Finally, it is all I could think at the start of Stranger 2, three years later, and it was captivating as I expected it to be, worthy of the over three-year wait. Having Lee Chang Joon's voiceover to start the episode was just brilliant. A reminder that the road to justice is long and rife with political tension. And, of course, where there is a crime to be solved, there is Hwang Shi Mok. I loved it. I always enjoy how he meticulously observes, sizes up a situation before questioning or jumping to conclusions. It was also thrilling to see Bae Doo Na reprise her role as Han Yeo Jin, love her with long hair, and Detective Jang. I love seeing them all at work; they click intuitively.

It's always great to see a woman in roles typically given to men and Jeon Hye Jin at that. I couldn't wait to see what she brought to the show as the police and ever-powerful prosecution office fought over independent investigative authority. I've always thought it quite weird how the prosecution had sole jurisdiction. So, I was interested to see how the fight would go down and how it would affect Shi Mok and Yeo Jin's fight against injustice. I am always ready when it comes to these two. And of course, Stranger 2 did not disappoint in how it tackled all the issues it presented, from coverups to police and prosecution corruptions to the embedded unscrupulous accepted and worse expected societal norms that hurt more than they help in junior/senior to rich/poor treatments and relationships. And I think what I find hardest to reconcile since I started watching k-dramas is that exactly -- the disappointments in the embedded unscrupulous accepted societal norms.

I loved the many twists and turned in this second installment but, more so, how differently the whole team handled the second season. I was glad to see that it was not a sequence of the first but rather a continued effort to justice's long and politically charged journey. And to see that journey can to an emotional ending as it hopefully continues to its next chapter to an incredibly penned, directed, acted, edited, and produced drama. The beginning and ending words of Lee Chang Joon sum season 2, SM and YJ, entirely—“Doggedly chasing after the truth and marching towards what’s right is a never-ending process. To stop for a moment is to fail. Marching towards change is like having two needles on your feet, with an invisible thread trailing after you, never stopping for breath as you march on. In the belief that a sliver of hope is better than immeasurable despair, we move forward with every determination once again.” This drama called attention to how arrogance, ignorance, and incompetence can, in mere seconds, bring down one’s life work (Chief Choi and Prosecutor Tae Woo). But at the same time, it showed us that one should never give up hope; it’s the light to a better and more fulfilled future for all involved. “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” —Desmund Tutu.

As sad as I was as excited for how it started and ended—strong and proud. I especially revered Chief Prosecutor Kang Won Cheol for standing tall for what matters most and putting his juniors before himself; that’s a mark of a true leader. As they say, it’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform. Chief Kang’s last act was a reminder that it’s easy even for the best of us to be swayed and lose our way, but the courage is in acknowledging it and getting back on track. It takes a lot of courage to do what he did. LYJ Hanjo’s leader’s reaction to his resignation said it all. She underestimated him for sure, and his final words struck her worse than if she’d been hit by one of those kdrama white trucks of doom. Undoubtedly one of the best crime dramas ever, now and forever. Solid character arcs, acting, development, and portrayals, even SDJ’s character. I cannot wait for season three, finishing what Lee Chang Joon started with a takedown of Hanjo Group. Shi Mok's dream at the finale for me captured everything Stranger 1 and 2 stand for— Hope. I will miss this drama until its next installment and highly recommend both seasons if you haven't watched them yet. Not one disappointing episode.