☔️ In the Name of Justice 以法之名 ☂ (2025) Discussion: Episodes 20 - 23
[Note: I am posting this on behalf of Joie due to current issues with Joie's reddit account].
Welcome
Welcome to the the episode discussion series for In the Name of Justice 以法之名. This series is hosted by u/Large_Jacket_4107 ☂ and u/rabatjoie2 ☂. Unfortunately, my account was suspended and while I’m trying to sort it out, Jacket kindly offered to publish this post on my behalf.
🎬Premiered: June 24, 2025 on Youku 👖 (MDL)
🎬# of Episodes: 36🎬Genre: Internal Affairs | Legal | Crime | (Light) Suspense
🔗Links: Announcement Post | Character Wiki Post
🔗Episode Discussions: All | Ep 1 - 3 | 4 - 7 | 8 - 11 | 12 - 15 | 16 - 19
❗ Please use Spoiler tags in comments if you are revealing info from future episodes ❗
♾️ Past and present intertwined
As Hong investigates Qiao’s death, he discovers Qiao had been re-examining the shooting at Wan Hai’s mine, which happens to be the case that began their careers as prosecutors. It reminded me of the first few episodes of We Are Criminal Police because of the similar setting and uncertainty around the shooter’s identity. That said, the motive here doesn’t appear to be money, but a personal vendetta of Mr. Yu, who’s fixated on taking Wan Hai down by any means possible.
At this point, it looks like Qiao Zhenxing was murdered for getting too close to the truth about Xiong Lei, who turned out to be the real gunman in the robbery case and had staged his own death to avoid prison. It also seems likely that the money Qiao borrowed from Li was meant to support the family of Sun Yihu – an accomplice who took the fall for the shooting despite not pulling the trigger. Qiao probably carried a lot of guilt for sentencing the wrong man to death, so he did everything he could to make it right… even if that meant borrowing money from others XD
To understand how the accountant’s testimony was falsified, we don’t need to look far. It's enough to consider which of the known Umbrellas had the power to steer the investigation off course at the time:
I’m honestly surprised this whole Umbrella protection system was already operating back then. I assumed the corruption only took root in the past three years as part of the Umbrella Corp’s larger plan. But this drama really doesn’t pull any punches when exposing how deep the corruption runs, does it?
🔵Mistakes Were Made
There are quite a few flashbacks in these episodes, and I appreciated how the production team made each one feel unique and engaging. I think my favorite was the one from Hong’s POV because it let us see other characters through his perspective, but also get a better sense of what kind of person he was before. So when he had to pick between Li and Qiao, I really wasn't sure who he would side with:
Why does this scene feel like a binary choice in a video game? XD
In their debate, Qiao argued that more evidence was needed to handle this case properly, as evidence is the foundation of justice. In contrast, Li was more focused on public image, what the higher-ups would think and the need for swift punishment to calm the public.
It’s surprising that Hong chose to side with Li at the time, but now it seems like he’s starting to regret it. If the case gets revisited, he might be held responsible for how it was handled.
In comparison, Li doesn’t seem nearly as shaken after realizing how many irregularities he missed in the Wan Hai case. It’s still unclear whether he’ll lose his position as General Prosecutor once his negligence comes to light. But I think what he’s really worried about now is that his wife's connections with Tianlong Corp will make him look guilty by association. So for now his best chance is to overturn Wan Hai’s case on his own.
💥Mining “accident”
The biggest event in these episodes is without a doubt the sabotage at Wan Hai’s mine. It’s the first time we see how Umbrella Corp actions directly impact ordinary people outside of law and politics. The most absurd part is that the accident was caused by the growing egos and rivalry between Long and Jiang as they compete for the attention of their mentor Mr. Yu.
The way this episode was shot deserves a special mention: the scene where the mine elevator plunges with the workers inside was truly harrowing! The opening credits feel so much more meaningful now, knowing they were filled with clues and foreshadowing all along.
Good news is that the Umbrellas were caught red-handed and won’t go unpunished this time! With a video showing them covering up crimes, the Justice group finally has more than just guesses and speculations to put forward.
Zheng Yaping is already pulling the old gang back together for a rematch with the mafia guys aiming to take them all down in one swoop! I was so glad when she asked for Hong to join the team despite their argument earlier.
Let justice be done!
💬Discussion Questions
- Did you enjoy the flashbacks in these episodes, or did you think they were overused?
- Why do you think Hong sided with Li rather than Qiao back then?
- Any interesting dynamics between mafia guys you noticed?
- What are your thoughts on the mining "accident"?
- Why do you think Hong chose not to submit his self-criticism report about the shooting case? Will that decision come back to bite him later?
Posted Jul 6, 2025, 7:41 PM UTC