The Equator Man - episode 2

[dangermousie]

In my not-so-humble opinion, TEM is the best drama airing right now (of the ones I've seen). Sure, I love K2H and enjoy Rooftop Prince, but TEM is just pretty much perfect (except for the soundtrack, which is toned down in ep 2 but still should be cut in half).

The performances are top-notch (especially from Lee Hyun Woo, who plays the younger version of Sun Woo, Uhm Tae Woong's character. That kid is going places) but even more interesting are the characters. I adore Sun Woo the way I don't often adore a character but I find Jang Il even more interesting, even if I don't like him much - take his crush on Ji Won - it is indubitable he's sincerely smitten, but he's smitten, in very large part, because she's an aspirational model - a rich young woman impeccably dressed and singing a song in English. It's not her, it's her status.

I am probably pushing similarities where they aren't, but in a way, Sun Woo and Jang Il remind me a bit of the protagonists of Mawang (my favorite drama of all time) - one is warm-hearted, immediate, prone to violence in just cause, and one a whip-smart, cold, calculating one who finds it hard to open up.

Only the roles have been somewhat reversed - in Mawang, it was the seemingly cold lawyer who was a wreck irreparably damaged by the horrific wrongs done to him and his family (and, in turn, made things only worse when he went for vengeance) and the warm-hearted cop was the perpetrator of the wrongs who has spent his life trying to right the past. Here, this is not the case - clearly, Sun Woo is the victim of the situation, doing everything, even some things that may damn his soul (the bargain offered by the Mob at the end of ep 2 was chilling) for a person whose father killed his (on orders of possibly SW's birth father? Eeeep, this is dark). And Jang Il's ambition and moral ambivalence are not a result of repeated horrific trauma as was the case with Joo Ji Hoon's character in Mawang - no, it's his hatred of poverty and desire for power, understandable but much less sympathetic.

Maybe it is more like Resurrection - I foresee Sun Woo going much darker once he finds out the truth - in Resurrection, Uhm Tae Woong's character morphed from a warm and loving man into a ruthless, ice-cold, terrifying carrier of vengeance who knew he was turning into a monster but could not stop. I wonder if his character here will experience the same trajectory.

Anyway, this is amazing, you should watch!

Comments

[phoenixbasilisk.livejournal.com]

just a few weeks ago, i was moaning about not having anything good to watch.
now i have a whole list.
i'm on ep 15 of mawang. aaah so good. joo ji hoon scares me with his cold look. but so awesome

i wanna watch resurrection too~!
and k2h. don't know about RTP yet
interested in some good old revenge

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Isn't Mawang amazing? JJH both scares me and breaks my heart.

K2H is good and TEM is amazing.

I love Resurrection but not as much as Mawang

[lonesome dove (from livejournal.com)]

I am loving it so far... I have been watching basically for the adult cast I have watched the female version of this drama and while it was entertaining it was nothing special same is here but the PD is helping this one giving it a certain haunting exciting atmosphere... I am also surprised that I am liking the teen phase that I wanted more of them not that they are great or anything specially siwan but they have set a nice mood but what is really worrying me is that before the drama aired we heard that the teen will take 4 episodes which is fine and now we know that the adults will take over from ep 4...if this is a change of plan under pressure of the ratings it is a worrying signal I have a feeling that the teen were supposed to play this as well but the adults were forced in instead...news also mentioned that the adults coming in feels rushed what worries me is the huge 20 years gab between teen and adult Sunwoo on the other side it might serve the story better to see the adults now specially Sunwoo so we can connect to them anyway I am really liking this one so I hoping it is not another drama that will be killed by ratings

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes, I hope they won't mess with it due to ratings. I mean, it was never going to be a big hit - it's a dark revenge drama and the biggest name is UTW who has a mixed record as far as ratings are concerned.

[lonesome dove (from livejournal.com)]

and since u r interested in revenge thrillers u should try watching ( Ezel) a turkish revenge thriller based onThe Count of Monte Cristo that has taken the world by storm including me everyone who saw it thought it is the best revenge thriller of all time the writing, acting,directing is nothing short of genius u should it check it out

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the rec!

[clairiere.livejournal.com]

Finally watching TEM (properly!) and SO. GOOD. Just what I wanted from the new crop of dramas.

Done with ep. 1, off to watch ep. 2.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I thought 2 was even better than 1 and not just because someone sat on the music director and got him to tone it down.

It's so dark and smart and I honestly never want the kid actors to leave! It never happens.