This review may contain spoilers
A Gritty Crime Drama Built on Unconventional Justice
The idea of using criminals to catch criminals—essentially “setting a thief to catch a thief”—was executed really well. Their methods and unconventional way of thinking added a unique edge to each investigation. 👍👍
One of the most interesting aspects was how the police department relied on the “boys” whenever they couldn’t solve major cases. It highlighted their limitations and how they often needed outside, unorthodox help to get results.
Each character had their own strengths and weaknesses, which made the team dynamic feel balanced and engaging. Even the boys, despite being formed into a convict task force, were still clearly caught up in their pasts. Their histories continued to follow them and influence how others perceived and treated them, adding another layer of depth to their characters and the overall story.
However, one weak point for me was the female cop. She came across as quite irksome, with a “she knows best” attitude. What stood out the most was her black-and-white mindset—she judged everything strictly as right or wrong, without considering deeper context. She looked down on Oh Goo Tak and the three men purely because of their criminal records, without trying to understand their pasts or the reasons behind their actions. This made her feel narrow-minded and lacking in insight compared to the rest of the team.
I was fully satisfied and excited when Oh Goo Tak called the female cop out -
"Aren't criminals also human? No matter how people change, once they have committed a crime, does that mean they must always be discriminated against? Listen up. You need the process but what they need are results. You're only doing this to climb the ladder of career advancement. But it's not like that for them. Even if their fingernails and toenails fall off and their bones all break, they will grit their teeth, bear the pain and keep climbing. why? Because if they fall, they will die. So if you cant even give them some ointment for their wounds, at least you shouldn't push them to their deaths. You are still a public servant."
When I read this, I was like, damn Mr. Squad Leader Oh..! Nice! That really shut her down, and it was easily one of the most satisfying moments in the drama. 😃
Even after that, she kept pushing her limits to find out whether the four of them were connected. I couldn’t tell if it was pure curiosity or just her stubborn black-and-white mindset and ego still refusing to let go. 😒🙄
Later on, she even betrayed her commissioner and switched sides for her own benefit, which honestly felt like a very ungrateful move just to get what she wanted. When she once asked why she was chosen to lead the team, Commissioner Nam gave her a straightforward answer instead of letting her overthink it (which, given her ambition and ego, she would likely never interpret correctly anyway):
"Because you are smart... and ambitious. Smart people dont see the world as it really is. They're only focus on what they are interested in, and they will make that their world for a long time. They have no idea what world is like for ordinary people. Ambitious people take no notice of others, because they are too desperate to feed their own ambition. What others might want, what others might hoping for, they dont want to see those thingsand they will never see them. "
When she shed a tear, I thought she had finally realized her arrogance and ignorance. But instead, she ended up turning her back on her own side and running toward a new one, still driven by ambition and the habit of stigmatizing others rather than truly understanding them.
One of the most interesting aspects was how the police department relied on the “boys” whenever they couldn’t solve major cases. It highlighted their limitations and how they often needed outside, unorthodox help to get results.
Each character had their own strengths and weaknesses, which made the team dynamic feel balanced and engaging. Even the boys, despite being formed into a convict task force, were still clearly caught up in their pasts. Their histories continued to follow them and influence how others perceived and treated them, adding another layer of depth to their characters and the overall story.
However, one weak point for me was the female cop. She came across as quite irksome, with a “she knows best” attitude. What stood out the most was her black-and-white mindset—she judged everything strictly as right or wrong, without considering deeper context. She looked down on Oh Goo Tak and the three men purely because of their criminal records, without trying to understand their pasts or the reasons behind their actions. This made her feel narrow-minded and lacking in insight compared to the rest of the team.
I was fully satisfied and excited when Oh Goo Tak called the female cop out -
"Aren't criminals also human? No matter how people change, once they have committed a crime, does that mean they must always be discriminated against? Listen up. You need the process but what they need are results. You're only doing this to climb the ladder of career advancement. But it's not like that for them. Even if their fingernails and toenails fall off and their bones all break, they will grit their teeth, bear the pain and keep climbing. why? Because if they fall, they will die. So if you cant even give them some ointment for their wounds, at least you shouldn't push them to their deaths. You are still a public servant."
When I read this, I was like, damn Mr. Squad Leader Oh..! Nice! That really shut her down, and it was easily one of the most satisfying moments in the drama. 😃
Even after that, she kept pushing her limits to find out whether the four of them were connected. I couldn’t tell if it was pure curiosity or just her stubborn black-and-white mindset and ego still refusing to let go. 😒🙄
Later on, she even betrayed her commissioner and switched sides for her own benefit, which honestly felt like a very ungrateful move just to get what she wanted. When she once asked why she was chosen to lead the team, Commissioner Nam gave her a straightforward answer instead of letting her overthink it (which, given her ambition and ego, she would likely never interpret correctly anyway):
"Because you are smart... and ambitious. Smart people dont see the world as it really is. They're only focus on what they are interested in, and they will make that their world for a long time. They have no idea what world is like for ordinary people. Ambitious people take no notice of others, because they are too desperate to feed their own ambition. What others might want, what others might hoping for, they dont want to see those thingsand they will never see them. "
When she shed a tear, I thought she had finally realized her arrogance and ignorance. But instead, she ended up turning her back on her own side and running toward a new one, still driven by ambition and the habit of stigmatizing others rather than truly understanding them.
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