[Drama 2022] Through The Darkness /Those Who Read Hearts of Evil, 악의 마음을 읽는 자들

[larus]

I watched the first two episodes. I like it. It is the way I imagined it will be. Nice that they mentioned "Mindhunters" by John Douglas. I watched the US series, how was the work of the first profilers in US and how profilers worked in the newly established ` Behavioral Science Unit`. 

 

Now a similar unit is established in South Korea and let see the work of Song Ha-Young and the new team. Kook Young-Soo was right. Song Ha young was perfect for this job. He doesn`t have behavioral psychology studies but he compensates with native skills. Some of his colleagues sees him as an outcast, he is different from them. He never goes to social gatherings (go to drink or eat with his colleagues after work), works in bad conditions without complaning, deosn`t care if he will upset his superiors, all he cares is to find the true criminals. And he is empathetic even without showing his true feelings. When Bang Ki-Hoon thanked him for finding the real culprit he said "You were always like this. Pretending you did not care about people but you were always considerate behind their back". He is so considerate. Even when he was a child he left his mom side to see the victim and he covered her feet. He alwasy goes to see the family of the victims. But he is such a lonely guy and he does not comunicate his feelings with others. A very introverted man.  I wonder what is his story. I know he loves his mom and she loves him too but why they have such a awkard relationship? He isolates himself from others.  Song Ha young reminds me a little about Hwang Shi Mok but at least I understood why he was a loner.  

 

Next case... A murderer  pedophile! The case will be painful to watch. 

 

I forgot to mentioned. How frustrated it was to see how some cops investigate the crimes and treated the suspects? I get that there are bad people in the world but Captain Park beating Bang Ki-Hoon to confess a crime it was so uncomfortable to watch. There were some circumstantial evidence but common sense would have raised some valid questions. Instead of doing hard work to answer all the questions, they took the easy way and put the blame to the first suspect they came up. Good thing that there was a cop like Song Ha Young. He not only find the real culprit but he gave Bang Ki-Hoon`s life back. 

[CarolynH]

Good question @larus  We know what happened when Ha Young was a child, but how did growing up shape his current personality?  Yeah, I was angry watching Captain Park beating Ki Hoon into a confession.  I know they're under pressure to solve a hideous crime, but now look-the police look bad for sending an innocent man to prison.  

[carolinedl]

Ah I have not posted on the forum for quite a while but I really enjoyed this show so here I am...

 

I really enjoyed the two first episodes; the pace was great. It was dark and it also reflected the mentalities of the time. Like the beatings of possible culprits - it was a common practice at the time, and especially in South Korea @CarolynH and @larus. There were a lot of cases like this actually and the police got a bad reputation for it. Thnik of Memories of Murder for instance. In any case, I liked th efact taht Captain park was not an RickRoll'D till the end and recognized that he might have been wrong by asking to run the prints.

 

I also really like the use of news footage. It shows the evolution of Korean society and mentalities too.

 

Also, I needed to post here because I started watching the Raincoat Killer (a documentary series on Netflix) last week and it talks about the same things! I think it is great to watch the two together; it creates interesting echoes. Plus the whole reality and fiction divide is fascinating... Anyone else has seen it?

 

[jongski]

 

@larus @CarolynH  @twinkle_little_starFinshed the first two two episodes and I totally enjoyed this!

 

This drama's genre of crime, psycho is  a fav.  If you like the Profiler, Criminal Minds, NCIS type of drama.. you'll enjoy this.

 

What goes on in the mind of criminal.. this is what this's drama's all about.

 

The first two episodes deals with the catching "red cap" killer between 1998 and 1999. Women living alone has been murdered and  MO is choking, leaving them undress afterwards.   In trying to get to the mind of the killer his  actions and what possible triggers and how MO is done, Detective Song Ha Young talked to another criminal.  Back then there was not Criminal Behavior Analyst deparment. It's un heard of I guess.   After the success,  the chief commissioner allowed for the creation of department  for CBA. It's also a way to  erase the bad publicity the police  was getting from the press and many protest because, 1 they put an innocement in in jail  and 2, the said falsely accused was beaten and coerce just so they can have a confession.

