[K-pop music playing]
["Heartless One" playing]
EPISODE 1
IMPERIAL PRINT
You're closing up again?
I just have two things left to do!
Handle the reprint request yet?
Yeah, switched to rough-gloss paper.
-Good call! Well done. -Thanks, man.
[worker grunts]
-[employee] There you are! -Hi there!
-Come on, guys! Fried chicken. Have some. -[employee 2] All right! Fried chicken.
-Hey, Hwang! -Fried chicken. Yes!
-♪ I gave you my heart, my love, my all ♪ -♪ My love, my all ♪
♪ But now you're leaving Like a stranger ♪
-♪ Take the pain of goodbye with you ♪ -♪ Take the pain of goodbye with you ♪
[exclaiming]
-♪ You heartless one ♪ -♪ You heartless one ♪
-You made my ears bleed, seriously. -Listen.
-[music continues faintly] -What do you call a big, proud chicken,
like one that's full of itself? Any idea? Hmm?
-Pride chicken! [laughs] -[chattering]
-Looks good. -Yeah, pride chicken!
I heard you, sir.
Dude, I thought it was really funny.
-[employee] Thanks for the chicken though. -Oh, man.
Oh, well. Hey, hey, hey. Wait. Hang on.
[Hwang] Looks amazing.
Damn, it's already cold.
Shoot, how did you even see that? Let me explain…
[sighs]
IMPERIAL PRINT
[Hwang] I got so much done today. There, finished.
Hey, this… this.
Can't you just deliver this yourself?
[sighs] I get it. You don't want to do it, right?
If you were me, would you want to do it?
It's just, it's Chae-bin's birthday…
[groans] Wow.
Okay, it's all good. It's nearby, so I'll do it. It's all right.
Ah, it's Chae-bin's birthday?
-[sighs] Just go home. I'll do it. -Oh, no way.
What if you run into Se-na? That'd be so awkward.
Hey.
What if I go like this?
I won't be recognized.
You think your ex won't recognize you in that stupid dad hat of yours?
[Hwang sighs] Ah, man.
I wonder if she even knows that this is your life now.
You sure you wanna do this?
You better go before I change my mind.
-Thanks, man. See you! -Hey!
[sighs]
THE QUEEN OF MELODRAMA
15 YEARS AGO
[sighs]
[scoffs]
Just get out of here, all right?
I've got to get home.
[gasps] Mr. Hong.
This is all a misunderstanding.
It's true we met through Sad Waltz and were seeing each other for a while then,
but I swear we broke up a long time ago!
So, if this dating scandal gets out, I'll have to drop all of
the commercials, romantic movies and mini-series I signed on for.
And on top of that, I'll have to pay huge penalties, so please!
Okay, okay. Listen.
This whole thing is your problem, isn't it?
Why should we care? I mean, come on, the proof is right here.
Don't lie to my face.
No, you're wrong.
He was still totally hung up on me and kept begging to meet, so I gave in.
He said he'd show up at my shoot if I didn't, and I couldn't risk that.
So I really didn't have a choice.
Say something. Come on, please.
It's true, right? Tell him that's what happened. [cries]
Please.
[Mr. Hong] Oh, come on.
Why are you kneeling? [groans] This is so awkward.
-Will you just get up? -Sir, that's what happened.
I…
It's true. I threatened her.
Mr. Hong.
-You can't. Please, don't run the story. -See?
I told you. We really aren't involved. I swear, it's not true at all.
I promise, Mr. Hong. Please, you have to believe me.
Aren't they all hotshots? Why meet in this dump?
[jazz music plays]
[both grunt, gasp]
-Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am. -I'm sorry.
[secretary] Mmm.
[sighs]
Ms. Wi, you made it.
Why are you alone, if I may ask?
-And the congressman? -I don't think a journalist like you
is on the level to have a private meeting with him.
Have a seat.
I'll be in the US for about eight months filming the second season of Save Zone,
-so I guess the timing won't work out. -Of course.
Time always flies when we're prepping for a new shoot,
so eight months will feel like nothing.
If I know for sure you're on board, I'd gladly wait even eight freaking years.
[laughs]
-[knocks] -Yeah?
Hello. I'm here to drop off the script.
Hey, Mr. Lim. That was quick. Thanks.
Oh! Why is this all wet?
It-It's raining outside.
All right.
What's this?
The script we had custom-printed for you.
Well, I'll be off, then.
[Se-na] Wait.
Thank you.
This print looks good.
[manager laughs] You think so?
It's a special edition we had custom ordered just for you!
[manager laughs]
[Ms. Wi] Sir!
-[sighs] -[door closes]
[sighs]
So let me ask you something.
Does Mr. Ha Gee-wan hire aides just to use them as a shield?
Are you saying he really has nothing to do with Cheongwon City's redevelopment?
That it was just his aide who took all that money and spent it?
Yeah, I know why you're upset. The nerve of that guy, right?
Mr. Woo Young-suk,
I was supposed to meet him tomorrow.
So how come he's dead right now?
[news anchor] Breaking news. This morning at a private parking lot in Seoul,
Woo, an aide to congressman Ha Gee-wan,
who proposed a special law tied to the Cheongwon City redevelopment project,
was found dead.
