I had humble expectations for this show and was pleasantly satisfied with the quality. Kang Pil Joo, alone, was worth the watch. No need for me to comment on him here as others' reviews cover his merits in depth. Watching his revenge is like listening to Ravel's Bolero; we're introduced to the theme and it marches forward ever so slowly, repetitively, adding complexity, until it reaches a rousing culmination; a whisper to a fanfare.

The story relies on the common plot schemes of corporate/political/family intrigue. You know - those stories we're accustomed to where no one is safe around their extended family members and you're never sure if 'Uncle is going to poison your eggrolls or not'. The plot is serviceable and allows us to enjoy some great characters and fine acting.

Pacing was excellent in the first half of the show. In fact, there's so much plot development early, I wondered how they would fill the last 12 episodes. It reminds me of political dramas like Chief of Staff or Stranger with a thriller pace. The 2nd half did slow down a bit with increasingly soapy moments where characters stare at each other with dramatic music for 15 seconds.

The characters were mostly well designed; the cast put forward a great performance. Other than the ML, Jang Sung Man and Jung Mal Ran were standout actors. They were both compelling and convincing even though viewers obviously root against them. Jang Sung Man's character and acting are flawless; there's nothing I would change in design or performance. Jung Mal Ran's character was intoxicating. Her berating and deprecating behavior towards Pil Joo, combined with an undercurrent of electric desire, was terrific. I'd welcome her and Pil Joo actually connecting as a couple in a Stockholm syndrome alternate storyline. They had more character chemistry (not strictly romantic) than Pil Joo and Na Mo Hyun had. Well, their 'relationship' drove the plot, so it is not surprising this potential chemistry was achieved.

Na Mo Hyun's character seems simple, but is rather subtle and complex. This is the toughest character for me to evaluate. I guess viewers that didn't like her couldn't root for someone that was duped into a marriage for hire scheme and then hangs around, knowingly, for the abuse to come. Personally, I enjoyed Mo Hyun's character. Her character is one I'd want to watch carefully in a re-watch.

Boo Cheon's character grows a lot, perhaps the most of any character. But I didn't enjoy or connect with this character. It's odd because I usually enjoy characters who grow. If I could identify one reason for lack of engagement, it is that his character trajectory is wholly predictable. His character lacked that essence where a character feels like a genuine, unique entity, a sense of being compelling. We've seen revenge seeking characters many times before, but Kang Pil Joo is successful because he doesn't feel like other characters we've seen in that 'role'. Boo Cheon didn't achieve that essence.

Many support roles had short times on screen, but were well done. Han Eum Shim, despite being an annoying character by design, was one I was surprised to enjoy. Mistress roles are often narrow in design, but Eum Shim had enough complexity to earn their screen time. Yoon Seo Won was too simplistic, yet enjoyable, and used well in the limited screen time.

The music was effective, but forgettable. The music was soapy sounding at times, but it wasn't overbearing in that sense. Like the music, the cinematography, sets, and costumes were serviceable, but unmemorable. That's okay, because the plot and acting was strong.

Re-watch value is a bit higher than I expected because after browsing earlier scenes, it got me to thinking about characters in a new or enhanced way. So, a re-watch for character analysis rather than to savor the plot is justifiable.