I'm Jessica and this is K BA K Rambles where a couple of
friends review Korean dramas and we're back with another K drama
and I'm back with my good friend Caitlin from No Sleep for Dramas
podcast. And how are you, Caitlin?
Hello. I'm good, I'm good.
How are you Good We've. Been chatting for about 40
minutes before we started recording so we we are all
warmed up here. Caitlin, you haven't been on
Like Just You without Drama trio since Flower of Evil.
Yep. It has been a really long time
since I've had you on. And this is the funniest thing.
But this episode is on Stranger, which is something that we
discussed on one of the drama trio episodes.
And I was like, would you be willing to come on?
I've never seen it. Would you be willing to come on?
And you were like, hell yeah, like absolutely.
I rewatch it, like the whole bit.
And I was like, OK, cool. I initially I had such high like
aspirations of watching both seasons of Stranger and
reviewing both seasons on this episode, Girl, that didn't
happen. That didn't happen.
We're just going to do season one.
We're just we're just going to review season one because your
girl got busy. I watched 10 episodes of another
show and then that recording got pushed back.
So that ate into my time and then just life happened.
So it just didn't happen. I got 30 minutes into episode
one of season 2. We're just gonna we're just
going to review Stranger season one.
So before we do, this is your first time listening.
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OK, so this is the My Drama list synopsis for season one.
Like I said, we are only going to cover season one of Stranger.
There are two seasons out so far.
Don't worry, I'm making her watch season two.
Yeah, because we're going to get, we're going to get there.
I told her I was like, we have to circle back and do Season 2.
I really still want to watch Season 2, so maybe for spooky
season we'll circle back and do Season 2 of Stranger because I'm
not done with it. I really do want to finish it.
I've had so apparently I'm doing the Lord's work because
apparently I've had so many people sense that drama trio
episode where I like just I can't remember what it was.
Yeah, me neither it. Was like, it was like it was, it
was like a recommendation thing. It was like one of the like we
did. It was like bring 10 dramas or
something. Was it the genre to talk about
them? I think maybe, yeah, yeah, it
probably is a drunk. OK, Yeah.
I've had so many people DM me and be like, I'm watching
Stranger, like I just finished season one, how could they do
this? Oh my God, I've had like four
people message me since that episode and I'm like, thank you.
Thank you for actually watching the show.
I Yeah. So I'm one of these people
because I was so intrigued with your assessment of it and your
synopsis of it. You really sold it on that drama
tree episode And I was I literally you can hear it like
it's live on the show that we recorded.
I was like, if we if I do it like for tip Hock, would you
come on? And you were like, tell me when
like name the date, right. So this is it.
Like, we're here finally. So I'll just go ahead and read
the synopsis. We'll go through some behind the
scenes people, and then we'll just talk about the show.
I have to be up front. I did not take a single freaking
note on this show. I was just, like, in it, OK?
I was, like, immersed. All right, So here's a synopsis.
Hung Shimok underwent brain surgery as a child to curb his
violent temper, which left him devoid of emotions.
Huang becomes a prosecutor known for his piercing intelligence or
intellect? That's what I wanted to say,
Intellect and logic. But he is ostracized because he
lacks empathy and social skills. He is also one of only a handful
of upright prosecutors who have refused to take bribes.
One day, he encounters a stabbing victim while
investigating corruption. He meets Lieutenant Hanyu Jin at
the crime scene. They join force forces to root
out corruption at the prosecutor's office and solve a
serial murder case. Serial murder case.
OK, not sure about that bit. All right, this it works.
Out it's it's literally it's a basically serial murder case.
Is like they have more than three murders.
That's a serial murder case, OK. So this aired from June to July
2017. It is 16 episodes long and it's
directed by Ankil Hope. He really hasn't done anything
much at all, just things like the glory, The glory part one
and two happiness record of youth watcher memories of the
Alhambra rooftop prints, which I've highly recommend.
Rooftop prints. I, I don't know why, I just love
that show and it is written by Isuyon, who was inspired by the
Korean saying we cannot rule those who want nothing to create
the character of Shemalk, which I thought was interesting.
I'm not sure exactly what that means.
You can muse about that if you if you like Caitlin, but I think
there might be something lost in translation.
I truly do. She's had a pretty good run
because she's done things like Life from 2018, which is a
medical drama with Ido Mook and a ton of cast members from
Stranger, including the male lead.
She also wrote Stranger 2, the sequel, in 2020.
And then she's been partnering with Disney lately because she's
done Grid, a Disney Plus show from 2022 with Sulkung Jun from
Are You Human Too? And I thought when I saw him, I
was like, Oh my God. And then Blood Free, she wrote
Blood Free, which is currently airing on Disney Plus with
Jujuyun and Han Yoju. Yeah, which is so good if you
need a recommendation. So you're watching it?
Yeah, yeah, I'm liking it a lot. All right, but so this show
Stranger stars toe so MU he plays Huang Shimok.
He's been in about 18 movies and a few TV shows like divorce
attorney Shin. He is the divorce attorney Shin.
He's also been in Sisyphus, The Myth, Stranger 2, The sequel,
Life. Like I said before, God's Gift,
14 Days and The King's Doctor. This is my first time ever
seeing this man. Oh, really?
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
OK. Have you seen him as a good?
Actor Yeah, yeah, I watched this.
Sisyphus. I don't recommend it and it's
not for the actors. The writing is horrible,
obviously. Stranger, Stranger 2 God's gift.
I have watched, but I did not watch Life and I have not
watched The King's Doctor All. Right.
And then his. I like him.
He's good. He's like, it's like, I think
Stranger is my favorite character he has played really,
but I have I have a soft spot for his like character, but he
is a very versatile actor. Like he, he, he chooses roles
that you would never picture him doing and then he does the role
and you're like, oh, OK, I understand why he did this role
'cause he's not like in, in my mind, he's not the typical
Korean actor. Like he doesn't have some like
especially appearance wise. You look at him and you're like,
it's an interesting look. Like people don't really, I, I
don't, I don't normally see people like talking about him a
lot, especially when it comes to like, oh, he's a good looking
guy. I think he's a good looking guy,
but he doesn't come up in those types of lists.
OK, I was about to slide in and be like, he's super handsome.
I find him. I know, I know.
Yeah, OK. He's very handsome and he.
I mean, I don't know, I just. I've never seen those types of
lists. I think he's.
Very man. In those type of lists, yeah.
But I think he's a very versatile actor.
He doesn't. He chooses roles that you
normally wouldn't think he could do or like, picture him doing.
And then he does them and he does them really, really good.
So I, I love him as an actor. I wish he would do more.
But he, he's a, he's a very much a movie actor.
Like he does a lot of movies. Yeah.
So then his Co star is Bay Doona.
That Bay Doona she plays Hanyo Jin the cop.
She is the Watson to his Sherlock in this show and she's
been in about 21 ish movies, including a lot that is in our
side of the world. You know like rebel moon parts
one and two, which are terrible movies.
She's she's. Good in them though apparently I
haven't seen them. But I haven't.
I refuse. So she's also little about me.
Umm, she's also been in Broker from 20/22 with IU.
She's worked with that director before in umm, something about a
doll. I, it's like a blow, uh, air
doll I think is the name of the movie that she was in.
Anyway, she's worked with that director before, the director of
Broker. She's been in Persona also with
IUI. Don't know if you've seen
Persona. Persona's bizarre.
I did. It is bizarre, but I have seen
it. OK, me too.
It is Netflix, yeah, Tunnel from 2016.
I really want to see Tunnel. Really good.
It's it's really good. Yeah, Jupiter.
It's heartbreaking, but it's good.
Oh no, don't tell me Tunnel's heartbreaking.
Well, I mean like I I wouldn't. The premise already sounds
heartbreaking. Yeah, the yeah, it's like, in
terms of like, just because of the premise, it's like a very
intense, heartbreaking show, but like.
Well, tunnel, Tunnel the movie. Yeah, the movie.
From 2016. So for those who don't know what
tunnel is about, I read the synopsis and I was like, I
definitely need to see, need to see this movie.
It is this man who is on his way to his daughter's birthday party
to celebrate his daughter's birthday.
He's got nobody else in the car with him and he's got his
daughter. He's bringing his daughter's
birthday cake with him. A tragic tunnel collapse happens
while he's driving through the tunnel and when he wakes up from
this this collapse, he's stuck inside his car with nothing but
2 bottles of water and the cake. Yeah, yeah.
And like that's that's the setup.
Wife. Yeah.
And Baidu no plays his wife or ex-wife.
I want to say they were divorced or separated.
I don't think they were like happily married, but I could be
wrong. I I I haven't watched the movie
in a very long time. I really want to say it.
So that's 2016 Jupiter Ascending, which is one of the
worst movies ever made. Cloud Atlas, one of the
strangest movies ever made. That's with Tom Hanks, Hugo
Weaving, Halle Berry, big All Star cast, super weird.
The host from 2006, that's Bong Joon Ho.
Like amazing movie, amazing monster movie.
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance from 2002.
