Stranger 2 – Full Review
Welcome to Stranger 2 – Full Review. A talented prosecutor and a tenacious detective team up to solve a case that could get both of them in trouble with their superiors. If you haven’t watched this drama yet, I recommend checking out my unspoiled review here.
Stranger 2
♥ Aired: August 15 – October 4, 2020
♥# of Episodes: 16
♥Where to Watch: Netflix
♥Genre: Legal Crime Drama
♥Starring: Jo Seung Woo and Bae Doo Na
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The Story
Welcome to my Stranger 2 – Unspoiled Review. The Police Department and the Prosecutors Office are in a fierce struggle to have full authority to investigate cases. Both sides have accused the other of mishandling previous cases and abusing their authority. Despite this power stuggle, a special prosecutor and a talented detective team up to work together in secret to solve an ongoing case that is both suspicious and delicate.
The Leads
Jung Seung Woo as Hwang Shi Mok
Hwang Shi Mok is a successful prosecutor who has spent the last 2 years away from Seoul in a small town where they can keep him quiet. But he has finally been transferred back to Seoul to work for the Supreme Prosecutors Office on special cases. Driving through the fog on his final night before returning to Seoul, Shi Mok comes across an accident scene where 2 college students have drowned. Shi Mok finds the case suspicious and begins digging into it. As he begins his investigation, this case leads him into several others that share common threads. Eventually, this case leads him into a long history of corruption involving both the Police Department and the Prosecutors Office. And as we may remember from season 1, Shi Mok’s loyalty belongs to truth and justice, not the reputation of his department or superiors.
Hwang Shi Mok had a surgery as a child that left him unable to experience emotion. Jung Seung Woo plays this character so well. Shi Mok is someone who sees everything in black and white. He often misses social cues and struggles to understand human emotions and responses. But he is not heartless. Jung Seung Woo manages to balance this lack of understanding with the idea that Shi Mok is a good person whose intentions are good. Partly due to his work with a team in Season 1, we have seen Shi Mok’s character develop and grow. I can’t imagine anyone else playing this straightforward yet not quite rude character.
Bae Doo Na as Han Yeo Jin
After Season 1, Detective Han also recieved a transfer. She stayed in Seoul, but she was “promoted” to a senior inspector at the National Police Agency. As senior inspector, she has been assigned to restructure the investigation process between the police and prosecutors. She misses detective work, so when she gets a call from Shi Mok about the case he is looking into, she jumps at the chance to help. As a team that has built a solid foundation of trust, they work together, even when it seems like their findings may hurt their own departments and jeopardize their ability to win investigative rights. This is especially hard for Detective Han, when it begins to look like her boss and mentor Chief Choi Bit may know more about this case than she has let on.
Han Yei Jin is honest and persistant. As a self-appointed life coach for Shi Mok, she often points out his social miscues, which is both funny and endearing. She struggles with the idea that wrong, even for good motives, is still wrong. While she knows this in her head, watching people that she cares about do things that they obviously shouldn’t weighs heavily on her heart. Detective Han is tough but caring, especially with her Police teammates and she never shies away from a problem just because it is difficult.
Supporting Characters
Jeon Hye Jin as Choi Bit
Cheif Choi Bit is Han Yeo Jin’s supervisor. She is cold and unwavering, which is probably necessary for a female leader in a male dominated job. To her credit, Choi Bit sees Yeo Jin’s potential and wants to help her also succeed and rise up through the ranks. Unfortunately, a desperate decision in her past puts her whole career in jeopardy and there doesn’t seem to be anyway to stop her dark secret from being revealed.
Choi Moo Sung as Woo Tae Ha
Woo Tae Ha is Hwang Shi Mok’s new boss in the Supreme Prosecutors Office. He is sinister and selfish, with aspirations to one day become a politician. Shi Mok never really trusts him, so it is no surpries when Shi Mok begins to suspect that Prosecutor Woo is also personally involved in the case Shi Mok is working on. With his future on the line, he will stop at nothing to cover up his past involvement.
Lee Joon Hyuk as Seo Dong Jae
Seo Dong Jae works in the Prosectors Office with Shi Mok. Dong Jae is ambitious and a bit greedy, although his goal is much less selfish than Prosecutor Woo. He desperately wants to be promoted to a job that will keep him from being transferred away from his family. But his method of achieving this involves digging up all the dirt he can on anyone with the power to give him what he wants. And lucky for him, Prosecutor Woo has enough skeletons in the closet to provide him the opportunity. Unfortunately, his greed almost gets him killed when he starts asking difficult questions to the wrong person.
