Set in a courtroom, the drama shares life lessons and impactful messages through its exploration of various interpersonal relationships and societal issues, featuring a novice lawyer navigating a journey of growth alongside her no-nonsense boss, while sprinkling in a hint of romance.
Instead of a typical clear-cut resolution, we are left with an open ending, giving us food for thought. Less is more, isn’t it?
- Main Leads: Lee Jin-wook | Jung Chae-yeon | Lee Hak-joo | Jeon Hye-bin
- Addictive Meter:
- Overall Rating:
- Rewatch Value:
- K-Dramas of Similar Vibe: Extraordinary Attorney Woo | Good Partner | One Dollar Lawyer |
Beyond The Bar Quick Series Recap
Getting her foot in the door, a rookie lawyer takes up a job at one of the top law firms. The catch: she has to deal with a tough boss who is mostly about logic, unlike her fiercely driven sense of justice.
Beyond The Bar Series Highlights and Musings
A partnership between a newbie and a seasoned attorney might be nothing groundbreaking. And if not handled well, the characters might feel stereotypical. Yet, the layered characterization, tight writing, and well-woven cases of the week made for an engrossing watch that reflects on law, interpersonal relationships, and, surprisingly, love.
Some legal dramas are more character-driven, while some focus more on the courtroom dynamics. Here, the cases would hit close to home for our leads and helped us understand them more along the way. Through the child-abusing client, we learned about Seok-hoon’s former marriage, and through the obsessive mother, Hyo-min opened up about how her mother abandoned her hearing-impaired twin.
Handling different cases together, our leads grew closer, and their relationship would gradually evolve. From a surface-level connection, they shared a tight bond and would comfort each other and become a safe haven.
One of the drama’s most profound messages is that love comes in different forms. It isn’t a single emotion but a spectrum of emotions with different colors and intensities like a rainbow. This theme extended to our leads’ relationship as well. We could see the hints of attraction, but the drama kept it low-key, mainly because of the too-obvious-to-be-ignored age gap, leaving the audience to wonder if it is love or just a close-knit relationship between colleagues. Though their eyes were telling of how they felt.
Perhaps it is another kind of love where the involved parties develop affection for each other but choose to keep it in their hearts. On the other hand, we had another couple expressing their feelings explicitly and getting their happily ever after.
Another highlight is the drama keeping the workplace politics to a minimum. There is a corrupt party in the firm, but this arc was resolved decently without evoking much tension. Not everyone is a goody two-shoes, but the antagonists aren’t over-the-top either. It is just that they chose a shady path and paid the price for their actions.
In K-Drama land, where being a lawyer or a prosecutor is the most common job and there are tons of legal dramas, Beyond the Bar knocked the ball out of the park. It wasn’t about courtroom theatrics or raising unnecessary stakes, but a glimpse into the life of a group of lawyers and tagging along on their journeys with a touch of social commentary. And should a second season be green-lit, we will gladly stay seated.
Photos and Videos: JTBC Drama
The post K-DRAMA REVIEW: “Beyond The Bar” Leaves Strong Impression With Thought Provoking Story appeared first on kdramadiary.
K-DRAMA REVIEW: “Beyond The Bar” Leaves Strong Impression With Thought Provoking Story
Source: Pinoy Student Wars
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