Crash (2024)

Crashed into my watchlist that's for sure

This was a surprisingly fun addition to my forever long currently watching list and I hope it stays that way.

The pilot episode begins with a bang, with a side of female badass. From the very first scene, things are fast-moving and explosive and as expected cool car scenes (thanks to the director). there is barely any lingering which works best given the series length. The team here comprises of four people. 1) So-hee (FL) who is a passionate and talented crime investigator cop and stops at nothing to see cases through (even if it means bending the rules or sacrificing herself), 2) Chae-man; the chief and creator of TCI who is similar to So-hee but softer in that regard, 3) Dong-gi; an automobile specialist and can analyze what kind of car it is and where it was tuned just by looking at the silhouette of the car and listening to the sound of the engine and Hyeon-gyeong the youngest member of TCI, who has a tremendous amount of internal martial arts skills. Yeon-ho (ML), eventually works more closely with the TCI, is smart, awkward and introverted but with a strong moral backbone. He is most notably a KAIST graduate and has many investigation certifications.

Since each case lasts about 1-2 episodes each, the hand offs are solid with the next case interwoven into the current one and aren't just sprung on us at the beginning of each episode. There's also call backs to earlier cases which helps maintain the link throughout the series. The cases also give us more insight to our team and their dynamic as well as an opportunity for them to get the recognition and respect they deserve. There's also some comedy sprinkled in here and there which eases the tension especially in some of the serious scenes (Gu Gyeong Mo-the national police chief- is my fighter ??). Plus, the action sequence especially with the cars is giving when it has to do its part!!

Going into this series I was mostly expecting FL's life story to be the thing that serves as a connector for all the episodes since that is typically the case. However, I was glad that this time ML's past serves as what is keeping the link between episodes. It's a slow confusing start but when it finally rains, it pours. Also, it's been fun to see how our TCI team has embraced ML into their unit despite his quirky nature. I look forward to continuing this fun watch and hope the momentum continues on until the end (update: it did). The villains in this drama are villaining and I sincerely hope out TCI team comes out on top in the finale somehow, or at least they set up and confirm season 2!!! (Update: the ending was open ended and leave room for season 2). Ngl, that Tae Joo plot is/was/will still be actively pissing me off!! Writer-nim I hope you are seeing this and it is resolved! I am not the biggest ending of the last episode but oh well...

P.S. Lee Min Ki suits this type of character best. His deadpan humor and aloof vibes are good.

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Not what you will expect!!

I started off as -_- ... thinking this was just one of those "educational" dramas about traffic accidents. But before I knew it, I was on pins and needles waiting for the next episode!!!

Absolute genius writing from the writer. It started off as simple Traffic cases but embroiled beneath numerous cases is one giant case waiting to be revealed and brought to justice.

I just love how everything was revealed step by step while keeping the suspense.

The acting. no doubt is the best and the cast managed to give a very heartwarming team.

This is one of those really good dramas, that you would come without much expectations but will get blown away and I LOVE it!

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CRASH *Screams in heavy metal*

Crash really captured what I love about team-based crime thrillers. It has a few similarities with dramas like Taxi Driver and the recent hit Flex X Cop: well -written and directed action scenes, lovable good guys that you can't help but to root for, insidious, vile, pos villains that make you pray for their downfall every time they show up on screen and heart-wrenching "crash of the week" episodes that incorporate a few elements from real life cases.

So basically, this action thriller has the same formula that made the dramas I mentioned successful. If you found yourself completely invested in Taxi Driver and others like it, then you'll likely feel the same with Crash. Seriously it's that good.

I guess it's safe to assume that there will be a season 2. No spoilers but the ending was left wide open. I don't usually like to make assumptions with these kind of things but the success of the dramas I've mentioned above seem to indicate that as long as the ratings are high and there's there's plenty of stories left to tell, there's a strong possibility the drama will be getting multiple seasons. Fingers crossed!

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A PERFECT BLEND OF WHAT ACTUALLY I ASKED FOR "THE INVESTIGATION THRILLER"

What a great casting was that!! That must be the first thing i should mention, everyone blend in so perfectly that i felt TCI team an my own, and thank you the writer and director and casting guy for giving the EVERYONE TIME BAD GUY actors the GOOD GUY role, and they nailed it, just with this act they already became my favorites, and our big guy who got confused by the bad guys by saying ISN'T HE ONE OF US? ?? and i like the youngest girl and his lil fight and nosy times that was cute like bro and sis. TCI was a family and in the end they again become one!!

