Kathryn_51

The scene that finally made me sit up and notice (and it was near the end) was w/Han-young and Baek I-seok. The judge asks various questions - any news on the thumb drive? [why would he care?] will Han-young stay in contact w/Se-hui? [why would he care?]. And why did Han-young say he wouldn't contact Se-hui - and then months later do so indirectly?

Perhaps that scene was 100% meaningless. . . -but contrasted with the final scene at Soejae (with military/authoritarian figures) and some of the hard-line statements you mentioned (Sin-jin called him "rigid"), I agree that the writer laid the foundation - discreetly and subtlety. Frankly, the fact that they revealed this at the end of Season 1 (instead of some sort of shock reveal in Season 2) is a good thing.

I need to go back and re-watch the scenes between Baek and Yu Seon-cheol. Yu called Baek directly to set up the blind date - did they already have some sort of relationship (school, whatever?) before? I still think it's strange that Han-young lied to Baek about contacting Se-hui.

Season 2 is getting closer to reality.

The probability of getting Season 2 just grew exponentially as Ji Sung said he hopes there will be a 2nd season. “Actually..to be honest..I really hope so. Because it's not easy to meet a character that you can feel more affection for, and for me, in some ways, the character of Judge Lee Hanyoung fits me in many . . .and I think I can take responsibility for your time again. . .I just hope we can do Judge Lee Hanyoung Season 2 together.”

From the beginning, the writer wanted to write Han-young’s story over 2 seasons and he intentionally included side plots/conflicts (parent’s bad health; relationship with Se-hui; Gogin Chemical future) that could be developed further. The ending was clearly open (paraphrase: “is this it or does it continue?). The PD said he wants to do a 2nd Season and apparently the upper powers have indicated a strong interest because of the stellar ratings. But if Ji Sung isn’t on board, it won’t happen.
Crossing fingers that we see Season 2 w/in 2-3 years.

Link: https://x.com/mr__jisung/status/2032264426443722802

And GYJ fans always swarming Somin content. Fan wars are so tiresome.

This has been my bet from the beginning as well - and once they said that the son's "driver" (chauffeur) disappeared right after the accident, I was convinced. Unfortunately, the show hasn't kept my interest enough to eagerly watch so I'll wrap the last few episodes up once it is complete.

I laughed when I read "Her nuanced acting, which will convey the character's inner world with depth." She's beautiful, has soulful eyes and I wouldn't call her acting "wooden" but nor would I ever call it "nuanced". We will never see her in a drama with multiple personalities or courtroom theatrics. Peace Out😊

M&A experience here, but sigh. . . . .I paused this drama last week simply because Jung-woo's status (specifically, why did his experience with "corporate raider" DK make him a good candidate to run the company???) never made sense to me. In fact, it would only make sense if Jung-woo was working with the ex=-Pres who I have always felt was still alive. Anyway, guess I better catch up and watch and perhaps then be able to answer your question because up to now, none of it was realistic.

I paused watching last week and after reading your comment, I guess I'll continue to pause. Maybe binge at the end because I do like the ML and baby.

I apologize because I don't recall the exact episode, but there is one where young (high school) Tae-ran and Seok-ju first "meet" and interact. The script implied we would see more of them in high school arena, but alas, it was not to be. They were such a fun couple - both young and adult.

There are certain dramas that I maintain on my Viki Watchlist simply because I remember the vibe/silly scenes/romance (low-key) and Good Job is one of them. Re-watching once again. Wish Jung Il -woo and Kwon Yu-ri would partner up again.

Did the MDL "synopsis" suddenly change? Sounds far more foreboding/dark than what I recall reading earlier. Regardless, on the top of my watchlist because of Queen Somin. ❤️❤️❤️

I first saw him in "My Youth" - a thoroughly wretched (IMO) highschool romance-gone-bad-reconnect-20 yrs-in the future drama. But HE played the snarky/lonely highschool version of my favorite character and his highschool scenes were definitely cut to the bone. 😒 Great actor. . . but I absolutely do not ❤️Albert with Ki-Boem. But He IS a great actor and I look forward to watching him in the future.

I can't locate the interview right now, but the actress said something along the lines of "Ji Sung, the PD and I discussed the characters of 2035 and we played them as individuals who tried to communicate at times but eventually gave up". Something like that. I think in the drama, after regression, Han-young was confidant that he would never care about her and it was okay to use her for his own goals - and that changed,

If there is a 2nd Season, I think there will be some of the unintended consequences of his actions. At the end of Ep. 14, Han-young said about his future: "No matter what, can my choices still be right."

