeting with Moosuk and tells him that something’s off with Dongho. Moosuk reveals that Dongho’s presently investigating Il Ho, which Gyuman finds curious. He orders Moosuk to watch and report Dongho’s every movement. The more eyes on him, the  better. Jinwoo presents the judge with the results of his findings. 3 years ago, a similar case occurred when faulty refrigerators were returned to Il Ho group, a subcontractor took the blame for it and the company went bankrupt, after which it was found that the issue lay within the wiring, not the company’s work. It was too late then. Lawyer Yeon got her hands on one of the burnt microwaves and analysis discovered that it was the wiring at fault here as well. Dongho keeps trying to butt in, saying that Jinwoo’s information is unrelated to the case but Jinwoo slams himdown saying that this was covered up because all prior investigations had been done by people within Il Ho group. In Ah waits outside a press conference and tells Jinwoo that her bit will start soon.

He goes all in at that point, saying that this is because Yeong Won Electronics, who manufactured the wires, is just a front for Il Ho’s slush fund, and as such, didn’t pay any attention to the technical side of things. Dongho protests and the judge asks for evidence.

YES! Right on cue, Tak Youngjin announces the results of his investigation: that Yeong Won Electronics is a front for Il Ho’s money laundering business, and the dangerously incompetent products they manufacture. In Ah’s smiles proudly.

Gyuman is frighteningly angry, even more so when he gets a call from his father. It’s time for a final verdict on the Miso Lightbulb, and it’s no surprise that Jinwoo and his team come out on top. Dongho watches him, with something like pride in his eyes.

Minsoo wonders how to thank Jinwoo but he’ll hear none of it. He gifts him and his father with a pair of gloves and tell him to take good care of his father, before leaving. Dongho marvels at how far Jinwoo’s come…

when he comes face to face with Judge Kang, who takes him aside and asks if there really is a video of Jungah’s killer confessing to having killed her. Dongho says that he has nothing to say and leaves Seokgyu looking troubled. The Lawyer Four toast their success and Il Ho’s group’s trouble. Lawyer Yeon remarks that Hong Moosuk and Dongho must be feeling pretty rattled, which is when Jinwoo says that this is the perfect time to make Moosuk quit as a prosecutor. Everyone freezes, especially when Jinwoo goes onto ask In Ah how her investigation with Tak Youngjin is going. Oh shit. Lawyer Yeon recovers first and quickly plays it off as stress which Song Jae Ik buys instantly. Jinwoo realizes he’s forgotten even more and takes the chance to pretend he’s going to get some rest. Only In Ah remains unconvinced. She asks Lawyer Yeon if she’s noticed something up with Jinwoo but she only continues with the ‘stress’ excuse.

Gyuman’s forced to his knees in front of his irate father who asks why on earth he isn’t ‘taking care’ of Jinwoo. But Jinwoo’s face doesn’t allow that to happen. His father says that if there’s someone grabbing onto your ankle, the only thing to do is cut off the ankle. He calls a meeting with Hong Moosuk who smoothly takes over the conversation. Gyuman tries to interject but is cut off after a glare from his father. Moosuk says that they have a solution already. Cut to Seok Joo Il who stares at Dongho’s former nameplate and then calls one of his minions.

He kept the video! He kept it! The meeting goes on and Gyuman brings up Dongho prying into Il Ho’s past business and asks if it has any relation to Seo Kwang Group (the group that Il Ho brought down to become the conglomerate they are today). His father tells him to stop bothering with useless shit and start taking care of his own business but he does look worried. Soobum gets a call from Seokgyu who asks him out for drinks. He remember spilling that Gyuman would be over if he opened his mouth and winces. As expected, Seokgyu grills him on whether Gyuman was involved in Jungah’s death but Soobum feigns innocence, saying that Gyuman surely wouldn’t kill someone no matter how crazy he was. The crazy person in question meets with Dongho and is furious that he lost the case.

Dongho says that he even paid for the manager’s daughter’s treatment; he hadn’t expected Jinwoo to bring up the slush fund. Gyuman glowers, telling him to watch what’s coming his way. Dongho then meets with Tak Youngjin, who apologizes for throwing him under the bus as well. He’s clearly aware of Dongho’s strange double agent role. His cop friend asks how his investigation is going and Dongho mentions a witness he’s meeting with soon. Jinwoo presents In Ah with her new business cards. Her tagline is “The truth wins against the facts”. She’s adorably delighted.

