Reset (ep7): Weecap

We spend this ep with Woo-jin at his staycation trip — in the local prison. Cos I’m a lazy bunny and the characters in this ep are again, likely to disappear after 2eps, I shall not bother to translate the Chinese subbed names to English. ;P

Synopsis

Catching up again with Woo-jin as he checks in to the prison (under a pseudonym, of course) where Assassin came from. His objective is to learn who contacted Assassin in prison with orders to kill Blind Girl and hence, trigger the 7-year-ago case which is sealed up in Woo-jin’s subconscience. Woo-jin has four roomies in his new abode. Based on earlier details given by his friend, he will be going to the same cell where Assassin spent his last 7+ years, and the inmates are Gangster Honcho (a burly man who is imprisoned cos of gang activities), 2nd-in-command (another ex-gangster), Quack Doctor (imprisoned cos he is practising without a license), and Maknae Drunk Driver (in jail for 2 years for DOI and killing a pedestrian in the process).

The first meet with his new roomies nearly got Woo-jin busted, as he fibs he is transferred from a neighbouring province’s jail, only to have Gangster Honcho give him a pop quiz on its inhabitants. Luckily he manages to recall the background info of the man he is impersonating to assure Gangster Honcho that he IS who he is pretending to be. Unfortunately, Woo-jin’s luck runs out when 2nd-in-command turns out to be a gangster whom Woo-jin personally interrogated and brought to justice. But it seems like 2nd-in-command doesn’t seem to recognise him…yet.

Woo-jin makes fast friends with Maknae Drunk Driver, who helps him locate the inmate who gave Assassin the Eye of Horus tattoo. However, they need to sneak into the Doctor’s office to obtain the info. Woo-jin manages to find the info in the database, but is unable to fully print the pic of the tattooist. They had to make a run for it as one of the wardens goes on his rounds and nearly spots the two sneaking around. But the warden isn’t the only one Woo-jin should be wary of. The inmate he previously interviewed wrt Assassin’s case also spots him and is shocked to see Woo-jin in prison. Woo-jin manages to evade being tracked down by him…again, for the short term. However, another inmate in grey vest (“Grey Vest Inmate”) is also tailing Woo-jin and seems to know him.

Life on the outside carries on as normal — Woo-jin’s bosses, who are pis*ed with him for not giving up the incriminating ledger are further incensed by Woo-jin’s sudden disappearance. Woo-jin frenemy cum colleague (Dong-soo) carries out his own investigation on the 7-years-ago case, and goes to their boss to ask about a GK Group, which Woo-jin was investigating. Apparently, Woo-jin was ready to persecute GK Group’s Chairman (none other than Mob Boss Kim). but the investigation was halted as information/ evidence disappeared overnight. (fishy) The boss yells at Dong-soo to drop the case. Mob Boss Kim naturally is interested in keeping investigations off GK Group. He meets with Dong-soo and not so subtly warns him to back off, or else.

Eun-bi is discharged from hospital and Mdm Han + Officer Ko fetch her home. On the way back, Eun-bi searches her bag for her dad’s pic, but can’t find it. Officer Ko notices and looks uncomfortable. Turns out Eun-bi does remember certain bits of the kidnapping — she remembers waking up and hearing Woo-jin’s voice (he was captured by Psychiatrist then). She also overheard Woo-jin admitting to killing her dad. Shocked, but still under the drugs’ effects, she passes out. In the evening, when Officer Ko sends a drunk Mdm Han home after dinner (the latter having extracted a confession from Officer Ko that he likes her, heh), Eun-bi sees the printout of her dad’s case tucked in Officer Ko’s jacket. She learns her dad died in a fire. Thinking that her dad’s death is related to Woo-jin somehow, she feels betrayed and leaves Mdm Han’s home — with the ledger. (great..)

Back in Woo-jin’s staycation in the jail: 2nd-in-command recognises him one night when Woo-jin (unable to repress his itchy fingers) picks up a pen and starts clicking it. (see? itchy fingers!!) He’d died had Quack Doctor not saved him by punching an acupuncture needle into 2nd-in-command’s neck that effectively paralyses him for a few days. Quack Doctor has received word from Woo-jin’s friend to take care of him in jail; in return, Quack Doctor will get his sentence reduced. However, this incident is witnessed by Maknae Drunk Driver…who has an eerie glint in his eyes.

And yep, we are right about that evil glint. The next day, Woo-jin is led into the carpentry workshop in the prison compound, where he finds Quack Doctor seriously beaten up by Gangster Honcho. Maknae Drunk Driver — who hates prosecutors to the core (and imo, psychotic) — had revealed what he heard last night. Woo-jin is nearly beaten to death had Grey Vest Inmate not activated the fire alarm to alert the wardens to the carpentry workshop. Both Woo-jin and Quack Doctor are thankfully ok — other than being seriously beaten up.

Woo-jin’s friend visits him in prison and tells him that he can’t offer him protection anymore now that his cover is blown. Woo-jin pleads for another 2 days in jail. Unfortunately for Woo-jin, the prisoner he previously interviewed has links to Mob Boss Kim (who is also wondering where in the world Woo-jin has squirrelled to). Although Mob Boss Kim is surprised to hear that Woo-jin has checked himself into jail, he decides not to take action against him yet…but adopts a wait-and-see attitude.

But waiting is not an option for Woo-jin anymore…2nd-in-command is released from his temporary paralysis, and decides to seek revenge. He stabs Woo-jin and Woo-jin flees towards the Admin Office. The Prison Doctor saves Woo-jin and says to the warden he needs to observe Woo-jin in the ward overnight. After Woo-jin awakes, he tells Woo-jin he knows the tattooist Woo-jin is looking for and will bring Woo-jin to him at night.

At night, the Doctor leads Woo-jin to a discarded execution building (the prison used to hang deathrow inmates there) to await the tattooist. Grey Vest Inmate appears, and a shocked Woo-jin recognises him. Grey Vest Inmate approaches Woo-jin menacingly and gradually pushes Woo-jin into the execution cell. (hopefully it’s not in use?)

Review

Woo-jin definitely needs to read/ watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Doesn’t he know that a prison/ psychiatric ward is not somewhere where you can waltz in and out as you pleased? Given that he has offended and stepped on toes of both the “lawful” guys and the unlawful ones, I doubt he will find it easy to walk out of prison. (and the sneaks for ep8 show juz that)

I dunno if I’m the only one getting irritated with introduction of fresh characters so late in the show — and Reset is not even sticking by the crime-per-ep format! If it’s those one-off crimes (like God’s Quiz or Ten), we don’t need to have to remember who these new characters are and their relationship(s) to previously met characters or characters pivotal to the plot. It makes identifying who-is-who exasperating, and the plot super convoluted. Someone needs to draw me a map that links everyone together. (argh)

Of course, maybe the only new character in ep7 who is essential to the plot will be Grey Vest Inmate, who bears some resemblance to Eun-bi’s dad. However, given that his face is only fully revealed to us (and Woo-jin) in the last 30sec or so, I cannot be sure of my judgement. If Grey Vest Inmate — whom Maknae Drunk Driver says is a highly dangerous deathrow prisoner that needs 24/7 solitary confinement — is Mr X, then he really has some super powers or influence to arrange for all those elaborate suicide missions and murders in eps2-6. So I think he is yet another pawn of Mr X’s. Then again, given that we have Magic Clicky Pens and Magic Flashy Headlights in Reset, anything is possible.