Suspicious Partner (2017)
Grade:
B
40 Episodes, 30 minutes each
Viewing
Platform: Viki
Aspiring lawyer Eun Bong-hee finds out
her boyfriend has been cheating on her, the same night some pervert
in the subway touches her behind. The supposed pervert, Prosecutor
Noh Ji-wook, happens to be meeting someone at the same hotel
where Bong-hee discovers her boyfriend's infidelity. When Bong-hee
bluffs about sleeping with the next man she sees in an effort to
prove a point to the cheater, Ji-wook graciously plays the part to
help her save face. The relationship doesn't end there, though –
she is assigned to work as an intern for Ji-wook. Then she ends up facing the
prosecutor in court when she is accused of murdering her
ex-boyfriend, whose corpse is found in her apartment not long after
her breakup. What happens when the straight-arrow Ji-wook stumbles
across evidence that could throw Bong-hee's case out of court? Will
he give in to pressure from the higher ups and sacrifice his
integrity? How will they find the real killer, who seems to outsmart
them at every step?
*This
drama is entirely too long. I could have gone without the whole murderer's story
line, and it was annoying that *spoiler alert* the amnesia hinted at
in the synopsis/teaser doesn't even come in to play until two-thirds
of the way through the show, AND it lasts barely one episode. Ji
Chang-wook (the star from “Healer” 2014-15) is a very talented,
handsome actor, so I enjoyed watching him – particularly when his
character would go off on rants or just look glum, or pout. Usually
the male lead is always strong and stern, or withdrawn and angry, but
Chang-wook added a great layer of depth to his character with
expressing emotions from a wider, more realistic range. There's some
fun chemistry among the male coworkers; the female characters were
just okay. There are a lot of self-imposed blockages to the romance
between the two leads and a lot of poor communication that was
frustrating to watch. I did enjoy several of the musical
themes/songs, and there were some gorgeously lit scenes throughout.
Not a favorite drama, but decent.*
