The Glory part 2 review

This review of The Glory Part 2 is spoiler free.

Many people think Netflixs love of Korean drama began with the worldwide success of Squid Game, but those of us who’ve dabbled a bit with the streaming block know that’s not the case. Secure, Squid Game was one of the first K-dramas to achieve legitimate culture-defining mainstream popularity, but it was the exception, not the rule, and the Big N has since attempted to replicate its success, with generally mixed results. the glorywhile it’s not as memorable and universally appealing, the streamer might have come closest to that kind of impact since.

In a way, that’s not too surprising. the glory, which debuted Part 1 in December, is a story about revenge, which is an extremely popular theme in Korean drama. Led by strong female characters on both sides of the class and moral lines, it delves into things including the distinction between rich and poor and the long-standing effects of bullying and cruelty. Written by Kim Eun-sook and guided by A gil hoit’s a strong, handsome, confident production that turns up the heat even more in its second block of eight episodes.

The Glory Part 2 review and plot synopsis

As a reminder, the plot revolves around Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo), a young woman from a poor background who, after years of heinous abuse at the hands of the school’s rich kids, has devoted the last two decades of her life to seeking revenge. Part 1 juxtaposes all of this with flashbacks and Dong-eun’s modern-day efforts to recruit allies and gather damning evidence against her tormentors, including well-known weather girl Yeon-Jin (Lim Ji Yeon) and her cronies Sa-ra (Kim Hiora), Jae Jun (Park Sung-hoon), Hye-jeong (Cha Joo-jung) and Myeong-o (Kim Gunwoo).

Part 2 finds Dong-eun in a much more advantageous position. With the help of amateur PI Hyun-nam (Yeon Hye-ran) and her love interest Yeo-jeong (Lee Do-hyun), she’s holding on to a pretty substantial kompromat, so the stakes are immediately higher as we speed into the latter half of the season. The dynamic has also changed significantly, with the arrogant bullies on the ropes attacking each other out of desperation, trying to think of unconventional solutions to prevent Dong-eun from delivering the killing blow she has in mind.

Yeon-jin remains a highlight as a caricature of privilege with a mean streak for miles, especially since Dong-eun married her wealthy husband Ha Do-yeong (Jung Sung Il), against them. Unable to control her home life and her goons, Yeon-jin is yet to get off the rails, delivering an eternal villain role that thankfully isn’t undermined by lame efforts to humanize or redeem her. Meanwhile, as in Part 1, Dong-eun plays a great, calm, intense lead that allows her trauma and trust issues to manifest without really compromising her as a protagonist. She remains likable even when she goes too far by most standards, and her overwhelmingly horrifying goals make her actions seem more justifiable and relatable.

Is The Glory Part 2 good?

Of course, this tendency to overdo it can sometimes be a slight downside, though one that will admittedly be familiar – even reassuring – to longtime K-drama fans who have come to expect a certain level of melodrama in their Revenge Stories. It also helps that the story is told with exceptional confidence; All of the subplots and characters, of which there are many, add up to something relevant and meaningful, and the twists and turns feel more deserved than ridiculous. There are still some structural flourishes that can sometimes unnecessarily complicate things, the glory It’s a show that’s never content to settle for a single timeline, but for the most part it’s easy and rewarding to follow the drama to its conclusion.

There’s no reason to believe that the glory Part 2 won’t surpass the explosive popularity of its freshman outing.

You can stream The Glory Part 2 exclusively on Netflix.

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