Memories of Murder, which is a Korean movie, is one of my favorite detective movies. I like Korean movies a lot, so I decided to try out some Korean TV. And now Season 1 of Stranger, a Korean series, is one of my favorite detective series!

The series is not innovative or unique in any way. But it is very well executed. The characters are diverse, likeable, and well-developed, the cast is great with genuinely good acting, the story is tight with just enough melodrama, every episode ends in a cliff hanger, the pacing is perfect, there are no miracles or accidents, nothing hidden from the audience - whatever the protagonist knows the audience knows, thrilling soundtrack; a textbook example of how to make a good detective show, a masterpiece.

Many detective shows are only a one time watch because the suspense is the only interesting thing about show but that’s not the case with Stranger. I have already seen this show twice and I loved it both the times, even though I knew the secrets the second time around.