(continuing from interview ②) The Judge Returns PD Lee Jae-jin answered questions about plans for season 2 and reward vacations.
Recently, at the MBC building in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, a press briefing was held for PD Lee Jae-jin, who directed the MBC Friday-Saturday drama The Judge Returns.
Based on a web novel of the same name, The Judge Returns is a justice-fulfillment time-slip drama about Judge Lee Han-young (portrayed by Jisung), a corrupt judge who lived as a slave to a giant law firm and returned to 10 years earlier to punish great evil through new choices.
The Judge Returns, which premiered on the 2nd of last month and now has only two episodes left until the finale, started with a first-episode rating of 4.3% and has risen threefold to 13.2% (Nielsen Korea, nationwide households).
When asked about his feelings and pledge after achieving double-digit ratings, Lee Jae-jin PD said, "Honestly, MBC had a very hard time last year, so I hoped things would go well and that the numbers would reach double digits. There was a strong competing program at the time, and I said I was secretly watching (Taxi Driver), but actually I watched it openly. I thought it was fun and a good work, but I also thought there were elements viewers could follow or differences, so I wasn't completely confident, but it happened sooner than I expected, so I feel good. That doesn't mean we can act too excitedly, so I've just been accepting it with joy and satisfaction."
He continued, "Many people helped make it do so well. Actors, staff, writers — it wasn't made by one person. The story in the script isn't written by a single person either; many parts were discussed, consulted and created together, and I felt good that that was recognized. At some point during the production, many outside directors and teams were involved, but most of the postproduction was done by the internal team. I'm happiest that we gathered after a long time and did well together. I'm grateful we hit double digits. I'm thankful to the staff and actors who worked together."
Regarding what he talked about with the actors about the ratings, he said, "I haven't had many specific conversations with the actors. When things go well, contacting each other can actually be something we are cautious about. But when congratulatory messages come, we often say 'thank you' and 'it's thanks to everyone.' We watched the first broadcast together and decided to watch the final broadcast together as well. I think we can share fun and enjoyable conversations. We haven't talked much yet, but when actors came separately for parts needed in postproduction, we talked happily and enjoyed it."
Especially given the current upward trend in ratings, when asked about his target rating for the final episode, Lee Jae-jin PD candidly said, "Still, I want to exceed 15%." Regarding plans for reward vacations, he took a cautious stance, saying, "That's not something I can decide. Because it was preproduced, even if it does well now and they say go on reward vacations, the staff who worked hard on the production are scattered, so I think it would be difficult to gather everyone to do something. Of course, when we first hit double digits, senior Park Hee-soon (who plays Kang Shin-jin) reacted like, 'A reward?' but that's not something I can answer."
When asked for a hint about the ending, since the last episode has not yet been released, Lee Jae-jin PD said, "I think it's a happy ending. Justice has to be fulfilled. From about episodes 11–14, the pace picks up and quickens. I'm worried it might be too fast, but that makes it more fun. Episode 13 is especially really fun. If you watch episode 13 and, before watching episode 14, read articles wondering 'how will it end,' it won't feel empty or upsetting," and added, "From the start the writer wanted to do season 2. I think we tried to leave room to move forward in our own way. You can think of it as tightly closed but with a feeling of being open."
On the possibility of producing season 2, he said, "Many people around me ask about season 2. First, it's not something I can decide alone. The writer and the actors would have to be on board, but I think the company is thinking positively. When I first met the writer, they hoped for a seasonal format, so I think it's likely to be positive. I can't give a definitive answer yet, and as a company employee, if the higher-ups say 'let's go,' then we go — it's not that we go just because we want to — but the atmosphere feels like they're thinking positively," leaving the possibility open. (Continued in interview ④.)<
[photo] MBC
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