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The Review Geek
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Mercy for None – K-drama Episode 1 Recap & Review
Episode 1 Episode 1 of Mercy for None begins in Yeouido, Seoul, in 2010. A man named Gi-jun tells his younger brother, Gi-seok, that he's spoken to Chairman Lee Ju-woon. Gi-seok can join the company soon. Gi-jun then heads out to a fight between two gangs. We watch him easily take down a fighter from the other gang, who had previously taken down several men. We then shift to the present day. A manager from Bongsan Group finds himself kidnapped by two foreign assassins who make quick work of him. Chairman Gu Bong-san of Bongsan Group and Chairman Lee Ju-woon of Juwoon Group discuss this matter over a meal. Bong-san describes how his son, Gu Jun-mo, hired foreign assassins to kill his manager after he found some business discrepancies. Chairman Bong-san doesn't want to get involved directly since he is Jun-mo's father, so he asks Ju-woon to take care of the foreign assassins and clean up the mess. In return, he offers help with a real estate issue. Chairman Ju-woon agrees and gives this task to Gi-seok, who is now senior managing director and also set to be Ju-woon's successor. However, Gi-seok wants to quit his job. Despite this, he takes up the work and visits Jun-mo along with his junior, Cheon Hae-beom. Gi-seok tells the foreign assassins to leave within three days. Jun-mo isn't happy about this and taunts Gi-seok by bringing up Gi-jun. Apparently, Gi-jun had created a mess and both the chairmen cleaned it up. They let him live but they cut his Achilles tendon to make up for it. With a couple of strikes, Gi-seok takes Jun-mo down and walks away while Jun-mo screams death threats at him. Meanwhile, a Bongsan manager named Kim Chun-seok gets a call and is shocked to learn that Gi-seok has gone to meet Jun-mo in person. Gi-seok then heads out to meet Gi-jun, who is living at a campsite in the middle of the woods. They're meeting after six years. Gi-seok tells him that Chairman Ju-woon wants him to be the successor but that he has mixed feelings about it. Gi-jun realises something is wrong. Back home, Gi-seok gets the feeling that someone is in the house. He goes down to the parking lot and finds a cat. However, as he's feeding the cat, a masked man attacks him. More men come out of the shadows — this is an ambush. Gi-seok easily takes them all down. He lets the last man go but when his back is turned, the man attacks and stabs Gi-seok. In the woods, Gi-jun gets a phone call. The scene skips to Gi-seok's funeral, where Juwoon employees come to pay their respects. As do Chairman Gu Bong-san and Jun-mo. Outside, Ju-woon's manager, Choi Seong-cheol speaks to Kim Chun-seok, hinting that Bongsan was behind the attack. Chun-seok tells him that it was just some runaway kids, as the police have verified. Just then, prosecutor Lee Geum-son, Lee Ju-woon's oldest son, arrives to pay his respects. However, Seong-cheol asks him to leave since his father doesn't want him here. Gi-jun then shows up and Seong-cheol has everyone bow to him. He takes Gi-jun to Gi-seok's body and Gi-jun asks if it was really just kids. Elsewhere, the two chairmen discuss the matter of Ju-woon's successor. Gi-jun enters the room and brings up the pact they made 11 years ago. Gi-jun had promised not to show his face again and the chairmen had promised to keep his brother safe. When they don't offer any more information about his brother's death, Gi-jun leaves. Outside, Hae-beom introduces himself to Gi-jun. Gi-jun then goes to Gi-seok's house, where he finds books on camping. He also finds a birthday gift that Gi-seok was going to send him. Gi-jun then wraps a band around his ankle, the one with a scar. Gi-jun then goes to the police station. He wants to meet the suspect in his brother's murder case. The detectives tell him it's not allowed but Gi-jun insinuates he knows something about the detective. Gi-jun is allowed to meet him. The young man, Hui-chan, shows no remorse but he accidentally reveals he has a brother as well. Gi-jun goes after the younger brother and finds Hui-cheon's entire gang corners him. Turns out, this was his plan to find the people who killed Gi-seok. The fight begins and Gi-jun mows through them easily. After all the men are down, he goes towards the younger brother. An epilogue of Mercy for None Episode 1 shows Hui-chan stab Gi-seok. Gi-seok casually throws him off and all the gangsters run away. He then removes the knife in his side and heads back out of the parking lot. But someone's waiting for him on the other side of the door. The Episode Review Episode 1 of Mercy for None is a gripping and thrilling pilot. The episode drops us right into the heart of gangs, murders, and power dynamics. It establishes the two gangs, Bongsan and Juwoon groups, quite well and introduces us to all the important players too. We get a taste of what Gi-jun was like and what Gi-seok became, as well as their relationship as brothers. The visuals are dark and infused with plenty of neon. The action is fantastically shot here; it's sharp and uses the right amount of camera movement. It's so interesting to see that Gi-jun and Gi-seok's fighting styles are different as well, the former's a lot more violent and messy when compared to Gi-seok's cleaner moves. Along with the serious tone and gritty storyline, this one looks to be a solid, enjoyable neo noir. On to episode 2! Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
