Kdrama fans, I just finished WATCHER and sighed with contentment at the end. Come see if you agree with my five reasons why everyone should watch this suspenseful drama!
5 – No Romance in Sight
This is a straight up psychological thriller with complex characters and a multi-layered plot. If you need a break from the “will they, won’t they?” of the standard romance, Watcher is an excellent choice.
4 – Unreliable Narrators Everywhere
Seriously, there is only one character in this drama that you can trust 100% to be honest and follow through on what they say they’ll do. But I can’t tell you who it is, because spoilers. It makes for fascinating and sometimes frustrating interactions with our main characters, but adds major depth to the story.
3 – Strong Female Characters
The attorney Han Tae Joo (played by Kim Hyun Joo) and officer Jo Soo Yeon (played by Park Joo Hee) are intelligent and capable and pass the Bechdel test with ease. I loved watching them work in their respective roles and showing that they were just as essential to the investigative team as the boys were. I also loved that the police commissioner was a successful woman who seems to have risen to power on her own merits.
2 – Not Your Average Good Old Boys
The men of this drama were also amazing — none of them were who they seemed at first blush, and they pulled off the complex roles they were handed with finesse. The fractured bonds between the original group of friends drove the plot and made for thrilling insights into human nature and the tipping point between restraint and revenge.
1 – Seo Kang Joon
Raise your hand if you had major SLS (second lead syndrome) during Cheese in the Trap. Keep your hand up if you watched Are You Human Too? for the handsome oppa (relatively, in my case — all handsome actors are oppa to me!) with gorgeous eyes. Seo Kang Joon’s acting ability comes as no surprise, and he has a marvelous turn as the tortured Kim Young Goon in WATCHER. There were times when I was holding my breath to see what he would do next. Seo Kang Joon pulled off playing an intense hot head desperately searching for the truth with ease.
BONUS REASON: The Directing
Half of the storytelling was done in the pauses between dialogue, with camera angles and solo moments full of silence that conveyed what was going in the characters’ heads as much as the interaction between characters did. Ahn Gil Ho, who also directed Stranger and Memories of the Alhambra, was phenomenal.
What do you think, kdrama fans? Did you watch WATCHER? Were you as happy with it as I was? Drop down in the comments and let me know!
Until the next interrogation, I remain —
Karie the Maknae
Dramas with a Side of Kimchi
I think Watcher was one of the few dramas where I knew less and less about the main characters the further into the drama I went. I agree with all the reasons to watch it, and would definitely recommend it to any viewer looking for a suspenseful, darker watch. Just don’t let to much time lapse between episodes. I was constantly having to remind myself what was happening because of the time between episodes.
Binge watching this drama instead of watching it live was definitely a good decision on my part. If I even let a day go between episodes, I felt a little lost. There is a LOT going on! And I totally agree with your point about the main characters — it made for an interesting story.
It was my favorite drama of the year, every actor was amazing and well cast, Seo Kang-joon could have played that role forever and Id still be watching.
AGREE