The First Responders – Season 2 Episode 4 Recap & 4 highlights Explained, Review

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The First Responders Season 2 Episode 4 plot : With the exposure of the serial arsonist’s ultimate arson plan, Song-Seol finds herself in crisis. Can Jin Ho-Gae rescue her? And apprehend the culprit? The motive behind the serial arsons has a deep connection with Taewon Fire Department. Despite facing pain, Dokko Soon chooses to view those beloved ones she lost in a positive light.

↓Last Episode (Episode 3) Review and Recap, Explained↓

The First Responders – Season 2 Episode 4 Recap

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🔥 In “The First Responders season 2″ episode 4 , Song-Seol encounters Yang Sang-Man in the elevator and is even attacked by him. At the same time, Jin Ho-Gae investigates and discovers that Yang Sang-Man is a suspicious and dangerous individual, while Kang Do-Ha tracks down the location of the explosive device.

Yang Sang-Man immediately calls Dokko Soon, revealing that he is her ex-husband. The two share a painful past together. It turns out that Yang Sang-Man used to be the captain of Taewon Fire Department but was forced to resign due to his violent behavior towards civilians.

Although Jin Ho-Gae doesn’t know where Yang Sang-Man is currently located, he finds evidence at his residence indicating his involvement in eight arson cases. Now, the eighth fire at “Jushang Building” is happening today, exactly ten years after Taewon Fire Department lost many of its members tragically at this very location.

When talking to Dokko Soon about this incident, Yang Sang-Man confesses that he himself set these fires intentionally as revenge for what happened in the past. He resents how people deliberately started those fires just for redevelopment purposes and drove all residents away. This angered Yang Sang-Man enough to get into fights with those troublemakers but ended up being harmed himself.

🔥 Cho Il-Jun deserves to die because it was him who caused this tragedy ten years ago for money’s sake. Even though firefighters knew that these fires were intentional acts committed by humans, all evidence was burned down by massive flames. Yang Sang-Man feels frustrated that society has completely forgotten about those who sacrificed their lives unnecessarily – just like Bong Do-Jin did; they died in vain which does not make them “real firefighters.”

Police officers and emergency medical services arrive on scene along with Kang Do-Ha leading an explosives disposal team unexpectedly showing up (it turns out Kang Do-Ha had been tracking the stolen explosive device all along, suspecting it was taken by the arsonist). Kang Do-Ha reveals that the sensors are activated, indicating a larger crime scene.

As expected, Song-Seol is strapped with a bomb on her body. Yang Sang-Man’s intention is to provoke Dokko Soon’s anger and prevent her from risking her life for such trivial matters. However, for Dokko Soon, Yang Sang-Man has become an inhumane monster. She would rather sacrifice herself instead of Song-Seol as a way to atone for her past mistakes. Nevertheless, Yang Sang-Man knocks out Dokko Soon and urges her to stay alive and fight against the arsonist monster so that people will listen to her.

🔥 Jin Ho-Gae calculates based on candles burning for eight hours that the fire will occur in half an hour. The building manager mentions that if there were a fire in the elevator shaft, it would cause the most casualties.

Therefore, Jin Ho-Gae rushes to the broken elevator on the eighth floor. From Song-Seol’s description, he knows it contains a bomb but only one; the rest are on top floor. With four minutes left until detonation, Kang Do-Ha decides everyone should evacuate while he tries to save Song-Seol alone by dismantling the bomb. Meanwhile, Jin Ho-Gae focuses his efforts on rescuing Dokko Soon from atop of building.

As for Yang Sang-Man himself, he has decided to sacrifice his own body to complete this final act of fire-setting tragedy. Fortunately,Gongmyung Pil arrives at rooftop just in time to assist Jin Ho-Gae so they can subdue Yang Sang-Man and destroy all remaining arson devices preventing further catastrophe.

The First Responders – Season 2 Episode 4 Ending

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🔥 In the courtroom, Yang Sang-Man was charged with multiple crimes and the prosecution requested a severe punishment of death penalty. Dokko Soon finally told Yang Sang-Man that Bong Do-Jin’s sacrifice did not go in vain.

The child he saved survived and will be forever grateful to Bong Do-Jin. This made Yang Sang-Man realize his anger had blinded him and filled him with remorse. After the case concluded, Bong An-Na planned to temporarily go to the United States for two months to teach investigative techniques related to the case. Kang Do-Ha also decided to leave the military because he couldn’t bear living a life of obedience anymore.

