The episode kicks off with I Rang breaking the news to a confused spirit: “You’re a ghost.” The spirit, a world-class scientist named Sang Ho, tries to use science to prove ghosts can’t exist—even while he’s literally floating in the air! Bong Soo and Matthew arrive, asking who this new ghost is. Suddenly, Sang Ho possesses I Rang’s body and starts frantically writing mathematical formulas on a board, trying to prove ghosts are a scientific impossibility. Matthew has to splash water on I Rang to bring him back to his normal form.
Bong Soo finds out that Sang Ho was the “Scientist of the Year.” Meanwhile, Na Yeon and her team are discussing his case. A flashback shows how director Tae Joon introduced Sang Ho to his daughter Su Jung. They married and had a son, but Sang Ho disappeared, and the public suspected Su Jung. Though she was cleared before, the prosecution is appealing the trial. Na Yeon believes Su Jung knows where the body is and decides to meet her.
Back at the office, I Rang tells Sang Ho to take a deep breath; suddenly, his memories flood back. He remembers a heated argument with Su Jung about his research results and a rainy night where a mysterious man hit him over the head with a bat in a foggy bathroom. I Rang and Sang Ho later follow Su Jung to her mother’s house. Sang Ho breaks down in tears seeing his family, and I Rang, though annoyed by “soppy” ghosts, tells him he needs to stay strong.
The plot thickens when Do Kyung’s secretary brings info on I Rang, calling his office a “Shaman House.” At the same time, Na Yeon is stressed out—even walking around with a hair roller in her hair! I Rang playfully removes it for her, telling her he can see ghosts and that Su Jung didn’t act alone. Na Yeon doesn’t believe him, but she starts to wonder when she sees the same mathematical handwriting from I Rang’s office appearing in the lab.
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In court, things take a shocking turn. Sang Ho’s lawyer, Hyun Woo, proves the murder happened in the bathroom and suggests Su Jung had an accomplice. Under pressure, Su Jung looks at her father, Tae Joon, and suddenly confesses: “I killed him.” Na Yeon tries to get the truth out of her in private, but Su Jung refuses to name an accomplice.
The climax hits when I Rang and Sang Ho find the hidden grave in a cemetery near the lab. Seeing his own corpse sends Sang Ho into a vengeful rage. He possesses I Rang and heads straight for Tae Joon’s house. He screams at Tae Joon to stay away from his son, Woo Joo. Just as he’s about to break down the door, a sudden rainstorm breaks the possession.
But the real shocker? Hyun Woo and the police arrive and arrest I Rang! They found his fingerprints all over Sang Ho’s body. I Rang tries to explain it’s a misunderstanding, but the episode ends with him being dragged away in handcuffs!
Phantom Lawyer Episode 5 Review
This episode was a masterclass in balancing humor with a heart-wrenching mystery. The “science vs. supernatural” debate at the start provided great comic relief, but the shift into Sang Ho’s tragic realization as a father was deeply moving. The chemistry between I Rang and Na Yeon continues to sparkle, even amidst the tension. The cliffhanger arrest is a brilliant move that raises the stakes—how can a lawyer defend himself when his only witnesses are ghosts? This is definitely the strongest episode of the season so far.