Charcoal briquettes and a note, believed to be a suicide letter,
were also discovered at the scene.
Look, Ms. Wi, I guess you're upset about missing the exclusive,
young and passionate journalist that you are,
but that's just a fact, okay?
You think I'm upset? Are you kidding?
Well, even Mr. Woo's family doesn't want to make this a big deal.
So if you keep poking around, a lot of people are going to get hurt.
I hope we have an understanding, Ms. Wi.
Open it.
[scoffs]
A journalist needs to be mobile.
That should be enough for a decent SUV.
Maybe even with all the bells and whistles.
[chuckles]
Now get the hell out.
What are you doing?
Thanks to you, I have learned so much.
This pays for the lesson.
[belches]
[sighs]
[sighs] Seriously?
Is it something to be embarrassed about?
What's so embarrassing that I had to throw on this stupid hat?
[sighs]
-[knocks] -[sighs]
[Se-na] I had a feeling it was you.
It's been a while.
Gotta say, you haven't changed much.
[chuckles]
You haven't changed one bit.
So why did you come here? I'd like to know.
You knew I'd be here tonight,
so you shouldn't have come.
You thought I'd feel bad or guilty, seeing you like that? That what happened?
-What? -Or what? Life's that hard?
Struggling to survive?
[scoffs]
I think I'll just ignore that.
Take care.
[sighs]
[Se-na] You knew I'd be here tonight,
so you shouldn't have come.
15 YEARS AGO
[director] And cut!
[chuckles]
[chuckles] Give me that.
[laughs] Hey. Don't.
I got it. [laughs]
Hmm?
[Ms. Wi] Who are you?
-[groans] -Oh, my God!
-What the-- -You scared me.
-Who are you? -Who are you?
-What? -[gasps]
I almost died. How did you get in the car?
-What car? What are you talking about? -You're freaking me out.
Yes, hello. I think I'm being kidnapped right now.
What is she talking about? What do you mean kidnapped? Hey!
-Watch out! Don't open that door! -Yes.
I think we're driving over a bridge right now.
Excuse me. What is the bridge we're on now?
It's the Yeongdong Bridge!
Yeongdong Bridge! It's the Yeongdong…
-Please come to the Yeongdong Bridge now! -What? Is this woman crazy?
-Yeongdong Bridge. -Oh, shit.
It's a tall bridge. You can't miss it.
A RELIABLE POLICE FORCE, A SAFE NATION
All right. Since you both came in voluntarily over this misunderstanding,
we'll take a look at the dashcam footage together.
Here, look.
[clears throat]
-[Ms. Wi vomits] -[gasps]
[groans]
Great. Seriously.
All right. This is the footage from the front camera.
Okay, next one.
[Ms. Wi groans on computer]
-Unbelievable. -[Ms. Wi] I feel like death.
Look at the footage, detective. I'm not the one lying.
This confirms she got into my car on her own, right?
-So I didn't do anything wrong. -Let's keep watching.
I mean, who knows? He could've known I was in the car all along.
[scoffs, laughs] Wow, what's wrong with you, lady?
Okay, fine. Go ahead, hit play. Let's keep watching.
-All right, sure. -[clicks]
[Mr. Lim] That bitch. Seriously.
[Mr. Lim scoffs]
"You shouldn't have come"?
-No. That… By "that bitch," I meant-- -I mean, who does she think she is?
I swear.
Obviously I lied when I said she hadn't changed one bit.
Her face is all sagging now, with wrinkles around her damn eyes.
And how is it that your acting hasn't shown any improvement at all?
You haven't gotten any better. Not one bit.
No progress. None! [scoffs]
That same long straight hair, same lousy acting, the exact same expression.
[groans] How boring! I'm sick of it!
I'm so freaking sick of it! So lame! [groans] It's pathetic!
[Ms. Wi] Who are you?
[officer clicks]
[groans]
[sighs]
-See, that was-- -[officer] Well I guess
you were just really angry, yeah?
Anyhow, that being said, you two are good now, aren't you?
-Oh… Uh… -[sighs]
Um, I'm…
I'm… I'm really sorry.
If you're sorry, then we're fine.
I can't believe you said I kidnapped you, though…
[scoffs] Oh, my God. It's like…
-I know, right? -[sighs]
An innocent man died because of me.
And you're here because of me.
[groans, sighs]
I don't know what the hell is wrong with me.
-[groans] -So, Dete--
You're so dumb! Such an idiot!
[cries]
Detective, just arrest me now. Please, someone like me deserves to be arrested.
If I keep wandering around like this, I don't know what stupid thing I'll do.
I'd rather just be put in jail.
Please, please. Oh, please just put me in jail!
Please, just lock me up. Take me away now.
-I can't take it anymore. -She's just drunk and rambling.
So, I'm going home now, okay?
-I'm free to go, right? -[crying continues]
Thank you, sir. Bye.
[Ms. Wi] Just put me in jail, please. Please. [crying]
[siren wailing in distance]
[sighs]
Drink that. It'll help you sober up.
Stay out of other people's cars.
Hey, don't you know it's a scary place out there?
Honestly, lady, you're really lucky that it was my car.
Thanks a lot.
You look like you have an office job.
So I really don't see why you drink so much in the first place.
