This week’s premieres don’t have much in common, but they both touch on what it means to lead a life well-lived.
Hyena
Time slot: Friday & Saturday
Broadcaster: SBS
Genre: Legal
Episode count: 16
Reasons to watch: Kim Hye-soo and Joo Ji-hoon are going head to head as top lawyers and bitter rivals from totally different worlds. Kim Hye-soo was born into poverty while Joo Ji-hoon has only ever known privilege and comfort. Early on in life, Kim set her sights on becoming a laywer; though she was too poor to attend college, she passed the bar thanks to her top-notch intellect. From that point on her life is solely about the pursuit of money and she manages to build up an impressively moneyed clientele. In contrast, Joo Ji-hoon is the ultimate “gold spoon,” with law being the family business. Blessed with a sharp mind, his entire life has been one smooth ride until he meets Kim Hye-soo. While Kim’s priority is money, Joo’s priority is accumulating power so when two people with different goals are chasing after the same clients, it’s a battle of the fittest to see who will emerge on top. I’m still not sure if this will be a serious look at the 1% and lawyers, or more of a comedic satire but either way, I can’t wait to see the Kim Hye-soo–Joo Ji-hoon match up.
Hi Bye, Mama!
Time slot: Saturday & Sunday
Broadcaster: JTBC
Genre: Fantasy, human
Episode count: 16
Reasons to watch: Life was wonderful for Kim Tae-hee and her husband Lee Kyu-hyung; they had a happy marriage and a lovely baby. But Kim dies in a sudden accident, she’s unable to move on in the afterlife and he’s left to cope with becoming a widower and single dad. As the years go by, Kim Tae-hee is stuck in limbo until one day she finds herself back on the mortal plane. She’s been given a literal second chance at life, if she can complete her reincarnation mission within 49 days, she’ll be able to stay with her family. But after 5 years, Lee had come to terms with his loss and is newly remarried to Go Bo-kyul. When he learns his once-dead wife is very much alive, where will his heart lead him? Will Kim Tae-hee succeed in completing her mission and stay by her daughter’s side? Hi Bye, Mama! was penned by the writer of Go Back Spouses, Kwon Hye-joo so have your tissues handy as I expect we’ll be crying through this one too.