SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Taxi Driver 3' (writer Oh Sang-ho/director Kang Bo-seung/produced by Studio S, Group Eight, BN Entertainment) closed its epic run by avenging the great evil that dreamed of "martial law" through the sacrifice of the 'taxi hero' Lee Je-hoon, who gave his life, and the solidarity of citizens, delivering a weighty aftertaste and exhilarating catharsis.
Along with this, the final episode of 'Taxi Driver 3,' which aired on the 10th (Sat), recorded ratings of up to 16.6% and an average of 13.7% in the Seoul metropolitan area, surpassing competitors in its time slot and holding the overwhelming No. 1 position among mini-series broadcast during the week. In particular, the 20-49 rating reached 4.6% and peaked at 5.55%, cementing its title as the best drama of 2026. As a result, it succeeded in rewriting the success story of Korean-style seasonal dramas, and we review the meaningful achievements left by 'Taxi Driver 3,' which made viewers wish it would run forever.
# standing tall as a domestic and then global hit IP, even more powerful box-office strength
Even before its first broadcast, 'Taxi Driver 3,' welcomed as the return of a mega-hit IP viewers trust, drew intense public attention and, throughout its run, not only heated domestic ratings, buzz and OTT results but also climbed global charts, showcasing even stronger box-office power. According to the weekly chart for the first week of January (Dec. 29–Jan. 4) released by Asian regional OTT platform Viu, 'Taxi Driver 3' ranked No. 1 in major Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore.
In particular, it continued long-running success by ranking No. 1 for seven consecutive weeks in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, and in Thailand the subtitled version was No. 1 while the dubbed version was No. 2, receiving broad love from local viewers. Beyond Asia, it also recorded seven consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the Middle East, once again proving the strength of 'Taxi Driver 3' as a global hit IP.
# double grand prize winner Lee Je-hoon, crowned a hero icon 'God Doki'
A "new history" was born with a single seasonal drama producing two grand prize winners. At the 2025 SBS Drama Awards, Lee Je-hoon won his second grand prize for 'Taxi Driver 3' and succeeded in elevating the 'taxi hero Kim Do-gi' character from merely a charming hero to a true "hero icon." His performance, which traversed a range of emotional temperatures—from heartfelt compassion for victims to burning vengeance toward villains and warm affection for the rainbow family—immersed viewers deeply in the world of 'Taxi Driver 3.'
Moreover, Lee Je-hoon's performance, which flawlessly executed even more dynamic action sequences, was pure exhilaration. The variety of character play—Doki the turbulent man, Doki the pushover, Doki the gambler, Doki the Lorenzo, manager Doki, and even soldier Doki—switching between his main and alter egos, painted the year-end and New Year viewing with a "God Doki" craze.
# three seasons in a row as a complete set! the irreplaceable chemistry of the five Jjangji members
Especially notable was the season in which the "Rainbow five"—Kim Do-gi, Representative Jang (played by Kim Eui-sung), Go Eun (played by Pyo Ye-jin), Chief Choi (played by Jang Hyuk-jin) and Assistant Park (played by Bae Yu Ram)—returned for three consecutive seasons with "the same members." Looking back at past seasonal dramas, it is hard to find precedent for a series continuing through seasons without changing its main cast lineup like the 'Taxi Driver' series. But 'Taxi Driver 3' accomplished this difficult feat and produced varied entertainment through increasingly tightened character relationships and narratives over successive seasons.
Each member developed one step further in their roles, delivering laughs with varied alter-ego play alongside Doki, and at times moving viewers with a bond more intimate than real family. In addition, moments such as Go Eun and Doki switching roles to confront villains, Assistant Park's relationship of constantly being on the losing end with Doki, and Chief Choi returning after a humiliating defeat by a villain after taking a Taxi Driver run provided comic and entertaining highlights—sights made possible by the solid narrative that the "Rainbow five" had built over three consecutive seasons.
# an all-star rogues' gallery with no weak link
In 'Taxi Driver 3,' lead-tier actors made special appearances as the main villain in each episode, adding intense impact. Starting with Japan's rising star Kasamatsu Shō (as Matsuda), followed by Yoon Si-yoon (as Cha Byeong-jin), who even underwent extreme weight loss for the role, veteran genre actor Eum Moon-suk (as Cheon Gwang-jin) and Kim Sungkyu (as Go Seong-hyeok) who brought suspense with veteran performances, Jang Nara (as Kang Ju-ri) who took on her first villainous role since debut and drew sensational attention, and Kim Jong-soo (as Oh Won-sang) who capped the series—outstanding actors lent firepower to 'Taxi Driver 3.' With even more powerful villains, the revenge blades of the "Rainbow dark heroes" grew sharper, filling living rooms with explosive catharsis.
# "like a movie" perfect writer-director-actor harmony that led a flood of viewer praise
Above all, 'Taxi Driver 3' received evaluations that it felt like watching a film thanks to upgraded mise-en-scène. Writer Oh Sang-ho added explosive episodes atop a solid story that organically connected previous seasons, and director Kang Bo-seung stood at the center of praise by sensitively and clearly directing mise-en-scène, and various directorial elements that deepened the narrative—music, art, lighting and editing. On such a well-built foundation, the actors thrived like fish in water, leading to praise that the writer-director-actor (writer+director+actor) synergy was a complete form.
Meanwhile, SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Taxi Driver 3' is a personal revenge agency drama in which the taxi company Rainbow Transportation, shrouded in mystery, and taxi driver Kim Do-gi carry out revenge on behalf of wronged victims. It concluded with episode 16 on the 10th (Sat).
[Photo] SBS
[OSEN]