New season of tvN’s ‘Stranger’ delves into conflict between police, prosecution

Cho Seung-woo returns to the small screen once again as the righteous and lonely prosecutor Hwang Si-mok, in the second season of tvN’s crime thriller drama “Stranger.”

“There are still four days left until the 15th, so I’d be grateful if people reviewed the first season,” said Cho at Tuesday’s online press conference as he struggled to fully explain his character to those who had not watched the show. The first season is gaining renewed popularity on multiple platforms, including Netflix, ahead of the premiere of the second season.

The first episode of the second season of “Stranger,” tvN’s first multiseason crime drama, will air Saturday, bringing together both familiar faces and new ones.

Bae Doo-na joins Cho again as the police inspector Han Yeo-jin after being promoted at the end of the first season, while Lee Joon-hyuk returns as prosecutor Seo Dong-jae and Yoon Se-ah is back as Lee Yeon-jae, who now heads the Hanjo Group.

Jeon Hye-jin and Choi Moo-Seong join the cast of “Stranger” as Han Yeo-jin and Hwang Si-mok’s superiors in the police department and the prosecutors’ office.

While the first season centered on a search for the true culprit in a murder case, the second season focuses on the conflict between the prosecution and the police. The action takes place two years after the end of the first season, with Cho and Bae representing each side. The two delve into cover-ups as the police and the prosecutors’ office fight for investigation rights.

“The second season was made possible only because of the love the fans gave the first season,” said Cho.

During his speech after receiving the award for best actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards in 2018, Cho expressed his hope that the drama would go on for five seasons.

While “Stanger” wasn’t initially created as a multiseason drama, screenwriter Lee Soo-yeon takes charge of the story again and makes it work. The actors and the new director, Park Hyun-seok, expressed the pressure they felt to live up to the reputation of the first season.

“I know how much the drama was loved, and the pressure might have weighed me down. I am also a fan of season one,” said Park.

Park and the actors also expressed confidence that the new season would capture the audience.

“If seasons continue, I don’t think the audience should feel, what’s this? ‘Stranger’ is changed. It sucks. We tried to make it entertaining, and it delivers,” said Cho.

The 16-episode series airs Saturdays and Sundays at 9 p.m. on tvN and Netflix, starting this week.

By Lim Jang-won (ljw@heraldcorp.com)