The Shadows

Episode 5 of Decoy starts at an unknown place some have photos of the three dead people connected to Sang-cheon already on the wall. He adds a photo of deputy head Jong-hun hinting that he might be the next target.

Flashback to 2007 and Sang-cheon, So-ram, Young-jin, and Gwang-sin are getting their scam business started. They decide to venture into the digital world selling phones that customers can use to make free calls. The business takes off easily as customers are ecstatic to spend more money on a phone that saves them a lifetime of no more phone bills ever again.

Back to the present year 2023, Do-han reveals what the deputy’s head said after he confronted him about killing So-Ram. He was afraid he will be the next victim and that’s why he revealed who the woman was to launch a proper investigation and catch the killer before he gets to him.

Do-han thinks that Jong-hun was afraid because he did something he was not proud of and he thinks the killer has a justifiable reason to want him dead. Gyeongcheon confirms the suspected killer was one of the unidentified people who entered the apartment building where So-ram was killed. He is Jung Jae-hwang.

Do-han starts an official covert investigation on Jung Jae-hwang as a suspected serial killer after getting authorization from deputy head Jong-hun. Elsewhere, Byeing-jun recants his confession because it was a false confession made under duress.

The prosecutor coerces him into being the killer. Byeong-jun asks if someone directed him to be made the killer which happened to be true as shown through a flashback snip. Byeong-jun is not concerned. He is certain the whole ordeal will end with him not being the killer and the longer it takes, the better for him. He is just a shadow and they can hold onto him as long as they want but they will not get praised.

The deputy’s head has a meal with the chief prosecutor and they get into a confrontation on whether No Sang Cheon was dead. Jong-hun assures the prosecutor that Jae-hwang was on a killing spree because he wants revenge. Then to save themselves, they should give him the person he wants to kill the most. The prosecutor is convinced that his name was not on the list hence he is not included in the whole revenge plan.

Do-han and Na-yeon visit Jae-hwang’s mother for questioning. She reveals that Jae-hwang had stayed with them for a few days after he was released but they no longer know of his whereabouts. Jae-hwang seemed happy after he was released and said that he was meeting someone to help him recoup all the money they lost.

He was sure something good would happen and he would meet with Na-yeon after he got all the money back. He was to meet with someone called Han Da-Jeong and thereafter everything would be okay.

The deputy’s head meets with the chief prosecutor still determined to get an answer on whether or not Sang-cheon was dead. The prosecutor confesses that he had no idea since he was barred from connecting with Sang-cheon when he connected with people above the prosecutor.

He also divulges the information that the detectives should not be fixated on finding Jae-hwang since he might not be the killer and the prosecutor had no idea what was going on. The deputy’s head is ambushed in a basement by unknown people who vandalize his car by breaking windows with rods.

Flashback to the year 2011 to the events that happened after Jong-hun let Sang-cheon go and Young-jin survived the fall off a cliff. He calls the detective and asks him not to look for him. Elsewhere, Jae-hwang informs the victims that So-ram did not feel safe meeting with them and therefore he would be the middle man between her and the victims.

Young-jin goes to meet with the assemblyman Kim  Seong-dae. Gwang-sin receives him and threatens to call the police. Young-jin asks him to since he had so much to say to them. Seong-dae walks in on the commotion and after giving him a beating himself, he asks if he is thrown out.

Young-jin shouts something about gold bars which catches the assemblyman’s attention. He informs the Seong-dae that Sang-cheon has been turning his money into gold bars. Detective Jong-hun walks into the office looking for Kim Seong-dae and Young-jin has to hide

In the year 2023, deputy head Jong-hun is missing and the violent crime investigation team is looking for him. While his team is looking into the deputy head’s disappearance, Na-yeon and Do-han follow up a lead on Jae-hwang. They find his hideout, but he is already dead.

The Episode Review

Just when you think you have grasped the storyline, the plot thickens and throws you off again. Everything was pointing to Jae-hwang as the possible killer but that ending leaves one to think otherwise.

Also, the prosecutor hinted that there might be very powerful people maybe in government positions involved in the case. This leaves one to wonder what was the motive behind the scamming and is if there bigger hidden motives other than just scamming the victims.

Where is the deputy head Jong-hun? Did Jae-hwang commit suicide or killed then staged as a suicide? So many questions still and with more episodes to go for part 1, I am dreading a cliffhanger ending to part 1.