Episode 6 of The Scarecrow opens in 2019, with Si-young working with his junior prosecutors when a breaking news story reports the arrest of the Kangseng Serial Killer. The shocking report immediately visibly shakes him.
Then the story jumps back to 1988. Sun-young survives the killer’s attack and wakes up in hospital. She suddenly starts bleeding while looking for Gi-beom, and doctors run in. Soon she finds out she is pregnant, and although the bleeding is worrying, she and the baby are fine. Sun-young asks Ji-won to keep the pregnancy secret from Tae-joo to prevent more complications.
Outside the operating room, Dae-ho tells Tae-joo that the serial killer has escaped custody. Soon after, doctors report that Si-young is out of surgery and will survive. Tae-joo then visits Sun-young and asks if she has been helping Gi-beom.
Sun-young finally tells Tae-joo and Ji-won the entire story. She talks about how she prevented Gi-beom from confessing to Kyung-ho’s assault case, how he locked her in a room before running away, and how she was assaulted when she went looking for him.
Tae-joo, concerned for his sister’s safety, arranges for Ji-won to stay with her when she is released. Back home, Ji-won shares the grim news: Gi-beom is now a suspect in the serial killer case.
Meanwhile, Sang-beom goes to the hospital to see Si-young and immediately accuses Tae-joo of shooting him. In the course of the conversation, Tae-joo finds out that Si-young lives alone and isn’t on good terms with his family. Tae-joo calls Cha Jun-young, hoping he might care about his younger brother, but Jun-young’s response is cold and without emotion, leaving Tae-joo stunned.
The next morning, Ki-hwan calls Gi-beom’s friends to ask about his whereabouts. Tae-joo unexpectedly helps Ki-hwan’s family with groceries, which Ki-hwan appreciates, and promises to keep Gi-beom’s situation under wraps for the time being.
Meanwhile at the police station, the detectives continue to argue over Gi-beom’s involvement in the murders. However, Myung-do and Hyung-gu want to consider him as the main suspect while Tae-joo and Dae-ho want to wait for Si-young to wake up and give his statement.
Their talk is interrupted by news of another murder. At the crime scene, Tae-joo quickly determines that the victim, a young girl found murdered in her bed, does not match the serial killer’s typical profile. Outside, grieving parents and angry residents start pointing fingers at the police for not protecting the town.
Flashback reveals the real story behind Gi-beom’s alleged escape. Hyung-gu had arrested him the previous night outside the victim’s home, but Gi-beom had somehow managed to escape the police vehicle while it was in transit, when Hyung-gu had stepped away briefly.
The following morning, media and residents gather outside the crime scene, adding to the public pressure. Man-chun publicly takes responsibility, apologizes to the town and asks for more time to solve the case. At the same time, Si-young finally regains consciousness in the hospital.
Chief Park Eun-kyu is transferred from Kangseng Police Station for failing to solve the murders. Man-chun is also transferred, and Tae-joo, Dae-ho, Myung-do and Hyung-gu are now led by the new section chief, Jun-young.
Man-chun leaves but privately says goodbye to Tae-joo, giving him advice that could affect his future – trust your team, don’t carry all the burdens yourself.
Jun-young begins to look into the most recent murder again almost immediately. Tae-joo confidently states that the age of the victim and the different method used to kill the victim means the serial killer case is ruled out. But Myung-do and Hyung-gu eventually confess to losing Gi-beom outside the victim’s house, leaving Tae-joo frustrated by their secretive behavior.
Jun-young goes to the hospital to see Si-young, following their father’s instructions, feigning concern for his health. In flashbacks, the abusive childhood of both brothers is revealed, with Si-young being violently punished for coming second in school and constantly being mocked as an illegitimate son.
Later, Tae-joo boldly requests Jun-young to appoint him as the new task force leader. Jun-young insults Tae-joo’s background. Tae-joo fires back and gains Si-young’s quiet respect.
In the hospital room, Si-young tells Tae-joo that Gi-beom should still be a suspect based on the evidence. Tae-joo grudgingly concedes the growing evidence is hard to ignore.
Sun-young is jolted awake from a traumatic nightmare elsewhere and is adamant that Gi-beom would never hurt her. That night, a darker truth is revealed, Myung-do and Hyung-gu never really lost Gi-beom. Rather they kidnapped him in secret and started torturing him for information hiding him from the department.
The next day, Ki-hwan is looking for Gi-beom desperately, not knowing what has happened. Meanwhile, Sun-young and Ji-won come to visit Gi-beom’s family, but detectives with a search warrant are waiting for them. The search results in a painful confrontation with the family of Ki-hwan, who accuses Tae-joo of betrayal.
Amidst the chaos, Tae-joo learns of Sun-young’s pregnancy. And she also reveals an important detail, that the man who attacked her walked with a limp, which means Gi-beom couldn’t have been her attacker.
Later, investigators find Ae-sook’s bag in the library, seemingly putting Gi-beom right at the murder scene. But one old wedding photo changes everything. Tae-joo notes the date and realizes that Gi-beom was with him during one of the murders meaning he could not be responsible for at least one of the crimes.
But with this breakthrough, the remaining evidence still points to Gi-beom, leaving Tae-joo in a deep conflict.
Another realization dawned later through a conversation with Ki-hwan. Now that Ki-hwan can access both the library and the victim’s house, Tae-joo also begins to consider him a suspect.
The episode then flashes back to 2019, when Sun-kyung comes to the prison on Tae-joo’s behalf to see Yong-woo. Yong-woo refuses to speak to her, saying he will only speak to Tae-joo.
But before he leaves, Sun-kyung gives Tae-joo a chilling note from Yong-woo, detailing the number of murders, assaults and rapes he claims to have committed, ending the episode on a dark note.
Summary of Episode
Episode 6 does a great job of enriching the mystery, while turning suspicion in several directions. Gi-beom’s face still holds guilt, but every big lead seems to spawn more questions, not answers.
The news that Myung-do and Hyung-gu secretly kidnapped Gi-beom adds another layer of corruption inside the police force, and it implies that they might have done it because of their personal animosity, not because of justice.
Tae-joo’s increasing suspicion of Ki-hwan also comes across as a deliberate red herring, showing how beset and desperate he’s become as the investigation continues to spiral out of control.
Si-young, meanwhile, is emerging as one of the more complicated characters in the drama. His past actions are hard to forget, but the episode makes it clear that he is a victim of abuse rather than a true villain. Jun-young, on the other hand, is one of the most disturbing and dangerous characters in the series.
Episode 6 overall brings some great character development, emotional reveals and a few big twists that make the mystery even more interesting.