It's not a courtroom drama (altho there are some courtroom scenes). It's classic Ji Sung - the different faces/characterizations as the drama unfolds. In the past, I've dropped most of Ji Sung's dramas but I loved every minute of this one - definitely on my Top 10 list.

If you are wondering about a possible Season 2, this is what we know:

The writer wanted to establish the possibility for a 2nd season and MBC authorized the open-ending. At the end of Ep. 14, Han-young asks “Is it all truly over now? . . . . . .Or, will I go on like this, atoning for sins from a past life? . . .No matter what, can my choices still be right?”

The Judge Returns wasn’t just about corruption and justice. It was about CHOICES!

Without Ji Sung, Season 2 would be impossible. But merely continuing with the same evil characters and the same Han-young schemes (relying on his prior life knowledge) would be boring. What would not be boring? Han-young beginning to make the wrong choices, perhaps becoming a bit corrupt to justify his tactics. Plus there are both minor and major open issues:

#1: Romance - Han-young and Se-hui’s relationship. MBC pushed hard the Han-young/Se-hui *potential* romance with 50% of the weekly pre-releases. We fans want to see the last act, not intermission.
#2: Family - his parents’ declining health. Mom will eventually develop asthma, Dad is already showing signs of dementia.
#3: Corruption – Han-young may have saved Han na-young’s life but what about all of the other Gogin [Kogin] Chemical employees? S Corporation was destroyed but were there others behind that Seoul Beautification Project that drove the homeless underground? The new Suojae w/Baek Yi-seok? Kang Sin-jin’s apparent network still exists?

Lots of potential for 2nd season and PD Lee Jae Jin said that MBC was favorable after the stellar ratings. I hope it all comes together.

Lol, but Destined With You was one of the biggest messes I've ever watched and the worst part was so many red herrings that were never addressed. But then, I'm a fan of Ha Joon and they dealt dirty with his character.

Hmmmm. . . well based on your cordial and thoughtful response, I personally gather that . . . . the plot is indeed very thin. Which is okay because it means I need not wait anxiously for the next released episode and I can look forward to a happy ending for all. Which, actually, is the reason I put this one on my watchlist to begin with because I knew nothing about any of the cast. Thanks for your response.

I'm still behind a bit (ep 4???) so didn't realize there would be a so-called "love" triangle which frankly is too silly to even think about in this comedy. Now, if it was a melo-drama, then maybe. . probably. But this one? Makes me wonder why writer/PD even thought to introduce one in a 12 ep. show. Unless the overall story is very, very thin. 😊

I always enjoy reading your theories, but this time you may need to re-think. I've only read bits and pieces of the webtoon, but I've read character summaries and the Ex-Pres is not on the list, nor is a Suojae-similar entity. The webtoon is mostly a series of events/trials as Judge Lee corrects for his mistakes in the past. The writer/director said that court-room dramas are difficult because the scenes are static, so they focused more on character development and getting Han-young outside the court room. My take (but folks who have read the entire manwha can correct me) is that Suojae and political (rather than just judicial corruption) was added to add an over-arching layer to his redemption . So, I think exPres is dead. I did not understand the Shaman token in the bible - I need to re-watch.

If there is a Season 2, it needs an over-arching plot of good vs evil and the open end of the drama lays it out. The last few scenes are in the future - se-hui has returned from abroad and is studying for the LEET; Suojae has been reconstituted by a face unknown (what big star can they rope in?). Kang gets a phone. And Han-young asks himself if this is the end - or is there still more to atone for (some of his past trials) - Season 2 answer (if it happens): Han-young still has more to atone for. They are still missing the flash drive with names of corrupt officials. Not every major character needs to return but viewers want to see se-hui's end story. I think ML's senior is "good". Kang is BAD (you can't redeem a murderer on death row) but Season 2 without Kang would be a let-down. So your Option 2 is as good a theory as any. 😊

The writer wanted to write an open-ended ending for potential Season 2. MBC approved the open-ending and they filmed it ((about 10 minutes worth).

Some of the last scenes were wrap-up (Han-young and Jin-ah at his parents home; the gathering at grandmama's new eatery). Others scenes: Se-hui studying for the LEET (law school entrance exam); the scene with the old lady whose child had dies; Kang outside the prison receiving a phone; the people sitting at Soejoe - all were filler or glimpses into the future.

PD says it's up to the MBC execs if Season 2 is approved but with those stellar ratings, approval is likely - just need to get Ji Sung to agree. 😊