Crime Squad (2011)

Crime Squad was my first foray into Korean cop dramas, and I've returned pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this show. Cliches abound here when it comes to the characters: main character with a sad past; cold, stoic police team leader; the plucky up-and-coming reporter, etc. However, the writers managed to flesh out these characters so that they moved beyond their archetypes to the point where one can't help but love them as people. Much credit should be given here to the actors for doing such a great job, especially Song Ji Hyo, who had many of my favorite moments in the show (and also my new favorite hair cut). My only complaint is how the writers handled the pacing of the story and the story arc itself. There are several cases solved in this drama, each of which take about two episodes to complete (as a quick aside, each case is interesting and seems to speak to the underbelly of life in Seoul). As these cases are being solved, we see problems beginning to arise within the Seoul police department, which come to a head in the final few episodes. I wish they had teased this underlying storyline out more as it proved to be the most interesting and the most important story of the show. Instead, everything was rushed into the last two episodes with whiplash revelations that seemed to have been pulled out of thin air. Despite this minor complaint, I found the ending of Crime Squad to be one of the most satisfying endings I've seen so far. Music-wise, the only OST track that stands out is the beautiful ballad by Insooni "작별". Even if you decide to skip this show, definitely check out this track! Overall, Crime Squad is a fun, interesting, and exciting show that I would recommend to those looking for a break from trendy rom-coms.

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