Kathryn_51

If there is a 2nd Season, I think there will be some of the unintended consequences of his actions. At the end of Ep. 14, Han-young said about his future: "No matter what, can my choices still be right."

It's not a courtroom drama (altho there are some courtroom scenes). It's classic Ji Sung - the different faces/characterizations as the drama unfolds. In the past, I've dropped most of Ji Sung's dramas but I loved every minute of this one - definitely on my Top 10 list.

If you are wondering about a possible Season 2, this is what we know:

The writer wanted to establish the possibility for a 2nd season and MBC authorized the open-ending. At the end of Ep. 14, Han-young asks “Is it all truly over now? . . . . . .Or, will I go on like this, atoning for sins from a past life? . . .No matter what, can my choices still be right?”

The Judge Returns wasn’t just about corruption and justice. It was about CHOICES!

Without Ji Sung, Season 2 would be impossible. But merely continuing with the same evil characters and the same Han-young schemes (relying on his prior life knowledge) would be boring. What would not be boring? Han-young beginning to make the wrong choices, perhaps becoming a bit corrupt to justify his tactics. Plus there are both minor and major open issues:

#1: Romance - Han-young and Se-hui’s relationship. MBC pushed hard the Han-young/Se-hui *potential* romance with 50% of the weekly pre-releases. We fans want to see the last act, not intermission.
#2: Family - his parents’ declining health. Mom will eventually develop asthma, Dad is already showing signs of dementia.
#3: Corruption – Han-young may have saved Han na-young’s life but what about all of the other Gogin [Kogin] Chemical employees? S Corporation was destroyed but were there others behind that Seoul Beautification Project that drove the homeless underground? The new Suojae w/Baek Yi-seok? Kang Sin-jin’s apparent network still exists?

Lots of potential for 2nd season and PD Lee Jae Jin said that MBC was favorable after the stellar ratings. I hope it all comes together.

Lol, but Destined With You was one of the biggest messes I've ever watched and the worst part was so many red herrings that were never addressed. But then, I'm a fan of Ha Joon and they dealt dirty with his character.

Hmmmm. . . well based on your cordial and thoughtful response, I personally gather that . . . . the plot is indeed very thin. Which is okay because it means I need not wait anxiously for the next released episode and I can look forward to a happy ending for all. Which, actually, is the reason I put this one on my watchlist to begin with because I knew nothing about any of the cast. Thanks for your response.

I'm still behind a bit (ep 4???) so didn't realize there would be a so-called "love" triangle which frankly is too silly to even think about in this comedy. Now, if it was a melo-drama, then maybe. . probably. But this one? Makes me wonder why writer/PD even thought to introduce one in a 12 ep. show. Unless the overall story is very, very thin. 😊

I always enjoy reading your theories, but this time you may need to re-think. I've only read bits and pieces of the webtoon, but I've read character summaries and the Ex-Pres is not on the list, nor is a Suojae-similar entity. The webtoon is mostly a series of events/trials as Judge Lee corrects for his mistakes in the past. The writer/director said that court-room dramas are difficult because the scenes are static, so they focused more on character development and getting Han-young outside the court room. My take (but folks who have read the entire manwha can correct me) is that Suojae and political (rather than just judicial corruption) was added to add an over-arching layer to his redemption . So, I think exPres is dead. I did not understand the Shaman token in the bible - I need to re-watch.

If there is a Season 2, it needs an over-arching plot of good vs evil and the open end of the drama lays it out. The last few scenes are in the future - se-hui has returned from abroad and is studying for the LEET; Suojae has been reconstituted by a face unknown (what big star can they rope in?). Kang gets a phone. And Han-young asks himself if this is the end - or is there still more to atone for (some of his past trials) - Season 2 answer (if it happens): Han-young still has more to atone for. They are still missing the flash drive with names of corrupt officials. Not every major character needs to return but viewers want to see se-hui's end story. I think ML's senior is "good". Kang is BAD (you can't redeem a murderer on death row) but Season 2 without Kang would be a let-down. So your Option 2 is as good a theory as any. 😊

The writer wanted to write an open-ended ending for potential Season 2. MBC approved the open-ending and they filmed it ((about 10 minutes worth).

