SBS 'Taxi Driver 3' Lee Je-hoon set foot on the mysterious island "Samheungdo," opening the prelude to a grand war against a villain who commercializes crime.
On the 27th (Sat) at 9:50 p.m., the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Taxi Driver 3' (written by Oh Sang-ho / directed by Kang Bo-seung / produced by Studio S, Group Eight, BN Entertainment) episode 12 revealed the identity of the so-called "general manager" (played by Park Si-yoon), the mastermind behind secondhand goods transaction scams, as Do-gi (played by Lee Je-hoon) and the "Rainbow Dark Heroes" carried out corrective education, while also uncovering that there were backers who packaged and sold the secondhand scam crimes, creating an immersive, can't-take-your-eyes-off-it tension. According to Nielsen Korea, episode 12 of 'Taxi Driver 3' recorded a peak rating of 19.1%, 15.2% in the Seoul metropolitan area, and 14% nationwide, breaking its own record once again and starting a full-throttle run toward 20%. In particular, the 20-49 rating reached a peak of 5.57% and averaged 4.9%, not only renewing its own highest record but also ranking first among all broadcasts aired since October, proving the drama's power as the season's biggest topic.
The "Rainbow Dark Heroes" — Do-gi, Representative Jang (played by Kim Eui-sung), Go Eun (played by Pyo Ye-jin), Chief Choi (played by Jang Hyuk-jin), and Assistant Park (played by Bae Yu Ram) — enraged by a new criminal group treating crime as a simple money-making venture, opened fire with a customized "No-no eye" revenge aimed at the secondhand scam organization's "general manager" (played by Park Si-yoon). Above all, the biggest task was to pull the general manager, who committed all manner of evils hiding behind anonymity, out from behind the screen.
To that end, the "Rainbow Dark Heroes" switched roles: Do-gi took charge of the call van while Go Eun appeared as a secondary-character player, raising interest. In particular, Go Eun infiltrated the secondhand scam organization as a part-timer and charmed the general manager with her nonchalant acting skills. She then blatantly embezzled funds and deliberately became his target by infecting all the organization members' laptops with ransomware. In response to Go Eun's actions, the so-called "scratched" general manager subjected Go Eun to vicious cyberbullying and delivery terrorism, as he had earlier done to victims. But Go Eun maintained an attitude that showed no sense of being hit and instead launched a satisfying counterattack that shattered the general manager's mental composure. At that moment, Go Eun's annoying provocation, which precisely pinpointed the "scratch points," drew laughter, and the shabby reality of the general manager, helplessly swayed by Go Eun, was revealed, adding to the exhilaration.
In the end, the general manager appeared offline to catch Go Eun. The "Rainbow Dark Heroes," having finally exposed both the general manager's identity and his hideout, began the corrective education session, recovered all the scammed goods, and successfully rescued a dog that had been abused. But instead of showing remorse, the general manager told Do-gi, who had come to punish him, "If you have seed money, I can introduce you to professionals who will set up any crime," spouting absurdities. Just then, an A/S package from a company arrived, and the general manager, saying "I'll let you see with your own eyes," proudly opened the delivery box in front of Do-gi, only for it to be revealed that the package was actually a small bomb sent to eliminate him, delivering a shock. The general manager died on the spot, and Do-gi ran out into the street to chase the delivery person, spotting a live-fish truck turning down an alley, but the explosion's impact prevented any further pursuit.
It was revealed that there are cruel people who do business targeting those who want to become criminals. After investigation, they found that those people were connected to an island called "Samheungdo," and Do-gi and Representative Jang went to the problematic island, raising the tension.
Meanwhile, upon entering Samheungdo, Do-gi and Representative Jang sensed a suspicious atmosphere pervading the island. Every island resident they met — including the chairwoman (played by Lee Chae-won), Lieutenant Kim (played by Ji Dae-han), Writer Go (played by Kim Sungkyu), and President Choi (played by Yoo Ji-wang) — seemed to watch the two's every move excessively, and they displayed subtle exclusion and caution that amplified the unease. Above all, Do-gi noticed that the lanterns hung inside Samheungsa looked like accounting ledgers, and while descending from the temple he even saw the live-fish truck he had seen earlier at the explosion scene, solidifying his suspicions about Samheungdo into certainty.
Furthermore, near the end of the episode, Do-gi discovered traces of professional operators inside Samheungsa, bringing the tension to a peak. Arriving at the temple alone at the islanders' opportune moment to go to the mainland, Do-gi found in the temple office numerous forged passports, burner phones, and even CCTV that monitored the entire island. In particular, when Do-gi found a pen engraved with the Prosecutors' Office Training Institute alumni association, questions immediately rose about how far the crimes involving public authority extend, sharply increasing curiosity about future developments.
Meanwhile, 'Taxi Driver 3' is a private retribution drama about the veiled taxi company Rainbow Transportation and taxi driver Kim Do-gi completing revenge on behalf of wronged victims. It airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 p.m.
[Photo] 'Taxi Driver 3'
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