TLDR: If you like mystery shows that just keep you guessing, _Strangers/Secret Forest_ is the show for you. It pulls you every which way with its characters, subplots, and beautiful technical work. **I haven't regretted a minute of watching this incredible piece of work.** The best way to go into something like this is to just go, so go watch it!

Exceptional performances, striking cinematography, and a plot that draws you in is exactly what the most police/detective shows don't have. This show has all that and more. Not to say that there aren't plenty of very good shows in this genre, but the big names (NCIS, CSI, etc.) because of their formulaic nature they have a tendency toward filler episodes, abrupt character disappearances, and a lack of any planned, coherent narrative that is build on each episode.

_Strangers/Secret Forest_ is anything but normal; it elevates everything to the next level, starting with its very premise.

The show focuses on two main characters, a prosecutor unable to feel emotion and a good-natured police lieutenant who compliment each other perfectly. To be clear, this is a mystery show, not a character piece so the focus is on the 'case' not purely the characters so much is left unexplored. That said, the lead characters act both as antidotes and compliments of each other. Neither is unbalanced either; **I never really though to myself "I would rather be seeing what X is doing right now"** as I do in almost every other TV show like this. Almost every performance is spot-on, I never cringed at the acting and it you could tell that the cast really cared about their work. Having never seen a Korean work this involved in modern work-life, it took a while to get used to some cultural things (i.e. bowing), but the show is so unapologetically Korean (at least in my eyes) it adds it it's charm.

The technical aspect of the show is also incredible. I am always amazed when TV shows (especially those with 1-hour episodes) can bring a film-like quality of work to the final product. Now, I've never seen a Korean TV show, made in this style or otherwise, but the way everything is shot brings so much realism. Office spaces seem stiff and cold, muder scenes look like they're brutally indifferent to the events that happened there, and restaurants look like something you'd find in the middle of TripAdvisor. Editing is done well, pacing the show at a **slow, but never stalled, burn**. And the work that went into all the drone shots and endless sets adds so much to the feeling of scope in the show, leaving you just that much more involved in the events unfolding in front of you. And on a TV show!

With the help of the great performances, and the seemingly unending technical resources, the plot sings. For anyone who can handle the carrot being dragged slowly and steadily, it provides fantastic payoffs and resolutions that don't feel overly dramatized or strung-out, but grounded, painful, and exciting. Obviously, saying too much defeat much of the point of watching the show, so I'll leave it at that.