Summary
Episode 10 slows the story down, giving frustrating dead ends and showing how this case is not as simple as it looks.
This recap of K-drama Netflix series Stranger season 2, episode 10 (Secret Forest) contains spoilers.
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The opening
Woo is remembering his conversation with Dong-jae about Park Gwang-su and how he raised his suspicions — Woo is acting suspicious himself. Meanwhile, Si-mok is talking to Dong-jae’s colleagues about why he closed the case for Park Gwang-su. One of the colleagues claims he signed off the case because Dong-jae trusted her and Si-mok wonders why she is defending him so much. Si-mok learns that he was also looking into the chief of Dongducheon Station. Si-mok seems frustrated that Dong-jae’s team is revealing the information on closed cases now. Dong-jae seemed to have a lot of sympathy for Park Gwang-su.
Checking out the family store.
Detective Jang and Yeo-jin head to a cafe to see Dongducheon Station’s chief’s sister, Kim Su-hang’s aunt. She serves them. They act like they are not officers and Yeo-jin checks out the back of the store to see if Dong-jae is held captive. Suddenly the aunt realizes that the keys to the back are missing. All that Yeo-jin finds is rat infestation and off meat. Looks like that clears that angle but this disappearance case is getting frustrating for the police who keep hitting dead leads. Episode 10 is another checklist.
Emergency stops and destination
Episode 10 shows the flashback again with Park Gwang-su having a heart attack at the wheel. Si-mok is replaying the scene in his head on the highway where it happened. Si-mok is wondering why Park Gwang-su slammed the brakes when there was no traffic. Park Gwang-su also had no destination in his sat nav and it wasn’t his usual route. Dong-jae also visited the scene the next day. Si-mok is showing his real cynicism here. Nothing adds up but it also feels very circumstantial at this stage of the series. Just like the police, Si-mok is stumped.
Remove him from the case
Woo rings up Chief Choi — they know that Si-mok is well ahead in his investigation of Dong-jae and the closed case of Park Gwang-su. They both want Si-mok removed from the case.
More questions
They have to remove him soon though as Si-mok is speaking to Park Gwang-su’s widowed wife. He asks her why her husband was heading to a specific location and queries drinking habits. She claims he was heading to a location he doesn’t usually go to and he drank like every normal person. She also says that Dong-jae visited the funeral. They finish the conversation with the wife recommending that Si-mok visits his old law firm and talk to his secretary.
The secretary
He visits the secretary and she explains that Park Gwang-su took the day off the day he died. Si-mok notes that his dashcam was off only on the day he died. When Si-mok asks how the law firm reacted when Park Gwang-su died, she seems nervous — she implies that the lawyer met a person in Namyangju and they were puzzled that they found alcohol in his body because he didn’t drink — this highly contradicts the wife’s statement. Si-mok wonders if Park Gwang-su was stealing one of the firm’s clients.
Si-mok is starting to wonder if he’s delaying finding Dong-jae by looking over details that may not be useful. This clearly shows how frustrating it is getting for the characters.
Refocus your efforts
Woo asks Si-mok for an update and when he has no concrete update, Woo tells him that he needs to focus on something else to find Dong-jae. Woo is acting strangely about the cases and Si-mok eventually leaves his office.
A meeting with Jeon Seung-pyo
Chief Choi and Yeo-jin hold a meeting with Jeon Seung-pyo. Choi asks if he’s faking his overtime for his wage but he says he has better things to do. Yeo-jin then records the meeting and asks Jeon Seung-pyo where he was on March 26 between 7-11 pm. He gets angry and Chief Choi shouts back and tells him to remain seated. Yeo-jin raises how they have evidence that he has faked his overtime which means his alibi doesn’t work. Jeon Seung-pyo admits to meeting Dong-jae because he raised the Sergeant Song case. This character is comically angry.
The ending
A witness saw Dong-jae on the day which has alerted the police and prosecution. The police now want a warrant. The police check out video footage and see a sales slip from a store. Jang gets a name — Jeon Gi-hyeok — he collects the resident’s registration number at the casino the witness attends. They are wondering how best to approach the witness as he has a criminal record and might run.
The police check out the image from the culprit again and find what looks like a watch. It’s not a ceiling light as they first thought — it’s a police watch. This is not a good update from the police. Chief Choi is asked to summon the Segok Station officers. The pressure now lies with the police again who have had to work hard with the public to put them in a better light.
Stranger season 2, episode 10 slows the story down, giving frustrating dead ends and showing how this case is not as simple as it looks.
Additional points
- Detective Jang notes that there is no ransom yet for Dong-jae despite the culprit’s message.
