My Fellow Citizens! (2019)

This show is satisfying, this show is fun. It made me laugh and smile through its entire run and it's almost worth watching just for its gamut of amazing female characters.

This is a fantastic romp story about con artist, Yang Jung-gook (the always-fun Choi Siwon) who is married to badass detective, Kim Mi-young (the always-excellent Lee Yoo Young).

Yang Jung-gook's marriage is failing because of the Very Big Lie rotting at the core of their relationship. Both parties are holding on because of their genuine love for each other, but it seems as though their marriage won't last either way. Yang Jung-gook's plan is retirement; the perfect way to leave the life of crime behind him and turn his lies into truth.

The most-recent snag in his retirement plan is loan shark, Park Hoo-Ja (Kim Min-Jung, in the performance of her career), who blackmails him into running for the Assembly. Hoo-ja has big plans for her father's company - most of which involve her taking control of it despite competition from her older Unni, #1, who is in jail (Hoo-ja is the fourth of five daughters).

The premise of a con artist married to a cop was enough for me to press play on this show. Add in the potential romp-factor of him conning his way into politics and I was always going to watch. Amazingly, the whole thing is as fun as it sounds. From the first frame, this show is fast-paced, witty, well-plotted, well-characterised, fantastically acted and just a whole heap of damn fun.

While everyone's performances are top-notch, Kim Min-Jung's brilliant, impatient, entitled, loan shark steals the show. By the end, you're not just hoping that Jung-gook wins, you're hoping Hoo-ja does as well. Her battle against Unni #1 mirrors Jung-gook's battle against political corruption to the extent that you're almost sad that she has to lose in order for him to win. This is really an amazing performance by an actor who was always good but never stood out to me before.

The cinematography, editing and music are original and enjoyable and the show almost entirely avoids tired tropes from any genre. At 18 episodes (36 half hours), you would expect the pacing or plotting to suffer but it never does. It's unflaggingly good from beginning to end.

But what makes My Fellow Citizens so completely satisfying is the inherent sense of justice that underpins the show. This show has a story to tell and a message it wants to convey and it's not afraid to do it. This is as much a show about the corrupting power of greed as it is anything else. It's also a show that never lets a character - whether it's a flawed hero or a beloved villain - get a pass for their actions.

It really is one of my new favourites and I wish it had gotten more love while it aired.

Lees verder