Signaling with rocks and twigs arranged in a way only they knew, Hyun-jo, seemingly in the spiritual realm, works with Yi-gang to locate and help those in need on Jirisan.
However, the mystery has deepened with serial murders to further test the pair. Packed with cryptic points, the latest episodes of Jirisan saw a number of climbers poisoned after they drank tainted yogurt drink.
As Hyun-jo and Yi-gang set out to investigate the matter, a couple who does underground snake selling suffered from “potato bombs”. It amplifies the mystery as the bombs are said to be made in the 60’s.
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Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 | 04 | 05| 06 | 07 | 08| 09| 10| 11 | 12 | 13 & 14 | Finale Week + Review |
Jirisan Episode 4 Key Moments
“How can a twig move by itself?”
Noticing the shape of the sticks changed to what Yi-gang specified before, Da-won gets startled with movements on the mountain. Unknown to her spirit-Hyun-jo was trying to communicate with her.
Meanwhile, Yi-gang’s suspicions on Chief Jo grow as she stumbles on records indicating mountain accidents that happened on days the station chief was on a day off.
Da-won rushes to look for Yi-gang and shows the cryptic video captured by the camera she left last time. Figuring out the message of the next accident sent by Hyun-jo. Despite a non-verified report, Yi-gang alerts the rangers to go to the place signaled by Hyun-jo.
Fortunately, the rangers find the victim in the nick of time and he was rushed to the hospital. It turns out that he drank a yogurt which brings Yi-gang to remember a memory with Hyun-jo before.
He revealed that a yogurt drink poisoned Grandma Geum-rye and Private Ahn who caught the culprit disguised it as mushroom poisoning. Private Ahn also detailed the culprit to be a man in his 30’s about 175 cm tall. However, at that time, Yi-gang realistically advised him that the chase will be impossible and won’t help the grieving family.
“It’s him! The ghost I was talking about.”
Facing the yogurt-poisoning victim, Yi-gang learned he found it hanging by the stream and that no one was in the vicinity. He also tells her how the rumor about the male ghost wandering the mountain must be true.
Confessing he saw the ghost covered with blood with his eyes, he described him to be wearing their uniform. When Yi-gang shows a photo of her and Hyun-jo to confirm the uniform, the victim gets perplexed exclaiming the ghost he saw is the man beside her in the picture.
Yi-gang calls the hospital to check on Hyun-jo and reminisces another memory with her two years ago. They were summoned by her friend who works at a center inside Mount Jiri park taking care of endangered species. A snake under Yi-gang’s friend’s care went missing.
Knowing the snake is not in the mountain, they head to a known store selling aphrodisiacs. Hyun-jo, who is still fixed on the yogurt poisoning, asked if the poisonous mushroom can be extracted. He got a response that it’s possible but that would mean only rangers with know-how can do that since they know the vicinity well.
Following the illegal snake poachers, they track the warehouse where they kept the snakes and report them to the police.
“Not only families come here. There are many animals around too. Snakes are especially spotted a lot under a stone table.”
After sharing another vision, Yi-gang joins Hyun-jo to the place without complaint which surprised the newbie. They left when the place is clear just as the underground snake-selling couple arrive.
Setting up the snake traps, the husband finds a round object on top of a stone table. Unknown to him, it was a bomb, and he triggered it to explode.
Huddled to discuss the bomb explosion, Hyun-jo revealed they patrolled the place prior but they did not see the potato bomb there. That complicates the situation especially since the wife of the deceased saw Hyun-jo and Yi-gang leaving the place without being aware that a bomb was placed on the stone table.
Blaming the two, the wife of the deceased caused a scene in front of the rangers’ station. Their previous encounter aggravates the situation as the woman reveals they headed to the mountain because of the confiscated snakes they lost.
Leaving the deceased coffin in front of the station, caused a media stir, but Chief Jo remains firm that it was an accident and not to compensate since it happened in a restricted area. The discussion led to Jirisan national park’s chief taking responsibility to resign his post.
“I can’t end it like this. I saw a hand. There were five scratch scars like from a small animal’s claws. I can never forget that hand.”
Paying respect to the deceased on his burial, Hyun-jo revealed to Yi-gang the hand he saw on his vision. It has five scratch scars from a small animal. That same hand belongs to a man present when the poachers were arrested by the police. He vows to find that person no matter what it takes.
Hyun-jo visits Yi-gang’s friend to confirm if the potato could have been newly-made, but she denies it impossibility since its parts can’t be found in the market anymore. She directs him to people who privately own the bombs. Still, she is firm that the case was an accident and not a premeditated murder.
Team Haedong Branch sets up a town hall meeting following the bomb incident. Goo-young who went to the store with his crush Yang-sun failed to get a response to his question if she wants to milk goats with him.
Worried about what she witnessed earlier at the station, Yang-sun went back to check the man he saw holding what seems to be potato bombs. At that same moment, Hyun-jo’s investigation led him to meet one of the bomb disposal team members who revealed his bombs disappeared. He also introduced himself as Yang-sun’s grandfather.
Staring at the old man’s family photo, he recognized the man he was looking for. Back at the town hall meeting, the rangers welcome the townspeople, while handling flyers, Yi-gang sees a hand with scratch marks and remembers Hyun-jo’s vision. She enters the room and locks her eyes on the culprit who gave her a sinister smile.
Jirisan Episode 4 Musings
Inescapably, Yi-gang’s present time discovery of Chief Jo’s dubious rest days that corresponds to the dates when victims were found out will make sense sooner. In the preview episode, the suspect with five scratches appears to be related to Yang-sun.
Strategically placing light and humorous moments, Jirisan injects the budding relationship between Gianna Jun and Ju Ji Hoon. They even pretended to be a couple to investigate the disappearance of snakes kept in conservation. Inquiring about purchasing a snake-based aphrodisiac at the shop, Ju was left utterly embarrassed by Yi-gang’s panache. Indeed, the pair’s amusing interactions often soothed the relatively tense series.
Additionally, the mystery behind Jirisan’s new poster is also spotlighted in the new episodes as Ju Ji Hoon is seen in his spirit form. The mysterious visual features Hyun-jo in a white bloodstained jacket and hunched over in the forest. The line on the poster says – “The mountain will reveal something again. What exactly will happen…”
Hinting at the unsolved mysteries and perhaps an impending crisis, it perfectly echoed Ju’s line in the show, “Someone killed my colleague and that person continues to murder on this mountain.”
Impressively written, the 4th episode of Jirisan has sealed us in getting used to its unorthodox storytelling. Utilizing flashbacks, it seasons the narrative with pertinent lessons about caring for nature and the mountains. More importantly, it slowly but surely provides Yi-gang with the answers to her puzzling questions.
Despite her strange communication with her closest ranger buddy, her hunches and Hyun-jo’s guidance, hopefully, would help with her mission. But before that, she has quite a few trips to do down memory lane. We can also look forward to thrilling side stories as Jirisan rangers face veiled or human-inflicted incidents.
iQiyi Original Jirisan exclusively simulcast with Korea at 8 PM (SGT) every Saturday and Sunday on iQiyi International app or iQ.com worldwide.
Photos: iQiyi
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