Just Finished Watching "The Good Detective" (Updated Post)

I decided to watch another crime drama (and yes, it's really there) with The Good Detective. The last time I saw a drama involving an innocent person framed up was called Innocent Defendant. I didn't enjoy it as much (at first) so I decided to go after other series like Suspicious Partner and Lawless Lawyer. I admit, I nearly dropped this but I decided to complete it for the sake of completion. The story itself involves trying to prove the innocence of Lee Dae-Chul. The case reminds me of classic cases where an innocent man gets wrongly tagged for murder (such as Paco Larranaga and Hubert Webb from the Philippines) since the person was NOT physically there during the incident.

First season

The cast itself has three different protagonists crucial to proving Dae Chul's innocence. Kang Do Chang (Sun Hyun Joo who I also saw in Justice) who is a detective for 18 years who uses experience and personal collections. Meanwhile, the contrast to him is Oh Ji Hyuk (Jang Seung Joo) who uses evidence and gets into the criminal psyche. Jin Seo Kyung (Lee Elijah) happens to be a journalist who's not afraid to speak the truth.

The antagonist happens to have some connections. For one, Oh Jong Tae (Oh Jung Se) is a wealthy man and a relative of Ji Hyuk - a first cousin of his. This is always the pressure whenever the law becomes weak before influential people. The quest to prove the innocent person convicted of murder is no easy task. Jung Se proves himself, like any wealthy crook, that they're not that easy to pin down. The pacing of the crook is rather well-done. The crook really knows how to irritate the audience while the actor is getting praised.

For me, the quest to prove an innocent man innocent can make good material. However, I preferred the approach of Innocent Defendant where the main character IS the one framed. Here, it's the quest to prove a sideline character's innocence. It has its charm but I felt that after watching the documentary Give Up Tomorrow (which was about Larranaga's wrongful accusation) - I think the focus on the innocent man framed up tends to make a better eye-opener. Then again, having the main characters prove an innocent man's innocence can be an eye-opener too. 

Second season

After the first season - it was nice to give it some time to chill out between 2020 and 2022. That gave the head writer Choi Jin Woon breathing space. Some people are pretty much divided which is better between the first season and the second season. Maybe, for some, the first season was a Tough Act to Follow. I do like the idea of how the second season featured the white coat serial killings, a grandfather trying to avenge his granddaughter, and the ones who did it killings.

Meanwhile, I was thinking about the classic frame-up case. I was wondering weren't there other ways to arrange the white coat serial killings? Sure, I did feel the TJ Group did prove that there are also rich people who manipulate the law. The inner politics features a female antagonist in Cheon Nana who is one wicked bitch. Kim Heo Jin puts so much work into her classy villain act that it's predictable she did something. Once again, the classic frame-up and Nana herself against her own half-brother Cheon Sang Woo (Choi Dae Hoon). This is a case of classic struggle within the family all for power.

For Nana, the villain could've been tweaked as an entitled feminist like the one in Military Prosecutor Doberman. It's not enough that we have the white serial coat killings. Nana herself is one big female villain who knows how to play the cards.  Lee Sung Gon (Kim In Kwon) himself is still a threat as he did the killings. Nana though can be so manipulative that you better watch out when you provoke her. I do still feel the layers of complexity can be good but can also slow things down unlike the first seaosn. 

______

Overall, I feel both seasons are worth a watch. You may like one better than the other. It's difficult to talk about them without spoilers. Better watch them and decide for yourself which season is better.