@owl22,

You're absolutely right. Considering what they've done to my blood pressure, they might as well be serial killers. :-(

@marcusnyc20 bong-soo,
Park Hoon was great in HAECHI. I've been a fan of Ryu Deok-hwan since I saw him play King Gongmin in FAITH. He had tremendous presence as the Goryeo king who had been a hostage to Yuan. His eye acting is top-notch. If you haven't seen him in GOD'S QUIZ: REBOOT with Kim Jae-won, you're in for a treat. Also, that show features an AI that figures prominently. (Speaking of MY HOLO LOVE.)

All I can say is that this cast is dynamite. I'm looking forward to seeing how they interact. ;-)

@shazzytree,
Aw, thank you for your take on CURSED. I thought it would be a good drama, I'm just not sure that I myself could get through it. Given some of the dramas I've watched in recent years (e.g., VOICE, GUEST, COME HERE AND HUG ME, KILL IT, PRIEST), I'm becoming more reluctant to put myself through the psychological wringer. It may be a matter of timing, too. I might have to be in the right mood to give it a try. Sometimes the stress of live-watching makes it that much more difficult. But that's just me. ;-)

Thank you for that link, @loveblossom. I didn't know LDW has a talk show. He asks interesting questions.

FWIW @pakalanapikake. I checked out the 2 teasers available at Kocowa.
KSH appears to be in fine form and I got a Jane Tennison (PRIME SUSPECT) vibe but one who is more physical.

We're on the same wavelength, @yuyuu. There is a double standard for sure. What's sauce for the gander should be sauce for the goose as well. Hrmpf!

I wonder if it has something to do with female characters often being poorly written and underdeveloped, so that they are basically cardboard. Also frequently missing in action is a back story that gives insight into such characters' motivations. Without that, it's difficult to empathize with them. I really can't stand it when female baddies seem to be motivated by pure bitchiness, which crops up quite often in older dramas.

It's a breath of fresh air when a skilled actress brings a baddie to life with finesse and layers of nuance -- as well as outright malevolence. I cannot abide the screeching that used to be par for the course for such characters. Give me mesmerizing eye acting, captivating voice modulation, deft micro-expressions, and body language that speaks volumes, and I'll be a happy camper. And maybe most important of all, the ability to go for broke while doing all of the above.

I just watched ep. 15 of CRASH LANDING ON YOU. Oh Man-seok has been doing a great job with his villainous character. Even though he does evil things, I can understand why, and how he got to be that way. He's evil and tragic, and never had a chance. Why can't female villains be cut the same kind of slack?

Now that I think of it, Honey Lee did a memorable job portraying Yeonsangun's red hot mama Jang Nok-soo in REBEL. She was hell-bent on revenge, and rightfully so. REBEL also gave us the greedy wife of Yangban Jo, who was played to perfection by Seo Yi-sook, who also portrayed Lee Pil-mo's mother from hell in HAPPY HOME. She is magnificent in both roles. Why does she get a pass, while Kim Seo-hyung does not? Might it have something to do with both of Seo Yi-sook's mother figures living up to Confucian ideals, whereas Kim Seo-hyung's Shin Ae-ri in TEMPTATION OF WIFE is a femme fatale who messes around like one of the boys (whose randy behavior always gets a patriarchal free pass)? [I just watched the first two episodes, to get a taste of the character. She's already a piece of work.]

It could be that Kim Seo-hyung's vivid portrayal of a female character who merrily flouted social norms ran into the brick wall of conservatism in ROK. That's just my guess.