Suspicious Partner continues to keep things fresh by bringing different storylines to the forefront in each episode, while also moving the others in the background gradually. There’s a certain art in the way it balances its storylines that’s admirable and I’m hoping it keeps up this momentum because it keeps each episode engaging and interesting.

In this episode, the murderer storyline finally moves to the forefront, with Hyun Soo’s case seemingly providing the answers to everything. I’m honestly surprised that we got the answer to who killed Bong Hee’s boyfriend so quickly, which makes me suspect if this is a red herring. However, it is convincing somewhat that Hyun Soo could have killed Bong Hee’s boyfriend, based on his uncontrollable outburst against those who abused or victimised women. Even with this big reveal, there still remain many unanswered questions that I’m excited to find out more about. What exactly is the relationship between Hyun Soo and Chan Ho? We know they are both accomplices, but is Chan Ho cracking under the guilt of what’s going on? Is that why he seems to be getting closer to Bong Hee – to warn her? Also, why are they still keeping close to Bong Hee, when it would be easier to stay further away, since she’s after all an attorney right now? Perhaps it’s a case of keeping your enemies close, so they are also aware of how far she’s progressing in her investigations. However, what’s the bigger end-game then? If we know that Hyun Soo is against those who victimise women, isn’t his actions of framing Bong Hee also similarly a kind of ‘victimisation’? So many questions, which I hope will be satisfactorily answered.

With the whole Hyun Soo case at the forefront, Ji Wook also got a chance to shine and show off his investigative prowess as well as his keen intuition. I like that we’re getting to see more of his competence come to the forefront. However, he is once again placed in a position of conflict, that even as he has fought a good case to show that the evidence against Hyun Soo was flawed, his own sleuthing has in fact unearthed evidence to prove that Hyun Soo is the murderer. While he was recognised in Hyun Soo’s case for his competence as an attorney, what went unnoticed was his competence as a prosecutor. For Mr Bang, the lines are clear – finding out who the culprit is is not an attorney’s job, but a prosecutor’s job. However, for Ji Wook, things are more murky and I loved the morally grey territory that Ji Wook was treading in throughout the episode. You could see that conflict and uncertainty in Ji Wook’s eyes – as he delivered his final statement, as he heard the verdict and as he went back home that at night.

While the murder and court-room battle took centre stage in tonight’s episode, we certainly also got a good dose of sweetness and fun between Ji Wook and Bong Hee. Ji Wook’s defenses are gradually being broken down and we know it’s a matter of time before he realises he can no longer run away from his feelings. However, I’m really admiring Bong Hee’s maturity in the whole situation. She took a step of courage to confess her liking of Ji Wook, which was definitely not easy given the rejection and pain she suffered after her ex-boyfriend. When she’s turned down by Ji Wook, she tells him the next day honestly to stop treating her nicely, so as not to give her false hopes, and that she wants to go back to hating him, like back when he was her mentor. So, of course, Ji Wook takes the bait and hilariously treats her as she’s requested, sending her climbing through the window in a house to open the door for him. That was good fun! Loved the scene too where he asks her to stay with him, so that he can sleep. She knows that staying with him just that 5 minutes will be tough for her, because it goes against her earlier stated decision to hate him. However, she puts his needs before hers, and decides to stay with him so that he can sleep better.

With the upcoming confrontation between Hyun Soo and Ji Wook, we know that Bong Hee is going to be put in greater danger in the episodes to come and that will certainly mean that Ji Wook’s protectiveness and care for her must come to the forefront. There’s so much to look forward to, yet also so much uncertainty about where the show will take us. Am truly loving this show so much!