Summary
Episode 15 is a dramatic penultimate chapter, wrapping the investigation up nicely and putting characters in a corner.
This recap of K-drama Netflix series Stranger season 2, episode 15 (Secret Forest) contains spoilers.
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The opening
Chief Woo meets Ms Lee Yeon-jae — the CEO asks about what they are going to do about the Hanjo trial. She asks how much money it will take. Woo tells Ms Lee Yeon-jae that he wanted to get into politics; Park Gwang-su approached him about Hanjo and he saw this as his opportunity. As Woo leaves, Ms Lee Yeon-jae asks Woo if he and Park Gwang-su had a fight. Woo states that the culprit has been found now and from the next day, Si-mok will be on a different case. She was really asking how Mr Park died…
And the penultimate chapter really opens up the story — the ultimate twists finally arrive.
Pointing fingers
In the media, the police are accusing the prosecution of trying to prevent redistribution of the investigative authority rights. This is, of course, the big news in the media. Woo instantly denies the accusations by the police. The media discuss Jeon Gi-hyeok and how the prosecution requested more evidence before wanting to provide a warrant. There’s a lot of pointing fingers.
“No-one died”.
Episode 15 sees Woo losing his patience — he’s sweating, he’s panicking.
Woo is told that if the plan went the way he wanted it to, Dong-jae would be dead by now by pegging it on the Segok officer. Woo is neutral about these points raised and says “No-one died”. He’s truly showing his true colours here.
Bank statements
Despite the powers telling him to move his attention elsewhere, Si-mok cannot stop at this stage.
Si-mok asks Mr Park’s wife why she asked him to meet the secretary of the law firm. He’s also looking into the bank statements of Park Gwang-su. There are cash transactions wired to three women before his death. He keeps Yeo-jin updated on his findings — she thinks they should visit the people he wired money to but only when their bosses calm down.
What happened with Park Gwang-su and the three women?
The three women are Yang Yu-bin, Shin Seo-yeon and Jang Su-jeong. Yeo-jin visits a club and asks the manager about the three women — the manager gets frustrated. Si-mok also interviews one of the women Yang Yu-bin and she claims to not remember much of what happened when she was sent to Mr Park — she then reveals that Woo’s hands were busy; they were at a vacation villa and Park Gwang-su died right in front of the three women and Woo. Scenes show that Woo planted Park Gwang-su in his car randomly down the highway to make out he died there. This is a big revelation and puts Woo right on the spot. Si-mok and Yeo-jin are unravelling this quickly.
Confronting Woo
If this series confirms anything is that Si-mok is not short of confidence.
Si-mok approaches Woo about the new facts and asks him to make more excuses. Woo threatens to get him fired and tells him his personal life was none of business. Si-mok raises prostitution and Woo smashes things on his desk. Woo tries to deflect and change the conversation, stating he had nothing to do with the vacation home with the women and Park Gwang-su’s death.
Move or fire him
Woo goes to meet Deputy Prosecutor General Shin Dong-un about Park Gwang-su and how Si-mok has figured out what happened. The deputy calls him a fool for messing with a dead body. Shin Dong-un tells him to either move Si-mok or fire him.
Was Chief Choi involved?
But the penultimate episode does not stop here folks — the series always toils with the police versus the prosecution; the “reveal” needed a balance.
Yeo-jin and Si-mok meet the man who escorted the three women away from the vacation home. He claims he did not return to the vacation home as he didn’t want to see the dead body so he left Woo to deal with it all alone. Si-mok states there must have been two drivers for this location. The man says he was asked to send people there — Yeo-jin asks if Chief Choi was involved. He seems to suggest she was. Yeo-jin seems upset.
Genuine threats
Stranger season 2, episode 15 sees Woo at his most powerful but desperate…
Woo invites Yeo-jin and Si-mok into his office. He threatens to indict Yeo-jin for covering up the crimes of the Assemblyman’s son. He says Chief Choi suggested moving the body. Woo makes it all about protecting each other and tells Si-mok he’s moving him to another province. He justifies his actions, stating it wasn’t a homicide, it was the case of moving a sick man. Woo says he’s doing this because he can ruin both of them.
Yeo-jin shows a photo of Woo in a car with Choi and he’s suddenly flustered. He tries saying they are on the same team. Both Si-mok and Yeo-jin walk out.
You could have made it
Late in the night, Yeo-jin speaks to Chief Choi while drunk. She talks about Woo’s leverage. She asks Choi if it was her idea to move the body and call the ambulance — she admits it was. Yeo-jin tells Choi that she underestimated herself and she’d have made it without having to hold her superior’s hand. Yeo-jin is scared that Choi is going to make a scene.
The ending
The media now have the story regarding the police and the prosecution moving the body of Park Gwang-su. The police want to make sure Chief Choi isn’t dragged into this — Yeo-jin states she reported it because she didn’t want the story to be controlled. Woo is trying to control the story in a statement. Si-mok asks for a warrant for Woo and Choi.
Stranger season 2, episode 15 is a dramatic penultimate chapter, wrapping the investigation up nicely and putting characters in a corner.
