Dong Jae, the Good or the Bastard (2024)

Seo Dong Jae’s Not-So-Thrilling Redemption: Realism Overshadows Suspense.

Let’s break down the so-called “pros” .

A major pro is the character of Seo Dong Jae himself. He’s a true-to-life depiction of an average person, ambitious yet held back by his background—he’s not an SNU law graduate, and that fact alone stunts his career. So he claws his way up with questionable ethics and an impressive ability to brown-nose. He’s a bribe-taker and an all-around scoundrel who’s gotten high off his own scheming—because, let’s be real, it was working.

Eventually, he gets “caught” (but not really) and somehow keeps his job.

In this spin-off, we watch him grapple with the bitter reality of his past choices. He’s trying to leave his sketchy ways behind, but his past jumps back in just as he’s eyeing a big promotion. His struggles from season two get the spotlight, showing that no matter what he does, he’s not getting the payoff he expected. Nobody’s giving him the recognition he craves because of his old antics, and the show drives that point home.

Story-wise, this is more of a “mundane Monday with Prosecutor Seo Dong Jae” than any suspenseful saga. The cases are realistic but unremarkable—probably a 9/10 on the Real Life Scale for the procedural stuff.

Downside? You guessed it—there’s hardly any mystery or thrill here, despite what the promo suggests. It feels like a regular workday for Dong Jae, meaning the other characters don’t get much attention. Ironically, these other characters almost seem like the audience: they know Dong Jae is a sleazy jerk who’ll do anything to get ahead, yet they can’t fully hate him (just like us). Only those who don’t know him—or who are criminals—seem to actively dislike him.
"Dong Jae: Good or the Bastard" is so grounded in realism that it forgets it’s supposed to be a “mystery thriller.”

Viewers might find the spin-off underwhelming compared to the intense, suspenseful parent story. Did I enjoy it? Yes.
Was I disappointed because I had high expectations?Also yes, my bad! As a standalone, it’s basically a well-produced docu-drama on how being corrupt will ruin your life (I hope realism is true here too).

And hey, totally unrelated but still relevant... Lee Joon Hyuk is an absolute feast for the eyes! Seriously, that guy is an absolute eye candy, and trust me, that’s a major incentive to keep you glued to this drama!

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A (very) funny and exciting journey into Dong Jae's story

I simply loved it, from beginning to end!

Dong Jae is the kind of character that captured our hearts; it's impossible to hate him, and that's how he went from a supporting character in "Stranger" to the main character in this spin-off.

If you liked "Stranger" and plan to watch this drama, keep one thing in mind: the style is completely different. THIS IS NOT "Stranger" season 3, nor is it intended to be; is's a spin-off from a very different character. Here, the cases are neither important nor mysterious, and everything revolves around the discussion that the name of the drama itself brings up: is Dong Jae, after all, good or bad?

The drama was much lighter to watch than "Stranger", and has many comedic elements; even though I'm not a big fan of comedies and prefer thriller dramas, I still loved it and had a lot of fun with Dong Jae's adventures - his inner monologues are the best!

And here comes the spoiler:

******

I loved the ending!!
I would have been a little disappointed if Dong Jae had left the Prosecutor's Office and become a lawyer, which I thought might happen after SDJ and KWC met.

However, the ending surprised me positively: Dong Jae was finally punished for his actions. Although I would still like to see him as a prosecutor, the idea of ​​a "team" of corrupt people to hunt down more corrupt people was simply brilliant. And it's SDJ's chance to redeem himself for his mistakes from the past.

I would love a sequel (whether it's a 2nd season of SDJ or a 3rd of "Stranger"), and the ending left the stage ready for that.

About the cast:
Lee Jun Hyuk is simply perfect as Seo Dong Jae, once again.
And I loved the characters of Jung Woon Sun and Baek Sun Ho.

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