I really wished to get them a Season 2, because it's an investigation team and they will get more mysterious cases... I don't know whether they will come up with one even without they really wrapped up this drama so good! Giving everyone a good end, i mean continuation!! The lone who acted as so hee, she is one of my favorite actress, i had only seen her in 3 dramas and she nailed all her roles so good!! [ fact i keep on calling her as Jae hee, that was role in inspector koo?? it's like imprinted in me].

Hope to see all of them again, if possible again in one drama??. So guys, if you like stories like taxi driver, first responder, crime based investigation stories.. Go for it, worth every episode.

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A return to teamwork thrillers

I'm incredibly glad to see the return of investigative thrillers, and with it some great teamwork. Crash is innovative in some ways and follows the formula in others, creating the perfect balance. While maintaining the formula with the episodic arcs, typical rich boy villains and fathers, the very basis of the TCI (Traffic Crime Investigation) team was a very new concept.

Add to that an ensemble of dynamic characters, and subtle comedy, I was sold after the first couple of episodes. Despite the simplicity of the solution for each case, the teamwork displayed by the TCI squad made each of them worth the watch. That's what set this show apart from many other investigative thrillers for me, there was never a hint of distrust among the team, even when they weren't a team.

I was a little dissapointed with the main villains once again being rich jerks and their corrupted parents, but the direction in which they took the story, and the character arc of each individual, protagonist or antagonist, definitely made up for that disappointment.

I've missed my crime dramas with good teamwork (I realise I've used that word so many times, but it's true! It's really good), and Crash nailed it. Despite starting on a slow note, each episode picked up the pace with the fast plot, attention to detail and yes, incredible teamwork. It very much reminded me of some older crime shows and I can say with confidence that this is very much an underrated title. An underrated title you should give a try.

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Best K-Drama on Hulu

Crash is the most entertaining Korean series on Hulu. This series is well written and directed. I promise you that you'll be amazed to see how clever the TCI team. While the director perfectly chose the cast, I really enjoyed watching every single scene that Lee Min-Ki and Kwak Sun-Young are in. They have great chemistry! Min So-Hee who is extroverted is a perfect match to the extremely introverted Cha Yeon-Ho. They made me laugh without making too much effort. Each episode kept me wanting to know more about Cha Yeon-Ho and Min So-Hee.

The series is consistently entertaining, generally funny, and sometimes shocking to see how ghastly high ranking police officials are. Cha Yeon-Ho is an interesting character. He is super smart and very reserved with strong resolve to solve every case that comes his way.

The last episode was kind of a cliff hanger in the sense that we didn’t get to see So-Hee and Tae Jun’s face off. The last scene gave me some hope that there will be a Season 2. I look forward to seeing how the scriptwriter will cleverly show Cha Yeon-Ho’s character development from a geek KAIST graduate to a super hot and youngest Commissioner-General in Season 2.

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Starting slow, heating up...

This was a nice surprise... what started like a boring series (story-wise), got more intense as the episodes got on. The depecition of Inspector Chas past was done very well and the spidernet of corruption layed bare. Due to the end of this series I expect we will see a second series where they root out the corruption at the police again.
They did find a nice balance between action and detective work, also one case is interwoven most of the time with the next case is a novum of such series.
The cast was great, just the stereotype bad guys where a bit much, except Lee Taeju of course, he is just a very slimey but intelligent villain.
Overall a very enjoyable series.

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Loved it!

I didn't read anything about this ahead of time, and I'll be honest, I've no idea why I suddenly decided to watch something about traffic cops! I am so glad I did, though. I watched it on Hulu in the US.

First, there were multiple different cases in every couple of episodes, with an overarching mystery that is woven through each episode and finally solved at the end.

I LOVED the TCI team! They all made significant contributions to each of the cases, and you could tell they had a lot of respect for one another. I'm not a big fan of Lee Min Ki - he's the same character in each drama of his that I've seen. He did his usual job, and I really liked each of the other characters. They managed to make the two women smart and competent without being witchy. There were three actors that really departed from other works I've seen them in - Kang Gi Doong, Oi Eui Shik and Lee Yoo Joon. Hats off to them, especially Kang Gi Doong - wow, he was a piece of work!

