Summary
Law School still has a fundamental problem with its writing, but every time it focuses on a character and their choices, it works better — plus, the ending of episode 8 brings a new interesting plot.
This recap of the Netflix k-drama series Law School episode 8 contains spoilers.
As I complained in the last recap, I really wish that this k-drama series did not tangle subplot, with more subplots, constantly. It’s a little tiring. But, we continue — let’s recap episode 8.
Assemblyman Ko learns that Yang Joon-hoon sent Kang Dan to juvenile detention, rather than prison — he believes he’s being played. Episode 8 then flits back to the court session, and Seung-jae enters the audience — in the last episode, we learned that he was hiding in Professor Yang’s office on the day of the murder. Professor Yang tells the judge that this is a murder investigation, not suicide, despite Ji-ho’s witness statement that the professor left a strange note. Of course, it is strange how Professor Yang does not want it to be a suicide case, as he is on trial for being the murderer.
Charging the ankle bracelet and a new eyewitness
Law School episode 8 continues to show the viewers the intricacies a courtroom can provide.
Lee Man-ho is called to the stand — he calls himself an “evil criminal” but that he wasn’t near the law school at the time of the murder. The prosecutor states that the defendant (Yang) wore an ankle bracelet on the day of the murder as “a test.” The prosecutor delves into the low battery of Lee Man-ho’s ankle bracelet and believes it was not charged so that the location could not be proved. Next, the prosecutor announces that he has an eyewitness that claims he saw Professor Yang kill the victim. However, he wants to keep it confidential. The judge grants disclosure of the witness, but Professor Yang says he shouldn’t, as he’d end up contacting him. Professor Yang and his attorney are shocked by this revelation, wondering what will happen.
The domestic abuse against Ye-seul continues
In an upsetting part of the story, Ye-seul becomes even more important to all this.
Ye-seul is getting abused by her partner; he tells her that she saw someone putting meth in Professor Seo’s coffee. Ye-seul gets angry at his insistence and brings up how he spies on her with cameras — Yeong-chang calls it love and tells her he wants to put Professor Yang in prison. Later on, Han Joon-hwi sees Ye-seul in a bad state, so he looks after her. Han Joon-hwi tells her that he doesn’t believe Professor Yang killed anyone and that in court, he only tells the truth so he doesn’t commit perjury, but it cannot be completely ruled out with a new eyewitness. Later on, Ye-seul gets sent a video file from Yeong-chang, and he tells her not to forget that long night they had –, she’s mortified by what she sees and drops her phone.
Later on, Professor Yang raises to Kim Eun-suk that Yeong-chang (the son of Assemblyman Ko) is abusing Ye-seul — there’s a chance he’s using her. Kim Eun-suk advises Professor Yang that he speaks to her about it as it may be tied to the trial.
Law School episode 7 recap – Ji-ho tells his story in a frustrating chapter
Was Prosecutor Jin responsible for the death of Ji-ho’s father?
After gathering evidence that Prosecutor Jin, not Professor Seo, leaked the information on Ji-ho’s father’s company, Han Joon-hwi and Ji-ho confront the journalists they overheard and recorded having the conversation and ask them to be witnesses. Later on, Han Joon-hwi sends Professor Yang more information.
Confronting Seung-jae
Law School episode 8 shows Kim Eun-suk continuing to work on the sidelines, investigating the possibilities around this case — she clearly does not believe it is Professor Yang.
Kim Eun-suk believes she knows who swapped Professor Yang’s laptop after seeing video footage. She confronts Seung-jae, believing it was him. We return to the day of the incident, with Seung-jae hiding in Professor Yang’s office — the professor hears a vibration from his cabinets, but then his phone goes off, so he does not check. Kim Eun-suk tells Seung-jae that the professor believes it was him hiding. She asks him if he had a missed called at 2:30 pm that day from Ji-ho. Seung-jae tells her it was her fault.
Trying to make a deal with Lee Man-ho or Kang Dan’s number
Late at night, Professor Yang visits Lee Man-ho in his apartment. He brings up Kang Dan — Lee Man-ho tells him that Kang Dan volunteered at the orphanage and mentored his son. Professor Yang tells him that Kang Dan lives in the USA, and he’s looking for her as well. He tells him if he wants her number, they’ll have to agree to a deal — he wants to know who compromised Lee Man-ho. Lee Man-ho insists that he did not agree with anything with anyone. Professor Yang tells him to think it over. As he leaves, he tells Lee Man-ho that the person who proposed the Lee Man-ho act to Assemblyman Ko was Kang Dan.
The eyewitness
A struggling Kang Sol A asks Han Joon-hwi for help with her studies. Later on, Professor Yang finds her sleeping in the school as she relentlessly studies. Kang Sol A asks him to take back his words (that she has to retake the year). The next day, due to dehydration and studying too hard, she suffers from a nosebleed and collapses. After she leaves the hospital, the students get together, and muse who they believe is the witness — Ye-seul reveals it is her who saw Professor Yang kill Professor Seo — she tells Kang Sol A that she definitely saw it, but Kang Sol A is skeptical — Kang Sol B tells Kang Sol A that she trusts Professor Yang too much. Persuaded by recent events, Kang Sol A is starting to suspect Professor Yang, which makes Ye-seul feel guilty.
Third trial
And with that, Ye-seul attends the witness stand — she asks for calming pills before it begins. Professor Yang puts on sunglasses, stating that eye contact with the witness will make her feel uncomfortable. Then, the prosecutor asks if she saw Professor Yang slip meth in Seo’s coffee. Yeong-chang smiles. The prosecutor shows the sugar packet and asks her if she’s sure she didn’t see this — she confirms that’s correct.
Ye-seul cannot take it
But lying in court is clearly harder than it looks, especially if you bring down someone you presume is innocent.
Flashbacks show Yeong-chang preparing her for the questions. In the present, Ye-seul then claims that Professor Yang told her not to say anything or that he will make her suffer — the courtroom is shocked. Professor Yang’s defense counsel then questions her, but then Ye-seul stands up and says she can’t do this anymore, as she wants to study law — she admits she lied. Strangely, Seung-jae walks out at this moment. Ye-seul tells the court that her partner threatened to disseminate a sex video if she didn’t lie. She apologizes. Outside, Yeong-chang is chased by the press.
The ending
Later on, Kang Sol A looks after Ye-seul and tells her to turn off her phone. Meanwhile, Professor Yang threatens Seung-jae, stating that if he finds his student needing to wear sunglasses again in his class, he’ll make sure he will have to wear sunglasses for the rest of his life. When Kang Sol A returns to her place, Ye-seul is not here. Instead, she’s outside getting beaten by Yeong-chang. He accuses her of stabbing him in the back and starts sending the sex video. She asks him if his father knows about this and shouldn’t do it for his sake. Ye-seul throws his phone on the floor and then pushes Yeong-chang — he lands on the floor badly, hitting his head on railings — there’s blood, and he will not wake up. As she’s about to ring Kang Sol A, Professor Yang walks up behind her, takes her phone, and puts it down.
Is there another death on our hands? We could be dealing with two running court cases now.
Law School still has a fundamental problem with its writing, but every time it focuses on a character and their choices, it works better — plus, the ending of episode 8 brings a new interesting plot.
Additional points.
- At the law school, Professor Yang is told to apologize to Assemblyman Ko for embarrassing himself in front of the students, but he refuses. So instead, he’s told to make sure he gets acquitted.
