'Good Boy' Hits Record Ratings as Park Bo-gum Faces Off Against Oh Jung-se's Cartel

In the latest episode of JTBC's weekend drama 'Good Boy,' Park Bo-gum's character, Yoon Dong-joo, faces a brutal attack from Oh Jung-se's cartel. Co-stars Kim So-hyun, Lee Sang-yi, Heo Sung-tae, and Tae Won-seok also find themselves surrounded by the villainous group, pushing the 'Good Avengers' to their greatest crisis yet. The show's ratings soared to a new high, reaching 6.4% nationwide and 6.5% in the metropolitan area, according to Nielsen Korea.

In episode 8, aired on the 22nd, the special task force, saved from disbandment by Yoon Dong-joo's sacrifice, rises again to confront Min Joo-young's (Oh Jung-se) gang. Their mission begins with tracking the smuggling route of ephedrine, the key ingredient in the new drug 'Candy,' based on the testimony of 'Bong Pil' (Kwon Dong-ho), who was arrested for drug offenses. The team discovers that additional shipments are delayed due to customs issues, indicating that the remaining drug ingredients are still somewhere in Inseong Port. However, a search is impossible without customs approval.

A breakthrough comes unexpectedly when Ko Man-sik develops a severe rash, traced back to an ant bite during the drug raid. The symptoms match those caused by venomous ants found in Russian cargo at Inseong Port last year. This leads to a collaboration with customs to quarantine the area for pest control, halting all container movement. Disguised as a pest control company, the team searches the containers and encounters Ma-gwi (Lee Ho-jung) searching for ephedrine. Although she escapes, they successfully seize the smuggled drug ingredients hidden inside teddy bears.

As the special team triumphantly returns to Inseong Police Station with the seized goods, Ma-gwi, Leo (Go Jun), Baek-ga (Ahn Se-ho), Oh Jong-gu (Jung Man-sik), and their leader Min Joo-young plot to reclaim the evidence before it reaches the storage facility. Min Joo-young, armed with insider information from the police, knows the exact route and timing of the transport. Using 'Gwang-se' (Jung Jae-won), a special team informant held captive by Leo, they set a trap by leaking false intel to the task force.

Simultaneously, Oh Jong-gu organizes a group disguised as protesters to block the path of the evidence trailer in front of Inseong City Hall. Following orders from Mayor Jo Pan-yeol (Kim Eung-soo), Chief Cho Pan-yeol (Kim Eung-soo) deploys all riot police to handle the protest, leaving the special team undermanned. This strategic move aims to incapacitate the task force and reclaim the container.

The ambush unfolds in the Jungdong Tunnel as Min Joo-young's gang blocks the entrance with vehicles and hired workers disguised as construction crew. Trapped inside, Ji Han-na (Kim So-hyun) and Kim Jong-hyun (Lee Sang-yi) fight off the attackers with rifles and batons. Meanwhile, Yoon Dong-joo and Ko Man-sik fend off the assailants with their bare hands and martial arts. Reinforcements led by Shin Jae-hong (Tae Won-seok) arrive, battling Russian mafia vehicles with sheer force. The intense action, a hallmark of 'Good Boy,' evokes both tension and sympathy.

Despite their efforts, Min Joo-young's cartel outmaneuvers the special team, leaving them in a dire situation. As Yoon Dong-joo narrates, "There are days when, no matter how you calculate the breath, the tremor, the wind, the bullet strays off course like a damn misfire." The team is aware of the police leak and Min Joo-young's plan, yet they are powerless to stop it. However, Yoon Dong-joo, having narrowly escaped the tunnel's violence, commandeers an enemy motorcycle and charges back into the fray, hinting that the battle to prevent Min Joo-young's trailer heist is far from over.

Reported by Kim Ji-won, TenAsia bella@tenasia.co.kr