I am loving Task Force 38 (aka Squad 38, which is how I generally refer to it here). It helps that I’m generally a fan of the con/heist genre, and I enjoy watching a bunch of loner con(wo)men gather together to use their various strengths for a big con that will help the underdog.
There’s a cinematic quality to the show, which makes sense, because it’s from the same director as Hidden Identity (where the excellent cinematography was the saving grace). The script is excellent, too, in that it weaves an interesting con with the human drama, and there are curves and surprises along the way. Also, the “bad guy” is smart. I love that, like, genuinely really respect a show that gives us an intelligent bad guy who can outwit the good guys (even though I always hope and expect the good guys will win in the end!).
Plus, Ma Dong Seok is fantastic, although that’s to be expected.
That said, while the ladies are awesome and I lub them dearly (they are so kick-ass and good at their jobs, and I’m still waiting for more of Sooyoung’s character to have more of an impact, since it feels like she hasn’t been utilized as much as I’d expect in the past five episodes I’ve watched so far – although it’s clear her character is important, I just want more of her, y’know?), the show is focused on the main (male) characters as portrayed by Ma Dong Seok and Seo In Guk. That is to say, awesome ladies, but not female-centric, even though they save the day or call out the crap our “heroes” are trying to do.
This is the kind of show OCN does best, and the emotional human drama part of it also means it would fit as a tvN drama. If that makes sense – OCN doesn’t have the nickname of “Only Crime Dramas” for nothin’, and while they have the procedural down-pat, this isn’t exactly a procedural so far as I can tell, even though it could easily have been. There’s a deeper conspiracy here that gets explored layer by agonizing layer each week while there are mini-cons that build on the larger con, and the larger con builds on an even bigger one (or so I’m presuming, just based on the fact that six episodes in and we’ve only just completed the first big con).
Anyway. I love it. It’s my favorite show airing at the moment, now that DMF is over (and I haven’t watched those eps yet, so I swear if anyone spoils the ending for me until I have a chance to watch them, may the drama gods have mercy on your bias and your soul).
That said, I know it’s not for everyone (no drama is!), and just because it suits my tastes, doesn’t mean it will necessarily suit everyone else’s, so I won’t be offended if you give it a chance and decide it’s not to your liking.
The Obsessive Dilettante 