Now that Jung-woo, Sang-cheol, and Seol have teamed up, they focus on investigating who crashed Jung-woo’s car while moving Bo-young’s body. During Jung-woo’s interrogation 11 years ago, Hee-do accidentally revealed that a witness saw the crash. If they can track down the car and the witness, they may find critical evidence, like identifying the driver.
The twist is that Chief Hyun and Hee-do are also racing to find the car and the witness in order to bury the investigation. Chief Hyun believed the car was scrapped after Jung-woo’s conviction, but due to miscommunication, Hee-do returned it to Jung-woo’s father, who placed it in storage. In a touching moment, Jung-woo finds the storage documents among letters his mom wrote but never sent while he was in prison, showing his father never lost faith in his innocence.
Jung-woo and Sang-cheol locate the car first, leaving Hee-do frustrated. Sang-cheol, prepared for resistance, cleverly leverages his authority as head of the sexual assault investigation involving Byung-mu and Min-soo. Since the car was present at that crime scene, he has the legal right to examine it. Sang-cheol even calls in both local and national forensic teams, preventing Chief Hyun from interfering without valid grounds—though Hyun attempts to subvert the process by getting reports first from a forensic contact.
Hee-do, meanwhile, finds the car crash witness and tries to convince him not to cooperate with Jung-woo’s investigation. However, the witness, previously silenced, is ready to tell the truth: he couldn’t see the driver’s face due to the rain but knows it wasn’t Jung-woo. Instead, he saw two middle-aged men in the car. This revelation plants the seed of doubt in Hee-do, who has long been convinced of Jung-woo’s guilt based on Chief Hyun’s lies.
Meanwhile Sangcheol reveals to Jung woo that after his wife was killed on their wedding day, it made him think that all criminals were the same so he never cared to investigate deeply. But after meeting Jung woo, it turned out his thoughts were wrong.
The episode shifts to a flashback revealing the full story of what happened the night Bo-young died. Na-kyeom was the first to arrive at the scene after Bo-young’s fatal fall. As she went to get cleaning supplies, the others panicked and tried to hide the body. Geon-oh called his father, who arrived with Byung-mu and Min-soo’s fathers, sending the boys home. Chief Hyun, with an urgent meeting with Assemblywoman Ye, left the two fathers to hide Bo-young’s body.
The situation turns horrifying when they discover Bo-young is still alive. Rather than risk exposure, Min-soo’s father kills her with a shovel. This shocking twist leaves viewers stunned, as the brutality of the crime is finally revealed.
Even Chief Hyun is disturbed when Byung-mu’s father confesses the murder. But instead of taking responsibility, Hyun blames Byung-mu and Min-soo for Geon-oh’s death. Seeing an opportunity to rid himself of a nuisance, he sends Byung-mu’s father to confess to Dong-min, knowing Dong-min is emotionally unstable and armed with a gun. Dong-min, still reeling from Jae-hee leaving him and knowing she had been an affair with Hyun min, confronts Min-soo’s father, and despite Jung-woo’s attempts to stop him, shoots him in a fit of rage.
The episode ends with this explosive moment, but another subplot lingers—Na-kyeom’s deeper involvement in the cover-ups. Though she originally helped Byung-mu and Min-soo out of pity, she’s now turning against them, manipulating Byung-mu into a public outburst to appear as the victim. Na-kyeom’s dark manipulation is revealed further when she is shown sending threatening messages to Hyung-shik, who had killed Da-eun over a discarded wedding ring. Assemblywoman Ye later uncovers Na-kyeom’s motives, and when asked what she wants, her answer is chillingly simple: “Jung-woo.”
Black Out Episode 10 delivers a riveting blend of tension, emotional depth, and shocking revelations. As the mystery surrounding the murders from 11 years ago deepens, the episode shines in its ability to weave together multiple plot threads, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.
The dynamic between Jung-woo, Sang-cheol, and Seol as they form an investigative team adds momentum to the story. Their determination to uncover the truth contrasts sharply with the calculated efforts of Chief Hyun and Hee-do, who are equally desperate to bury it. The emotional core of the episode is elevated by the discovery of the storage container documents, which humanizes Jung-woo’s father and emphasizes the familial themes of belief and betrayal.
The twist involving Bo-young’s death—the shocking reveal that she was killed by Min-soo’s father—is a major turning point. The moral corruption and lengths to which the parents went to protect their sons add a dark and chilling layer to the show. This twist leaves the audience reeling, but it’s the smaller character moments, such as Jung-woo discovering unsent letters from his mother, that provide an emotional counterbalance.
One of the episode’s standout aspects is the gradual unraveling of Hee-do’s convictions. Initially portrayed as a steadfast believer in Jung-woo’s guilt, his growing doubt adds nuance to his character and suggests that he, too, was misled by Chief Hyun. This internal conflict enriches the narrative, showing that even those complicit in the cover-up aren’t immune to guilt and moral questioning.
The cliffhanger—Dong-min’s shooting of Min-soo’s father—raises the stakes considerably. The show doesn’t shy away from brutal consequences, and this act of violence sets up significant repercussions for the following episodes. Meanwhile, Na-kyeom’s manipulations and involvement in the cover-up make her one of the most complex and unsettling characters in the series. Her chilling declaration that she wants “Jung-woo” sets her up as a major antagonist moving forward.
Overall, Black Out Episode 10 balances suspenseful twists with deep emotional beats, unraveling the mystery while leaving enough intrigue for what’s to come.