We only have one premiere this coming week, and for once I’m grateful it’s not more! Dramaland has dumped a whole slew of shows on us recently, so it’s nice to have a little breathing room, and focus only on one newcomer at a time. Some of us are still trying to catch up on sleep from all those other premieres!
Forest of Secrets
Time slot: Saturday & Sunday
Broadcaster: tvN
Genre: Legal-police thriller
Episode count: 16
Reasons to watch: Jo Seung-woo and Bae Doo-na, for sure. He barely ever does dramas, but remember how awesome he was in God’s Gift–14 Days that we—and the show itself—nicknamed him Captain Awesome? Jo brings an intensity and gravitas to television that carries over from his film and theater experience (Inside Men, Tazza), and he can be very personable as well—even if his character here is more on the unfeeling end of the emotional spectrum. Bae Doo-na is similar in that she’s been more active in recent years in film (and crossover Hollywood) projects (Sense8, Tunnel, A Girl at My Door), but she’s always welcome back in dramaland.
Forest of Secrets is entirely pre-produced, and while that has been hit or miss in its results, in this case I think the extra production lead time will be in the show’s favor, as it looks tightly plotted and suspenseful. Set in the prosecutor’s office and dealing with corruption within the system, I’m anticipating shadowy characters with hidden motives and dark secrets—it’s this setup that makes up the metaphorical forest of secrets that our main characters find themselves navigating, one as a cold prosecutor (Jo) and the other as a warm detective (Bae). It doesn’t look like a light watch, but this might be one for you if you’re in the mood for something meaty and dark.