[REVIEW] TV series "IRIS"

"IRIS" - Final episode, KBS2 TV (Thursday, 9:55 PM)

It seems that Korea's television series producers prefer to end their shows like music videos. "Iris", which was criticized throughout its run for being like a blockbuster music video with its numerous sideshows and overuse of background music, perfectly re-enacted the cliche of a music-video-style ending in the final episode by showing enormous landscape shots, making the lead actress pose like a model in a fashion spread and killing off its main character in a tragic death for no apparent reason.

Such unconvincing death of the invincible Hyun-joon (played by Lee Byung-hun), who survived through all sorts of crises and trials, is raising questions as to whether the show's ending was too hastily stitched up. Judging from the producers' quote that "The entire country will be crying," it seems that they were pretty confident that it was going to be a very impressive ending. But nothing really got clearly solved in the last episode, let alone leave something to be desired for the second season. In fact, it only managed to further betray its loyal viewers, who, despite all the criticism, continuously tuned in to watch the show. Seriously, the show became its own witness to the criticism that it was just a showy drama with no substance.

Without question, there is a reason such big-scale, blockbuster dramas exist and that reason is beyond the common economic principle. The huge, glamorous sideshows add a great sense of energy to the small screen because it allows viewers to break out of the limited boundaries of ordinary, every day life. Moreover, while previous blockbusters dramas, despite its overflated size, had failed to go beyond the ordinary boundaries story-wise, "Iris" was successful in bringing out many interesting storylines by combining Korea's unique geographical characteristics with the kind of imagination typically found in a U.S. television drama. And sure, a group of bluffers called "Iris", the weak and unprofessional missions of NSS and shallow characters gave us big laughs, but there was clearly something in there that fulfilled the fantasies of the conservative Korean public.

Then the ending, which completely betrayed that desire of the public, is the biggest irony of "Iris". I am more curious what the producers will have to say to this reaction, which is not what they had originally intended to get, than I am about the second season of "Iris".

By Kim Sun-young

Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr