Bait is a very well-plotted drama that, in only two episodes, has cleverly evolved, and if it stays its course of successfully telling the story in the coherent way it has in the next four episodes, it will be one of the best crime/thrillers of 2023. It's dark, gritty, and an in-your-face kind of crime/murder thriller that's intensely captivating. A successful strategy for keeping a mystery captivating is to maintain the core of the mystery episode-by-episode while at the same time nimbly tying in the larger picture as the other elements unfold, and Bait does it so well in just two episodes.

Everything from the cinematography, the lighting or lack of it, the set, the actors, and the theme is so well thought of it is hard not to get sucked into the drama and the story. Additionally, there's some strong acting from the ensemble cast, with Jang Geun Suk, in particular, carrying the material. He looks terrific. I didn't recognize him. I am hooked. And what a cliffhanger of an ending for the first part of this drama. Everything worked, from the serial killing mystery to the cat and mouse chase and most of all Jang Geun Suk. He is just fantastic in this drama.