Watcher ~ 3 People Unite to Solve a 15-Year-Old Crime

“Watcher” is a 2019 K-drama series, with 16 episodes, categorized as Legal Drama, Crime, Thriller, and Suspense; and streaming free on Viki and The Roku Channel.  If a dirty cop kills another dirty cop and gets away with it, why would anybody want to risk their life and provide evidence to put them behind bars? Isn’t it obvious the dirty cop is untouchable and will never go to jail?  Three people are willing to take the risk.

♦ It Takes Three to Make a Team

In “Watcher”, a young police officer, the head of a unit that investigates corruption in law enforcement, and a lawyer who was a prosecutor but now works as a private criminal attorney ~ all have a history with each other. They decide to come together and use their personal experience, along with their professional capabilities to take down criminals.

When Kim Young-Koon was young, he witnessed his mother’s murder. At that time, Han Tae-Joo was a prosecutor and she did her best to comfort the child while trying to get information from him. He was a key witness.

Do Chi-Gwang is the one who investigated Kim Young-Koon’s father for corruption. His father was on the police force. Sadly, Do Chi-Gwang shot and killed him. Because of Do Chi-Gwang’s diligent efforts at uncovering corruption, he was promoted to Chief of the Internal Affairs Investigation Team.

When Kim Young-Koon grew up, he became a police officer and his fellow officers tried to frame him for attacking a suspected criminal. It didn’t take long for him to realize those officers had “a secret agenda”. One of the officers tried to persuade him to stay away from Do Chi-Gwang. They said he was a “cop who killed cops”.

But Kim Young-Koon had a mind of his own. He wouldn’t let anybody tell him who was a good cop or a bad cop. He knew what kind of cop he intended to be; and also considered the possibility that maybe … his father was crooked and that’s why he was killed.

The case surrounding Kim Young-Koon’s father fed into an even bigger investigation. Han Tae-Joo’s husband was murdered and she was tortured and terrorized because she was the prosecutor involved in the investigation of widespread police corruption. The experience was traumatic.

For several years, she disappeared and then one day she returned. She was no longer a prosecutor but a high-paid lawyer who took on high-profile criminal cases. No longer a prosecutor but a defense attorney. But she had an “agenda” as well. She still planned to take out the bad guys who attacked her husband and caused her to have a mental breakdown.

Han Tae-Joo was the one who persuaded the higher-ups to create a team to root out the corruption in law enforcement. She also persuaded the higher-ups to let her work on this team with Kim Young-Koon and Do Chi-Gwang.

It’s been 15 years since a tragic murder upended their lives. But once this trio united, there was no stopping them. The corrupt police officers were fierce, but the trio was even fiercer.

Main Characters:

• Do Chi-Gwang (played by Han Suk-Kyu)
• Kim Young-Koon (played by Seo Kang-Joon)
• Han Tae-Joo (played by Kim Hyun-Joo)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 7.7 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 8.2 out of 10 stars
• Dramabeans: 9.3 out of 10 stars
• Public reviews published via Google: 4.8 out of 5 stars
• Viki viewers rated this series 9.4 out of 10 stars

My personal rating aligns with the Viki viewers; definitely, 9.4 out of 10 stars.

• Seo Kang-Joon was cast for the lead role in “Are You Human?” It was a dual role. He was a chaebol heir but also a humanoid. It was impressive how he switched in between characters. His acting in “Watcher” was just as good.
• Kim Hyun-Joo was a sweet big sister of Koo Jun-Pyo in “Boys Over Flowers”. That was a support role but it was my first time seeing her perform and I became an instant fan. If she is one of the characters that is enough to add a movie or TV series to my watchlist. She also played a concubine in “Cruel Palace:The War of Flowers”. Her character was quite the contrast from a sweet and caring noona. She accepts a wide range of roles and plays them all well.
• Han Suk-Kyu was cast as “Dr. Romantic” and everybody is raving about this series that was released in 2016. Season 2 was released in 2020 and Season 3 was released in 2023. But this actor was on my radar long before then. He was the king in “Tree With Deep Roots” and a NIS agent in “The Berlin File”.

When actors or actresses impress me in one K-drama or when the buzz about them just won’t die down, I go on a hunt to find them in other movies or TV series.

Seo Kang-Joon, Kim Hyun-Joo, and Han Suk-Kyu all played lead roles in “Watcher” and their acting was powerful! The characters were well-developed and the storyline was gripping and unpredictable.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

• K-Drama Review: “Watcher” Enraptures With Its Exhilarating Narrative On Police Corruption | Hello KPop
• Good Ol’ Review: OCN’s “Watcher” a Refreshingly Character-Driven Crime Thriller | DryedMangoez.com
• Did You Miss It? The Maknae’s Five Reasons to Watch WATCHER | Dramas with a Side of Kimchi
• Ratings For Seo Kang Joon’s Drama “Watcher” Soar To All-Time High For Finale | Soompi

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

Viki Global TV. “WATCHER – OFFICIAL TRAILER 2 | Seo Kang Joon, Kim Hyun Joo, Han Suk Kyu, Lee Jae Yoon.” YouTube Video. YouTube, July 8, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W7zWSoYMRY.‌