This review may contain spoilers
"I don't operate like that" <3 <3 I just want to see more of Shi/Si-Mok!!
Haha, hey I was being honest! Not only am I here to see more of actor Jo Seung Woo as Hwang Si-Mok, but I'm excited to see so many mature actors in an intense, smart and captivating series where they are playing roles outside of traditional roles! Si-Mok makes the show for me & his interactions with Bae Doo Na's character Han Yeo Jin - the other characters too, are worth while. I keep watching to see if he reveals more emotion & just how much he does. I'm so thrilled & happy they did a second season!! They just upped the intensity and I fall in love with the characters all over again! Si-Mok, even if he didn't have the surgery or condition that led to it when he was younger, he's relatable to the people like me who just work, socialize a little, get out a little with no interests in sports or games. He's just gorgeous <3 and now he's pitted against a dear friend in his heart, who understands him better than most. Watching this, you'll also discover just how much you really feel for an annoying but likeable, annoying, semi-endearing & intelligent character that puts you on edge as the suspense is turned up (I discovered that I really like him). This episode had me tense and tearing up at the end. He's so lucky to have two people like Si-Mok & Yeo Jin looking for him, especially Si-Mok. Si-Mok knows him well <3 Please be alive you lovable jerk! Boy oh boy I wish there weren't only 16 episodes or just this season!Another quick tangent, I think I'd love to watch a series about Si-Mok finding love & reconnecting with his closed off emotions with potential health problems that subdued intense emotions could cause him.
I absolutely loved this & the last episode was done so well, just like me, you'll be smiling with him as it comes to a close. One of the best sequels!
Was this review helpful to you?
Best TV show bar none!!!!
I have never written a review before on MyDramalist.I live in the US and to me this show is the best show I have ever watched of all time, including all the American , British, Korean & Chinese dramas I have watched.
Starting with the writer, she has created a masterpiece of literature. The details and intelligence of the story, characterizations, continued development of characters and the incredible layering of all that put together is perfection. And the directing and the acting and all the other aspects of the film making process brings her story brilliantly to life.
Season 1 was a hard act to follow. And I think Season 2 surpassed it. I loved loved the last episode. it was so satisfying, one of or the best last episodes I've ever watched. In the last episode, for some of the characters who were in season 1, in particular Shi Mok, Yoon Se Won & Yeon Jae, the way the writer wove in their past from Season 1 brought me to tears. What She Mok did because of how much he cares for his (only) friend, Yeo Jin , my heart was so full and she will probably never know how he changed her outcome. All those shortage of moments of their togetherness in their teamwork together in the first few episode was paid back in spades and it was not even what they say to each other , each of their essence showed their innate trust and closeness and even undisclosed tenderness the viewer can just feel from their looks and body language. If something more than friendship was to ever happen, we know it will be a very very slow burn probably over several seasons (I hope there are several seasons!) but would totally be worth the wait or even if it stayed at friendship that's okay because I receive such incredible joy from their characters. And I think this is a tremendous tribute to the acting skills of the two actors who play them, Jo Seung Woo & Bae Doo Na.
This drama is pure perfection (for me).
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Not nearly as good as season one
I was tremendously disappointed in Season 2 of Stranger. The friendships that had been developed in Season 1 were gone as if they never existed. Now, the police and the prosecution were at odds about everything. I SO missed Shi Mok and Yeo Jin solving crimes together.And this is just my personal opinion, but there were just too many corrupt people! It seemed like it was everyone other than Shi Mok and Yeo Jin! In a move to make the majority of the people in the show corrupt, they had to create multiple convoluted cases, most of which I didn't care about. Everything was too long and drawn out.
I also didn't care for the ending, too open for me, without adequate consequences for a few of the people.
However, I will say, it was worth watching the second season if only for Shi Mok's smile at the end!
Was this review helpful to you?
A satisfying watch as a standalone drama, but pales in comparison to its esteemed predecessor
Coming out of it, I still can’t really find the right words for Season 2. On the one hand, it’s undoubtedly a unique and engaging crime drama as a standalone, but on the other hand, you can’t help but compare it to its predecessor, and it just lacks the emotional weight and impact of the masterpiece that was Season 1.Season 2 picks up some time after Season 1 finishes, and follows our favourite prosecutor-detective pair, Hwang Si-Mok and Han Yeo-Jin, as they reunite in Seoul to participate in the upcoming debate over the allocation of investigative rights between the prosecution and the police. A string of seemingly unrelated incidents unfold, revolving around this conflict, and it’s up to the protagonists to make the right connections, solve the case, and save the day.
