Stranger (2017)

Justice is challenged by corruption

"Stranger," This crime thriller drama has an intriguing plot, well-developed characters, and suspense.

Prosecutor Hwang Si-mok, played by Cho Seung-woo, and a police officer Han Yeo-jin, portrayed by Bae Doo-na. The drama begins with the murder of a high-ranking official, which leads these two together, unraveling a web of corruption and conspiracy within the criminal justice system.

One of "Stranger's" standout features is its character development. Hwang Si-mok, with his emotionless exterior, hides a complex personality shaped by his traumatic past. However, the guy is like a robot sometimes. They reveal what happened to him but there were times I wished he would (or could) show more emotion. Cho Seung-woo delivers a remarkable performance, portraying Hwang Si-mok's inner struggle and determination with depth.
Bae Doo-na's portrayal of this dedicated police officer brings a sense of balance to the seriousness making her character relatable.

"Stranger" maintains a steady pace with its cleverly crafted suspense. The intricate plot unfolds gradually, revealing shocking revelations and unexpected twists that constantly challenge my assumptions. The blend of intense action sequences and quiet, introspective moments further enhances the overall viewing experience. With that said, however there were a couple of episodes where I found my mind drifting away.
Visually, "Stranger" is well done. The show's cinematography captures the gritty atmosphere of the criminal underworld when power meets corruption.

There are times when you think you know somebody or a coworker, but the reality is quite different. As a whole, I recommend watching "Stranger" if you're looking for an intelligent crime drama or thriller. Add this to your "to watch list" at a later date if you're in the mood for a comedy or a romance.

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The 12th Korean drama that I watched in 2022

The Korean drama " Stanger " is a 2017 South Korean drama that was sold to " Netflex " company in the production of TVN ..

From the first episode to the end, the drama has a very complex and secretive side in a way that you don't know who killed the main one, which is one of the most complex Korean dramas ..

The drama's strong point is due to having a good writer and a very good and unique cast who were able to do their job completely and create a beautiful chemist between each other but I can say that actor " Yow Jae Myung " was the best in the drama

The drama has a complex story that doesn't just talk about one specific thing, but also talks about many other things, including "revenge, corruption, emotions, family, sense of responsibility, justice". which was one of the beautifying in the drama

Finally, I want to say that " Stranger " drama became one of the best dramas I've watched this year ..

My Rating : 8.5/10

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At the beginning of this drama, my favorite characters were Hwang Shi Mok and Han Yeo Jin, the leads. At the end of the drama? It was Lee Chang Joon, hands down. Why? Because even though I admired Prosecutor Hwang's and Lt. Han's integrity and adherence to the law under any circumstances, their holier than thou attitude in the last few eps rankled a bit.

I'm not saying they should've admired the ones who concocted the whole plan that involved a murder (among other things), not at all, but considering that except for a few small fish who ended up in jail everyone else got away with their freedom at the very least intact (if not with their money, too), considering that pretty much everything went back to how it was before, considering that until the murder nobody had done anything, not the cops and not the prosecution? I honestly don't blame the conspirators for doing what they did. And I didn't feel one bit sorry for the murdered guy, not after what he did. He had a mother and a son? Yeah? And? So? But then, I'm a callous person, I admit that.

And Lee Chang Joon! Gosh, as the story unfolded and I started suspecting where it was going, holy smokes! He was so awesome and so smart and conniving and... wow. This part made me fall for the actor, Yoo Jae Myung, so hard. Goodness he was good!

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One of the best Thrillers ever made.

Stranger is an amazing show because it works very well as an entertaining TV show about an unusual genius solving crime and taking down institutions. If you pay some attention it's much more than that. In the movie Seven, we see our main character lose faith in humanity as he sees the actions of the killer. In Stranger, we get to suffer instead as we lose our faith in the system as Hwang Shi Mok faces problem after problem that would make any sensible person completely lose their mind where you can't trust anyone or anything but he doesn't because he can't express or feel emotion the same way we do, there is something comforting and scary about it. We get to learn a horrible truth about our world through Stranger the only way to be a hero in the real world is by being an emotionless robot who is highly functioning and doesn't get affected by all the things that put him down. The moment you become a person you have already lost against the system. Even after all the lengths, he goes does he really get anything done. Stranger is quite bleak for people who scratch beneath its surface and so I love it. I hope more folks get to watch it since I feel it would get appreciated even more outside of this circle.

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- The acting was sublime, Jo Seung Woo nailed it as the ‘emotionless’ prosecutor. Bae Doo Na was an excellent detective partner in their journey to investigate corruption.
- It was refreshing for once to witness a protagonist with strong morality, and to see him journey with emotions he once thought were lost.
- The plot could’ve easily been another political corruption plot with bad people doing horrible things, but it subverts all expectations. It’s a well-thought our plot that doesn’t keep you guessing endlessly- it has great shot-term and long-term payoffs.
- I can’t fault the supporting cast either, the acting was brilliant and you get a real understanding of their depth, secrets and motivations.
- I loved the ‘Sherlock’-esque ‘mind palace’ scenes of unravelling crime scenes. That was a great addition, although I’d quite like a deeper look into Hwang Si Mok, especially his past.
- As we journeyed with Si Mok’s own journey of emotions and connecting with people, in the end it felt like solving crimes with a genuine family. I loved seeing his growth and I’m excited to see more of this in the next season,
- My only qualm, is occasionally the dialogue-heavy parts rolled on a bit, but the saving grace is that the fast-paced nature meant the plot kept moving forward. It didn’t stop for the more emotionally heavy scenes, which I appreciated because it was great getting to know what shaped the characters.
- The finale was brilliant, there was a lot of twists and turns heading towards it, but the pay off was brilliantly done.

