Model Taxi Season 3 Finale: 18.5% Ratings and Explosive Justice

The Numbers Tell the Story

If there was any doubt left about Model Taxi’s grip on viewers, Episode 14 erased it completely. The Season 3 finale didn’t just close strong — it rewrote the ratings chart. Nationwide viewership peaked at 18.5%, with the Seoul metropolitan area hitting 15.1%, marking the highest ratings of the entire season and one of the strongest Saturday performances of the year.

The real shock came from the younger audience. The 20–49 demographic surged to a 5.75% peak — the highest figure recorded across all broadcast channels this year. That number matters because it signals more than popularity: it proves Model Taxi isn’t just a legacy hit, but a series actively winning over viewers who usually don’t stick with long-running franchises.

In short, this wasn’t just a finale. It was dominance — the kind that confirms why Model Taxi has become one of the most reliable ratings powerhouses on Korean television.

What Actually Happened in This Episode

So the Rainbow Dark Heroes, that's Lee Je-hoon's character Do-ki and his crew, finally went all in against the Samheung Villains, this organized crime cartel basically selling crimes like a business. The villain Kim Seong-gyu played the ex-prosecutor running this whole operation and he recruited the most dangerous criminals imaginable. We're talking murderers, hackers, corrupt cops, illegal gambling site programmers. This guy was literally weaponizing the legal system against them.

Do-ki's strategy was chef's kiss honestly. He and the crew set up this insane time-buying operation where they pretended to hire each other as assassins just to confuse the villains while Go-eun hacked into the main server. The psychological warfare part had everyone screaming because these heroes are so good at playing characters that even the villains couldn't tell what was real.

The Chase Sequence That Made Hearts Stop

When the server got destroyed the villain leader realized he'd been played and went absolutely berserk. Like imagine being that angry. He triggered an island-wide emergency alarm and sent everyone after Do-ki. The car chase that followed was genuinely breathtaking. Do-ki was driving through impossible odds, getting cornered from every direction on an island with zero escape routes.

The tension hit different when he got pushed toward the sea wall. Like you genuinely thought he was about to go into the water and that would be it. But then he remembered this special high-voltage discharge feature Park Ju-im installed in the taxi earlier and basically turned the entire car's energy into one massive explosion that took out all the villain vehicles at once. The cinematography on this moment alone deserved awards.

That Villain's Pathetic Ending

Here's where it gets even better. Kim Seong-gyu tries to make his little escape boat getaway and starts ranting like "You think you won? I can rebuild everything with just me." Dude was trying to act big even while losing everything. Do-ki literally just blew up the boat's motor and sent him to his embarrassing end. The symbolism of that moment felt so satisfying because this guy abused his position in the legal system to hurt people and Do-ki made sure he got nothing.

What's Coming Next

The preview showed Do-ki going missing which has everyone panicking because the finale is coming and they're hinting at some military version of Do-ki which is absolutely wild. The final episode is going to either give us complete closure or break our hearts. There's literally no in-between and fans are already theorizing like crazy.

Why This Episode Matters

This wasn't just about the action sequences even though those were incredible. This episode showed what makes Model Taxi work so well. It's the combination of genuine emotional stakes, clever psychological games, and characters you actually care about getting justice for victims. Do-ki and his crew aren't superheroes. They're regular people who use their brains and teamwork to outsmart actual criminals.

The fact that this is beating every other show in its time slot by miles isn't an accident. People are genuinely invested in seeing these crimes get solved and these villains face consequences. In a time when justice systems often feel broken, there's something satisfying about watching a story where the right people actually win.