Episode 3 of "Black Out: Snow White Must Die" commences with a poignant flashback to Jeong-woo's high school days. Byeon-moo extends an invitation, urging Jeong-woo to embark on a thrill-filled joyride with his gang. As the car speeds through the streets, Jeong-woo eventually announces their dwindling fuel, steering them back to the warehouse for a parking break. But amidst the mundane task, Jeong-woo's reality twists, plunging him into a hallucinatory nightmare where he finds himself alone in the vehicle, mere inches from a collision with a haunting figure—Bo-young, standing stoically in front of the car.
The narrative abruptly shifts to the present, where Sang-cheol shadows Jeong-woo on his relentless quest for answers about his mother's mysterious accident. Jeong-woo confronts the shopkeeper who sold Geum-hee her final outfit, imploring for access to the CCTV footage that might unravel the truth. The shopkeeper's stony refusal leaves Jeong-woo crestfallen, his shoulders drooping as he exits the store. Sang-cheol, noticing the exchange, attempts to tail Jeong-woo's steps, only to be outwitted by the sharp-eyed protagonist who calls out, aware of his presence. Jeong-woo, unwavering in his conviction that his mother's death was no suicide, presents the shop's cash receipt as evidence of her intentions.
Just as the tension simmers, Jeong-woo's phone rings, Na-kyeom's voice on the line, informing him of Geum-hee's transfer to a private hospital room. With renewed urgency, Jeong-woo rushes to his mother's side, politely requesting Sang-cheol to desist from his pursuit. Left behind, Sang-cheol retraces his steps to the bridge, determined to uncover the intricate link between Jeong-woo's unsolved murder case and his mother's tragic accident.
Elsewhere, Na-kyeom delves into a screenplay titled "The Snow White," destined for filming in Mucheon's environs. Simultaneously, Su-oh descends into the cryptic basement of his greenhouse, his fingers lingering over an aged painting, its significance shrouded in mystery. And as the stakes rise, Heung-soo's world is thrown into chaos upon realizing Geum-hee's absence from her room, fear and desperation gripping his every breath.
The CEO of the agency overseeing Na-kyeom's career makes a surprising visit to her bedside in the hospital, leaving her stunned to discover that Na-kyeom has secured a screenplay slated for filming in Mucheon, solely to be closer to a friend whose mother lies ailing in the same hospital. That same afternoon, Ha-seol ventures to see Su-oh, eager to discuss their impending hiking adventure. However, Su-oh appears disengaged, withholding from her the painting he retrieved from the depths of the basement. Frustrated, Ha-seol chooses to depart, her spirits dampened.
As Ha-seol strolls towards visiting Geum-hee, memories of her time as a resident physician at the hospital resurface, vividly recalling a botched surgery where negligence claimed a life on the operating table. In stark contrast, present-day Su-yeol reflects on that tragic past, cherishing the tranquility of her current existence.
Wandering through the village, Ha-seol's attention is abruptly drawn to an unusual sight: a dog frolicking with a human bone. She swiftly captures the eerie image, then inquires of the dog's owner about the bone's origin. Meanwhile, Jeong-woo sits vigilantly by his mother's side in the ICU, when an unexpected visitor arrives in the form of Heung-soo, casting an unexpected shadow over the tense scene.
Jeong-woo endeavors to coax the truth from Heung-soo regarding the incident, yet the latter remains steadfast in his silence, demanding that Jeong-woo withdraw from their lives entirely. Sang-cheol, on the other hand, diligently retraces Geum-hee's footsteps from the fateful day, visiting every store she visited or crossed paths with in a quest for elusive clues. His investigation uncovers a intriguing detail: Jae-hee, Bo-young's mother, had her suspicious gaze fixed upon Geum-hee on the morning of her tragic accident.
Meanwhile, Jeong-woo, driven by a sense of obligation, tails Heung-soo until they arrive at Bo-young's abode. Memories of his past deeds resurface, where he had once lent Bo-young a helping hand, freeing her from the clutches of her alcoholic father. Now, peering from the shadows, he observes Bo-young's parents as Heung-soo retreats inside to drown his sorrows with a friend.
Sang-cheol, ever resourceful, enlists Byeong-moo's aid to gain access to Jae-hee and, with subtlety, scrutinizes her recent phone records around the time of the accident. His efforts yield a damning revelation: Jae-hee had contacted her husband, Dong-min, mere moments before Geum-hee's fate was sealed.
Concurrently, a confrontation of epic proportions ensues between Heung-soo and Dong-min. Heung-soo, his voice laced with accusation, confronts Dong-min for having shoved Jeong-woo off the overpass, claiming to have witnessed the deed with his own eyes. This stunning accusation leaves Choo-ho stunned and shaken to the core. As they journey back, Choo-ho urges Heung-soo to report Dong-min to the authorities without delay.
Sang-cheol convenes with his team, reviewing the case with meticulous care. He issues a directive to the detectives, tasking them with uncovering additional evidence to propel the investigation forward. And just when it seems the trail might go cold, Byeong-moo unearths a crucial CCTV footage showcasing Dong-min outside the very shirt store where Geum-hee had been. Upon revisiting the surveillance footage from the vicinity, the police arrive at a chilling conclusion: Dong-min was, indeed, in hot pursuit of Geum-hee.
That fateful evening, Dong-min gathered the jacket and shoes stained with the incident's aftermath, intent on ridding himself of them forever. Little did he know, Jeong-woo, lurking in the shadows around the house, had been watching his every move. Jeong-woo, aghast at Dong-min's attempted matricide, swiftly contacted Sang-cheol, voicing his outrage. Confronting Dong-min head-on, Jeong-woo demanded answers, his voice laced with anguish as he pleaded for Dong-min to take his life instead, questioning the twisted logic behind punishing his own mother.
