4 Reasons Why You Should Watch the Korean Drama 'Stranger'

The Korean drama "Stranger" is considered a well-made drama. It proved its status as a well-made drama by winning Grand Prize and Best Screenplay at the Baeksang Arts Awards, a prestigious South Korean arts award ceremony. Fueled by its popularity, season 2 aired in 2020, and a spin-off is scheduled for release in 2024. What makes "Stranger" a must-watch?

1. A Story That's Hard to Look Away From

Typical crime genre dramas aim to solve a major case that runs through the entire series from the first to the last episode, while resolving smaller cases along the way. Often, these major and minor cases are unrelated. However, in "Stranger," all the incidents that occur in the drama are interconnected. This narrative approach can pose challenges, such as difficulty for new viewers to jump in and a potential struggle to keep viewers engaged if the connections between events aren't clearly explained. But this drama effectively demonstrates the links between past and future events, making its long-form storytelling a strength. It also tries to overcome the hurdle of mid-series entry by briefly summarizing the past events before the drama begins.

2. Endings That Leave You Craving More

To prevent viewers from dropping the show, you need to make them want to see the next episode. This is why the ending scene of each episode is crucial. "Stranger" delivers captivating and suspenseful ending scenes that spark curiosity, making every episode from 1 to 16 a highlight.

3. Distinct Characters

The five main characters, including the protagonist "Hwang Shi-mok," "Han Yeo-jin," "Seo Dong-jae," "Young Eun-soo," and "Lee Chang-joon," all have strong personalities. Hwang Shi-mok is a character who cannot feel emotions, which leads him to judge every incident solely based on logic and reason. While this is an asset as a prosecutor, it sometimes results in him failing to empathize with victims. As he resolves a series of cases and encounters colleagues, he gradually begins to recognize his emotions.

Unlike Hwang Shi-mok, who experiences little emotion, the police officer Han Yeo-jin is portrayed as a bright and empathetic character. She approaches Hwang Shi-mok naturally, despite his emotional detachment, and genuinely empathizes with victims. Yet, when a case arises, she's always the first to jump in and tackle it head-on. Though highly empathetic, she doesn't let emotions cloud her judgment in investigations. She's a capable detective who makes rational decisions when dealing with cases and uses empathy when it's needed.

Hwang Shi-mok's fellow prosecutor, Seo Dong-jae, is characterized by his strong inferiority complex, serving as a mid-level villain in the story. Due to his insecurities and feelings of inadequacy, he wavers between aligning with good and evil in his pursuit of power. This has led viewers to consider him a character they can't hate, even earning him the title of a beloved character in some circles. Perhaps this is why he became the protagonist of the spin-off, "Dongjae, Good or Bad," scheduled for release in 2024.

4. The Actors' Acting Skills

No matter how good the story and characters are, audience engagement suffers if the acting isn't up to par. "Stranger" boasts a stellar cast of actors like Jo Seung-woo and Bae Doo-na, both recognized for their acting prowess in South Korea, who lead the drama with strong performances. The show is also famous for having no weak links in the supporting cast. Interestingly, you can easily spot differences between the published script and the actual dialogue in the drama. Given their extensive experience, the actors modified lines for natural flow or added improvisations, which have also garnered positive reviews.

The drama "Stranger" has received praise for its perfect ending. Even after it concluded, many people continue to rewatch it on OTT platforms. Personally, I felt that season 2 fell short of the quality and entertainment value of season 1, but I'm still looking forward to the upcoming spin-off drama.

You can watch the Korean drama "Stranger" on TVING, Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video.