 

As to  why SHY behavior? When he was 9 he  fell into the sea nd saw woman's body under the water. For drama purpose- he was  staring at the woman who was killed and floating. After getting rescued and the woman's body  discovered, he peeked on her covered body already but saw the feet wasn't so he pulled the blanket to do so.  He carried this habit as  a detective.   In ep 1 doctor explained, SHY can feel wai too deeply. He get see peoples inner feelings. There's a gap between his feelings and people's reaction. The  falsely accused school mate even said even back in  Ha Young was too considerate with others.

 

Waiting for ep 3 next week which is gonna be new case. Child molestor.  Based from preview here's early trigger warning it's  about 5 yr old child lured by an old man  with icre cream and a  candy if the child comes hom with him and then middle of the night and then child screams. Not for the faint hearted. You've been warned.

 

But since the SHY character is based on real life......

 

On 1/15/2022 at 6:41 PM, larus said:

Based on a book co-written by South Korea’s real-life first criminal profiler, “Through the Darkness” is set in the late 1990s and stars Kim Nam Gil as a pioneering profiler who struggles to read the minds of serial killers. (soompi)

 

At the end of each episodes they always show real live events that happened on that particular year. I do have question @larus are these cases real or just made up for the drama.  Just curuious.

 

 

 

 

 

[larus]

On 1/16/2022 at 9:02 PM, carolinedl said:

Like the beatings of possible culprits - it was a common practice at the time, and especially in South Korea

 

Yeah. Unfortunetely not only in South Korea. I was glad when it was discovered that there is another suspect, Captain Park did not try to hide his mistake. That was good. It means that he is not a villain, just a man who was caught in the bad practice. I am sure he had a good intension (to catch a hideous criminal) but the way he went there was not correct. He knew that the method is not good but he thought the mean justify the end. He remined me of Captain Park of One Ordinary Day. This way of thinking and prejudice can bring so much pain to others and do an injustice. It is sad. 

 

On 1/16/2022 at 9:30 PM, jongski said:

At the end of each episodes they always show real live events that happened on that particular year. I do have question @larus are these cases real or just made up for the drama.  Just curuious.

 

Perhaps they are real. Even the cases can be inspired by real life events. From what I read about the real investigators/ profilers, they caught two famous serial killers and I think we`ll see those cases in this drama. Probably they will simplify events and change names but it will be about those cases. We`ll see.

 

I watched again the end of the episode one and I saw that I missed the epilogue. I see that Song Ha-Young was indeed a special child. Ha Young went to a psychologist or psychiatrist when he was a child perhaps because of the event he went through. I think I understand why he became so distant from other people. He is a person who feels so much about the others (like the specialist said, "he is capable to look deeply into people`s heart".) There are people who are very empathetic but he is above average. When you feel too much, there is a problem for that person. Ha young is protecting himself. He doesn`t go to his colleagues from drinks for exemple because he can`t socialize or he doesn`t know how to deal with the overbearing feelings. When someone interact with others outside work, he/she has to open emotionally to the others. He can`t do that. Perhaps he can`t know how to deal with 'his gift.' It could be seen as a gift but in the same time can be a burden.

 

I cried when I saw that he left his umbrella to the dead cat in the alley.   I am glad that his mother was there for him. I wanted to hug the boy myself and cry with him. He indeed feels so much for others.

 

[larus]

An article about criminal profiler Kwon Il-yong, the one who wrote the book from which this drama was inspired.

 

[Eye Interview] Inside criminal minds

Legendary profiler tells story of South Korea’s serial killers

By Bak Se-hwan

 

When Jeong Nam-kyu was first arrested for housebreaking and attempted murder in 2006, few imagined that the diminuitive, 37-year-old man would turn out to have been the perpetrator of a string of murders that shook the country for years. 

The man, showing no remorse, signs of being intimidated or fear for his own fate, confessed to killing two boys in 2004 and more. His cool-headed confession made investigators shudder. 

It was then that criminal profiler Kwon Il-yong was brought in. 

 

 

Through a series of interviews with the suspect, Kwon managed to help resolve the case, analyzing Jeong’s motives and obtaining full confessions to the killings of 13 people from January 2004 to April 2006. 

“It was the case that I would never forget for my entire life,” recalled Kwon, now retired and enjoying life away from the world of crime. 

Jeong was sentenced to death in 2007 – the death penalty remains on the books in South Korea, but no executions have actually been carried out since 1997 . Two years later, he hung himself in jail, with a noose that he made from plastic dust bags. Before his death, he is said to have remarked, 

“It’s easy to quit smoking, but not killing.” 