O V E R A L L : Aside from a couple of teething pacing problems here and there, the story flowed well. This is the one to go for if you’re looking for sharp acting, a stimulating plot and tense crime action. Oh and throw in a brilliant production values, and interesting characters- I’m ready for a second season!

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This show does not disappoint.

Ok, i'll put it out there --- this is my first CSW starrer. I had the show on my Netflix list for the longest time after watching the great BD in Kingdom. Boy, this show is a winner! Let me count the ways why it is:

Hwang-Han tandem - Both characters did not get enough acknowledgment from their own peers, esp Hwang, but they got loads of it from each other. I thought between the 2 of them they could close cases and punish culprits with just their sharp minds and sheer perseverance.

Money, politics, influence - Whether at the police bureau or in the justice system, money corrupts even the best of them leaders. But what i liked here is that they are all tied together in a way that unites 1ep to the next, 1 character to another, 1case to another. It itself is the plot.

The writing -Ah, as a crime show fanatic , i can definitely say that the writer kept the plot tight, the characters relevant and the dialogues meaningful. I'm a big fan of this writer from now on!

All in all, such a gem of a crime drama that was blessed with both good writing and excellent actors.

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Masterpiece

If you are looking for a good crime series without any cheesy romance, this is for you. I wasn’t expecting much when I first watched this but I must say it was beautifully made. The casting is superb. I love every minute of the series. There is literally no time to get bored. Every twist and turns are beautifully made. The main character Si Mok is a complete pleasure to watch and no one nailed it like Cho Seung Woo. I’m in love with this drama even in my second watch. The drama was amazing from the beginning till end with the right pacing and progression. Having watched many Korean drama without a closure makes me appreciate this drama more. Highly recommended to watch more than once.

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Plot was meandering and dragged.

I found this plot to be very tedious....Even when they finally figure out who the killer is, there's a subkiller, and a secondary killer. It just kept going on and on. And there were way way too many old men who look similar to one another.

The premise of a prosecutor who does not have access to his emotions is mildly interesting, it doesn't make for compelling viewing when somebody is impassive almost the entire time. I enjoyed Bae Doona's acting, her character was refreshingly unique, and they had a really good on screen professional chemistry.

I couldn't make up my mind if Lee Joon-Hyuk was overacting? But every intense scene where his eyes were bulging out of his head in dramatic reaction to things was entertaining and fun to watch so I guess it doesn't matter in the end.

I did not find this a very enjoyable watching experience all together, but legal dramas aren't my normal genre so I think this one just wasn't for me.

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Close to perfection.

I just finished this one.Took me 3 days and i never skipped a scene.
So let's dig in:
Music: Very good,thrilling at some points, pulled me in the moments.
Cast/acting/characters:
Excellent choice for all actors.They portrayted their characters the best possible way.No complains here.
Acting top notch!Never felt was fake or they were acting.From main to all support roles everyone did a great job.
My standards are always high and Korean actors/esses rarely disappoint me.
Lets talk about the chars now.For me the only interesting character was only the ML.Dont get me wronged, iam not reffering to acting,just the chars.Apart our main lead all others including the FL and all support chars were common.
Prosecutors,detectives, villains, nothing new,nothing we havent seen dozens of times in similar Kdramas.
That was the reason i felt no chemistry between the ML and the FL,because the FL's char was rather flat.
And thanks God they didnt put any romance (i would have dropped it for sure if they did)
I loved Ml's character(again nothing we already haven't seen)but his char suited nicely the whole story.
He is cold,emotionless,smart,witty.Extra bonus he is so handsome and hot AF you can't take your eyes off him!
What made me loved him the most was his character development and that is why i said he is the only interesting char from the whole show.In my humble opinion the writer should have worked more on this and give us a full progress of his development.But i guess the other chars-especially the FL-couldn't support a side story to show us this.I don't know if i express it right,i hope you get what i mean!
His character reminded me my-forever-beloved Lee Joon Gi,in Flower of evil.(Iam not comparing here but LJG's performance
in FoE is the definition of PERFECT ACTING!When i have time i will write a review on the masterpiece called FoE)Anyways back to our topic.Story/plot:Well scripted,well executed,well performed.But it gets an 8.Sorry i cannot give more and i will explain why,
Well structured and very detailed story,Too detailed with too many infos given,many names invlolved too.
Many times the story was confusing and get me bored.I was hooked episode after episode but at the same time the corruption theme was getting heavier and heavier and at some point i fed up with it
.Each episode pointed at another suspect and this is something that usually overexcites me,but here i dont know why most of the times felt off like you know the writer tried too hard to create suspence.Long story short i wish the drama was more focused on the crime/investigation/whodidit/ than the corruption.But oh well is a Kdrama and we all know Korean's favorite word is...yes!Corruption!Lmao.
16 episodes over 1 hour each was too much to handle.They could have wrapped everything in less.
The ending was more than satisfying and i applause it.I wanted to be more thrilling in a way though!Damn i know this is an almost perfect drama,iam the weirdo one,shoot me!
I know there is a S2 and i will definetelly watch it,but not anytime soon.I had enough of my corruption dose,i will take a break
from the heavy corruption dramas for a while.

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