Welcome to my Prison Playbook – Unspoiled Review.  When a famous baseball player catches a young man sexually assaulting his sister, he chases him down and beats him up.  Everyone assumes it will be considered self-defense, so fans are shocked when he is sentenced to 1 year in prison and even his appeal is unsuccessful.  Now he must learn the ins and outs of life in prison, but luckily for him, he makes some valuable friends along the way.

Jung Kyung Ho as Lee Joon Ho

Lee Joon Ho was Je Hyuk’s childhood friend.  The two of them had played baseball together and both lived with the coach’s family.  After suffering a traumatic car accident, Joon Ho quit baseball and they lost contact.  But Joon Ho always remained Je Hyuk’s greatest fan.  Transferring from his current post as a Detention Officer, Joon Ho transfers to Je Hyuk’s prison in order to protect him and help him train.  Joon Ho also begins a romantic relationship with Je Hyuk’s sister, but he keeps it a secret from his friend, in case he will be angry.

Lee Joon Ho is a steadfast and devoted friend.  Even though he was a better player than Je Hyuk in high school, he’s never competitive or petty about his own skills.  Joon Ho is smart and driven, but his need to be challenged has left behind a string of jobs that never hold his interest for long.  Jung Kyung Ho played this role so well.  In the beginning, he is mystified by how close Je Hyuk is to the guards and inmates but he slowly warms up to them and establishes his own friendships.  Joon Ho is reserved and careful, which makes him the perfect advisor to his friend.  

Jung Woong In as Paeng Se Yoon

Guard Paeng has been a guard at the penitentiary for years and is nearing the end of his career.  At first glance, it seems like he doesn’t really care about the job or the inmates.  He is loud and verbally abusive most of the time.  But as we get to know him, we find out that the tough exterior covers over a heart of gold.  His greatest goal is to see the inmates rehabilitated and set free to live their lives on the right road.  

♥ All that Bromance

I love a good bromance, and “Prison Playbook” is full of them.  Each individual relationship has it’s own feel and chemistry, which I really appreciated.  Watching the group knit itself together in a way that offered each of them the support and love they needed was heartwarming and interesting.  They created a family dynamic complete with a protective father and sibling rivalry.  It’s hard to even pick a favorite, but the main storyline between Je Hyuk and Joon Ho is an obvious one, because there is so much time spent developing it.  And the loyalty that “Jailbird” gives Je Hyuk is also a highlight for me.

♥ Staggered Storylines

Unlike the average kdrama, “Prison Playbook” introduces new characters and has characters leave at a staggered pace throughout the drama.  This keeps the storylines moving with fresh topics.  Inmates come and go, and each one brings their own backstory.  Arranging the stories this way also keeps the drama from being overly predictable from Episode 1, which was really nice.  

“Loony’s” Ending

Loony’s character was a favorite of mine.  Lee Kyu Hyung played the role perfectly, and I always enjoyed his scenes.  Of course, I understand that the life of an addict is a neverending battle, but after struggling through withdrawals and staying strong during his whole incarceration, I was brokenhearted to see him fall right back into that life.  And it was even more sad that we never hear anything about him again.  Without the love of his cellmates, it is doubtful that he will ever be able to break free from his addiction again, and that is so disapppointing.  

No Reunion Ending

I really expected to have one scene of Je Hyuk pitching while a group of his friends cheered him on from the stands.  A scene like this could have provided some closure to many of the characters.  It seemed like the perfect setup for something like this, so I was surprised when it didn’t happen.  There are just so many great characters that I would like to have caught up with one more time.  But let’s be honest here.  “Prison Playbook” never takes the easy way out, and my dream ending wouldn’t have done justice to the dose of realism that the writers tried to stay true to.  

Well, I already complained about not getting the full closure that I wanted, but “Prison Playbook” ends as steadily as it began, and we do get some happy endings.  Guard Paeng is shown giving a presentation about his job for his daughter’s class at school.  He seems happy and more at peace with his life and work now that he has overcome some of his guilt for the fire.  Min Chul finally receives an early release.  He is sent of by Officer Paeng and greeted by his daughter and his former cellmate, Lee Joo Hyung.  Captain Yoo gets the approval for an appeal to his case, so even though the cell is looking pretty empty these days, hopefully he will also be leaving soon.  Jailbird is released and takes a job as Je Hyuk’s new agent, so it looks like they will continue their relationship.  Joon Ho admits to Je Hyuk that he is dating Je Hee, so he doesn’t have to hide that from him anymore.  And lastly, our lead finishes his sentence and greets Ji Ho with a big kiss, ignoring the reporters and cameras.  And the final scene shows Je Hyuk back on the pitching mound.  The team loses the game but it’s still a win for Je Hyuk and he is confident that he will still succeed.  I was sad to see this one end, but I really enjoyed the story.