Bei Duna almost doesn't even look like herself because she's
so young. This is like a / 20 years old.
2002 This is a Pachanuk movie. It's part of the Vengeance
trilogy. I covered it on the Patreon feed
last year during Was it last year or the year before?
I can't remember because I watched all three movies in the
Vengeance trilogy. So that put me in a real Bad Men
mental place, but I did it anyway.
So that's her movie work and then she's also been in a
handful of TV. Not as much TV as she has done
movie work, but she's done since 8:00.
From 2015 to 2018 she was a recurring character like she was
on this show. She was.
Fantastic. And Sansa Q was also in that
show, which, yeah, that's where I first saw her.
I first saw her in Sensei, right.
Which they're chemistry. I need them in a Korean drama
together. Like their chemistry is so good
at that. Show my Atlanta so Sense 8 that
was a real big hit for Netflix and that's why she's in so many
Netflix movies and so many Netflix shows including Kingdom
which was in 2019 and season 2 aired in 2020.
Kingdom is one of the best K dramas ever.
This was right at the start of when Netflix was investing in K
dramas right? And BAE Doona was like a Netflix
darling from Sense 8. And Kingdom is a zombie show of
epic proportions that is so good.
Jijiyun is in it as well. Stranger Two comes along in
2020. The Silence C which is also a
Netflix sci-fi show. K drama.
Not very good, but it's a, you know, out there if you want to
watch it was. It was fine.
It wasn't like the best ever, but it was decent.
Exactly. And then she will be in family
plan later this year. I don't know what that's about
at all, but I. Want to say it's another like
family of superheroes but I could be wrong.
Is it really? I I want to say it, it is oh.
Do you know that sounds familiar?
When they were announcing like the cast and Beiduna was in it.
I think it is like a superhero thing.
OK so that these two are the main.
I've seen, I've seen most of what BAE Doonas does.
I love her. I feel like I've seen a lot of
her too. I don't think she's a bad
actress at all. I think she's amazing.
And obviously she started as a model, kind of branched out and
made her name doing these movie like for all tours, right?
The Pacha Nuk and the Bong Joon Ho movies and the I forgot the
name of the director of Broker, but like that director too.
These three movies kind of put her on the map.
Right. Yeah.
And since then, she's been a staple of Western and Korean
media. Yeah, yeah.
She was like one of the first, even though I have been watching
Korean dramas years before she ever came onto the scene.
She was like one of the real first Korean actors that I
witnessed in American entertainment.
And nowadays you kind of see them pop up, like Kim Ji Hoon is
going to join Butterfly, for example.
But like back then when Sense 8 was happening, that did not
happen. That did not happen especially.
Because could we have like Daniel Dae Kim in Lost?
Yeah. And The thing is like and that
was even like Korean American like the fact they brought up.
Korean atrocious. Yeah, like.
When he spoke Korean, yeah. The fact that they brought over
like in sense 8, it made sense because it did take place in
Korea. Like they had to find Korean
actors, but like that was unheard of.
Usually you'd see like Asian Americans like they could.
They sometimes even didn't use the right ethnicity when they
were using Asians in American shows.
Like, so her being on Sense 8 and so Q is also.
And like, that was like my first exposure of, like, Korean actors
in an American show or movie. Yeah.
And not just in Korean productions.
Yeah, so already big cast. I don't want to go into
everybody else that's in this show.
Maybe Shin Hai San, who plays Unsu.
You've seen her before. I I I don't have her filmography
in front of me. EQ hyung as well is also in
this. I always consider him his loony
from prison playbook, that's how.
Her son was in like my 18th life for example.
Yeah, see you in my 19th. Life 19th.
Life. Yeah.
See you in my 19th. Thank you for dragging my
memories. See you in my 19th Mr. Queen.
Mr. Queen shit, 30 but 17, which is I love that show.
So those are some shows from her.
And yeah, so there's some other people in the show as well, but
large, large cast, ensemble cast.
But those two, Chosung Wu and Beituna, are it like they are
the top billing of their show. This show did very, very well,
not just in ratings but also critically.
It did amazing. It was making topless on like
New York Times, like best list, best shows of 2017.
I remember seeing that, like I remember seeing that list and
when they, when they put that out, 'cause this is a 2017 show,
like it was their pic, The Stranger was a picture on that
article. It wasn't even like just like in
the article, I was like, and my, because my parents knew that I
watched Korean dramas, they like, pointed it out to me and
they're like, my dad's like, is this a good show?
And I'm like, is this a good show?
Are you kidding me? It's a New York Times, of course
it's a good show. But like, that was a big deal.
That was like the first time I had ever witnessed a Korean
drama in like The New York Times Best of 2017 shows.
Like nowadays you kind of see that more commonly.
Like Kingdom was in it and Extraordinary Attorney Wu was in
it a couple years ago whenever that aired.
But like, that time was like the first time I had ever seen a
Korean drama in that whole article.
It was a big deal. So this thing did really well at
the Beck Song Awards, the 54th Beck Song Awards, and I am going
to read to you all the things that it won and was nominated
for. So it won just clean sweep the
Teh Song, the grand prize for TV, which is something that is
not announced beforehand. They don't announce who they are
thinking of nominee. They don't announce the
nominees. They don't announce who they are
considering for the day song until the night of and you they
announce the winner. They're just like this, this
person, this team, this TV show, this film won the day song,
which is incredible. Then later on they released like
who was in consideration and stuff like that, which is crazy.
But Tosung Wu, our male lead, won Best Actor cleanly.
Just won ISU Yon. ISU Yon, the screenwriter won
best screenplay. This is her debut work.
This is her first K drama she's ever written.
She won the best screenplay at the Beck Song Awards.
Incredible. This was not obviously nominated
for best drama. It lost to Mother that year.
It was on Kilhole. The director was nominated for
best director. He lost to Kim Yun Yun Chol for
The Lady in Dignity and EQ hyung who is loony from Prison
Playbook was nominated for Best New Actor and he lost to Yung
Sejong for Temperature of Love. When I saw Temperature of Loving
Yung Sejong, I like had a little conniption there.
I was like, Oh my God, I fucking love that show and I love Yung
Sejong in that show. So I was like, wow, he lost to
like a good newcomer, right? I, I, I just felt that it was
warranted because this guy was good, but like, not that.
I mean, it was he was a male lead in temperature of love and
stuff like that. He was just like a side
character in strangers. So anyway, I, I was reeling with
that reveal anyway, nominated 8 times.
Crazy. Yeah, it was every.
It was everywhere. 3-4 anyway, nominated a lot of times.
I'm not sure if it was eight times, but a lot of time.
It was everywhere. Like it it took like it had
ratings. Like there's a reason why they
made season 2. Like everybody was really
surprised when they announced season 2 for this show.
I was not. I was like, dude, do you
remember how popular this show was?
Like it is it was a juggernaut in 2017.
Like ratings were double digits all the time.
It was obviously nominated a lot got recognition in New York
Times like that again, that never happened.
So like everybody was like, why are they making a season 2?
They never make season 2. And I'm like, it makes sense for
stranger. They're hecking they're they're
making like a spin off now this year.
So like I totally am. This is going to be one of those
shows that they're going to bring back every few years.
Like it's just built that way. I would not be surprised if we
get a season three. In my opinion, it just it's
yeah, I was not surprised whatsoever.
They made a season 2. Everybody else was.
I was like it makes total sense. Well, they built it I think to
be a multi season. Yeah, they did.
Yeah. And even season 2 ends up that
way where they could easily do a season three.
Like not even connected to either one of the other seasons.
Not that Season 2 is not really connected to season one, but
like they, they built it that way.
It's kind of like Taxi Driver, like you can kind of just do a
season, yeah, every three years, every four years, whatever,
whatever. Yeah, it's great.
So this was my first time watching Stranger and my
experience watching Stranger, which let me just prep in case
you've gone this far and you didn't.
You can't quite wrap your head around what it is.
It is a crime thriller, drama. There is no romance.
We want romance, but there's not.
We want romance, so. There's no romance.
OK, That's what this is. So I went into this thinking I
have pretty good judgement of characters and people, and I can
figure out who the killer is and who the mastermind is because I
just have watched a lot of media and can do this or whatever.
Baby, I didn't know who was go, who was who, what was going on,
who was the killer, who was the mastermind.
If things were changing each episode and you could only trust
two people and that was the two leads, Bei Duna and Shimo, the
the male lead, I was riveted to the screen.
I could not tear my eyes away. And it was right around episode
10 or 11 that I started getting real lost.
I was like, Oh my God, I don't know what's.
I literally was like, I have no idea what's going on because
they were doubling back on themselves.
And they were people that they had sort of cleared from
suspicion were back on the table.
You know what I'm saying? Like it was, it was very
cyclical and. Right, right.
If, if that's not your bag, if, if crime thrillers are not your
bag and rooting out corruption in the police force or the
prosecution service is not your idea of a good time, I'm sorry,
don't watch. But this was so exciting to
watch because I can't, I don't know how to put it, but it was
very suspenseful. It was very Sherlocky and.
Right. I had, I had a tremendous sight.