Things I Liked
♥ Lead Chemistry
Despite the lack of romance in Stranger 2, these leads have such an amazing chemistry. Their relationship and interactions are so natural and their undaunted trust in each other, even when they are supposed to be working on opposite sides, is refreshing and unique. Shi Mok and Yeo Jin have a connection that neither of them ever doubt and it pops up in subtle ways that are never overemphasized, which is part of the beauty.
♥Shi Mok’s Emotional Growth
So because of his childhood surgery, we know that Shi Mok doesn’t have the same capacity to experience emotions, but even still we see small developments in his emotional understanding and it is so rewarding. It makes me feel like a proud parent. Every time the corners of his mouth turn up ever so slightly or he seems baffled by an urge to do something that doesn’t seem “logical”we are reminded that human’s have an amazing ability to grow and adapt. To push these small developments any further would seem insincere, which is why each small step is so delightful.
♥Women in Power
It’s pretty much considered normal that in most kdramas the men hold the positions of power. Sometimes they will throw in a female to shake things up a bit, but it’s not the norm. Stranger 2 brought in 3 strong female roles, which is very unusual. Yeo Jin as a strong-willed detective is more female presence than we often see, but add Chief Choi and Lee Yeon Jae, the head of Hanjo, to the mix and we have a regular feminist revolution! It was just fun to see more women added to the starring roles this season.
Things I Didn’t Like
Give us Season 3
Fans waited 3 years between Seasons 1 and 2 of Stranger. Given the usual open ending plus numerous cast interviews saying they would love to participate in a 3rd season, I hope that they won’t leave us waiting another 3 years. So far there is no official word of a Season 3, but fans have reason to be hopeful. And please make it so that when they are done making seasons, Shi Mok and Yeo Jin are both in Seoul together where they belong.
New Jobs
As I have already said, putting Shi Mok and Yeo Jin in jobs that put them in opposition with each other took away some of the time we could have seen them working together. But also, it took away the opportunity to see the 2 of them doing what they do best, which is being out in the field. The “promotions” worked in the plot both as a way to try to control them and to show that they could trust each other even when they weren’t supposed to, but I couldn’t help but miss the endless scenes of them investigating together.
Need More Shi Mok and Yeo Jin
Because of their great chemistry, I waited for scenes where our leads got to act together, but they were much fewer than I would have prefered. If there is a Season 3, I would love to see them working together again instead of having to meet up in secret. There are so many element of their relationship that could still be expolored. It would be great to see them take more advantage of the natural chemistry that they have.
The Ending
Well, do dramas in this genre actually have happily ever afters? The bad guys have been caught and are paying for their crimes, but even that is rather bittersweet in this case. In the fight for dominance between the prosecutors and the police, there are no winners or losers. Both sides were guilty of past crimes and authority will remain divided as it always has been. Now that Shi Mok has outlived his usefulness to the Seoul Prosecutor’s Office, he is being exiled again to some rural post where he can’t cause trouble. At least, they hope! Our leads meet for one last meal and Shi Mok breaks the news that he is leaving. Yeo Jin shows up with her hair cut, harkening back to Season 1 and better days. And so, much like the 2 years before, Shi Mok and Yeo Jin will be carrying out justice independently, until they can find an excuse to work together again.
Should I Watch
Okay, so first of all I should say that Stranger 2 has it’s own individual plots that do not require a knowledge of Season 1. However, almost all of the characters from Season 1 are back for Season 2 and they are not wasting their precious plot time reviewing who everyone is or how they are connected. So, while watching Season 1 is not necessary, I would definitely recommend starting there to get the full effect. Stranger 2 is the kind of drama that requires your full attention, so if you don’t like complicated plots that are mentally challenging, this one is probably not a good choice. Also, it lacks any traditional romance, so if that is a deal breaker for you, don’t waste your time. But if you enjoy a tight, complex plot that will keep you guessing until the end, Stranger 2 is well worth the effort. The storyline is unique, the cast chemistry is amazing, and the characters are realistic. In my opinion, the Stranger series is one of the best crime dramas out there. I give Stranger 2 a 9 out of 10 ramen.
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