'Shadow Detective' returns for Season 2 as more intricate thriller

From left, actors Kim Shin-rok, Lee Sang-min, director Han Dong-hwa, actors Kyung Soo-jin, Lee Hak-joo pose during the press conference for the Disney+ original series “Shadow Detective”, held in Yongsan District, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Walt Disney Co

By Lee Gyu-lee

Disney+ original series “Shadow Detective” is set to return with the second season as a more intense and intricate thriller.

“The key point of 'Shadow Detective' Season 2 is (the story's) expanded universe. (The story) is more extensive and there is more to see. Season 1 was about constant attacks from the antagonist. But Season 2 will be about silent battles and clashes between the protagonist and antagonists. So it will be like watching a spy series, which will be interesting,” the show's director Han Dong-hwa, said at a press conference for the series, held in Yongsan District, Seoul, Monday.

The crime series revolves around detective Kim Taek-rok (Lee Sang-min), who was looking forward to a peaceful life after his imminent retirement. But his life turns upside down when he receives a phone call from a mysterious man, becoming the prime suspect of his co-worker's murder.

Season 2, which will release on Wednesday, will follow Kim getting transferred to the Women and Juvenile Affairs Division. Just when he thought he solved the case by revealing the mysterious man, Kim gets another anonymous threat and teams up with fellow detectives Lee Seong-ah (Kyung Soo-jin) and Song Kyeong-cheon (Lee Hak-joo) to uncover the truth.

Han, the director, who is known for leading the action crime series, "Squad 38" (2016) and "Bad Guys" (2014), reprised his role for the new season.

A scene from the Disney+ original series “Shadow Detective 2” / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea

“Kim Taek-rok's tenacity and eagerness to find the suspect behind (the crimes) will be depicted in a deeper sense. And the characters have become more intense, which made this series more suspenseful,” the director said.

Lee Sang-min shared that his character will have a different tone in the new season.

“I knew that there was going to be Season 2 when we were doing Season 1, so I was preparing for it mentally. (Season 2's) the script had a different tone than the first season. In Season 1, Taek-rok had a lot of physically draining scenes. But in Season 2, he uses his brain more,” he said. “Unlike the previous season, this one has more of spy genre nuance than the action genre.”

The new season welcomes a new cast member, Kim Shin-rok, who will play the character of Yeon Joo-hyun, the head of the team at the Women and Juvenile Affairs Division.

“It's unclear whether Joo-hyun is Taek-rok's enemy or a friend. You don't know what she wants. Her role is to add tension and suspense,” she said. “Towards the end, the truth behind the character is unveiled, but in the start, I tried to make my character appear more repressive in expressing her feelings.”