[Drama Review] '38 Police Squad' - Episode 9

Sung Il is faced with a mid-scam crisis. Director Ahn and Bang Pil Gyu continue to be pains in the arse. Jung Do and Sung Hee kind of sort of hit it off again. And the riff raff swindling squad push headlong into their scheme to pull the rug out from under Bang Pil Gyu.

Ah, the infamous K-Drama 'wrist grab,' aka let-me-go-dude-or-I-will-sever-your-arm

Detective Sa Jae Sung succeeded in shaking Sung Il's faith in Jung Do, tipping Sung Il off that he serves as a mere device in Jung Do's web of scam. Boy, Sung Il sure is slow, catching on just now that a scammer is, well, out to scam him. If what the detective says is true, then Jung Do's one heck of a scary bastard. He's got not only the gall but also the sharp wits to pull the wool over everyone's eyes. This episode made me wonder: just how deep does Jung Do's scam run? He must have a serious axe to grind against the guys that did him in; that's all we really know for certain. And of course, Sung Il, being the unwitting, hapless, and bumbling plod, confronts Jung Do directly about what the detective said.

No wisdom like the wisdom of a man in jail.

I honestly can't tell with Jung Do anymore. The moment you think he's being sincere, he does this 180-degree turn and doubt once again settles in the pit of your belly. I'm just dreading the climax of this series, where everything will inevitably go to shit. With Director Ahn and the detective on Sung Il's ass, I'm picturing this falling apart happening very, very soon. But with the unraveling, we will finally learn exactly what happened to Jung Do's father and what is causing Jung Do to be so vengeful. At this point, the drama is just dilly dallying, keeping us just at the edge of the big picture but not allowing us the full view. I mean, I suppose it makes sense as it is the writer's means of keeping us tuning in week after week. We just have to continue making the best guesses.

"Spare me your '99%' philosophies, you pleb."

This may have popped up in your heads as well as you watched the drama: why has Ma Jin Seok not informed Bang Pil Gyu that he was scammed by Sung Il and Jung Do? You all remember that scene where the entire crew gathered at public cafe and revealed their faces to Ma Jin Seok...and to the cafe-goers. For swindlers that reveal their faces way too often in the public eye, they sure got a way of getting away without ever getting exposed! I may be nitpicking but I simply don't find it all too realistic that Jung Do & Co. always seem to be one step ahead of the authorities, even as they are being apprehended by the authorities. Is scamming really this easy? ~~Maybe I should be a scammer~~

The tasteful grey walls of the storage place/meatpacking joint serve as an obvious inspiration to the task force.

Still, aside from these minor peccadilloes, the drama still makes for an entertaining watch. Though it has started to focus more on the relationship between Jung Do and Sung Hee, which I suspected would happen eventually. I'm actually anticipating the joining of Sung Hee to the task force, as she does have a good head on her shoulders--despite being willful and stubborn at times--and I believe the dynamic between her and the rest of the force will be an interesting development in future episodes.