I have crazy eyes right now. I I do talking about this.
I was sending, I was sending Caitlin these crazy voice memos
of like, I just got to this episode and this happened.
I don't know what's going on. I don't know who to trust.
I I thought this person was good, but they're not like, I
need help. Like, I was sending her really
unhinged messages and all the Caleb would send back would be
like, yeah, I told you it was crazy.
Like that's all. There would be no help at all.
She would just be like, Yep, keep going.
Because I didn't want to say anything because I'm afraid I
wouldn't spoil it. I had one guess it was wrong,
like it was I'm telling you. I was very entertained.
Yeah, you were super entertained.
And every time we would talk, you would just be like, Oh my
God, I would send you these crazy gifts of like, screaming
like things. And Oh my God, it was such a bit
of a haunted house thing where it's like you turn a corner and
it was you didn't know what was there.
And that is the best kind of plot, the best kind of writing
that it's not, you're not being taken for a ride in the in a in
the wrong sense. You're being taken for a ride in
the best sense. Right, right.
So I cannot recommend Stranger enough.
I think it's a master class in telling a story and and putting
a lot of puzzle pieces in front of you.
And the audience is still like, I don't know how to put this
together. Right.
And that's what I loved about it because again, I watch a ton of
crime dramas and so if I can predict the ending, I usually
drop them because I, I, I don't know, my mind works in a way.
I'm not like boasting or anything.
There's definitely a lot that I'm unpredictable, like I can't
predict, but there are somewhere it's like, I totally know where
this is going. I'm not going to watch it.
Stranger was one of those where I had no idea what was going on.
Both seasons, like both seasons. Like I think the other thing
that helps out this show too is like you have multiple mysteries
that pop up. So it's not just one crime in in
stranger. You have murder, you have
corruption. You have like just sketchy
people like everything so and then.
Everything. And what are they hiding like?
And everything connected by the end.
But like, you have so much crime and so many threads going on
there's you can't predict it. And it's just masterfully woven
together at the end. Yeah, yeah.
So I don't know how much else to say because it's it.
We'll get into spoiler territory very quickly.
Yeah. And I don't got any notes
either. I just said, I said at the top,
like I came in raw, like I don't have any notes.
I didn't take anything down when I was watching this show.
So I almost feel like we should just give our ratings or maybe
like no, even like favorite scenes and stuff.
We'll get into spoilers. It would be spoilers, yeah.
Maybe is there a character that you really connected with?
I love Shebuk like he's he's my favorite.
I always I have a soft spot for like his type of character where
it's like the quiet type, the calculating type, the like
observant type, like I couldn't I relate a lot to that type of
character. So I immediately loved him out
the get go. And then also just because he
his character brings a comedy side to the show that like he
never would have expected just because his brain works
differently that he doesn't. And I said this in the drama
trio, like he can't comprehend. Like, for example, we know all
of Korea has these like, society rules, how you have to be
respectful to your elders and like respect the rules and
authority and stuff. His mind can't comprehend that
Like they, he's like, why the heck are we following this?
And so he has much, a lot of these scenes in both seasons
where he's just like, Oh, yeah, I'm supposed to shake your hand
because you're like my son back or like, yeah, I should answer
that question because you're my son, BAE.
But like, why am I answering this question?
Like it's. And he brings A and he like in
his own mind. Like he doesn't see it as
comedy. He's just like, it's a logical
thinking of his brain. So then BAE Doon is like you
like you like, she explains it, which is why it's the Sherlock
Watson relationship. But yeah, I just, I love his
character. And then I love him and Beijuna,
like, together. Like, I love their relationship
so much. But yeah, I absolutely love his
character in this drama. I do too.
I love them both. I loved Shimuk so much.
I thought he was very endearing. Like considering the fact that
he has very little empathy. He's not smiling, he's not
laughing, he's not joking around with people.
There's very little to latch onto.
I found him incredibly endearing.
Yeah. And I think that goes to show of
like chosen Wu's like acting and like how he portrayed the
character because even when you are playing a character with
that type of like emotional block, you still latch on to
something with that. Character, in my opinion, it's
hard to do, yeah. Like you can see him constantly
working things out and the gears turning constantly and him
questioning things and how to. Like the social situations thing
is very comical at times and then also very tense at times
because it's suddenly very high in their society.
It's very high stakes, especially when you're dealing
with corruption and the person that he's not shaking hands
with, he's invested, he's investigating and possibly could
have done something very terrible.
Right. So then it becomes this whole
like thing, right? Like it spirals out of control,
his sort of withholding of respect in in these situations.
So you're kind of it's in some instances you're like, oh,
that's funny, like he didn't do this.
And then others, others you're like, is he making a statement?
Is he just being, you know, himself or does he he definitely
doesn't trust that he distrust this person.
So is he doing this on purpose? Like is he trying to get a rise
out of this person? So you're kind of like also
coming across all of these reasons why he couldn't be doing
for these performative actions, right?
And it's so interesting to read the room and read it like he
might. And then also, it's interesting
to see where like, even though he is not intentionally doing
some of these social things, he just like, realizes after the
fact, like, oh, I should have done this or oh, I need to do
that. Like, what else makes him
endearing is like, he still has people that want to be his
friend. Yeah.
There's just something about his character, even within the show
that. Other characters still want to
righteous. Yeah.
And commanding that people want to get to know him.
Yeah, yeah. And so and.
There's not much to get to know and like.
Exactly. That's what's.
Funny is that like there's not, it's very shallow, shallow water
there. So yeah.
And it's not like people treat him as a child.
Like, that's not, that's not what we're saying either.
It's like they very much understand he's adult, He
doesn't act like a child or anything like that, but like
there's just something as I can't like really describe it
anyway. There's something really
endearing about him, even though.
But it's a a strength. It's like it's not a weak
weakness, endearing like you would think maybe in a child
who's in very big situations like the the ones in the show.
Right. It's like a strength.
Yeah. In the show.
Yeah. And then Beiduna, who I love, I,
I connected a lot with Beiduna because she is LED a lot by her
feelings and emotions, but she's very calculating and observant
as well. And I just love the how dogged
she is. Yeah.
In the pursuit of justice and in the pursuit of, you know,
criminals and things, she's running after people and like
using judo on them and stuff. And I'm like, get it, girl.
And I love how she has this very nuanced take, especially like
towards the middle and like end of the show.
She has this very nuanced take on good and bad because no one
is all good and no one is all bad.
We are all Shades of Grey. And she has this opinion that's
like we like all of us are pretty.
Like none of us are good. Right, right.
You know what I'm saying? Like no matter like what, we
think that we're better than some of these criminals because
we didn't murder someone or do this or that and the other like
we're not good either just because we didn't do this
criminal thing. Like what makes us good?
Are we better than them? Like just, you know, she has
this really cool ideology that I, because I took no notes and
didn't get the actual quote. I'm paraphrasing.
But I really appreciate her take and how she is basically like,
look, we're all kind of sucky, right?
Let's just try and be a little better, yeah?
But I think that's why she's drawn to Shimak so much is
because even though like he has this past where he wasn't very
good and that also still plays into that quote.
Currently, when the show is when he's an adult, he really is the
epitome of a good like, which is ironic because he's like doesn't
understand the societal norms and everything, but he literally
is the epitome of a good Korean citizen 'cause he.
Follows the. Rules and like.
He's fair. Fair and like doesn't take
bribes. Like he's the best you could
possibly be in that situation. Which to take?
Like not take bribes. That's like bare minimum.
Exactly like. Bare minimum, don't take bribes.
Exactly. And like you'll see in the show
that he does like there are things that he regrets and could
have done better and could have done that.
But like it's, it's not like the bad type of thing that like you
other see other people do. So like it's really interesting.
Just like they do it, they do not having that mindset.
And then meeting see, Mukim is like, OK, like he's like the
best example ever. And he still has flaws, which we
will we find out later on. They're both willing to call
their colleagues out on their shit.
Which? Yeah, yeah.
Even today, if you were in a similar situation in, in a,
you're in the Justice Department, right?
Are you going to call out your colleagues who have seniority
over you in a very hierarchical society?
I don't know like. That's who.
And who like expect you to not call them out, right?
To have their back, to do the corrupt things they do to to
make sure the the reputation, the reputation of the entity as
a whole stays intact. Right.
Yeah, yeah. That's a major theme in this
show. Yes, huge.
And they both say fuck that. Yes I will, and it's amazing
you're you're taking that's the ride.
That's literally the whole show is them going to bat for truth
and justice and the American way.
I'm just kidding. Not the American way, but you
know what I'm saying? It's like just what is right,
right, period. And I really just enjoyed their
camaraderie, their journey, how she softens him, how when
they're in situations together, she kind of plays the good cop
and he, because he's so direct, plays the bad cop like he
doesn't like because he has no filter.
He has no like levels to things. It's just one tone the entire
time. He inherently comes across as
the bad cop and then she can come in and sort of like finagle
and charm her way into being the good cop and get different
information or whatever. So I love their dynamic together
throughout the show and them eating together is great because
they what is it? She?