There's one thing I know for sure.
Even when bad things happen, more often than not, it's not your fault.
So stop beating yourself up and just move forward.
Because you need to succeed…
[Se-na] Or what? Life's that hard? Struggling to survive?
Or people will think less of you.
Hold on just a minute.
-[bag unzips] -[rustling]
THANK YOU EUNSEONGILBO
Uh, if you ever need my help with anything,
feel free to get in touch.
All right, sure.
Come on, don't give me that look.
You're creeping me out.
Anyway, I'm off. Bye-bye.
[sighs]
[engine starts]
[Ms. Wi] Mr. Woo Young-suk. I was supposed to meet him tomorrow.
So how come he's dead right now?
[widow sobbing]
GWON SE-NA NAMED MUSE FOR LUXURY BRAND
GWON SE-NA'S SAVE ZONE IS A GLOBAL HIT
[sighs]
[knocks]
Hello.
Yes? Hello.
I had a screenplay printed here a while ago,
and I just noticed there's a small problem with it.
I need to show you.
What kind?
GOOD DETECTIVE KANG PIL-GU
Ah, this.
I believe it was Mr. Hwang who took care of this.
I heard it's an indie film, a college graduation project,
so we didn't take any profit, just cover the cost.
-Is that right? -That's right.
He was kind enough to offer a discount for printing it.
And even though the schedule was tight,
he still managed to meet every single deadline
and handled more than ten revisions for the cover.
Thanks a lot for that.
Ah, yeah.
Mr. Hwang went out of his way for you.
He came through for sure.
I'm genuinely grateful for everything he did,
but this is business, and it didn't feel right to just ignore all the mistakes.
[snickers]
If you're really grateful, you can look past the little things.
But this is my first feature, so with all due respect,
I don't think I can just let them slide.
[exhales shakily]
[scoffs, chuckles]
Fair enough, all right. What are the mistakes?
Yeah, hold on.
Well, first, the best boy electric's name is Na Yun-seon,
although right here, it's written as "Na Un-seon."
Also the cover has a slight reddish tint, but I was actually hoping
for something softer and a little more neutral in tone. [huffs]
Overall, the left/right balance is off.
There's about a 2 mm difference between the sides. See this?
I asked him to use Hamchorong Batang Extended Bold as the font,
but he used Extended Non-bold.
Could you please switch it to Hamchorong Batang Extended Bold?
[sighs]
-That's it? Are you done? -Yeah.
Didn't you mention your timeline was tight?
True. I'm sorry to spring this on you, but I need it done by tomorrow.
I swear, that place is so cool.
[groans]
No, not you, him.
What now?
Hamchorong Batang Bold is what he needed.
Bold.
All right, see you. [chuckles]
[groans] That dude's worse than the guys at the TV station.
I thought you were gonna punch him.
That's why I called you over. I was worried I might.
It was definitely a close call.
Glad you didn't. That jerk would've only made you hurt your hand.
Oh, hey!
-[chuckles] See you later. -Why is this font guy still here?
-Man, that guy is weird as hell. -Why is he doing this to us?
Should I sprinkle some salt?
Maybe that'll chase his creepy vibe away.
[scoffs] Seriously.
[whispering] Why is he familiar?
[Mr. Lim] "Good Detective Kang Pil-gu"?
Seriously, that's a weird title. Really freakin' weird.
[sighs] That jerk.
He's a genius.
[grunts]
-[gasps, shrieks] Hey! What the hell? -[laughing]
Could you please switch it to Hamchorong Batang Extended Bold?
Hamchorong? You… Have you lost it?
-You scared the hell out of me. -[chuckling]
I remember you now.
Spit it out.
[gasps, swallows] I was sure I'd seen you somewhere,
but I couldn't remember until I got home.
I kept racking my brain while eating, walking my dog,
even taking out the trash, though nothing came to me.
I thought I was gonna lose my mind, then as soon as I went to bed,
I knew who you were.
[gasps] You were in the movie Sad Waltz.
-[sighs] -[shrieking] You're an actor!
Did you go home and come all the way back here just to tell me that?
Oh, no.
I'm here to cast you.
[chortles] Is that right?
I'd like you to be in my film, Good Detective Kang Pil-gu,
as the main character, the good detective, Kang Pil-gu.
[laughing]
[chuckles]
Come on. Let's go. What the…
GOOD DETECTIVE KANG PIL-GU
[sighs] Get in, get in.
Come on, move aside. Move, we're busy. Come on.
We're busy, man, damn it. Come on, move!
-[horn honks] -I don't have time for this!
So basically, the color didn't hold?
-[writer] …but he figures it all out. -[employees exclaim]
Come over.
Oh, I see, right. Then we should reprint it for you.
Yeah, for sure.
Ah, shit! You scared me.
Leading Man. Heading home now?
[sighs] Seriously? Why the hell are you still here?
-Come on, go home. -I'm going, I wanted to give you this.
Just go, man. Come on, leave.
Just this once? Would you please consider?
I already told you I wasn't interested. Get out of here.
You didn't have to lock yourself in.
This is harassment.
-I won't change my mind. Get out! -Help me this one time, please?
[urinating]
Leading Man.
[scoffs] Seriously?
-He's driving me nuts. -Leading Man, come on.
