DramaAjumma

For some reason this police procedural is surprisingly dull. A show featuring CSI types should be more interesting than this. It comes off preachy and formulaic. I loved Cass Gai in To Love but here she's a walking female trope.

I personally feel that the rating will eventually correct course (as it is already beginning to do so) when more people pick this up. It's not the worse thing I've ever seen but ... let's just put it this way... I've seen better within this genre. There are many good slice-of-life dramas out there especially those done by PD Shin Won-ho but for many reasons I don't find this one compelling viewing. There's no doubt that the cinematography is amazing and the actors are of high calibre. (Although there's overacting in some quarters) There are things I did like about it (Eun-cheol, PD Ji and the grannies for instance) but the leads' dynamic was poorly conceived.

I would also agree that this isn't Shin Min-ah's best work -- I loved her in Tomorrow with You, Chief of Staff and Arang. But my biggest problem is really with how the Du-sik character is written. To me he's really just a plot device and the messaging around his character is incoherent. From what I've heard about his so-called trauma I think my assessment was justified. I just couldn't root for him even when he turned into the Absolute Boyfriend.

I'm not interested in having fights with people online and these are just my views. If you enjoyed it good for you. But there are those of us who persevered and found this wanting.

I like both. But Beyond Evil had great characters.

Interesting. For me the show only goes from strength to strength.

Perhaps I responded rather hastily but I wanted to say that I don't think it was completely out-of-character because it was the jealousy and frustration doing most of the talking there. I don't think anyone would disagree that he had crossed a line. To me that's a given. She responded immediately with a slap so yeah she thought he was out of line. However, by way of an explanation I say that he was seething with jealousy that she would trust the other guy, apologize for him and defend him, when the scumbag had jilted her and was trying to cast doubt on his (Moo-hak's) integrity. That's not what he wants to hear especially after what she said about being in pain and scared of trying again with someone else. On top of that she is trying to act as if that they are more than a pair of friendly creditor and debtor. She's asking him for an explanation about Dondon buying up land around the gallery when he owes her none because they aren't exactly a couple.

Moo-hak though usually amazing isn't exactly perfect. He does have a bit of a temper although in general his bark is worse than his bite. I don't think it's beyond the pale for him to lash out especially if jealousy is thrown into the mix. He also knows what she's implying when she says that he owes her an explanation -- that they are much closer. From his perspective she's messing with his head.

"It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock
The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss,
Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger:
But O, what damnèd minutes tells he o'er
Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves!"

Why they were kissing... I think it's simply because he was jealous and angry. It wasn't driven by the best of motives but they were both pushing each other's buttons with all this sexual tension flying around. The kiss was to calm them both and prevent something worse from happening.

'tis the season for good male leads. Loving Jung Ji-un so far. Fantastic lecture.
I'm enjoying the show so far.

I think he was just tired of her pussyfooting around and not really addressing the elephant in the room. Jang Tae-jin is irrelevant as far as he's concerned. He's just a piece of trash. What he wants is for her to be truthful about her feelings.

Agreed. The guy is a psychopath quite frankly.

Jang Tae-jin... what a nasty nasty piece of work. History repeats itself.
Da-li definitely dodged a bullet 5 years ago.

I also think that it is a series of tropes meshed together in the seaside backdrop.

Let me just say that you're not alone in thinking this.

It doesn't really get that much better to be honest. If you don't like it by Episode 6, you won't like the rest of it. It's not the pacing. I like slowburn dramas too but not this one.

Love this show so much. Always has me smiling from ear to ear.
Moo-hak is turning out to be one of my favourite male leads ever. So good.

It's surprisingly good.

Frustrated? Looks like she's trying to kill him because he's guessed her secret.

All throughout history people have deployed symbols and iconography from various religious systems to suit their whims. It's really nothing new. The number of cults that have misused Christian vocabulary has been baffling. Don't forget that the Nazis co-opted the use of the swastika.
It's a cult and it doesn't pretend to be a truthful representation of Hinduism. At least not so far. ;)

I actually genuinely enjoy what this show does with the people engaged in espionage. It's not so much an espionage drama as it is about the men and women who sacrifice a normal, ordinary life to do what they do. It's really not that confusing a show and I don't think the show is all about having twists for twist sake. Sticky situations can be complex. Perspective shifts. No one single person knows everything or has the complete picture. Even with technology and the kinds of surveillance capabilities that we have today, distortion of the truth can easily occur. It's also true, and the show points that out that memories are notoriously unreliable.
It's also about choices -- the ripple effects and the unintended consequences. Espionage is a dirty business and if allowed to, it can consume even the most patriotic to the point that they lose their moral bearings.

Nah... don't uncurl them.

I don't understand why no one ever turns the lights on.

It's an interesting hypothesis but I don't think so. It certainly would be a fascinating turn of events. However, it doesn't really explain Jung-hyun's role in all of this. The show isn't just seen from Detective Choi's perspective.
Perhaps you might rethink this after watching Episodes 7 and 8. That is if you haven't watched them yet.