What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

Prison Playbook (2017)

I’d heard a lot about Prison Playbook but it took me a while to warm up to the idea of watching it. While I am a big fan of the Reply Series and Hospital Playlist, which share a director with PP, I wasn’t convinced that his signature style of long episode lengths and the meandering pace would suit a prison setting. What finally got me on board with this project was the eclectic mix of character that make up the cast, as more and more of the actors that I enjoy seemed to have parts in the show.

I was also interested to see a part of Korean life that I hadn’t previously seen in other dramas. Having only primary seen prisons depicted in American shows, I was intrigued by the more open plan living system that seemed to be in play, with prisoners largely responsible for their own day to day needs. While I don’t know if the show accurately depicts prison life, I did enjoy the universe that was created.

The writing is by far where the show excels. It’s difficult enough to make everyday characters fun to watch, but the added challenge of making a group of criminals likable seemed insurmountable. I like that the writer gives us someone we can get behind in our protagonist, because even though Kim Je-hyeok (Park Hae-soo) is morally ambiguous when you look at his crimes alone, knowing the history of his character helps us be a bit more forgiving of him. Add to that the near hero-worship from his best friend and protector Lee Joon-ho (Jung Kyung-ho), and the writer almost makes me start to believe that Je-hyeok can do no wrong.

Also getting to see the struggles that his sister Je-hee (Lim Hwa-young) goes through in the aftermath of such events, and seeing her support system come to life through Kim Ji-ho (Krystal Jung), Joon-ho and his brother Joon-dol (Kim Kyung-nam). The dichotomy of knowing he did something bad for the greater good is what allows Je-hyeok to keep a clear conscience, and what makes him a more sympathetic character in the long run.

However, my favorite character is by far Kim Min-cheol (Choi Moo-sung). I’ve always been a fan of Choi, but most of his characters in the past have been quite straightforward. Min-cheol has nuances and layers that we aren’t fully aware of to begin with. While he has obviously committed terrible crimes, knowing that he has had 22 years to repent for them gives you hope that he will leave a better man than the one that came to Seobu Penitentiary. The relationships he develops over the course of his prison life, even though they were forced upon him, make him better and he earns respect not only from his fellow prisoners but even from the prickliest of guards like Officer Paeng (Jung Woong-in).

While there were definitely segments that were over-dramatized – Yoo Han-yang (Lee Kyu-hyung) getting arrested again five minutes after leaving prison comes to mind – for the most part it felt well-balanced with the humour and the heartfelt moments. Doctor Go’s (Jung Min-sung) bureaucracy, KAIST’s (Park Ho-san) constant arguing and Captain Yoo’s (Jung Hae-in) death glares fit in perfectly with their respective backgrounds, and they felt well-rounded the more you got to know them, despite their bizarre first impressions.

Aside from our core group, I also loved all the recurring characters and their respective actors. Kim Sung-cheol was by far my favourite, playing the baseball enthusiast and the go-to guy for all the info. He seemed to know everything about everything, and he was Je-hyeok’s biggest fanboy in prison. I was also glad to see the Lee Tae-sun/Lee Do-hyun duo that I had so thoroughly enjoyed in Hotel Del Luna. While they do serve primarily just as expositional elements to better understand our protagonists, they play the contrast in personalities and the reversal of fortunes beautifully. Finally, it was incredible (and incredibly jarring) to see Lee Sang-yi in a role completely different from the bubbly romantic in Once Again, making me want to hiss at his character every time he showed up on my screen. Seeing the atrocities he committed and having no repentance for his behaviour whatsoever put him of a level of villainy to rival some to the best. And yet, it’s sad to think that people like this may truly exist, those who have no regard for anybody except themselves.

I thoroughly enjoyed Prison Playbook and am surprised that it has taken me so long to watch it. While I could have done with slightly shorter episodes and a bit less romance plot, I came away from the show having a good sense of the characters, hopeful for their futures, and a bit regretful to have to leave them.