In Episode 5 of Dong Jae: The Good or the Bastard, we’re taken back to a crucial moment with Chan-hyeok, Gyeo-re, and Yoo-ri at a bus terminal. Chan-hyeok accidentally leaves his stash of “purple” (a drug) in the restroom while taking a call. Gyeo-re stumbles upon it and shows it to Yoo-ri, who urges him to return it, unaware of what it contains. As Chan-hyeok returns, furious at the missing stash, the two students quickly hide. All of this is recorded on CCTV, which is being reviewed by Dong-jae and a police officer.
As the officer reports Chan-hyeok’s connection to a drug network, Dong-jae tries to piece together the real story. Was it Chan-hyeok, who could have killed Yoo-ri to retrieve the stash while posing as a customer? Or could it be Gyeo-re, possibly interested in the stash for himself? Dong-jae even considers the possibility that an accident occurred while Gyeo-re was teaching Yoo-ri to handle a shotgun. Despite these suspicions, Dong-jae concludes that the culprit is a drug dealer, and he sees an opportunity to solve both a murder and expose a drug cartel, boosting his reputation.
Meanwhile, Wan-sung visits Gyeo-re, learning of his drug connections from Dong-jae, which complicates Gyeo-re’s release. In a private conversation with his lawyer, Gyeo-re reveals that Chan-hyeok witnessed him selling drugs.
Elsewhere, Dong-jae heads to Mi-ran’s office, pushing her to get an arrest warrant for Chan-hyeok so he can lead the case. However, Byung-gun interrupts with news of a planned drug sale where they could catch cartel leader Geum-ho. Mi-ran decides to merge the cases and prepare for a joint raid. As a result, Chan-hyeok is taken into custody.
Although Dong-jae avoids the raid due to fear, Prosecutor Ji-hee informs him that Byung-gun is eyeing a promotion by solving this high-profile case.
During the raid, Chan-hyeok is unexpectedly released as he’s supposed to keep Geum-ho from escaping, but the police decide to track his movements. Wan-sung tries to persuade Dong-jae to help secure Gyeo-re’s release, but Dong-jae remains uninterested. Determined, Wan-sung heads to find Chan-hyeok himself, stopping by Yoo-ri’s father to gather information. Yoo-ri’s father confirms the drug connection, revealing Chan-hyeok’s identity and the location of his hostess bar.
As the police execute the drug bust, Geum-ho manages to escape, albeit injured, while Chan-hyeok evades the scene, leaving Byung-gun thrilled at his partial success, already envisioning a promotion. Chan-hyeok, however, successfully slips away.
In a parallel sequence, Dong-jae responds to a complaint about gunshots, discovering a drug lab with the distributor, Mr. Kang, dead inside. Ever ambitious, Dong-jae sees this as a chance to bust the “purple” drug operation, from production to distribution. If he connects Mr. Kang and Yoo-ri’s cases as potential serial killings and clears Gyeo-re’s name, Dong-jae realizes he could solve both the murder case and a key land deal, securing his career prospects and eliminating Byung-gun’s edge.
Episode 6 of Dong Jae: The Good or the Bastard opens at the scene of Mr. Kang’s murder, where a forensics team investigates. They conclude that Kang may have fired his gun first, wounding the attacker, who then retaliated fatally. Dong-jae searches for blood traces to identify the assailant but finds none. Learning that Kang’s car is missing, Dong-jae asks the police to review toll data to see if Kang traveled by car from Seoul, suspecting the culprit might have taken it.
Frustrated, Dong-jae looks for fingerprints but finds none. Then, a police officer’s comment about the strong odor and toxic fumes at the scene reminds Dong-jae of the coughing, odd-smelling bowling alley owner. This connection leads him to suspect the man might be the drug producer, his health affected by prolonged exposure to the chemicals.
Meanwhile, Wan-sung has captured Chan-hyeok and plans to frame him for Yoo-ri’s murder. When they find a wounded Geum-ho on the street, they discover he’s dead and discard his body. Wan-sung intimidates Chan-hyeok into supporting his version of events, eliminating Byung-gun’s last lead in the case. Dong-jae arrives at the bowling alley, only to find it empty, so he requests his junior officer to locate the owner’s information and search Kang’s Seoul residence.
Later, Dong-jae, Byung-gun, and Mi-ran meet at the police station. Dong-jae updates Mi-ran on the case, including the discovery of the shotgun that killed Yoo-ri at the drug site where Kang died. Dong-jae argues that the case now extends beyond murder into the realm of organized drug crime. Mi-ran motivates Dong-jae and Byung-gun by announcing that whoever captures Geum-ho and the drug manufacturer will receive the credit for solving the case.
As the race intensifies, Byung-gun searches for Chan-hyeok, and Dong-jae uncovers that the bowling alley was fraudulently registered under another man’s name. With no new clues from Kang’s autopsy, Dong-jae decides to finally address the land bribery issue. With new evidence surfacing, Gyeo-re is released, and Dong-jae brings him home, pressuring Wan-sung to repurchase the land involved in the bribe.
Byung-gun humorously steals Dong-jae’s warrant for Kang’s Seoul apartment, and Dong-jae’s junior pursues him. Meanwhile, Dong-jae locates an employee who grants him entry to the bowling alley, where they find ecstasy hidden in a trash can. Yoo-ri’s colleague also uncovers a photo with the bowling alley owner in the background.
In a strategic move, Wan-sung holds a press conference, having Gyeo-re issue a statement that shifts blame to Yoo-ri, casting the police as biased because she was the daughter of a police captain. Meanwhile, Byung-gun tracks down Kang’s missing car, focusing on that lead.
The episode ends with Dong-jae fired up to reclaim his reputation and secure a major promotion, determined to expose the true drug producer with the evidence he’s gathered.
Episodes 5 and 6 of Dong Jae: The Good or the Bastard skillfully build tension as Dong-jae’s investigation into Mr. Kang’s murder and the complex drug ring entangle more characters and motives. Episode 5 sets up a suspenseful atmosphere with Dong-jae’s detective work leading him closer to unraveling the twisted connections between Chan-hyeok, Gyeo-re, and the elusive drug lord Geum-ho. The episode balances mystery with character-driven drama, especially as Dong-jae navigates his rivalry with Byung-gun and deals with the cryptic clues left behind.