Cut this shit out! Stop calling me Leading Man. Get out of here now, okay?
Look, Mr. Lim, I really want you to star in my movie.
[scoffs] Your school is one of the best, right?
Must be full of actors. Why do you need me to do it?
What makes you think you can trust me with that role?
Hey! I get it's just a graduation project, but you don't want it to fail.
I'm doing this to make it successful.
[clicks tongue] Okay, fine.
I'm really curious too.
So why do you want me? Why me for that tough detective?
-Because I know you'll do a great job. -[sighs]
I'm not good with words, so it's tough to explain, but I'm sure you get my point.
It won't fail. If you just give me a chance, I know we can pull it off.
I know we'll make it, sir.
There's so many chase and fight scenes one after another.
But, hey, I can't fight!
I've got a pacifist's DNA. It's in my bones, in every part of me.
I'm busy. Just get out of here.
-[whines] -Go. Just go. [grunts]
Whoa! Come on, wait. Don't throw it around like that.
Read it carefully.
[owner] Ah, Mr. Hwang. Don't drink too much.
[Hwang chuckles] Don't worry, I'm fine. Thank you.
Come on, man. Just do it already.
[groans] You're being so difficult.
I mean, who'd watch an indie film directed by a college student anyway? God's sake.
What if someone I know actually sees it?
I'd just die of embarrassment.
Plus, if no one's going to watch it, why bother making it in the first place?
[sighs]
See, I read it too, all right?
And, wow! That story's one in a million.
Look, an experienced director or not, who cares?
It's definitely the kind of story that, like, fires you up.
Come on, you know I'm right. Don't you?
Yeah.
[sniffs]
Hey. When I was doing stage plays and got recruited by the agency,
you were the first manager that I had.
Yeah.
What was I like back then?
You?
You were
different.
I thought you had the potential to make it to the top.
[scoffs] You're bluffing, man. [sighs]
[sighs] If only you never dated Gwon Se-na,
you wouldn't be in this mess now.
That heartless, ungrateful brat.
Dude, you broke up with her for her own good.
So she should be grateful, but instead she betrayed you to save face.
[chuckling] What's up with that look, man?
No way are you thinking this indie film could suddenly turn you
into some kinda world-famous movie star or something. Seriously? Come on. [laughs]
I wasn't thinking that!
-No need to scream at me. -Why would you say that?
Why are you getting so worked up? [clears throat]
Hey. It's all right.
The two of us started the print shop with nothing, but business is stable now.
Things are pretty good.
Even people who make less than you are buying new cars and going golfing.
They're living it up. What about you? What do you do for yourself?
Hey, come on.
Just think of it as a hobby. Something fun, no pressure.
It's okay to do what you want every now and then. Am I wrong?
Don't worry about the print shop, okay?
I've got it covered.
Imperial Print!
[phone buzzes]
MR. LEADING MAN, I'LL ASK YOU ONE LAST TIME.
PLEASE BE IN MY MOVIE. IF YOU TURN ME DOWN AGAIN, I'LL STOP.
BUT I URGE THAT YOU CONSIDER IT WITH A POSITIVE MIND-SET.
[Mr. Lim] Are you gonna pay me?
[cheers]
[crew] "He spins the handcuffs and swiftly fastens them on to X's wrists."
[grunts]
"They say you can't really fix people,
but… [breathes heavily] …I know that I can."
[crew] "Then he stretches out flat on the floor, right next to X."
Okay, we'll wrap up here. That's it for today's table read.
-[sighing] -[crew] Good work today.
[writer] Good work, everyone.
Oh, good job. Good job, everyone. Good job.
-Well done. -Thank you.
-[crew chatters] -Can I talk to you for a minute?
-Sure. -[crew] He's so good in the role.
I can't wait to see what he does next.
[smacks lips, chuckles]
I went a little overboard earlier, didn't I? [chuckles]
-Hyeon-jun. -Mm-hmm?
What I'm about to say is entirely for the sake of our movie,
and I just want to make it clear I'm not trying to teach or lecture you at all.
Oh yeah, of course. Just tell me already.
You can talk openly. Don't worry. Go ahead.
Before that, I think we should first decide how to address each other.
To show respect for our roles.
[sighs] Okay. Respect. [inhales] Respect.
You're right. Let's do that.
Sounds good, Director. [chuckles]
So, Hyeon-jun, how would you analyze or describe your character?
Mmm, well,
he's the type who thinks a good beating fixes bad guys, you know?
[inhales sharply] Plus, he also definitely has that rough, thug mentality.
-Mmm. -That's what I think.
Director. [chuckles]
So what do you think about the idea of punishing violence with more violence?
Well, um, it kinda depends on how serious the violence is though.
Hmm? Case by case, right?
So it all depends on the situation then?
Mmm, mm-hmm! [chuckles]
Right. I can really see that come through in your performance.
You're not sure if this is right or wrong,
but you're trying to make all the punching and beating feel as natural as possible.
That's how it comes across.
This guy values fists over the law. Why?
Everything he went through as a kid helped shape his own unshakable set of values.
So he doesn't feel guilty when he beats up bad guys.
For this character to be authentic,
he needs to truly believe that his way is the right way without a doubt.
