Detective Chinatown Episode 1 Recap
> Detective Chinatown Recap
Lin Mo, a detective at the Tang Ren Detective Agency in Chinatown, Bangkok, found himself embroiled in a series of bizarre cases after his master, Tang Ren, departed for America. This began with A Wen, a bar singer, who reported a strange incident. One Wednesday night, while waiting for the last metro, she distinctly heard chanting that became louder than her music. As she checked her phone, an invisible force brutally shoved her onto the tracks.
Unable to scream for help as a train approached, she was saved just in time by Mr. Su Tai. However, police CCTV footage showed no one behind her, leading them to disbelieve her story. A week later, a woman named Shui, a wealthy Chinese-Thai owner of a hotel chain, tragically jumped to her death from her apartment building. Her husband reported that she too had been hearing similar chanting before her death.
The police chief, despite initially dismissing such claims as superstitious, found the cases unsettling enough to call for a detective. He himself had recently visited Zhengwang Temple and bought roasted corn, a detail Lin Mo deduced through his acute sense of smell and observation, much to the chief's surprise.
Lin Mo, a former chemistry teacher known for his keen senses, was brought in by Officer Kun Tai, the chief's subordinate, to take on the cases, as Tang Ren was in America and still owed the police department 19 free investigations from a previous case. On a video call, Tang Ren casually dismissed the current cases as trivial, advising Lin Mo to merely "deal with them."
Lin Mo was partnered with Officer Sasha, a capable female detective who had transferred from headquarters specifically to work on these cases. Despite Sasha's initial enthusiasm for teamwork, Lin Mo's focused and somewhat aloof demeanor, along with her attempts to hold his hand as a "partner," created immediate friction. Their first stop was Shui's apartment.
CCTV footage showed Shui performing a "wish dance" to invoke blessings from the Brahma, also known as the Four-Faced Buddha, on the rooftop at 2 AM before her jump. The autopsy confirmed suicide, but the presence of amitriptyline, an antidepressant, in her blood raised questions for Lin Mo, who found a wealthy woman's suicide suspicious, especially given the peculiar dance.
They then interviewed Shui's husband, Qin Jun, whom Lin Mo identified as a dentist due to the scent of disinfectant on him. Qin Jun described Shui's rapid decline over three weeks: she began hearing chanting nightly, often waking him up. He initially dismissed it as stress-induced hallucinations and started giving her antidepressants. One night, Shui, agitated and feeling misunderstood, threatened herself with a knife.
Qin Jun later recounted a terrifying incident at a shrine where Shui's arm spontaneously caught fire, which was quickly put out by bystanders. On their way home, Shui became frantic, claiming the incidents were the Brahma's revenge on "us," a pronoun Qin Jun found odd but didn't question given her emotional state. Qin Jun expressed deep regret for falling asleep the night Shui died, believing he could have saved her.
While investigating Shui's apartment, Lin Mo discovered a new cabinet and a plastic bag from "Kameng Mental Health Clinic." More significantly, he found a high school photo showing Shui with three other girls, including A Wen. This revelation connected the two seemingly unrelated cases, as A Wen was the girl who nearly died at the metro station. Sasha mentioned that the video of Shui's arm catching fire had even been uploaded to "Crimaster," a detective game, for players to solve.
At the Kameng Mental Health Clinic, the eccentric psychologist confirmed Shui had two sessions, but remained guarded. He diagnosed her with depression due to her reports of hearing chanting, but stated she never mentioned the Brahma. He dramatically speculated that Qin Jun could be the killer, motivated by inheritance. The psychologist then attempted to "hypnotize" Lin Mo, claiming he could see Lin Mo's deep-seated childhood trauma and need for affection, which inexplicably caused Lin Mo to experience a seizure.
Sasha, disturbed by the doctor's bizarre behavior and her partner's sudden collapse, quickly ended the interview. Lin Mo, upon recovering, dismissed the psychologist's murder theory, insisting they seek answers from someone still alive. Their investigation led them to the Sura bar where A Wen worked. The bar owner recounted an incident from a week prior when A Wen was performing. The bar's air conditioning failed, and A Wen suddenly became ill on stage.
A visible red handprint appeared on her neck, causing her to faint. The owner, believing it to be a paranormal attack, called a Buddhist Master instead of the police or an ambulance. When A Wen finished her performance and joined them, Lin Mo offered her chocolate, explaining its calming effect.
A Wen, touched by the gesture, identified the other two girls in the high school photo as Di Nan and Zha Ya, confirming they were all close friends and dorm mates from Luming High School. She expressed disbelief at Shui's suicide, insisting Shui was the happiest among them. When Sasha tried to question A Wen about the strangling incident, A Wen vaguely claimed she had choked on food.
Sensing A Wen's reluctance to reveal more, Lin Mo abruptly ended the conversation. Outside, Sasha confronted Lin Mo, accusing him of favoring A Wen. Lin Mo calmly explained his actions were for the investigation. Just then, Sasha received a phone call from Siam Station: Di Nan, the fourth girl from the high school group, had just reported a similar mysterious incident. The case was far from over.
