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Time Magazine
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
Breaking Down the Explosive Ending of 'Good Boy'
Good Boy, an action police dramedy about a group of former Korean Olympians who become cops, was one of the most highly-anticipated K-dramas of the year. Starring Park Bo-gum (When Life Gives You Tangerines) as boxer Yoon Dong-ju and with the The Good Bad Mother director Shim Na-yeon behind the camera, the drama was poised to be one of 2025's big hits. While Good Boy has done well domestically on Korean broadcaster JTBC and internationally on Amazon Prime Video (where it has been in the streamer's Global Top Ten for its entire run), narratively, the cop drama never quite found its rhythm. The series started its action intensity high, with explosions, fist fights, hit-and-run accidents, and department moles in the first episode, but didn't have anywhere to go from there. The show revealed its main villain, corrupt customs officer Min Ju-yeong (Oh Jung-se) from the jump, robbing the detective work done by the Special Criminal Investigation Team (SCIT) of most of its suspense and other character backstories, such as the Olympic origins of the main characters, never paid off outside of the action scenes. The show's central romance—between Dong-ju and former shooting prodigy Ji Han-na (Kim So-hyun)—felt more obligatory than inspired. At 16 episodes, Good Boy spent most of its season in a redundant cat-and-mouse cycle that didn't resolve itself until season's end. But at least we got some killer fight sequences along the way. The show was at its best when it was letting Dong-ju, Han-na, and the rest of their team—including fencer Kim Jong-hyeon (Lee Sang-yi), wrestler Go Man-sik (Heo Sung-tae), and discus thrower Shin Jae-hong (Tae Won-seok)—use their very specific skillsets in elaborate, sometimes gloriously absurd fight sequences. This was the case in the final episode, titled 'We Are the Champions,' which sees the SCIT squad finally taking down Ju-yeong for good. Let's break down the explosive ending of Good Boy. Ju-yeong's villainous backstory and present Like most of the characters in Good Boy, villain Ju-yeong doesn't get a backstory that complexifies his actions. Prior to becoming the evil mastermind controlling Insung City, he was just a part-time customs officer. When he is recruited by Oh Dollar, the gangster who ran organized crime in Insung before Ju-yeong, he quickly turns corrupt, shamelessly doing whatever he needs to do to make the most money. Later, when he was tasked with digitizing reams of customs documents, he came upon a cache of files proving corruption from some of Insung's most powerful business leaders and officials. Rather than report the misdeeds, Ju-yeong decides to use them. He bribes the people incriminated in the documents, and then uses his influence to take out any of the criminal organization competitors in the city—including his gangster mentor, Oh Dollar. Twenty years later, when Good Boy is primarily set, Ju-yeong's control of the city reaches into its highest echelons. He uses his power to sell Candy, a highly addictive drug, with criminals-with-more-of-a-conscience Leo (Ko Jun) and Drug Mom, aka Kim Yeon-ha (Lee Ho-jung), as minion-partners. Ju-yeong tries to burn it all down Heading into the Good Boy series finale, the SCIT team has Ju-yeong on the ropes. Unable to smuggle shipments of Candy out of the city, Ju-yeong's deal with the yakuza falls through. The Japanese criminal organization puts a hit out on Ju-yeong, and gangsters flock to the city to take him out. Furious, Ju-yeong plans to destroy the city, along with all of his high-profile accomplices. First, he sends out four trucks armed with explosives. They detonate, sending the city into a blackout. The Insung Police are able to bring things back under control, when Ju-yeong strikes again. He lures the city's officials to his hotel in downtown Insung. He's rigged the sprinkler system to emit a toxic chemical