Taxi Driver — Season 2 (2023) 모범택시2
Directed by Lee Dan, starring Lee Je-hoon as Kim Do-gi, Pyo Ye-jin as Ahn Go-eun, Shin Jae-ha as On Ha-jun / Kim Dan-woo, Kim Eui-sung as Jang Sung-chul, Jang Hyuk-jin as Choi Gyeong-ku, and Bae Yoo-ram as Park Jin-eon.
Watched 22 - 31 May 2025 — 16 episodes (KOCOWA)
*The second season of Taxi Driver proved to be as entertaining as the first one and it wasn't as violent as I'd thought it would be. I'd already read somewhere that there's a lot of over-the-top humour, so I had imagined something cringe-worthy like some of the humour in the second season of The Fiery Priest, but fortunately it wasn't too bad. Lee Je-hoon's Kim Do-gi impersonates different characters and does exaggerate his personages a bit. Especially the episode involving the cult leader gets tiresome where Do-gi impersonates a monk. He is taking this a bit too far and it isn't very believable. Some of his personages are a tad ridiculous, like the monk.
*The episode with the guys scamming the older people and Do-gi as the country bumpkin driving his tractor is hilarious. The bad guys are just morons, more pitiful than fearsome.
*At first I thought the addition of the new taxi driver (Shin Jae-ha as On Ha-jun) would mean a new member of the revenge team, but there was something off and I wasn't sure about him, and sure enough, he is our villain. I was waiting for Do-gi to take him down.
*The different cases are not that special, the cult thing has been done before in other series, but despite some things being predictable, I still enjoyed them.
*I find episode 9 with the malpractice medical case the most interesting one. The client seems to be a well-respected human being, so can the Rainbow Team accept this as a revenge case? But then the respectable client turns out to be a nasty villain so I was happy she got her comeuppance in the end.
*At times it's really necessary to suspend disbelief, like Pyo Ye-jin as Ahn Go-eun going into the control room of the hospital after setting off the alarm, and then copying important data on a usb stick. She makes hacking seem so easy. She's also not very believable while hitting the keys hard on that keyboard, it looks fake. Also Do-gi beating up all the prisoners ganging up on him!!!
*Love Namkoong Min's guest appearance as his character from One Dollar Lawyer, reminding Do-gi that his client has no one on his side. It's a nice touch to see Do-gi reading a monthly law magazine (ep. 10) with Namkoong Min on the cover. Noteworthy is that Lee Je-hoon makes a special appearance in Hot Stove League, where Namkoong Min plays the lead.
*I love the actor Park Ho-san playing the Bishop villain. Yet I don't think he's well cast because I find the actor mostly lovable.
*So I was looking forward to this season because I was waiting for Kim Do-gi and Ahn Go-eun to get together as a romantic couple. There are some hints, and they even impersonate a married couple. Nothing really happens to further their romantic relationship, though, but fortunately the ending with them sharing a nice moment on the rooftop is full of promise.
*MAJOR SPOILER: I thought they handled the ending really well, with On Ha-jun seeking redemption for his past mistakes. He asks the Rainbow Team to accept him as the revenge client and help him find his name back, and he thanks Do-gi for handling his case. He takes the Bishop down himself who had kidnapped him as a young boy and had him kill his father when he's grown up. Mr. Jang had revealed this fact to Ha-jun in order for him to remember.
*"Some things must be remembered to get them back. Had I met you guys first, would my life have been different?" While Ha-jun is dying, he remembers the kindness the Rainbow Team has showed him when he started working there as a taxi driver. It was the first time I felt sympathy for his character.
*The show ends with the suggestion of a new season, and I'm happy they already announced season 3! Let's have Kim Do-gi and Ahn Go-eun admit their feelings for each other!!! I can't wait!