What is it with guys in uniform that makes them so attractive, ’cause damn, Lee Jun-ki (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo) looks good. When I first heard that there was going to be a Korean remake of Criminal Minds, I was interested because it’s an old favorite of mine among the many procedural shows out there and also because the production companies behind the remake have really solid credits to their name: NEW produced hit films Miracle in Cell No. 7, Roaring Currents, and Train to Busan, and Taewon Entertainment is known for IRIS and the Marrying the Mafia trilogy. And then, they go ahead and cast Lee Jun-ki, and I was completely sold.
The premise of the American show is pretty basic: Criminal Minds revolves around a team of federal agents who profile criminals in order to catch them. It’s a long-running show in its twelfth season, and inevitably, the cases can get repetitive, but I think its saving grace is the rapport between the team members of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. There are some really cute relationships in the original series—like between Morgan and Penelope, or Morgan and Reid (why did you have to leave Morgan?!)—so I’m hoping the Korean remake can replicate those aspects of the show, especially if they’re considering a multi-season format as was reported in earlier articles.
Production is currently underway and the following stills have been released picturing the cast on set, giving us brief glimpses of our team of profilers, as well as a frail-looking Park Geun-hyung (Because I Love You), who will play the director of the fictional agency NCI. Lee Jun-ki’s team members will include Sohn Hyun-joo (Three Days), Moon Chae-won (Goodbye Mr. Black), Lee Sun-bin (Missing 9), and Go Yoon (Monster).
The station hasn’t confirmed Criminal Minds’s place on its schedule yet, but they’re in talks to have the remake premiere in July in their new Wednesday-Thursday slot. tvN, you’ve given us a good American remake (The Good Wife) and a crappy one (Entourage)—let’s have the pendulum swing back to good, shall we?