They go to a boutique with expensive purses where he admits that he’s here to buy her a present for the brilliant job she did on their first defense. In Ah grins that she has no use for purses.

He watches as she puts on the bag.

She wonders what’s with the sudden date and teases him, asking if that’s how he asks other women but he’s serious about it.

She agrees, saying that dinner’s on her and hurries away looking pleased as punch while he grins. Seok Joo Il gets hits with a nasty surprise when Tak Youngjon shows up with an arrest warrant. Turns out he’s listed as the actual owner of Yeong Won Electronics. Moosuk watches as he’s led away. Jinwoo crosses Joo Il off his web. Ill An muses that Gyuman sure had his escape route planned out. She says they can slowly start picing off Gyuman’s confidantes but Jinwoo knows they need to move faster than that. Dongho moves even faster, heading straight to one Ha Yeongwon’s place and demanding the truth about the explosion at Seo Kwang. The man refuses to answer saying it’s all in the past but Dongho identifies his father and he freezes. He calls Il Ho as soon as Dongho leaves (after tossing his card at him) and warns him that someone’s inquiring into the incident. Dongho’s next stop is to visit Joo Il in prison. He’s clearly upset at someone he considered his foster father being used in such a manner but Joo Il is almost naively happy, certain that Il Ho will keep his promise to get him out soon. Dongho informs him that he’s going to bring ll Ho down and Joo Il tells them that their paths will separate from this point onwards then. Jinwoo runs into Yeokyung at the courthouse.

He asks if she’s seen the broadcast, stating that Gyuman was at the center of this media circus and he was 4 years ago as well. Yeokyung coolly retorts that he seems to have a grudge against her family, but JInwoo isn’t having any of it. She’s a prosecutor, he reminds her, she could easily find the truth for herself. Yeokyung’s affected by that but coldly walks away. Gyuman’s irate at how bad the damage to his company is. There’s a recall of their products as many use Yeong Won’s wires, and a boycott in the works. He’s about to take out his anger on Soobum when Joo Il’s minion arrives with a report on Dongho’s recent activities. The next thing you know, the witness who refused to talk to Dongho’s been chased down an alleyway. He narrowly escapes and immediately calls Dongho who picks him up, and begs him to save him. Dongho wonders how he couldn’t grasp Nam Il Ho’s basic nature, enemy or friend, you can’t leave his clutches until you’re disposable. Meanwhile, In Ah preps for her date!

She tries on a dozen coats before setting on one that reminds me of what she wore for her first date with Healer. She runs into Lawyer Song and Yeon on her way out who compliment her. It’s especially hilarious when she leaves and Jae Ik just stares at Lawyer Yeon before sighing. Jinwoo gets a call from Gyuman who says he has a present of sorts and asks him to come to his office. DON’T JINWOO DON’T! (What is it with Kdramas and dates? The moment you make one, you know it’s going to be broken in some way). But Jinwoo goes anyway.

Oh SHIT. He tosses the 1999 car crash report in front of Jinwoo.

Gyuman cruelly muses that Dongho sure destroyed a family (Oh the irony, it was his family that indirectly ruined both families’). Jinwoo’s frozen in shock. Meanwhile, Dongho requests Youngjin’s help with the Seo Kwang explosion, having secured the witness’s testimony. In Ah waits for Dongho in the restaurant while he wanders the bridge he retreats to when he’s afraid.

The past four year suddenly start to play in reverse, much like it did during that time he collapsed during his father’s retrial. His memories pause on him tasting the chicken he made for his birthday, waiting for his father to come home. Jinwoo suddenly takes off at a run. In Ah gets more and more worried as she waits and calls Jinwoo, who’s sitting in front of his old house. Oh crap, oh crap.

SHIT. She asks where he is and he calls her ‘In Ah, noona’ and says that he’s waiting for his dad, who’s not home for some strange reason. In Ah runs out and hails a cab, putting the pieces together, remembering every moment Jinwoo acted strange or drifted off mid-sentence. She rushes to his house and is greeted not by Lawyer Seo Jinwoo but by the highschooler she met on the bus 4 years ago.

She can’t stop crying at the sight, while Jinwoo just wonders where his dad is when it’s so cold and why In Ah’s here. He pauses seeing her tears and In Ah walks up to him and hugs him tightly. Slowly but surely some form of awareness returns.

Thoughts:

This is brutal. This seriously hurts. For someone so overwhelmingly courageous and hopeful and nice, this is so awful to see. And it must be even worse for In Ah. I can’t believe it took a drama to show me just how awful Alzheimer’s is.