Through the Darkness

An interesting premise, but not that good of a scenario.

*Spoilers ahead*

I can start by saying that it took me 3 months to finish this, and it would be enough.

As much as I love me a strong, smart and powerful woman in a man-based drama, the 2 women we've seen in this drama did not stand out to me(as characters). They didn't bring any major change in the plot, which is a bit disappointing. Especially the reporter.

The premise of the drama is very interesting, getting in the mind of a murderer, finding what they think before, during, and after the act. That's what made me finish this drama the most. (plus our kim nam gil which is just chef's kiss). I wish we could've gotten more of this part in the story, Ha Young talking to the killers and getting in their minds, studying their behaviour more, especially on the last one (which was a bit dragged, ngl). And the other profiler, Young Soo, really seemed like he didn't exactly know what he's doing, especially when it came to interrogating the killers, which is strange, cause he formed the team.

Anyways, despite these things, it's a good drama, I'd recommend you watch it. It just doesn't stand out too much, which disappointed me.

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one of the BEST thriller korean drama's i've ever seen!

let me just begin saying that this show exceeded my expectations. out of most thriller/crime korean drama's i have watched, this one was definitely the best i've ever come across. simply because the cast for this show is absolutely insane and the emotions they portray in it is impeccable, i felt so engaged in their acting because it felt so real. if anyone is thinking of watching this show, i 100% recommend although it does touch on intense topics which may be triggering for some.

[spoilers]
one specific part i enjoyed about this show is that they included how the criminal profilers felt themselves and didn't just focus on the criminals half, those who enter these types of jobs suffer a huge amount and song hayoung really emphasised that during episodes 10-12, that scene was incredible emotional and the acting was so spot on.

overall i rate it a 10/10! the acting was phenomenal, the storyline was so well developed and i really enjoyed the osts. however i wouldn't rewatch it only because it is a really emotional show and it's not so much a show that you'd want to rewatch although it was outstanding.

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a one of a kind in its genre!

through the darkness was an absolutely must watch drama in my opinion. this is only the second drama i’ve written a review on; the first being beyond evil (which i also loved) so that just goes to show how much i enjoyed this drama.

here’s the thing, though, this drama definitely wont be for everyone (is any drama for everyone, though?) it veers in the very hard to watch category especially in the second half. as someone who is a huge fan of the crime/thriller genre and has watched tons of media from multiple countries of the genre i’d like to say im well adjusted, but, alas, i was wrong. the antagonists in this drama are so evil and they show that to the fullest extent possible that can be showed on a korean channel. i had to pause my fair share. each of the twelve episodes deal with very hard to watch topics and any potential viewers should be aware.

first of all i love the way the story in this drama was presented. there wasn’t one overarching villain the whole duration, but it also wasn’t really episodic. it was something in-between. plus, at the core the drama really was about song ha young’s evolution as not only the first korean criminal profiler, but as a human being. i have to mention it was also refreshing to not see the normal rough around the edges, borderline alcoholic with anger issues as the protagonist of a crime/thriller drama because more often than not that’s the case.

the profiling aspect, aka the main point, was so intriguing and it was so relieving not to see dumb and incompetent police. too often you see that and its extremely frustrating. however, at the same time solving cases wasnt overly convenient for them. they used their brains to figure out what needed to be figured out. yeah, there were dumb mistakes here and there, which is to be expected by anyone in any profession, but it wasn’t the same mistake repeated over and over again.

another thing worth mentioning is the fact that most, if not all, of the killers presented in this drama are based upon real life cases. i believe even one of them is modeled after the infamous raincoat killer which has a documentary series on netflix available for watch.

the true highlight of this drama was the acting, specifically by kim nam gil. he gave a performance that is going to be on my favorite performances list and i hope he gets a baeksang nomination for all he did. the supporting cast was also phenomenal in their own right, but the second biggest stars next to kim nam gil would be the criminals themselves. some of these suspects had lots of scenes, others had maybe one or two but they were all absolutely amazing. seeing familiar faces from other dramas that have portrayed sweet characters play these utterly despicable human beings with zero remorse was such a sight and they deserve SO much praise.

overall i do recommend this, just not for everyone. don’t go in expecting an action packed thriller full of jumps and twists and turns. this drama doesn’t have plot twists where it turns out the person you’ve trusted all along is actually a killer. instead, it goes deep into the minds of song ha young and the criminals he and his team work hard to catch. at this core this drama is about the hearts of humans and what leads us to do the things we do, whether that be help people or hurt them.


side-note: the rewatch value is so low because, though, i could eventually see myself rewatching in the far future, it is a very draining and emotional ride that i don’t see myself being ready to watch again for quite some time.