He doesn't like salty food and he's constantly and they don't
say what it is until later in the show because they just show
him like going to eat by himself, which again, is very
he's an outcast in the prosecution service.
So he goes to eat by himself. He doesn't give a shit.
Everyone else gives a shit. He doesn't give a shit that he's
eating by himself And he he's constantly putting water in his
soup. And you see him kind of going
like, oh, like kind of do having these reactions to the soup, to
the food. And you're like, is it too hot?
Like, is it what, what is it? Is it too spicy?
Like what's going on? No, it's too salty.
Right. And she understands him.
Like they go to eat at one of those tents, I forgot what
they're called, but like the tents, the outdoor tents, right?
And he orders a soup. He does the same thing.
And she's like, oh, it's too salty.
And it she understands him. Yeah, well, the other thing is,
is she's the only one that allows him to eat.
Like that's also the running joke in both seasons is where
it's like he goes to take a bite and like something.
He gets a call. He gets a call.
Or like somebody walks in or like whatever.
So like. The you.
The only times you see him eat is if he's with her.
So it's like, or even like alone when he's in his apartment.
You'd never see him eat ever in his apartment.
So yeah. And that's also like a running
joke where he, like, has no time to eat ever.
Yeah, I also like the the the juxtaposition of like his
apartment is very sterile and there's no personality but
there. But something about him and the
way that he plays his character, Tosungu is warm.
Yeah, yeah. Like he treats people with a
baseline respect. Right.
Yeah. No matter their status.
And the personality that starts to inject itself into his home
comes from her because of the little doodles that she gives
him, right? And instead of throwing them
out, which you would expect this dude to just be like, OK, like,
she threw a brain. And like, this little bit is
like, my emotional capacity. And this part is like, my desire
to finish the case and think like, it was like, this thing in
the show, this moment in the show for this one doodle.
And you expect him to throw out these doodles, which accumulate.
Instead, he saves them. Yeah, because he looks annoyed
when she gets these. Yeah.
These doodles to him, yeah. And later on in the show, she's
in his apartment and she sees them, and she just, like, smiles
to herself. And those moments are so cute
and, like, establish this relationship between them.
And it's those moments, those glimmers between them that
you're like, why aren't they together?
Exactly? That's what we mean.
That's what we mean by there should be romance, but there
isn't. There's literally no romance at
all in this show. It's because they have such a
connection. Right.
Yeah, that's that's that's going on.
Two seasons. Two seasons, No romance going
on. To see that, oh God, 32
episodes. I honestly don't.
I mean, knowing the character like you know there you can
never comprehend romance really. Like it just won't.
It wouldn't make sense. It really wouldn't.
So I think like this relationship is pretty much as
close of like quote UN quote or romance you will get with his
character. Like he just cannot comprehend
that at all because he's just too logical.
So it wouldn't make sense if all of a sudden they started dating
in like season three or something.
It's just, it wouldn't make sense at all.
But we can hope and pray that would happen.
And like look off into the distance and kind of look at him
in the alternative world because they they have such chemistry
like the. Chemistry is so.
Good. Yeah, good.
Anyway, I don't know if there's anything else we can talk about
without getting into, like, true spoilers, Right?
Right. Anyway, we did our best.
What would you rate this show out of five sold you bottles?
I think I know the answer, yeah. Like I would rate this one of my
favorite shows. Oh my God, Yeah, yeah.
I would rate this 4 1/2 out of five and the .5 is literally
just because I have a pea brain and I was a little bit too lost
last few episodes. But I'm positive that if I
rewatch the show I would appreciate it even more.
That happened to me with season 2 because I rewatched season 2
and I rated it like a nine when I first watched it.
I still loved it, but it was it all.
It was really confusing when I first watched it 'cause I was
watching it as an aired. So I think it helped that I like
was binging it this time. So I raised it to a 9.5 'cause I
could appreciate the drama more. But got you.
Yeah, I completely understand why this would be confusing.
It is one of those dramas you have to really pay attention.
You have to like, you cannot. Just.
Put it in the background and expect to.
Get it? You have to pay attention.
You can't look at your phone like you can't do any.
It's one of those. Even season 2 is the same way
like you cannot. It's not one of those where
you're half assed watching it. You have to watch it to
understand what's going on. For sure, for sure.
OK, so those are our ratings. We're going to get into spoilers
right after this as much as I can.
Again, I don't have a very good memory and I was very confused
for a little bit of the show, so we'll see.
And I have no notes, so we'll see how much I can contribute to
the spoiler section. But yeah, we're going to do
spoilers right after this. Excuse me, I can't tell.
I can't tell you know. I am noting.
Oh sorry, swear this crossing shells.
What? All right, we're on the other
side of spoilers. So if you don't care about
spoilers, keep listening. But if you want to preserve your
first time watch of stranger season one, then stop watching,
stop listening and come back later.
Keep listening after you've watched the show.
So I don't know where you want to start Caitlyn or what you
want to say, but like, I, I thought that the Oh my God, I
don't have, I don't, I don't even have nicknames written down
for these people. So Yu Jian Myong plays Ichang
Jun, who is like the chief prosecutor.
And then he gets promoted to the Blue House.
He quits the prosecution service and then he gets not promoted,
but like affirmed into the Blue House or whatever, Right, Right.
And he has the crazy wife and the the table father-in-law,
right. So this guy, I always thought he
was sketchy. I was like he's for sure in on
it. Like he he has to be the
murderer of Mr. Park because Mr. Park is the dead body.
Mr. Body. We'll call him Mr. Body because
he's the first body that we see. He's the the murder that kind of
colors the whole show. He's the.
One found in the house. He's the one found in the house,
he's the one that was stabbed to death in his own house.
But this guy wasn't a savory character at all.
He was bribing almost the entire prosecution service and
providing them with women, underage girls of money
services, what you name it. He was like procuring it for
them, for his own gains as well as other people's gains.
He was like a broker. Yeah, because he was using all
of that as leverage in terms of blackmail when it if he needed
to, if he had, he had all this information against basically
anybody in leadership on both, like just not even the
prosecution. Like the IT was like cops, it
was CEO, it was, it was everybody, everybody who was
anybody. He had everyone's dirty laundry.
Yeah, yeah. So it was just a matter of time
before he, I mean, he had a target on his back because.
Absolutely. And he knew it, that's why.
And he knew it. House.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So Mr. Body dies and Ichangjun, the chief prosecutor, I'm just
going to call him the chief prosecutor, even though like
another chief prosecutor comes in.
It's very confusing. But anyway, chief Prosecutor
Changdun, he's sketchy because you think that he was like
sleeping with an underage girl. They had like video footage of
her going into his hotel room at like this conference, conference
that they went to and stuff like that.
And he didn't sleep with her. He like swore up and down and
like he didn't sleep with her. And he was just, he hated she
Monk. Like you could tell that there
was animosity between him and well, not she Monk didn't give a
shit. But like he hated she Monk
didn't like that he was so righteous that he was so
proactive against like all this corruption and fine.
Well, I think he also didn't like the fact that he didn't bow
down to him. Like, he, he, he because Shima
didn't understand that this dude was your boss.
Like, you needed to bow to him. You needed to shake his hand.
Yeah, he didn't like that. He didn't like the fact that
there was this guy who unintentionally, like, he viewed
it as intentional. He did not think like the, the
chief prosecutor didn't think like 'cause at the time when
this was going on, the chief prosecutor didn't know what
actually was happening with Shamuk and his head, but like he
thought it was intentional. He thought Shamuk was doing it
in terms of like to undermine him.
So he didn't like that either. Like he on one hand, he didn't
like the fact he was like digging up all this dirt and.
Like he was good at his. Corruption but also didn't like
the fact he didn't bow to him and view him as his boss.
Yeah, yeah. Didn't show him proper.
But then at the end you find out he kind of did at the same time,
like he did respect him at the same time.
It was interesting. I almost don't know if they did
it. I don't know because what threw
me off the scent was this like holier than thou speech that he
gave in. Like, I don't, I don't think it
was midway through the show, maybe like 1/4 of the way
through the show, he comes to like Shemukh and he says like, I
basically, I believe in justice. I believe in the prosecution
service. I didn't do this thing that you
accused me of. And basically, again, I'm
paraphrasing because I don't got the quote in front of me at all.
He was like, I don't, you know, I believe in, in the process,
the process, the justice system and stuff like that.
And he did. And his acting was so good
because I believed him. I was like, I think maybe he's
telling the truth that he, he, this is his religion.
You know what I'm saying? That he.
Well, I think The thing is is. Actually righteous.
I think that's like that, that what was great about the speech,
Is it it that's what he thought. He trusted the process and he
trusted the system, but he then got married to Hanjo's heiress
and that's when it went downhill.
Like that's the problem is like he did he he, he was Shemukh
before he got married and before he got entangled in Hanjo.
And then he at the end, he was like, I am aware, I'm fully
aware that I am not the person I was before I married this
person. While I love her, I have done
very sketchy things and I will own up to it, quote UN quote
Shimuk. And Shimuk is the only person I
can trust because I'm well aware that he is never going to take a
bribe. He's never going to be corrupt,
he's never going to do all that. So he literally is the only
person I can trust with all this information and whatever.
