Mouse K-Drama Episode 20 did not fail to amaze me. It left us feeling both sad and happy. But most importantly it gave us a perfect ending according to the storyline leaving no complaints behind.
20 episodes are a huge commitment for a viewer and Mouse was worthy of every bit of our dedication. As thrilling as this whole Drama has been so far, this final episode comes to us comparatively with a calming tone. We get answers for all our unanswered questions. We see significant character growth in all the characters we love which leaves us feeling proud of them.
The episode starts with Bong Yi waking up in an abandoned building and she tries to get out of there. Ba Reum confronts Choi Young Shin which leads to a very underwhelming and sad reveal. Choi Young Shin created the OZ organization because she truly wanted to achieve a so-called world without monsters. It was Daniel Lee who provides her with the list of pregnant women in the past on whom he ran a test and got psychopathic gene as a result. She planned to show the people how heinous kids with psychopathic genes can grow up to be. So that it will help in passing the legislation bill for aborting the fetuses with Psychopathic genes. She was a completely delusional woman who became a monster herself in the quest to free the world of the monsters.
When Ba Reum stops himself from killing her and tells her how she is responsible for him having emotions now, she breaks down and asks him to kill her. It’s such a pitiful scene. To think that her misguided notion of wanting to save the world led to so many people losing their lives makes you angry. Detective Ko ends up in the house and finds Choi Young Shin tied in a room. He comes across all the evidence which indicates her as a part of all the mess they are in. The police detains her.
On the other hand, we find out it was Ba Reum who kidnaps Bong Yi to keep her safe. I liked this twist, he also had asked his aunt to look after her. The aunt acknowledges how Ba Reum has changed so much as he did not kill Choi Young Shin. It’s bittersweet, she was only doing her job when he was a kid. Ba Reum was scary when he was himself. But it felt good that she was able to see past all that and help him now. Bong Yi ends up finding Ba Reum and gets ready to kill him.
Detective Ko wanting to find Bong Yi goes to Ba Reum’s house where he finally discovers the definite proof of Ba Reum being the killer who killed his brother. This realization completely breaks him. Bong Yi wants to kill Ba Reum for her grandmother but Ba Reum does not want her to be a killer so he tries avoiding her hits. He apologizes to her but of course, no apology is acceptable for the horrible sins he has committed. But Bong Yi thinks back to the time he said he killed Kang Duk Soo for her. Then she thinks about how Ba Reum had mentioned once about being sick and wanting to get better. This stops her from hurting him. But she says living with the pain and misery of hurting others should be enough of a punishment.
Suddenly Detective Ko appears in front of Ba Reum and gets ready to shoot him. Ba Reum promises he will do what Detective Ko wants which is to kill the head hunter. It’s a painful scene as it’s the first time Detective Ko is facing Ba Reum after knowing the truth. Ba Reum asks for a chance so he can turn himself in. But riled with emotions detective Ko fires the gun. Though Choi Hong Joo shows up suddenly to save Ba Reum. She tells him he needs to do what he promised to Detective Ko. Then we see the experimental mouse Daniel observed. It reminds us that Ba Reum’s death is imminent and we need to prepare ourselves for it.
Ba Reum confesses to the police and tells them he is the serial killer. We see how Choi Hong Joo met Daniel. It was her idea to use Ba Reum to kill other predators. Then put him in enough emotional guilt so that it can lead him to kill the Head Hunter. This made me feel heartache. Because it made me focus on the part how she succeeds to manipulate Ba Reum’s actions to get what she required of him. Choi Hong Joo wanted justice in her way. She lived in guilt her whole life for being responsible for the boxer’s sister’s death. And the tipping point was losing Sung Yo Han. So you cannot begrudge her for her actions.
Daniel discloses to the detectives that Ba Reum is the Head Hunter’s son. The Head Hunter’s wife visits Ba Reum and tells him about her side of the story. We get to know how she found Jae Hoon as a kid trying to bury his brother. This led to her suffocating Jae Hoon. She explains to him why she did not come forward with the truth. Ba Reum perfectly summed up my feelings for her when he says she and the Head Hunter are alike. Their parting scene where Ba Reum is at the door while she is crying feels fitting as nothing more could have been said at this point.
