Air Date: August 16, – October 4, 2024

Episodes: 16

Where to Watch: Hulu

Genre:  Psychological Crime Thriller 

Starring: Byun Yo Han and Go Jun

10 years ago, a star student from a small town woke up from a drinking binge to find two of his classmates murdered.  And although he doesn’t remember anything about what happened the night before, the evidence says that he killed them. 

Now, after serving 10 years in prison as a minor, he has returned to town.  And no one is happy to see him back;  even those who were once his closest friends.  But as information about that night begin to come to life, the details start to seem more and more suspicious.  And with the help of a detective who has only just arrived in town himself, he intends to reveal the truth about the killings, both to prove his own innocence and to get justice for his friends.  

Go Gyeong U was only 19 years old, with a promising college opportunity in front of him, when he woke up from a drunken binge to find himself accused of murdering two of his classmates.  And while the girls’ bodies were never found, there was enough circumstantial evidence to convince the whole community, including local law officials and judges, that he had committed the crime.  But although he couldn’t remember anything from that night, Gyeong U could never bring himself to admit that he actually did it.

It’s been 10 years since that time, and Gyeong U has served his time and been released.  But his return to this close-knit community seems to bring all of their shared trauma and grief back to the surface.  When Gyeong U starts to dig into what really happened that night, he quickly finds that some things just don’t seem to make sense.  And with the help of the new Chief Detective, the pair begin to uncover the shocking events that led to Gyeong U’s arrest.

Go Gyeong U was a model student, son, and friend before the tragedy of that night ripped his life apart.  But the traumas he has faced since then have left him bitter and broken.  The one thing that has kept him going through it all is his desperate need to understand what really happened back then.  And for the sake of his friends, he wants their bodies found, so they can finally be laid to rest in peace.  

Gyeong U is not an easy character to play.  His difficult life has made him distant and emotionally cautious.  Byun Yo Han did an amazing job of showing these complexities in the subtle expressions and guarded responses.  I found his portrayal believable and heartbreakingly sincere.  

No Sang Chul gets transferred to Mucheon after the tragic death of his wife.  He meets Gyeong U after Gyeong U’s mother falls from an overpass and falls into a coma.  At first, he naturally assumes, as everyone else, that Gyeong U was obviously guilty of the murders from before and that his denials are no different from any other criminal who swears it wasn’t them.  But something about Gyeong U’s raw honesty begins to chip away at Sang Chul’s cynicism.  And when Sang Chul starts to dig into the police records from that time, he starts to find some glaring inconsistencies.  

So when Gyeong U comes to Sang Chul and begs him to combine their talents and resources to reveal the truth behind the murders, Sang Chul can’t refuse.   And as their investigation takes shape, Sang Chul will be disgusted to discover that rather than the cold-blooded killer he has been portrayed as, Gyeong U is actually a scapegoat and victim himself, who has been betrayed by those he loved and trusted most.  Worse yet, the scope of those involved is much more far-reaching than he could have ever imagined, and includes some of his new colleagues within their own department.  

No Sang Chul has a reputation for being rough and always ready for a fight.  And that has definitely gotten worse since the loss of his wife.  But he is also a fierce defender of justice and the rights of the innocent.  And this attitude is the thing that makes it impossible for him to turn a blind eye to Gyeong U’s case. 

Go Jun is great in this kind of role, with just a subtle touch of sardonic humor.  And I loved him as this character.  But I do wish they had dug a little deeper into his story.  

I felt bad for Da Eun and her family.  While it was always assumed the case was a double murder, there is surprisingly little concern for finding out what had happened to her, compared to Bo Yeong.  I spent most of the drama wondering if there would ever be justice for her and her story.  Luckily the writers were saving her story for a grand reveal that gave us nice closure and an unexected twist.  

While I understand that Gyeong U is the main focus of this drama, I felt like we had some of the central characters who had good backstory potential.  Both Sang Chul and Seol have serious reasons for “hiding out” in Mucheon, but I felt like their stories were largely glossed over.  I wish we could have learned more about them.  

I must admit that while I thought Go Bo Gyeol did a good job of making us hate Na Gyeom and see how unhinged she was, I felt like her sudden transformation from wall flower, to evil mastermind, to femme fatale seemed a bit overplayed.  I mean, how is it that she goes from afraid to look anyone in the eye to bossing around the Police Chief in the blink of an eye?  And if she had the ability to turn herself into a beautiful swan this whole time, why didn’t she do it for Gyeong U before?

‘Black Out’ ties up all the loose ends by exposing the truth.  Those who actually committed the murders and rape are all put behind bars and the accesories have all paid in their own ways.  Gyeong U’s mom wakes up and makes a full recovery.  Da Eun’s body is finally found hidden away by Su O in a secret room in their greenhouse.  After witnessing the crimes, Su O brought her there to “protect” her in his misguided way.

Some time later, Na Gyeom is seen in what at first appears to be a scenic location before we see the nurse in scrubs following closely behind.  It is obvious she has finally been pushed over the edge and lost all touch with reality.  Our last glimpse of her shows her talking on the phone to who she believes is Gyeong U.  But we can only assume it is just her disillusionment.  Detective Kim is released and goes to visit the Chief in prison, but in then end he just leaves speechless.  Gyeong U visits Dong Min in prison where Dong Min sincerely apologizes her the things he did to Gyeong U and his mother.

And our trio of “private investigators” all leave Mucheon to pursue their own dreams.  Seol is back in medical school, and when she sees a familiar face on campus, she is pleased to see Gyeong U has finally joined her.  It seems like there could be romance in the air but only time will tell.  No Sang has taken a job working in a small, boring seaside town where he hopes to work out his career in mundane peace.  But he is still pleased when Seol and Gyeong U come to visit.

And lastly, we get to see a judge declare Gyeong U innocent of all crimes.  He is finally free of the stigma of a murderer.  His mother has started a small cafe near the University campus where Gyeong U attends.  And Su O is there with her, helping her out and getting the parental love that he has been missing for so long.  The drama ends with Gyeong U throwing flowers into the water as he mourns all he has lost, and those he had loved.