The Judge From Hell – K-drama Episode 13 Recap & Review

The Final Sentencing

Episode 13 of Judge from Hell begins with Seonho behind bars. However, he’s attacked by an inmate, who stabs him in the neck. This is clearly a way of keeping him quiet, and a move from Taegyu. All of this occurs during Bael’s chat with Bitna that ended episode 12. It also contextualizes why the case can’t go ahead.

Without Seonho as a witness, the trial is bound to fall apart so instead, Bitna decides to postpone everything by 2 days. The sly grin and nod that Taegyu gives Daon as he’s taken out the court shows that he’s the one behind this. Even worse, there’s no video footage anywhere to be seen, which doesn’t back up Seonho’s story about his mother’s abuse.

Daon shows to see Seonho but he’s rattled, and won’t testify. Bitna senses she needs to do something drastic and shows up to see Taegyu. She reveals the evidence against him and offers a trade. In exchange for letting him go, she wants Taegyu to kill for her instead and bring the kylum while he’s at it. This way, she’ll be able to usurp Satan’s plan for becoming immortal. Easy-peasy.

Of course, this is all a ruse by Bitna to try and entrap him. He doesn’t go for it but that’s not to say he might change his mind if the trial goes south.

Speaking of which, the trial takes place and Bitna starts asking the difficult questions. Taegyu nonchalantly shrugs it all off, despite the evidence against him, and his lawyer points the finger at Seonho. Seonho though, shows up at the court and decides to testify after all.

Seonho’s testimony brings up what happened to Soyeong, including his part to play in her death. He stabbed Soyeong in the shoulder when she was about to cuff and arrest Taegyu because he was concerned he too would be arrested alongside his brother. Seonho was also the one who attacked the woman in the alleyway. Taegyu told him to in order to get the villa residents out by scaring them into moving.

Seonho was also witness to Myeongsook’s son being murdered. He was the one who returned to the spot, feeling guilty over the boy’s death. He held a white rose but then hurried away, so she never actually grabbed the murderer, she grabbed Seonho. Unfortunately, without hard evidence to back his claims up, the prosecution pounce on Seonho’s mental state and, in particular, his history with taking drugs.

Thankfully, Daon and the other officers manage to find multiple tapes, and the camcorder too, hidden in a secret basement room. They bring all of this to Judge Bitna, who reprimands Taegyu for it in court, given she’s confirmed all of this for herself.

Taegyu shows no remorse though and he reprimands the victims over his decision to “liberate people” and how bad it is to be poor. He took pleasure in killing and admits it got easier the more he did it.

His testimony is difficult to listen to, especially as it’s followed up by Daon’s, who was only a child at the time he heard his mum sliced to bits. As he gives his emotional plea, the defendant’s lawyer is taken out for interrupting and she lets him finish.

That night, Gabriel returns and speaks to Bitna as they eat burgers together. Bitna admits she’s conflicted because of the Taegyu situation but Gabriel believes she should just release the guy and kill him. If not, Bitna could well face death herself. But then what of all those victims? All those who suffered at the hands of J’s killing spree and deserve justice? All of this rests on Justitia’s weary shoulders.

A lot of this worry is mostly due to Daon, whom she’s worried will resent her if he makes the wrong move. Bitna gets Daon to promise not to hate or resent her depending on how she judges this one, and he simply tells her that he trusts her judgment.

The sentencing takes place and Bitna does a decent job of recapping everything we’ve learned so far. Now, the statute of limitations expired in 2014 so those killings that Taegyu has admitted to, can’t be used as part of this case. The sentencing given is judged based on the killing of Soyeong alone. But Bitna has heard the victims and decided… to sentence Taegyu to death.

Bitna does right by the people and the court, restoring faith in the system, but simultaneously signing her own death warrant. She turns her back, struggling to hold her tears in, as the victims all breathe a sigh of relief. Justice has been served. Well, at least for the victims. Professionals in the industry are not happy and believe she’s ruled harshly, recklessly and without lack of legal understanding.

As for Seonho, he’s put behind bars for 15 years and also offered drug rehab and treatment under custody. On his way out, he hands over a piece of paper to Bitna and tells her to check his safe.

Bitna’s ruling has a ripple effect at the courthouse, as Na decides to go full-on whistle-blower and reveals about the Assemblyman paying off the lawyers for favourable results. Na isn’t deterred about losing his job, he’s decided instead to become a big YouTube sensation. As you do.

Myeongsook is desperate for some sort of proper closure but she’s definitely not getting it from Taegyu. Instead, she gets it from an unlikely source – Seonho. He has a letter addressed to Myeongsook. He’s been holding onto a card from Yechan to his mum, which he had on him. It also has hand lotion inside, and a message about how he’s going to take care of her.

It’s a beautiful letter but unfortunately, Taegyu too receives a letter. This is stuffed inside a book and happens to be a route showing how to escape. This coincides conveniently around the time Seonho is found hanging in his cell, so he requests leave to go see him.

Bitna speaks to Daon that afternoon and points out she needs to leave soon. She holds his hand and admits he’s the only weakness in her life. They exchange that they love one another and kiss tenderly right on the bridge. She says goodbye and walks away, believing it’s the last time they’ll be seeing each other. Daon though, believes it’s the start, rather than the end, of their blossomed romance.

Daon realizes what Bitna meant that evening and races out to the park. Unfortunately, he’s too late as Bitna is stabbed by Bael’s underling, and she bleeds out on the ground. She’s rushed to hospital and the doctors work overtime on her but it seems hopeless.

Gabriel warned that one of them would die if they continued to spend time together and alas, that has seemingly now come to pass. As Bitna flatlines, Daon is left shocked and heartbroken.

The Episode Review

With Taegyu on the loose and having escaped custody, alongside Seonho now dead, it seems like everything could be reversed if Taegyu kills again and Bitna takes up her role as judge, jury and executioner, and takes her anger out on the serial killer, thus restoring her back to her place as Justice demon.

The romance between Bitna and Daon has certainly been bittersweet and perhaps it was always going to turn out this way. There’s certainly a lot to like with this one, as the characterisation, action and courtroom drama mesh together in a compelling way.

There have been several lulls in the show, along with some contrived plot scenarios, but on the whole this has been a decent K-drama and the ending certainly leaves everything on a precarious knife edge going into the finale.