Flower of Evil episodes 1-16 Discussion Post

[thebloomroom.livejournal.com]

Drama: Flower of Evil
Hangul: 악의 꽃
Director: Kim Cheol-Kyu
Writer: Yoo Jung-Hee
Network: tvN
Episodes: 16
Release Date: July 29 - September 23, 2020
Runtime: Wed. & Thu. 22:50
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff: Cha Ji-Won (Moon Chae-Won) is a detective. She is married to Baek Hee-Sung (Lee Joon-Gi) and they a daughter. Baek Hee-Sung seems like a committed husband and father, but he hides his cruel past and lives under another person's identity. He deceives his wife completely. Cha Ji-Won learns of his deception and chases his past.

Cast: Lee Joon-gi (Baek Hee-sung / Do Hyun-soo), Moon Chae-won (Cha Ji-won), Jang Hee-jin (Do Hae-soo), Seo Hyun-woo (Kim Moo-jin), Nam Gi-Ae (Gong Mi-Ja), Son Jong-Hak (Baek Man-Woo), Kim Ji-Hoon (Baek Hee-Sung), Jo Kyung-Sook (Moon Young-Ok), Jung Seo-Yeon (Baek Eun-Ha), Choi Dae-Hoon (Lee Woo-Cheol), Choi Young-Joon (Choi Jae-Sub), Kim Su-Oh (Im Ho-Joon).

Drama information and image from MyDramaList and AsianWiki

Thanks to babyjenkski who I copied the posting format from! I didn't see any discussion posts and daynr was harassing me to make one so here I am.
Holy ... this show was amazing. Lee Joon Gi's performance was unreal!! The man is so freaking talented. I was just bawling the last few eps.

Comments

[daynr.livejournal.com]

We should have been talking about this show every week! It was a good ride. We had to put up with our smart, capable heroes becoming idiots for a few episodes in the middle, but the ending rather worked for me.

Conclusions:

I liked that CJW got to see how manipulatively DHS can think/be, without blinders, and get a fuller sense of who her husband is. Even if heavy handed, I like how the cliff concluded.

Storyline Q, help me (I may be tired)... episode 16, Dude is in car, confessing he feels no guilt and can't trust himself, and crying it up ... aren't all those tears sort of confirmation of the self-delusion? Is he just too brainwashed in the moment to be self-aware?

Lingering Qs... Why doesn't DHS remember anything before he was 10. And why we started the series with father murdering mother and committing suicide, but ended with mother disappearing when they were kids?

And I still find DHS noona to be awfully manipulative, reporter and DHS jump to her bidding. Plus, she's a boring drip.

at least the amnesia trope was played interestingly.

also, he makes me want to date/co-habitate.

A stupid quibble , but one I notice a lot: I dislike the reddish hair with super pink/plum lipstick. Why must we clash? In our face/hair??? And then with plum pink blush and peach pink eyeshadow! STOP IT. You are clearly trying to make her pretty (versus edgy or clashy) so pick makeup that COMPLIMENTS her hair.

Also, I do like that kdramas don't try to hide lipstick on men the way Americans shows do, but I am distracted by maybe serial killer fathers in their 30s running around in plum pink lippie. Is a more natural lip color that hard to use? Considering DHS is not some fashion plate chaebol?

I have never watched a LJG show before, despite hearing repeatedly he's amazing. His face is a joy to watch as a viewer. I wish I could take two-weeks vacation and binge him.

OP admitted she found our serial killers hot. Should we judge OP? 👀

[thebloomroom.livejournal.com]

He wasnt hot in the show bc his character was so creepy but u can tell w the long black hair that the actor would be hot styled irl!!! I stand by it. LJK and the younger cop were cute tho.

[babyjenkski.livejournal.com]

Watch Lawless Lawyer too! LJK was equally amazing in that drama. Seo Yeji (Its Ok to not be OK) was his partner. Another crime drama 😊

[mallmouse.livejournal.com]

This has become my favorite kdrama. I wasn't fond of the last episodes, except the finale, which I adored.

The ML is the best actor I've ever seen. At first I wondered how come he was cast, because I know kdramas are all about the ML's looks, and his looks are so not my type. I actually much preferred Detective Choi ;) But he won me over with his acting. Can't say I liked the FL's acting that much though, tbh.

His sister was manipulative towards the 2nd ML, I so agree. And the make up artists should be fired for what they did to the 2nd FL, and, yeah, the lipstick esp. on serial killers was so distracting.

I'm sooo looking forward to the ML's next project. And also to better kdramas. Flower of evil has shown what they can do.

[daynr.livejournal.com]

His sister was such a confusing character, I mean, she exerted so much control over both of those guys, and yet she also came off as so weak and whiney. It makes me think of all those awful stereotypes and how-to-get-men lessons bullshit (how about you evolve, men!), and so I was rooting for her to just be the accomplish or something interesting instead of some doe-eyed 'save me' blah. Alas.

I haven't watched LJG's dramas either, but I've heard all of his set in the past (except Scarlet Heart) are really good. And the modern ones are so-so. And that he's not considered gorgeous, but I loved watched him act, and it makes him very attractive.

[ty.livejournal.com]

Scarlet Heart is worth watching.

[modestgoddess79.livejournal.com]

The director’s cut of Scarlet heart is worth watching

[thebloomroom.livejournal.com]

Ia i think the ML was the best kdrama performance ive seen too. It was crazy good!

It lost some of the pacing towards the end when we knew all the answers mostly but overall i was pleased. I didnt mind the sister but she was kinda boring. Moo Jin was fucking hilarious

[juhli.livejournal.com]

One of the best k-dramas this year for me (from the ones I've watched...which admittedly wasn't a lot). I loved the chemistry between the two leads, especially after that snoozefest that was Criminal MInds.

Also, Lee Junki's eyes are soso beautiful

Oh! And I'm glad i took a bit of a break around ep 12 to wait till the drama finished because live viewing the last three eps would have made me a nervous wrack lol

[babyjenkski.livejournal.com]

One of the best crime dramas I've watched. Yeah we should've had the usual weekly discussion for sure it would've been amazing to discuss this with Omona. I would've started it if I got to watch the show when it started airing but I didn't get to start watching this soon as it started airing. Anyways....

The actors were all good. The story was well written. And they gave us a good ending.

And if intersted to watch another LJK crime drama, go check out Lawless Lawyer

[ty.livejournal.com]

I just finished it. I did not quite have the same experience, I felt it went way too slow and I fast forwarded it a lot.

Kim Ji-hoon was excellent in this. He was terrifying. Utterly terrifying.