Dong Jae, the Good or the Bastard – K-drama Episode 8 Recap & Review

Episode 8

Episode 8 of Dong Jae: The Good or the Bastard begins with Dong-jae preparing to beg someone who appears to be Nam Wan-sung, but it turns out to be his wife! After gaining her approval, he launches his plan to catch Wan-sung, knowing he risks divorce if he fails.

Meanwhile, Wan-sung plans to destroy Dong-jae’s career by exposing a past land bribe. He is aware that he cannot be prosecuted for the bribe since the ten-year statute of limitations has expired. Wan-sung learns of a reporter snooping around the construction site and orders his men to “handle” her. On the other side, Dong-jae speaks to a construction site worker and finds out when the workers have a holiday. He and Ji-hee plan to visit the site the next day, during its closure.

Dong-jae accurately deduces Wan-sung’s next move—to bring up the land bribe—so he posts a detailed apology on the intranet, discussing Gyeo-re’s unresolved drug case and his own past misconduct. This tactic disrupts Wan-sung’s plan to expose him live on air, prompting Wan-sung to arrange an emergency broadcast with his lawyer.

In a humorous twist, Mi-ran calls Byung-gun to keep an eye on Dong-jae to prevent him from doing anything “stupid.” On the other hand, Dong-jae is shopping for a rope and shovel in a darkly comic scene where he comically refuses to die, accepting that there are many things he can do if he loses his job.

Eventually, Dong-jae confides in Byung-gun about the construction site case, and Byung-gun agrees to help since he sees Wan-sung as worse than Dong-jae. Byung-gun also learns of Mi-ran’s connection with Wan-sung, so they decide to keep her out of the loop.

Meanwhile, Ji-hee investigates the construction site alone, where she encounters a group of gangsters. After falling into a pit, she overhears them discussing previous cases of burying people alive. When Dong-jae and Byung-gun arrive, Ji-hee tosses her identity card at the gangsters, who flee in fear upon discovering she’s a prosecutor. At the hospital, the team brainstorms ways to locate a body buried at the site.

The next day, while Wan-sung is questioned at the police station, Park Chan-hyeok, visibly disturbed after days of torture, finally appears and confesses to being the true drug maker. This is also where the police had located one of the thugs thanks to his fingerprints on Ji-hee’s ID card which she’d so cleverly planned. Wan-sung refutes his connection with the thugs and leaves, telling the police that he’ll send in his lawyer.

The prosecutor trio concludes that the fastest way to uncover the body is by tracking Wan-sung when he attempts to move it. They enlist Mi-ran, knowing she’ll inform Wan-sung. Mi-ran then advises Dong-jae to vacate his dorm room for his junior, Prosecutor Sung.

Later, Wan-sung learns that the gangsters assigned to silence Ji-hee have robbed him for escape money, and he sends his men after them. Meanwhile, Byung-gun attempts to talk to Chan-hyeok, but the effort proves futile. At the same time, the police captain keeps an eye on the construction site.

The next day, Dong-jae hands off all his cases to Prosecutor Sung, only to realize that his first case pits him against the former chief prosecutor, who is Gyeo-re’s lawyer.

The Episode Review

This episode of Dong Jae: The Good or the Bastard adds another layer to the series with moments of sharp black comedy woven into the suspense of Wan-sung’s ongoing misdeeds. The unlikely trio of Dong-jae, Byung-gun, and Ji-hee brings a refreshing twist to the story, and it’s a delight to watch! Byung-gun’s decision to work with Dong-jae stems from the fact that he sees Wan-sung as far worse in character and actions, making their partnership all the more amusing.

There’s a lot of anticipation for what’s to come, but since the show’s overall tone aligns with Dong-jae’s personality, it’s filled with lighthearted, entertaining moments. These touches add humor and help balance the emotional intensity of the cases, making the episode engaging and fun to watch.