Scarecrow's Wild Rise Continues

ENA's Monday-Tuesday drama 'Scarecrow' is increasing viewer immersion with its unpredictable plot. The drama passed its halfway point with episode 7, delivering shock and twists with the revelation of the serial killer's true identity, caught after 30 years. The death of the first suspect, Lee Gi-beom (Song Geon-hee), marked another awakening for the protagonist Kang Tae-joo (Park Hae-soo). Fueled by rage and hatred towards Cha Si-young (Lee Hee-joon), who caused his death, Kang Tae-joo foreshadowed an all-out battle. With only four episodes left until the finale, the public's curiosity about the remaining story is heightened by the killer's reveal.

The secret of the numbers '12+2' has emerged as a major point of interest for the latter half. In the present day of 2019, a tense conversation between Kang Tae-joo and the true killer, 'Lee Yong-woo' (played by Lee Ki-hwan, Jung Moon-sung), escalated the suspense. Lee Yong-woo's speech and demeanor created discomfort, but Kang Tae-joo calmly elicited a confession and statement. The mystery behind the cryptic numbers Lee Yong-woo wrote himself—'Murders 12+2, Rape 19, Attempt 15'—began to unravel. Regarding his reason for dividing the 14 murders into 12 and 2, he chillingly stated, "​The interesting ones are this side," and "​One of them was a child. A very young girl." In the past of 1988, the scene where Kang Soon-young (Seo Ji-hye) learns of Yoon Hye-jin's (Lee A-rin) disappearance amplified an ominous premonition. Attention is focused on how the truth game between Kang Tae-joo and Lee Yong-woo will unfold, and what changes the past from 30 years ago will bring to the present.

The fate of Im Seok-man (Baek Seung-hwan), the second victim of wrongful accusation, is another key point to watch. After Lee Gi-beom was cleared of his false charges and released, his friend Im Seok-man became the second victim. All new circumstances and clues pointed to Im Seok-man as the prime suspect, and Kang Tae-joo arrested him. Like Lee Gi-beom, Im Seok-man made a false confession under harsh police interrogation and was forced to reenact the crime scene, enraging viewers. In the heartbreaking situation where even Im Seok-man's family turned their backs on him, Cha Si-young, on the stand, sought the death penalty for Im Seok-man, leading to the worst possible outcome. It remains to be seen if Im Seok-man will meet the same fate as Lee Gi-beom.

The end of the intense animosity between Park Hae-soo and Lee Hee-joon is also a significant point of interest. The relationship between Kang Tae-joo and Cha Si-young, which had foreshadowed a "forced cooperation," spiraled into a crisis with Lee Gi-beom's death. Lee Gi-beom's cause of death was sepsis resulting from confinement, assault, and torture during an illegal investigation, yet Cha Si-young and the detectives felt no guilt. Kang Tae-joo caused a scene at Cha Si-young's mother's funeral, handcuffing Cha Si-young's wrists and dragging him out. In response, Cha Si-young framed Kang Tae-joo for harsh treatment, leading to disciplinary action and reassignment, forcing Kang Tae-joo to leave Gangseong. Kang Tae-joo realized that Cha Si-young, who spoke of "rank," was no different from himself, leaving him with a warning: "​I will definitely break you." Curiosity is piqued as to how their intertwined animosity, born of misunderstanding and hurt, will be resolved.

'Scarecrow' is a crime investigation thriller about a detective investigating a serial murder case who unexpectedly forms a partnership with a person he despises. The nationwide viewership rating for the recently aired episode 8 recorded an average of 7.4% and a peak of 8.2%, ranking first among Monday-Tuesday dramas. The 2049 target viewership rating also ranked first across all channels. The drama continues its upward trend on domestic and international OTT platforms, ranking first in 'Today's TVING TOP20' and 'Real-time Popular Dramas' on TVING. Furthermore, it secured a spot in the TOP5 of five major countries on the Viu weekly chart for the first week of May, ranking first in Indonesia and second in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, and third in Hong Kong.