Summary
It seems this series is trying to be way too clever, and rather than allowing the audience to enjoy the characters, episode 7 bores the viewers with subplot after subplot.
This recap of the Netflix k-drama series Law School episode 7 contains spoilers.
Honestly, I am not entirely sure what to think of this k-drama series so far. When the script decides to loop in a subplot into a subplot, it feels a little tedious. I’m all for in-depth law dramas, but having the plot constantly explained to the viewer microscopically, takes away the sellability of the characters. It’s a shame because the last episode felt character-orientated. In contrast, this episode once again brought the audience full circle on a single issue with another character — it just doesn’t work for me.
Episode 7 begins in April 2016 (4 years ago); Prosecutor Yang Joon-hoon is looking into the claims of Kang Dan with Assemblyman Ko. He joins him in a sauna to discuss it. Prosector Seo is here, and he is concerned. In the present day, Kang Sol A hears Kang Dan on Professor Yang’s phone — Kang Sol A tries to answer it, but Kang Dan puts it down. Kang Sol A asks Yang Joon-hoon for the truth regarding Kang Dan — the professor tells her that knowing the truth will not improve her grades.
Ji-ho’s story
Law School episode 7 brings in Ji-ho’s story, which is a sad state of affairs, but we have to question how many students did Professor Seo impact their lives?
Ji-ho tells Han Joon-hwi that it would make much more sense to say Professor Seo wrote that dissertation in the Kang Sol B case and then refers to an article where CEO Seo Gi-yeol kills himself amid prosecution. The CEO of the toy company was found by the son — the police found nothing suspicious. Ji-ho reveals he is the son, and the prosecutor who investigated his father was Seo Byung-ju. Later on, Han Joon-hwi wants to see the files — the story clearly impacts him.
Yeong-chang snoops in the girls’ dorm
In the middle of the night, a man gets into Kang Sol A’s bed, and he calls her “babe.” She chases after him, but Han Joon-hwi stops him outside. The man (Yeong-chang) has been secretly getting into the dorms to stop his girlfriend Ye-seul from being scared at night — he clearly got into the wrong bed. The story keeps framing that Ye-seul’s boyfriend is an abusive man, so Kang Sol A and Han Joon-hwi are clearly suspicious of his actions. Han Joon-hwi tells Yeon-chang to sign an agreement that he takes civil and legal responsibility if it happens again — he knows his father is in high places and threatens to make it public that he has been snooping in a girls’ dorm.
This is an okay subplot, I suppose, but do all these potential lawyers throw cases at every one in every situation?
A coffee with Lee Man-ho
Professor Yang meets Lee Man-ho and asks him what deal he made with Prosecutor Jin. Lee Man-ho says when he hears that name, he shudders so that it wouldn’t work with him. He wants to meet Kang Sol A’s older sister.
An awkward lecture
Assemblyman Ko delivers a lecture to the students — he brings up Professor Seo and how he’s appalled that the place he donates to has become about a murderer; he then discusses how Seo was part of a drunk hit and run incident and made a deal with a sex offender. He states he was responsible for the Lee Man-ho act — Professor Yang claims a student at the law school made the suggestion. Assemblyman Ko brings up that Yang is in court and accused of murder, which makes the scenario a little heated. The professor states he’s ashamed that the students have to listen to this lecture by the assemblyman.
Professor Yang walks out, and Yeong-chang is furious and runs after him. Ye-seul stops him, and he tells her that she should be mad at how Professor Yang talks to her future father-in-law. He begins to abuse her physically, but Kang Sol A arrives on the scene and stops him. Yeong-chang makes a comment about Kang Sol A that he would only know if he was spying on her. When she returns to her dorm, she learns that there’s a camera in her and Ye-seul’s room. What a creep.
Kang Sol A is told to redo the year
Law School episode 7 sees Kang Sol A get a little feisty, and rightfully so.
The story of the single mother that Kang Sol A is helping continues in episode 7 — she tells the woman that she should continue using her website and get indicted and prove her innocence. Professor Yang is dismayed by her advice and believes she should repeat the school year. Kang Sol A storms out and tells Han Joon-hwi that Professor Yang is evil.
Continuation of the trial
Kang Sol attends Professor Yang’s trial anyway and is called a witness; she is grouchy because she clashed with the professor earlier, but she still maintains that she thinks he is innocent anyway. The prosecutor tries to break the credibility of Kang Sol A’s testimony, believing she is on Yang’s side to show mercy. Han Joon-hwi is asked to the stand, and he plays with the prosecutor over the sugar packet.
Bringing Ji-ho to the stand
After meandering around, episode 7 finally gets to where it needs to be, with Ji-ho testifying in court.
Professor Yang decides to question him. He asks about the memory stick he gave him. This is classed as new evidence, and the judge grants it. Professor Yang makes it into a lecture and tells the students which part of the code this applies — he then asks Ji-ho why he came to him. Flashbacks show Ji-ho telling Professor Yang that he wants to accuse Professor Seo of publicizing a suspected crime that caused the end of his father’s life. In the present, Ji-ho tells the court that he came to Professor Yang for revenge against Professor Seo because he killed his father.
The ending
There’s plenty of murmurs in the courtroom, but the judge asks Ji-ho to continue; Ji-ho explains the same story he told Han Joon-hwi at the start of the episode. How his father’s company was accused of putting toxic chemicals in the toys, and even though it was untrue, his reputation was destroyed, and he killed himself. Ji-ho reveals he promised to avenge his father’s death. Professor Yang raises that none of the investigators questioned the link between Ji-ho and the victim and asks Ji-ho — did you kill him?
Ji-ho says he did not kill Seo because it was the same day his father died, so he vowed to do it by law. Flashbacks show Professor Seo telling Ji-ho that he’s his son, but it looks like he’s mistaking him for Han Joon-hwi as he is extremely high. Ji-ho saw that Professor Seo was suffering from drugs and deemed it worse than death — he tried to ring a doctor, but they didn’t answer.
The judge then asks Professor Yang to recall the day of the incident — flashbacks show he was in his office — he suspects someone is hiding in there; it was Seung-jae. In the present day, Seung-jae walks into the trial, and Professor Yang looks at him. I’m past caring at this point.
It seems this series is trying to be way too clever, and rather than allowing the audience to enjoy the characters, Law School episode 7 bores the viewers with subplot after subplot.
Additional points
- In the letter, Kang Dan admits to Professor Yang that she accepted filthy money for injustice. Yang Joon-hoon rings Professor Stone.
- The Vice-Dean Kang Ju-man tries to hand in his resignation, but it is ripped up by Ms. Oh, who doesn’t accept it.
- Professor Yang tells Kang Sol B that she can’t be questioned in his trial because he doesn’t want her to lie — he doesn’t want any of his students to take advantage of the law.
- A couple of men at the trial are hoping Ji-ho didn’t kill Seo, as he would have killed the wrong man for revenge — they seem to know who really drove his father to kill himself. Han Joon-hwi overhears this conversation.
