Prior to viewing “My Name”, the question begging for an answer was “How is Han So Hee really going to play a character that is more brawl than beauty?” That question is answered so quickly and thoroughly to the affirmative in such short order that immediately after viewing the conclusion, it seems insignificant. It shouldn’t however, as Han So Hee’s performance is outstanding and it makes “My Name” one of the best productions of 2021. As Yoon Ji Woo who joins the Dongcheong drug gang and becomes the mole narcotics detective Oh Hye Jin, Han So Hee bludgeons the screen with desperate rage, crushing isolation and grim determination. If her credentials as an A List star weren’t already established, this performance carves it emphatically in stone.

The story of a criminal enterprise planting a mole in a police department is not breaking new ground. The most notable predecessors are “Infernal Affairs”, the 2002 Hong Kong movie and its English adaptation by Martin Scoresese “The Departed” which won multiple Academy Awards. “My Name” has many similarities but the setup is an ingenious twist which is subtly hinted at multiple times but only fully revealed well past the halfway mark.

Beyond Han So Hee, there are two other marvelous performances. Kim Sang Ho is brilliant as the Narcotics Division captain with a murky connection to the murder of Yoon Donghoon which initiates the story. But the most electrifying work is by Yang Jool as Do Gang Jae, a former Dongcheong disciple with plans to take over as the new kingpin. Gang Jae is at the top of the villain heap - a tangle of psychosis, brilliance, theatrics and grudges. The entanglements between Ji Woo and Gang Jae are the finest moments in a very fine show.

Sadly, they are not the centerpiece and once Gang Jae is no longer involved, the tension markedly slackens. Where “My Name” lapses, it is with the finer points of how Ji Woo acts as Detective Oh, some lackluster characters, one casting misfire and a terribly unimaginative conclusion. For the lackluster characters, Ahn Bo Hyun’s Detective Jeon Pil Do varies from the cop stereotype only occasionally and almost imperceptibly. Park Hee Soon’s Choi Mu Jin, the Dongcheong leader is more corporate figurehead than ruthless drug lord. His right hand man, meanwhile, is Jung Tae Joo played by Lee Hak Joo who is entirely unconvincing in the role.

There are some questionable gaffes in logic. Ji Woo is far too reckless with maintaining her secrecy. It is a serious stretch that she is not quickly outed as a mole. One Bond-like near death escape around the halfway point is a mess. Dongcheong rarely seems like an outfit capable of either mass drug commerce, avoiding police entanglements or successful turf warfare against other gangs. Meanwhile, the entire narcotics division could fit in a walk-in closet and the secondary characters who inhabit it show no indication that they could apprehend the most simple minded criminals.

These are flaws but not so glaring to diminish the entertainment value. The production is overall very well done. The HMU work in particular is convincing. It’s not groundbreaking photography work, but it is solid. There is almost no filler or unnecessary flashbacks in the narrative.

With a satisfying conclusion, “My Name” would be in the top echelon of shows. That, however, is where “My Name” whiffs badly. In the final episode, there is a last shocking moment (a good one) and then the narrative veers immediately southward and never recovers. It is a final confrontation that magically combines a wholly unimaginative setup with a total departure from any possible realism. It results in a show that is nearly eight episodes of scintillating entertainment that is deeply marred by the last twenty minutes.

Overall, “My Name” is an excellent show that simply falls short at the end. For an audience that is not fond of violence, it should be avoided. In general, it is just short of being a “must watch”.