"Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho" Episode 3 recap

The power of Byeon Ji-sik's words may have hit Deul-ho and Eun-jo hard, but it is surprisingly the latter, supposedly the more naive and oblivious of the two who understands what she feels and what this means to her first. Episode 3 continues with the trial, but we also get more backstory on some of our characters, including our guest father and son.
"Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho" catches me by surprise in many pleasant ways. I was expecting the comedy to have died down by now, but the creators know when to insert it in a way that maintains the gravity of the story while giving viewers a much needed breather. If you are anything like me, you will need said breather, because I became teary-eyed quite a few times in this episode. The drama portrays its characters, situations, and emotions with great sensitivity and honest warmth.

The creators seem to understand that constantly bringing in new suspects just to prove them innocent would make the plot repetitive, since our culprit in the main story is already known. Byeon Ji-sik (Kim Gi-cheon) remains our man of the hour. Guest characters in many dramas go wrong and so it is really appreciated that he gets development and focus, rather than just being a plot device and decorative presence for our leads.
Speaking of our leads, I mentioned earlier that it is in fact Eun-jo who has a revelation about her work ethics due to Ji-sik's words. Deul-ho on the other hand drowns himself in alcohol, memories and regrets, but his masculine pride over his honor-fueled revenge make him resist what he already knows and feels. I found this a nice way to balance our two characters, as Eun-jo has been appearing as the less mature and less aware one. She really steps up her game in this episode and her potential is becoming clearer.

"Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho" does not offer mystery with its main story and so it chooses to make its characters and their trajectory one of the elements for us to look forward to. Sin Ji-wook (Ryoo Soo-yeong) is an antagonist, but he is also not fully aware of his role in the conspiracy. He works for our baddies, but their scheme is a secret even to him. He has curiosity and is not a villainous person, so he may very well become an ally in the future.The same applies to Jang Hae-kyeong (Park Sol-mi), who has made her grand re-entry in this episode.
My one complaint is Deul-ho's convenient stupidity in leaving important evidence unattended. It is a writer's job to make things happen without sudden brain loss being a requirement. As a reviewer, I always consider the possibility of failure down the road. As a fan of this show, I refuse to consider it for now. Excuse me while I enjoy and pray to the Dramagods.
"Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho" is directed by Lee Jung-seob, written by Lee Hyang-hee and features Park Shin-yang, Kang So-ra, Ryoo Soo-yeong and Park Sol-mi.
Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

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