I agree with your review, especially "a giant waste of talents." I had a lot of expectations when I saw the ratings and the cast. I love Ryu Seung-ryong's performance as a villain in "Kingdom". Zo Insung is a great actor. Overall, the series lacks depth; I especially find the scripts cringeworthy. I enjoyed Kim Doo Sik and Lee Mihyun's love story, though; slow burn, subtle but passionate. The villains are morally black and white - typical boring types and lack depth. The special effects, makeup, and cinematography look pretty good, though.
I wholeheartedly agree with this review. Why did they change the remaining episodes because of Saron's DUI? I enjoyed it so much prior to ep 6. Great writing, world-building, action, acting. I felt for every character. It's so unfair for the entire cast how they ended it like that.