Episode 4 of “Copycat Killer” had the viewers dangling on the edge of their seats because, for a moment, it came to a point where it was assumed that Yong Lin’s daughter had been killed by the kidnapper/killer, and Yong Lin probably wouldn’t be able to live with this guilt of not trying enough to save his kid. Simultaneously, Jian Ho, an employee of TNB News, comes forward to let Kuo and his team know that he received a call from the killer twice; the second time, there was a message for Yong Lin, which stated the father should apologize on national television and humiliate himself, which Yong Lin almost does. The bigger question here is whether his daughter is going to become the next victim of the game the killer/kidnapper is playing.
Spoilers Ahead
Who’s The Girl?
Yong Lin finds the body of a decapitated girl on the top of a slide in the children’s park only to realize that it belongs to the girl whom he knew was his daughter’s best friend. Though he is shocked to see how she was killed, he is just relieved to know it is not his daughter Yu-Tong. Yong Lin is shaking to the point that Kuo must come and pacify the grown man because he is reminiscing about his only daughter, and he has been paralyzed by the fear of losing her. Yong Lin is a typical parent who wouldn’t want these kinds of horrifying things to happen to his children. Even if she survives this ordeal, she will have to go through years of trauma-related therapy to get past this horrifying memory of being kidnapped and abused. Kuo also goes ahead and lets Yong Lin know that the man in the park was given 1000 USD to throw the flier towards them from the slide just to create some attention, and the phone call they received at the TNB news channel came from Yu-Tong’s phone, so there is nothing further they can unearth with this investigation. Kuo feels they need to step up and find out who is carrying out these gruesome acts. They are either closing in on Jian Ho or revealing the calls. From here on, Kuo is on a path to find solid leads, and he will not back down.
Jian Ho’s Suspicions
Jian Ho is a hardworking member of the TNB news family, and he meant well when he finally placed a call to let the police know about the call he received from the killer twice. He heads home to be with his friend and roommate, Jian Wun when Jian Ho starts talking about the questioning he was put through by Kuo upon revealing the calls. Jian Wun is the murderer, as shown in the fourth episode, but he acts unperturbed at this point; he is hoping the boy will sue the police for mistreating and manhandling him. Jian Ho hears the news that a girl’s decapitated body has been found, and he starts suspecting his friend Jian Wun because he has been acting slightly off, if not completely weird. Jian Ho has every reason to suspect his friend because, during his younger days, Jian Wu was responsible for brutally beating up Jian Ho’s girlfriend while Jian Ho remained passed out from a fight. The blame for the assault went to Jian Ho, but he always suspected it was his friend who did it, though he never questioned him. Jian Ho is a cautious friend who does not want to create an unnecessary rift without knowing the full story.
Jian Ho asks Jian Wun to point out if he is the one who is killing the women, and the latter denies being involved in any form of murder because he has no reason to accept such accusations coming his way from his best friend. Jian Ho is convinced that his best friend is telling him the truth, and he hopes Jian Wun will continue doing so in the future. Jian Ho also adds that if Jian Wun is the killer, he would want him to come clean to Jian Ho and surrender to the police. The least Jian Ho can expect from his best friend is this honesty before any arrest happens. That is what friendship is all about. Jian Ho trusts his best friend to come clean as soon as possible because once the police start suspecting Jian Wun, there will be no turning back for the latter from then on.
‘Copycat Killer’ Episode 5 Ending Explained – Why Does Yong Lin Follow Jian Wun?
Yen-Jhen begins her segment where she talks in depth about why women are always blamed if anything goes wrong, which would include molestation, sexual harassment, catcalling, and teasing. For all the above and more, women are blamed for being who they are, and they get attacked. No one questions or wants to corner the men who commit the crime. People are quick to take sides, and most of the time, they side with the men who believe women should act their age. They lecture that if a woman does not go out at night, hang out with men, or talk to men and follows these basic rules, she will remain safe for the rest of her life. Yen-Jhen wants to cut through the clutter about all of this and have an open decision on looking at crime as crime and not bringing gender roles into it. Ya-Cih is proud of the work she is doing and praises her for raising the issue, which is of utmost importance in the wake of the serial killer on the prowl, hunting young girls left, right, and center, and still, the women are getting blamed for this gruesome act of violence unleashed upon them. Ya-Cih always wanted to do something similar with the channel she is working for, but she can only hope that it will turn out to be a profitable show.
At the police station, Kuo and his team unearth the lipstick used on the victim’s face, which was produced by the brand Echo in 1965. This is one step towards getting to the killer, and the list of people who would have purchased these lipsticks in the last few years will provide a solid lead for the investigation team. Kuo, though, has another doubt about why the killer always chose TNB News to broadcast his news. That’s how Jian Ho again shows up on their radar. After all, he seems to be the person of interest in this case because he received calls from the killer. Why was it only he who was called? Jian Ho also admitted to Jian Wun that the man who claimed to be the serial killer had a hint of familiarity that he wasn’t able to overlook. Kuo begins a thorough investigation of Jian Ho’s background but ends up finding out more about Jian Ho’s friend Jian Wun.
Kuo is intrigued by what Jina Wun’s mother has to say about her only child, whom she refers to as her daughter. Anyone would assume Jian Wun to be a transman who transitioned from a woman to a man, but as the story goes, the mother raised Jian Wun as her daughter because she lost her baby daughter born before Jian Wun. The mother could not handle the trauma of losing her child, so she named her next child Jian Wun and started raising him as her daughter, always using female pronouns. Jian Wun thought he had outgrown wearing a girl’s uniform to keep his mother happy, but he put his foot down to let her know that he is a boy and wants to live like one.
Jian Wun’s mental health was severely affected by his mother’s obsession with raising him as a daughter, and he started hallucinating about his dead sister, whom he was named after. His body and mind go through a switch when a woman aggressively pushes him away. Something in him switches to wanting to beat women up and make them his victim of abuse while they remain alive. Jian Wun suffers from childhood trauma that he never recovered from, and his mother and his friend never realized he had issues after all. Jian Ho is under the impression that he has a temper, and the mother just hopes to get her daughter back. Jian Wun, on the other hand, is just struggling to come to terms with his mind and is doing crazy things that he sometimes isn’t aware of. There are signs of severe trauma that nobody bothered to help him with.
After learning all this about Jian Wun, he is now on Kuo’s radar because he is sure the boy is responsible for the murders being committed. His alibis must be strong if he wants to get off scot-free. He is questioned, but Jian Wun acts all cocky and doesn’t respond the right way. Jian Wun would not want to get involved in this case, and he would not let them get close to any of his operations, but Kuo is adamant about looking for a breakthrough. This he does not get immediately, but he is hoping to get one. Yong Lin is informed of Jian Wun being a major suspect, and the man, in absolute rage, follows Jian Wun in the hope of making him confess to his crime and revealing the location of Yong’s daughter. Jian Wun refuses to do so, and a fight ensues between the two, hoping either will soon fall short and lose. Both have their hearts set on a fight to the end. Jian Wun, with all his strength, pushes Yong Lin from the top floor, only for the man to fall and lose consciousness. Jian Wun is in shock at what just transpired because Yong Lin is a police officer, and injuring the man would mean an arrest warrant coming his way soon. This will also mean unearthing his past and the killings he has done. Jian Wun is now not far from being caught, but he intends to lead them on a chase for a while longer yet.