So I respect him. Like the The thing is, is like
he realized I might hate the guy because he never like it might
rub my mind. Yeah, it.
But I have to respect him. I have to respect his his.
I got to respect the game. Yeah, I have.
Yeah, his yeah. So I mean it it, it was a very
interesting dynamic with this character because he he was
Shimuk before he married Hanjo and then Hanjo got.
Corrupted. Along with like everybody else,
got corrupted by. It wasn't just a corruption of
like deeds, it was like a corruption of his soul.
Almost like he felt like he betrayed his own values and his
moral, his own sense of morality by marrying this person that he
loves who has a the devil as a father.
Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. And that and that was his
downfall. Like he he was ended up being
the devil's advocate. Yeah, and then you, I always
love the scene when they're in the courtroom where he's like,
you're never going to see me on trial.
Because like, you'll never see me.
You'll never prosecute me. Because like, I never predicted
his ending. I thought he would like, go on
trial. And then I was like, oh, he was
like, that was foreshadowing he. Literally was like, you will
never catch me alive. Right?
Exactly. And we both thought we're going
to see him alive at the end of the show.
Psych No, he ends up killing himself, which I despite the
fact that this was always foreshadowed, I and and the I
don't like when they do this. Like I I'm going to precipice
this whole thing by saying I don't like when they do this in
general in K dramas. Is that the person who has done
the most wrong, who is at fault for everything?
Hold on, hold on, let me finish. Hold on, hold on, let me finish.
So the person who is at fault like the the murderer, the
rapist or whatever, they end up killing themselves to escape
consequences, punishment, what have you.
I hate when that happens because then and then the show like
moves the fuck on like quickly They're like, OK, I guess that's
done. Can't prosecute a dead person.
In this case, they did it the best way possible because this
person was going through internal turmoil for the better
part of 20 years and he was like, his letter to his wife was
wild, was like unhinged. She was like Korea's on the
brink of societal collapse, blah blah blah blah.
Nothing sacred. Well, it was like crazy and I
was like, Oh my God, there's no he for years wanted to kill
himself because he felt so trapped.
Trapped. That's a great word.
He felt so trapped because he loved his wife.
He never cheated on her and loved his daughter and, and
like, but at the same time, look at everything that his
father-in-law made him do, made him say yes to.
And you can't like choose in Korean society especially.
I feel like that's cutting off your father-in-law.
Right. And especially in his situation,
like in his. Situation.
He wasn't rich when he married the.
Family. Like it was very apparent he
came from a poor upbringing. He was like lucky to be married
to her in terms of society terms.
Like he could not say no to his. He married.
Could not. Yeah, he married.
To everyone else's eyes, he married up.
Yeah, and his father-in-law knew and exploited that.
Yeah. Yeah, it was foul.
And there was no escape like his daughter was studying abroad,
like this would never happen if he was like, we can't be aligned
with your chaebol family. Like we have to go it alone.
Right. Yeah.
So it was, it was undeniable that he would kill himself to
escape. Yeah.
And make. Himself the scapegoat yeah, but
at the same time like he revealed everything and revealed
like he he can't he went out as a morally Gray character in my
opinion because. Because whether he did what he
did, yeah. He did, still at.
The end of the show, you're like, what did he?
Think yeah, but the one thing you.
Know he did. Was a whistleblower at the.
Same. Yeah, he was a exactly He was a
whistleblower, but you don't know exactly what he did.
The only thing you know for sure is that he instigated Looney
from Prison Playbook or Seven O. We'll call him Seven O because
of the tattoo. Yeah.
He instigated 7 O to kill. Mr. Body Yeah, yeah.
And like, orchestrated that whole thing for him.
Right. Which means he is a murderer.
Like I said, maybe that's it. Like that.
Is that the worst thing that he did?
Like on paper, I don't know. They showed him like winning and
dining with people in a one of those bars, not bars, sushi host
clubs, sushi restaurants or something.
And he obviously maintained that he never cheated on his wife, so
it's not like he was taking sexual favors.
Right. But like, what else did he do?
Like he, I think it was all paper.
I think he was all doing stuff on paper.
Yeah, it was all about like money.
Yeah, it was all about. Laundering.
Money it was. It was all had to do with that,
that town or city that they were like building.
Yeah. And he was basically funneling
money through it. He was basically laundering
money like he was laundering money through it.
And then also all of these people, because he was so high
up, he got some people off the hook in terms of crimes and in
terms of that too, so. Like which to me?
Helped people. Through the system.
It wouldn't be so bad if he was a defense attorney, right?
Unless he was doing something illegal, like, you know,
altering evidence and like, you know what I'm saying.
Like, well, that's what the law. And that's I think was part of
it. Plus he was on the wrong side.
Plus he was on the prosecution service side.
So is just bad. But again, they don't go into
detail about what he did so wrong.
But anyway, he kills himself and I think it was done the best
way. This is terrible to say like
that. The suicide was done in the most
tasteful way. I think it was presented in the
most tasteful way. Right.
Yeah. Yeah, but it you were, you were
taken aback. Well, I at the first time I'd
ever watch this, I just didn't predict it even though they
foreshadowed it. Like so I I it made sense for
the character after it happened. Like I totally agreed why they
went direction they did with his character.
But just the first time watching it, I never predicted that he
would be like I knew very early on he was a bad guy, like he was
one of the people involved, but like I just didn't A, didn't
predict he was the lesser of evils compared to other people.
And B, like while it made sense in hindsight, like I never
predicted that he would just go and kill himself.
But because the, the surroundings of why he killed
himself and like how he did it and what came afterwards made
sense in hindsight. But I just, it was a, it's a
terms of just like I didn't predict it happening.
I think he was also, so he found himself so reprehensible and the
fact that he could have been on trial in the very courtroom that
he so respected, it would have broken him.
And it would have been so embarrassing for him to have led
the prosecution service as a chief prosecutor.
And then it comes out, all this shit comes out and then he's on
trial. I think it would have it.
It would have ruined him internally and his whole life.
It would have imploded his whole life, so he knew like it just it
couldn't go down like that. Right.
Yeah. And I think another thing that
he did, it is like he revealed all this dirt that he had
recorded, the whistle blowing stuff and whistle blow.
He knew if he didn't kill himself, somebody would.
Oh, yeah. Like it would it?
He would never have surprised Sur Sur survived.
And it would have been his father-in-law.
Yeah, it would have been something his father-in-law did
and he never would have survived it.
So he was like, I'd rather go out in my own way and do my own
thing. Have the agency.
Over it versus knowing I'll be killed two months from now yeah,
it yeah, is is. And that way he got all the
information out too, like he didn't have, he didn't have to
be the Mr. Body with all this leverage because he like it was
all out and everybody, everybody's dirt was there and.
Yeah, all the recordings and the paperwork and everything.
So his wife, I want to touch briefly on his wife because I
saw her. I was like, where is she from?
Where's she from? I haven't watched Sky Castle
yet. That is later in Season 5.
Nice, nice. Just I have not.
I have not watched that either. Oh OK, well anyway, first time
for everybody. So his wife, I watched her in
Snowdrop and when I realized that I had watched her in
Snowdrop, I had like a full body chills.
So the the wife, I found her so cool because you couldn't tell
if she was good or bad. You couldn't tell if she was out
here trying to kill mistresses or if she was just suspicious of
the people that could be his mistress.
You know what I'm saying? Right, right.
So it turns out that she wasn't killing mistresses.
She was. She was just going to lay eyes
on them. Yeah, she was just curious.
She was just curious. Yeah, she has a bigger role in.
Season 2, yeah, I saw. I saw that she was like a top
building in Season 2. I was like, oh, cool.
So she also, I was like, we need to talk more about the
conversation that the wife has with BAE Doona at that awkward
dinner. Yep.
That she tries to host with the investigation crew because I was
like, what is this? This is like I could write a
thesis on this. Because the dynamic they were,
it was like 2 lionesses in a room together and everyone else
was just, they were like zebras. Like they had no, you know, they
had no say. They didn't matter because
Beduna, like she is. So I don't know how to describe
this conversation because I don't have the conversation in
front of me. But you know which one I'm
talking about, right? Yeah.
Oh, yeah. Like the one where the wife was
like, oh, it's so weird to see a female cop.
Like, it starts like that. And Beduna's like, yeah, like
I'm a female cop, Like, what of it?
And it turns into like this housewife versus working woman
thing. It was a feminism versus
traditional, Yeah, feminism versus trad wife thing and
classism thing all together. Right.
I think it would. I think in one way it was just
due to the upbringing that the wife had and the fact that her
father probably catered to her every need.
She somehow thought that she could host this dinner with the
team and either get information somehow from them or manipulate
them into not pursuing the case or whatever.
And then the fact that Schumach and Beduna like do not accept
bribe like nobody in that room did.
But like, it was, it was like it, it became very apparent very
quickly that she was not going to get her way and she couldn't.
