Season 1 was wonderful and I think Season 2 ending up being somewhat average was very disappointing. Before this golden age of TV and streaming, it's like watching a wonderful movie in theatres and then some direct-to-video sequel comes along. It was fun seeing the characters who have won my heart again. But the characters end up being trapped in a less exciting story.

I think the entire drama should have just been a special movie. The bad guys were evil in a flat, mustache-twirling cliche way. The new recruit that our gang needed so badly was more like a screechy hindrance, which was stressful because the bad guys were multiple times more powerful and destructive than the first season. The fight scenes felt repetitive.

On a mental level, I can appreciate the story of the Counters' struggle for one man's soul and them learning that not even the most kind-hearted man in the world - Ma Joo-seok- can resist giving into an evil spirit when his life and his reason for living are so terribly ripped away from him. Everyone is vulnerable.

However, on an emotional level, I have trouble connecting. The bond between Ma Joo-seok and So Mun was more of a tell not show. Though I can mentally understand it, I couldn't feel it despite the actors acting their hearts out. I do connect with Ma Joo-seok's revenge goal as what was done was so terrible and the moments when the good within him comes out were touching. However, my sympathy for MJS conflicted with the Counters' goal of preventing him from seeking vengeance.

This season also leaned a little too much into So Mun being the savior. Like he is done growing and has hit the peak of Counter-hood at this ripe age of 21 - which makes him a flatter and somewhat obnoxious character this go-around.

On the positive side, the original characters were still charming and it's still magic when they're sitting around together and fighting alongside each other. It is like seeing old friends again. Some of the more emotional moments involving Hana, Ms.Choo, and Mo-tak hit pretty hard. And I think the ending is quite solid.

I started off with a live watch and sort of binged the last half. I think this drama works better as a binge. And give yourself permission to just FF or fold laundry through the boring parts. Enjoy the bonding moments!

I really really love the first season of this show, and was excited for this one to come out. I’ll start with: this one isn’t as good. It doesn’t have the same emotional weight, they don’t have the benefit of a coming of age story (and what is essentially a superhero origin story), and the rules of the world are shown to be more flexible (inconsistent?) than they were in the first season.

That said, I honestly still enjoyed it. When I was able to let go of the first season a bit, this one had lots of things to recommend it also. There is a super-slick villain (Kang Ki-young having the time of his life) who starts blindly power hungry and mostly stays that way (fair warning if you’re waiting for him to gain more depth or have a backstory). I didn’t mind that though, because there is another antagonist who arrives on the scene and has a much more complicated relationship with the Counters and with himself.

The Counters are still their adorable selves, and because the show doesn’t have to focus on So Mun as much, it has some time to spend on little stories for some of our other characters. I loved watching Do Ha-na make difficult decisions and hone her skills until she is able to do some incredible things. And Ok Chun-hui has a great side-story with someone from her early days as a Counter that I really loved. Jeok-bong’s story mostly fell flat for me - he was sort of cute but not that interesting or skillful, and it was rare that I was emotionally invested in what was going on with him. I enjoyed that Mo-tak has gone back to being a detective and I was totally delighted to find that his girlfriend’s (adorable) hoobae from the last season is now his partner!

If you totally adored the first season of The Uncanny Counter and want to spend more time with the characters you love, give this a go and keep your expectations moderate. But if you’re unsure about the first and looking to be wowed by the second, there are other cool action shows with a lot of heart that you could be watching instead.