I don't think this is a criticism. But this drama definitely wasn't 'Stranger' or 'Forest of Secrets' or 'Watcher' where the plot was in the driver's seat and the characters took their lead from the story. There was no nuanced exploration of how small steps and slips into corruption for the greater good lead to dark deeds and dark ends. There was no deft questioning of how the suspect motivations of the Law Professors impacted their students. And, disappointingly (the show flagged this as an issue re Sol B and Joon-Hwi but then ignored it) no questioning of how the insular world of privilege and relationships creates economic and social schisms as demonstrated by the students of Hankuk. But what it did show over and over was how evil, banal though it might be, diminishes us all.

No, this was very much character driven. In that respect, the cast was stellar. I enjoyed how the members of the ensemble cast had their own storylines, which were explored in detail. And I particularly liked the fact that women protagonists got equal screen time and dialogue to their male counterparts. This is, quite often, missing in other dramas. They were fleshed out, well articulated, and fierce. No milk-candy-water misses or candy queens here. BAMF women with personalities and outlooks much like the women I know in my life. A terrific change of pace in representation! After Ye-Seul's story concluded, I felt the drama ran out of steam. However, her story was well handled. I'm grateful that the writer and director carved a space for Ye-Seul to be her own avenger. After forensically examining the gaslighting she experienced, she had control over the narrative and her decisions. The acting was top-notch too! That arc was a hard one to beat: as the remainder of the drama proved in the lead up to Ko's anticlimactic takedown.

Like several other viewers, I find highly entertaining that a drama billed as not romantic ends up giving us electrifying chemistry between Ryy Hye Yeong and Kim Beom. And that too chemistry that would beat out most of the other rom-com duds that have aired this year. I lived for the thrill of their 5 minutes of togetherness per episode! Thank you to all the incredible fanvidders who fed my obsession. I swear their chemistry in a rom-com would be mind blowing ala my faves in CLOY. Anyone have a crackling script for them?