Just as Dong-min lunged forward, ready to unleash his fury, the sound of sirens pierced the night, and the police arrived to apprehend him. Sang-cheol, his voice heavy with disdain, informed Jeong-woo of the town's collective hatred towards him. Meanwhile, Gu-tak was shaken to the core upon learning of Dong-min's plot to end Geum-hee's life.
As the night deepened, Ha-seol's urgent call to Byeong-moo echoed with news of a human bone discovered in the neighboring village. The two made their way to the police station, unaware that Jeong-woo, eavesdropping on their conversation, had joined them in their quest to uncover the truth. Together, they ventured to the dreary drain where the bone had been unearthed, while Sang-cheol, in a separate pursuit, attempted to coerce Dong-min into confessing to his mother's near-fatal push.
Dong-min, now agitated and unpredictable, demanded that Gu-tak be summoned to the interrogation room. Sang-cheol, aware of Dong-min's alcohol-fueled volatility, shrewdly used his own drinking as a tactic, hoping to provoke a confession. Outside the station, Heung-soo, Choo-ho, and Jae-hee anxiously awaited, pleading with Gu-tak to grant them access to Dong-min. Gu-tak, firm in his refusal, sent them away, frustrating Jae-hee to no end.
Elsewhere, Ha-seol ventured alone into the murky depths of the drain, her determination to uncover the truth unwavering. Sang-cheol, meanwhile, persisted in his drunken interrogation, his nightlong vigil with Dong-min revealing a dark tale of Bo-young and Jeong-woo's alleged psychosis, a chilling revelation that painted a twisted picture of a family torn apart by grief and madness.
That fateful evening, the anxious parents converged at Bo-young's abode, their hearts heavy with the urgency to devise a plan that would rescue Dong-min from his perilous situation. Ha-seol, filled with trepidation, lingered at the threshold, her gaze fixed on the entrance, awaiting Jeong-woo's return from the treacherous sewer. As the minutes ticked by without his reappearance, she could no longer contain her worry and resolved to follow in his footsteps. Emerging from the murky depths of the drain, Jeong-woo was met with Ha-seol's intense gaze, her voice laced with concern as she pressed him for details of their investigation, each word a testament to her unwavering commitment to finding a solution.
Jeong-woo's voice was laced with resignation as he disclosed that the specter of an unjust case, a decade old, still relentlessly haunted him, despite his unwavering innocence. Guided by her compassionate hand, he approached a nearby manhole, a portal that might just as well serve as a conduit to the murky depths of the drain system. With a heavy heart, Jeong-woo descended into the yawning abyss, peering into the darkness, seeking answers amidst the labyrinthine tunnels.
Concurrently, Sang-cheol endeavors to extract a confession from Dong-min through subtle persuasion. A poignant flashback unveils Dong-min's ire towards Geum-hee, simmering with resentment as she offers Jeong-woo a meal and a fresh shirt. His voice quivers with emotion as he reminds Geum-hee that Jeong-woo stands accused of taking his beloved daughter's life, beseeching her to uphold her vows and abandon Jeong-woo. Their dispute escalates atop the overpass, climaxing in Dong-min's impulsive shove, sending Geum-hee reeling backwards, their argument fraught with anguish and betrayal.
In a poignant confession, the present-day Dong-min reveals that he inadvertently shoved Geum-hee off the treacherous overpass, sending her into an unforeseen tragedy. Meanwhile, deep within the confines of a dark and mysterious manhole, Jeong-woo stumbles upon a haunting discovery: human remains intertwined with a school uniform, adorned with a name tag bearing the name Shim Bo-young, evoking a chilling sense of the past's tragic echoes.Ha-seol urgently dials Byeong-moo's number, her voice laced with concern as she relays the news of Jeong-woo's unexpected descent into the murky depths of the manhole. Overhearing their tense exchange, Sang-cheol's curiosity piqued, he swiftly sets out, driven by a need to ensure Jeong-woo's well-being, and heads straight for the location to investigate personally.
Ha-seol is thunderstruck as Jeong-woo's anguished screams pierce the air from within the depths of the manhole, his voice laden with remorse as he apologizes to Bo-young's long-entombed remains for allowing her to flee that fateful afternoon a decade past. Jeong-woo's breakdown echoes through the confined space, a haunting symphony of grief.
The commotion swiftly draws the attention of the police force, Hee-do and Gu-tak among them, their senses heightened by the urgency of the situation. Meanwhile, Ha-seol, her heart heavy with revelation, urgently dials the number of her superior, Jung-sook, to convey the shocking discovery of Bo-young's remains, each word laden with the gravity of the moment.
The scene comes alive with a palpable sense of emotion, where the past and present collide, and the truth threatens to unravel long-buried secrets.
Jung-sook gently rouses Jae-hee from her slumber, her voice laced with urgency as she shares the news about Bo-young. In a moment of hopeful misinterpretation, Jae-hee's heart leaps, assuming that the police have miraculously discovered her beloved daughter, safe and sound.
Concurrently, Sang-cheol descends into the murky depths of the manhole, where he encounters Jeong-woo, standing eerily over Bo-young's remnants. Jeong-woo's demeanor abruptly shifts, his aggression toward the officer flaring up like a wildfire.The episode culminates in a tense moment as Sang-cheol, desperation etched on his face, holds a gun to Jeong-woo's head in a last-ditch effort to jolt him back to reality.
