Black Out episode 5 recap: Jeong-woo and Sang-cheol try to reopen the 10-year-old murder case

The fifth episode of the ongoing K-drama Black Out aired on Friday, August 30, 2024. Since its debut on August 16, 2024, the mystery-thriller show garnered global attention.

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Black Out follows the story of Goh Jeong-woo (played by Byun Yo-han), who returns to his hometown after serving time for two murders he does not remember committing. Upon his return, unfortunate incidents lead him to unravel the truth behind the two murders that happened ten years ago. His quest may reveal hidden secrets of those around him.

Episode 4 concluded with Bo-yeong's mother, Lee Jae-hee, telling Hyun Gu-tak that they killed Bo-yeong. The story will expose the truth behind the deaths of Bo-yeong and Da-eun. A new character is also introduced in the fifth episode.

Black Out episode 5: An error in the timeline of the murders is found

Black Out episode 5 opens with Goh Jeong-woo as a high-school student. He is eating lunch with his mother when she asks why his father had to buy him a car. She asks Jeong-woo to promise her that he won't drive it.

In episode 4, when Lee Jae-hee confronts Gu-tak, a flashback reveals the two having an intimate relationship. As Lee Jae-hee hugs him from behind, Shim Bo-yeong appears in front of them. She runs away, saying, "it's disgusting."

In the present, Lee Jae-hee tells Gu-tak that if she had run after Bo-yeong that day, she could have saved her daughter. Gu-tak asks her why she barged into his house, and she replies that he needs to release her husband, Shim Dong-min. Gu-tak clarifies that even as a police chief, he cannot release someone who has confessed. She leaves while threatening him that if he does not release her husband, she will create problems.

Still from Black Out (Image via YouTube/MBC Drama)

In his warehouse, Jeong-woo is still trying to figure out who could have taken his car keys that day. In the police station, Sang-cheol questions Byeong-mu about the duration of the drive from Mucheon to Cheonsu as it's a rural road with no de-tours. Byeong-mu says he has no idea, but Sang-cheol reminds him he drove them to the warehouse in the morning from Cheonsu, leaving Byeong-mu flustered.

Ha Seol realizes Su-oh has seen the murders happening and could be a witness. Su-oh dreams of the night of the murders, where he is hiding upstairs in the warehouse behind the stack of hay. He can see Da-eun come in and a bloodied and whimpering Bo-yeong.

Sang-cheol reviews the witness tapes for Bo-yeong's murder case. He realizes there are some discrepancies in the stories of the witnesses as one person cannot carry out the tasks in a short time frame - from murdering Bo-yeong to driving to Cheonsu to dump her body and returning to the warehouse to kill Da-eun.

Episode 5 of Black Out also sees Noh Sang-cheol coming to the conclusion that the two murders could not have happened simultaneously. Byeong-mu looks visibly anxious as Sang-cheol reopens the files.

Sang-cheol arrives at the warehouse, where he meets Jeong-woo. Jeong-woo relays the same discrepancies that Sang-cheol found out. Sang-cheol asserts that even if there are two murderers, it does not exempt him from being one, as he could be an accomplice.

Ha Seol enters the warehouse looking for San-cheol. She tells him that Su-oh painted a body lying in this warehouse, which led her to believe that he might have been here that day. However, Sang-cheol dismisses this by pointing out that Su-oh has a neurological disorder, which is why he did not give a statement.

Lee Jae-hee and others come to meet Shim Dong-min. The husband and wife get into an argument where he raises his hands, wanting to hit her. However, he calms down, leading Lee Jae-hee to say that if he hits her, he will never see her or Hye-yeong again.

Ha Seol meets Su-oh's doctor, Park Heong-sik, at the hospital. He tells her that Su-oh was transferred to get intensive treatment at a specialist hospital. A star-shaped cutout falls off Ha Seol's coat, and he gets anxious as he notices.

While Jeong-woo asks Na-gyeom to return to Seoul, she tells him she wishes to be his friend forever. She tells him she trusts him and wants to help find the truth about the murders. She asks him to go with her to Seoul with his mother once the truth comes out.

While returning from the hospital, Ha Seol notices Su-oh in a car. The person arrives at Hyun Gu-tak's house with a suitcase.

At the police station, Noh Sang-cheol informs his colleagues and superiors of the latest findings in Bo-yeong's murder case and reveals an error in the timeline. However, the Section Chief reprimands him, saying he cannot believe everything a witness says.

Gu-tak agrees with the possibility of the police missing an important piece in the case; however, he tells him they cannot reopen the case without new evidence. Sang-cheol asserts that the possibility of an accomplice might help in finding Da-eun's body. The section chief dismisses the case and says he cannot waste his team's resources.

Jeong-woo meets Gu-tak as he exits the conference room with his colleagues. He says they need to reopen the case because of an error in his alibi. He pleads with him to reopen the case for the sake of Bo-yeong and Da-eun. However, Jeong-woo's insistence frustrates him, and he asks if he thinks Gu-tak conspired with the actual murderer to make him a criminal.

Jeong-woo asks where he was during his interrogation 10 years ago. He brushes him off by saying that even if he was Jeong-woo's father's best friend, he cannot erase his crimes. Gu-tak gets the last warning from Lee Jae-hee to release Shim Dong-min.

Noh Sang-cheol reveals that his wife's death anniversary is coming, and his father-in-law told him to not come by anymore.

While reviewing the interrogation of Shim Dong-min, he notices how Sang-cheol had alcohol and cigarettes to entice him. He reprimands the section chief, saying this cannot be sent to prosecutors. This resulted in the release of Shim Dong-min.

Jeong-woo follows Noh Sang-cheol to a bar, where Sang-cheol tells him he doesn't believe Jeong-woo's act and wants to find his accomplice. Jeong-woo narrates how he saw Da-eun on a bus that day, and she kept ignoring his calls. There were also rumors that she was meeting someone else, and Bo-yeong and Deok-mi (Na-gyeom) said the same thing.

Assemblywoman Ye Yeong-sil and her husband, Su-oh's doctor, Park Hyeong-sik, are having dinner at a posh restaurant, where she questions whether he looks worried because of Su-oh. He replies that Su-oh's deteriorating health does make him anxious, and he has become hostile towards Hyeon-sik.

He goes to the washroom, leaving his phone behind on the table. A notification makes Yeong-sil take a look at his phone, and she is startled to see the message:

"You killed me 11 years ago... why did you kill me 11 years ago?"

On his way to the washroom, he comes across his female patient, and Yeong-sil notices how they are talking happily.

Seeing Su-oh in the town, Ha Seol arrives at his place and sees his bedroom light on, guaranteeing that the person she saw is Su-oh. On Gu-tak's arrival, he takes her to Su-oh's bedroom to reassure her of his absence, but as they descend the stairs, they see a Su-oh-like person drinking beer. He greets Gu-tak as "Father," confirming that Su-oh has a twin brother.

At Jeong-woo's place, Dong-min gets ready to kill Jeong-woo. Jeong-woo finds him hiding in the dark with a rifle and tells him he did not kill Bo-yeong.

Black Out airs every Friday and Saturday on the South Korean broadcasting channel MBC.

Edited by Ivanna Lalsangzuali