Brimming with valuable lessons and exciting cases, Brain Works presents a refreshing tale of mystery and murder.
The drama follows the Neuroscientific Investigations Team as they learn unpleasant realities about how different brains work as they seek to solve cases involving brain disorders.
- Main Cast: Jung Yong Hwa | Chae Tae Hyun | Kwak Sun Young | Ye Ji Won
- Support Cast: Jung Dong Hwan |Woo Hyun | Kim Soo Jin | Im Chul Hyung
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anonymouse watched Brain Works on Viu
Episode Recaps:1&2| 03| 04 | 5&6 | 7&8 | 9&10 | 11&12 | 13&14 | Finale Episodes + Series Review |
Brain Works Finale Week Highlights
“We humans can feel superior all we want, but we will forever be poor beings who let their brains control them.”
Desperate to know who killed his parents, Ha-ru agrees to Dong-woo’s proposal to let him out of prison in exchange for the murderer’s identity. Meanwhile, Ji-hyeong discovered Director Park’s dissertation on Ha-ru’s apartment, with her late brother’s name in the author. This generated questions about whether director Park stole the paper and his involvement in the killings.
Upon arrival at the hospital, Dong-woo directed Ha-ru to an abandoned property where he discovered an audio recording of Director Park and Dong-woo’s conversation. Director Park showed up and insisted on his innocence and claimed that Dong-woo fabricated the evidence.
Enraged, Ha-ru attacks Director Park, and he confesses that he knew Dong-woo killed his parents but remained silent because he was also threatened. Thankfully, Myung-se arrived on time to stop Ha-ru from killing Director Park.
“Your beliefs are wrong. I am not like you.”
Escaping Dong-woo’s trap, Ha-ru undergoes hypnosis to confirm what happened the night his parents died. After waking up, he declares Dong-woo as the killer. However, Dong-woo escapes from the hospital and kidnaps Ha-ru and Myung-se for his sick plan.
He crafts a game to test if Ha-ru could feel empathy for others. Meanwhile, Mo-ran, Yi-na, and Ji-hyeong are also imprisoned in a bathhouse and would get killed if they didn’t win the game.
After failing multiple levels, Myung-se mocks Dong-woo that Ha-ru would feel empathy once he saw his friend in danger. Dong-woo then strangles Myung-se in front of Ha-ru, and seeing him lose consciousness miraculously triggered Ha-ru’s brain to feel empathy.
Their brain waves match, causing the handcuffs to open. They hurriedly head to where the hostages were held to release them. Shin Haru then gives Dong-woo two options: rot in prison or kill himself. Unable to accept defeat, Dong-woo chooses death.
Brain Works Quick Plot Recap
Neuroscientist Shin Ha-ru lost his job after detective Geum Myung-se accidentally spills to a reporter that he unethically forged a consent form from a dead prisoner. With nowhere to go, Ha-ru decided to join the Neuroscientific Investigations Team and help them solve unusual cases concerning brain disease.
Ha-ru collaborates with Myung-Se and Captain Seol to delve further into the complexities of how the brain operates while attempting to unravel his previous traumas, which constantly seem to resurface.
Brain Works Series Highlights
Interesting Cases
Aside from its psychological cases, Brain Works bravely dealt with controversial topics such as religious cults, abuse, and harassment resulting from our human brain’s dark side. Showcasing different murder cases in every episode, it covered a wide range of brain disorders that are unfamiliar to many people.
Additionally, it helped shed light on the struggles of those experiencing brain disorders and how it affects their functioning. Nonetheless, the series stressed that not all strange and uncommon behaviors are diagnosable, which helps to reduce the stigma associated with mental diseases.
Brain Works Series Musings
The show starts with slow pacing but eventually became more entertaining as the show progressed. Different interesting cases are shown weekly, which suits those who quickly get bored following a single storyline. The cases are enjoyable and educational, with the right amount of drama and comedy to balance the heavy scenes.
Moreover, learning facts about the brain and human behavior in every episode is entertaining. However, because the drama contains scientific facts, it can be challenging to comprehend some terms and processes that are highly technical for those not in the medical field.
On the other hand, uncovering Ha-ru’s past was revealed more slowly than it should have. Halfway through the series, there is still little to no development on the truth about his parent’s death, leaving the viewers hanging.
Additionally, the finale felt rushed. It did not devote enough attention to what happened to the characters following Dong-woo’s death. But overall, it ended lightly, with a satisfying conclusion for each character.
Watch all 16 episodes of Brain Works on Viu.
Photos: KBS Drama
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