janec

First of all, it was rushed and chaotic, as if they wanted to close everything as soon as possible, thus it was underdeveloped and a bit pathetic.

I don't like the kind of ending SDJ received. Also it was bland and easy to predict. As for me, not a happy ending at all and was totally unsatisfying, in addition, it left no room for reflection (as in Stranger 2) because it is closed. But closed naively and mealy-mouthed. If SDJ had been really seriously punished, I might have been annoyed, if the case had been swept under the rug, I might have thought it would still come back to bite him, but this ending made them not only stray too far from the Stranger vibe, but in addition from the initial vibe of their own series. It was just badly written.

I don't know if it's a consolation or not, but it looks like the ending is building a foundation for a new drama. I just really don't know if I want to watch the adventures of this investigative team even if SDJ will be there.

I'm disappointed with the ending because:

Yet even the definition you quoted does not convince me of your opinion that SDJ has a narcissistic personality. Unless everyone who craves recognition for their work has it :) One might even venture to say that everyone writing comments on forums and trying to convince others of their points also subconsciously, or not, exhibit narcissistic behavior. Regardless of the definition adopted I do not see this trait in him.

I don't know why you read my comment this way and not differently, but well, that's not my problem. Because for me fiction is fiction, a fictional character is entertainment or not. He is, for me, a well-written and acted entertainment that I do not analyze in terms of a potential husband for me. My comment was about the portrayal of him in the drama and his evolution, not reading into and adding to what we were not shown in the drama. Later, yes, I expressed the opinion that I would love to work with such a man, and I stand by my opinion. Because in my opinion, which apparently differs from yours, for me SDJ is a person who cleans up after himself, and I also didn't notice that his wife had any problem with him. I'm not a fan of fan fiction to elaborate on what happens beyond what the drama conveys. I leave reading between the lines to solve crime mysteries not to guess what the character's marital posse is like off-screen.

And yes, in this series SDJ is a very positive character who has worked hard and suffered a lot to make up for his past bad deeds. He's still a weasel, but that's a talent too :)

I don't know where you got your information about her money helping him with anything, because in the two seasons of Stranger and 8 episodes of this drama there was not a word about it. In addition, they have at least two children, the boy you are talking about and a girl who is older than him. If you pay close attention to what is shown in the drama, not your interpretation, you will see that in s2 of Stranger, when his family was first shown, they did not live richly at all, and the mother wanted so much to protect the children from finding out from the media about their father's kidnapping and possible death, which would have been a huge emotional blow to them, and the Korean media are not among the most subtle.

Of course, you have the right to consider an intelligent man who works hard all his life with no chance of breaking through the invisible ceiling, and dreams of his family living well and being able to afford to send their children to college (which is not an easy thing to do, and apparently his wife doesn't have the money to do so) to be narcissistic. However, if one were to look at her, she is not some pure, holy goddess either. In any case, you didn't give even one piece of evidence showing that she is above his league, you only gave your biased interpretation.

I will add, also biased, that I would love to work with SDJ and would certainly trust in his competence, and at this point in his life I would also trust in his good character and integrity. Because I don't think ambition to provide financial security for his family is narcissistic behavior. We also have many scenes showing what a great mentor he has been to his younger colleagues and how he cares for them, sincerely and honestly, not for selfish reasons. That's the image we got of him in Stranger s2 and here. And, what you probably also didn't notice, SDJ is liked and somewhat respected by his former and current colleagues. He has made mistakes in the past, but everyone in the prosecutor's office knows how widespread corruption is, and I think they know of many bribed prosecutors who are untouchable. In my opinion, since s2, when he proved how competent he is and yet still overlooked for promotions, people have more sympathy, understanding and compassion for him than hostility.

I feel personally affected on behalf of SDJ ;) Give me at least one example of why she is out of his league. I have the impression that you are transferring your affection for the actress to the character she plays, since we have no information as to her background, education or job (well, unless I missed something) and if you are referring solely to her appearance, that is purely a matter of taste.

I think the ending will not be a total victory. Or at least I hope so. A complete victory and a big prize will make it seem like a closure of SDJ's story, and I really want a second season in which he will again face the mistakes of his past.

I've watched 8 episodes and love both titles, but if you're hoping for a Stranger vibe, don't, it's definitely a different drama. Absolutely do not count on the same, because you will be disappointed. If you approach with a slightly different approach, you can have a great time.

You can always approach SDJ as an excellent redemtion arc :)

I don't remember exactly, maybe someone will correct me. SDJ is a very intelligent and capable prosecutor who did not graduate from an elite university, so he has no connections to the prosecutorial elite and is off the grid. To have any chance of a career, he gave his loyalty to his boss to the point of doing things for him that were not necessarily clean. So he was corrupt, but in a group of other corrupts. So in season 1 he was a minor antagonist to the protagonist. There was a scandal that SDJ was part of, but he was just a minnow, on top of that I think everyone knew he was doing it out of loyalty to his boss, so you could say they let him off with a warning. He suffered a small punishment like exile from Seoul and his reputation suffered. Then SDJ started looking for a chance to return. He's really brilliant and hardworking, so he rummaged through some buried cases without knowing how dangerous they were to certain people and offered them to a certain high-ranking prosecutor. He wanted to be useful and find new connections. Unfortunately, in the middle of ongoing investigations, he disappeared. The main character's investigation into his disappearance was the pivot of s2 and showed how competent and loyal SDJ is as a prosecutor. His dedication gave him some points, but lacking decent connections, he couldn't return to the big leagues. If you associate Kang Won Chul, the guy worked together with him in season 1 (as one of his superiors), in season 2 he unintentionally contributed to SDJ's suffering, so in my opinion he owes him some debt and so a little, very little, but he protects him.

