Is it possible to be watching a drama, not like ANY of the characters, and still want to know who really killed the victim?  A victim that was also completely unlikable so you really are not invested in her death in the first place?  That, my friends, is the enigma of the new mystery drama Return.

Dark gray is the new black…..

Usually, in this type of drama, you have your good guys, your bad guys, and maybe one or two characters in between. Return gives us a bunch of horrible people who obviously have too much money and power. But instead of good guys, you end up with a kind of competent cop with anger issues and a lawyer that wants to be a good guy, but only when it benefits her career. To say that I am not rooting for anyone is an understatement. Even the sweet clueless wife comes across as someone who might be too good to be true. I feel that she might be the killer, simply because she is the anomaly among her horrible husband/friends.

Death becomes her..

Kudos to this actress for making me dislike her so quickly. To the point where I clapped when she was found dead and stuffed into a suitcase. Needless to say, I am kind of happy that she is dead. This shameless hussy was truly a horrible person. Not only was she the other woman but she was also very cruel by befriending her lover’s wife. Then she inserted herself into their home-life. While it was just par for the course for this group of people, I still found her particularly loathsome.

Time to tone it down…

There is a certain point where you have to tell an actor to tone down the crazy eyes. Park Ki Woong has reached that point. I have loved Park Ki Woong in past dramas (especially Bridal Mask.) However, he has a serious case of “I’m Guilty” buggy eyes going on. It is really hard to take him seriously when he looks like he drank a few too many Red Bulls and is amid a caffeine bender.

A step above when it comes to being evil…

Am I the only one who has a crush on Shin Sung-Rok?  He is just so good at everything he does (especially playing a bad boy) and Return is no different.  I could watch him being a total tool (and possible killer) for hours and hours.  If I continue watching this drama past ep 4, he will be the reason why.

I know I am supposed to like them but……….

It is no secret that I am very picky when it comes to kdrama cops.  There has to be a certain level of competence and common sense.  Return‘s representative of the law is kind of an enigma.  On one hand, he seems to be talented in picking up on clues, this is especially true in episode 4 (which has provided me with a glimmer of hope.)  On the other hand, Lee Jin-Wook’s portrayal of this character is, well, a bit overacted.  Because of this over the top expressions, the cop seems to be a bit dimmer than his actions portray.  To say it is frustrating is an understatement.

Ko Hyun Jung is an actress that I like (mostly from my love of her character Mi Sil in Queen Seon Duk.) And there is a chance that I will warm up to her tough lawyer character in Return. Just like the cop, there were glimmers of intelligence that had me taking a second look. But is she enough to commit to a full drama watch?

Conclusion:

I don’t like the characters but there is still something that is forcing me to continue watching (at least for now.) Maybe it is the mystery of needing to know who killed the hussy and why. Maybe it is my Ko Hyun Jung and Shin Sung Rok love that will make me continue. Either way, I will give this show another week to wow me before pulling the plug.

I would recommend this drama if you like mystery shows and don’t care if you can relate to any of the characters.  But, at the end of the day, there is a good chance that there is something better you could be watching and I don’t think you will miss much if you give Return a skip.

Til next time,

Kmuse

Dramas With a Side of Kimchi