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Our story begins when an influx of illegal guns fall into the hands of ordinary citizens in South Korea, a country where guns are outlawed and its population is unaccustomed to such threats. This abrupt change causes mayhem around the country, specifically in Seoul where our story takes place, as it forces the people to confront their biggest fears, frustrations, and the fragility of their society. We follow Lee Do, a righteous cop and former military sniper, as he tries to navigate the chaos, uncover the source of the illegal weapons distribution, and stop the gun violence from escalating.

On the surface, Trigger is supposed to be an exciting thriller packed with action and suspense. It is a typical crime story that has been done a hundred times before successfully. And yet, even with all the variations in the world, the writers of Trigger still fail to take notes. With a weak script, the drama ends up being an underwhelming viewing experience. I fear I need to steer clear of action and crime kdramas made by Netflix from now on, as I also have many criticisms for Mercy for None, another Netflix original that is riddled with the same shortcomings too. Trigger is just the latest to let me down.

The villain here is a joke, the police force being the punchline.
And I have so many questions.

Why are multiple trained police officers unable to fight off and defend a police station against one sex offender who most likely have less experience with guns and less training than they do? Even with a whole armory at their disposal along with their combined strength and expertise, saving the lives of everyone in that precinct still falls entirely on Lee Do. What makes the situation worse is that as the only man to save lives that night, Lee Do still ends up being the one who is reprimanded with a suspension.

How is it possible that a teenage high school student with no connection to any organized crimes is able to gain access to free guns by simply typing "I want to purchase a gun" into the internet search bar, but the entire police force is oblivious as to how the guns are being acquired? In an age of technology, not a single one of them stopped to think about checking the internet first? South Korea is one of the most heavily surveillanced countries in the world, why isn't anyone monitoring the internet for suspicious activity?

And don't even get me started on the plausibility of Lee Do surviving multiple gunshots to the chest and recovering in time for the final showdown shortly after — how is this man not dead?

Everyone around Lee Do have two braincells that they collectively share and pass around among themselves, meanwhile Lee Do is the only one who is competent, intelligent, and indestructible. There are just too many plot holes to keep count of. The lack of realism and logic stops me from immersing into this world.

What disappoints me most of all is perhaps the fact that the illegal guns flooding the country are not distributed for the purpose of profit, but for the amusement of the villain who just wants to cause a disturbance in society and watch the world burn.

Trigger is a glorified action and crime drama about senseless killings for the sake of violence, masquerading as something deeper than it really is. There are real concerns that the drama brings up — such as class disparity, school bullying, a flawed justice system, and mental health — but the themes are just too ambitious for the writers to grasp and they fail to explore these issues properly, leaving the story feeling shallow and the characters underdeveloped. The gunshot sound effects have more depth and substance than the characters and overall story itself.

In conclusion, there isn't much to gain from Trigger, but you will probably enjoy it if you like Mercy for None. Both have different concepts, but they are similar in execution.