And that's where the drama wins by using small but extremely powerful interactions between characters that does wonders to humanize everything and make you emotionally connect with these people. Ofcourse, with a show like this the biggest danger is of it going in the direction where it becomes clinical, preachy, dry and boring. I felt my mind broaden and working overtime and I absolutely loved every second of it. To the point that I actually felt productive after watching each episode. Who don't like heavy dialogues and aren't fans of politics, debates and philosophical questions. However, I will say that this is not reccomended for those who like their shows easy to digest. And it hits home beautifully as the final episodes approach and the intensity skyrockets. It's actually fucking smart with zero plotholes as the story flows smoothly, connecting all dots as episodes progress. This is not a show that is trying to pretend to be complicated and fool viewers into thinking it's smart with lazy writing. The beauty of it is that nothing that's happening is stupid. All along, you feel like something important is happening and you just can't miss it even when there are no huge developments. The show, like its predecessor does not bank on thrill or 'the next big moment' instead it takes its time, moving with this undercurrent of tension you can't look away from. Slowly but surely, all the various plotlines come together to meet and punctuate the overall message with multiple punches. The drama gives you a serious mental workout as it forces you to pay attention to everything. From there on it branches out to multiple plotlines as more and more cases, mysteries and problems come to light. A lot of dirty politics is involved as both the sides try to one up each other. The story starts with a battle between the police and prosecution as they debate over investigative rights. How the media, the prosecution, the police and the conglomerates influence the very foundation of a nation and yet there is always some conflict of interest between them. It's a critique on the system that runs a country. Stranger 2 is less action focused and takes more of a philosophical note for the most part. Despite that, however, the story hooked me in and kept me with it throughout. I, for one watched it 3 years after finishing the first season and because of my goldfish memory, I remembered absolutely nothing. And this season deals with the aftermath of a lot of things that went down in the past. There are no re-introductions as their personalities have already been established in the previous season.
Why? Because, even though S2 follows a whole new storyline, the characters are the same. If you don't remember season 1 at all, I suggest you give it a rewatch before going into this or else find a friend who is a MASSIVE stranger fan to run you through the past events like I did.
Season 2 of Stranger follows the journey of Prosecutor Hwang Shi Mwok and Superintendent Han Yeo Jin in their relentless persuit of the truth even when everyone around them seems hella shady. An excellently written masterpiece that will make you feel intelligent.