Hearing Voices
Detective Ko is skeptical, but he takes Seong-U into custody. He asks him about the murder and Seong-U reveals that he killed his victim with a bloodied axe. Ko is surprised, but he agrees to take Seong-U to the station for further questioning.
A shocking story has emerged in South Korea, where it is reported that Seong-U, a man in his early twenties, killed an 8 year old girl and mutilated another boy. This heinous crime has sparked outrage throughout the region, and authorities are currently investigating the matter. ..
Eun-Seok became a juvenile judge because she hates young offenders.
Eun-Seok, a new judge, is transferred to an office with another judge, Tae-Ju. Eun-Seok learns that she will be sharing the office with Tae-Ju, who is known for his work on juvenile cases. The protestors outside the office demand that the juvenile act be abolished. ..
The Yeonhwa Case is a child murder case that we saw snippets of earlier in the episode. Seong-U is a 13 year old young offender who lived in the same building as the victim, a boy called Ji-Hu.
The father strangled and cut up his 8 year old son then disposed of the internal organs in a compost bin, meaning the family couldn’t have a proper funeral.
This is an incredibly shocking case, with a lot of evidence pointing to the boy being responsible. The juvenile court can only sentence Seong-U to a maximum of 2 years because he’s only 13. Eun-Seok is selected as the judge overseeing this.
Eun-Seok initially refuses to get involved in the MJ gig (meet with judge) because he does not want to be seen as a part of the show. The judges catch up with whomever has been released from court, and Eun-Seok reluctantly agrees to participate. ..
When she does tag along, Eun-Seok keeps checking the time and eventually re-commits a woman accused of stealing. And it doesn’t take long for her to assert her dominance, telling the kid she despises her and should be locked up.
Eun-Seok, or “Judge Max”, is known for her strict sentencing of young offenders. She has a past that is unknown to many, but it seems to have shaped her into the hard-nosed judge she is today. With a determination and focus that borders on obsession, she does her job with an icy heart, punishing those who break the law. ..
Seon-U, a 17-year-old high school student, testified in court on Monday that he was hearing voices and was not doing well that day. Without his legal guardian present, Seon-U said he wants to be placed in a mental health facility. ..
Seong-U is a young man who is mentally unstable and does not want to go to prison. He calls out the juvenile center’s rules and how he won’t be going to prison.
Eun-Seok’s crusade is made all the more trying when Ji-Hu’s mum shows up, teary eyed and recounting memories of her son. She blames herself and hands over an assortment of side dishes that were Ji-Hu’s favourites. Eun-Seok is clearly touched by this gift and it makes her more determined than ever for her to get some justice.
Reporter Kim met with Kang, the senior detective on the case, in private to discuss a possible move into politics. Kang told her that if he wrapped up the case well, his career would move along for him. However, there are clearly some double standards at play here. This system is flawed and needs to be reformed.
Eun-Seok, a journalism student, is not one to be easily pushed around. After scoffing at Seong-U’s weak proposal of schizophrenia, she realizes that his accomplice was in fact a girl called Ye-Eun. Eun-Seok does extensive research on Ye-Eun and comes to the conclusion that she was not acting alone. ..
After reviewing the same evidence, including footage from the elevator and Seong-U’s verbal recognition of her, she forwards her concerns to Director Kang. It’s a risky move, but her gut feeling may be right. ..
Kang quickly points this out and gives a direct order for her not to pursue this. Eun-Seok is shocked but Tae-Ju eventually decides to team up with her in gaining justice. He wants the case to be properly wrapped up. ..
Ye-Eun is in an internet cafe when she sees Eun-Seok. She makes a run for it, but Eun-Seok follows her. They eventually come down an alleyway.
The Episode Review
The juvenile justice system gets off to a great start with a solid dose of thought-provoking drama and some very relevant and hard-hitting themes being played with. ..
The Devil Judge is a mash-up of both Mouse and The Devil. It’s a watchable, topical show that will keep you entertained for the entire hour.
There is clearly more to Eun-Seok than we are being told, and this becomes especially evident given her dislike of young offenders. We will have to wait and see how this unfolds over time. ..
Netflix has been able to work well with Tae-Ju, who is typically a good cop. This has balanced out the discussion, which is looking promising for the streaming service. If this trend continues, Netflix could be in for another winner.
