While I was waiting for new episodes of other shows and trying to keep my Park Seo-joon addiction in check, I went back to my bookmarked shows to see what I’d overlooked and realized that I hadn’t checked out Season 2 of Queen of Mystery. I dove in, to see if they had done a good job sustaining the charms of Season 1 and I’m happy to report that, for the most part, they have, though there are some tonal shifts.
No spoilers of note…
What’s the same: Choi Kang-hee and Kwon Sang-woo still have the same playful banter, though now that she is divorced they are allowed to dance around whether or not they are ‘dating’ or interested in each other (because: no adultery allowed). She’s still insightful, he’s still surprised by her abilities but more willing to listen. Her friend, the Dosirak store owner is still her supportive bestie, and the aloof profiler is also a regular, though it seems he is doing his best to stay aloof.
What’s new: The emphasis shifts more to working inside a police station and Choi Kang-hee keeps trying to pass the entrance exam, but they’ve had her best pal take the test (and pass) and join in investigations. They have moved to a new station so the cast of colleagues and patrolmen have changed as a result, with mixed success. They’ve introduced a quirky forensic expert (who I found borderline annoying) and a former academy rival for Kwon Sang-woo (who I found easy on the eyes).
The story itself continues with the investigation into her parent’s mysterious deaths and his dead or missing long-ago girlfriend but they toss in a number of unrelated and slightly hit-or-miss extra cases in the early episodes. Some of those leave a couple of loose threads that I thought made things a little sloppy, but if they are going to have a Season 3 (as is hinted at, once again, at the end), maybe they have left those for plot points in the future.
Overall, I think that they have a decent formula and a likable couple and core cast in this series, so it’s a sufficiently pleasant way to pass the time. Would I watch a Season 3? Yes, I think so, which is enough of an endorsement these days!
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