She needed to keep up this facade of a perfect housewife
while hosting this, even though you could tell she was like
fuming inside. So it, it, I think that that's
how I interpreted that scene where like she was trying to
either get information or basically tell them to knock it
off and leave this alone. And then real.
I quickly realized that was not going to happen and it's all of
this. And I think the and I.
Think the other thing is because she went she literally was
talking directly to Beduna because she was the only other
female in the room so she felt I think she could.
She thought she would get something out of her.
Like she thought she could manipulate the only female.
Right. That they would have some sort
of camaraderie or like, girl, you know what I'm saying?
Like they would connect. Yeah.
It didn't happen. It was like oil and water.
Yeah. And the way that her fate, the
wife, the her face changes when I can't even remember what
Beiduna said, but like her face like changes and falls and she
looks like she's about to kill Beiduna.
She like made a joke, like Beiduna made a joke.
It's some she said something and Beiduna being Beiduna like her
character just was like and it wasn't even her character was
trying to get back at her. She just, like, made a joke
trying to, I think kind of like trying to like, like cut the
tense, like the tension in the room because everybody could
tell there was it. So she, like, made a joke trying
to, like, cut the tension. And then the wife didn't like it
because it obviously made her look bad with an.
It was insulting. Yeah.
It was insulting, Yeah. Oh my God, I loved it.
Yeah, I was eating up that messy trauma.
This is so tense. Like they nobody wanted to be
there, but they can't say no because it's the chief
prosecutor's wife that, you know, it's all of this politics,
right? Like these relationship politics
that are happening? Right.
And I think the prosecutor also invited them over because he
thought he could do the same thing, like get information and
either tell them to knock it off.
And obviously that also didn't happen, so.
So let's move forward and talk about the weasel, which is Ijun
Hyuk. His character's name is Dong
Jay. Like that guy.
Like fuck that guy bro, like. He he's getting like a spin off.
So is he really? Yeah.
That's the that's the that's the show that's coming out this
year. He's.
Getting Oh my God. And no one really know if it's a
prequel or a sequel or something.
I'm assuming it's like a like a spin off spin off.
But yeah, that's it's literally going to be his story.
Oh my God, this guy's the worst. The worst.
He is super easily. No, he choked out home girl
Unsu. Like when he choked her almost
to the point of death. I was like, yeah, you're done.
We can't refer you anymore. You almost killed a woman in an
alley over actually nothing at all.
She just said, I'm not going to let you get away with something
like she just goaded him in the street, which she was stupid for
that. But no sense at all.
That man, he had no sense. And he was, he was fully, fully
taking bribes, taking everything.
They had all of this evidence on him.
And then he was like, why don't you just let me go and I'll help
you out? And then he becomes like this
quasi ally for the last half of the show.
Yep. Yep, I cannot believe they let
him back onto the prosecution. I mean, they couldn't really,
they didn't really have anything on him specifically.
He was a small fish. Like they they used him
basically and he knew he he was going to be used so he took that
to his advantage. Like they had bigger fish to
fry. But him tampering with evidence
with the phone? Yeah, of course.
I mean, I'm not saying like he's a great character.
He's a very great character. Like he, he's not a good guy,
but they they were like there's bigger fish to fry.
We need him to get evidence of other people.
We need him to do this. Like he and he, that's the also
his character though, like he's not loyal to anybody.
Like the minute either people are going after him or he is
going to get fried, he switches sides and that's his character.
That's his characters through and through, especially in
season one. The.
But that's the fun of his. Character I hate it.
He's he is fun. He is fun but also a so
annoying. Yeah, so annoying.
Yeah, he's he's a lovable, annoying character.
I love him. He's so good.
Because you think he might have murdered someone like earlier on
the show, you think he might have murdered the girl, the
hooker. And then you're like, maybe not.
And then you're like, well, maybe he did.
Like you're flip flopping back and forth like then you find out
maybe he didn't murder her but why the fuck does he have his
her phone? Right.
And it's like this whole back and forth and this goes for
every single sketchy character in the show.
Like you're unsure of every single person besides the lead 2
characters. This is the, this is how it goes
for the whole show. You're like.
Well, even though we even there was a time where you were like
Ishimuk actually a good guy though like that's the beauty of
this show too. Like because he is so reserved
and so closed off you for a couple episodes even him is
looking a little sketchy until everything is revealed.
Craziness Don Jay is. Craziness.
So good. Don Jay.
So when he choked out Unsu, that's when I was like, you're
done, you're done. And then he was like, Oh my God,
is she alive? Is she alive?
Oh, thank God she's alive. I'm like fuck out of here, bro.
Like you suck. What a punk.
OK, then Unsu, who's played by Sheena son.
I found her so annoying as well because she just didn't have
like street smarts. She didn't.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Didn't I see?
Smarts. Yeah, I also found her quite
annoying in in the first watch like.
And she was just like banging her head against the wall and
not really realizing, oh, I have a concussion, right?
Or she was like. Yeah, and then like she would
run off and like, follow people without telling anybody.
Just so reckless. You knew it was coming.
You knew it was coming with her. Yeah.
So when they were like, it was a possibility.
At the end of the show, we get a second body.
Finally, we have a second body. Yeah.
And it's in the hooker's house, so it's either the hooker who
went missing at the hospital or it's someone else.
And when they're not saying who it is, I'm like, it's in Sue,
it's unsu. It's got to be unsu.
And lo and behold, they like uncover the the blanket that
they have they put on her and 1st there she is, she's dead.
Yeah, yeah. Just Bluetooth close to the sun
there. Just not that she deserved it.
I'm saying like she. Well, I mean, like I think you,
you knew. You knew the minute you saw the
zero. She saw the 07.
She was daughter. Marked her death.
You knew. She saw the text like how did
you? How did you feel about that
reveal? Oh, that was the worst one to
me. That was the.
That was the one that I sent you, I think.
I I was waiting for that. Voice memo I was like screaming
in the voice memo because the the end of the episode like that
that he so this is we're talking about say 17-O looney from
prison playbook EQ hyung, that guy seven O he you thought he
was an ally. You thought he was just kind of
like a straight laced internal affairs dude that got taken on
great chemistry with everybody on the on the show, on the
investigation team and a really good investigator and he was
very supportive, very helpful. Girl, when that juice or
whatever fell on his shirt and it turns see through and you
could see the tattoo, I was like, Oh my God, is that a 70?
Is that A70 on this man's body? And sure enough, it looks like
it's not a 70, but it looks like A70.
Yeah, I start hyperventilating. I was like, Oh my gosh, Is he
the killer? Has he been the killer the whole
time? Right.
The whole the whole time. Yep.
The whole time he's right there it embedded.
Embedded, so there was no rebounding from the.
I couldn't handle it. That was.
Well, then you got that wonderful scene in the airport,
which that was the scene when I that was the that was like, I
need to put this scene on my social media, but I can't do it
yet because she had an. Airport scene is amazing.
It is astonishing. Like him.
Like yeah, over Beiduna. One of my favorite scenes in
season one. It is such it should go down as
like in the in the pantheon of chase scenes in K drone like
that is a really good chase scene and he's plowing through
police officers like nothing. Right.
Yeah. Like they're made of cardboard.
Yeah. Yeah.
Like he's truly gifted. That man is true.
That's truly gifted criminal. So I enjoyed the heck out of
that reveal. I was super entertained.
And yeah, it spirals out of control because then after they
figure out he's the killer. Is he the killer of Mr. Body
alone? Is he the killer of also Unsu?
Did he attempt to kill the hooker as well?
Like what to? What's the?
Extent of this, right, Yeah. Yeah, so it's it's crazy.
It kind of goes pretty fast from there.
Once they catch him, it goes pretty fast from there.
At the end of the show right now, my only guess, and I'll
tell you this was straight wrong, was that Kyung Wan, who
is Mr. Body's son? I thought he was the killer.
I thought that he killed his dad and that didn't happen at all.
I especially thought he was suspicious because he was
running from police and shit and he was deleting photos of the
hooker from his phone. Right, right, because he had a
crush on her in high school. And then his dad, like, hired
her to be this underage hooker. It was nuts.
Oh my God, Bedlam.
So he had motive for killing his dad and then he ended up not
right not killing his dad. Yeah, but this came up recently
and I can't remember. Oh reset when we did our drama
trio reset review and we were spoilers for reset spoilers for
reset that see drama the. I'm going to try and make this
as non spoiler as possible, but at the end of that show we
figure out who is the assailant. Right.
The bomber on the bus and we were like, look, it, it kind of
gives because of the reason for why they were doing that.
It kind of gave them a license. Anybody who was in that same
situation, a license to kill, right?
Because because of that crazy sad back story and the situation
that they were in and in this very similar case for say 170,
he lost his son in this fiery bus crash.
And it was very, it was completely heartbreaking to hear
the story coming from him when he was being interrogated by
Shiwan and he was saying, like, I looked into the situation and
it was, you know, basically a big corruption case, big cover
up. And my son died for nothing.
Like unnecessarily like it was, it was not an accident.
It was, it was negligence. Yes, yes.
