Queen Mantis Episode 2 Review: A Thrilling, Tense and Terrifying Murderer!

In the last episode, we are introduced to a string of new murders, bringing a shocking situation to light for Soo-yeol as he realises that he must work together with his serial killer mother, whose Modus Operandi the new killer is copying.

Queen Mantis episode 2 has a runtime of 60 minutes.

Queen Mantis Episode 2 Recap

The episode opens with us seeing the relationship between Joong-ho and Su-yeol and how the former came to mentor him. In the present, the detectives sit down to discuss the details of the case at hand, and Na-hee tells everyone that the court case closed, and apart from the detectives, the judge, the lawyers and the doctor, there was no one else present. However, they eventually find the leak when the defence attorney tells them that the file for the case has gone missing.

From him, they get a lead on who could’ve stolen the files – Seo Gu-won. With new information, Soo-yeol is determined to find who is behind the new wave of killings and starts to keep tabs on him. However, when he finally arrives in front of them, Gu-won realises that something is amiss and makes a run for it. After they lose him, they break into his flat and are stumped when they realise how much data he has on everyone. However, more concerning is the 3D printer and what he has printed using it.

Gu-won, meanwhile, changes up his appearance and goes to visit a family that he has imprisoned somewhere. At his house, the detectives are more shocked to find that Yi-shin and Gu-won have been in regular correspondence. A shocked Su-yeol immediately calls Joong-ho and tells him that Yi-shin has instructed Gu-won to kill others through letters.

He later accuses Yi-shin directly, and she is disgusted that he’d think so lowly of her. She further instructs him to visit her during the day instead of barging in in the middle of the night – Su-yeol is truly stumped! Meanwhile, Gu-won continues to torture the family as his name and crimes become public knowledge. The police, meanwhile, realise that the notes that were found in Gu-won’s home were actually written by him.

They eventually find out about the family that Gu-won has kept hostage and rush to find them, fully hoping that it will turn into a bloodbath. Thankfully, they stop him before he could harm anyone, but they now have to search for Tae-sook, his half-brother and the father of the children. It’s a tough negotiation with him, though, because he knows everything about the investigators and uses it against them without a second thought. Su-yeol tries to get him to talk, but it doesn’t work out in the end.

With no other options, they bring him to Yi-shin, hoping to make him talk, but she figures out that he never actually killed anyone, and it was just all in his head. She continues to goad him, leaving him more and more disturbed, and he eventually starts to threaten her. With her patience finally tested, she gives him a taste of her own medicine and thrashes him from behind bars.

The police stop her quickly, and Gu-won makes a run for it, eventually holding the three officers at gunpoint. However, things do get messy in the end when he suddenly starts to see and hear things and eventually shoots himself. With no way to find Tae-sook now, the detectives rush against time to make Gu-won talk, but seeing that he has some internal injuries, it becomes a difficult task.

Su-yeol, however, soon realises that Gu-won could’ve kept Tae-sook prisoner in the hospital where they were born. It’s a long shot, but they do check out the hospital. Thankfully, Tae-sook is in the laundry plant and is alive, thanks to Su-yeol’s smart thinking. Meanwhile, Yi-shin is making a plan of her own in a secret space.

Queen Mantis Episode 2 Review

I am officially hooked to Queen Mantis thanks to its fast-paced story, fantastic performances, especially by Go Hyun-jung, and the general dread that is present throughout the runtime. Its tight and tense atmosphere makes it a great watch, and I am glad that we will be focusing on small stories in every episode, along with the situation between Yi-shin and Su-yeol.

Also Read: Queen Mantis Season 1 Review