The Whirlwind was a high stakes political drama that pitted two formidable players against each other. Lies, corruption, bribery, murder, there was nothing off the table in this deadly game for power. In the end, the winner would be the one who was willing to place all their chips on the table in a daring bet, risking everything.

“Just when you think you have it under control, you find that you don’t.”
When there is an assassination attempt on the President, Prime Minister Park Dong Ho becomes the acting president. Only problem is, he’s being investigated for bribery. Dong Ho plans to use the office to rid the government of corruption and exonerate his friend who was also framed for bribery and died. Deputy Prime Minister Jung Soo Jin is determined to bring down Dong Ho due to his investigations into the Daejin Group and its control of various judges, prosecutors, and politicians such as herself. The two play a relentless game of cat and mouse always trying to stay one step of the other, never worrying about getting their hands dirty…or bloody.

“At your age, courage can be dangerous”
Just like a twister churning up everything in its path, Dong Ho and Soo Jin were willing to destroy anything and anyone in their way. Dong Ho’s powerful mesocyclone was fueled by his burning desire for justice. Soo Jin’s corrupt cloud of energy came from the need for power and influence. Dong Ho found that in order to achieve his goals, he would have to borrow the playbook of his enemies all while trying to not become what he hated. Soo Jin and the comatose president both started out fighting the dictatorship in the past but had transformed into the very things they’d fought. Political alliances changed rapidly and both manipulated the media. No one was safe with a crooked prosecutorial system and judges for hire.

“Only a greater lie beats a lie”
While The Whirlwind was intriguing it could also be exhausting. There was no room to catch a breath from the oppressive atmosphere. The whirlwind of plot twists turned and flipped in every episode. The characters’ emotions and relationships had little nuance. Everyone was taciturn and calculating with little to offer to those closest to them, even their children. Park Kyung Soo’s script never slowed down even when bouncing over enormous plot holes. Kim Hee Ae played the duplicitous Soo Jin well with one exception. I don’t know if she kept her mouth open to make it look as if she was feral and always baring her teeth or has a breathing problem but I found it distracting when she was onscreen. Sul Kyung Gu was given little emotional depth to explore and often wore the same expression from scene to scene. Kim Mi Sook as Dong Ho's Chief of Staff was the MVP for me as the person who knew who, how, and when to attack. Numerous veteran actors played unscrupulous politicians on both sides of the aisle.

“There’s only one cross”
An old saying goes, “A lie travels halfway around the world before the truth puts on its shoes. By the time the truth catches up, it’s too late.” Dong Ho quoted a variation of this and sadly it is all too true. Once a lie becomes embedded, especially a lie people want to hear, truth becomes overshadowed. Many of the things that occurred in this drama have correlations in real life around the world. A powerful corrupt leader manipulating his followers to overturn the government, manipulation of and by the media, judges taking bribes, and powerful corporations buying support for the changes they want enacted, happen all the time. In this drama, one man was willing to sacrifice everything to wipe the slate clean like a whirlwind. But how long before new players move into the void to once again purchase favors? How long before those longing for power and influence sell themselves to the highest bidder at the cost of justice? Despite its flaws, The Whirlwind was an infuriatingly compelling drama.

15 September 2024