"Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho" Episode 13 recap

Our plot and character development make great strides in episode thirteen of "Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho". It is amazing how people show their true colors when push comes to shove and now we get to see who Deul-ho's and justice's true allies and enemies are. Are those revelations surprising? Not really, but some are so very satisfying, especially when Deul-ho's fate is at stake. We still need more information on the past, but the present is definitely delivering.
First up in in this week's game of spot-the-ally is Ji-wook (Ryoo Soo-yeong). Ji-wook's predicament is sad, but seeing him step up for what is right is such a relief. It is lovely to see Deul-ho's (Park Shin-yang's) unshakable faith in him as well. Ji-wook needs that faith. Hae-kyeong (Park Sol-mi) is trying to fix some past errors as well. She was cruel and selfish, perhaps unforgivably so, but choosing what is right over what is convenient this time is a good start at redemption. Her father, Sin-woo (Kang Shin-il) is unsurprisingly less flexible.

The one who surprises me is Yeong-il (Kim Kap-soo). I thought he was a slave to Chairman Jeong (Jeong Won-joong) in order to give his son solid foundation in the prosecution, but his selfish motives make Ji-wook pitiful. Even so, I think there is hope for Yeong-il. His reaction upon Deul-ho's release is one of shame. I hope he will eventually make the right call. Ji-wook, who is a great prosecutor and loving son deserves better than this.
When it comes to our beloved good gals and guys, Eun-jo (Kang So-ra) and the team get to shine more now that Deul-ho is detained. I love how Eun-jo discovers she has lock picking skills and how the team can function independently. It is a bit disappointing to see Hae-kyeong giving them direction, as I was hoping we would finally see Eun-jo take charge. Perhaps the end goal for her character is to take that first step, rather than go through the entire journey.

One thing I am a bit confused about is the details of Deul-ho's framing operation and how the baddies function. The prosecution employee put the drug in Deul-ho's drawer, but was it a direct order from Chairman Jeong or Yeong-il? I am not sure who orders what here. Yeong-il seemed more focused on the ledger than imprisoning Deul-ho, but we have seen him tamper with evidence before, so perhaps I am overthinking.
I also wonder if we will see the return of standalone cases. It would be nice to switch between those and the main story, because "Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho" is at its best when it functions as a show about the little people, not as yet another drama about a caricature villain's corruption. I would love to see Soo-bin (Heo Jeong-eun) and get back to simpler things before the final stretch.
"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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