‘The Scorpion: Killer’s Outing’ Season 2 Ratings Soar: Go Hyun-jung & Jang Dong-yoon’s Mother-Son Duo Ignites Suspenseful Partnership

SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama ‘The Scorpion: Killer’s Outing’ is captivating audiences with a surge in viewership. According to Nielsen Korea, the second episode, aired on the 6th, recorded a 7.3% viewership rating in the Seoul metropolitan area, marking an increase from the previous episode and proving its rising popularity. The peak viewership briefly hit 10%, surpassing double digits, while the crucial 2049 demographic rating also saw a steep climb from 2.5% to a high of 3.29%, demonstrating the undeniable magic of the trusted actress Go Hyun-jung.

The episode kicked off the intense collaboration between serial killer mother Jung Yi-shin (Go Hyun-jung) and her detective son Cha Soo-yeol (Jang Dong-yoon) as they began their pursuit of a copycat murderer. The complex and delicate mother-son relationship, where neither can fully trust nor fully suspect the other, plunged viewers into a whirlpool of suspense.

Following a cryptic remark from Jung Yi-shin at the second copycat murder scene, Cha Soo-yeol, who captured a crucial clue, identified the prime suspect, Seo Gu-wan (Lee Tae-gu). At Seo Gu-wan’s residence, Cha Soo-yeol discovered extensive materials related to the 'Scorpion' serial killings, personal information of various individuals, and evidence of homemade firearm manufacturing using a 3D printer. Most shocking were the letters that appeared to have been exchanged between Seo Gu-wan and Jung Yi-shin, who is currently incarcerated.

Enraged, Cha Soo-yeol confronted Jung Yi-shin at her correctional facility late at night, suspecting she had ordered Seo Gu-wan to kill. However, Jung Yi-shin denied the accusation, taunting him with, "Is that all you've got as a detective?" The electric tension between the mother and son, who met after 23 years, was palpable and riveting.

Meanwhile, Seo Gu-wan committed another crime. Under the delusion that his half-brother Kim Tae-seok had stolen his happiness, Seo Gu-wan broke into Kim Tae-seok's home and threatened his wife and children, acting as if he were Kim Tae-seok himself. Fortunately, due to the swift response of the police, Kim Tae-seok's wife and children were saved, and Seo Gu-wan was arrested. However, Kim Tae-seok’s whereabouts remained unknown, his survival uncertain.

After his arrest, Seo Gu-wan provocatively taunted both Kim Na-hee (Lee El) and Cha Soo-yeol, specifically using Jung Yi-shin's name to fuel Cha Soo-yeol's anger. Ultimately, Choi Joong-ho (Cho Seong-ha) and Cha Soo-yeol brought Seo Gu-wan to Jung Yi-shin. Faced with the fanatic who idolizes her, Jung Yi-shin used her inscrutable demeanor and actions to provoke Seo Gu-wan, coaxing a crucial hint out of him that Kim Tae-seok might still be alive.

Seo Gu-wan’s rampage, however, did not cease. After attempting to strangle Jung Yi-shin, he even uttered the name of Cha Soo-yeol's wife, Lee Jung-yeon (Kim Bo-ra), in front of her. In that instant, Jung Yi-shin’s eyes glinted with madness as she choked Seo Gu-wan. Cha Soo-yeol, who barely prevented Seo Gu-wan’s death, was met with a chilling whisper from Jung Yi-shin: "It has to end. You have to kill him now. You heard it all, right? He knows everything." It was a moment that sent shivers down the spines of both Cha Soo-yeol and the viewers.

Amidst the chaos, Seo Gu-wan shot himself in the head. Cha Soo-yeol, piecing together the psychology of Jung Yi-shin and Seo Gu-wan, deduced Kim Tae-seok's likely location and finally found him. The episode concluded with a heart-stopping cliffhanger, intercutting between Cha Soo-yeol’s desperate struggle to save Kim Tae-seok and Jung Yi-shin's eerie act of opening a ventilation grate and feeding leaves hidden in her mouth to unidentified insects. The stark contrast between the two characters left viewers breathless.

Go Hyun-jung, a renowned South Korean actress, began her career after winning the Miss Korea pageant in 1989. She has since starred in numerous hit dramas such as 'Sandglass', 'Queen Seondeok', and 'Dear My Friends', earning widespread acclaim for her versatile performances. In 'The Scorpion: Killer’s Outing', she takes on the complex role of a notorious serial killer and mother of two, poised to deliver another iconic performance.