that also ignites when it comes in contact with water. Dong-ju and the rest of the SCIT team are able to stop anyone from dying, but Ju-yeong's girlfriend, a fellow customs officer named Kim Yu-na, slips away in the process. She meets Ju-yeong at the docks, thinking they are going to escape the country together. However, he has just been using her as a distraction. He has a truck standing by, ready to take her out as she walks across the street. Though she seems to survive, Ju-yeong doesn't care either way. He only cares about his money, and himself. Dong-ju finally takes Ju-yeong down Before Ju-yeong can get onto a boat, he is intercepted by the yakuza. They are trying to kill him when Dong-ju and Jong-hyeon arrive. Desperate to arrest Ju-yeong and have him face a trial for his crimes, they are put in the ironic situation of having to protect Ju-yeong. He slips away in the chaos, and Dong-ju eventually catches up with him on the rooftop deck of a nearby ferry. 'What kind of life have you lived that you kill someone like it's nothing?' Dong-ju asks Ju-yeong. When Ju-yeong half-heartedly mentions the early deaths of his parents, Dong-ju doesn't have any sympathy. He is an orphan, too. 'A scumbag like you doesn't get to make excuses,' he says, proceeding to beat Ju-yeong into submission. While the series presents it as justice or perhaps Dong-ju's job, it feels far more like brutal, unrestrained vengeance. Ju-yeong manages to throw himself over the edge of the boat into the water below. He would rather die in the water than let Dong-ju win. A determined Dong-ju follows, handcuffing himself to Ju-yeong and dragging him to shore. The rest of the SCIT team is proudly waiting, and Ju-yeong is brought to jail. Dong-ju somehow avoids permanent brain damage Forget law enforcement outcomes—the big question heading into the Good Boy finale was: will Dong-ju suffer permanent brain damage from the beatings he took in literally every episode of this series? At the end of Episode 14, Dong-ju lost his vision, going 'punch-drunk' following a confrontation with his former coach turned Ju-yeong's minion Oh Jong-gu (Jung Man-sik). Jong-hyeon finds him, and convinces him to go to the hospital and actually get sustained treatment. After that, there is a team effort to keep him away from the action. Unfortunately, Dong-ju has never met a fist he didn't think it was a good idea to throw his head against. He gets in several more fights before the series' end, and also is in close proximity to several massive explosions. Absurdly, Dong-ju finishes the series without permanent injury. In the final episode, we see him telling Han-na that his physical therapy is working, implying he has recovered completely. Does Ju-yeong die? After Ju-yeong's arrest, Dong-ju visits him in jail. Ju-yeong, who still has dirt on men in high places, doesn't think he will be in jail for much longer. Dong-ju doesn't seem particularly worried. That night, a man dressed as a guard comes into Ju-yeong's cell and chokes him. We don't see Ju-yeong die, leaving the door open for a second season with the villain back out on the streets. We also don't see the identity of the choker— could it be one of the 'good' guys, taking justice into their own hands? Does Good Boy have a happy ending? The SCIT team are recognized as heroes, awarded medals for their work apprehending Ju-yeong. Dong-ju, who has reunited with his surrogate mom Jung Mi-ja (Seo Jung-yeon) and is now in a relationship with longtime crush Han-na, seems very happy. Han-na is training to be part of the Special Operation Unit, and is in a good place with her mom. Jong-hyeon has decided to try professional fencing again. Jae-hong is happy with his wife and children. Man-sik discovers his wife didn't cheat on him, but rather his vasectomy failed—he is going to be a father again! The show ends with a final shot of Dong-ju, running on Haeundae Beach as the sunsets. He is in his Team Korea jacket, with a big smile on his face. For Dong-ju, it is definitely a happy ending.
