The fact that I consider myself a crime series hater, and not only I watched this but I gave it a 10, certainly says tons about how good this is before I write anything else. Signal is a flawless piece of work, it is magical, it is exquisite, wonderful, brilliant, and majestic, it is arguably a masterpiece. It is foolproof written, flawlessly executed, heavenly acted, and not I am not even exaggerating…
STORY
The show revolves around a cold case police team. One of the members finds an old school walkie talkie and somehow, through it, he contacts the detective that was originally involved with them, but failed to solve. However (plot twist), this detective lives in the past, in a different timeline thus the show’s main premise is the what-is-know-as-the Butterfly Effect (= when you change the past, the future changes as a result). I know it sounds messy, and fake, and possibly stupid for people not fan of this genre, but trust me when I say, it is flawlessly executed! Together the two of them start solving several cold cases.
Every 2-3 episodes we get a new case to solve, but, this isn’t your average police procedural show. All the cases were somehow connected to the 3 main characters, and all of them were somehow linked to each other. All the cases are amazing and shocking, and they will keep you at the edge of your seat! There really wasn't a dull moment throughout all the (quite huge) episodes, while the suspence levels were always kept to high rate, making you grind your teeth about what's next and also giving you an ominus feelings about whats to happen.
The main message this show wanted to express, apparently, is the corruption of the task police force, and generally the corruption of people in high places. The drama constantly talks about corrupted cops, and what people would do to climb that society ladder as fast as possible. It generally felt like a huge *Screw You* to every person using unethical means to achieve a goal,and passes the message that they need to be punished. At the same time, it gives wonderful and meaningful life advice, about the significance of being a decent and lawful person and also the notion that you will achieve whatever goal you have set if you try hard enough!
Romance is present here, but it is kept in a minor level, don't come in this expecting to watch romance. Still I thoroughly enjoyed the vague chemistry between the characters.
ACTING
The acting was unbealievably good, possibly the most well-deserved 10/10 i have never given to a kdrama.
Lee Je Hoon. An amazing an emotional performance by this wonderful actor. His acting was tip-top by the first moment of the first episode and stays up there throughout the show! He expressed a diverse range of feelings perfectly, he was strong, he was emotional, he was interesting, he was smart, he was everything you need your main lead to be without being unrealistic or fake.
Jo Jin Woong. Words aren't enough, luscious and exquisite performance. A very strong character, kinda rough on the edges, but with a wonderful, lawful soul, a true, true hero, you will love! The actor did total justice to the character expressing every single emotion of frustration, anger, hope and everything that came along with them!
Kim Hye Soo. As someone who loves female actresses, i love shows that have a lot of them. KHS, in a show about the police which obviously was filled with males, managed to have the strongest character i have ever seen, i never felt the need to watch another actress perform. She was more than exquisite, she enhanced the drama with her acting, she was sensuous, she was sweet when she needed to, she was tough when she had to, she was emotional, and great doing everything! She exceeded my expectations. I loved the way she portrayed her younger and older self, very realistic!
At this point, i do feel the need to applaud every supporting and guest actor that appeared on this, because everyone was amazing and kept up the excitement of the show, and lived up to the main cast's brilliant acting. Congratulations!
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
Signal is one of those shows that HAS to be watched by everyone. It is a show that has no real flaws, it is a show that can be enjoyed by everyone no matter their preferences. In my list of the must watch kdramas this is #1. Even if you don't like this genre, or the fantasy concept sets you off, don't turn a blind eye to this drama, no, this is a VERY well spent 16 hours. Signal is one of the most memorable tv shows i have ever watched! Definately recommended to everyone!
Even if i am not a fan of rewatching tv series, signal definately earns the rewatch ticket for me. It is my personal belief that a 2nd rewatch would help understanding and digesting what it depicted even better. Definately worth watching!
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