TheDramaReader
This review may contain spoilers
Are The Car Windows Tinted? AKA I Created an MDL Account Just to Review This
I just came from watching Signal, which for me was quite literally the greatest drama I've ever watched and if I could I would give it a 12/10. Having quite enjoyed Lee Je Hoon's acting in it and enjoyed the break from romantic themes, I searched for a drama that would hopefully produce similar results. I read through comments, choosing to disbelieve the nay-sayers because i OH-SO wanted to love this drama, but i cant, I just cant. Episode 14 is the episode that broke me.
What frustrates me so much about this series is the fact that the plot devices are SO inconsistent. Furthermore, the characters don't learn and make the same mistakes, they just aren't always caught by the plot unless it's convenient to the writer. Most of all, despite appearing so invincible and intelligent, they do things that make absolutely no sense. I want to give several examples below:
SPOILERS BELOW:
•Are the deluxe taxi's windows tinted? In every scene so far the deluxe taxi's windows were tinted pitch black. So dark that when all those news vehicles and helicopters were after it no one could see inside. So WHY OH WHY when it's convenient to the plot for the Prosecutor lady to drive by him at night to perfectly be able to look into the vehicle and see the male lead's face? It makes no sense.
•When the second female lead finally gets her hands on the cellphone of the perp who ruined her sister's life, she steps on it, crushing it. I'm just like DOES THE PHONE NOT HAVE A MEMORY CARD OR CLOUD BACKUP STORAGE? Like isn't this girl a hacker? Shouldn't she have confiscated the phone to delete the manual and cloud forms of the video as well instead of just stepping on it?! Like they literally blew up servers for that case but they couldn't do a tiny bit more due diligence? I got so upset.
•When our parallel universe batman male lead just came from saving an important character, he turned his back to the villain and got STABBED because of it. He's not wearing any protective gear despite getting stabbed several times before. THEN, RIGHT AFTER this event, he goes to save another important character (ep. 14), punches the bad guy (who is still perfectly conscious and able) and GETS STABBED AGAIN. I just want to know...IS IT SO HARD TO RESTRAIN THE BAD GUY BEFORE MOVING ON TO SAVING THE INNOCENT?
•Why are they always giving their names and identities/faces to the perps? If something goes wrong in the mission they have their identities and wont be able to know how the perps will demand retribution. Which leads me the stupidest part when Jang Sung Chul got stabbed by that other dude I was like "this man's family was murdered and he has NO home security systems?" also it didn't make sense that the guy who stabbed him didn't go for the kill, like why? There was nothing in that character's characterisation that would indicate he would spare him.
The show makes the male lead out the be this invincible character who solves all his problems by dropping bodies, but for a show with so many complexities this isn't SUPPOSED to always solve his problems and yet it conveniently always does. It's SO incredibly frustrating.
The other concern I have about this show is about the themes of revenge and philosophy of justice. It felt so lackadasical for Jang Sung Chul's character to think he had the answer to all of morality. The revenge schemes were also highly dissatisfying for me because they literally basically involved beating people up then throwing them in that makeshift prison. The reasons prisons exist is first and foremost to keep those who are harmful to society away from society. How are you going to trust a CRIMINAL to keep other CRIMINALS and think everything will be okay.
I just feel like the writer thinks this drama is smarter than it actually is, but there are SO many plot holes, philosophical holes, judicial holes, criminal holes, character-identity holes, conflict resolution holes they might as well have called this drama "HOLES."
What I Liked:
•The acting. The rag tag bunch of vigilantes had excellent chemistry together and really felt like they worked as a team. I thought they worked so well together that I actually feel invested in their relationship, despite the fact that I didn't love the story.
•The initial story--I liked the idea of a group of people coming together to support one another in a unique way which could have made for a more interesting story, but instead it just wasted a lot of potential on messiness.
•The PURSUIT of philosophy. I did NOT like at all Jang Sung Chul's moral condescending nature, but I did APPRECIATE his PURSUIT of morality and at least realising that even though the judicial system is flawed, he on his own cant be responsible for "reforming" criminals/ "fixing" them.