You need to become one with the character.
-[exhales deeply] -[tapping script] Huh?
[sighs]
Yeah.
GOOD DETECTIVE KANG PIL-GU
[Hwang] Hey, what are you doing?
Come on, man, we're swamped today.
-Drop off the orders. -Oh, yeah, okay.
They say you can't really fix people, but I know I can.
But I can. I can do it.
But I can! I know I can!
I can do it! [shouts]
[blows raspberry, trills] I can!
Stop right there! [grunts]
But I can. I can. [sniffs]
[grunting]
[straining, panting]
[groans]
[yelps]
"Stop right there!"
Stop.
Hey, you. Stop right there!
[panting]
-[writer] Cut! -[panting]
[wheezing] He's freaking crazy, right?
My God, three days for one chase scene?
[pants, groans]
Two and a half, in fact.
All we see on camera is that you're completely wiped out,
ready to pass out.
[sighs] Isn't that natural?
I mean, Kang Pil-gu would also be exhausted, right?
Hell no. It's brutal, sure, but you gotta show grit,
that determination to make that bastard pay no matter what.
Mm-hmm? Again, from the top.
[panting, groaning]
All right, ready? Action!
All right, cut, cut, cut!
-Action! -[actors pant]
[writer] Cut, cut, cut, cut!
Action!
-[grunts] -You all right?
Are you all right?
-Yeah, yeah, thanks. -[writer] Don't stop.
If I don't call "cut," keep going.
-Just let it play out. -[snarls]
Come on.
[writer] All right, let's get right back into it.
Okay, ready? Action.
[panting]
[grunts, groans]
-Aw, shit. Damn. [sighs] -Cut.
[exhales deeply]
Hyeon-jun, one more take. Right away.
[panting] That little snake.
[writer] Ready? Action!
-What? -[writer] Cut.
[sighing] What the hell?
We're done for the day. Thanks.
-Thanks. -You can wrap it up.
[sighs]
Let's call it a day for the shoot.
Huh, but we're not done yet.
It seems like you haven't had enough time to fully analyze your character,
so let's call it a day and reshoot the scenes another time.
-Pack up. That's a wrap. -Huh?
Hey, h-hey, hey, hey! No, wait. Come on.
Hey! Okay, look, Director, have you lost your mind?
It's not like you've got some crazy budget here.
It's a freaking indie movie, so shoot it like one.
Do you have any sense of balance or what's appropriate?
Are you that incapable of reading the room?
You seriously think this masterpiece of yours is Cannes material?
Even Bong or Park wouldn't shoot like this.
How would you know that?
Don't flatter yourself. You never worked with Bong Joon-ho or Park Chan-wook.
What do you mean? Repeat that.
What did you say, you little prick?
Come here! Say that to my face again. Seriously?
I called you sir to show you respect as the director, now this?
I felt sorry for you seeing you practically begging,
so I've agreed to be in your little movie without pay!
And now… [stutters] …what the hell did you just say?
Honestly, sir, I wouldn't have begged if I'd known you were such a terrible actor.
Okay. So you wanna cross the Rubicon now?
You go ahead and knock yourself out, you moron.
I'm out of here, damn it!
[chair clattering]
-[Hyeon-jun grunts] -[all gasp, clamor]
[writer] Cut. Let's try that again.
-What? -[writer] Cut. Again.
We'll pick it up right from here. All right, ready?
Action!
-What? -[writer] Cut!
All right. Ready?
Action!
[panting]
-What? -It's all your fault, Detective Kang!
-[writer] Let's try that again. -[screams] Are you kidding?
He's freaking nuts!
[grunts]
[panting]
[both grunting]
[grunting continues]
[groans]
[panting]
[thug shouts]
[grunts]
[shouts]
[grunts]
-[handcuff lock clinks] -They say you can't really fix people.
But…
[grunts]
…I know I can.
[writer] Cut! Okay!
[crew cheering, whooping]
All right, that's a wrap on the filming of Good Detective Kang Pil-gu. Well done!
[cheering continues]
-You wanna grab a beer? -[writer] All right. Yes! Absolutely.
All right, everybody, fill up your glasses.
Thank you for all your hard work on Good Detective Kang Pil-gu.
Enjoy yourselves and drink up. Come on, let's toast!
[all whooping, cheering]
-[crew] Good shoot, good shoot. -[writer hums]
-All right, here's to that! -To surviving another director from hell.
[crew] Next time, I'm doing sound.
Finally, it's over, right? You can breathe now, Hyeon-jun.
I know I've been a real pain in the ass. I pushed too hard, said the wrong things
and, yeah, that's on me. I'm still learning.
I'm an inexperienced director trying to get it right.
I'm sure there's a lot you're still mad about,
but please, please take this drink and forget it all.
Ah, ah, ah, ah!
Oh!
Drink up.
[writer] Big applause for our leading man, everyone!
[cheering]
Lim Hyeon-jun! Lim Hyeon-jun!
[all chanting] Lim Hyeon-jun! Lim Hyeon-jun!
[sighs]
-[shushes] -[chanting stops]
I'm gonna drink this, okay?
Hmm. [inhales sharply]
-[gulping] -Whoa!
[all applauding, cheering]
-One more thing. -[crew] Oh, no, here it comes.