The premise is interesting and different enough, and the script is punchy and laced with political critique, yet Season 2 ultimately still falls short in two main areas: 1) the fact that it doesn’t stay true to the core of a crime drama and 2) the characters.
Normally, when you pick up a crime drama, you are looking for something that is suspenseful, action-packed, and constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat. Season 1 does this very well, with how it opens with one case, which slowly sprawls out into a web of seemingly unrelated cases and beautifully ties back together in the end. Season 2 focuses heavily on the political conflict between the police and the prosecutors, which is an interesting topic in and of itself, but ultimately isn’t the focus of the drama. In fact, even the writers know that this, as they rarely provide enough context for the conflict to be meaningful to the viewer. The political conflict is meant to be a backdrop rather than a centerpiece of the show, but it consumes so much of the run time that the show barely has a chance to crime. The suspense is still there when you do get to the cases – it expertly leads you by the nose to suspect someone, then follows to immediately blow that suspicion away or cast suspicion on someone else by introducing a new piece of evidence. Despite this, the development is a lot weaker and more confusing as the protagonists are pursuing 4 separate cases simultaneously over the 16 episodes, all of which unfortunately remain largely independent of each other even towards the end. Season 2 tries to employ a similar gimmick to Season 1, but ultimately fails to bring it together effectively.
On the characters though, it’s incredibly comforting to see the protagonists remain true to their original characterization, including their mutual reliance and trust in their unrelenting pursuit of justice, even when they find themselves sitting on opposite sides of the table. Unfortunately, the other characters in Season 2 pale in comparison to the beautifully written byronic hero who carried Season 1 (to this day, I still can’t think of many characters that can hold a candle to his charisma). However, I do acknowledge that Season 2 is a very different type of story at its core. It’s not really about one individual doing superhuman things in the face of adversity – it’s more about a group of very ordinary people who find themselves in bad places in the normal course of life, the decisions they make, and the consequences of their actions. It sounds horribly mundane compared to the story about the superhuman individual, but instead resonates very strongly with each one of us, as I think anyone could easily find themselves in the situations that the culprits / instigators / victims in the drama found themselves in over the normal course of life – food for thought.
That said, I do think it’s a good run overall. It falls short in certain respects, especially when you compare it to its esteemed predecessor, but remains a worthwhile watch as a standalone drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
It’s masterfully done. Second season equals the brilliance of the first.
This season cemented the author Lee soo yeon’s credibility in writing complicated characters and plot lines. It’s so well done. I’ll be following her work religiously.I was prepared for a slightly less entertaining season 2 because sequels don’t usually follow the brilliance of the first. But this season of stranger shone just as bright if not more on its own.
The story, albeit complicated to follow, is gripping. Many things happen at the same time, which might leave you wonder where the plot is going or if there is going to be one culprit to find amidst it all. You end up focusing on every detail because you never know who you might have to suspect. And it’s just seems scattered at first. But by the end of it, a larger picture emerges and it brilliantly grounded in philosophy and ethics of work and justice rather than actively being on the ground to pin it on the one culprit. This season is a lot less legwork and more battle of words and institutions that seemingly protect the society. It might be tedious for the less inclined but every episode makes you think on so many levels and that’s the brilliance of the story. The story wraps up in best and the most realistic way possible. It’s not a perfect ending like what most of drama watchers might be accustomed to but it’s perfect because it stays true to its characters and reality of the world we live in yet shines a light towards the good and the decent.
Characters:
Hwang shi mok has to be my favourite character of all time. For a person incapable or at least wary of showing emotions, he is just so endearing! He sticks out like a sore thumb but his work ethic parallels none. His sense or morality in not innate. He just seems to follow the law and all that it upholds to the letter. He is justice personified. Also, he smiles a lot more in this season which is like twice but I’m not complaining.
Han Yeo Jin: she is just the coolest person anyone can have the privilege of working with. She is righteous. She is fun. She is doggedly pursues truth and justice no matter the circumstance. She has the rare courage of standing up to authorities and hwang shi mok couldn’t have found a better friend or just a person he could trust.
Seo Dong jae : This guy. He is shady and always seems to be working in the shadiest ways but he is smart in a way that Shi Mok isn’t. Dong Jae is like a errant puppy. He will exasperate you but you’ll end up liking him nonetheless. Also, how exasperating does one have to be to make Hwang Shi Mok almost roll his eyes!?