The Review Geek
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Good Boy – K-drama Episode 16 Recap, Review & Ending Explained
We Are The Champions Episode 16 of Good Boy begins this finale with a reminder from Yeon-ha of just how powerful and unpredictable Ju-yeong actually is. In fact, he has enough explosive power to obliterate Insung City. This catches us up to the moments we left off from yesterday, where the truck completely explodes and the team scramble to safety. They get away just in time, as the whole thing explodes into an inferno. However, this isn't the end of it, as 3 other trucks around Insung City detonate. Ju-yeong really has nothing to lose here and that makes him incredibly dangerous. Meanwhile, Man-sik has seen his whole life flash before his eyes after the explosion. He's just thankful he can go back to see Jeong-a but Dong-ju is not happy. He shows up to see the Commissioner and demands he take some accountability for his actions. Pan-yeol eventually concedes and admits that dozens of high-ranking officials in Insung have been in bed with Ju-yeong all these years and it's not going to be easy to unravel those ties. What does Yeon-ha reveal? However, there are more pressing issues to attend to right now. There's another undetonated truck out there and they need to track down where it is. The only person who may know is Yeon-ha so once again we get a touch of deja ju as the gang question Yeon-ha about what she may know. Yeon-ha unravels a surprising connection to Kim Yu-na, one of the girls from the Custom Office. She actually has a crush on Ju-yeong so if they can track her down, they may be able to get Ju-yeong too. The group do find Yu-na, who admits that she was encouraged to leave the country with Ju-yeong. They were due to meet at the Victory Hotel, so the group use this as a way of luring Ju-yeong in. They're not the only ones after him though, as the Yakuza are sniffing around too. After Ju-yeong tried (and failed) to strike a deal with them, the gangs are desperate for blood and that means anyone aligned with Ju-yeong is on the backfoot now. Ju-yeong is also holding a shareholder meeting at the Victory Hotel (which he owns and they're currently at). What is Ju-yeong planning at the hotel? When Ju-yeong doesn't show, Dong-ju senses something fishy going on and tells the group that they need to be vigilant here. Yu-na may not be completely truthful and unfortunately, we get confirmation of this just after. With sodium cyanide powder on the floor of the hotel and Yu-na suddenly scarping off in a taxi, it seems Ju-yeong intends to blow up the hotel. If this happens, it'll occur during the shareholder meeting, killing all the officials outright. The group realize they need to evacuate the building and try to get them out. Unfortunately the shareholders don't believe them, until the lights all go out and gas sprays down from the ceiling. The group do eventually manage to get out, thanks to Dong-ju throwing himself through a window and the group taking the emergency stairwell. However, they're not alone here, as Han-na manages to call in reinforcements, making Pan-yeol seem like a hero by saving all of Insung. What happens with Ju-yeong? He's also going to do the right thing and stand up to crime and corruption, declaring war on the city and, by extension, Ju-yeong himself. However, it's not the police who find Ju-yeong first, it's the Yakuza. The Yakuza goons catch up to Ju-yeong down on the dock as he looks set to flee on a foreign boat. They beat him down until Jong-hyeon and Dong-ju arrive in the same warehouse and decide to take him in to custody. After a fight with the Yakuza (and also Mr Baek and the scrabble of goons left outside) Baek is taken in for questioning while Dong-ju continues to get outsmarted by Ju-yeong, who jumps overboard and tries to drown himself. Underwater though, Dong-ju handcuffs him and brings the guy to shore. I mean somehow they do this far away from the boat they just jumped off of but whatever. The most important thing is that Ju-yeong is captured. How does Good Boy end? In the aftermath of all this, Dong-ju does rehab to help his condition while Han-na is supportive of him the whole time. Dong-ju shows up to see Ju-yeong and rubs it in that he's going back to work and has also had a promotion too. Ju-yeong points out that nothing will change now that he's behind bars and everything is still just as corrupt as it was before. Dong-ju shrugs off his pessimism but that night it comes back to bite Ju-yeong, as a prison guard arrives and chokes him out. As for the others, the team are celebrated for their achievements and lean into their accomplishments. Everybody seems to be doing ok, while Man-sik also finds out that his wife is pregnant too, hooray! The Episode Review So Good Boy bows out with a finale that really hammers home that this show has coasted by on the talents of its cast and choreography, rather than the writing. These episodes have been a complete mixed bag and now that the