As for Song-Seol, although she liked Jin Ho-Gae, when faced with Bong Do-Jin’s feelings, she felt guilty about it and couldn’t confront Jin Ho-Gae directly. Naturally, Jin Ho-Gae was somewhat disappointed that Song-Seol couldn’t openly reciprocate his feelings. However, he promised that he would soon return to Taewon and hoped that Song-Seol wouldn’t cry for too long.

🔥 Episode 4 finale of “The First Responders season 2“: A case involving cat abuse resulting in death occurred in a small community. It turned out that Gongmyung Pil’s neighbor aunt encountered this incident at an apartment where Gongmyung Pil also lived.

After examination, it appeared that there was poisoning involved along with scalding from an iron before ultimately drowning took place. In short, this cat experienced cruel torture during its lifetime; hence there must be a demon lurking around it. Yoon Hong forensic doctor also reminded Gongmyung Pil that many terrifying murderers have a history of animal abuse.

Jin Ho-Gae got promoted as “Chief Investigator of National Search Headquarters,” but after much contemplation, he suddenly told everyone that he might not be able to join the national search headquarters. This is because he currently cares more about returning to Taewon to catch the criminal.

The First Responders – Season 2 Episode 4 – highlights Explained,Review

The First Responders Season 2 –Firefighters and arsonists are only a thin line apart.

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“The First Responders season 2″ episode 3 and 4 is both tragic and thrilling. Although Song-Seol has just been discharged from the hospital not long ago and is still digesting Bong Do-Jin’s death, the writer puts her in danger again, a life-threatening danger. When Yang Sang-Man, this dangerous character appears, it aligns with Ha Young-Doo’s description of criminal behavior in the first episode of “The First Responders 2″. This person’s experience with extinguishing fires is similar to that of arsonists, which coincides with our previous speculation that an arsonist could be a firefighter.

In addition, Episode 4 of The First Responders 2″ also explains why the arsonist targeted Taewon Fire Department and echoes Bong Do-Jin’s theory that firefighters and arsonists are only one step away from each other. In the first episode of The First Responders 2，we discussed how the arsonist seems to understand what firefighters think and blame themselves for.

Especially after Cho Il-Jun’s death case, Bong Do-Jin feels guilty. The arsonist tempts him to stay at the fire scene longer as he becomes haunted by guilt over being the last person to come out because he doesn’t want to experience such self-blame again. This corresponds to what He Yeong-doo said: “If those who put out fires become targets, then who will extinguish them?”

In other words, if firefighters become targets and get injured or attacked, who will put out the remaining fires? It means there would be no one left. To some extent, Ha Young-Doo’s words imply that the arsonist intends to bring firefighters into mortal peril.

In Episode 3 of The First Responders 2，Bong Do-Jin has already fallen into Yang Sang-Man’s trap and sacrificed himself～ From looking at photos，Yang Sang-Man will target Bong Do-Jin, which should also be related to the story of him leaving Taewon Fire Department ten years ago. How did a twisted person come into being from what was supposed to be a good firefighting partner?”

The First Responders Season 2 – Yang Sang-Man’s Motive for the Crime

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This story is meant to connect with Dokko Soon’s inner demons in the first season of “The First Responders”. Dokko Soon, as a character, places great emphasis on the safety of every firefighter because of an incident that happened ten years ago. In a fire during one episode of “The First Responders”, when Bong Do-Jin decided to climb onto the roof to pour water, Dokko Soon was afraid because she feared her team members would suffer the same fate as their past colleague who fell from the roof and died.

At that time, Bong Do-Jin was also scared but chose to overcome his fear and be at the forefront instead of running away due to his childhood trauma. I think Yang Sang-Man focuses on Bong Do-Jin for one reason being aware of this inner demon he possesses. This motivates him to rush towards fire scenes relentlessly. Another aspect worth mentioning is related to their past stories.

In this episode of “The First Responders 2”, Yang Sang-Man’s motivation is well portrayed by depicting the resentment that arises when firefighters face loss and pain after losing their comrades. Now I understand why the writer chose to have Bong Do-Jin killed off because it brings immense sadness and unresolved grief for Taewon Fire Department and viewers alike.

Bong Do-Jin dies at the hands of an arsonist just like how Yang Sang-Man’s team members were killed by Zhao Yichun, another arsonist in “The First Responders 2”. Through Episode 3, we can feel sympathy and heartache over losing Bong Do-Jin while trying to comprehend Yang Sang-Man’s self-blame and suffering over these ten years. That’s why Yang Sang-Man asks Dokko Soon if she can continue living like this – burying fallen colleagues deep within her heart.

“The First Responders 2” doesn’t want us to become heartless individuals or ignore firefighters’ pain when they lose their comrades. I feel that Yang Sang-Man, as portrayed by the writer, is a very realistic character who wears his grief, self-blame, and resentment on his sleeve. It’s normal for firefighters to have such reactions in Taiwan too when they encounter traumatic missions; their psychological state is evaluated by counselors.