“Pure evil itself -- I saw it in him,” Kwon said during an interview with The Korea Herald on Tuesday. 

Kwon started off his 28-year career with police, as a patrol cop. He was selected to become the nation’s first criminal profiler 17 years ago and had since been part of the investigation into almost every major crime. 

He has interviewed over 1,000 criminals, including Yoo Young-cheol, a serial killer and self-confessed cannibal who murdered 20 people, and Kang Ho-sun, who murdered eight women and killed his wife and mother-in-law by arson. He also pioneered the police’s behavioral science-based investigation. Before his retirement in April, he was the head of Criminal Behavior Analysis Team at the National Police Agency. 

In person, Kwon, 53, was a cordial man, with a disarming smile and observing eyes. When he spoke of work, the intensity and focus was a reminder of his trailblazing path in South Korea’s approach to criminal investigations. 

“The way I view heinous crimes is that they are mostly related to antisocial personalities who perceive things or circumstances very differently than others. The personality disorder can be attributed to one’s genes, childhood traumas or the environment in which he or she grew up,” he said. “The combination of all these turns a person into a monster, with no respect for others.”

As society changes, so does crime. In South Korea, a break-neck economic development and social changes has had its impact on crime patterns and motivations, Kwon explained. 

“Before the early 1990s, criminal motivations were pretty clear, with no need for investigators to adopt such modern investigation techniques such as criminal profiling. Most criminal activities at that time had something to do with poverty, personal revenge or love affairs, and could be explained as easily as they seemed on the surface.”

Killers who randomly selected their victims began to emerge noticeably in the 1990s, when social and political changes beset the country following democratization and the advent of global free trade. 

One of the most notable cases was that of the “Jijon clique,” created in 1993 with the specific intention to kill.

Seven members of the gang, all in their 20s, shared their grudge against the well-off, kidnapped victims and took them to the cellar of their rustic hide-outs. There, they murdered, dismembered victims’ bodies and ate their flesh. Five people -- all ordinary citizens not super-rich-- lost their lives at their hands. 

“This hate crime, which mostly targeted women and the weak, is an example that shows a growing sense of deprivation and alienation among underprivileged people of that time,” said Kwon. 

Crimes of today are increasingly driven by “rage and anger” caused by social inequality, he noted. 

“Feeling deprived of opportunities to take roles in the society, people committed horrendous acts of violence against others whom they had no ties with, simply to feel superior to them and show their anger towards society. They believe that their actions were justified. These are certainly not a common type of crime you could see a few decades ago,” said Kwon.
He said he also grew up in a poor family, but the major difference between himself and such criminals was that “I’d never considered myself as being isolated from friends, colleagues and society.” 

“Criminals tend to believe they are deprived of the opportunities (to be part of society).” 

Kwon acknowledged that he had battled with post-traumatic stress in the course of his work with brutal criminals. 

“Memories linger on for quite some time,” he said.

He was also not free from fear. He recalled the shock he felt when he learnt that a photo of him was found at the home of a suspect. 

To avoid letting work affect his upbeat personality, Kwon made it a rule to have an after-party after closing a case at a nearby pub, simply to talk. 

“It could be an unbearable burden if we (policemen) have to endure such mental pain all alone. We gather together often, just to exchange idle chitchat sometimes,” he said.

Having grown up in a Catholic family, faith also helped him to get through the day, without letting the work obscure who he really was, quoting Friedrich Nietzsche’s admonishment that those who fight monsters risk becoming monsters themselves. 

But despite being a Catholic, Kwon said he supports capital punishment.

“It seems to me that our judicial system is better than some people worry with regard to the possibility of executing falsely-charged, innocent citizens. I also believe that the statute of limitations should be abolished for serious crimes,” he said. 

“Or we could also consider allowing judges to give imprisonment for life without the possibility of parole, like they do in the United States, to curb crimes.” 

 

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170526000482

 

 

 

[larus]

 

12 minutes ago, larus said:

To avoid letting work affect his upbeat personality, Kwon made it a rule to have an after-party after closing a case at a nearby pub, simply to talk. 

“It could be an unbearable burden if we (policemen) have to endure such mental pain all alone. We gather together often, just to exchange idle chitchat sometimes,” he said.

 

I quoted the words of real profiler Kwon Il-yong. He is different from the protagonist of this drama, Song Ha-Young .