When she sees Detective Ko in distress for killing Sung Yo Han she tells him about the brain surgery. And how it was the Head Hunter who is responsible for his death. Detective Ko confirms this with the Head Hunter. Though It does not absolve him of shooting Sung Yo Han unjustly and he is still responsible for his death.
The Head Hunter’s wife was also partly responsible for not only his but other victims’ deaths too by keeping quiet about it when she knew the truth about Ba Reum. She also ruined Sung Yo Han’s life and made him lead a painful life that ended in a tragic death. She did not do right by both Sung Yo Han and Ba Reum. So the demise of her character feels appropriate and it does not make you sad.
It is harder for the detectives to get an arrest warrant for Choi Young Shin as her reach is greater. It looks like Ba Reum’s aunt planned to come ahead as a witness and testify against Choi Young Shin. But Detective Lee ends up kidnapping her. Detective Ko tries to find about his whereabouts when Ba Reum directs him in the right direction leading him to Detective Lee. Detective Lee finally has grown a conscience and is ready to help Ba Reum’s aunt testify. Choi Hong Joo in her broadcast reveals everything about the government lady. In addition to this, the aunt brings concrete evidence that clearly shows Choi Young Shin as guilty.
With this, they are finally able to get an arrest warrant against her. The Head Detective comments on how this is the one last time where Detective Ko and Ba Reum worked together to solve a case. Choi Hong Joo also shows the world the proof of Sung Yo Han’s humanity. She ends the broadcast by confessing about taking part in manipulating Ba Reum to kill the other predators. When the police come to arrest her it is her father who puts her in handcuffs. It is an emotional scene as he notes how it took her a long time to come home. I like that she was held responsible for what she did. Her not getting scot-free gives a realistic touch to the drama.
We see that Detective Shin’s father won the presidential race. It’s a sweet homage to Detective Shin who was always worried about his father not winning the elections. He announces that it is the people who will choose whether the abortion for psychopath gene fetuses will take place or not. Later we find out the votes have been cast in the majority to pass the bill. This left me feeling disheartened. It was not just about stopping the serial killers from being born. But kids like Sung Yo Han who had psychopathic genes still turned out to be good will be not allowed to come into this world. It’s a sad notion.
The fact that even though Choi Young Shin is apprehended for her crimes but still what she desired ended up happening. This left a bad taste in my mouth. Ba Reum is trialed in court and is sentenced to death for his crimes. After a certain time leap, we see he is transferred to the same prison facility where the Head Hunter is held. Here we see Ba Reum’s childhood friend Dong Goo is present as a prison guard.
Ba Reum acts arrogantly to rile Dong Goo up so that he gets a chance to ask him of something. With Dong Goo’s help, he manages to get inside the Head Hunter’s cell. The Head Hunter is happy to see his son and tells him how they both will be able to get out soon. Ba Reum’s face looks grim and he stabs the Head Hunter in the neck. With every stab Ba Reum breaks down sobbing uncontrollably and it hurts my heart so much.
Killing does not give him any thrill anymore, it hurts to commit murder even though it is against such an evil person. Seeing Ba Reum burst into tears and his hand that he stabbed the Head Hunter with shaking makes you hurt for this man who has been dealt with such a shitty hand. We see Detective Ko and Choi Hong Joo taking in the news. Choi Hong Joo warned the Head Hunter he would have an unexpected death. And it came true. Choi Hong Joo’s father asks Detective Ko to visit Ba Reum as he is likely to die soon because of the brain surgery.
We see Detective Ko’s interaction with the boxer’s mother. He asks her how she forgave the ones who killed her children. She says forgiveness is not about absolving them of their sins but it’s more like you are choosing to move ahead and not hold on to the pain, anger, and hurt. This conversation is a huge step for Detective Ko who was always filled with so much anger. And him trying to understand forgiveness and breaking down crying processing all the hurt feels honestly made me feel proud of him.