Some of the last scenes were wrap-up (Han-young and Jin-ah at his parents home; the gathering at grandmama's new eatery). Others scenes: Se-hui studying for the LEET (law school entrance exam); the scene with the old lady whose child had dies; Kang outside the prison receiving a phone; the people sitting at Soejoe - all were filler or glimpses into the future.

PD says it's up to the MBC execs if Season 2 is approved but with those stellar ratings, approval is likely - just need to get Ji Sung to agree. 😊

The same one I posted earlier re: possible Season 2.

https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-entertainment/2026/02/14/APCNLJWULJDXTLQIRYG4K25KC4/

You and I watched the same drama. as for the choppy editing, I read interview with the PD and he said there was lots and lots of input from lots of different people so it sounds like production was rather chaotic.

Season 2??

From a recent interview with the PD, released today (2/14):

""From the start the writer wanted to do season 2. I think we tried to leave room to move forward in our own way. You can think of it as tightly closed but with a feeling of being open."

On the possibility of producing season 2, he said, "Many people around me ask about season 2. First, it's not something I can decide alone. The writer and the actors would have to be on board, but I think the company is thinking positively. When I first met the writer, they hoped for a seasonal format, so I think it's likely to be positive. I can't give a definitive answer yet, and as a company employee, if the higher-ups say 'let's go,' then we go — it's not that we go just because we want to — but the atmosphere feels like they're thinking positively," leaving the possibility open.

https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-entertainment/2026/02/14/APCNLJWULJDXTLQIRYG4K25KC4/

I'll just add that unless Ji Sung indicated a willingness to a 2nd season, there's no point in hoping for it.

The potential for Season 2.

Se-hui redeems herself but they aren't together in the end.

I wasn't happy with the open ending - yes it means that a Season 2 is possible but very improbable with this stellar cast and their other commitments.

Not "corrupt" in terms of financial corruption or fixing trials, but perhaps in terms of police enforcement. Rather disappointing actually.

I started to watch "Our Universe" as a distraction from the mess that "The Judge Returns" has become and lo and behold, the casual, flippant ML in this drama portrayed an evil serial killer in Judge Returns.

And yes, I know that others probably mentioned this earlier when Our Universe first began to air, but it's new info to me and I find it amusing. 😊😊 So far, I'm enjoying it and glad to see it's only 12 episodes long.

The translation was AI generated so it might be a bit off.

She’s drunk. Dad tells her to study abroad because since she provided the evidence again Han-young, she shouldn’t get in the middle of a dog fight. She says that she’s not that happy with the neighborhood (the law firm??) anyway and then begins sobbing and says “I’m going. . . I’m going”.

GRRRR. . .she just wanted to be loved and appreciated by someone, but history repeated itself once again as Han-young used her for his own purpose, this time for revenge.

The real ugly part of this is that the character is 180degrees opposite of the webtoon. Not sure why the writer chose to depart so strongly on her character. All of the other characters were fairly consistent although the violence/death toll was on a totally different level in the drama.

Ratings highest yet: Nationwide 13.6% - Metropolitan area 14.9%

Meanwhile, the only good thing about the pre-release is that it demonstrates that Oh Se Young is a very versatile actress. Spoiler below.

https://x.com/mbcdrama_pre/status/2022460790171963846

I thought they used the bloody gauze to swab the wound of one of the dead guys and the glass rim? The news reporter also announced something about the forensics. So, I think she handed it over. What does NOT make sense is that the police were coming after him BEFORE they had the gauze in hand

From the beginning of the drama, Han-young has believed /feared all along that Yoo Se-hui was going to betray him - that's why he kept her at a distance. He didn't want her to meet his folks. Every time he remembers "their past", it has been negative. And that allowed him to justify using her for his plans. He felt no remorse for using her.

However, this time she warned him. ("I'm sorry").

Have faith that the writer/director/MBC know what their viewers want - they've been pushing this couple non-stop.

Is there anyone here that is NOT going to watch the final episode because of today? 😂😂😂😂