Should you watch Stranger? According to many, it is an absolutely excellent legal series, with armchair-pressing mysteries, totally gripping. Season two gets a little slower and more political, but in my opinion SDJ was the highlight of the season as a character who was the axis of the plot, even in parts where he wasn't on screen. Certainly watching Stranger will help you understand SDJ, his desperation and how difficult and fraught certain choices are for him. Although be forewarned, meeting the SDJ of 2017 may not be pleasant. Well, he was not an honest man then. But he was cute :)

This is the first drama in a very long time where I not only care about the fate of the main character, but I really root for him and when he faces injustice, I feel frustration. What can I say, I love SDJ. And to tell the truth, his tiny victories give me a lot of satisfaction.

By episode 6, no. After that, I don't expect it either. SDJ is a happily married, faithful husband. This is one of the very few k-dramas where there is no romance.

I also missed the relationship between HSM and HYJ, although my favorite scene was the one on the stairs when he felt bad and she looked after him. For me, it was not only a full understanding between them, but also that typical playful thread of affection (not romance). I really like how, despite the fact that they are both leading characters, they excellently manage to be supportive of each other. I value their friendship very highly.

Oh, I see. It's just that I'm watching season 2 right now, and here there are a lot of high profile cases, just shown through talks. We have the suspected murder of a police officer, we have a former prosecutor dead, we have high-profile tarnishing, so similar somewhat to season 1. Only here they're sort of handling things while investigating the missing SDJ. The approach is interesting, only the execution smacks of Covid 19. I remember watching it for the first time, I had the feeling that they were using a safe distance, that there were fewer people in the corridors and streets than there should have been. Perhaps the production actually had to be limited and the script adjusted, which is why this drama looks the way it does. I think many viewers wouldn't mind the political aspect of this season if it retained some of the dynamics and tension from season 1. In my opinion, what you want to convey is as important as how you convey it. If all the relationships between the characters in s2 are slow and awkward, the viewer will feel awkward too.
Anyway, I'm glad we have a new series in this franchise and I miss HSM a bit :)

To tell the truth, I don't understand what “author's true vision” means. In my country, children in school are taught “what the author wanted to say,” but in college I was taught to think “what the text conveys.” The author's true vision and what the viewer sees are very different things, because the author can fly in communicating his vision (I'm not talking about this series, just in general). As an author, I know that readers perceive certain scenes that I have written differently - some of them actually follow my lead, some see something different, but that, after all, does not diminish their experience. In the same way, as a reader/viewer, I prefer to get to know the story as I see it and not as the author tells me to look at it. If he failed in showing me what he wanted me to see, that's his fault, not mine, because he's the one who showed the world not accurately enough.
And HSM in the first season was very interesting to me. And I liked his interactions with SDJ in season two, although SDJ stole every scene then. That's probably why he got the whole series :)

In my opinion, this drama is much, much better than the second season of Stranger, which I am currently re-watching. Stranger 2 is saturated with politics and to be honest I'm not interested in 90% of what happens there. Don't get me wrong, they are interestingly leading suspects, just somehow I'm not interested in the corporate struggles of the protagonist's widow from the previous season or the dirty fight between the police and the prosecution. HSM, who was intriguing in season 1, falls flat in season 2 because we know everything about him. In season 2, it is SDJ who is the intriguing mystery uncovered during the investigation. For me, it is natural that with the change of ML to someone with a completely different personality (i.e., from someone calm and quiet to very dynamic) the whole character of the series also changes. I consider Stranger 1 to be one of the best dramas ever made, but its spin-off is so far a contender for an equally high place. Personally, I also find it very interesting that in the same universe you can put such different stories about rakishly different characters and do them in such an interesting, although different in climate way :)

I know it's still early to talk about it, but I would like a second season. It's been a long time since I've seen a drama that gives me so much entertainment :) Well-directed, with interesting action and a protagonist I really like and who has the potential for several more good seasons.

So in response, I took the trouble to rate each episode as I rate it :)

Different ML, different style, very high value. For me, each episode is intriguing and enjoyable to watch. Whether it will be a masterpiece, we'll find out after it's over. For now, it's going strong and in style.

Yes, it's just that I was asked about my preference, not some abstract general truth, so I referred to my preference. And yes, this is my own very private dislike of this drama. I forced myself to watch episode 5, and I still don't care about anyone in this drama, nor does any secret matter to me. So please don't tell me or others that I am running some kind of hate campaign against the Doubt drama. When someone expressed surprise that I liked one drama and not the other I simply politely explained why. But if expressing a private opinion in response to such a question is, in your opinion, heit, then please report my comment to the moderators and let them decide :) And if you don't want to pursue the topic, just don't pursue it or me. Thank you.

This is your point of view.