In The Fiery Priest 2, Kim Nam Gil becomes the iconic Joker.
In the fourth episode of SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama The Fiery Priest 2 Kim Hae Il (Kim Nam Gil) recruited Gu Ja Young (Kim Hyeong Seo), whom he rescued from danger, to his team. With the help of Park Kyung Seon (Lee Ha Nee), who infiltrated the Busan Southern District Prosecutor’s Office, the cooperative investigation expanded further.
Kim Hae Il told Gu Ja Young, “I’ll take responsibility and let you lead the investigation,” and suggested they leave together, taking Fire Eel (Jang Ji Gun) along. While traveling with Gu Ja Young and Gu Dae Young (Kim Sung Kyun), Kim Hae Il noticed Fire Eel’s critical condition and rushed him to the hospital. However, despite emergency treatment, Fire Eel succumbed to multiple organ failure.
Gu Ja Young found herself in crisis, with a warrant issued for her arrest by Nam Du Heon (Seo Hyun Woo). She revealed to Kim Hae Il that Nam Du Heon, the violent crimes team at Uma Police Station, and a drug dealer were clearly connected. Using this information, Kim Hae Il devised a bold plan to exploit both the gang and the prosecution, who were unaware of Fire Eel’s death, to expose the upper echelons of the drug cartel.
Kim Hae Il discreetly met with Park Kyung Seon, who informed him of a powerful organization now operating in the Uma District, with connections to Chief Nam Du Heon and the Violent Crimes Team 1 at Uma Police Station.
Additionally, when Park Kyung Seon remarked on the lack of presence of the Uma Police Station’s chief, Kim Hae Il responded, “I’ll need to go man-to-man with Chief Nam,” and encouraged Park Kyung Seon’s infiltration of the Southern District Prosecutor’s Office.
Meanwhile, Captain Park’s gang attempted to threaten Fire Eel’s mother, who was staying in a nursing hospital. However, unknown to them, Kim Hae Il had already moved her to a safer location as part of his plan. Just as the gang was caught off guard, Kim Hae Il appeared dramatically on an illuminated carousel, dressed as the Joker. With a maniacal laugh and the quip, “All the low blood pressure cures in the country have gathered here,” he twirled a cane and unleashed a stunning, almost magical sequence of action, taking down the villains.
Captain Park’s gang was subsequently arrested by the Do Han Police Department’s narcotics team and taken to the station. However, an unidentified car suddenly appeared, and masked men emerged, assaulting the police officers and facilitating the gang’s escape. Shortly afterward, Kim Hae Il, Gu Dae Young, Gu Ja Young, and Go Dok Sung arrived at the scene, only to find it in total chaos, leaving them in shock.
In the ensuing fight, Kim Hae Il confronted one of the masked men. During the standoff, he momentarily struggled with symptoms of multiple sclerosis but quickly regained his composure. As the tension escalated, four identically dressed masked men with murderous intent surrounded him, amplifying the sense of danger.
In a climactic moment, Kim Hae Il, wearing a faint smile and exuding intensity through his eyes, assumed a battle-ready stance. With a subtle yet taunting flick of his finger toward the masked assailants, the episode ended on a provocative note, leaving viewers eagerly anticipating the next developments.
The episode achieved impressive ratings, recording a peak of 15.9%, 4.4% in the 20-49 demographic, 11.6% in the Seoul metropolitan area, and 11.2% nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea.