Choi Bit: She is one badass woman. It’s great to see her just be ambitious and what it means to succeed as woman. She makes questionable choices to get to the top just as her male counterparts would and that’s what makes her so cool. She is flawed for sure but it’s just nice to see a woman who isn't painted black or white. She stands her own in this story.
Acting: Everyone from the previous season came back with their characters as their second skin. All the actors in this season deliver. Maybe except Yoon Se Ah. I don’t know why I just didn’t buy her story most of the time. It felt like a caricature portrayal of her character. But it’s minor.
Overall, I hope there’s season 3. If not, I hope the writer keeps writing brilliant characters and casting Cho Seung Woo, Bae Doo Na and Lee Joon Hyuk.
Was this review helpful to you?
A new season meeting every expectation
Once there's a hype around a plot and a show, immedialty the second season will face an intense scrutiny from the public. And season 2 went above and beyond my expectations.Stranger season 2 is more political, at least at first. And i absolutely love the fact that they tried to oppose Hwang Si Mok and Han Yeo Jin in their job position.
They could have setteled for a repetition of season 1 but took a huge risk instead by changing the pace of the drama (a little slower at the beginning), the theme (more political) and the dynamics of the characters.
Some people seemed bothered by the settling of the plot who might have been slower since the drama doesn't start off with a crime and an investigation but more a legal and political face-off.
In my perspective, everything made perfect sense. This plot allowed new characters to be introduced in the story much more smoothly because you get to know everyone before the question of who is suspect and who is not arrises.
The writing is honestly mindblowing. It kept me on the edge of my seat during every single episode, it made sense, was well paced, and for once, i actually genuinely WONDERED who the real culprit was. Amazing and compelx plot twists.
After 3 years, i fell in love again with the characters (so happy that a major part of the cast from S1 was back + new and interesting charcaters).
And there were fewer sweet HSM /HYJ moments since they were not officially in the same team but the chemistry is a 100% there and you can actually feel their bond and trust strengthen despite all the obstacles.
The acting is, as always, on point.
I can only recommend this show and the first season of it as well, hoping for a 3rd one to get closure on certain questions left unanswered.
Was this review helpful to you?
Stranger 2 just didn't feel like a very well-built cohesive unit like Stranger 1 did. It honestly felt like there were separate excellent stories packed into one drama. Cases felt like they were less and less connected to each other as episodes passed by and it felt like the drama was going to an unknown direction at times.
The real reason why I didn't enjoy Stranger 2 as much I enjoyed Stranger 1 is because they reduced the impact factors that Stranger 1 had. I'm pretty sure those who have enjoyed Strangers 1 liked it for a variety of reasons, mainly, the cast, the story, how everything felt connected, the chemistry of the leads and support characters, the shock factor, and a lot more. And in season 2, they totally reduced some of this. The two most obvious ones are the shock factor and chemistry of the leads. There were fewer scenes when you would just "wow" from the reveal, and Hwang Si Mok X Han Yeo Jin moments were almost non-existent until the 2nd second half of the drama.
This is probably one of the most disorganized reviews I have made, but I just wanted to share my raw opinions on this drama. Aside from things that I felt like could've made the drama better, the story was still excellent. The drama was more sophisticated as there was more dialogue and less action involved. The story tackled a much broader stance of corruption and took justice up a notch.
Final thoughts: If there was one thing that really stuck to me, it was the final episode. I really loved the final episode and how they disclosed everything in a slow-ish manner. I don't think anything was left unattended and in the open and I couldn't have asked for a better finale than that.
Was this review helpful to you?
The perfect duo is back!
The storyline in this season is a bit more slow and more political focused than the first. If you prefer a proper crime solving show than maybe this season is might not be to your liking. This is still a great second season though.The police and the prosecutors are fighting against each other for the investigation right which causes the two leads we love to watch be on the opposite side, but they don't really care about that, but it makes their teamwork a bit harder with both of their bosses trying to make them use each other and create doubt. This seasons go through a couple of cases which some might seem to not be necessary at first but I think they managed to tie everything together really well in the end. That being said I do think that there is one storyline that feel kind of unfinished or at least handled a bit sloppy at the end, but since that isn't the main storyline it doesn't take away to much of the story.