Especially since Yang Sang-Man witnessed his colleagues’ deaths firsthand and it was due to his command, if I were in his shoes, I would instinctively direct all my anger and blame towards Cho Il-Jun, the cause of the fire. From Yang Sang-Man’s perspective, this represents an obsession and inability to let go emotionally.

Dokko Soon said, “You succumbed to this matter and became an arsonist, while Do-Jin overcame it and became a true firefighter!” This statement has a profound meaning that can be carefully pondered. This concept differs greatly from Yang Sang-Man’s idea of “firefighters dying in vain.” In the drama series “The First Responders season 2,” the writer contrasts Bong Do-Jin and Yang Sang-Man’s attitudes towards trauma.

Although I completely disagree with Yang Sang-Man seeking revenge in this way, the portrayal of Yang Sang-Man by the writer of “The First Responders season 2” actually makes sense.

The writer does not depict Yang Sang-Man as a simple psychopath who sets fires but rather uses his inner demons and trauma to portray him, packaging him in such a way that while viewers hate him, they also feel how unjust it is for his past and those colleagues who died on duty to be forgotten by the world. Throughout all this time, Yang Sang-Man has had to digest these negative emotions alone.

Yang Sang-Man wants to use extreme measures to let people know that those firefighters who died or sacrificed their lives in the past are not insignificant; they are precious lives that should be respected.

Therefore, he resorts to intense methods to make his voice heard by society. Of course, when we look at Yang Sang-Man’s ideas from a third-person perspective, we may think that he no longer respects the lives of existing firefighters himself—why would he harm Bong Do-Jin and Song-Seol?

Serial arsonists have motives just like serial killers do. It’s similar to certain sadistic murderers who were abused during childhood but express their desire for harming others through criminal behavior traits. Similarly, Yang Sang-Man cannot stand how indifferent and apathetic society is towards firefighters’ sacrifices; thus, he chooses arson as a means of expressing his dissatisfaction.

By assuming the identity of an arsonist, Yang Sang-Man aims to “arouse the anger that all firefighters should have.” His purpose is for firefighters not to remain silent and let things pass. Otherwise, society will never respect their lives, and no amount of money can trivialize their existence.

The First Responders Season 2 – What remains after Do-Jin’s death?

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“Do-Jin’s legacy after his death? The children he saved, they survived.” These lines are so beautiful! In these simple lines, the screenwriter of “The First Responders season 2” portrays a profound conclusion. Although some viewers were saddened by Bong Do-Jin’s sacrifice in the show, in episode four of “The First Responders season 2,” the screenwriter adds another layer of meaning to Bong Do-Jin’s innocent death.

Dokko Soon says, “The children he saved, they survived.” This contrast highlights how Yang Sang-Man has narrowed down the significance of firefighters sacrificing their lives and suggests that it is a mistake with no positive outcome. However, when Dokko Soon says, “The children he saved, they survived,” she magnifies the positive results brought about by firefighters’ sacrifices.

The selfless dedication of firefighters can indeed bring about change in this world. Saving a life will be forever remembered and appreciated by those who were rescued. At least the child saved by Bong Do-Jin will always remember and be grateful for his contribution. I believe this is why Yang Sang-Man ultimately breaks down in court because it reveals the true meaning that had been obscured by his anger all along.

The First Responders Season 2 – Is Kang Do-Ha not the bad guy

Kang Do-Ha is not the culprit of the serial arson case. The smoke bomb set off by the previous screenwriter was so big that it made people think Kang Do-Ha was the arsonist. From what I can see in episode four, Kang Do-Ha seems to be only tracking down the stolen explosive device.

No wonder in episode three of “The First Responders 2,” Bong Do-Jin received a lunchbox and there were no plans to depict their childhood storylines together. That’s why he isn’t here to confront Bong Do-Jin. His suspicion about the connection between the explosive device and the arson case during his phone call suggests that he may not be aware of the arson incident (?).

When he said, “This will be my last time being involved,” it seems like he needs to help cover up his superior’s mistake regarding the explosive device. In a previous episode of “The First Responders season 2,” Kang Do-Ha even reported to his superior that he believed there might be a connection between the explosive device and the arson case, but his superior insisted it was simply stolen. Based on his superior’s reaction, it feels like they don’t want to take responsibility for such a serious error and avoid facing facts about it being stolen~

Therefore, in this episode of “The First Responders season 2,” Kang Do-Ha appears directly at the scene; it seems like he wants to quietly retrieve this thing without letting people know about it.