Summary
Episode 12 is not as intensive as the previous chapter, but it does pull off a brilliant plan by the Counters to bring down the mayor. This really is a series that has shown its strength in the second half.
This recap of Netflix K-drama series The Uncanny Counter Season 1 Episode 12 contains significant spoilers.
The opening
The Uncanny Counter episode 12 opens up by reliving Kim Jeong-yeong’s death. Ga Mo-tak rushes to the hospital with her. He’s stricken with panic and grief. He’s only just remembered that she’s the love of his life. The medical staff keep trying to resuscitate her, but then Ga Mo-tak sees her spirit float outside the operating room — she’s dead. Mo-tak wails on the floor. This is a sorrowful moment — a bitter blow for the lead character.
The day of the funeral
And it gets sadder. The next scene is the day of the funeral. The Counters ready themselves for a sad day. Ga Mo-tak wants to give a proper goodbye at the police station, even though all his ex-colleagues think he’s dead. As he waits outside, he remembers Kim Jeong-yeong telling him that Chief Choi is trying to cover up many cases. He then hears a few officers talking about Kim Jeong-yeong’s death — it’s been covered up as a suicide. So Mun stops Ga Mo-tak from walking inside as he’s furious — So Mun understands Mo-tak so well in this scene and knows what he was about to do.
Comforting Mo-tak
Mo-tak and So Mun observe the funeral from the car and then head back to the noodle cafe. So Mun grabs him an alcoholic drink. Ga Mo-tak asks him how he coped with his parents’ death. This scene shows maturity from So Mun, who is patient with Ga Mo-tak and doing his best to comfort him.
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Suddenly, Mo-tak tells So Mun that the police shot Kim Jeong-yeong. He felt her last memory in the hospital — he saw a watch that is only given to officers. The conspiracy deepens.
Meeting officer Han-ul
Ga Mo-tak meets up with Kang Han-ul, the officer who has taken over Kim Jeong-yeong’s cases. He confirms that the police are treating it as suicide. Kang Han-ul mentions Cheong-sin, but Ga Mo-tak doesn’t believe it was him who killed her — he asks for names of officers who have been at the force for over 20 years. Han-ul offers to find out. Ga Mo-tak’s logic is spot on here — go for the ones who have been in the force for many years, and who are more likely to be corrupt.
Planning the next steps
The Counters look into Kim Jeong-yeong’s death. Ha-na suggests doing things “their way”; mayor Shin Myeong-hwi and the police believe the Counters are dead and Ha-na suggests they act that way and steal the five billion won that was illegally elicited by the mayor — the police cannot report it, and they’ll look for another financier — the Counter’s financier. This is a sweet plan.
Getting Yung’s approval
But of course, the one thing that stands in their way is Yung. Ga Mo-tak states they must break up Mayor Shin, Cho Tae-sin and Choi Su-ryong to give them a good chance. Ms Chu then reminds them that Yung will not be happy with this as their job is to capture evil spirits but then accepts they cannot let the mayor become president. Ha Mo-tak speaks to Yung about it, and they agree to cooperate on the Counter’s plans. They are in the clear. It’s not surprising that Yung agreed, especially after what happened last time.
Meeting the financier
The Counter financier meets mayor Shin Myeong-hwi, and they socialise together. The financier shows off for going to jail for embezzlement. Cho Tae-sin believes that mayor Shin is trying to get rid of them all and alerts Noh Hang-gyu; he tells him they need insurance. Meanwhile, the Counter financier agrees to be the campaign club leader and tells the mayor how much money he’d like before laughing and walking off — he references five billion won. Shin Myeong-hwi takes the bait. He wants in.
Continuing to track mayor Shin and his team
Money is collected in many suitcases at a bank by the mayor’s men. So Mun looks at the tracking devices and states that Noh Chang-yu is at the reservoir. They’ve hacked phones and learn that Noh Chang-yu has found a yellow suitcase at the reservoir. Meanwhile, So Mun pops the tyres of the car with the suitcases of money and Mo-tak pretends to be a tyre replacement engineer. The men are caught off guard as Mo-tak causes a commotion; Ha-na, Ms Chu and So Mun steal the suitcases full of money while the men are distracted and swap them with suitcases of bottled water. This part of the episode was so silly but it added to the comedy as Mo-tak acts like a buffoon who cannot change tyres.
The yellow suitcase
Afterwards, Ga Mo-tak tells the Counters that he thinks the yellow suitcase has something to do with Kim Yeong-nim. Flashbacks show Cho Tae-sin told Noh Hang-gyu to dig up the yellow suitcase as insurance. In the present, Noh Hang-gyu is sweating about the situation — it’s easy to assume at this stage that Kim Yeong-nim’s body is inside. Ga Mo-tak finds Noh Chang-yu trying to incinerate the yellow suitcase and stops him.
The suitcases are delivered, and Noh Hang-gyu wants them to be sent to mayor Shin Myeong-hwi. Meanwhile, Noh Chang-yu wakes up and tells his acquaintance that he believes they threw the yellow suitcase in the fire. The Counters open the suitcase and find a dead body inside — it’s mostly bones. The team all pray briefly. They are getting closer to bringing down the mayor.
Referring to another police station
Ha-na brings up mayor Shin Myeong-hwi’s political rival Oh Yeong-deok and suggests going to a police station in his constituency, so they don’t cover it up. Ga Mo-tak gives a detective he knows the yellow suitcase and asks him to confirm the DNA and keep the investigation quiet.
The money is gone
Mayor Shin Myeong-hwi shows the Counter financier one of the suitcases, but it’s full of water bottles. Noh Hang-gyu looks through the suitcases with panic, and they learn that all their money has gone. The Counter financier leaves and acts disappointed — he takes samples of their DNA to help with the Kim Yeong-nim case. Mayor Shin Myeong-hwi is furious. One of the men that transported the money realises that he doesn’t remember anything when transporting it. Noh Chang-yu also says he doesn’t remember anything. Noh Hang-gyu believes this is linked to Ga Mo-tak. It’s all suddenly dawning on these villains that they have been well and truly duped — The Uncanny Counter episode 12 is another well-delivered chapter.
The ending
Ga Mo-tak receives a call; it’s confirmed that the DNA analysis of the remains of Kim Yeong-nim body shows Noh Hang-gyu on the clothes and mayor Shin under the woman’s fingernails. The Counters are excited — they have them. In the next scene, mayor Shin Myeong-hwi is asked by the police to come for an interview for the murder of Kim Yeong-nim. Noh Hang-gyu then learns that Ga Mo-tak is still alive. Mayor Shin Myeong-hwi looks outside to see the Counters are alive and he’s in complete shock. Noh Hang-gyu is also arrested.
Mayor Shin walks out to crowds of support, and he Counters look at him from a distance. He tells the press that it is a political trap. He then looks at So Mun and asks how his parents are doing. So Mun tells him he will pay for everything he did.
The Uncanny Counter episode 12 is not as intensive as the previous chapter, but it does pull off a brilliant plan by the Counters to bring down the mayor. This really is a series that has shown its strength in the second half.
