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Episode 1 of The Evil Lawyer sees a pregnant woman, Yupin, rushed into emergency surgery after a road accident. Before she goes under, she begs the doctors to save her kid.
The episode then shifts to the hearing of her case, where she says a monk named Boonlu caused the accident in order to steal her baby. At Boonlu’s monastery, evidence was found of decomposing corpses of infants being used in a ritual.
The pregnant defence lawyer panics and declines to cross-examine Yupin. Her senior attorney, Jittri, jumps in and cross-examines the doctor who performed the surgery. She asks if Yupin’s baby was dead at birth and the doctor confirms this, which leads Jittri to argue that there is no case, since the child was already dead in the womb. She wins on a technicality and Yupin feels beaten.
Jittri’s aide quits, calling her evil for using a technicality to stop a mother getting justice after her child’s body was stolen. Yupin pours pig’s blood on Jittri outside the courthouse, under the gaze of pro bono lawyer, Mek Piriyawich.
Mek asks the Public Defender’s Office to put him on a pro bono case. The staff talk about Jittri and how she takes controversial cases and always wins them somehow. Mek takes a case involving a fire at a recycling factory.
The staff tell him that the owner, an old man named Mr Panitarn Boonprayook, has admitted to having caused the blaze through negligence. Before the hearing, Mek approaches Panitarn’s son and tells him that the old man is being set up. But the man refuses to listen and says Mek can go ahead with his father’s testimony.
Panitarn faces a seven-year jail term and has been ordered to pay compensation to the victims’ families. Mek tries to convince him not to confess but Panitarn will not recant. Outside the court room, Mek’s junior and prosecutor Techin Methaneepaisal tells him to back off. Mek challenges Techin and vows to tell the truth.
Mek goes to the site of the fire and comes across his ex-girlfriend Ang and her politician mother Dr Atchara. Dr Atchara is helping the community bounce back – with members of her party.
Mek, after talking to Panitarn’s neighbours, finds out that Panitarn was a security guard at the factory and the only caretaker of his grandchild, Kratai. Panitarn’s neighbours say that the factory belongs to his son and that he is being made to take the blame.
Mek asks Ang why she broke up with him after the boat party 3 months ago, but she does not want to talk about it. He remembers their last conversation, when she dumped him, not telling him what happened on the boat.
In the meantime, Mek goes to the hospital where Panitarn is staying and attempts to convince him to change his plea. Panitarn’s son tries to step in but Mek stands his ground. Finally, at the plea bargain hearing, Mek reminds Panitarn of Kratai and persuades him to change his mind. Panitarn – not guilty. Techin is furious.
Techin returns home, and tells his father, Police General Anan Methaneepaisal, that the case will need more time to solve. Anan is disappointed and scolds him for throwing away an opportunity. That night Techin offers Mek money to drop the case. But when Mek says no Techin mentions his breakup with Ang and tells him to come to his house if he wants to know the truth.
Desperate for answers, Mek visits Techin’s mansion. Techin takes him to a golf course, where he meets Nay Oo, a Burmese woman he is holding captive. Techin treats Nay Oo cruelly. Nay Oo is bruised all over her body.
Ang helped dispose of the body of a female server who drowned in an accident at the VIP boat party during their game, Techin says. He says Nay Oo is the only witness and the victim is Nay Oo’s sister.
Techin says Ang wants to cover up the incident to protect her political future and her mother’s career. He argues that killing her is the only way to save Nay Oo. Techin tries to shoot Nay Oo but she escapes. Mek has a panic attack but is able to stop him.
Techin shoots again, then forces Mek’s hand on the gun, framing him. Nay Oo was missed by the bullet, and Techin was distracted enough for her to hit him over the head with a golf club, killing him. Nay Oo escapes and the police arrest Mek for Techin’s murder. Jittri turns up and offers him defence as the episode closes with him in police custody.
Review of Episode
Interesting episode. Sounds like there was some contentious things going on with the death of Techin. There’s the old man in the wheelchair at Techin’s house who was silently observing his conversation with Anan, and Anan himself doesn’t seem to be the only suspicious one.
That factory fire case also looks like it’s connected to someone big, and Mek might have been close to figuring out what really happened that night. I wonder why Ang didn’t tell Mek the truth about the incident. It’s not like she even killed Nay Oo’s sister to begin with.
That said, we can’t take Techin’s story at face value, as he is an unreliable narrator. I’m excited to see where the story goes from here as it’s shaping up to be a compelling crime drama.