Taxi Driver (2021) 모범택시
Directed by Park Joon-woo, starring Lee Je-hoon, Esom, Pyo Ye-jin and Kim Eui-sung.
Watched 21 September - 13 October 2024 — 16 episodes (NETFLIX)
*I'm not big on revenge stories, and this show's story premise is rather ambiguous. A secret organisation, disguised as a taxi company and headed by Lee Je-hoon, takes up revenge cases for victims of injustice, because the law doesn't always protect the victims. We side with the lead characters because the bad guys make you so angry that you really wish that their punishment is going to be good and satisfying, but we also know that the way revenge is taken, bypassing the law, is wrong. The self-made prison where the culprits are being held like caged animals is very eerie and inhuman.
*Show has an episodic nature where every revenge case covers about 2 episodes. There's also a storyline telling the traumatic backstory of the main characters.
*There's a lot of action and violence. With the fighting you always have to suspend disbelief. When Lee Je-hoon gets hit with a bat in the stomach numerous times, he still manages to take down a group of thugs single-handedly.
*I did find myself liking Esom and her prosecutor character. If she would have stayed for season 2 and become a love interest for Lee Je-hoon, I probably wouldn't have minded much. But still, I prefer Pyo Ye-jin as Lee Je-hoon's love interest and I'm excited to see them together in season 2!
*I cried when Lee Yoo-joon (as Investigator Wang at the Prosecutors' Office) died. He was probably the most honest and morally just person of them all, very kind and likeable. His murder served as a catalyst for Esom to embrace the concept of taking matters into one's own hands when the law fails the victims.
*I love the plot turn in episode 12, with Esom turning to Lee Je-hoon to get revenge for her dead colleague, to go by his methods since the law only works when there's evidence. Love how they were cooperating on the case.
*I didn't like the Miss Baek character at all, already from the beginning. She's just very unpleasant and shady, and it turns out she's the main villain of our story. Glad she was imprisoned.
*When the captives from the self-made prison escape — the bad guys from the various former cases —, it was a good plot turn but I had difficulty remembering who was who.
*In the final episode all is wrapped up neatly, maybe too neatly, with even the real culprit serial killer apologising to the victims.
*I cried with the scene of Lee Je-hoon at his mother's grave. Lee Je-hoon acts really well here.
*Love the OST, the fitting upbeat music alternating with slow ballads.
*This series is highly rated and praised and I like it too but it's not the masterpiece I was hoping for. Will watch season 2 very soon!