dust has settled, it's worth commenting on some of the liberties the writers have taken with the entire plot and pretty much all the characters here. Dong-ju's persona began as a gung-ho, devil-may-care guy who throws himself into every situation without thinking. By the end, he's the exact same character. You'd think that something like CTE and Punch-drunk syndrome, (temporary blindness and blistering headaches notwithstanding) may have been enough to soften him out a bit but nope, he's the same guy he was at the start of the show. In fact, the annoying thing about this arc is he's basically given some pills from the doctor and a bit of rehab and now he's right as rain. He's even got a promotion too! While I wouldn't call for his death, a little more humility around his condition would have benefited him tremendously. We also don't have much follow-through with Jae-hong and his family life, juggling all these jobs for money and then… not needing to? Despite having one of the more interesting characters we could have exploded, Good Boy side-lines the big man for much of the show. Han-na is just here as a sharpshooter and her character hasn't really developed either across these 16 episodes, despite being the main female lead. However, this final episode does wrap up all the loose ends and explains a lot of the slipperiness that Ju-yeong has had all drama long. eeing his downfall has certainly been satisfying, even if it would have been good to see a bit more here. Overall, Good Boy has been a complete waste of great talent. It's a show that's frustratingly missed the mark on more than one occasion, and no amount of excellent action or acting can paper over that fact. Previous Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
The Review Geek
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Good Boy – K-drama Episode 14 Recap & Review
Kings Never Die Episode 14 of Good Boy begins with Leo chasing Ju-yeong and demanding answers. Unfortunately, he gets peppered with bullets from Ju-yeong's goons for his lack of cover. Yeon-ha is shocked and races over to him in the aftermath of this. Leo is bleeding out and he asks for Yeon-ha's real name. She tells him it's Yoon Mi-hyang. 'That's an ugly name, but I'll remember it my love,' He says, before bleeding out and dying. Now, Ju-yeong is a master manipulator as we know, and part of Leo's anger here stems from how he was played like a fiddle. Ju-yeong convinced him to kill Han-na's dad, claiming that he's been 'covering for Oh Dollar'. He makes Leo kill him before promising to help him get payback. However, upon seeing it was the same man who granted him mercy earlier on, he couldn't pull the trigger. Ju-yeong arrived and killed him instead. Ju-yeong's murder is actually captured on this digital camera that Han-na now has, so it's even more evidence to use against him. Back at the construction site, Jong-hyeon fights with Mr Baek in the elevator. He concedes reluctantly that Dong-ju is actually rather tough and after crushing his glasses (a sign of shedding his old weakness), Jong-hyeon gets a second wind and fights with more tenacity. However, Baek isn't killed. Dong-ju works his way through waves of goons, along with Man-sik and Jae-hong who all come out on top. As for Han-na, she heads to the penthouse with a machine gun and a big shootout ensues. During a break in proceedings, Yeon-ha just casually walks in holding a grenade. She throws it into the room and forces the others to flee, just as Han-na and Yeon-ha escape in the elevator. The grenade explodes, sending the penthouse into a fireball. It's only a temporary refute though as Yeon-ha has more grenades. She sets another one off as Han-na and Dong-ju are reunited and find themselves face to face. They hide from the ensuing blast but the goo-goo eyes they make at one another is enough for Ju-yeong to slip away. Unfortunately, Yeon-ha is knocked out from the blast and although she does have a pulse, it's very faint. In the aftermath of all this, Yeon-ha is taken to hospital while the riot police and fire crew arrive and sweep the building. They take any evidence and do their forensics, but there's no sight of Ju-yeong. Han-na knows that they have a mole on the inside, recounting the sniper incident when Ju-yeong got a call. If they can find the phone and trace the calls, they may be able to get a crucial lead here. Dong-ju is still wanted though so they hilariously have him hide inside one of the dumpsters. However, the Commissioner shows up, right off the back of being smacked out by Dong-ju. He berates them all and Man-sik does his best to ride this wave of anger. Meanwhile, Ju-yeong's goons are in disarray. They can't get hold of their boss but do jhave a truck full of gear. Mr Baek realizes this is worth hundreds of billions of won. He thinks they could offload it for cheap and inform Oh Jong-gu of what's going on. However, he's in a spot of trouble himself here. Back home, there's drama at Man-sik's when he finds out his wife is actually