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labcat
This review may contain spoilers
Quite different from Season1, for better or for worse
For anyone who is watching this after watching the first season, this may disappoint. I don't mean that Season 2 is not as good. In fact, it is a mix bag that is in some ways at least as good. Yet, many viewers may be attracted to this series because ofSeason 1, so they come to it expecting the stuff that appeal to them in the first season and become disappointed when they don't get it.
Take for instance the casting and characterization of the main characters. The actors have changed entirely and while the two main male characters remain, the female character has changed. It is perhaps less difficult to replace the role of Dr Qin because he will always be a man of few words. The actors in Season 1 and 2 give slight different vibes, but it is quite easy to see the same character in them. The character of Lin Tao, however, seems harder to replace. The second season has given the character a significant reboot. To be fair, if you watch only either Season 1 or Season 2, you may have no complaints. But if you watch both, you may find yourself preferring one over the other.
The characters' relationships also seem a little different now, and this could be a deal-breaker for fans of Season 1. In Season 1, despite the seriousness of the cases, the characters are generally more affable. In fact, Season 1 is generally a bit more light-hearted. Season 2 is darker, not really because of the crimes. Visually, the scenes really look darker in terms of hues and lighting, and the atmosphere tends to be too thick with tension, with the characters' relationship hardly having the endearing quality that is present Season 1.
If you just pretend that this isn't Season 2 but a different series with different characters, you may find that the stories of the cases are actually more compelling here. There are some flaws too. For example, the series tries to hard to lead the viewer into thinking that a particular character is the killer, Scavenger. This is so overdone that there are only two rather boring possibilities: 1. the character is indeed Scavenger (waaaay too unsurprising, given how many episodes the identity of Scavenger is not revealed), or 2. the character isn't Scavenger but inexplicably does things that give the impression that s/he is (so at least the story has a twist). If you are writing a mystery and you want to throw in a red herring, you can't make it too obvious that you are doing so.
Season 2 actually manages to be better than Season 1 in some ways, but Season 1 has the privilege of being watched by many viewers first. While those who don't like Season 1 may not even be tempted to watch Season 2 and comment, fans of Season 1 may be disappointed because of the difference rather than because of any deterioration.
Take for instance the casting and characterization of the main characters. The actors have changed entirely and while the two main male characters remain, the female character has changed. It is perhaps less difficult to replace the role of Dr Qin because he will always be a man of few words. The actors in Season 1 and 2 give slight different vibes, but it is quite easy to see the same character in them. The character of Lin Tao, however, seems harder to replace. The second season has given the character a significant reboot. To be fair, if you watch only either Season 1 or Season 2, you may have no complaints. But if you watch both, you may find yourself preferring one over the other.
The characters' relationships also seem a little different now, and this could be a deal-breaker for fans of Season 1. In Season 1, despite the seriousness of the cases, the characters are generally more affable. In fact, Season 1 is generally a bit more light-hearted. Season 2 is darker, not really because of the crimes. Visually, the scenes really look darker in terms of hues and lighting, and the atmosphere tends to be too thick with tension, with the characters' relationship hardly having the endearing quality that is present Season 1.
If you just pretend that this isn't Season 2 but a different series with different characters, you may find that the stories of the cases are actually more compelling here. There are some flaws too. For example, the series tries to hard to lead the viewer into thinking that a particular character is the killer, Scavenger. This is so overdone that there are only two rather boring possibilities: 1. the character is indeed Scavenger (waaaay too unsurprising, given how many episodes the identity of Scavenger is not revealed), or 2. the character isn't Scavenger but inexplicably does things that give the impression that s/he is (so at least the story has a twist). If you are writing a mystery and you want to throw in a red herring, you can't make it too obvious that you are doing so.
Season 2 actually manages to be better than Season 1 in some ways, but Season 1 has the privilege of being watched by many viewers first. While those who don't like Season 1 may not even be tempted to watch Season 2 and comment, fans of Season 1 may be disappointed because of the difference rather than because of any deterioration.
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