I’ll write my usual quick takes on Eps 11 and 12 later. For now, let’s throw out some theories on the new sniper.

1. He must be Sergei/SeulGi.

That’s the popular notion: he did it for BoNa. He protects her by muddling up police investigation, giving her an alibi, and diverting public attention.

This theory makes sense when their backstory is considered. Four years ago, he stepped in to protect BoNa’s identity from being uncovered by TaeSeong. Fastforward to the present, he can’t reverse TaeSeong’s discovery that BoNa is KingFisher, just like he can’t unring a bell. TaeSeong had unraveled BoNa’s secret on his own.

I like their conversation.

TS: Back then, the person who was on the rooftop beyond that door… was it Yoo BoNa?
S: (sidestepping the question) Looks like you didn’t sleep. Your face looks haggard.
TS: (persisting) The person you tried to hide that day….was it Yoo BoNa?

That TaeSeong arranged to meet with him demonstrates that a) he was desperate to get some answers or b) he no longer viewed SeulGi as a threat.

S: (feigning solicitude) Why are you walking around in the rain? You’ll catch a cold.
TS: (waiting for his answer)
S: So you finally opened the door.
TS: (gasping for air)

I like his reaction. It gave us the impression that he was holding his breath (and his judgment) for this moment of truth. Thus, when he heard SeulGi’s answer, it hit him hard like the wind was knocked out of him.

S: But that’s strange. Why come to me and ask me about it? The person involved is right there. Ahhh…. Were you afraid she’d kill you if you asked?

Is this projection? I think he’s the one terrified of BoNa (because he knows what she’s capable of). He was either unconsciously projecting his fear onto TaeSeong or willfully stirring up trouble. It’s a good thing however that TaeSeong didn’t take the bait. He’s certain that BoNa will never hurt him or Yul.

That said, he’s been avoiding confronting BoNa with the truth because he isn’t emotionally prepared to hear her response.

On one hand, he fears that her admission will fundamentally rift their relationship and family dynamics. But on the other hand, he fears that her denial will call into question everything they’ve shared together, even their love. He can’t bear to think that she can deceive him so calmly, so easily, so methodically because it makes him doubt her feelings for him. Either way — admission or denial — it’s a paradigm shift for him. So, he doesn’t want to ask her.

TS: (glaring at SeulGi)
S: What? Are you upset? Well, I suppose you have every right to be angry. After all those years of marriage, she completely deceived her own husband. And she hid such a terrifying secret. That’s just how Yoo BoNa is. She’s that meticulous and shrewd. She wouldn’t even bat an eye at making a fool out of someone.

Nice try. He’s again preying on TaeSeong’s fears. I wonder why he’s doing this? Reason #1: Is he jealous of her, or envious of her new life? Reason #2: Is he stirring the pot to separate the couple, purportedly for BoNa’s own good? Reason #3: Is he playing reverse psychology, and goading TaeSeong in order to force him to get over his hurt feelings and stand by BoNa?

TS: (grabbing his coat) Shut up.
S: (smirking) I’m taking your side right now, Mr. Kwon TaeSeong.
TS: What do you know to be talking like that? Say one more thing like that, and I won’t let you off. (pushing him away)

Hmmm… it seems like Reason #3 is the answer.

Undeterred, SeulGi poses another question.

S: Will you report it to the police?
TS: (stopping)

To me, Seulgi hits the nail on the head. This is TaeSeong’s moral dilemma. If he wasn’t a reporter with a reputation for strict ethical standards, then Seulgi wouldn’t have raised this question.

S: Oh, since you’re a reporter, are you going to expose her in an article?
TS: Did you do that to me that day because you were afraid I’d do that?

He was curious whether SeulGi kidnapped him, threatened his family AND tranquilized him to thwart him from exposing BoNa’s identity.

S: If that was the case, I wouldn’t have just put you to sleep.

Interesting reply. On one level, SeulGi ridiculed the idea that he FEARED TaeSeong’s exposé. If he had been really SCARED of TaeSeong unmasking BoNa’s secret identity, then he would have done something more drastic than knocking him out temporarily. If he really wanted to silence him, he could have knocked him out for good (i.e., killed him).

