There’s no corruption in South Korea!
A prosecutor who has lost his ability to feel emotions investigates a murder case involving a man with connections to powerful people. The prosecutor’s biggest problem is that his boss is corrupt, and the prosecutor wants him removed. But remember, we are in South Korea, where corruption is deeply ingrained from birth. Welcome to South Korea!
The first season of Stranger consists of 16 episodes. After watching the fantastic Flower of Evil, I searched for darker crime dramas. Many people on forums recommended Stranger.
However, the search continues because Stranger doesn’t quite match the intensity and emotional depth I experienced with Flower of Evil. That said, Stranger is still an excellent series—well-written, well-acted, and exuding quality from start to finish, though I didn’t like how one important character’s arc concluded.
We follow a prosecutor who, after undergoing an operation in his youth, suffers from brain damage that prevents him from experiencing regular emotions. If you’ve watched Flower of Evil, this might sound familiar.
His boss is corrupt, and our protagonist isn’t popular at the office because of his cold and pure demeanor. We watch him try to do his job while his colleagues give him the evil eye.
When he begins investigating the murder of a man who had wealthy and powerful clients, the plot thickens. He receives help from a female cop, and together they uncover something that, while not shocking, is a grim reflection of South Korea’s corruption. And that, unfortunately, is nothing new.
If you enjoy a well-written series with extensive dialogue, a large cast of characters, and excellent acting, then you should check out Stranger. Even if you’re tired of the corruption theme, which is prevalent in 70% of Korean movies, Stranger remains an engaging series.
However, there’s one aspect I didn’t like, which occurs toward the end of the series involving a character who was one of my favorites besides the corrupt boss. I felt this character didn’t deserve what happened, and the character’s arc wasn’t satisfactorily concluded. They could have found another solution, as the resolution left me quite irritated. This isn’t Game of Thrones.
There’s also another character who creates chaos. He’s a fun character to follow because he’s insane—and he’s also a prosecutor. His arc is ridiculous, which makes the handling of the other important character’s ending even more frustrating. I’m not sure what the writers were thinking, but this insane character is unlike any other in the series. Seriously, the man is unhinged, and there’s a shocking scene with a poor woman that illustrates his loss of control.
If you like well-written stories about corruption and dialogue-driven plots, you should check out Stranger. It’s an engaging series, but as mentioned, it makes a crucial mistake with one of the most important characters, who was also my favorite. I understand why they did it, but that doesn’t make it right; they could have and should have found another solution that would have been even more impactful. However, despite this flaw, there’s a reason why the first season of Stranger is regarded as one of the best series in the genre.