 

Kwon Il Yong is doing what a normal police officer has to do to maintain the emotionally healthy. Dealing with those evils is hard. Just talking is a good way to avoid overbearing situations/feelings. Imagine the burden for our hero. I wish the new team will influence for the better Song Ha Young. I really want to see him out of his room. I want him stop enduring the hard situations all alone.

[Sleepy Owl]

Watched the first two episodes, and they were a lot better than what I had expected them to be. I just love how they are showing Song Ha Young being actually very sensitive about the cases, and not acting like a cool, insensitive detective who only cares about catching the culprits and nothing else. He is an outcast yes, he is different, but I just loved how they included the scenes showing him think about the victim's family, like even his junior or someone else said in between 1st that "He always looks for the victim's family first", and it shows how he cares about them, and also we see him imagine the murder happening in 2nd episode in the crime scene and suffering because of it. 

 

Song Ha Young just like Kook Young So said, has got these skills naturally. In the world where the detectives are busy getting rather forced confessions, seeing the criminals as criminals and nothing else, not wondering why or how they did what they did, we already saw Song Ha Young trying to study the criminals, was thinking why would they do so and didn't hesitate to even meet a prisoner to understand the perspectives of a criminal.

 

I also enjoyed the interrogation, where Ha Young knowingly was very casually asking the questions he wanted to, and that too very randomly making the culprit end up saying things he wasn't supposed to. Yes, he was a young boy who surely must have been very anxious there, but it did require some skills to interrogate him without making it look like what he was actually being interrogated about. Till the last moment, the boy didn't know what Ho Young is doing there with his questions.

 

Another thing, I seriously didn't expect, was actually expecting the opposite and was very happy to be wrong here was to see the Song Ha Young's team captain actually supporting his suspicion on the culprit. He called the forensics and asked them to expedite the fingerprint analysis, and while he did give an interview (not sure, but maybe he was really bitter), but it was good to see that deep down he wasn't the bad cop. By bad cop I mean the corrupt ones, who would do anything to hide their mistake like we have normally seen in many dramas. 

 

It was also nice to see the writers explain and show how traumatized Ha Young was because of his encounter with the dead body in the lake. At the same time they explained how actually he was more caring than others, but wouldn't show it. I think him being an outcast could also be related to how that incident affected him. It seems like Ha Young suffered a lot during his early days and it is the reason he actually prefers to be an outcast, not get mixed with his coworkers, does not really care what others think about him and does what he wants (not in the insubordinate manner). I think the fact that he gets transferred a lot (or so it was hinted if I am not wrong), he does not really get attached with either of his team members as well. 

 

Seeing him to be in the place he actually should be, and also having a guy who does acknowledge his skills, I think we will see him finally find a good friends and great co-workers as their team size increase. I look forward to next week's episodes. It will surely be dark, but I do hope the writing does continue to be this good. 

 

I got to say, this drama definitely does seem to be the kind I will love watching. Almost a year ago it was "Beyond Evil" (not same kind of drama, but sort of similar in genre and its writing was great), and I hope this year this one will be as good or much better than that drama. 

[larus]

14 hours ago, Sleepy Owl said:

I also enjoyed the interrogation, where Ha Young knowingly was very casually asking the questions he wanted to, and that too very randomly making the culprit end up saying things he wasn't supposed to. Yes, he was a young boy who surely must have been very anxious there, but it did require some skills to interrogate him without making it look like what he was actually being interrogated about. Till the last moment, the boy didn't know what Ho Young is doing there with his questions.

 

It is possible that the police were trained in technique of interogation but what Song Ha-Young get from the suspect was more than what the other colleagues would get. And he got the evidence without using force at all. More than trained officer I think he was natural gifted to know what questions to ask. It was evident how he asked that he wanted to know the psychology of the suspect. Aparently, the questions were asked when the that man expected the less, Ha Young did not let the man relax or give him time to come up with a false story.  Apparently, the questions were not obvious and the suspect did not realise where he wanted to get with those questions.

 

Now there are some tricks that investigators use to destabilise a suspect. But Song Ha Young is one the the first people who use psychology  to read the mind of those criminals.   

 

[carolinedl]

@larus - thanks for posting the article. He appears in "The Raincoat Killer" the documentay series I recommended!

 

Like you all mention it, I find it fascinating that Song Ha Young is actually hypersensitive and shows great empathy. I liked how well they show that he has built a wall as a result in order to protect himself. The friend (the one accused of murdering his gf) said so too, that he seems not to care but he actually does. In any case, so looking forward to see his character development! I also hope we'll get to see his past too - to explain why he is an outcast today like @Sleepy Owl mentioned - but was he actually an outcast as a kid?