pregnant! We soon learn that it's not his daughter's kid as we initially though but there's still a big problem. Man-sik has had a vasectomy so the kid is not his. The others think it's probably best to call it a night, allowing Han-na and Dong-ju to spend some time together. And by time I mean kissing passionately on the sofa. They're interrupted though by Jin Gyeong-suk showing up, so Dong-ju heads to Jong-hyeon's instead. Whilst there however, he ends up throwing up in the toilet. The next day, the group try to work out exactly where Ju-yeong may be. They're now convinced he has someone on the inside, as he doesn't show up on any of the cameras and the authorities have been surrounding the place. The good news though is that they've managed to seize a lorry belonging to Jong-gu. The other trucks did show up but their plates are unreadable, giving them a way into tracking down Jong-gu. Han-na uses her inside gal to find some useful documents too. Specifically, a list of everybody present at the joint task force launch ceremony. Dong-ju has slightly less luck at J9 Security as it seems the place has already been cleared out. The group do learn though that Oh Dollar was using plates from trucks that had been illegally deregistered. There are 15 illegal trucks in total and they transported Candy in seven of them. To try and cover more ground, they agree to split into two teams, with Dong-ju going with Jong-hyeon. However, his health issues continue to slow him down. Jong-hyeon is concerned and tells him to take it easy, and we soon see that the reason for this is because he was aware of Dong-ju's vomiting at his place. In the midst of their investigation here we do find out who the mole is. It turns out to be the rookie at RIU, Lee Jong-hun. He's currently on disciplinary leave for losing his firearm to Yeon-ha. With the mole outed, the noose is well and truly tightening around Ju-yeong, who has lost his big circle of influence. So where is he? Well, it turns out he's gone straight for Jong-hun to silence him. But it would appear that Jong-hun is not the only one on the inside though as Ju-yeong rocks up in the Commissioner's office. Dong-ju and the team race to the station, determined to try and get him. However, he shows himself and immediately holds Pan-yeol at gunpoint. All of this is a ruse to slip away but Han-na shoots the Commissioner in the thigh, prompting Ju-yeong to rush out emptyhanded. All the officers fuss over the Commissioner, while Dong-ju corners Ju-yeong in the parking lot. It's only episode 14 though so naturally, he does manage to get away, and as Dong-ju tries to chase after him, Jong-gu shows and clocks him in the face. As the pair look set to fight, Dong-ju's health starts to rear its ugly head, threatening to completely destroy his livelihood. Unfortunately, it would appear that he's lost his vision, or at least seeing hallucinatory versions of it. The Episode Review So Ju-yeong yet again manages to slip away, but that was perhaps obvious. However, the more alarming matter here stems from Dong-ju's sight, which looks like it has well and truly gone thanks to that right hand from Jong-gu. The ending certainly leaves everything hanging the balance, with next week's finale week promising to be just as dramatic. This chapter continues the action though, and the first half is absolutely non-stop. Seeing the full picture with Oh Dollar and how Leo was manipulated is a nice touch though and definitely helps shed light on the full picture. Whether Dong-ju and the others will make it out of this in one piece is unclear, but one things for certain – next week's double-bill promises to bring this to a dramatic end. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
The Review Geek
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Good Boy – K-drama Episode 5 Recap & Review
Punch-Drunk Love Episode 5 of Good Boy begins with us back in the academy days as Dong-ju winds up distracted by Han-na's beauty. Unfortunately he winds up taking a football to the face for his troubles. Lying there on the floor of the track is not dissimilar to where we left off last week's episode as Dong-ju lies on his back, staring up at Han-na. At the station, Ju-yeong is questioned by the officers about his involvement in all the murders. We already knows he's a big player here, but he plays his cards close to his chest and doesn't give anything away. The hit and run vehicle has been found and DNA prints are being run on it but Ju-yeong is unphased. It seems he's happy to bide his time and see how the evidence plays out, but Dong-ju is cocky already, thinking they have their man and it's only a matter of time. Ju-yeong though, is confident this is just the beginning. Dong-ju notices that he keeps checking the time, and that's for good reason. Ju-yeong is well-connected and he soon finds himself joined by the annoying hot-shot prosecutor, Seok-hyeon, who forces the officers (courtesy of the Customs Act) to hand Ju-yeong over to them. On his way out, Han-ma