Save Me 2

Assalamualaikum, good day dearest!

Title : Save Me 2

Episodes : 16

Genre : Mystery, Crime, Religious, 

Director : Lee Kwon

Writer : Joo Geum San (webcomic), Seo Joo Yeon

Network : OCN

Cast : Um Tae Goo, Cheon Ho Jin, Esom, Kim Young Min

Related : Save Me

Plot : 

The government was planning to build a dam and the construction is affecting the village of Woolchuri. The small town villagers is protesting to the government as they own the land and it is their hometown. Byung Ryul, a young man who lives at the village together with his mother, a pregnant wife and an autistic nephew receives a visit from Professor Choi who used to help him when he was in a small accident in Seoul. With the help from Professor Choi, the villagers earned the highest compensation in exchange for the evicting the village.  Feeling grateful, the villagers offers Professor Choi to stay at an empty house in their village. Upon learning that Professor Choi wanted to open a church, Byung Ryul offers to him to use the old, empty and unused hall at the village. After renovating, Professor Choi brought Pastor Song to lead the church. Kim Min Chul, a gangster who used to cause disruption at the village sense doubt the intention of Professor Choi. With Byung Ryul gone missing, he went to investigate the church, Professor Choi and Pastor Song.

The whole drama can be watched without watching the first one as the plot is entirely unrelated. This drama is set (I believe it is) before the cult case in the first season of Save Me.

SPOILER ALERT

I actually planned to watch this drama right after the first season but it was really hard. The beginning plot was a very slow build. The first two episodes were just an introduction to the characters and the foundation of what was coming. Unlike the first season where the cult already established at the town, this season showed how a cult can exist in a society.

In the midst of chaos of having their hometown taken by the government and the fight for compensation money, Elder Choi's presence in Woolchuri was like a bliss. From a stranger introduced by Byung Ryul, he quickly became the most trusted person. It was really crazy how the villagers put their trust in him just because he helped them, once. Min Cheol who had an unpleasant encounter with Elder Choi tried to save the villagers from him. But how can he save them when nobody trust him. To the villagers, Min Cheol was just someone who killed his own father (despite the fact that his father was an abusive man that regularly hit his family) and one who caused trouble.

Up until half of the drama, I always find myself asking, who is the one that need the saving? Byung Ryul was kidnapped by Elder Choi after he discovered his true color. But then he was rarely on the scene. Unlike season 1 where Sang Mi constantly tried to escape from the hell, Byung Ryul can't do anything as he is bounded and away from his hometown. Plus, Elder Choi had his voice recording that he is not ready to become a father hence no one in the village question his disappearance (yeah, they who practically said Min Cheol is untrustworthy after knowing him all his life apparently don't know what kind of person Byung Ryul is. And he lives in the village all his life). The irony.

I loves hoe every character develop as the story progressed. Min Cheol, who just wanted to prove to the villagers that Elder Choi is a bad news began to care more for the villagers. Instead of saving himself when he had the chance to, he went back to get back the compensation money so that the villagers can lives their life after leaving the town. Elder Choi's initial kind, gentle and caring personality turned to darker side as his intention became clearer. Young Sun who used to really hate her brother can finally set aside her judgement and accept him again. And the character that I really did not expect to be the way he became was Pastor Sung. He went from a just normal pastor who was thrown to the countryside to a crazy man. He is delusional, mentally unstable and downright crazy. Killing people in the name of judgement from god? Yeah, right.

I really really appreciate that this season they did not push the character to the romantic side. As in season 1, they tried to match Sang Mi with Sang Hwan but they really didn't match for me. This season, despite Pastor Sung's interest with Young Sun, it was more one sided. Plus, his interest was just a plain obsession and delusion. Young Sun definitely doesn't have any romantic feeling for him for which I'm glad.

The ending left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. While Min Cheol successfully saves Byung Ryul, his sister and Sung Ho (Byung Ryul's autistic nephew) from the disaster, he however failed to saves the villagers' future life. As they lost the compensation money, all of them avoid one another due to embarrassment and guilt. The scene where one of the elderly died and the chief police contacted and visited all of the villagers to ask them to bid the last farewell was so painful to watch. It was so heartbreaking to watch as no one even bother to go to his funeral. Instead of a happy ending like in the first season, this season is more real and very much close to the reality. 

Just like Young Sun's question at the end of the drama, will they be able to put on their faith and trust on people again? Those who they expect to save and help them had betrayed them in the worst possible way and those who they deemed as troublemaker ended up to be the one who fought for their livelihood. Sadly, that was just what society like. We tend to condemn, criticize, and even went as far as cancel them just for one mistake, one fault. We overlooked their kindness and only see the bad things. How unfortunate.

For more k-drama reviews, please visit 'K-drama review' on the menu tab !

-thes