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A Profiler's Struggle [EDITED]

Since I am writing this review after only watching one episode, let me focus not on the overall quality but the on the impression it left me.

Being a fan of US criminal investigation dramas, one thing that has always fascinated me in their stories is how the truth of the crime is slowly unfolded by the time the culprit is caught. It takes a criminal's mind to figure out a criminal's mind.

Solely focusing on the evidences 'per se' to solve a crime is like holding a bunch of puzzle pieces, spreading them out without order, trying to find context clues here and there and just "guessing" what the picture is. And being convinced right away that what you "picture out" is the whole picture. And anything that contradicts that picture in one's head is a lie. Stupid, isn't it?

One thing that stands out in the first episode of Through The Darkness is that, in the way Ha Young's story is presented, the viewer is also able to enter into his mind (to be more accurate, the Tagalog word 'kalooban' is more apt to use here; a term which pertains what's inside a person's mind AND heart). And so as the episode progresses, the viewer is also able to enter into the thoughts of the lead character and begin to ask the same questions that he has.

It takes a criminal's mind—understanding their thought processes, making sense of their motives and behavioral patterns—to figure out a criminal's mind.

Those who are willing to enter a criminal's mind I invite to join Ha Young and his team as they explore through the darkness... Let us watch it until the end.

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Edit: I make this after watching the tenth episode and let me tell you, each episode DELIVERS. Kim Nam Gil's stellar acting skills consistently draws you in and makes you travel further deeper into each criminal's mind. You may find yourself getting mentally exhausted and you may also get worried that Song Ha Young might also get into deeper trouble dealing with those lunatics. That goes to show that the actors playing the criminals are doing a great job as well.

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Great acting, great story!

This isn't your usual fast-paced serial killer drama series. The story is focused on the development of SK's profiling department, their struggles to show that behavioral analysis can be a great help in catching serial killers. I love how the series showed the emotional turmoil you go through when you have a job that requires you to catch the filthiest scums of society.

The acting is just WOW! Of course, the leads and supporting cast gave a really good performance but my gosh, those who played the serial killers were just phenomenal to me. They were creepy, as in so creepy. They were so believable. I'm so amazed.

I really like watching dramas with serial killers and this is one of the best I've seen. It's different but really good. I hope you will give this drama a chance. If you read ALL the reviews, many reviewers gave this drama a high rating. Those who didn't like this drama, well... maybe they were just expecting something else.

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Season 2 please

Very rare that a good adaptation comes into life,

story of the first criminal profiler is something very rare on television, a lot of sensitive topic will come across and this series made me wonder will profilers now a days in modern time, goes thru what the main character has gone thru (becoming what he interview) no side story, no non sense, all episodes are focused on the plot and the process in profiling a criminal.

Cast, im surpised they got Nam Gil to sign in the first place, Can they sign him for a season 2
mature supporting casts,

BGM is eary and dark and it should be,

Rewatch, it is very rare i give a high score in rewatch

Season 2 could be in the plans, because of the ending credits, Cold Cases
can't wait if there is a season 2

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One of the best series I saw this year. Every beginning is hard. But when it's about to changes the people's' way of thinking is harder.
The plot is very interesting and reflects, probably, a harsh reality. There are crazy people in this world, serial criminals, who want only to kill. On the other hand, there are people who can go deep into those criminals' hearts and minds and manage to catch them. It is a very hard job to do and very dangerous. At the beginning nobody knew what a profiler is. And at the end I saw a strong team, officers who managed to change their way of thinking, to understand that a change must be done in their way of working and to adapt themselves to that new reality in order to catch the criminals. A powerful game of minds around a terrifying reality.
I had moments when it was hard for me to watch. So much darkness in those criminal minds! Watching what they've done made my heart tremble.
The script is a masterpiece. I had not even a single moment of boredom watching this series.

Acting/Casting: There is not much to say. They were wonderful! I hated all the criminals and I loved all the officers. That means all the actors did an excellent job! With a script like that their acting was almost perfect!

Music: It was according with the plot. And it fit perfectly.

