This week we’re talking about some current runs, new releases, and next month’s Big! Ticket! release to bring us up to speed in the K-Dramaverse.
New and Currently Running:
Flex X Cop Series 2 (Korean title: Chaebol X Hyeongsa 2): Ahn Bo-Hyun (Itaewon Class, Yumi’s Cells, and Flex X Cop Series 1) stars as unimaginably wealthy chaebol heir Jin Yi-Soo, who starts out playing real-life cops-and-robbers for kicks and later realizes he has an Archer-esque talent for fighting crime. Yi-Soo is mistakenly arrested for murder on the eve of his father announcing his candidacy for mayor; over the next 24 hours, Yi-Soo goes from being disowned and disgraced to exonerated to real-life detective. His elder brother concocts this plan to save the family’s face and quash the negative PR affecting his father’s campaign. He later teams up with Lee Kang-Hyun (Park Ji-Hyun, Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung, 2019, and 2020’s Do You Like Brahms?), the embattled head of the violent crimes division. The series strives for light, bright, action entertainment, and mostly hits that mark without too much depth to complicate the fun as Yi-Soo uses his unimaginable wealth to devise elaborate traps for the baddies. The series was adapted from the 2014 Russian series Silver Spoon.
While Series 1 is definitely worth a watch, Series 2 has gotten off to a rockier start. Park Ji-Hyun left the series after initially being confirmed to reprise her role, and the resulting rewrite feels obvious. The series now makes room for Yi-Soo’s new partner, and to his dismay, this turns out to be none other than his former police academy instructor from the conclusion of Series 1. Counterterrorism agent Joo Hye-Ra is played by Jung Eun-Chae, who was so deliciously evil as the corrupt prime minister in 2019’s The King: Eternal Monarch. While Series 1 focused on character building via a chaebol succession drama and early recovered-memory trauma, in Series 2 we’re simply told that Yi-Soo dislikes his new superior, and the rich-boy-turned-cop set pieces meant to illustrate his limitless resources are increasingly preposterous. Think private jets and fake mariachi bands as part of an international sting operation to capture con men on the lam. However, as of this writing, only four episodes have been released of Series 2, so Yi-Soo’s continuing story still has time to find its footing.
Flex X Cop Series 2 is currently available on Disney+, with new episodes dropping weekly.
Worth Your Weekend:
By contrast, if A Shop for Killers Series 2 isn’t already on your watchlist, it should be. In Series 1, we met Jeong Jinman, owner of Murthehelp, a literal online shopping mall for mercenaries and assassins that he operates out of the basement of the family home. Charged with the upbringing of his niece, Ji-An, following the revenge killing of his brother and sister-in-law, Jinman protects and raises her until his untimely death just as Ji-An reaches adulthood. Series 1 is tightly paced and well-acted, starring Lee Dong-Wook of Goblin, Touch Your Heart, and My Girl as Jeong Jinman. Kim Hye-Jun of Kingdom costars as Jeong Ji-An, surely the most unobservant niece in the history of blood relations, who is suddenly confronted with her uncle’s career—and clientele—after his death. The first series centers around a siege on the family home that takes place over the course of a single day, with Jeong Jinman’s and Ji-An’s stories told via flashbacks.
In Series 2, the stakes and scope of the story are higher. Ji-An has fled to an island but finds herself unable to elude Babylon, the shadowy organization that originally targeted her uncle and family. Deciding to fight back, she takes on Babylon, ultimately assuming control of Murthehelp—and the mayhem only intensifies from there. The real treat of both Series 1 and 2 is the interaction between Jeong Jinman and Ji-An, as Ji-An grows from traumatized child to reluctant heir apparent. Lee Dong-Wook’s unflappable delivery provides a crisp contrast to Kim Hye-Jun’s resentful young adult energy.
My one true gripe with both Series 1 and 2 is that they are presented to American audiences in a dubbed format, which I despise. The original Korean vocal track appears to be available through the standalone Hulu app, but not through Hulu via Disney+. The dubbing is predictably awkward in places. Thanks, Disney! If you can get past this, though, both series are well worth your time. The series are short, at just eight episodes apiece, perfect for weekend bingeing. Both seasons are Disney+ originals and are available for streaming on Hulu.
The Big! Ticket!
Which brings us to the upcoming new release that I have been saving room in my watchlist for! The Scandal, set in the Joseon era (1392-1897) and produced by Netflix, is scheduled for release on September 18, 2026. The series is inspired by the 2003 Korean film Untold Scandal, itself based on Dangerous Liaisons, depicted here as Joseon nobility constrained by Confucian societal norms. The ethereal Son Ye-Jin (Crash Landing on You, Thirty-Nine) stars as Lady Cho. Starring opposite her in the role of Cho Won is Ji Chang-Wook (Empress Ki, The K2), whose 2014 drama Healer still stands as many a drama lover’s gateway drug. NANA (Love in Contract, My Man Is Cupid, and the upcoming Climax) is also set to star in the role of a young widow who has vowed to remain chaste. Netflix has predictably kept this series under wraps, so there are no trailers yet to share.
