[Focus Y] When Han Seok-gyu and Shin Seong Chae-bin met,

A family thriller with unpredictable strange developments and tight psychological warfare has made its debut. The drama "A Traitor So Intimate" recently started with strong curiosity as a psychological play with an atmosphere that was rare on small screens.

MBC's new Friday-Saturday drama "Traitor So Intimate" presented the 1st and 2nd episodes on the 12th and 13th. The drama tells the story of the nation's best profiler confronting his daughter's secrets related to a murder case under investigation, collapsing desperately, and chasing the truth in the abyss.

According to viewer rating agency Nielsen Korea today (14th), the first episode of "Such an Intimate Traitor" recorded a national viewership of 5.6%. The second episode fell slightly to 4.7%, but as it can be streamed through domestic and global OTT, if it goes viral, it is likely to gain momentum in the box office.

In last week's broadcast, the past tragedy in which the family of Jang Tae-soo (Han Seok-gyu) was hit was depicted, and several incidents in which the father-daughter relationship was cracked were also depicted. Only the occurrence of the incident was described, but the background has not yet emerged, causing speculation and stimulating viewers' reasoning.

◆ Unfriendly, father-daughter thriller...Find the truth in the abyss.

'A Very Intimate Traitor' was the winner of the 2021 MBC Drama Playbook Contest, and was supported by the judges for capturing the deep family narrative of a father and daughter in a dense mystery structure. The dense script was enough to attract viewers from the first week of broadcasting.

In the first week of broadcasting, viewers were constantly asked to guess what the truth was. Jang Tae-soo faced a situation where he had no choice but to suspect his daughter, Harbin (played by Chae Won-bin), and led the development without giving an answer whether Harbin was really related to the incident.

Jang Tae-soo found out that his daughter Harbin (played by Chae Won-bin) had secretly quit the academy and the reading room, and he suspected running away from home when he saw him leave the house with a carrier. However, Habin was on his way to a school trip, and Jang Tae-soo lets down his mind, but he receives a call that Habin is in the emergency room.

It turns out that Harbin didn't go on a school trip. To make matters worse, there was a daughter near the scene of the mysterious accident, and Jang Tae-soo, who thinks that the red thread found at the scene of the incident came from a doll in his daughter's bag, is deeply confused and suspicious.

Then, the whole story of the past when Jang Tae-soo had no choice but to doubt Harbin was revealed. Jang Tae-soo, who originally had one son and one daughter, suffered a tragedy in which his son fell to death on a picnic. Afterwards, Jang Tae-soo found a handkerchief buried in the ground, and it was a cloth that covered his eyes when the siblings played hide-and-seek.

Jang Tae-soo sensed something strange and drove his daughter. He eventually separated from his wife (played by Oh Yeon-soo), who wanted to believe his daughter's words, but even his wife committed suicide and moved back in with Harbin. Indeed, all of this made it impossible to determine whether Habin was responsible or Jang Tae-soo was suspicious.

◆ Han Suk Kyu vs Chae Won Bin. A tight psychological battle is completed with intimate acting.

While recent dramas are developing a so-called 'cider' with a clear and speedy sense of battle, the 'traitor so intimate' is still and heavy. The margin that needs to be filled with psychological warfare requires intimate acting, and the main characters have done their part properly.

Through this work, Han Seok-gyu, who returned to MBC after 30 years, showed the essence of his legendary acting. He expressed the growing anxiety and confusion over the influx of doubts with his eyes, and he provided a strong sense of immersion in the scene where he faced Harbin and eventually the emotions he had suppressed exploded.Chae Won-bin of

'Brown Hall Shinsung' showed a presence that did not fall behind actor Han Suk-kyu, a senior actor. The mysterious expression of hiding something from Jang Tae-soo, heavy diction, made him fall into the drama, making it impossible to know what Harbin's truth was.

Chae Won-bin is a rising star through Netflix's "Sweet Home" seasons 2 and 3 and the movie "Witch" part 2. Although he has appeared in many works, he is expected to emerge as a new actor who is drawing more attention by showing good acting with Han Suk-kyu based on his stable acting skills in this first major drama.

Characters around the two daughters also met realistic acting and moved vividly in the CRT. The drama was richly filled by Oh Jung-hwan (Yoon Kyung-ho), the head of the violent class team who prioritized facts and observed Jang Tae-soo from a different perspective.

◆ Sensory production and mise-en-scène...It's fun to open the details.Another point that has solidified the identity of this work from the first week of

is the directing and mise-en-scène. Director Song Yeon-hwa, who distinguished himself with the four-part short drama "The Hunt for the Wild Pig," drew attention with interior design, furniture arrangement and object use that seemed to depict the character's psychological state.

First, Jang Tae-soo's long table seems to reflect his relationship with his distant daughter. In addition, the overall toned-down screen with understated lighting, close-up of the subtle facial expression changes of the character, and camera movement in the form of moving generally slowly provide a movie-like sense of immersion.

At the moment, I am not at all sure what truth Jang Tae-soo will find between faith and doubt. As it can also be watched through a number of OTTs such as Netflix, Wave, and Coupang Play, it is expected to rise if the story progresses further and goes viral.

[Photo source = MBC]

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