On the Sept. 20 episode of SBS’ Friday-Saturday drama "Queen Mantis", Cha Soo-yeol is pushed out of the task force just as the team closes in on the serial killer.
After zeroing in on a suspect, Kim Na-hee and Bae Seong-gyu still can’t shake their doubts about Soo-yeol and secretly tail him―only to uncover what he’s been hiding.
Na-hee then demands he leave the team, citing a conflict of interest with Jung Yi-shin and blasting him for misleading his colleagues. “We don’t need a leader who lies―and certainly not one who shows no care for the victims,” she says, making it clear his time on the case is over.
Reeling, Soo-yeol comes clean to Lee Jung-yeon: the serial killer known as “Mantis” is his mother, Jung Yi-shin―portrayed by Ko Hyun-jung. The admission leaves Lee Jung-yeon staggered.
Consumed by self-loathing, Soo-yeol confesses he’s terrified of the blood he’s inherited. He admits that fear is why he’s resisted starting a family: he’s scared of passing on “that violent, filthy blood.”
In a heartbreaking final beat, he tells her, “I love you. I’m sorry for lying,” and walks away, swallowing his tears.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)