You little bastard! I never want to see your freaking face again!
[all clamoring]
[presenter] And the award for Best Actor
goes to Lim Hyeon-jun from Good Detective Kang Pil-gu.
All right, let's hear his acceptance speech now.
Thanks to this miracle of an opportunity, I've made my comeback.
And I'm going to make the most of it.
I want to continue to be an actor for a while.
Never forgotten.
[sobbing]
And I hope I can keep doing this for many more years.
-Thank you very much! Thanks! -[audience cheering]
And just like that, my life completely changed overnight.
Thank you! Thank you!
I'll do my very best.
Thank you!
Thank you very much.
[cheering]
My life, which felt like a black-and-white documentary,
has suddenly turned into a vibrant, colorful romantic comedy.
GOOD DETECTIVE KANG PIL-GU CONFIRMED AS DRAMA
HIGHEST RATINGS: 24.3%
GOOD DETECTIVE KANG PIL-GU SEASON 2 CONFIRMED
HIGHEST RATINGS: 26.5%
GOOD DETECTIVE KANG PIL-GU SEASON 3 CONFIRMED
HIGHEST RATINGS: 27.3%
EVERYONE LOVES PIL-GU AND HYEON-JUN
STEADY STREAM OF AD OFFERS
#1 MAN FANS WANT TO SEE AGAIN: KANG PIL-GU
RETURNING IN SEASON 4 OF GOOD DETECTIVE KANG PIL-GU
JUST HOW FAR WILL IT GO? HIGHEST RATINGS: 28.5%
Ah… [chuckles]
[sighs] Oh, boy.
-Hey! -[gasps] What the hell, man?
You wanna take this out?
Man, I just started it up to see if the battery's dead, that's all.
-Uh-huh. -Hang on.
Hey, I bought this with my money,
so why can't I drive my own car whenever I want?
Come on, you know there are eyes on you everywhere.
When you have work, just take the company car.
This is exactly why I need to start playing roles
like a rich heir, hotshot lawyer, or doctor.
So no one will say anything if they see me driving a car like that.
I'm always playing broke detectives. It's like my curse.
No wonder everyone is shocked when they see me in that kind of car!
Now people don't see me as me anymore.
I'm Detective Kang Pil-gu to them.
Sometimes, even I get confused and think
I'm him, not Lim Hyeon-jun.
Okay, boss. I hear ya.
For your next project, let's make sure it's something
where you can really transform your image.
Yeah. Let's please do that, Mr. Hwang.
And don't call me "boss" in front of people, okay?
What? Why the hell not? You-You love acting like my boss.
If you call me boss, it'll just make me look older.
Don't you want to help your artist improve his public image?
[stammers] Wh-What about my public image?
Hey, sweet thang. You got a killer body.
Let's go to my room. I'll make sure that you get a nice tip.
Wow. You're so hot, seriously.
-Don't touch me, asshole. -Asshole?
-Get lost. -Oh. Let's go, let's go.
Man, they need to train their girls better here.
[narrator] Name: Wi Jeong-sin, 36 years old.
With 12 years at Eunseongilbo
and a stellar track record on the political desk,
her career speaks for itself.
Top of her class in Media and Communications at Hankuk University
and fluent in four languages, English, Chinese, Arabic, and Korean.
With a steel-like mentality,
she managed to stay one step ahead of the police and find crucial evidence.
Even as a 20-year veteran detective was throwing up, fainting,
and breaking down at a dismemberment scene.
She climbed to the top of a 300-foot crane to interview protestors,
playing a major role in getting
all unfairly dismissed contract construction workers reinstated.
-[coughing] -Take cover, take cover!
As a war correspondent,
she was the first to report the horrors of the Serian Civil War to the world.
[coughing, gasping]
And she barely survived a life-threatening operation
after being hit by shrapnel from a shell explosion,
which almost cost her her leg.
And that made her the youngest ever Korean Journalist of the Year.
This year's Journalist of the Year is Ms. Wi Jeong-sin.
[applause]
KOREAN JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR AWARD CEREMONY
ONNURI JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION
KOREAN JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR AWARD - WI JEONG-SIN
DESK CHIEF YUN HWA-YEONG
-This report, did you write this? -[journalist] Yeah.
What is this? A fairy tale?
I don't buy everything, either.
-You have to tell her! -I don't wanna. You do it.
But she's moving to the entertainment desk at a sister paper,
not even the main one. What's going on?
What do you think?
Someone's getting fired soon.
Conference room now.
-Wha… Now? -What?
-Oh, God. -All right.
[model] See you later.
Oh. Your new hair color looks amazing.
Where did you get it done?
At a salon downtown.
Are you new?
Not really.
-Are you Bahn Soo-jung? -Yeah.
-How do you know who I am? -You have that video, right?
On February 20th, you went out with those VIPs
and shot a video, just in case it ever turned out to be worth something.
-Who are you? -Well…
a journalist.
[line ringing]
Chief.
I got a scoop for you.
[Hwang laughs] 28% in viewership
and then it just kept climbing, stayed close to 30% through all four seasons.
-Never lost steam. Nearly 30% at its peak! -Wow.
-Can you believe that? 30%, 30%. -So our production company hit it big
with Good Detective Kang Pil-gu, and even bought a building.
