Doubt Episode 1 Recap: Rising Tensions Between Jang Tae-su and His Daughter Unfold

The gripping new crime thriller drama, Doubt, has made its premiere on Netflix. Released on Friday, October 11, the inaugural episode features a stellar cast, including Han Seok-kyu, Chae Won-bin, Han Ye-ri, and Oh Yeon-soo, taking on lead roles. Each episode runs for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, with a total of 10 episodes slated for the first season.

The narrative of Doubt centers around Jang Tae-su (portrayed by Han Seok-kyu), a renowned criminal profiler who is also the sole guardian of his daughter, Jang Ha-bin (Chae Won-bin). In the midst of a murder investigation, he discovers troubling information about his daughter’s involvement, which throws both his professional and familial ties into disarray.

The series opens with an exploration of the tumultuous relationship between Jang Tae-su and his daughter, Jang Ha-bin. As the episode progresses, Tae-su is confronted with two new murder cases. In a shocking turn, the episode concludes with Jang Ha-bin dangerously leaping into traffic, resulting in an accident.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the first episode of Doubt.

Doubt: Recap of Episode 1 – Jang Ha-bin’s Leap into Traffic

The premiere episode begins with Jang Tae-su driving to a crime scene, already secured by his team. Upon arrival, he inspects a site where a human skeleton has been found, deducing that the corpse belonged to someone younger than twenty.

After surveying the scene, Tae-su heads home to prepare a cake and dinner for his daughter. However, when she doesn’t show up, he visits her academy only to learn that she has dropped out.

In a subsequent scene, Jang Ha-bin rides the subway and witnesses two girls stealing a passenger’s phone. As she pursues them, a brawl ensues, and all three are taken to the police station.

Swiftly, Tae-su arrives at the police station after receiving a call. He inquires about his daughter’s involvement in the fiasco, and a police officer mentions the discovery of several stolen phones at the girls’ motel. Interestingly, only Ha-bin is seen as a reluctant participant.

Tae-su returns home with Ha-bin, but she declines to eat the meal he prepared. The episode effectively showcases the palpable tension between the father and daughter. Ha-bin questions her father about his departure to headquarters, with Tae-su attempting to prioritize spending more time together despite feeling guilty for his parenting failures.

She expresses her belief that she never had a father and doesn’t have one now. When Tae-su quizzes her about her association with the runaway girls and the motel incident, she chooses silence and retreats to her room.

The following day, Tae-su is seen at his office interviewing two potential successors, Lee Eo-jin and Gu Dae-hong. While Eo-jin emphasizes the necessity of objectivity in investigations, Dae-hong believes that empathy is crucial. After meeting with them, Tae-su attempts to cancel his transfer at the request of his superior to continue bonding with Ha-bin, but the request is denied.

On his way home, he spots Ha-bin walking alongside a boy. He questions her about this boy upon their return, but she remains tight-lipped. Tae-su’s curiosity peaks when he spots a second phone buzzing in her bag, leading him to search it while she clutches her own.

Inside her bag, he finds the additional phone and some cash, prompting doubts about her honesty. After some back-and-forth, where she accuses him of mistrusting her, she ultimately retreats into silence.

Tae-su keeps the phone for further inspection. It holds no contacts or call history, which raises further suspicions. He sends the number to a colleague in hopes of uncovering more about its ownership.

That night, Ha-bin stealthily retrieves the phone from Tae-su’s room. The next morning, she packs her bags, claiming a field trip, and he drops her off at school.

Back at the police station, Tae-su gathers more details regarding the stolen phones. Later, he receives surveillance footage revealing the runaway girls’ involvement in the theft.

In a pivotal moment of the first episode, authorities investigate a warehouse linked to the case where they discover two liters of blood at the site. As the murder investigation advances, the search for the victim intensifies.

Upon reaching the warehouse, Tae-su finds no blood traces, leading the forensic team to conclude that the murder occurred elsewhere. Nearby, they identify a dug-out area, hinting at a potential burial site.

Later in the office, Tae-su collaborates with his newly appointed assistants to reconstruct the events from the night of the murder, but they lack substantial leads.

As the story continues, another call from Ha-bin’s school informs Tae-su of her absence from an important self-study session, leading him to uncover she never joined the field trip. Shortly after, another colleague calls with alarming news—the phone Ha-bin had was identified as a burner phone. Realizing the implications, he desperately seeks its location.

Evidence from the warehouse has subsequently ignited in a different crime scene. Tracking the last known location of Ha-bin’s phone leads him back to where he was investigating, intensifying his worries about her safety after he verifies the blood type matches that of a victim.

Frantically, he heads to the forensic lab to compare his DNA against the blood sample, fearing for his daughter’s life.

Meanwhile, Ha-bin tragically jumps in front of a moving car. Upon hearing about her accident, Tae-su rushes to the hospital, finding her in a vulnerable state on the bed. The inaugural episode of Doubt culminates with a poignant stare shared between father and daughter.

New episodes of the thrilling series Doubt will be released every Friday and Saturday at 21:50 KST.

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