 

 

[Sleepy Owl]

@larus Chingu, I totally agree, there is a very high chance that the Team Captain of Ha Young was trained that way. Forced confessions were not an uncommon thing back then, and I actually liked the fact that they included it. Ha Young was very smart in doing the interrogation so casually, which made the culprit drop his guard down, it was something unusual, and he never would have even thought he was suspect for the murders. Ha Young was careful enough to not let the culprit get the hint of where he was being led in the interrogation as well, which is the reason he had so many slip of tongues. As you said, Ha Young has got this talent, and it is what makes him different from others. And yes, I totally agree with you, Ha Young's method is definitely more efficient and better than the forced confessions the detectives were shown to be doing. 

 

1 hour ago, carolinedl said:

Like you all mention it, I find it fascinating that Song Ha Young is actually hypersensitive and shows great empathy. I liked how well they show that he has built a wall as a result in order to protect himself. The friend (the one accused of murdering his gf) said so too, that he seems not to care but he actually does. In any case, so looking forward to see his character development! I also hope we'll get to see his past too - to explain why he is an outcast today like @Sleepy Owl mentioned - but was he actually an outcast as a kid?

 

 

I think the fact that he was an outcast as a kid was highly hinted. Even the arrested friend of his was more awkward around him which kinda explained the same. So there is a high chance that he knew that Ha Young was the one who cared the most among his classmates even if he didn't show it, but the fact that he was different from other kids and also the fact that he is an outcast now sort of hints that it was the case during his childhood as well. Maybe they will throw more light on this and we will see more of his past in the form of epilogues. 

[larus]

Kim So Jin Is A Detail-Oriented Police Officer In “Through The Darkness”

Drama Preview

Jan 20, 2022

by S. Nam

 

SBS’s “Through the Darkness” released new previews of Kim So Jin’s character!

Set in the late 1990s, “Through the Darkness” is based on the story of South Korea’s first criminal profiler. Kim Nam Gil plays Song Ha Young, a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Criminal Behavior Analysis team, while Jin Sun Kyu stars as his friend and colleague Guk Young Soo, who originally brought him onto the team. Kim So Jin takes on the role of Yoon Tae Goo, the team leader of the Mobile Investigation Unit at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, whose sharp instincts have made her a legend among the police.

Spoilers

The first two episodes of “Through the Darkness” introduced the emphatic police officer Song Ha Young, a police officer who looks more deeply into other people’s thoughts than anyone else despite appearing to be emotionless on the outside. After a murder case took place, Song Ha Young was the first to visit the victim’s family. Furthermore, he opposed of his superior’s coercive investigation methods, and he equally weighed the possibilities that the suspect could be innocent or guilty, showcasing the skills needed most from a criminal profiler. Without realizing it, Song Ha Young applied the right methods to analyze criminal behavior and to catch the real culprit.

The upcoming episode introduces team leader Yoon Tae Goo. The new stills capture Yoon Tae Goo working busily to arrest the culprit. In order to not miss even a small clue, Yoon Tae Goo thoroughly looks through the related documents. She also goes in person to investigate and question people. Her gentle charisma explains how she became the ace and team leader of the Mobile Investigation Unit.

 

Spoiler

 

The production team shared, “In tomorrow’s broadcast of episode 3, Yoon Tae Goo will make her first appearance. Yoon Tae Goo, Song Ha Young, and Gook Young Soo will develop a subtle relationship that adds tension to the story. Yoon Tae Goo is a character that is just as special and charming as Song Ha Young and Gook Young Soo. We hope you watch out for how Kim So Jin, the goddess of acting, will depict Yoon Tae Goo and how she will lead the drama.”

 

 

Episode 3 of “Through the Darkness” will air on January 21 at 10 p.m. KST.

 

https://www.soompi.com/article/1509168wpp/kim-so-jin-is-a-detail-oriented-police-officer-in-through-the-darkness

[larus]

Through the Darkness: Episode 2 Open Thread

by solstices

 

Everyone else seems satisfied to have the case closed, but not our hero. He continues his sleuthing, seeking the opinion of a rather controversial advisor. There’s still a long way to go before his unconventional methods are given the green light, but his perseverance seems to be convincing the people around him, slowly but surely.

