Military Prosecutor Doberman – K-Drama Episode 5 Recap & Review

No Tae Nam’s Sexual Harassment Case

Episode 5 of the South Korean drama ‘Military Prosecutor Doberman’ takes us five years in the past when Cha Woo In and her father were involved in a car crash. It is evident that that car crash was anything but planned.

Her father was a key element in one of the cases which would have affected the No Hwa Young and Yong Moon Gu negatively. Cha Woo In’s father dies in the crash and Woo In was in the coma for a week.

Do Bae Man is seen confronting No Hwa Young. It’s his last day as a military official. She holds him by the neck and fights her off. When he stops her hands midair to save from the slap, he sees her amputated finger and is troubled with flashbacks from the car crash which was fatal for his parents but he survived.

After leaving the premises, Cha Woo In’s words ring in his ears from when she had told him that they share a common fight and that she will wait for him ‘to escape the oblivion.’

The scene then cuts to Yong Moon Gu and No Hwa Young conversing about No Tae Nam’s ordeal. The two plan to remove Do Bae Man from their path for he has only become an itch.

We are then back to the shooting range where Cha Woo In and Do Bae Man meet and Woo In reveals in crisp details how she prepared to reach her position at the military prosecutor section.

Do Bae Man refuses to listen to her story, for he has partially lost his memories. After leaving, he experiences a flash of memory from his parents’ car crash where he sees the lady No Hwa Young giving a cold smile. He brushes it aside and the scene then cuts to him joining a law firm as an Equity Partner. The law firm owners praise Do Bae Man for his dedication and work as a military prosecutor.

No Hwa Young receives a call from Minister Lee who gives us the news that he is about to become the president. She congratulates him in advance and promises to meet for dinner and drinks later that night for celebration of his promotion. Back home she is happy to see Tae  Nam’s name being cleared of all charges.

Back in the military prosecutor’s office, Cha Woo In is met with Bae Man’s aunt. She has secretly helped the lady secure a vital video for a case, but requests her to keep it under wraps. She recalls how Bae Man is and reminisces if he really is as okay as he makes it sound.

Do Bae Man joins the new law firm and is greeted by the paralegal who is assigned to help him in his cases. The office is lavish. It is adorned with modern gadgets and artistic furniture that screams ‘expensive’ from every corner.

The paralegal brings in a golden frog which is from the firm’s manager as a good luck gift for Baek Man to earn lot of money since he ‘lacks money’. An attempt at humour is made here, and adequate sound effects are added as well. But one can’t help but recognize the insult wrapped in leather when the paralegal asks him to choose a bag to ‘look high class’. This moment also serves as a space for product placement.

His first client is Kang Ha Joon, the CEO of Kang’s Solutions and also an old acquaintance of Bae Man’s. He leaves as quickly as he arrives, but in those few minutes he drops huge insider information on No Hwa Young.

He narrates an accident from 20 years ago which was covered up and swept under the rug. This incident is the same one which killed Bae Man’s parents. Since he suffered from memory loss, he is unable to recall the incident clearly. He goes off after shooting a warning to Do Bae Man. Infuriated, Bae Man leaves in his car and meets Yeom Sam Inn the military prosecutor who was originally working on the case.

Next, we are brought back again to the a slightly humorous situation where No Hwa Young’s son No Tae Nam is enlisted in the military. He dreams of his rich spoilt days where he lived in the laps of luxury and privilege. His experiences in military training are aimed to be comic relief amidst the rising tension of his trial but the attempt falls flat.

The scene cuts to the courtroom which is packed with soldiers and is shut for public access. Before the trail a short scene of Do Bae Man in his new office is shown. The para legal goes on about the cases he would have to handle and he simply brushes it all aside and dons his military prosecutor robes. He makes a noticeable entry in the courtroom and the trial soon begins.

Do Bae Man studies the room with precision and also tells Cha Woo In that he is with her in the fight. He recalls No Hwa Young as the culprit behind his parents’ demise and wishes to secure justice.

The trial is about No Tae Nam’s sexual harassment case. The situation is quite sensitive as the victim is made to recall the night she was harassed, but the questions fired at her are brutal and the soldiers sitting as the audience are only deterring her from being confident and brave. No Tae Nam is guilty, but he has power which he can easily manipulate. He uses it to his benefit and his lawyer Yong Moon Gu turns the tables with his cross questions.

Do Bae Man meets Yong Moon Gu and continues to show his support for Yong. He gives a smirk which suggests that the tables are about to be turned for real since Do Bae Man knows about his parents’ accident. He definitely has plans which will be revealed slowly.

The next day, No Tae Nam’s mother is missing from the trail room and he is shocked to see her absent. Allen, another culprit in the case, is threated by Yong Moon Gu to take the fall. He admits to all charges in the courtroom, clearing No Tae Nam’s name in the process.

The soldiers present in the audience create a ruckus to disrupt the court. Yong Moon Gu submits a medical record which says that No Tae Nam suffers from erectile dysfunction. He instantly becomes a laughing stock amongst the soldiers.

No Tae Nam’s name is cleared but his ego and his standing as a modern man takes a huge blow. He is devastated to hear about this manipulation and has to be dragged out of the court.

Yong Moon Gu and No Hwa Young celebrate No Tae Nam’s name getting cleared of all charges. Yong Moon Gu makes a not-so-subtle gesture of getting the CEO position at IM Defense.

After the trial Cha Woo In and Do Bae Man meet again. He gives her a piece of advice which she takes offence against. The situation is settled and then comes the ‘Doberman’ reference. If you still didn’t get it, Do Bae Man’s name is a word play of ‘Doberman’ a dog breed which is known for looking slim yet very active and strong.

A Doberman bites but does not leave until the flesh is ripped out. Do Bae Man alludes to this quality and promises Cha Woo Ji to help her in the fight and also get justice for his parents.

The episode ends with Yong Moon Gu receiving a phone call from No Hwa Young. She informs him that Tae Nam deserted from the camp. This incident will only further complicate the trial which was until now a simple open and shut case owing to Allen’s confession and admission of the crime.

The Episode Review

The drama attempts to joins the ranks with the recent efforts like My Name and Vincenzo which have an anti-hero in the lead with an agenda of his own but helps everyone along the way.

While it focuses heavily on the military and its stringent rules, it also leans into the human side of the story with our leads who are after their own revenge agenda.

There are certain moments where humour was employed to lighten the scenes, but it does not quite land. Trying to make people laugh at the pitiful stance of a military recruit – especially the one who is embroiled in a sexual harassment case – is not something funny.

The logic sometimes feels off the mark too, and the story seems as if it is hastily written to lay emphasis on the battles fought by the leads. The scenes switch from one to another rapidly and it takes a while to understand the chronology of events.