* This review contains minor spoilers for episode 3 of Chief Detective 1958.
Chief Detective 1958 is set in post-war Korea, a period ripe with social change and unrest. The series follows the journey of a young detective in Seoul as he navigates the dangerous underbelly of a city grappling with rapid modernization and political turmoil. With a blend of historical richness and mystery, the show delves into intriguing criminal cases that reflect the societal issues of the 1950s. Each episode is intricately woven with suspense, drama, and a touch of period-authentic charm.
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The episode sees our heroes taking on their first major case. It kicks off by showing us a violent bank robbery. We soon learn that the thieves have hit several banks across the country.
We then cut to the newly formed Team 1 of the Jongnam Police Station, with Seo Ho-Jeong (Yoon Hyun-Soo) officially joining Park Young-Han (Lee Je-Hoon), Kim San-Sung (Lee Dong-Hwi) and Jo Gyeong-Hwan (Choi Woo-Sung). However, their joy is tempered when the Chief Superintendent gives them their first assignment: clearing out beggars at Jongnam Market.
The group locate the beggars who are stealing food items from the traders. Instead of arresting them, Park lets them go after giving them a stern lecture. He also makes them promise to return the food they stole. When Jo and Seo ask why, Park tells them he wants the beggars to know that they have someone who is on their side.
We also get a hilarious scene where Park realizes that he has forgotten a movie date with Hye-Ju (Seo Eun-Soo). Eventually, the two reconcile and plan a second date.
Team 1 plans a sting
The team later discuss the recent spate of bank robberies, and realize that the thieves’ next target is in Seoul. They decide to bring their concerns to the Chief Superintendent, hoping to prepare for the possibility.
However, the Chief announces the entire station is to act as security for an upcoming meeting between mob boss Lee Jung-Jae and a rival gang leader. Park and his boss Yu Dae-Cheon (Choi Deok-Moon) bring up the bank robbery threat, but are immediately shot down. The Chief also threatens to punish Team 1 if they investigate the case against his orders.
Park and his team turn out to be right, and the thieves are planning to strike Seoul. The thieves have been getting secret intel about police movements in every city they rob. They plan on hitting the Goryeo bank branch in Jongnam on the day of the meeting, as the police will be too busy to stop them.
The team decide to investigate in secret. They analyze the thieves’ past crimes, and even enlist the beggars to stake out the city’s banks. Their efforts pay off when a beggar spots the thieves as they are casing the Goryeo bank.
The sting goes awry
They decide to organize a secret undercover operation to catch the thieves in the act. Eun-Dong (Shin Min-Jae), one of Park’s roommates at the boarding house, happens to work at the bank branch and agrees to help. Kim reluctantly poses as a security guard, while the others plan to sneak away when the station mobilizes for the mobsters’ meeting.
On the day of the operation, Park, Jo and Seo are caught by the other detectives, who were told to spy on them by the Chief. They are locked up in one of the cells, with minutes to spare before the robbery. Fortunately, they manage to convince the cop guarding them to let them go.
At the bank, Kim and Eun-Dong are waiting for the operation to start. Hye-Ju unexpectedly walks in to make a transaction just as the thieves arrive. The thieves take everyone hostage, but can’t open the safe as the bank manager has fallen into a deep sleep. It turns out that Kim gave Eun-Dong a special herbal drink to serve the bank manager, hoping to delay the thieves.
Our heroes save the day
Park and his team arrive and are shocked to see the robbery in progress. They decide to knock out the getaway driver and have Park pose as him. The thieves soon escape, taking Hye-Ju hostage. This leads to a tense car chase throughout the city, with Kim, Jo and Seo trailing Park and the thieves. The chase finally ends when Park crashes the getaway car outside mob bosses’ meeting place, in full view of the other policemen.
The bank robbers are captured, and the Chief Superintendent takes all the credit. He tries to punish them for disobeying his orders, but they successfully turn the tables on him. The episode ends with Park once again realizing he is late for another movie date with Hye-Ju. However, this time he manages to catch her and they finally go on their date.
What we thought of Chief Detective 1958 Episode 3
This episode was my favorite so far. We get to see how well the team works together, and how their individual skills are put to use during an investigation. Our heroes show how much they are willing to go the extra mile for justice, even putting their lives on the line.
We also get to witness Park Young-Han’s renowned empathy, during his interactions with the beggars. His kindness and understanding in dealing with those on the fringes of society becomes an asset, as they later help him identify the thieves.
I also enjoyed this episode’s portrayal of Hye-Jun, who we learn is a lot tougher than she looks. She is far from the stereotypical love interest, and proves a match for Young-Han in terms of quick-thinking while under stress. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops.
Overall, the episode had a perfect balance of action and humor. There were nail-biting moments, as well as those that made me laugh out loud. It ends with an intriguing snippet of the next episode hinting at a possible mystery to be solved. Whatever the case may be, I’m sure Team 1 will do their best to take down the bad guys.
Catch Chief Detective 1958 every Friday and Saturday on Disney+ Hotstar.
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