Stranger Season 2 Episode 2

why...?

I enjoyed the first season so much that I'm actually going to go back and rewatch that (since it's been about two years, I think), then jump back into this second season. The second season, so far, has been extremely boring and only tenuously connected to the first season, which was rock-solid. I will say, though, that watching Dong Jae shit bricks upon seeing Si Mok again definitely warmed my heart. I love that slimy little man. In all honesty, though, in the two hours I've already spent on this series, I've only really enjoyed a few minutes, where Si Mok and Yeo Jin are in the bar. Their friendship was one of the best parts of the first season, and that magic is still there. The two actors work very well together, and their interactions feel like the only time Si Mok loosens up; this is good character development. I really love the way they fit together, not as potential romantic partners, but just as friends. It reminds me that the first season's biggest strength was *not* the plot- it was the characters. Right now, though, I feel like I jumped into a show halfway through a season. What's happening? Who are these people? Why do I care? What's the power structure like in these new offices? Who's a threat? Why should I give a shit? None of this is established. I know the first season struggled at the beginning, but this is way, way worse. I sort of have a feeling as to which of these suit-and-tie jackasses I should be concerned about, but it's not in an interesting, ~morally grey~ kind of way. I'm just genuinely confused.

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absolute power corrupts absolutely

Fighting corruption shouldn't be an end on itself. I understand Chief Choi Bit's need for change as absolute power corrupts absolutely. I believe, however, change is needed for both the prosecution and the police. In that sense, I hope she's doing what's doing because she genuinely cares for justice rather than a means to an end -- because those who fight corruption should be clean themselves. I loved how awkward but familiar Shi Mok's and Yeo Jin's first meet in three years was -- made me smile. I doubt their bosses know what they've gotten themselves into, picking them.I was saddened to find Yeon Jae right back where her dead husband started, corrupt; I knew Lee's sacrifice (at least that's what he thought of it in his mind) would be for nothing as everybody seems to be precisely where they were before, if not worse. Even Dong Jae is still at it; he'll sell you the shoes on your feet if he could. He is so slick. I love Choi Moo Sung and think the role of Woo Tae Ha suits him perfectly. And what's more, he and Chief Bit seem so similar in that they each believe they are doing the right thing even if they go about it the wrong way. Their fights will be epic. The hardest part about watching this drama as it airs is the wait.

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