Jisung fell from judge to criminal, announcing a powerful start to the drama.
On Jan. 2, the first episode of MBC's Friday-Saturday drama The Judge Returns (planned by Jang Jae-hoon, written by Kim Kwang-min, directed by Lee Jae-jin and Park Mi-yeon) unfolded a shocking development in which Lee Han-young (played by Jisung), who habitually issued unjust rulings under orders from Haenal Law Firm, suddenly found himself in the defendant's chair. That day's ratings were 4.3% nationwide households and 4.1% in the Seoul metropolitan area according to Nielsen Korea. In particular, the scene in which Lee Han-young, wearing a prison uniform and sitting in the defendant's chair, cried out "(It wasn't me), it wasn't me" shot up to a momentary high of 6.9% nationwide households according to Nielsen Korea, drawing attention. In addition, reflecting changes in media consumption, the key channel competitiveness indicator for viewers aged 20–54 was 1.6%, signaling a smooth start.
Yesterday's broadcast opened with a cold moment from Lee Han-young, nicknamed the "servant judge." His chilly marital relationship born of a loveless marriage, and his cold attitude in dismissing industrial accident claims by workers at Gojin Chemical at the behest of Haenal Law Firm, led to the tragedy of pushing Han Na-young (played by Im Yul-ri), who became a leukemia patient because of him, to suicide.
Afterward, Lee Han-young visited his family home to celebrate his mother Shin Nam-suk's (played by Hwang Young-hee) birthday but was thoroughly ignored. That was because Na-young, who died as a result of Han-young's biased rulings, had been a neighbor living in the downstairs unit of Nam-suk. Han-young noticed that Nam-suk had left for Na-young's wake having forgotten her asthma inhaler and hurried after her, but he received a call from Yoo Sun-chul (played by Ahn Nae-sang), the head of Haenal Law Firm and his father-in-law, and went to meet him. Meanwhile, under orders from Supreme Court Chief Justice Kang Shin-jin (Park Heesoon), Sun-chul conspired to pin embezzlement of slush funds and public funds from S Group chairman Jang Tae-sik (Kim Beom-rae) on S Construction CEO Choi Jong-hak (Kim Song-il). While Han-young wavered under the pull of the darkness, his mother Nam-suk, left alone, ultimately died.
Meanwhile, Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office prosecutor Kim Jin-a (played by Won Jin-a) noticed the game was being upended when she, who had been struggling to catch S Group chairman Jang Tae-sik (played by Kim Beom-rae), learned that Director General Judge Han-young was being assigned to the criminal division. Jin-a visited the nursing hospital where Han-young's father Lee Bong-seok (played by Jung Jae-sung) was staying and confronted Han-young, warning him not to interfere with the S Group trial. Reunited at the Seoul Central District Court, Han-young and Jin-a continued a tense battle of nerves. In that process, Jin-a's remark, "I went after Jang Tae-sik as soon as I was appointed a prosecutor," piqued curiosity about the hidden story behind her.
In the meantime, Han-young delivered an unexpected counterattack. Doubting his own actions, he suddenly submitted his resignation letter and declared, "My dealings with Haenal Law Firm end here," and announced his divorce from his wife Yoo Se-hee (played by Oh Se-young). He also defied the powerful by seeking 10 years in prison and a 24 billion won fine in the Jang Tae-sik case. But the momentum was short-lived: one month later, the episode ended with Han-young standing trial in the defendant's chair, exploding viewers' expectations for future developments.
Thus, The Judge Returns briskly depicted the fall of corrupt judge Lee Han-young, who had thought only of himself, foreshadowing a stormy development. The unmatched veteran actors Jisung, Park Heesoon and Won Jin-a delivered overwhelming acting synergy, and the drama's suspenseful progression through calibrated pacing instantly captivated viewers, leaving them eager for episode 2.
[Photo] MBC's The Judge Returns broadcast capture
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