The Manipulated Ending Explained: First off, let us give special credit to the cast and the creative team behind this drama 조각도시 for creating one of the tightest psychological thrillers of the year. The acting from Ji Chang-wook, who plays Park Tae-joon, Doh Kyung-soo (EXO’s D.O.), who plays Yohan, Lee Kwang-soo, playing Baek Do-gyeong, Jo Yoon-soo, playing No Eun-bi, and Kim Jong-soo, playing No Yong-sik, among others, is so great that weak obsessions are turned into a moral decay with smooth accuracy.
Korean Drama The Manipulated Recap
The K-drama The Manipulated gives a peek into life and death situations, unfairness, and those invisible ties which are always there and unite common people whenever they come across a powerful predator. The protagonist is Tae-joon, who gets to meet the cunning and evil Yohan after being wrongfully charged with murder, who, in a way, does the same and also affects Tae-joon’s life, turning it upside down. The plot also brings to light the story of Yong-sik, a lonely parent, who is on the one hand facing his wish to protect his daughter Eun-bi from danger and on the other hand forced to act as a pawn in the complicated mental maze of Yohan’s masterpiece.
As the story unfolds, it thickens when a web of corruption and deceit is revealed, with politicians, corrupt businessmen, and corrupt police, all at Yohan’s beck and call. The moral dilemma for each of the characters has just gotten more complex because all of them find themselves in a moral quicksand where, with each wrong move, another wrong move is made, and with every effort of escape, their trap from Yohan becomes even stronger. In the name of justice, Tae-joon sets up some very unlikely and tragic alliances because he wants to expose the truth of the sins which have ruined his life.
From inner conflict in Tae-joon to the protection of his daughter by Yong-sik, and with a rising number of deaths, the series shows that no one comes out unscathed from the harmful influence of the sociopath. The genius of Yohan manipulates not only evidence but the whole human being by turning their fears and frailties against them.
The Manipulated Ending Explained
Why was Yong-sik Arrested?
In episode 11 of The Manipulated, Yong-sik becomes the newest target of Yohan’s cruel framing tactics. Just at that moment, when he is thinking about going to Tae-joon and choosing to deal with Yohan’s issue quietly, the police show up and arrest him in front of his little girl, Eun-bi and charge him with killing Assemblyman Baek.
This part of the story is reflective of the earlier arrest of Tae-joon and instantly signals to the audience that another trap has been laid by Yohan. While Eun-bi is yelling that her father is not guilty, Yong-sik is being pushed through a tumultuous and noisy media frenzy, which is only a sign of how fast Yohan can ruin a person’s public image with fake proof.
In the interrogation room, the full extent of Yohan’s manipulations is revealed: blackmail letters supposedly from Yong-sik, pictures, and DNA evidence presented by the police. Yong-sik is flabbergasted; it is not his doing. The paper they used, the victim’s DNA that was found in his house, and his DNA at the crime scene-all were professionally set in place.
Having no way out, he has to either confess or let Eun-bi be taken from him. Having very little left of his hope and frightened for his daughter’s life, he starts to take the blame. The arrest moment is a time when Tae-joon becomes aware of the utter disregard of Yohan for the repeated torture of innocent people, just to keep his psychological game going.
What happens to Baek Do-gyeong in the End?
Episode 12 of The Manipulated emphasises the shocking return of Baek Do-gyeong, long thought to be dead; his coming back marks the decisive moment of Tae-joon’s plot to finally reveal Yohan. Throughout the drama, flashbacks have shown that after the attack, Do-gyeong had gone into hiding. He came to an agreement with Tae-joon that he would make no interference in his life. This partnership will be very important, since Do-gyeong can deliver the proof that Yohan is involved in the murder of Assemblyman Baek and the whole chain of manipulated crimes.
Yohan is bidding for his 100th sculpture when, out of nowhere, Do-gyeong, in a wheelchair, comes up and starts raising the paddle, which brings Yohan out to him. Just in the midst of the artist, the police burst in, and Do-gyeong hands over the proof to them.
But his venture to make justice prevail is soon overturned as Yohan is detained for a short time; his henchmen break into the police station and set him free. Later, Yohan visits the hospital, and Do-gyeong’s death comes at his hands as he uses an oxygen tube to suffocate him. Do-gyeong dies as a victim and as a whistleblower who tried to shake off Yohan’s grasp but suffered the consequences of challenging him.
Was Tae-joon Able to Take his Revenge on Yohan?
Tae-joon’s revenge path is not only long but also full of twists and turns that he will have to go through with pain and suffering. Throughout the whole series, he has to bear so much pain and suffering that is, in essence, inflicted on him because of what Yohan did: being wrongfully imprisoned, his reputation ruined, and the people around him under constant threat. The very last episode of the show sees Tae-joon confronting Yohan at his house after having barely escaped from the various attacks directed at him, such as Yong-sik being stabbed and Eun-bi being kidnapped.
As soon as Tae-joon appears, it goes without saying that Yohan is keeping Eun-bi hostage, and this is the reason why he is not only giving in to Yohan but is also fighting back. For one brief moment, Tae-joon was almost about to lose control over his emotions upon witnessing how the little girl, whom he had sworn to protect, looked bruised and terrified.
It is then that the tables turn when Tae-joon gets to see a video of Yohan heartlessly killing his brother. This incident brings back all the rage, the grief, and the determination that Tae-joon has been fighting within himself for years. A ferocious fight erupts between Tae-joon and Yohan, and at one moment, Tae-joon stabs Yohan.
But with this morally ambiguous twist of events, he does not murder him. He is rather determined for Yohan to face the law, the truth, and the world he has been tormenting. Therefore, the revenge of Tae-joon is not in the act of killing Yohan but rather in the process of de-powering him, who once had such great power over the people around him that he used it with absolute confidence.
Also Read: 5 Dark, Twisted Thriller Kdramas Like The Manipulated Packed With Conspiracies and Mind Games
What Happens to Yohan at the End of The Manipulated?
Although Tae-joon had wanted Yohan to survive and face the legal punishment, it would seem that is not how things have gone. The unravelling of Yohan’s crimes began after his capture, and for the first time, people he framed were beginning to get exonerated. But before full justice could be meted out, a fire broke out in Yohan’s house. According to official reports, Yohan died in the fire. His death brings mixed feelings: relief that this nightmare is finally over, unease because it is suspiciously timed for such a calculating man.
How does The Manipulated End?
The ending of The Manipulated Korean drama seals the fates of the main characters, while the world is still somewhat uncertain. Tae-joon is finally acquitted and pronounced “not guilty”; his years of suffering are now over, and his honour is restored. Yong-sik survives the brutal assault by Chang Li and recovers with Eun-bi at his bedside. Finally, the manipulated, framed, and almost ruined characters take back their lives. The long-cherished dream about his drama café is finally realised by Tae-joon, and his great dark journey stands in warm contrast.
Will There Be The Manipulated Season 2?
For now, there is no confirmation on the second part, but the finale of The Manipulated gives room for hope for a second season. Yohan is no more, but the heart of his operation-the surveillance room-is full of life. There is a new person present who watches the tapes with immense interest.
That could mean one of two things: either Yohan was a part of some bigger organisation, or some person with power and means is going to keep on the same path he had started. That sounds like a lot more deep-rooted conspiracies, hidden enemies, and threats that might be directed at either Te-joon, who is perhaps a new victim, or at some other person. If Disney+ decides upon a sequel, then it could explore an even darker side of the world from which Tae-joon finally managed to get out.