Rewatch value: I will re-watch it for sure, but not right now. There are so many good ideas I want to re-watch. Human psychology is something that I like and this movie shows plenty.

Overall: This series is not for everybody. It's not a light series. But if you want to see something that challenge your mind and heart, do it! You will not feel sorry! Guaranteed!

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Through the Darkness is a legendary series

It's a crime/thriller series that did not involve much car chasing and gunfights. It's simple but powerful. Every episode was mind blowing. This series may be weak for some, it's not for me. Every line that the main character delivered was descriptive that it guided me as a viewer to imagine the personalities of every serial killer. There were redundant pattern on how things will be revealed, yet there were also novice turn of events.

It's a legendary series in a sense that it narrates how Korea had its first criminal profiler and its team. They experienced different challenges like other newly established group or businesses. I will certainly watch the second season if the producers will decide to make it.

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It is the beginning of something revolutionary

This drama was not much hyped. Even though it had one of the best Korean actor Kim Nam Gil in it. Even I came to know about this drama after it started airing. I usually start the drama from the first day it actually airs. So that I can be hyped for the upcoming episodes. But I just couldn't bring myself to start this drama as it was going to take a 3 week break because of the 2022 Winter Olympics. So I decided to start this drama when it was in its final week.

The actual story starts from the late 1990's. At that time Korea didn't had the criminal profiling which the US has been using for the past 20 years or so. So Kook Young Soo decides to create a team for profiling criminals. And asks Song Ha Young to be the profiler. Song Ha Young seems to be a cold person on the surface who could even be a psychopath but he is actually hiding his deep emotions. He is a kind person behind the cold mask he wears around the show. We also have Yoon Tae Goo the captain of the criminal 2 division. She comes out as a rude person at the start of the drama but she gets better with the passing episode. She is willing to listen to logical talks unlike other people in the division. And we have many other good supporting actors in this drama. But I personally hated Kim Bong Shik's character. All he did was complaint through out the drama.Choi Yoon Ji's and Jung Woo Joo's character were soothing to the eyes Han Joon Woo looks like Lee Joon Gi. He was good too. Kim Jung Hee also did a terrific job in playing the psychopath. His laugh makes you feel disgust and tremble.

As I have mentioned above in the title that it is the beginning of something revolutionary. It wasn't easy for the Behavioral Analysis team to do there work. As many who were unaware of their work criticized them. And even questioned the need for such a department. But that didn't let our guys down who kept there heads up and doing what they thought was necessary. And producing results too which many thought was just pure luck.

In this drama we see how criminal profiling is actually done. It kind of is like the ABCD of criminal profiling.Where they approach criminal profiling from the basic level. How a profiler finds it difficult to control his/her emotions while interviewing and investigating the criminals.

I have seen almost every good crime related drama that is to be seen. Through the darkness is definitely good but it didn't had that good of a story but still I don't know why I am quite satisfied after watching this show. I even binge watched it. And loved every moment of it. So I am rating it a solid 10/10 drama. Hopefully it gains the recognition it deserves. Do give this drama a watch as I assure you won't be wasting your time.

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Perfect!

I am two episodes before the end and I think this drama is excellent. It is not a thriller drama but rather a filmed profiling textbook where the main aspect is not running after a wanted man with a gun in your hand but a tedious, time-consuming investigation that often leads nowhere and the case is solved by... chance. This is an intelligent drama, showing many psychological aspects of the criminal but also of the policemen who have to deal with brutal, nightmarish crimes whose cruelty is beyond human comprehension. It is not a thriller, not even a crime drama, it is a brilliantly filmed struggle of normal people who look into the abyss every day not to fall into it.
I've been waiting for a drama like this for a long time, and with two episodes to go, I'm completely satisfied.

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Something Different

I'm a huge serial killer buff, so when this came out I went straight for it! This is a real good binge watcher cause of it's steadiness, consistency and intensity. It's not really a graphic drama but the cringe that this kind of stuff and these kind of people really exist is enough to keep you hooked from beginning to end. It caught me off guard that it wasn't 12 eps of cops trying to find one person , it was different suspects, crimes and scenarios but all the same karma you love in a serial killer/psychopath drama. It was different in that aspect and that it added true psychology behind it all and the steps of finding the people who think they've committed "the perfect crime". The ending had a bit of a S2 reference feel, but it isn't really the kind of drama to need one but if it happens...I'm going straight for it lol
Enjoy but more importantly, be safe out there everyone...

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