[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Mad Dog" Episode 3

A cat and mouse game is great, but a slow burning fight between two mad dogs is not too shabby when the progress is decent. Kang-woo and his "Mad Dog" team turn Min-joon into their investigation's target; a move which the young man welcomes, even if he is met with more challenge than he anticipated. Meanwhile, a new face has surprising ties to the protagonists' past.

Advertisement

Episode three delivers more progress with the dog team and that is most welcome. In fact, the human element of the story is the most interesting one and that is no surprise; stories are all about experiencing nature and humanity. I find the fact that the team's backstories frame current cases and guide our hero's morality back to something less cynical quite encouraging. It is good writing, because it also helps audiences relate through someone closer than a guest character.

I am wondering what direction the series will be taking, however. Will every person of interest be another piece in the puzzle Min-joon (Woo Do-hwan) is piecing together while Kang-woo (Yoo Ji-tae) trails behind him, waiting for it all to make sense? Following an oblivious character towards a known outcome does not sound like an excting story, so my hope is that doubt will start creeping into Kang-woo's mind, making him directly involved in this mystery.

Then we have the politics. Oh where would Dramaland be without its Rich Evil Dudes™, their fake laughter and their backstabbings over expensive sashimi and drinks. This sequence and its characters are sadly an absolute snooze. Joo Hyeon-gi (Choi Won-young) is greedy with an inferiority complex and Chairman Cha (Jung Bo-suk) is a neglecting, calculating father. Cha Hong-joo (Hong Soo-hyun) is standard case of a smitten antagonist with daddy issues. I am waiting for nuance, "Mad Dog".

For now, I am curious about where Min-joon's behavior toward Kang-woo stems from. Is it just a facade to mask his fears and weaknesses or does he have some personal grudge against Kang-woo? If Chairman Cha had anything to do with the crash or if Min-joon thinks that he did, that would explain a lot. Kang-woo is still his most loyal dog, after all and as far as Min-joon is concerned.

Most of all, I want to see meatier content from the individual cases. I understand that Kang Eun-joo (Park Ji-yeon-I) is suspicious and that this case is more about our leads than her, but she is a dull, standardized victim stereotype. The creators clearly understand that pity does not equal deeper emotional involvement, so I hope they pay the same attention to guest characters as they do to their main ones.

"Mad Dog" is directed by Hwang Ee-kyeong, written by Kim Soo-jin-V and features Yoo Ji-tae, Woo Do-hwan, Ryu Hwa-young, Kim Hye-sung and Jo Jae-yun.

Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

Watch on Viki

Note: Due to licensing, videos may not be available in your country