On another level, SeulGi implied that he kept TaeSeong alive for a deeper reason. I would like to think that his reason is BoNa’s happiness. SeulGi wanted her to have a safe pregnancy, marital bliss and so on. (I’m still curious how he found out about her pregnancy….)

S: Well, let’s just say I changed my mind. Because I got curious. About what exactly Yoo BoNa is trying to protect. And whether she’ll be able to keep protecting it.

Ugh! This SeulGi character likes to speak in circles.

I think he’s saying that he kept TaeSeong alive because he wanted to know if BoNa would succeed in her pursuit of happiness. He’s accustomed to believing that trained assassins like him and BoNa must exist as lone wolves. They can’t protect their loved ones, and their loved ones are horrified by their job. They aren’t cut out for parenthood and domestic life, yet BoNa is attempting to have both. He’s curious to see if she’ll manage to pull it off.

TS: What do you mean?
S: It’s probably the same kind of thing? The reason you wanted to keep your promise to me. Oh, by the way, Yoo BoNa doesn’t know about that day, right? That’s why I’m still alive and well. Isn’t it probably the same thing? The reason why you had to remain in the dark about Yoo BoNa.
TS: (clueless)
S: “What matters is the present, not the past.” You once said it, right? Yoo BoNa was Yoo BoNa in the past, and she’s still Yoo BoNa now. What’s left is your choice, isn’t it? Whether you go with her or leave her behind. Including reporting or exposing her in an article, of course.

That’s why I like this conversation: SeulGi puts the ball squarely in TaeSeong’s court. The next move is TaeSeong’s decision to make. Yes, he blithely said that “what matters is the present, not the past” to show support for BoNa. Yes, he prematurely assumed that things have changed for the better for BoNa. And yes, he naïvely believed that love conquered all. But now that he’s discovered the actual state of affairs, it’s up to him to either accept or reject BoNa. After all is said and done, love is a choice.

As much as I like this dialogue between SeulGi and TaeSeong, my problem with the theory that SeulGi did latest assassination is the procedure (or the lack of it). SeulGi didn’t copy KingFisher’s modus operandi.

a. First, he shot the Old Man in a busy intersection and in broad daylight whereas KF always meets her “client” in secret, in private. Her goal was twofold: she needs to minimize civilian deaths and to keep a low profile.

Remember the flashback in Episode 9 when he got a taste of BoNa’s rage after he shot the escaped convict in the presence of the son. BoNa almost killed him then. He argued, however, that the person holding the gun decides when to pull the trigger. BoNa counter-argued that the boy was innocent and had done nothing wrong. So he challenged her by quoting a lesson from their “Mama” about sins of the father passing down to the children.

After that encounter, I would have thought that he would have avoided acting reckless again and done things *her* way. If he truly wanted to become BoNa’s stand-in and confuse the police, then he should have followed her MO. But he didn’t….

b. Then, to make matters worse, he shot the Old Man immediately after the Old Man had performed a good deed. Naturally, the eyewitnesses were horrified. In a single shot, he wrecked Kingfisher’s general approval, turning into widespread condemnation. This public backlash he created will only intensify the police’s resolve to hunt her down because she’s seemingly targeting innocent individuals.

What a colossal blunder! I would have thought that he would choose his target and time the assassination better because he would have wanted her to “retire” from the field on a high note. Instead, he’s mucking it up.

Hmph! So much for helping her out.

Side note: in the tail end of Episode 8, when SeulGi knocked on the door, he introduced himself to TaeSeong as “Sergei Volansky.” In the following episode, timestamp 35:01, TaeSeong searched “Sergei Volansky” on google, and was redirected to another Russian named Sergei Volkov. He looked nothing like SeulGi, of course. He looked ancient…and European (duh!). The write-up on google is also rather interesting. It said that Serge Vorkov is a Russian anthropologist (remember this is all a fictional character). His specialty is researching “cultural emanation.” I don’t know what that means, but if I were to take a stab at it, I say his field of study proposes that some cultural phenomena (e.g., this fandom of Kingfisher) reflect the current angst, mood, and outlook of society. For instance, if people are rooting for Kingfisher to succeed, it’s because they have negative feelings (e.g., anger, frustration, skepticism) toward the police and courts, and perceive them as biased, inept and/or corrupt. Kingfisher is their outlet and savior.

