Stranger 2 is one of those rare kdrama sequels, picking up 3 years after Stranger 1, and continues to follow prosecutor Hwang Shi Mok (Cho Seungwoo) and police inspector Han Yeo Jin (Bae Doona) in their quest for justice.
A surprisingly large number of characters came back from season 1 - I think almost every one except the ones who died in S1. I guess all of the cast should have very positive memories of working on the show, and would be happy to be back considering the acclaim and awards the first season got. Everyone's favourite weasel Seo Dong Jae (Lee Joon Hyuk) is also back and is somehow quite likeable this season, and also plays a key role. We also get a couple of important new characters - most significantly Yeo Jin's new superior Choi Bit (the awesome Jeon Hye Jin) and Shi Mok's new superior Woo Tae Ha (Choi Moo Sung). Of course we all loved the Shi Mok-Yeo Jin dynamic, and this season, we see how much they really trust each other, where even putting them on seemingly opposite sides of the police-prosecutor battle for investigative rights isn't able to waver their support and trust in each other.
But the highlight of this season for me was the relationship between Yeo Jin and Choi Bit, where Yeo Jin finally finds someone she respects and Choi Bit finds someone she wants to groom yet everything comes crumbling down at the end. I love Jeon Hye Jin as an actress since Search WWW and she continues to be outstanding as Choi Bit - and my heart really broke for BOTH characters in THAT scene in ep 15.
This season is quite significantly different from the first, where there are so many plot threads that are seemingly unrelated. But you have to trust the writer, and trust that it's all linked in the end. This seemingly unrelated plot threads almost meant that the first half of the show could feel slow or meandering, although it's actually all setting up for the second half of the show. One of my favourite parts was when Shi Mok asked Chief Prosecutor Kang for a favour, then realised he was doing exactly what he disapproves higher ups of doing - currying favour, using connections to get things done. It was such an effective moment to underscore how easy it is for people to slip into this spiral, just like how Choi Bit just got dragged into that situation.
The ending was open and that gives me hope for season 3! I would watch endless seasons of Shi Mok and Yeo Jin eating and solving mysteries together.