And what Baiduna's character ended up saying to him was that
anybody who's lost a child has a can do what you did then, like
they have a license to anybody. There's so many people who have
gone through terrible, wrongful situations and does that mean
they can start killing people? Right.
And the answer is overwhelmingly, profoundly no,
No, yes. It's no like this.
This level of vigilante justice, like, where does it end?
It's a slippery slope. Exactly.
Yeah, so that's what she was. Saying in his, in his case, it
wasn't one person too. It's like, Oh yeah, it's not
like, yeah, it's not like he just like went and killed the
driver. He like killed the people who
didn't fix the bus. He killed the person who hid the
the people who didn't fix the bus.
Like it was like a whole thing. Yeah, yeah.
So I found that really important.
Like that? She said That, yeah.
Yeah, yeah. I don't.
I was going to say I don't have anything in my notes.
Look, I have no notes but. So what did you think in terms
of like, what did you think of BAE Doona and Shimuk's, like,
first encounter together? Because they had, well, they
technically two encounters. I'll say one is like when
they're chasing after the suspect and like, they both meet
each other and they both are like, what the hell are you
doing? Like you're a prosecutor.
I'm a cop. Like, we're chasing the same
guy. What the heck?
And like they go through all the alleys and everything.
And then Beduna like, is up on that second floor, whatever.
The guy like, jumps down and then she looks there.
So like, what did you think of that meeting?
And then the other meeting was like, when they're in the guy's
house, like the, the, the Mr. Body's house and she comes
around the corner and she looks like this there was a night like
in his own world, like trying to figure out scenarios of how this
dude could get killed. Like what did you think of
those? Two scenes I like the meet cue
of them chasing the same suspect and then he takes the suspect
and like, leaves her high and dry and all of her colleagues
are like, why the hell did you let the prosecutor take the
perp? Like, that is bizarre.
You, Jim, you both chased him. And then, yeah, that moment that
she sees him like whipping around this kitchen knife, this
giant kitchen knife, trying to recreate the scene and figure
out what what possibly happened in the amount of time that the
that the perp had to do it to make to do the murder is.
I thought that was hysterical. And I know it's not meant to be
hysterical. You're supposed to be surprised.
You're supposed to be like, oh, no, she's seeing him like figure
it out. And there's no context for her.
And he's not going to explain anything because he doesn't give
a shit and he doesn't realize that he looks like a lunatic
and. And that like speaks to his
character in general. Like he does that a lot in like
where it's like he imagines himself.
Like this is a trope in crime dramas.
You have these characters that kind of imagine himself as the
criminal. He does that a lot in in both
seasons. So it's like you ran like just
you imagine him like like just being in a room with him and
he's just standing there imagining fix the entire time.
Oh my God. Yeah.
Also, I enjoyed the red herring of like this.
What was it? I think it was Ausb drive with
evidence on it of tax evasion of the chaebol family that the
ousted. I don't know what what was he
like because this was unsu. 'S dad Yeah, he was the he was
the previous chief prosecutor. Was he OK?
Yeah. So the previous chief
prosecutor, that old man, he had all this evidence and he was
hiding it for three years and then Unsu got murdered.
And they thought it was because she had this evidence on her.
She like specifically went to get this USB drive and bring it
to Chimok to help the case and she gets slaughtered.
I love the red herring that this was kind of like building up and
we were wondering what's going to happen to this USB drive?
When is Shima going to get his hands on it?
He was requesting this evidence for the longest time from the
from the old man and he wasn't giving it up.
And then finally she gets murdered and you think, Oh no,
the bad guys have the evidence. They have this USB drive.
Finally they got their hands on it and it didn't even matter.
They were like, get rid of all her shit.
Like it doesn't even factor in the.
Overall story, this tax evasion evidence, right, right.
It's so I thought that was some of the.
I love that red herring. Well then even with her
character because you have these scenes throughout where it's
like like you don't even know if she's a good person.
Oh yeah, the longest time, like there was that like coffee scene
where he like goes and like sees like the footage talking to the
guy, talking to the Mr. Body and she's the one talking to him.
She was the last person to see him alive.
So you're like, what the heck? Yeah, you're like, Oh my God.
Did she have her boyfriend or ex-boyfriend murder him?
Right. Exactly.
Yeah, yeah. It was good.
I liked it. Again, everyone is morally Gray.
No one is safe from being suspicious.
And I liked it. I liked it a lot.
I thought it ended on a on a interesting note.
You thought he was going to America to tour every single
state? I was like, that sounds like
torture. They said he was going to every
single. What was it like?
State Department. State.
Yeah, it was like prosecution department when they said he was
going to all 50. I was like, Oh my God.
That's a lot. That's a lot.
Somebody stop him. Yeah, I just love the fact that
like going back to like, Shimok and like Beiduna's relationship,
like. Yeah, yeah.
I love that she kind of like, once they got over the fact
that, like love, like the realizing they have to work
together, she kind of just like pops up in randomly, like, like
in his office, for example. He'll like walk in and she's
like sleeping on the chair. Yeah, because she's been
waiting. For.
But then he lets her keep. Sleeping exactly.
Yeah. Like.
She's tired. It's like those moments where
it's like, it's just, it's funny how like going back to the
Sherlock Holmes Watson thing, like it was like he didn't say
anything. He didn't like request that her
like to be in his life or anything, but she kind of was
just like, I'm going to barge in on your life and kind of just be
there all the time. Yeah.
And like, what did you think of that whole?
Well, two things. So there was like the the the
suit in his head in his house. Like, what did you think of that
whole scene? Like, like, 'cause like what I
liked about this is like we, we touched on it was like found
family. It was like the, it started with
Beijuna and then it brought into her other cop buddy and then it
was unsu. And then it was like the
assistants and then it was 07 and then it was the, the, the
other guy. What's, what's his other guy
name? Yeah.
So it was like a bunch of them, right?
So like they he gets he. The HR specialist.
Yeah, he, he walks in on this suit and he calls her very
deadpan. Is like, Oh yeah, you, you
should come over here. OK, so the suit that we're the
suit that we're talking about is that someone illegally entered
his house while he wasn't there and literally chopped up a a
suit of his and hung it up by a noose.
Yeah. And like, and when when the
lights were off, you thought it was a person like.
Yeah, like, and then he's burning on the lights and you
realize it was a suit, but it looked like an hanging body.
Yeah. So like he calls up Beiduna and
Beiduna's like. What?
And like runs over, but not only her, like everybody runs over to
his. House, it's her.
It's her and the other cop, the one that gave the evidence to
the the police chief. Yeah, yeah.
So also the police chief, kind of like the first watch.
I was annoyed by the police chief a lot.
Yeah, he's wrong anyway. Well, not, not, not not that
police chief, not the one that went on trial.
The. One, the other one, the boss.
I know exactly who you're talking about.
Yeah, he's he never. Yeah, we never got a resolution
for him. No, no.
And you don't really. He's in Season 2.
Like he's a little more in Season 2, but like in Season 2,
it's the same thing, kind of. We have squinty eyes over here
'cause we're just like. But I just love the fact like
there's those moments that you like live for is like they all
come racing over and you're like, are you OK?
Are you OK? He's like, I'm fine.
And then they look at it and they're like, it's much, much
worse than you said over the phone.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I like, are you OK staying here?
He's like, yeah, I'm totally OK staying here.
And they're like, Are you sure about that?
What the hell? Yeah.
And then the other thing is like, what did you think about
his whole head situation? I thought this was a convenient
thing that they kept pushing was every time he was in a stressful
situation he would get these. It was like tinnitus or
something and ringing loud ringing in his ears or
something. Yeah.
I thought they would bring it up more often and it would come
into play in situations, high fake situations, but it really
didn't. It would.
It came into play like 3-4 times in the whole show and it started
the show. Because he stops traffic because
he has one of these episodes and you see him kind of come to and
he's backed up an entire bridge because he's pulled over, which
he could have just gone off the bridge entirely, like having one
of these episodes, but he had the wherewithal to stop and park
the car in the middle of the street.
And then he wakes up and just keeps on going towards Mr.
Body's house, which is when all hell breaks loose.
I, I don't know, I, I had, I think they could have utilized
it more, but when it came in, you were like, oh, right.
He has this recurring thing. Yeah, yeah.
And that was one of the things I wish they had.
Like, it was heartbreaking to see eBay Dunas character find
out, like, what was going on. Yeah, because even I I still
remember the line where because it was like right after Unsu,
they found Unsu when he had the big episode.
And he goes to the he goes to the autopsy.
Yeah, which they were. Everyone was like, why are you
serious? You're going to go to the
autopsy of Unsu. And he was like, yeah, I'm going
to do it. And right after the autopsy, he
collapses. Right.
Yeah. And so like the line that she
comes in is like he she sees him on the bed and she's like, can
we stop seeing people in this way?
Or like, can we like this is too much or something like that?
Like I I interpreted that as like her saying what Seemukh
wanted to say like 'cause we have fully know like with with
his reaction to Unsu like that was like like his.