brings up the watches and their connections to the Golden Bunny group and Gyeong-il. Ju-yeong is intrigued but he doesn't crack. The one person who does however, is Dong-ju. He winds up coughing up blood outside and collapsing, forcing him to get hospital care. In his absence, the team find themselves thrown through the ringer back at the office, as the prosecution team completely clear the place out and take off with everything they have. It's here where Man-sik and the others realize the extent of what they're dealing with, and just how slippery a character Ju-yeong is. Jong-hyeon speaks to Han-na and reveals that Ju-yeong seems to be keeping tabs on her. He's worried things could get dangerous and encourages her to switch to a different case. Han-na is having none of that though, believing this might be a good opportunity for her to play the role of bait and lure him in. At the prosecution office, Seok-hyeon drops the smuggling charges against Ju-yeong, officially calling them 'minor', with slap on the wrist punishments. Ju-yeong gets a three-month pay cut and a transfer from Insung Customs. When Man-sik finds out, he's pissed and decides they need to dig deep and try to find a weakness. To be honest though, they don't find much. Ju-yeong largely keeps to himself, save for a bit of a connection to fellow customs worker, Kim Yu-na, while his family died in an accident when he was young. He's originally from Insung where his uncle raised him. As for the finances, Jae-hong has found evidence of a rental deposit of 120 million won, 56 million in savings and a subcompact car. Beyond that though, he's quite meticulous, covering his tracks by using his job at the Customs gig to take these high-profile cars for himself – or destroying them when the heat gets a bit much. Han-na shows up to see Ju-yeong down by the dock and hands over a file for him, using her shooting references to try and get under his skin. These documents detail a symbol with a blue sun setting over water, which links back to Cheong-il Shipping. Ju-yeong was in charge of this for a while and as an officer at Insung Customs, he's obviously got connections. It's Han-na's way of showing him they're getting closer, but it also puts her in the firing line for revenge too. As for the team, they find help in the most unlikely of places. They call on Dae-yong, who believes the clue lies in a Synthetic drug called Candy, disguised in sweet wrappers. Now, Dae-yong knows that the one person responsible for making this stuff is someone called Drug Demon. She's completely insane but unfortunately, Ju-yeong's tendrils are deep in Drug Demon's empire. These ties also link back to Russia too, although the team don't have that much info just yet. Drug Demon is well prepared for the police arriving, and she soon destroys all the evidence of her drug den as the officers arrive en-masse. Dong-ju shows and manages to stop a couple of thugs from a rival gang from killing Drug Demon, but this distraction also causes the whole gang to be stuck in the explosion that ensues after. Dong-ju jumps out the window with Drug Demon and holds onto her, preventing the woman from dying a nasty death. Everybody else comes out of this in one piece too, but Ju-yeong is one step ahead here. This is particularly prevalent because they haven't figured out that Drug Demon is the girl they 'saved' from the gangsters, and she's put under protective custody for the time being. She takes a shining to Dong-ju though, given he's like a knight in shining armour, and grows jealous of his affection for Han-na. In the morning, after more shenanigans between Han-na and Dong-ju in the bathroom, the pair show up at the police ceremony where Pan-yeol is giving a big speech. Whilst there, it's scorching hot but Dong-ju does what he can to try and help Han-na. Afterwards, Dong-ju grabs some drinks but unfortunately, while Han-na seems to be growing affection for him, Dong-ju collapses just as they kiss. The Episode Review Good Boy returns this week with another action-packed episode, although in terms of the investigation, we don't really get too much progression here. We do know that Ju-yeong has connections all over the place, and the Prosecution Office is clearly on his side, and we do briefly see his connections with this gangster, Leo, whom I'm sure we'll learn more about in the coming episodes. The 'love triangle' with Drug Demon toward the end is clearly in this to show the strong connections between Dong-ju and Han-na, but I can't help but think Ju-yeong might exploit this in a way to get Dong-ju to buckle. The rest of the group don't have too much to do here either, largely sticking to the hive mind of trying to track down Ju-yeong and stop him. Right now, that seems like an impossible feat. I can't help but feel someone else is behind all of this though, someone with more connections that's helping Ju-yeong. But for now, we'll have to wait and see if those theories hold any weight! Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