Pink Villa
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
So Ji Sub's Mercy for None Ending Explained: Was Nam Gi Jun able to find his brother's killer and take revenge? Find out
Mercy for None is South Korean noir action drama, centred around So Ji Sub's revenge arc. The noir action series was released globally on Netflix on June 6. The plot included an ex-gangster's return to the underworld after 11 long years, to uncover the truth behind his younger sibling's murder. To know whether he succeeded in his mission, read the article till the end. Why was Nam Gi Seok killed? Mercy For None 's story was set against the backdrop of two powerful criminal organizations, Bongsan Group and Juwoon Group. The former is led by Lee Ju Woon (Heo Joon Ho) and the latter by Koo Bong San (Ahn Kil Kang). Their respective sons, Lee Geum Son (Choo Young Woo) and Koo Jun Mo (Gong Myung) dream of taking over their father's roles someday. However, things get tense as Lee Ju Woon announces managing director Nam Gi Seok (Lee Jun Hyuk) as his successor. Nam Gi Seok then uses his newly-gained influence to slap Koo Jun Mo and put the inefficient lad in his place. Koo Jun Mo feels extremely humiliated and the next thing we know is that Nam Gi Seok is lying dead in a parking lot. Was Nam Gi Jun able to seek revenge for brother Nam Gi Seok's death? Due to the conflict between Nam Gi Seok and Koo Jun Mo, Nam Gi Jun (So Ji Sub) took the latter to be his sibling's murdered. He, thus, kills Koo Jun Mo, but guess what? He isn't Nam Gi Seok's murderer. This was all meticulously planned by Lee Geum Son, who aimed to hit three birds with one stone. He was the one who ordered a hitman to slay Nam Gi Seok, which would force Nam Gi Jun to come out of exile. As per the evil man's plot, Nam Gi Jun would kill Koo Jun Mo and then, would get killed by Lee Geum Son's men. In this way, he would the rival group's successor and the rivals in his own organisation would all be eliminated, making him gain absolute power. But, alas, his dreams remained unfulfilled as Nam Gi Jun connected the dots and reached him. His life came to end with Nam Gi Jun stabbing him and leaving him to die in the very chair he desired to conquer. The protagonist's revenge was thus fulfilled, culminating in a gruesome yet satisfying conclusion to the 7-episode mini drama.
Time Magazine
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
Breaking Down the Violent Ending of Netflix K-Drama Mercy for None
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Mercy for None. Bloody and brutal, the backstabbing in Mercy For None is both figurative and literal. Based on a webtoon called Mercy For None: Plaza Wars, the Netflix noir follows the vengeance campaign of Nam Gi-jun (Doctor Lawyer 's So Ji-sub), a former key member of Seoul's criminal underworld. When Gi-jun's little brother, Nam Gi-seok (Vigilante 's Lee Jun-hyuk) is killed, he returns from exile to bring those responsible to justice. However, determining who is behind Gi-seok's murder is not so simple. Gi-seok had been caught up in the delicate web of power and deceit that holds Seoul's two major gangs—the Juwoon Group and the Bongsan Group—in place. While Gi-jun left his life of crime behind a decade ago, Gi-seok was in line to inherit the Jowoon Group from chairman Lee Ju-woon (Bloodhound 's Huh Joon-ho). Unbeknownst to Chairman Lee, his intention to pass the baton to Gi-seok would lead to Gi-seok's death and, in Gi-jun's vengeance, the deaths of an entire generation of the criminal community. Let's talk about the twisty and twisted ending of Mercy For None … The fall of Beomyeongdong Mercy For None 's story begins over a decade ago, when Seoul was ruled by one gang: Beomyeongdong. Controlled by Chairman Oh, Lee Ju-woon and Gu Bong-san (A Shop For Killers ' Ahn Kil-kang) were his right-hand men, and Gi-jun was their most effective fighter. Under this dream team, Beomyeongdong's power and wealth grew, leading to rumors that Chairman Oh was planning to pass the organization on to Ju-woon and Bong-san after his death. These rumors didn't sit well with Oh's son, Seung-won. He ordered hits on Bong-san and Ju-woon. Meanwhile, dirty cop Cha Yeong-do (Our Blues ' Cha Seung-won), known in the crime world by alias Mr. Kim, saw an opportunity to grow his control within the organization. He told Gi-seok (at that time, a rookie member of Beomyeongdong) that Oh Seung-won planned on killing his brother, Gi-jun. Gi-seok killed Seung-won, sending the organization into further chaos. In order to protect his brother, Gi-jun encouraged Ju-woon and Bong-san to stage a coup. He helped them overthrow Oh, and the gang was split into two: the Bongsan Group and the Juwoon Group. Still, someone had to pay for upsetting the balance. Gi-jun took the fall