2. Is the killing ordered by BoNa’s boss or the organization’s top brass?

This scenario is highly doubtful, but I’m adding them to the suspect list just the same because TaeSeong called up a “Manager Kim” on that rainy morning after their daughter Yul was hospitalized (timestamp: 17:25). So far, the only Mr. Kim in the kdrama is Team Leader Kim Bong Pal.

If Team Leader Kim knew that TaeSeong was onto BoNa, then he could possibly create a misdirection to throw him off her scent.

Note: In the event that the organization really needs to make KingFisher “disappear” to evade the police, I’m sure the members can stage an intervention, like they’ve done for their clients. Team 3 can even call for assistance from the other team who work with them in Episode 6 to eliminate the CEO and the politician’s son.

3. The Mysterious Individual(s) that SeulGi was seeking

In Episode 9 (timestamp 34:38), SeulGi received a call while he was in Gwangjang Market.

S: Not here. Looks like they got away. And Yoo BoNa doesn’t seem to know yet.

Not to be a contrarian, but I wouldn’t be shocked if this unknown entity that supposedly “got away” is:

a. from Russia,
b. somehow connected to BoNa’s childhood years,
c. the one lurking outside her apartment (timestamp: 50:45). Remember she sensed someone hiding in the bushes on her way home from “meeting” with the child abuser/client. If it had been SeulGi, it would have shown up on TaeMin’s tracking device (if he’s still wearing the same pair of boots), and
d. the new sniper.

Note: The Korean lady with the Carmen Sandiego hat who showed up at young BoNa’s orphanage is NOT Mrs. Bae (the flower shop owner and BoNa’s ex-boss). This Korean lady singled out BoNa from the rest of the orphans because she saw her potential to be a killer. I thought she was testing BoNa’s mettle when she allowed BoNa to confront the orphanage abuser instead of taking down the man herself.

The child TaeMin (the chubby kid who created the slingshot) didn’t want to be left behind so she had to bring the two children with her to Russia. They met SeulGi in Russia.

Note 2: This should have been the beginning of a fairy tale life for BoNa and TaeMin, but based on SeulGi’s story, I suspect that she just exchanged one hell for another.

TaeSeong: SeulGi, I heard you were born in Russia. But your Korean is really good.
SeulGi: My mama is Korean.

She must be the Korean lady with the Carmen Sandiego hat. SeulGi was quoting her when he talked about fathers passing down their sins to their children.

S: (continuing) And I got used to the language from playing with BoNa since we were kids.
Bona: Yeah, we lived in the same neighborhood back then.

I’m not sure if this is true or false. But my take here is that she was raised by this “Mama” who also trained her to be a sharpshooter.

To me, this would explain why she insists that the abused children she rescued from their parents be given a fresh beginning, and a chance to carve out a different path. Remember? In Episode 3, she bluntly told The Poisoner that she was disappointed that the child she had saved from a monstrous father chose not to forget her past and decided instead to follow in her footstep (Ep 3, timestamp: 6:52). I take it that BoNa didn’t want to emulate her “Mama” who taught her to become a “justice warrior.”

S: I think I first met BoNa when we were eight. Right after you moved to Russia, remember?
BoNa: You’re right.

BoNa didn’t want to talk about her past, but TaeSeong said he enjoyed hearing her childhood stories. So SeulGi recounted how BoNa began his nickname, “No SeulGi.” He was shocked to see BoNa eating chicken because she used to hate the smell of chicken and chicken porridge. He explained it to TaeSeong.

S: When BoNa was in school, some mean kids used to play pranks on her. They’d secretly dunk her chicken in muddy water, or pour strong whisky into her chicken soup. So sometimes… (punching the air with a fist)…things got physical. BoNa was pretty tough back then.
BoNa: Hey, you don’t need to bring that up.
TS: (proudly) In Korean, we’d say, “no mercy.” BoNa is very self-assured and clear about what she wants in everything. She knows exactly what is right and wrong.

Lol. I don’t think he realized that he just listened to Kingfisher’s “villain origin story” and that he’d given his approval of Kingfisher’s “no mercy” stance towards violent criminals.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this new sniper turned out to be another one of Mama’s pupils/orphans who wants to follow Kingfisher’s career. Sadly, however, this new sniper can’t distinguish between right and wrong like BoNa.

To be continued….