Apparently due to disagreements with the direction in which later episodes of S1 were to go, the excellent writer of the story, Yeo Ji Na, left.
Ep13 was penned by the director (not sure about the final 3) and S2 sees a new writer named.
YJN should not be listed on S2 and the fact the plot has really sunk, shows it was a mistake letting her go and forcing the story in the direction it's taken.
The actors are as good as ever, but the direction and writing have all but killed what was a fabulous series.
S1 saw great characters, who all grew with each episode. From So Moon and his 2 best friends, to the other Counters. We got background stories on all of them. We got support from and friction with, their Guides. We got a variety of possessed bad people, with the story(ies) of the souls they consumed and then their release, enabled by the extracting of the evil spirit, which was unmasked and sent to its swampy prison.
We have seen nothing of that in S2 at all. Everything has focussed on one group of evil spirits, with little about their history. The Counters aren't stronger, or better, but actually worst.
The most awful character annihilation is that of Ga Mo-tak, who has become a ridiculous clown-like figure.
The humour, instead of being a natural response to deadly situations to lighten the story (which people actually do), is instead forced, childish and totally inappropriate.
There have been several shocking scenes, but they have been criminally smothered by inconsistent writing and woeful plot development.
The intrigues and arcs of S1 have been forgotten... how was So Moon able to accept Wi Gen? The aging effect healing has on on Mae Ok every time she has to exert herself to do it, doesn't seem a problem anymore. We never see So Moon's friends and have hardly any interaction with their Guides.
Instead we have: weaker Counters; So Moon fixating on a character he hardly knows and, worst, actually not understanding that never mind how "good and kind" that person was, his trauma wiped all that away, especially the outcome for those responsible. Really?!!! The most awful 'humour' (using the term SO loosely), that includes someone bizarrely sitting on a toilet having a pooh, whilst having a go at his lacky, who's stood outside the wide open door, holding his nose. YUCK! So out of place... like why do that?! Don't even get me started on the new recruit, Jeok Bong... no help at all, weak, stupid, childish, made to act like a stereotypical country bumpkin, who smells evil spirits in such an obvious and clumsy way. Absolutely dreadful. His Guide is as bad, another chatacter that stereotypes gay/effeminate people as shouty, bitchy and flouncy.
I am so utterly disappointed in this. I don't often get so upset when a S2 can't quite equal a brilliant S1, but the stark contrast between these two is just too great. The director and writer should be apologising to the cast, crew and fans of S1.