The dream sequence in the last episode is so powerful and emotional and it hit me straight in the gut with the feels.
Like I mentioned in the beginning, this season is a bit slower than the first but the last few episodes are really great and if you feel that it's to slow for your liking, try to hold on cause it will be worth it.
The acting is just as the first season really really good, and so is the music. This is a great watch if you have the time and you should definitely check this one out if you liked the first season ^^
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A true masterpiece! Always keeping you on your toes
Stranger season 1 which is one of my all time favourite dramas set the expectations really high for the second season and as expected this drama didn't let me down except for some minor issues.The writers did a spectacular job, every scene was so thrilling and so beautifully written. It makes you question all types of social structures in the society. It makes you realise the behind the scenes of corruption, favours in the business world, bribery, bullying etc. It even touches alot on mental health and being there for people, no matter what. This show is loved by everyone due to the aftereffcts that stays in your mind after the show is over. It makes you think, the impact is on another level.
We got alot of scenes with our favourite duo, shi mok and yeo jin, thier relationship which was wholesome, more so in this season. Too many cute interactions with seo dong jae, shi mok and kang won chul(a father uwu) too. I loved the new addition in the cast, two extremely powerful and strong characters. I also loved how lee young jae transformed into a whole ceo, we love strong woman.
This season just fills you up with hope for your life. The way our duo fight for justice and always stand up for what's right is so amazing to watch. I especially loved the scenes where shi mok straight up questions people, doesn't take shit from nobody and of course always has evidence for everything.
I loved how the character shi mok develops in this season. Many emotional scenes and alot of goosebumps. Truly legendary.
Side note: the osts for this show are amazing!! Theyre better than season one!
Now for the minor issues, the show had alot of talking, a lot of boring talking in the first few episodes, though I understand some of it was necessary for the show to progress, still this needed alot of concentration to understand, it was alot of work. I also didn't like how they kept our duo apart for alot of episodes! I just wanted to see them together!!! But you can say they made up for it in the last few episodes :)
Anyways I really enjoyed this show and will be waiting for how many ever years for a new season, I really need more of this!
Was this review helpful to you?
From a storytelling perspective, the show starts slowly, spending the first several hours on seemingly trivial details. However, things pick up around episode 6 and the disparate narrative threads come together into a compelling whole. Its focus on the power struggles within Korean law enforcement recognizes that how a society pursues justice ultimately determines whether or not it will obtain it. Heroic cops and prosecutors like Yeo Jin and Shi Mok are great, but they are only as effective as the institutions they represent.
Was this review helpful to you?
Brilliant Drama With Memorable Details.
Lee Soo-Yeon has proven once again that she is a very smart writer. Season 2's chapters are written with different elements from the Season 1, It looks more insightful and sharp. The chapter has a zero point, namely the conflict between the police and the prosecutor. Before been linked to four big cases, the astonishing thing is that all the nodes are connected and the structure looks like a cobweb.Content in Season 2, we saw the power struggle between police and prosecutors in the investigation, however that's a small piece of the big picture that shows that the true master is chaebol. Or a large capitalist group that has close ties to the government and has an effect on the national economy until it can determine various directions Including the justice system.
When the organization is filled with the use of lines and systems, seniors and juniors support each other. Friendliness is used in the defense of the faults of the organization itself. It made me realize the meaning of the stranger which meant Hwang Si Mok and Han Yeojin who chose not to live. However, both chose to stand for the right.
Finally, we can see that at the heart of both seasons the chapters are not talking about the outrage that started with the big things. Season 1 talks about the wounds of a long-standing little habit of taking advantage. Don't think anything when it comes time to cry for help, it cannot be denied, while Season 2 is a small point that looks like nothing but systematically creates a domino effect on people and sectors. Just because everyone chooses to ignore it.
Was this review helpful to you?
A solid series
Stranger 2 is different from Stranger 1 in many ways, e.g. here we have - alphabetically - police vs. prosecutors as leitmotiv (and the "incest" between the two that has been hinted throughout the episodes, but has not fully come to light).I am glad about that, because some series start great, and then just rehash the same stuff.
Having said that, I am wondering why Stranger 1 steadily increased its viewers share (in Korea) from 3% to 7%, but this series is stuck as a yoyo between 6% and 7.5%: market saturation for this kind of series?
In all fairness, one cannot write a complete review until the series is over, and there are so many loose ends right now, that I am expecting a great finale.
Was this review helpful to you?
