[Sportschosun Reporter Jo Ji-young] Ahn Bo-hyun and Jung Eun-chae have become each other's strongest allies, while Yoo Seung-yeon's killing spree has begun in earnest, drawing attention.
In the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Flex X Cop 2' (written by Kim Ba-da, directed by Kim Jae-hong), which aired on the 29th, Jin Yi-soo (Ahn Bo-hyun) and Ju Hye-ra (Jung Eun-chae) fully uncovered the truth behind the magician's death on stage. At the same time, the mysteries surrounding Yoo Seung-yeon (Yoo Seung-ho) began to come into focus, heightening the tension.
The episode opened with Jin Yi-soo, who had been tracking the mysterious murder that occurred during magician Park Jae-ha's (Son Woo-hyun) escape act, confronting gang boss Ham Sung-wook (Heo Sung-tae), the prime suspect, at a private shooting club. Jin Yi-soo provoked Ham Sung-wook and proposed a shooting bet, with the club's operating rights and a statement on the line. After a tense standoff, he came out on top. When Ju Hye-ra joined later, Jin Yi-soo bragged playfully, "I got him to sit at the table. Pretty good, right?" Ju Hye-ra responded with a laugh, "Yes, you did well. I'll admit that's a cheat code!" Their lively back-and-forth brought smiles to viewers.
The case then took a new turn with Ham Sung-wook's statement. He admitted that he had kidnapped and threatened Park Jae-ha after becoming furious that his beloved daughter Ham Soo-jeong (Jeongyeon) had been deceived by him. However, he said he had no intention of killing him and had only agreed to Park Jae-ha's request to let him hold one final performance. There was also a scene in which Ham Soo-jeong, believing her father had killed Park Jae-ha, showed up and pointed a gun, but Ham Sung-wook calmed her down and left. Watching this, Ju Hye-ra reasoned, "If it were Ham Sung-wook, he would have handled it quietly," and Jin Yi-soo agreed, saying, "The key point is that he was killed on a stage in front of many people." They then ruled Ham Sung-wook out as a suspect.
Back at square one, Violent Crimes Unit 1 began investigating the three women who could directly handle the magic equipment, as well as Park Jae-hyung, the twin brother of Park Jae-ha (Son Woo-hyun). They discovered that Park Jae-hyung was a terminal cancer patient. The case then took a sharp turn when a wooden panel stained with kerosene was found at the scene, and the National Forensic Service's autopsy revealed that "the body had already died before it was burned." The true nature of the case was Park Jae-ha's elaborate self-made scheme, designed to completely erase his identity. He had placed the body of the already deceased Park Jae-hyung in a coffin, set it on fire, and then tried to flee overseas while impersonating his brother.
Violent Crimes Unit 1 tried to find physical evidence proving that the living Park Jae-hyung was actually Park Jae-ha, but the burns made fingerprint collection impossible, leaving them at an impasse. In response, Jin Yi-soo launched a bold plan to force a confession. Using his own film production company, he disguised a team as the fictional special virus control unit ISCG and pressured Park Jae-ha with fear of death, saying, "A deadly contagious virus has been detected in Mr. Park Jae-hyung's blood. To protect humanity, we must kill the virus host and burn this place down." In the end, the terrified Park Jae-ha jumped up from his wheelchair and shouted, "I am Park Jae-ha!" revealing his true identity and leading to a satisfying arrest that felt like watching a Jin Yi-soo show.
At the end of the broadcast, the huge mystery surrounding Yoo Seung-yeon began to surface in earnest. His mother, Jeong Tae-seon (Kim Hye-eun), the chairwoman of UBS Media Group, visited him and pressured him to cancel his exhibition and return to the UK. Yoo Seung-yeon smiled meaningfully and said, "What should I do? I can't go back into the UK." He then raised the tension to its peak by saying, "Mother killed Father. So who did I kill?"
Meanwhile, Jin Yi-soo and Ju Hye-ra, who had begun to recognize each other's investigative skills, grew even closer over drinks alone. Jin Yi-soo said, "Team Leader Ju can just use me. I'll do anything. I'm a cheat code for investigations," promising to become Ju Hye-ra's reliable partner. Ju Hye-ra then revealed the real reason she had left the Police Counterterrorism Team and returned to Gangha-seo. She began by recalling a case from four years ago in which two of Yoo Seung-yeon's models and one of her junior officers went missing. She then said with conviction, "I think Yoo Seung-yeon killed them." When Jin Yi-soo heard that Yoo Seung-yeon's models had also gone missing in the UK recently, he could not hide his confusion and was left shocked.
The ending featured Yoo Seung-yeon visiting a bar alone and making a cryptic offer to bartender Song Areum (Lee Sae-rom), asking, "Would you be my model?" The scene heightened curiosity about Yoo Seung-yeon's true identity and the full story behind the string of disappearances.
In this way, Episode 8 of 'Flex X Cop 2' captivated viewers with nonstop momentum, from Jin Yi-soo and Ju Hye-ra becoming a solid investigative duo to the shocking truth behind the magician's death and the chilling mystery surrounding Yoo Seung-yeon. In particular, the powerful performances by special guest actors Son Woo-hyun, Heo Sung-tae, and Jeongyeon, along with the unpredictable twists, quickly raised the show's immersion.
Episode 8 of 'Flex X Cop 2' recorded a peak viewership rating of 9.3 percent, with 8.0 percent in the Seoul metropolitan area and 7.9 percent nationwide, once again setting a new series high, including among viewers aged 20 to 49.
In the 20-49 rating, a key indicator of channel competitiveness and buzz as well as an important metric for advertisers, the episode posted an average of 2.7 percent and a peak of 3.26 percent. It beat all competing shows in the same time slot and ranked No. 1 among all programs aired on Saturday across terrestrial, cable, and general programming channels, proving its strong appeal among target viewers and its unmatched popularity.
Reporter Jo Ji-young, soulhn1220@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
