"Stranger" was pretty much perfect. It might ruin other crime dramas for me in the future because it was so good. I'm giving it a 10 which I hardly ever do. Lots of crime dramas rely on shock, sordid details or graphic violence to thrill and create interest. Stranger tells a story about complicated characters with passions, motives, and morals that collide, corrupt, and sometimes bolster and strengthen each another. Though this is a crime investigation story and definitely contains some gruesome scenes, most of the thrills come from the characters playing off each other. The script is so tightly written. The story is a cleverly laid out labyrinth with compelling, intelligent characters at each turn. There are no throw away characters who behave stupidly, frustrating plot details, cutesy comic relief or romance just for the sake of adding romance. Every line could have a potential effect on the outcome. If you let your mind drift for a moment you might just miss out on some new clue or development. While watching, I often had the unsettling feeling that everyone is not who they seem and everyone is up to no good. Then a moment later I would often come to the exact opposite conclusion and think maybe this character is exactly who he appears to be after all. It had me on the edge of my seat and guessing up through the last episode. The writing is so impressive. "Stranger" is really well-acted. The 2 main leads do such a great job. Jo Seung Wo is excellent as Prosecutor Hwang. Playing a cold, emotionless, and calculating character with limited facial expressions, he somehow manages to shine with goodness and integrity, gain our sympathy and win our hearts. Bae Doo Na is excellent as Lieutenant Han who is the more stereotypical good cop character, but she brings her character to life with warmth, passion and toughness. I also particularly enjoyed Lee Joon Hyuk as Seo Dong Jae. He portrays his smarmy despicable character with a lot of emotional range. He's the guy you love to hate and sometimes feel sorry for. All the characters have great chemistry together - both the heroes and villains - though you never really know for sure who is who until the very end when all the pieces fall together perfectly. It's a thrilling and compulsively watchable drama that builds in intensity as the story progresses. I am sorry to be done. I even re-watched the last episode immediately so I didn't have to say goodbye just yet. This drama brings up ideas about what makes a person who they are. Does a person ever fundamentally change? What make us human? What makes us good or bad? Is it our emotions, our ideals or intentions? Our actions? Morals? A sense of justice? If you are into crime stories you have to watch this. But I also highly recommend this to people who appreciate an intelligent well told story that makes you think.