 
EPISODE 2 WEECAP

 

As if I wasn’t already in love with this show, this episode just cemented my awe of its storytelling. It’s so cerebral, yet so human in the way it delves into the criminals’ psyches. There’s stellar acting all around, not just from our main leads, but also from the supporting actors who portrayed the criminals with such intensity that it sent shivers down my spine.

 

In the wake of Kang-moo’s latest murder, Ha-young’s even more convinced that it’s the work of the same criminal that killed Hwa-yeon. Determined to track down the true culprit, Ha-young visits the convicted Red Cap, YANG YONG-CHUL (Go Geon-han) in prison. Ha-young’s of the mind that a criminal would understand a fellow criminal’s motivations, and he’s right. Yong-chul’s analysis of the killer’s M.O. serves as the basis for Ha-young’s sparks of insight, allowing him to further develop his profile of the criminal.

By some stroke of luck, Kang-moo gets caught trying to break into a couple’s house and is brought into the station. Eagle-eyed Ha-young notices that several of his characteristics line up with that of the killer, and he decides to act on his hunch.

 

The interrogation scene is definitely the highlight of this episode. Lulled into complacency by Ha-young’s quiet demeanor, Kang-moo’s soon unnerved by Ha-young’s incisive questioning that whittles away at his composure. He ends up revealing more than he intended to, and ever-observant Ha-young zeroes in on Kang-moo’s tells and how his handwriting matches the culprit’s. The slowly-building tension is so gripping to watch, and both actors’ nuanced facial expressions are definitely the icing on the cake. (And Ha-young’s small smirk when he realizes he’s caught Kang-moo! So satisfying.)

It turns out that like Yong-chul, Kang-moo’s crimes were also spurred by an abusive father; he stripped his victims of their clothes because that’s what his father used to do to humiliate his mother. I find it awfully chilling that Kang-moo focused on his anger at how his mother didn’t fight back, and that his twisted way of tackling his emotions was to exact that same humiliation onto other women, when the true evil was his father. I don’t know if it was an intentional commentary on internalized misogyny, but if it was, then props to the writer for that.

 

more https://www.dramabeans.com/2022/01/through-the-darkness-episode-2-open-thread/

 

[larus]

Kim Nam Gil And Jin Sun Kyu Team Up To Investigate A Criminal In “Through The Darkness”

Drama Preview

Jan 21, 2022

by L. Kim

 

SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama “Through the Darkness” has shared a peek at tonight’s episode!

Set in the late 1990s, “Through the Darkness” is based on the story of South Korea’s first criminal profiler. Kim Nam Gil plays Song Ha Young, a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Criminal Behavior Analysis team, while Jin Sun Kyu stars as his friend and colleague Guk Young Soo, who originally brought him onto the team. Kim So Jin takes on the role of Yoon Tae Goo, the team leader of the Mobile Investigation Unit at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, whose sharp instincts have made her a legend among the police.

Spoilers

The first two episodes of “Through the Darkness” introduced the emphatic police officer Song Ha Young, a police officer who looks more deeply into other people’s thoughts than anyone else despite appearing to be emotionless on the outside. After a murder case took place, Song Ha Young was the first to visit the victim’s family. Furthermore, he opposed of his superior’s coercive investigation methods, and he equally weighed the possibilities that the suspect could be innocent or guilty, showcasing the skills needed most from a criminal profiler. To the delight of Guk Young Soo, who was earnestly trying to create a new investigation team, Song Ha Young was the perfect candidate of a profiler.

In the newly released stills, Song Ha Young and Guk Young Soo are talking to a criminal. They’re armed with thick documents and a recorder. It can be assumed that the two characters will come together as a Criminal Behavior Analysis team to interview a lawbreaker. At the end of the second episode, it was implied that there will be another criminal case, raising questions about how Song Ha Young and Guk Young Soo will approach it using profiling investigation techniques.

 

 

The production team stated, “Today’s broadcast of episode 3 will depict the first case in Korea that uses criminal behavior analysis and profiling investigation techniques. Please pay attention to why profiling is needed, why Song Ha Young and Guk Young Soo had to walk through the darkness, and how fiercely they will face the incident.”

