'The Mantis: Original Sin' exploded right from its first episode.
According to the ratings research company Nielsen Korea on the 6th, the SBS new Friday-Saturday drama 'The Mantis: Original Sin' (directed by Byeon Young-joo, written by Lee Young-jong), which aired on September 5, recorded 7.3% in the metropolitan area and 7.1% nationwide, instantly taking the number one spot in its time slot and among miniseries aired on Fridays. The momentary highest rating soared to a remarkable 8.7%, and the 2049 ratings, which are a key indicator of channel competitiveness, also averaged 2%, with a peak of 2.57%. It proved its buzz by sweeping various number one spots right from its first episode.
'The Mantis: Original Sin,' a high-density crime thriller depicting the collaboration between a serial killer mother and a detective son, garnered heated expectations even before airing due to its 'dream team' combination of cast and crew. The unveiling of 'The Mantis: Original Sin' was intense and special enough to exceed those high expectations. It was said to showcase the essence of a well-made genre piece.
'The Mantis: Original Sin' episode 1 began at a brutal murder scene. Police officer Choi Joong-ho (played by Jo Sung-ha) recalled the serial murder case he had dealt with in the past upon seeing the corpse discovered at the scene. 23 years ago, in a small mining town, a woman known as 'The Mantis' killed five men suspected of either committing violence against women or child abuse. The perpetrator of the sensational 'Mantis' serial murder case was Jeong Yi-shin (played by Go Hyun-jung).
Twenty-three years have passed, and now in the present, Jeong Yi-shin's son Cha Su-yeol (played by Jang Dong-yoon) has become a police officer. Cha Su-yeol confronted a woman high on drugs who was trying to kill her husband and throw her daughter off the roof. A dangerous situation where the child could die. Cha Su-yeol shot the child's mother in the leg to save the child, but this led to his superior reprimanding him. Watching the child left alone due to her criminal mother made Cha Su-yeol recall his past.
Meanwhile, Choi Joong-ho requested help from Jeong Yi-shin for the investigation of a copycat crime related to 'The Mantis' that occurred after 23 years. Jeong Yi-shin agreed to cooperate with two conditions: one was a location that was not a prison but a retirement house, and the other was that she would only speak through her son Cha Su-yeol. All of this was kept confidential. Cha Su-yeol, who had hated his mother all his life, protested, but to prevent further murders, he went to meet Jeong Yi-shin with Choi Joong-ho.
Thus, Jeong Yi-shin and her son Cha Su-yeol reunited after 23 years. However, it was certainly not a reunion filled with longing. Cha Su-yeol tried to suppress his feelings of anger and spoke coldly, while Jeong Yi-shin also wavered at first but soon transformed her face from mother to murderer. In addition, the two provoked each other amid their bubbling emotions. Jeong Yi-shin uttered frightening words, saying, 'Smell of blood? I like it. It's the smell that was there when you were born,' and requested to see the crime scene from Cha Su-yeol.
Eventually, Choi Joong-ho and Cha Su-yeol brought Jeong Yi-shin to the crime scene. Jeong Yi-shin played music and hummed while observing the crime scene. As she intermittently seemed to get excited as if reminiscing about her past murder moments, Cha Su-yeol was filled with rage. Jeong Yi-shin never easily provided clues to Cha Su-yeol; she left only one significant remark. However, Cha Su-yeol caught a crucial clue from Jeong Yi-shin's words.
Cha Su-yeol, who has no choice but to rely on Jeong Yi-shin to prevent further murders, is unable to discern whether Jeong Yi-shin is using him or genuinely helping him. Thus begins the cooperative investigation of a mother and son who resemble each other yet are different. 'The Mantis: Original Sin' episode 1 concluded with Jeong Yi-shin's eerie smile that sends chills down the spine.
'The Mantis: Original Sin' episode 1 perfectly aligned the three essential elements for a high-quality work: script, directing, and acting. Writer Lee Young-jong filled the script with meticulous storytelling and multidimensional characters. Director Byeon Young-joo elevated the tension of the drama with a sensuous yet detailed direction. Jang Dong-yoon raised audience immersion with a deeper performance, combining strong charisma.
Above all, the presence of the all-time legendary actor Go Hyun-jung, transformed into a brutal serial killer, was overwhelming. With a single word or a glance, Go Hyun-jung's performance convincingly established the identity of the drama 'The Mantis: Original Sin.' Trusted actors such as Jo Sung-ha, Lee El (as Kim Na-hee), and Kim Bo-ra (as Lee Jeong-yeon) solidly supported the drama. Byun Yo-han and Ko Joon made special appearances to add strength to 'The Mantis: Original Sin.'
'The Mantis: Original Sin,' which not only grabbed viewers' hearts for 60 minutes but also raised curiosity and anticipation for the next episode with a powerful ending, has proven the potential of a historic genre masterpiece created by the 'dream team' in just its first episode. The second episode of SBS's new Friday-Saturday drama 'The Mantis: Original Sin' will air tonight, September 6, at 9:50 p.m.
[Photo] SBS 'The Mantis: Original Sin' broadcast capture
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