In any case I will probably still finish it. I might even try to watch the second season next year. But I most CERTAINLY wont be rewatching season 1.
4 stars 14.5 episodes in. Will update after finishing.
What frustrates me so much about this series is the fact that the plot devices are SO inconsistent. Furthermore, the characters don't learn and make the same mistakes, they just aren't always caught by the plot unless it's convenient to the writer. Most of all, despite appearing so invincible and intelligent, they do things that make absolutely no sense. I want to give several examples below:
SPOILERS BELOW:
•Are the deluxe taxi's windows tinted? In every scene so far the deluxe taxi's windows were tinted pitch black. So dark that when all those news vehicles and helicopters were after it no one could see inside. So WHY OH WHY when it's convenient to the plot for the Prosecutor lady to drive by him at night to perfectly be able to look into the vehicle and see the male lead's face? It makes no sense.
•When the second female lead finally gets her hands on the cellphone of the perp who ruined her sister's life, she steps on it, crushing it. I'm just like DOES THE PHONE NOT HAVE A MEMORY CARD OR CLOUD BACKUP STORAGE? Like isn't this girl a hacker? Shouldn't she have confiscated the phone to delete the manual and cloud forms of the video as well instead of just stepping on it?! Like they literally blew up servers for that case but they couldn't do a tiny bit more due diligence? I got so upset.
•When our parallel universe batman male lead just came from saving an important character, he turned his back to the villain and got STABBED because of it. He's not wearing any protective gear despite getting stabbed several times before. THEN, RIGHT AFTER this event, he goes to save another important character (ep. 14), punches the bad guy (who is still perfectly conscious and able) and GETS STABBED AGAIN. I just want to know...IS IT SO HARD TO RESTRAIN THE BAD GUY BEFORE MOVING ON TO SAVING THE INNOCENT?
•Why are they always giving their names and identities/faces to the perps? If something goes wrong in the mission they have their identities and wont be able to know how the perps will demand retribution. Which leads me the stupidest part when Jang Sung Chul got stabbed by that other dude I was like "this man's family was murdered and he has NO home security systems?" also it didn't make sense that the guy who stabbed him didn't go for the kill, like why? There was nothing in that character's characterisation that would indicate he would spare him.
The show makes the male lead out the be this invincible character who solves all his problems by dropping bodies, but for a show with so many complexities this isn't SUPPOSED to always solve his problems and yet it conveniently always does. It's SO incredibly frustrating.
The other concern I have about this show is about the themes of revenge and philosophy of justice. It felt so lackadasical for Jang Sung Chul's character to think he had the answer to all of morality. The revenge schemes were also highly dissatisfying for me because they literally basically involved beating people up then throwing them in that makeshift prison. The reasons prisons exist is first and foremost to keep those who are harmful to society away from society. How are you going to trust a CRIMINAL to keep other CRIMINALS and think everything will be okay.
I just feel like the writer thinks this drama is smarter than it actually is, but there are SO many plot holes, philosophical holes, judicial holes, criminal holes, character-identity holes, conflict resolution holes they might as well have called this drama "HOLES."
What I Liked:
•The acting. The rag tag bunch of vigilantes had excellent chemistry together and really felt like they worked as a team. I thought they worked so well together that I actually feel invested in their relationship, despite the fact that I didn't love the story.
•The initial story--I liked the idea of a group of people coming together to support one another in a unique way which could have made for a more interesting story, but instead it just wasted a lot of potential on messiness.
•The PURSUIT of philosophy. I did NOT like at all Jang Sung Chul's moral condescending nature, but I did APPRECIATE his PURSUIT of morality and at least realising that even though the judicial system is flawed, he on his own cant be responsible for "reforming" criminals/ "fixing" them.
In any case I will probably still finish it. I might even try to watch the second season next year. But I most CERTAINLY wont be rewatching season 1.
4 stars 14.5 episodes in. Will update after finishing.
Was this review helpful to you?
