**This review was cross-posted on r/KDRAMA subreddit with a few changes

Frankly, Save Me was psychologically draining. But I guess if I felt that way, the writers did a pretty good job?? Although I won't deny that the cast was stellar in inciting psychological dread among the viewers.

It was pretty disgusting that the curly haired guy and cult leader were preying on Sang Mi. The school bullies were assholes and I wanted to throttle them so bad. Seo Ye Ji was spectacular in portraying Sang Mi, especially her resilience (will be definitely looking forward to her future works!!). But feeling helpless for her character was so tiring, especially when everyone dismisses her. And feeling frustrated for the antagonists and adults in this show was entirely frustrating. For "mature" adults, Sang Hwan and his friends + Sang Mi seem to have more common sense than they do.

I also thought that Sang Hwan's "Stand tall" advice to Dong Chul felt hollow and doesn't provide any comfort. I think its something that's easy to say, but hard to live by. More so if you grew up on the other side of the fence, experienced many hardships, and have limited to no opportunities to give yourself a better life.

There were lots of conflicted loyalties/moral principles in this show. But I'm glad that Sang Hwan got a chance to redeem himself in the succeeding episodes, even if he failed at times. On the contrary, I think that Taecyeon's portrayal of the character was a bit stiff -- I'm not sure if its his delivery, or the way he was written. But its still decent nonetheless. It's just that WDH really stood out for me on this show.

Dong Chul has a good heart and a strong sense of justice, despite growing up in a poor neighborhood. I admire his selfless spirit, and it was very heartbreaking to see him being wronged by influential people, and to some extent, by Sang Hwan. Dong Chul eating jajangmyeon without his grandma (and even ordering a serving for her) after getting released from prison made me cry. Knowing that he doesn't have anyone to lean on at a young age was particularly heartbreaking.

They say that parents know best but this drama had a way of showing how such saying is flawed, which was pretty evident in Sang Hwan's and Sang Mi's parents. What the governor/Sang Hwan's dad did to his wife to save his seat in power was disgusting. But hey, I guess money and power talks. As for Sang Mi's dad, he was too incompetent and naive, and way beyond saving. It's very disappointing to see him brainwashed at a vulnerable point in their lives.

That said, I'm glad that the writers touched on a very sensitive topic, and gave us a glimpse on how dangerous and far-reaching a cult's influence can be. And more importantly, how they work and lure people by taking advantage of their weaknesses -- which just so happens in real life.

There was no romance in this drama, which I'm grateful for. It wouldn't have fit the bill given that Sang Mi's been through a lot and has a lot of healing to do. But the second lead syndrome was very strong.

The finale was one of the satisfying endings I've watched. I'm glad Sang Mi was able to save her mother from the cult. And I love how they referenced the cult leader's death with the fiery pit. It was particularly interesting to see Apostle Kang throughout the show. Sometimes, I'd think she'll be able to break free from the cult. But I guess her faith brought about by brainwashing overshadows such. I'm also wondering why she isn't in jail, but I did foresee her fate in the finale.

I felt that the stories of the other characters needed closure, although I wasn't really keeping my hopes up. I would've loved to see Dong Chul try out for the police force as they've alluded to Taecyeon's enlistment, and the journalist get acknowleged for uncovering the cult. A part of me will always wonder how compelling the scene would have been if it were Dong Chul to have stopped Sang Mi from setting the cult leader on fire instead of Sang Hwan. He was the one who was wrongfully imprisoned and experienced loss and grief. Yet his moral compass and principles remained unwavering.

The OST was pretty good and reminded me of Radioactive by Imagine Dragons. Though the writing was great, you wouldn't see me rewatching this because it was really disturbing.