 

https://www.soompi.com/article/1509383wpp/kim-nam-gil-and-jin-sun-kyu-team-up-to-investigate-a-criminal-in-through-the-darkness

[larus]

Kim Nam Gil, Jin Sun Kyu, And Kim So Jin Know No Bounds When It Comes To Finding The Truth In “Through The Darkness”

 

 

Drama Preview

Jan 22, 2022

by L. Kim

 

Kim Nam Gil, Jin Sun Kyu, and Kim So Jin will do anything to find the truth in “Through the Darkness”!

Set in the late 1990s, “Through the Darkness” is based on the story of South Korea’s first criminal profiler. Kim Nam Gil plays Song Ha Young, a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Criminal Behavior Analysis team, while Jin Sun Kyu stars as his friend and colleague Guk Young Soo, who originally brought him onto the team. Kim So Jin takes on the role of Yoon Tae Goo, the team leader of the Mobile Investigation Unit at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, whose sharp instincts have made her a legend among the police.

Spoilers

On the previous episode of the SBS drama, the Criminal Behavior Analysis team actively used profiling techniques in their investigations for the first time. The Mobile Investigation Unit was reluctant to cooperate at first, but they slowly realized they needed the Criminal Behavior Analysis team, and the two groups started to work together.

With all eyes on what will happen next, “Through the Darkness” unveiled new stills that hint they will get tangled up in a messy investigation. Song Ha Young, Guk Young Soo, and Yoon Tae Goo are sweating from head to tie as they desperately search the sewer. They’re looking for clues related to the horrific murder case of a five-year-old girl.

 

The production staff stated, “It will be a scene where the anguish of those who chase evil will be desperately depicted. Numerous actors, including Kim Nam Gil, Jin Sun Kyu, and Kim So Jin, deeply captured the desperation of those who chase evil with their unstoppable passionate acting. Please show [the episode] a lot of interest.”

Episode 4 of “Through the Darkness” will air on January 22 at 10 p.m. KST.

 

https://www.soompi.com/article/1509543wpp/kim-nam-gil-jin-sun-kyu-and-kim-so-jin-know-no-bounds-when-it-comes-to-finding-the-truth-in-through-the-darkness

[larus]

“Through The Darkness” Ratings Hit New All-Time High For 3rd Episode

TV/Film

Jan 22, 2022

by E. Cha

 

SBS’s new drama “Through the Darkness” shows no signs of slowing down!

Based on a book co-written by South Korea’s real-life first criminal profiler, “Through the Darkness” is set in the late 1990s and stars Kim Nam Gil as a pioneering profiler who struggles to read the minds of serial killers.

On January 21, the crime drama continued its perfect streak of gaining more and more viewers with each new episode. According to Nielsen Korea, the third episode of “Through the Darkness” scored an average nationwide rating of 7.9 percent, marking its highest viewership ratings yet.

 

https://www.soompi.com/article/1509502wpp/through-the-darkness-ratings-hit-new-all-time-high-for-3rd-episode

[larus]

Ha Do-kwon to make a special appearance in the drama 'Those who read the minds of evil'..

 

 

Actor Ha Do-kwon makes a special appearance in the drama 'Those who read the minds of evil' to add to the fun of the play.

 

SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Those who read the minds of evil' is a drama based on the original non-fiction essay of the same name. A psychological crime investigation drama about the story of the first profiler and profiling team in Korea who struggle to read the mind of evil.

 

In the play, Ha Do-kwon is expected to make a special appearance as the director of the online media ‘Fact Today’ and realistically express his harshness obsessed with views and scoops.

Ha Do-kwon, who previously confirmed his appearance in the dramas 'Shooting Star', 'Red Single Heart' and 'Superior Day', foretold various activities like a 'popular actor'.

 

Interest is growing as to what kind of unique charm he will show to viewers in this 'Readers of Evil Minds', who have made a dense impression on the character with his unique presence.

 

https://www.jejutwn.com/news/article.html?no=120721

[jongski]

That high rating for episode 3 totally deserve.

 

Done watching sub of 3. Subject matter is deep and heavy. If you get through to this episode, good for you. We must remember this is drama else will all be enrage what happened to the child.

 

And you don't have to be be insane to do it. Oh yes.. you'd have to be one, I say.

 

Episode 3 is about mutiated child murderer case. Only monster can do that to a five year old as if it's a meat. Also the criminal that was interviewed who did the same thing to his lover  who cut the body parts.

 

Thank good for Song Ha Young. He is smart and he look deep. He understands and tries to make sure his feelings and eyes devoid of emotions.

