Unexpetedly Addictive
At first, this drama tells us a police story and detective murder-case solving... But then, unexpectedly it became a subtle drama of families, neighbors, and lovers blend together while these two awesome detectives were trying to solve the case. It's a confusing murder from the get go, you will be surprised by the perpetrator at the end. While you have to bear the slow burn action and story-line, you get to be introduced by the characters not by words but by pictures, frame by frame. It hook me from the start, I don't even know why, the actors are not exactly my cup of tea, an old veteran actor who are very good and an actor who doesn't appear much in idol dramas, but OH MY GOD!! Boy I don't regret the addictive this drama gave me, and thank god I only watch it after all the episodes came out..hahahahaha.. Coz it will kill me just to wait for another episode to air.Worth the time to watch, and too bad with the MDL ratting which doesn't really explain this drama at all!
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Emotionally charged well balanced pacing and interesting characters
I was literally fine until the very end where I ended up tearing up over the emotional scenes.This was a well written crime drama (It's been a while) with good pacing and excellent cast.
Although I guessed the killer early on, I couldn't guess the motive. The twists and turns weren't so crazy out there and made sense.
I end up binging through the drama in 3 days because I just wanted to see the end.
The seasoned, yet socially awkward, introverted detective delivers incredibly moving scenes. I absolutely loved this character!
Recommended for the crime drama lovers.
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A Masterclass in Mystery: This Chinese Crime Thriller Keeps You Guessing Till the End
One of the most compelling Chinese crime thrillers I've seen in recent years.While the pacing was deliberately slow, every episode was crafted with care and precision. I appreciated how the story withheld just enough to keep me constantly guessing.
At 19 episodes, the series felt perfectly balanced—neither rushed nor drawn out.
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This series is an underrated masterpiece equal to under the skin
Such a good watch. I enjoyed every episode. Yes it took us a lot of time to find the criminal and the guy behind everything but was it slow-paced? Hell NO. Every episode had a lot of data, many characters that we thought were not important came back again at some point of story, characterizations and plots were all great. Everything was at its right place. The case was very complicated with a lot of loopholes, a lot of crimes and a lot of ... well that's spoiler.I wanna talk about this series a lot. But i don't, why? cause i will spoil it at some point. So, why did i write this "Review"? Well, just because i wanted to find some attention for this series. This series is sadly very underrated and very few people watched it. Not because it's bad. NO NO NO. It's Fantastic. In my opinion it's a little better than the best drama of light on series, The first season of under the skin. At worst, it's equal to that but why it didn't get the attention that under the skin got? Two reasons. Lack of superstar and famous actors. Don't get me wrong, Actors of this series are great. They do the job right. Just like those so-called SUPERSTARS. But they are not as famous as them, so few people would try to watch this series. And second reason is The bad quality of recent dramas of Light on series. I think because of that, so many people didn't even try to watch this series.
So, if you like a Mystery and Thriller, do yourself a favor and watch this series. I really wish this series get enough attention. Both in China and outside of it. so we can hopefully, get a second season.
Tnx for reading my little review.
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"The dead can't speak for themselves. The police is the only bridge between them and justice."
It was a truly compelling crime drama. It was very satisfying to watch all 19 episodes without ever feeling like the story was losing me or that I just wanted to get it over with. The pacing was very balanced, not a dull moment.Beneath the Undertow is about calm and methodical police investigations without flashy action or exaggerated villains. It's grounded and feels more realistic.
The focus is on two contrasting police officers. One is Lian Haiping, a middle-aged, experienced detective. He is very introverted and socially awkward, and displays some autistic traits. He is calm and collected, has a good memory for details, and thinks carefully before acting.
The other is Shi Qiangfeng, a young rookie cop. He has a difficult past, but he confidently stands up for good and justice. However, he is also very hot-headed. His impulsiveness often gets him into trouble. He still has a lot to learn from Lian Haiping. It's satisfying to see how the trust and teamwork between them grow stronger over the course of the case.
In addition to the police investigations and the personal story of the detectives, the drama also shows scenes about the family of the main victim, their neighbors, and other important communities. That includes interesting and diverse characters and their feelings. For example, people with disabilities and other health limitations, and how different people deal with grief.
The last episode in particular made me very emotional. I had tears of joy in my eyes. It's an extremely solid and well-written crime plot from start to finish. If you love captivating and even kind of soothing crime dramas, don't miss out on this gem!
On a side note: The ending theme Undercurrent (暗潮涌动) by Elvis Wang fits the whole vibe of this show perfectly. Before I even started the first episode, I looked for the OST and listened to this song. After that, I was convinced that I need to watch it and that I would enjoy it.
[finished watching on 26 December 2025]
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