for it all, leading people to believe that it was him, and not his little brother, who killed Oh Seung-won. Ju-woon and Bong-san owed Gi-jun a lot, so they made a deal: If Gi-jun left the business and never came back, they would let him live. To prove his commitment, Gi-jun sliced his own Achilles tendon, diminishing his ability to fight, and disappeared into the countryside. Before he left, he made Ju-woon promise to look after Gi-seok. The Graveyard hit Initially, the death of Gi-seok is blamed on a group of young hooligans, who pick up the job of killing Gi-seok on The Graveyard, a kind of gig economy app for the criminal community. In the first episode, we see the ragtag group of wannabe gangsters attack Gi-seok in a parking garage, getting in some good hits, but ultimately not finishing the job. Later, we find out the hit was ordered by Chairman Gu's dangerously entitled son, Gu Jun-mo (Way Back Love 's Gong Myung). Gu Jun-mo is a thorn in his father's side, causing chaos within the Bongsang Group, and rarely facing accountability for his actions. When Jun-mo hires some foreign thugs to kill a fellow Bongsan manager encroaching on his share of the business, Chairman Gu asks old friend Chairman Lee for his help. He needs to make it clear to his son that his behavior is unacceptable, but thinks it will look bad if it comes from him. In exchange, Gu promises to help Lee with some of his land acquisition troubles. Lee agrees to the deal, and sends Gi-seok to rough Jun-mo up. Jun-mo takes out the hit on Gi-seok in retribution. When the truth of Jun-mo's hit against Gi-seok surfaces, the carefully maintained peace between the Bongsan Group and the Juwoon Group is threatened. They turn against one another, and Ju-woon comes out on top, with a little help from Ju-woon's prosecutor son, Lee Geum-son (The Trauma Code 's Choo Young-woo), who greenlights a raid on the Bongsan Group. Ju-woon kills Bong-san, the man who was once his colleague and friend, but his victory will be short-lived. Meanwhile, Gi-jun's rogue mission to find justice for his brother has led to Jun-mo's death. Gi-jun fights through dozens of men to do so, and kills Jun-mo even after realizing that it was not Jun-mo's hired thugs who dealt the killing blow on his brother. For Gi-jun, it is enough that Jun-mo tried. The plot behind Gi-seok's death Gi-seok's death was envisioned as the catalyst for a gang war. The person behind it all? Chairman Lee's son, Geum-son. For his whole life, Geum-son has been intentionally kept from the criminal world by his father, who wanted a better life for his son. When we meet Geum-son, he is a prosecutor in the Seoul Central District Attorney's office, living his life on the right side of the law. However, Geum-son dreams of running a criminal organization like his father, and will do anything to make it happen. He hatches a plan to take over both the Juwoon Group and the Bongsan Group. He recruits Cha Yeong-do, whose plan led to the fall of Beomyeongdong 11 years prior, to help. Together, they put into motion the death of Gi-seok, and the plan to pin it on Jun-mo. To ensure that Gi-seok actually dies, Geum-son sends assassin Shimane to finish him off. When the dust settles on the gang war that follows, Ju-woon has killed Bong-san, Yeong-do has killed Ju-woon, and Geum-son is in charge of the organization. Gi-jun's relentless rampage But Gi-jun doesn't care about power; he only cares about his brother. While Chairman Gu, Chairman Lee, Cha Yeong-do, Gu Jun-mo, and Lee Geum-son fight for control of the criminal organizations, Gi-jun cuts a relentless, ruthless path through their ranks. He kills Jun-mo, Shimane, Yeong-do, and eventually Geum-son for their roles in Gi-seok's death. Before Gi-jun kills Geum-son, they discuss the plot that would lead to so much death and destruction. Geum-son feels no remorse, but he also isn't sure if it was worth it. Gi-jun has leaked Yeong-do's recording of Geum-son, implicating him in the murder of Gi-seok, to the press. Geum-son has lost everything, including his father. 'Everyone feels that way,' Gi-jun tells him, offering insight but no mercy. 'They'll do anything to get there. But when they finally do, only emptiness is left. Because they can only go down from there.' Geum-son tries to shoot himself in the head, but Gi-jun stops him, hacking into his wrist. 'You don't get to die like that,' he tells Geum-son, before slicing his throat and killing Geum-son himself. How Mercy For None ends After Gi-jun kills Geum-son, he returns to the campground he runs. As he sits dying from the many bullet and stab wounds he accumulated during his rampage, he remembers his brother. Gi-seok visited Gi-jun shortly before his death, and they sat by the campfire. 'Should I just come work with you here?' He remembers Gi-seok asking—later, Gi-jun will find books on the business of camping that imply Gi-seok was really considering it. Gi-jun tells him to do it, and the brothers laugh together. They both already know that there is no leaving the organization behind—not really. Gi-jun dies, after having avenged his little brother, immune to the promises of power that swayed so many.