[Hwang] The networks said their drama business wasn't profitable anymore,
so they almost shut it down completely.
Thanks to Kang Pil-gu, we were brought back to life.
-Saved when everything seemed over. -My gosh.
Might sound funny coming from me, but Kang Pil-gu saved a lot of lives.
[executive] Yeah, it really did!
So you've got to keep writing dramas like this, okay?
Oh! Remember? Country Diaries? From way back. It ran forever.
This should run too, like, ten, 20 years at least!
I mean for sure, look at those American shows like CSI, NCSI.
Las Vegas, Miami, New York!
If you add them all up, you can't even count how many seasons there are!
So, why can't we produce ten or 20 seasons of Good Detective Kang Pil-gu?
-Yeah, yeah. -You're absolutely right.
But, you see, it's really up to our leading man here, isn't it?
Are you up for that?
[dramatic music plays]
Are you telling me to only play a detective until I die?
Even Chief Gil Grissom from CSI: Las Vegas stepped out
because he wanted to try other roles! He didn't wanna be stuck!
Kang Pil-gu is the only thing people remember
about my freaking acting career!
I'm done, all right!
[chuckles, smacks lips]
Yeah, I would…
I'd like that too. More than you know.
-Right, right? -I knew he'd be on board.
Detective Kang Pil-gu forever!
[executive] No point doing some mediocre rom-com with 2% ratings,
-just stick with Kang Pil-gu… -Yeah, totally.
Yeah.
-Really no point. -Mm-hmm.
[stomach grumbles]
But I have to say…
I've been kind of nervous the past few weeks.
To have a long career as an actor,
I think it's best for Kang Pil-gu
to stop here, even though I feel sad ending--
[executive] It's because you're such a great actor!
I mean, you know, when an actress plays the mistress on those morning dramas,
people take it so seriously, they end up slapping her on the street,
and calling her names!
-[stomach grumbling] -It's a badge of honor.
-It is a badge of honor. -It really is. Yeah.
Hello?
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. One second.
Oh. Right.
Yes. Yes.
Oh, I see.
-[sighs, gasps] -[stomach grumbling]
Uh, oh, excuse me, where's the men's room?
-It's that way. You can't miss it. -Oh.
-It's that way? Thanks. -Yes, sir.
[sighs]
Shit. Why the hell is this broken? [stammers]
[groaning]
[groaning continues]
[sighs]
[laughs]
-[clears throat] -[door closes]
[writer] What if he's adamant and refuses to do it after all?
[executive] Right now he only gets vague supporting roles.
At his age who's casting him in a rom-com or drama?
Kang Pil-gu's all he's got. What else can he do?
He's probably just trying to up his rate, so let's just play along
and act like we're accepting it.
[door closes]
Hey, yo. Did you hear a journalist snuck in?
A journalist? What's going on?
-[server] Did you see this person? -What are the bouncers doing?
Hey, hold on a second!
-Hey! -Hey!
[panting]
[sighs]
[grunts, sighs]
[pants]
[gasps]
[gasping]
-What the hell are you doing? -Uh, sorry about that!
Please be quiet. I'll be gone in a sec.
-Okay. This is the men's-- -I said be quiet!
-Quiet. -Why? What the hell's going on?
I'm really sorry. I'm going to step over you.
Huh? [screams]
My leg! My leg!
[grunting]
My neck! My neck! My neck!
-Oh, God! -[bones crack]
[groans]
Hey! My shoes! My shoes! My shoes! My shoes!
Quick, hurry. My shoes!
-Here. -Thank you.
I'll pay for your phone. 0259-2151. Call me.
My phone? Um.
[gasps] Oh, no! My phone!
[stutters] God damn it!
What the hell?
Oh, shit.
Hey!
There's a crazy woman wandering around.
Just now, she walked right into the men's room and…
Wait. Is she a stalker?
Anyway, she attacked me and totally freaked me out!
My stomach growled, so I went to the men's room,
then she barged in, pushed me around…
-Ooh. -…stepped on me. [scoffs]
Next thing I know, my phone's in the toilet--
You're Kang Pil-gu!
Good Detective Kang Pil-gu, right?
-[groans] -Wow, Detective.
Can't believe I'm meeting you here. Big fan.
I've seen every season, every episode.
Ah, I appreciate that.
-So she barged in there? -[sighs]
-No, she didn't. Don't worry about it. -Oh.
Wow. I'm with you, Kang Pil-gu!
-[sighs] -Wow.
[executive] Right now he only gets vague supporting roles.
At his age who's casting him in a rom-com or drama?
Kang Pil-gu's all he's got. What else can he do?
[sighs]
-[bones crack] -[winces]
[groans]
[sighs]
What, are you upset about something again?
Honestly, I wouldn't have come if I'd known it'd be like that.
Let alone to a hostess bar.
Yeah, I know. That's precisely why I didn't mention it.
About earlier…
I'm not just saying it to make a point.
I've had enough of Kang Pil-gu for real, all right?
[sighs] All right, I hear ya. We can talk about that later.
By the way, are you nervous about the award ceremony?
You keep popping those calming herbal pills.
[sighs]
Do I really have to go to the award ceremony?
