The Scarecrow Review: With Park Joon-woo directing and Lee Ji-hyun writing, 허수아비 is definitely one of the most gloomy K-dramas this year. This 12-episode ENA drama is presently ongoing in its seventh episode with Park Hae-soo as Kang Tae-joo, Lee Hee-joon as Cha Si-young and Kwak Sun-young as Seo Ji-won alongside Song Geon-hee as Lee Gi-beom, Seo Ji-hye as Kang Sun-yeong, Jung Moon-sung as Lee Ki-hwan, and others. With similar inspiration from the same serial murders in real life that were used for Memories of Murder, this series does not concentrate on just solving the murder case, but rather on the total destruction caused by one single incident.
-Based On Episodes 1 to 7-
The Scarecrow Review
The K-drama The Scarecrow begins in 2019 when the ex-cop, Kang Tae-joo, finds out that the serial killer whom he could not apprehend in 1988 has at last been identified. However, what is expected to be an enjoyable revelation is rather made to be extremely painful as you instantly know that Tae-joo was suffering from trauma for quite some time due to this incident. Once the accused killer is found and introduced to him in prison, it becomes clear that this case destroyed his life completely.
The early episodes of The Scarecrow kdrama primarily revolve around the transfer of Tae-joo back to his home town as he was transferred from Seoul. On the surface, it seems to be a routine investigation of murders, but once Tae-joo comes to know that there is some connection in these killings, everything suddenly becomes completely different. One thing that I really liked about the series is how it created an atmosphere of suspense through minor elements such as scarecrows in the fields and stockings in murders.
Another point that caught my attention is the way the Korean drama The Scarecrow raises questions regarding every character in the storyline. There is an endless chase for the truth from one person to another, and each time you think you’ve finally figured everything out, there’s something else waiting to be discovered. Initially, Seong-jin appeared to be the culprit, but Tae-joo realised that something was wrong with the timeline of events. Next, the focus shifts to Gi-beom, as there is more and more evidence pointing to his involvement, even though I found myself having doubts about him, too, despite hoping he was innocent.
The storyline of Gi-beom is probably the most tragic part of the drama until now. In the beginning, he seems like an honest man who just happened to get caught up in the whole mess due to his connection with Sun-young. However, with the addition of more information against him, the collapse of everything he worked hard for takes place. Seeing how he was tortured by the police in order to confess was very heartbreaking, knowing that up to that point, he had already evoked feelings from the drama.
Another great thing about the show’s writing style is its balance between the story and the characters’ personal lives. Tae-joo is far from being an ideal detective; he is highly emotional, constantly angry and obsessed with his work to the extent that he constantly hurts people around him. The most touching part in that respect is his relationship with his sister, Sun-young, as it is evident that the man deeply loves her but has difficulties in showing it. There is never any kind of exaggeration involved because of the characters’ accumulated emotions associated with their family.
And then there’s Cha Si-young, who could easily be the most interesting character of this drama series. At first, I really did hate him due to how arrogant and conniving he is. He forces innocent men and women to confess their crimes, makes use of political power to manipulate investigations, and always antagonises Tae-joo. However, the show starts showing us just how flawed this man truly is, and how deeply troubled he truly is inside his cold exterior. With the truth of his connection with Tae-joo, everything changes.
Performance-wise, Park Hae-soo is simply superb. He portrays the fatigue and obsessions of Tae-joo so well, particularly in situations where the investigation begins to take its toll on him psychologically. Similarly, Lee Hee-joon makes such a convincing Si-young that even in his most reprehensible acts, one feels like learning more about him. Kwak Sun-young also needs recognition for having portrayed Ji-won so skillfully that otherwise he could have been just another insignificant side character.
One other thing that I actually like about the show is its level of realism in terms of the way that the investigation goes. They do things wrong, politics come into play, and people who have done nothing wrong get caught in the crossfire just because the authorities are too eager for an answer.
Episode 7 of The Scarecrow left me utterly astonished since the storyline seems to get even sadder. The truth about who the murderer is and what happened to Gi-beom stunned me. On reflection, however, there were many hints from the beginning, yet they did not make the revelation less shocking. In my opinion, the biggest blow came when I understood that so many lies and manipulations were played in terms of family trust.
However, my only problem with this play is that there are times when the scenes in politics tend to slow down the pace of the whole play. There are some scenes that are quite lengthy, such as those with dialogue among the prosecutors, but they have their significance.
The Scarecrow Episode 1-7 Review: Summing Up
Overall, Kdrama The Scarecrow might not be an easy show to watch, but definitely among the most thrilling crime series airing right now. What makes this series unique is its blend of mystery, trauma, and character studies in every single episode. Having only five episodes left, the series has proven to have outstanding actors, many twists, and a heartbreaking narrative. But most importantly, it’s not simply about solving murders but the consequences that remain afterwards.