Body's reaction. Yeah, so like the whole point of
the especially like the really bad episode he had was like he
could not express how guilty and how much regret he had and how
much like feelings he had towards unsu and the death he he
saw it as it was his fault like fully and he couldn't express
that whatsoever. So that in that caused his
entire episode to him like going like falling down in the hallway
and everything because that was the culmination of all of these
emotions being built up for the last 12 hours to 24 hours or
whatever. But yeah, like her character
walking in and basically saying what he wanted to say in a way
and having that feelings of expression that he wanted to do
and then. I didn't take it that way.
I thought it was it was sort of her sentiment.
Well, it. Was for the.
Whole situation plus things she look like.
That yeah, it was, but I think, I mean I interpreted it was, I
mean I interpreted it was her, but also I interpreted it as
like she was translating him. As well.
I like that. I like that double meaning.
And then I also, one of my favorite scenes in the entire
show is the funeral scene where he explodes.
Bro. Because thanks for bringing me
one of the best acting scenes I've ever seen him do.
Because it's. Just Oh my God.
You don't expect it. Yeah.
Start screaming, starts getting really angry.
You don't expect it. Like, obviously no one expected
it because he's never done that before.
But it's just like you, you and like, at that point, the chief
prosecutor, like the the guy who committed suicide at the end of
the show, like knows about his condition and knows like what
led to his condition. So like, you kind of could tell
he was a little scared in that scene too.
He like he knew what this. Dude could like did when he did
get angry before he had the filter of the surgery.
So if people don't understand, like, so Shumuk's character, the
reason why he got the surgery to basically got a lumbotomy in a
way, is because he had some violent outbursts, like really
violent outbursts when he was a child and in school.
And they just couldn't do anything to quell those
emotions. And he couldn't express them
very well and couldn't. He was just like, yeah, he
couldn't control them. So they basically gave him a
lumbotomy. They removed parts of his
frontal temporal lobe, which is where your personality is.
Right. It's who you are, and that is
how he turned into who he is today.
Yeah. And so there they explained it
in the show where there are times where because he cannot
process that anymore, Like, and when he was a child, he was over
processing stuff and couldn't control them.
But now it's the other way around where like he still has
those emotions. They're just very, very, very
deep within him and his body cannot process those emotions.
And when he becomes too stressed or has too many emotions of
these built up and his brain cannot comprehend them and can't
find a reasonable way to quell them and to make him understand,
he has these episodes. And so in the funeral scene, I
think it was a combination of him again feeling regret himself
and being guilty himself. But also getting really angry
that like basically everybody who led to her death because he
fully knows there's somebody in the room that did kill her, kind
of just like talking business in the funeral.
Like they were very disrespectful at this funeral.
And he got angry because no one was saying anything.
And he finally just was like, are you kidding me?
So I love that scene. It was one of my favorite.
Scenes. Well, the father, her dad, the
OG chief prosecutor started going for the Blue House.
Chief prosecutor Changjun, who showed up?
Which bad form to show up when it's so sketchy your involvement
in this whole thing? They do it all the time though.
Gripe. Shows.
They do it all the. Time, I'm sure, yeah.
And I, yeah. So he shows up to the well.
Even the father-in-law was there, which I always never was.
Like, I was like, why? Like there's no reason for the
father-in-law to be there. Like he didn't know unsu.
He didn't. Yeah.
So UNSU's dad goes feral on his ass and it's like you killed my
daughter how can you be here? And he like takes his cane and
like tries to hit him and it hits Dongje, which thank God it
hits Dongje like he needs to be hit.
And then like fuck that dude. And and that's when because all
it it it's very I think he got over stimulated also like she
milk in this situation. And he goes alright.
Like then he starts screaming at everybody.
Yeah. And the dad, and he says like,
why didn't you do anything when you had the chance, right?
Yeah. And I think did you?
Did you? Think you were hiding the truth
for your family? Because look what?
Look what's happened. Yeah, and that speaks to Shima's
character because again, we said he's very blunt about anything.
Like he does no filter whatsoever.
To blame her father for her death at her funeral, Yeah,
like. That's yeah, that's just
something you don't do. And again, I think that scene
also was him realizing it was also his fault.
Like he has always, I mean, you'll see this in season 2.
It's a it's a ongoing thing. He'll bring up unsu in season 2
as well, where it's like you fully know he regrets what he
did with this character. Like, and The thing is with this
character is like she, even though we did find her annoying
a little bit like she tried to work with him.
He, she tried to help him out and yeah, and she had her own
agenda and own motives to do that too.
But he also was like and. He didn't trust that he didn't.
Trust she had an agenda and he also was trying to protect her
at the same time. It wasn't all just like he
didn't trust her. He also was like, if you get
involved in this, something's going to happen and I don't want
you to have that. But on the other hand, in
hindsight, you kind of see that he thought he should have
involved her because at least she would have been more safe.
Like, in hindsight, I think he realized she would have been
more safe. Yeah.
She wouldn't have been alone. Exactly.
So the funeral scene I think was also him kind of yelling at
himself and realizing that all these people in the room led to
her death. But he also could not be
completely absolved of the reason why he was dead.
It's heavy. It's heavy, yeah.
And I love that scene. I'm glad you brought it up.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Well, did you have anything else in your notes?
Anything at all. So you have a question that in
here that I I've always loved the OS TS for this drama and
season 2. Like I I woke up this morning
because I finished season 2 like two days ago.
I still have season 2 OST in my head.
I absolutely love the music of this like not even the OS TS.
I love the background instrumental of this like
whenever there's like when there's like something revealed
or like at the at the. Very the viol.
Like the violins, like it's like my head, like the drums come.
In Yeah, I hear it right now. It's good love that I like.
It's very one of my. Favorite, favorite background
musics of all time? Yeah, I love it.
Yeah, it's very good. Great, Great point.
It's not even OSC, it's just score.
It's score. Yeah, it's a score.
It's a memorable score. It's like one of those things
where it's like the OS TS. I hear it.
I'll be like, Oh my God. Exactly, exactly and season 2
kept the same thing like you'll you'll see that it's the same
like they have different OS TS, but it's the same like score
played differently, like you know, it's it's the same
concept, like they have the same like violins and drums and
everything, but it's differently sounded in a way, but it's
familiar. OK.
But yeah, I absolutely love the instrumental backgrounds of
this. I mean I like the OS TS too, but
like. Nice.
Hands on one of my favorite scores in a drama ever.
I love that. I'll say the last thing that I
have on my mind is he shows Shemukh, shows the wife, the
chief prosecutor's widow, the suicide note that he leaves
behind for her. It's it's with him because he
left it to for Shima to give to her right.
And she reads it because she comes in so hot, like guns
blazing. She goes, I'm going to take you
down. There's not going to be anything
left. Like she talks such a big game.
And then he doesn't say shit to her.
He just goes and gives her the note.
He gives her the letter. She reads it and she doesn't say
anything. She just gets up and leaves.
Yes check bounce so appropriate she's just like you know what my
husband had his head on straight as a matter of fact, and you
know what I think I'm a little bit embarrassed.
I'm going to leave because there's nothing to there's
nothing to take down here. This is exactly what he wanted.
Was this whole. Investigation.
Well, and the fact is like she realized because I mean, one of
the reasons why she came in hot is because she fully blamed
Shivoke for her husband's death. That's what she said, that you
killed him. And in season 2, she still
thinks this a little bit, but like, there's things said to her
in season 2 that kind of writes her even more.
But like, I think obviously reading that suicide note, she
knows like, because in the suicide note he's like, Shumuk
is the only person I trusted, like.
And I think that also kind of irked her a little because he
didn't realize. Yeah, he.
She realized because he. Could have left all that stuff.
With her exactly. But he didn't.
Yeah, yeah. Which like says a lot about
their relationship and his relationship with him and things
like that, yeah. Yeah, yeah, it's bad.
It was toxic. It was toxic.
He might have loved it, but it was toxic.
Anyway, I think that's it. Like, did you have anything else
you wanted to say before we get out of here?
I don't think so. Oh my God, well this was
wonderful. As you can see, we had a
fantastic time watching Stranger season one and we will likely,
very likely be back for Stranger season 2 to talk that through.
Caitlin's already done the hard work and rewatched season 2.
I have about 15 1/2 episodes to watch before I'm done, but it'll
it'll happen. It'll happen this year for sure.
We would love to hear from you guys.
If you have watched Stranger and you want to hear more from us,
talk to me. But obviously talk to Caitlin
because Caitlin's watched it twice.
Now three times. Three times.
Oh my. God 'cause I re I re.
I rewatched this when season two came out so this was my third
time rewatching season. 1/3 time rewatching season one.
So where can we find you online, Caitlin, in case people haven't
listen to the drama trio episodes or Flower of Evil or
something in the Rain or all the all the episodes that you're on?
You can find me on Instagram and Tiktok and Twitter under no
sleep, the number for dramas. I'm mostly on Instagram and
Tiktok though, so yeah. Or you can go and listen to my
podcast or blog like. Exactly.
Yeah. All right.
Well, that's been our show. I'm Jessica and this has been
the Tibba K Rambles podcast. None.