 

It's tough being Behavioral Analyst. You gotta detach emotions yet understand behavior. Dig deep but be detached.  You gotta be tough mentally and emotionally to even be interviewing murderer - who mutilated a body, severed limbs cut them in to 23 parts including eyeballs and tongue.  I guess that wy Song Ha Young has a void in his eyes.  But that thing.. he actually feels too much deep inside. That's the pysche.  

 

The investigation team is narrowing the brutal crime possibly done by someone who is mentally unstable. But  accoding to SHY, the cut was done neatly.. too neatly for someone who's mentally unstable. Hayoung  said cuplrit cut through the joints so the culprit new the method and  that each body parts was put in different plastic bags. He said culprit (monster I say) must be used to cutting  things. 

 

At first the crime investigating unit doesn't want annd need help from Behavioral Analysis Team but..... since Kook and Ha Young was the one who even deduced the culprit working at a butcher shop or a fish restaurant as body parts were found double bag inside old freezer.....Capt. Yoon can't do anything as the chief said to work with them.

 

Behavioral Analyst Team got a new member who's a statistician.  Good addition to the team.

 

 Hayoung  thought of sharing their findings and report to the crime squad instead. Kook not convinced investigation team will agree but SHY said  what's the point of keeping materials and findings.

 

He said  "to a profiler, policing doesn't come before examing the minds. Examing the minds come first. A profiler must detect what happened to the crime scene"

 

Song Ha  Young is so good with just deducing things and immediately going into the culprit's  pysche and habits and behavior. He was able to come up with the cuplrit's age category and emiotonal behavior and deduce sexual complex

 

Song Ha Young's profiling report of Changeui-dong  case:

 

Body was mutilated after it was frozen. Mid to large size fridge at home was use. The cross section of the body parts show...someone who's used to cutting frozen food. Plastic bag containing parts where clean. When someone sells frozen food they have a habit of wrapping them in two plastic bags. Culprit is likley to have sold frozen food or is working at a butcher shop or a fish shop. Time elapsed when mutilating the body. If he cut her after  freezing the body, it means he spent a lot of time mutilating her. Culprit either lives alone or works alone.  In conclusion culprit is someone who either lives a lone and works alone and likes to keep things clean. If searching the house it will near and organize. Weapont wll be put a way neatly. Crime site and residence within walking distance between the point child went missing to the child's home. Abduction, sexual molestation, mutilation and abandonement show culprti's age between late 30's to early 40's. Final education is presumed a middle schoo dropout or middleschool graduate.    If someone abducted a minor for sexual purposes, he may show characteristics comon to child rapist and murderer. He may be an introvert, reserved, and have sexual complex - premature ej or impotence. 

 

In short, the chief said it's could be someone who sexual offender.  So in this case, they are now checking each every one who was registered sex offender to check. But none matche so they crossed them out. If it's someone who recently move then it wouldn't be on the list. (but isn't all sex offendered need to be registered before they can move in to community. I guess if you have criminal charge)

 

The culprit they're looking for is someone who just recently move, lives alone and only 4 match. They spread out to look for each of the four.  The one Song Ha Young went to search is a house near the alley in Changeui-dong where body parts were found. Looking at the junk outside judging from the items  neatly organize.... he immeidately knew!  In heartbeat he knew!  In the end he found the killer.

 

Then the end credit.. which left me hanging.  I want Ep 4 right away.

 

This drama! If you're not watching this.. I don't know what you're watching.  It's good!

 

[confusedheart]

This is one of the best dramas of 2022. Starting the year on the right note here. Although I do wish, I wasn't starting the year with such a disturbing drama. 

 

Culprit according to me- Theory 

 

Spoiler

Without digressing, I have a feeling that the real culprit is that unseen icecream man we almost got a glimpse of. Frozen - icecream- a refridgerator 

 

I can't stand that female detective. She is ready to dismiss people without giving them a proper hearing. Moreover, she has no compunction in 'stealing' the cues from the very people she dissed. 

 

I hope they solve the case and can prove themselves to everyone who ever doubted their capabilities. 

 

[Lmangla]

finally got around to watching ep 1 and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I wish they didn't have such dark lighting because I couldn't figure out what on earth the squiggle was on the wall. took a while to read it as a number and not some random blue mark. but other than that, mood wise, the acting, the cinematography all works. I really enjoyed the choregraphed fight scene in the beginning and all the running around. both the stunt/bad guy and kim nam gil did a great job making it seem so effortless.