The Scarecrow’s Episode 11 shifts between the painful past of 1988 and the unresolved consequences that continue to haunt everyone in 2019. The episode begins with Sun-young learning that Si-young, the man linked to Gi-beom’s death, is in fact her half-brother. She cannot live under Cha Mu-jin’s roof and leaves. But soon, she is involved in a terrible car accident.
At the hospital Tae-joo learns that while fighting for her life, Sun-young has given birth to Gi-beom’s child prematurely. His anger towards Mu-jin boils over, but when Sun-young’s health declines, Tae-joo has to beg Mu-jin for help. Mu-jin offers to save her with his power, but only if Tae-joo leaves Kangseong for good.
In 2019, Tae-joo is still stuck in the trauma of the past. He wakes from a nightmare where Sang-beom buries him alive at Si-young’s command, and returns his focus to the Kangseong serial murder case. Ki-hwan has admitted to the murders, including the seventh case that led to Im Seok-man being locked up for twenty years.
After his release, Tae-joo visits Seok-man and tells him the truth that he was wrongly convicted. Seok-man is shocked and has lost two decades of his life but Tae-joo persuades him to seek a retrial. Attorney Cha Yeon-ho agrees that Ki-hwan’s confession offers a legal avenue, but she cautions that it won’t be easy to unmask the retired officers and Si-young.
Meanwhile, Gi-beom and Sun-young’s son, Young-beom, works at Ji-won’s news agency Noisecut. As the team investigates the case, they wonder why Ki-hwan referred to the murders as “12+2” instead of just fourteen. Ji-won is also shaken to learn that the serial killer is Ki-hwan, someone she knew personally.
Tae-joo later faces Si-young about the fabricated confession they coerced from Seok-man. And he reminds Si-young of Hye-jin, the young girl whose body was concealed years ago. When Young-beom appears and introduces himself, Tae-joo is stunned by how much he resembles Gi-beom.
As Young-beom investigates the case, painful details about his father’s death come to light. Seok-man tells him that Gi-beom was abused before he died due to the investigation. Young-beom confronts Si-young who spins the truth by saying it was Tae-joo who arrested Gi-beom.
Later, Sun-young meets Tae-joo and tells him that after her accident, coma and long recovery, Si-young raised Young-beom in her place. She asks Tae-joo to let Young-beom think he caused Gi-beom’s death, so that he won’t hate Si-young. Tae-joo takes the rap again for his sister.
The episode closes with Young-beom confronting Tae-joo, who he believes is responsible for his father’s death.
Episode Review
Episode 11 is one of the more emotional heavy chapters of The Scarecrow. Seok-man’s story, in particular, is tragic. He lost twenty years of his life due to a false confession, and even after his release he is left with loneliness, disability and the pain of being abandoned by people close to him.
It is also very good at showing the self-protection of power. Si-young, Dae-ho, Hyung-gu and Myung-do all know the truth but they only care about surviving. They do not feel guilt. They look for ways to manage the damage.
Young-beom’s introduction adds another layer of tension, but the choice to make him look exactly like Gi-beom is a little too dramatic. It gives the story a soap-opera feel, but it also makes Tae-joo’s pain more visible.
The best part of the episode is the silence of Tae-joo. He carries an unearned blame with him, which makes his character all the more tragic. Hopefully Young-beom will eventually learn the full truth about Si-young, because Tae-joo has suffered enough for the crimes of others.