I have to say, this drama is never going to be easy to watch; I don’t think I’ll ever be reconciled to Kim Joo-hyuk’s untimely death last year and watching him so full of vitality, a fit and elegant 45, so vibrant and intelligent onscreen is a constant reminder of how fickle life is, and it stings.

I got sucked in right away and watched the first 2 episodes (of course, with tvN’s signature irregular episode lengths) and was about to let the 3rd auto play when I looked at the clock and reminded myself that this is only 8 episodes long.

The role of a newsman with integrity and on-camera gravitas for his specialty news program is one that fit Kim Joo-hyuk like a glove. So too does that of the frustrated widower who’s unsure what to make of his unhappy and grieving 15-year-old daughter. His acting is seamless, effortless. I’d watch his broadcasts every show because I know they’d be that good. But he’s working for a network that seems to be more interested in sponsorship and deals than journalistic integrity, and it’s going to be a tough fight. Lee Seung-joon, who normally plays best buds or weak-willed types, is his competitor/rival/semi-boss as the director of the main nightly news program and pretty darn good at raising your hackles. The company’s predeliction for not rocking their advertisers’ or majority stockholders’ respective boats makes me think too about uneasy relationships in news broadcasts here and abroad — not comfortable thoughts.

Cheon Woo-hui, who I’ve enjoyed in a number of films more than in dramas, is the newbie reporter who joined the company as a scab during a strike, so the animosity she faces from the other staffers is not hard to fathom, nor is her inclination to keep her head down and mouth shut, working solo trying to find something/anything that will give her a leg up and earn her the respect of her new boss, Kim Joo-hyuk’s character. There are times I wish she’d be more forthcoming but I can understand her reticence — it’s both cultural and a byproduct of those working circumstances.

The lobbying for stories and visibility are — so far — fairly typical, but interesting. I’m interested to see what happens next, and I am enjoying the stories of the supporting cast as well, but I’ve got to pace myself. I’m going to try and savor Kim Joo-hyuk’s last performance.

#argon, #cheon-woo-hui, #kim-joo-hyuk, #lee-seung-joon, #netflix, #park-won-sang, #tvn