I found the public service announcement at the end of each episode very interesting, with statistics about hit-and-run, drunk driving, etc.

The car chases were excellent.
No romance - thank you!
I'm not a big fan of shows that have a second season, but I'd be up for a season 2 from this show!

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Love it.

My favourite part about this drama is the way the characters are written. The two female cops are the strongest of the team, and at the same time, the “strong ones” (either male or female) aren’t given the old cold-hearted trait. It’s a very rare and pleasant change in a world of television filled with female leads who need saving regardless of how strong and capable they are. Cha Yeonho’s character had a few complaints, particularly from people who said they don’t want the actor playing roles like this all the time. Though I agree (I loved him in My Liberation Notes) I also think he played this role very well so I have no complaints. His rational, logical personality is very interesting. His fight scene in ep.6 was AMAZING. The others, particularly Taeju, really got on my nerves. When a crime drama is convincing enough to make you feel the lack of justice, it’s a sign of a great series. Amazing!!

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I'm Going to Miss This Show For Sure

Pegged as the second highest viewership ratings of any drama in ENA history following “Extraordinary Attorney Woo.”, Crash set a personal high with its ending episode!

This was one of those shows that unexpectedly turned out to be much more interesting than I thought. With a motley crew of veteran actors that includes Lee Min Ki, Kwak Sun Young, Heo Sung Tae, Lee Ho Chul, Choi Moon Hee, the show was surprisingly consistent from start to end. The cases were handled with a conviction that depicts the team’s intolerant attitude towards road accidents. They firmly believed that accidents are nevertheless murders and bought the suspects to justice, no matter who they were. I was invested in the show right from the bat and the storytelling didn’t waver throughout. My Monday’s & Tuesday’s are going to be pretty resolute without this crime thriller experience. Let’s talk about my love for this show!

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/06/20/crash-series-review/#more-962

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I swear it's worth watching!

I always waiting for Lee Min Ki's projects. I'm glad he accepted the role as Cha Yeonho. I read somewhere that many turned down this role as it was't heroic and doesn't shine like most ML characters in kdramas. But tbh, LMK is the perfect choice to plays Cha Yeonho. Eventhough many are saying he picked the same type of roles, but it actually different for me. I give 10/10 for the plot as it is straightforward and doesn't drag to unnecessary plot. But there is a big hole about Min Sohee's rival, which is her ex, Lee Tae Ju. I really hope there is season 2 for us to see what happen next to Lee Tae Ju. But i watch their press conference.. even all the main actors are hoping for season 2. So seems like the drama has really ended. Btw, i got butterflies at the scene where Cha Yeon bought a car and told Sohee that he might need a car. Is Cha Yeonho trying to flirt??. I suddenly miss how good LMK in romance too..lol?

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A rough start to a smooth finish

This drama that started off with a bit of a "meh" but something magical happened: the show found its groove, and before I knew it.

Let’s be real: the show kicked off with some cringe-worthy moments, especially in Episode 1. It felt like a rough start, and I wasn’t quite sure where it was headed. And don’t even get me started on Episode 10! The chase scene was so bad it was almost laughable—hello, pointless mirror smash from the bike girl? And two tiny women taking down a small army of armed dudes? Yeah, that was pure, over-the-top madness. But despite those hiccups, I hung on, and thank goodness I did.

By the time we hit Episode 11 and 12, the drama redeemed itself. The show pulled a clever move by wrapping up the main case and then giving us a full episode dedicated to a new case. I’m all for a detailed look at life after the main plot, and "Crash" delivered that in spades. The final episode was like a new chapter, and the fact that it managed to be so engaging after a rollercoaster ride of emotions really impressed me.

What I really enjoyed was how the show blended serious crime drama with warm, friendly vibes. The chemistry among the Traffic Crime Investigation Team was heartwarming, and seeing Yunho gradually become part of the group was just beautiful. It was like watching a family come together, and it added a nice touch to the suspenseful plotlines.

Lee Min Ki was, of course, solid as always. But honestly, his role felt a bit overshadowed by the overall story. I think the drama would have cruised along just fine without him, though I’m hopeful he lands a meaty role in his next project where he can truly shine.

So, if you're into a drama that starts off slow but builds up to a gripping and engaging finale, "Crash" is worth the ride. Just stick with it through the rough patches, and you’ll find yourself hooked and eagerly awaiting each new episode. Happy watching! ??

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