Detective Ko meets Ba Reum. His character has grown so much for him to reach the stage where even facing Ba Reum who killed his brother, you can see he is not full of hatred. Ba Reum’s eyes well up emotionally and he apologizes for his crimes as that’s the only thing he can do. He asks Detective Ko to bring Bong Yi as he misses her. Surprisingly, Detective Ko’s growth as a character shows as we see him taking Bong Yi to meet Ba Reum. Bong Yi tells him how he deserves the same kind of death that his victims suffered in his hands. Ba Reum apologizes to her and says if only he could be born as a normal human in his next life.
We all know what he means by that and it hurts so much to hear him say that. The way he leaves the rest of the statement unsaid and Bong Yi does not reply feels a fitting end to this tragic couple that we have come to love. The complicated situations these characters had to go through throughout the story make it harder to achieve an appropriate ending. When you think about the bonds these characters have formed with each other and how everything happened in the end. The writer has done a commendable job in doing right by the characters.
We know Ba Reum’s death was inevitable. But I always thought it would happen painfully. Yet again Mouse K-Drama amazed me with the way we were led to Ba Reum’s demise. We see him in front of the almighty that brings out bittersweet feelings in us. From him asking to be saved to him becoming the monster he did not want to, it is been a dreadful journey. But here at the end, we see him comforting his younger self. Telling him that God heard his prayers and he is no longer a monster. This broke my heart so much. But it did feel right when he said it. He loses his life while he is comforting his younger self. This act signifies how in the end he was at peace with himself.
I feel bad for his character, he was manipulated and pushed into doing things since he was a kid. It honestly feels like he was never able to live his life on his terms. But I am happy with the ending his character got. Because we cannot unsee all the crimes he did commit. In the end, he atoned for his sins before losing his life. So in a way, this ending makes you feel a little better as at least his death was not caused by others.
There’s a time leap. We see the government lady gets released from the jail. But in the next moment someone kills her. Choi Hong Joo also is released from prison and her family meets her. It looks like Detective Ko left has left his job. He is selling eggs while taking care of Bong Yi. Their bond is still strong as ever and it makes you happy. Choi Hong Joo and Detective Ko also interact with each other and feel guilty about Sung Yo Han but in the end, all they want is for each other to be happy. We also see Bong Yi being able to cross the bridge while raining without a second thought and it makes you so happy for her.
The writer knows how to pull at your heartstrings as we see Sung Yo Han’s son and sister with Bong Yi looking at a small bird. It’s the bird that is special in the drama when it comes to Officer Jung and when you hear Bong Yi naming the bird with the same name Officer Jung had called it once upon a time, it brings a smile to your face.
In the end, we hear Detective Ko musing about whether god saved Ba Reum from the pain or punished him by taking his life. Well for me it counts as saving. He spent enough time drowning in emotions and bearing the burden of his crimes. At the time when he realizes he is not a monster anymore, God saves him from the pain. It’s beautiful and bittersweet and I love it.
I was genuinely scared about this episode because I was not ready to say goodbye. But I love how after watching it I am left with a peaceful feeling. I cried, I was happy and I felt satisfied with how it all ended.
Thank you to the whole cast and crew for bringing this amazing story to us and the actors doing a phenomenal job of making us connect with these complex characters.
Ps, Are you confused about the ending scene just like I am? I honestly thought it means there are other doctors now who have learned to do the brain surgery just like the Head Hunter. But it looks like no one knows for real what it indicates.
Well, it has been such a long journey with so much happening that it feels unreal we are at the end. In my opinion, they did right by all the characters that were left in the end.
Kudos to the Mouse Team!
You can watch Mouse K-Drama Episode 20 on Rakuten Viki.
Read all our review/rant on Mouse series.
Should you binge-watch the drama later or join the weekly hype train? Read here.