It's not like I'm getting an award.
[sighs]
You won one last year, didn't you? So this year, you get to be a presenter.
But I'm sick.
I swear, man, I don't feel well.
All right. Just keep popping those pills.
-[music playing on laptop] -Baby, whoo!
-Baby, give me a kiss. -[laughs]
You're such a good dancer. [chuckles]
♪ Blown away ♪
♪ In the wind… ♪
[sighs]
[sucks teeth]
OBTAINED HOSTESS ENTERTAINMENT VIDEO
NO CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE
WOO YOUNG-SUK, AIDE
[Jeong-sin] Are you saying he really has nothing to do
with Cheongwon City's redevelopment?
That it was just his aide who took all that money and spent it?
Woo, an aide to Congressman Ha Gee-wan, was found dead.
Charcoal briquettes and a possible suicide note were discovered at the scene.
[secretary] Even Mr. Woo's family doesn't wanna make this a big deal.
So if you keep poking around, a lot of people are going to get hurt.
I hope we have an understanding, Ms. Wi.
WOO YOUNG-SUK
Hello, Ms. Wi. Small world.
It's been a long time, ma'am.
It's already been seven years.
Ms. Wi, you don't need to come anymore.
Thank you for all you've done over the years.
It's not over yet though.
What Mr. Woo wanted to say and…
how his death was staged as a suicide.
I'll uncover the truth, I promise.
EUNSEONGILBO
My apologies, sir.
[chairman] I trust you'll take care of that journalist.
Yes. Understood, sir.
[Jeong-sin] A sports tabloid?
-[groans] Whoa. -What do you think that is about?
Everyone, back to work.
Just switch to entertainment for a year.
Entertainment?
Moving me to a sports tabloid isn't just a switch.
But, Chief, you saw the video, right? It's a major story!
The video barely shows the guy's face,
and you can't even hear the voice. How is that a story?
All right. I totally get that you wanna act like you didn't see or hear anything.
But come on, Chief. You did recognize who it was, didn't you?
Listen.
Do you really wanna drag us all under with your petty ambitions?
I have a newsroom to run!
Do you want to see this department wiped out?
Did you really become a journalist to cherry-pick for a paycheck?
What did you just say?
You… You've crossed the line. How dare you?
-[coworkers gasp] -Oh, my gosh.
I'm a political journalist.
I refuse to be transferred
and forced out against my will.
[coworkers whispering]
-I don't wanna get fired. -What a piece of work. Jesus.
[journalist 2] Why is she transferring here?
Apparently, they've been waiting for any chance to get rid of her.
I hear she's a total workaholic with zero social skills.
A real pain to deal with. Just a total headache.
-Are we the bomb disposal squad now? -God.
That's enough. Why make such a fuss over one person transferring here?
After your lousy reporting today, you should be worried about your own jobs.
The Geumsang Arts Awards is tonight, right?
Find out who's wearing similar dresses and who's dressed horribly,
and get the story out before the ceremony begins.
The dress war on the red carpet. Who are the winners and losers?
[presenter 2] Two guests have just arrived on the red carpet to kick off this event.
First, the host of this award ceremony
and the one who made today's event possible,
Chairman Lee Dae-ho, a young leader
-guiding the industry forward. -Mr. Chairman!
Stepping onto the red carpet with an aura that could rival any actor.
-And by his side, this year's most talked… -Mr. Chairman!
-…about star… -I'm from the political desk!
Mr. Chairman! Chairman Lee!
…a bold gown. You can feel the energy…
Excuse me, Chairman Lee!
I'm from the political desk!
Ooh, Mr. Chairman! Chairman Lee!
You definitely can't miss the man making an appearance on the red carpet right now.
He's the male lead who successfully led the drama
Good Detective Kang Pil-gu all the way through to season four.
And the winner of last year's grand prize at the Geumsang Arts Awards
in the drama category for Best Actor. And now the…
Mr. Chairman! Can you please comment on the retaliatory personnel decisions
taking place at Eunseongilbo?
-Where did you say you're from? -I'm Wi Jeong-sin from Eunseongilbo!
You've ignored my calls and meeting requests,
so I had no choice but to come here myself!
-Let's talk later, okay? -Mr. Chairman!
Please cancel my transfer!
We'll talk later.
Sorry. Move, please. [grunts]
[gasping]
[comedic music playing]
-[music stops] -[grunts]
[screaming]
[crowd gasping]
[attendee] Hyeon-jun!
[crowd clamoring]
[groans]
[K-pop music playing]
[groans]
SPECIAL THANKS TO OH YEON-SEO FOR HER GUEST APPEARANCE
-[laughs] -How can I be sane after all that?
[Jeong-sin] You must have a terrible memory.
We've met twice before. Two very dramatic encounters.
[Hyeon-jun] There's no way this woman is a journalist.
You can't just mess with the press like that!
-Do you want to bury Lim Hyeon-jun? -Yes!
Everyone has their dirty laundry, and where there's smoke, there's fire.
[emcee] Ms. Wi, I’m very sorry but I will have to ask you to leave.
[Hyeon-jun] She should be apologizing to me on her knees, if anything!
[Jeong-sin] I just wanna give him the same in return.
Come on, is this journalist actually crazy or what?