What is the price of integrity? What is the price of doing the right thing as opposed to the easy thing? And what is the price of compromising one’s integrity and doing the right thing? There have been a number of K-Dramas dealing with corruption. Some within the police force. Some within the prosecution. Some within the political annals, and several dealing with all three. “Stranger” is still the all-time best when it comes to dealing with corruption within the hierarchies of Korean judicial systems. “The Good Detective” is—for the most part—very solid with a few small issues here and there.

A senior detective who’s been stuck in the same position for many years finds himself not following proper protocols when dealing with a murder suspect. That suspect is up for execution and Sergeant Kang Do Chang comes across some new evidence from some suspicious sources that prove that his suspect is likely innocent and was set up. Kang Do Chang has many years of experience under his belt, and he soon realizes the toll of doing the wrong thing can do to a person. We get the sense that this is his first major blunder, but it would soon cost him, and now he endeavors to do whatever it takes to set things right and also to vow never to go down that road again.

Lieutenant Oh Ji Hyuk is the newest member of Violent Crimes Team Two, and even though he’s technically Kang Do Chang’s superior, he takes the subordinate role for some reason. While Kang Do Chang is savvy, Oh Ji Hyuk is the smarter of the two. His skills at deductive reasoning help him see things that even his senior partner is unable to grasp. He’s also got a tie to Kang Do Chang’s case, as the principal suspect is actually his sadistic and wealthy cousin, Oh Jong Tae (played by Oh Jung Se). It’s very hard for me to see actor Oh Jung Se as anyone other than his stellar performance of Moon Sang Tae from “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” which is one of the best acting performances I’ve ever seen.

The two detectives are principled and endeavor not to break the rules when it comes to bringing the truth to light. Little do they realize how stacked the corruption is against them, from prosecutors to superior police officers. to Civil Petition Division officers (Internal Affairs) and to the Ministry of Justice himself. Not to mention the press.

Speaking of the press, we have our third major character of the series, and easily my least favorite. Reporter Jin Seo Kyung is a selfish, immature, and weak person, who reaches for a bottle of alcohol more readily than she does her “mighty pen.” A number of times, we see her stumble and refuse to do what’s right. She compromises her own integrity because she’s afraid and doesn’t have the guts. She thinks little of anyone but herself and how a decision will impact her. In many ways, she’s the antithesis of our two detectives. Once, she withholds key evidence that might help save innocent Lee Dae Chul. And then she refuses to share the murder confession of her boss to the police, which unwittingly gets him killed. Oh, she finally gets around to doing it, but not before it’s too late. She’s a miserable woman who can’t see the forest for the trees. She easily discards the actions of her boss. She comes across as naïve, but she isn’t. She knows what he’s been up to and what he’s doing and the abuse of power he’s wielded as a prominent editor of a big-time newspaper. And yet, she does nothing. It’s been said that too often the biggest problem in the fight against injustice is for good people to do nothing.

It’s always been sickening to see how much disregard there is for human life, especially when they are pawns and victims being ground under wheels of corruption. Kang Do Chang admits his mistake but does his best to rectify the situation. Some of the most touching scenes in the series are between him and Lee Dae Chul’s daughter, Lee Eun Hye. It takes a lot of courage to admit that you’re partly responsible for what’s happened to a young girl’s father. It takes an even bigger person in Lee Eun Hye to forgive him and even thank him for trying to set things right.

As with many Korean dramas, the series is filled with suspense, touching moments, and outright humor. I’m not sure how a police officer could endure so much when they are trying to catch suspects and are—at the same time—fighting against the system they are a part of. How would an officer keep his sanity under such conditions?

I was glad to see several supporting characters realize their mistake and also try to find a way to redeem themselves, rather than simply being swept aside by the system. Yoon Sang Mi (Civil Petition Division) compromises her own integrity by lying in court in order to get a promotion. Kang Do Chang holds her in contempt and makes her face her own greed when he confronts her. Then we have Chief Moon who is also a part of the cover-up of the true crime. Fortunately, of all the characters to fall into the corruption pool, he does the most to try and set things right.

I’m not sure why Oh Ji Hyuk is held accountable for using his gun in the last episode. If there truly is a “rule” that prohibits an officer from using his weapon to save the life of another officer, then something is terribly wrong. I thought that wasn’t just silly, but insulting and offensive. Oh Ji Hyuk literally saves Kang Do Chang’s life. That was a stretch for me.

If it hadn’t been for such a deplorable character in Jin Seo Kyung, this series would have been nearly perfect for me. Her character was cringe-worthy. I’m not sure why the writer chose to make the female characters so unlikeable. Kang Do Chang’s sister drinks like a fish and snaps at him at every turn. I’d have kicked her out of the house. Her voice is even like nails on a chalkboard. I tend to prefer stronger female characters. They don’t have to be impeccable or flawless, but at least make them likable.

Acting performances—for the most part—are all rock solid. Again, I still feel that the two best performances were from Son Hyun Joo (Kang Do Chang) and Jang Seung Jo (Oh Ji Hyuk). These two have that good “buddy cop” vibe that you want to see in these types of stories.

Overall, this is a good series. However, I think I’ll wait a while before delving into Season 2, which I’ve already heard, isn’t nearly as good.