Catch the Ghost ~ My Twin Sister Has Gone Missing

“Catch the Ghost” is a Korean drama series released in 2019, with 16 episodes, categorized as Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Mystery, Murder Mystery and Police Procedural; and streaming on The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime.

SUMMARY: A woman applies to work as an officer at the subway police station because her twin sister, who is autistic, has gone missing. It is possible her sister is a victim of a serial killer.

♦ Are We Trying to Catch a Ghost?

In “Catch the Ghost”, a serial killer is on the loose and his victims are found on subway trains. The police refer to the murders as the “Metro Serial Killings” and the killer has been called the “Subway Ghost”. The Violent Crimes Unit (VCU) has been working constantly to catch the killer, but they might as well try to catch a ghost. That’s how hard it is for the police detectives to find out anything about the murderer. The victims are found on the subway trains but the killer is never caught on any of the CCTVs and there is no incriminating evidence left behind as clues to indicate anything about the killer. VCU has not even found a connection between the victims that might give them a lead as to why the murders were committed and where to look for the serial killer.

• The Seoul Metropolitan Subway has been called a marvel of modern transportation. The first subway line, Line 1, started operating in 1974. Currently, the subway system has over 20 lines, 700+ stations, and an annual ridership of close to 2 billion passengers. Even though the trains and the platforms are equipped with numerous safety features, with that many people relying on the subway every day, a physical police presence is paramount.

If I Get Assigned to the Subway Police Team, I Might Find My Sister

Yoo Ryung gets herself assigned to work with the subway police team. Of course, she wants to be a dutiful detective and bring criminals to justice. But she has a personal reason for wanting to work with the subway police. Her twin sister, who is autistic, has gone missing and she believes her sister may be a victim of a serial killer.

However, unlike the other victims, her body was never found, so she does not know if her sister is dead or alive. The VCU disregards the information she has gathered and chooses not to incorporate it with their investigation of the Metro Serial Killings. It’s a missing persons case, not a murder case. Yoo Ryung truly believes her twin sister is a victim of the Subway Ghost and that’s why she wanted to work with the subway police team.

The Newbie is a Nuisance

Ko Ji-Seok is the team leader of the subway police team. He refers to Yoo Ryung as “Newbie”. That means he’s the boss and Yoo Ryung is the subordinate. She is supposed to follow his lead and not the other way around. Ko Ji-Seok does not know she intends to search for her missing sister while doing her job. He does know that as soon as she started working with her, their working relationship got switched.

• The Cyber Crimes Unit (CCU) should solve cyber crimes.
• The Violent Crimes Unit (VCU) should solve violent crimes.
• The subway police team should stick to catching petty criminals and refer the other cases to the appropriate units.

But suppose those units ignore the information and leads that the subway police team gathered? If nobody in law enforcement takes action, a crime could be committed that could have been prevented. Aren’t ALL police supposed to protect and serve?

Nevertheless if the CCU, VCU, or any other appropriate “U” does not follow up then Ko Ji-Seok says the subway police team has done their “duty”. He orders Yoo Ryung to work on the cases she has been assigned and not to take on cases that the other Units are supposed to handle. Yoo Ryung disregards his orders and takes the lead.

Although … ??? … taking the lead is not really a bad thing since she has exceptional abilities. By disregarding his orders, Yoo Ryung prevented a rape and sexual assault, and thwarted a murder by contract plot. Even though things work out in the end, working with the “newbie” is kind of a “nuisance”. Ko Ji-Seok finds himself in front of the higher-ups having to explain why the subway team got involved in investigating certain crimes that should have been handled by the appropriate police units.

OK! Maybe Newbie is Not a Nuisance

As time passes, they continue to work together. The higher-ups might say he has no control over his subordinates. But when Ko Ji-Seok and Yoo Ryung partner with each other and their actions result in solving crimes or even better, in crime prevention, Ko Ji-Seok defends his subordinate and takes responsibility for whatever happened with his team.

All the while Yoo Ryung is actively working on various cases, she is also actively searching for her twin sister. What she does not realize is that the Subway Ghost has been surreptitiously following her around. Yoo Ryung was brutally assaulted on the subway train. The irony is that the Subway Ghost who had been following her is an eyewitness to that crime.

She doesn’t know the Subway Ghost but he knows her.

• If the assault had not occurred would she have been the next victim of the Subway Ghost?
• Is she going to be murdered by the Subway Ghost without ever finding her twin sister?

Main Characters:

• Yoo Ryung (played by Moon Geun-Young)
• Ko Ji-Seok (played by Kim Sun-Ho)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 7.4 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 8.1 out of 10 stars
• Tastedive: 4.2 out of 5 stars
• Amazon customers rated this series: 4.6 out of 5 stars
• Google users shared a public rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Google users.

In “Catch the Ghost”, as soon as I recognized the female and male leads, I knew this Kdrama series would not be a disappointment. Yes, there are a bazillion and one K-dramas feature serial killer storylines, but this one’s different. Most of them have compelling and unique plots. Serial killers are all different unless they are copycats. I have reviewed several Kdramas on PopGeeks and will likely review many more because police procedural and legal dramas are my favorite genres. Some of them include time travel, which is also a fun genre.

PopGeeks Kdrama Reviews About Serial Killers:

1. Beyond Evil (2021)
2. Jirisan (2021)
3. Hometown (2021)
4. Mouse (2021)
5. Memorist (2020)
6. Connect (2022)
7. The Killer’s Shopping List (2022)
8. Behind Your Touch (2023)
9. Decoy 1 and 3 (2023)
10. Longing For You (2023)
11. My Perfect Stranger (2023)
12. The Frog (2024)
13. A Killer Paradox (2024)
14. Miss Night and Day (2024)
15. Psychopath Diary (2019)
16. The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019)
17. Suspicious Partner (2017)
18. Tunnel (2017)
19. Missing You (2016)
20. The Neighbors (2012)

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Catch the Ghost: A Review | The Scorching Heaven (Review contains SPOILERS.)

K-Drama Review: “Catch The Ghost” Is A Delightful Mix Of Mystery, Comedy, Action And Romance | Hello KPop

First Impressions and Unfiltered Thoughts: Catch the Ghost | Dramas with a Side of Kimchi

TRAILER/TEASER:

CJ ENM Global. “Catch the Ghost.” YouTube, 10 June 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LAUzRmDntQ.

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