This review may contain spoilers
A Strong Message With a Very Messy Execution
For some reason, this show does an amazing job at building suspense in the first few episodes. There’s this constant feeling that you’re just waiting for the worst possible thing to happen, and I was genuinely invested in seeing how everything would unravel. Unfortunately, I think the writing becomes increasingly shaky as the story progresses.
On a random note, So-baek is a retired crash-out lmao. 😭 I could tell he was genuinely trying to become a better person, though, and I actually appreciated that aspect of his character. At the same time, there were so many moments where I found myself questioning why these characters were making certain decisions.
So-baek not taking the phone from Jang Kang made absolutely no sense to me. And Eun-su abandoning the phone (one of the most damning pieces of evidence) in a random plant at the airport of all places was an especially major writing flaw. I really don't think that's something Eun-su would realistically do given everything we've seen of her character.
Jin Yeong was another source of frustration. Her leaving Jang Kang in her car in her mother's garage was INSANE. And she continues making bizarrely stupid decisions throughout the story despite being a high-ranking police officer. I had to stop and wonder how someone with that position could repeatedly overlook such obvious things.
I did appreciate the twist involving Jang Kang being, for lack of a better word, completely unhinged. However, I don't think the show did enough to properly build toward it. The reveal itself was interesting, but it felt more like the writers suddenly decided, "Okay, he's crazy now," rather than something that had been carefully established throughout the story.
Where the drama really succeeds is in its social commentary. The way it portrays domestic violence being overlooked, minimized, or hidden and how abuse can become intertwined with the pressure to maintain a successful career and public image was handled quite well. I also appreciated that the violence wasn't excessively graphic. Some scenes were difficult to watch, but I think the series showed just enough.
The relationship between Eun-su and Hui-su was cute though. Their willingness to go to extreme lengths for one another makes sense given their history, and I liked that the story was ultimately about two women trying to save each other when the people and systems around them had failed them. And the ending was very cute. 🥹 It gave me the sense of closure I wanted and left me feeling good about where the characters ended up.
But the journey to get there was messy. For a drama dealing with such a serious subject, I was surprised by how little it actually moved me emotionally. I've watched dramas with considerably less serious premises that affected me much more deeply. There were definitely moments where I understood what the show wanted me to feel, but I didn't always feel it myself.
Overall, I'd say this is a good, entertaining short drama with a strong premise, solid suspense, and decent social commentary, but the writing has too many moments where the characters make decisions that feel completely irrational just to keep the plot moving. Honestly, the fact that it's only eight episodes works in its favor. It's an easy watch if you want something dark and suspenseful without committing to a 16-episode drama. Just don't think about the characters' decisions too hard. 😂
On a random note, So-baek is a retired crash-out lmao. 😭 I could tell he was genuinely trying to become a better person, though, and I actually appreciated that aspect of his character. At the same time, there were so many moments where I found myself questioning why these characters were making certain decisions.
So-baek not taking the phone from Jang Kang made absolutely no sense to me. And Eun-su abandoning the phone (one of the most damning pieces of evidence) in a random plant at the airport of all places was an especially major writing flaw. I really don't think that's something Eun-su would realistically do given everything we've seen of her character.
Jin Yeong was another source of frustration. Her leaving Jang Kang in her car in her mother's garage was INSANE. And she continues making bizarrely stupid decisions throughout the story despite being a high-ranking police officer. I had to stop and wonder how someone with that position could repeatedly overlook such obvious things.
I did appreciate the twist involving Jang Kang being, for lack of a better word, completely unhinged. However, I don't think the show did enough to properly build toward it. The reveal itself was interesting, but it felt more like the writers suddenly decided, "Okay, he's crazy now," rather than something that had been carefully established throughout the story.
Where the drama really succeeds is in its social commentary. The way it portrays domestic violence being overlooked, minimized, or hidden and how abuse can become intertwined with the pressure to maintain a successful career and public image was handled quite well. I also appreciated that the violence wasn't excessively graphic. Some scenes were difficult to watch, but I think the series showed just enough.
The relationship between Eun-su and Hui-su was cute though. Their willingness to go to extreme lengths for one another makes sense given their history, and I liked that the story was ultimately about two women trying to save each other when the people and systems around them had failed them. And the ending was very cute. 🥹 It gave me the sense of closure I wanted and left me feeling good about where the characters ended up.
But the journey to get there was messy. For a drama dealing with such a serious subject, I was surprised by how little it actually moved me emotionally. I've watched dramas with considerably less serious premises that affected me much more deeply. There were definitely moments where I understood what the show wanted me to feel, but I didn't always feel it myself.
Overall, I'd say this is a good, entertaining short drama with a strong premise, solid suspense, and decent social commentary, but the writing has too many moments where the characters make decisions that feel completely irrational just to keep the plot moving. Honestly, the fact that it's only eight episodes works in its favor. It's an easy watch if you want something dark and suspenseful without committing to a 16-episode drama. Just don't think about the characters' decisions too hard. 😂
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