The first three episodes of Disney+’s new K-drama ‘The Murky Stream’ have dropped, introducing a dark, gritty world of the underworld surrounding the ports of Korea’s past. A period drama in the time of Joseon, ‘The Murky Stream’ stays away from the stories of kings and nobles, as most period K-dramas tend to do. Instead, the focus is on the merchant class and the bandits and how criminality and corruption festers at the underbelly, far away from the king’s gaze. Director Choo Chang-min, best known for his work on film, brings his cinematic style to this nine-episode drama and tries to keep it thrilling at every turn.

The story revolves around Jang Si Yul (played by Rowoon). Si Yul is a laborer in the docks, treated poorly by the bandits who charge exorbitant prices to carry goods in and out of the boats that belong to the merchant class.

The head bandit in Si Yul’s district, Park Mu-deok (played brilliantly by Park Ji-hwan), is now just a shadow of his former self. It is implied he was one of the first bandits in the area but now he’s old and a coward and the younger bandit leaders bully him and make fun of him. His contemporary, Deok-Gae (Choi Young-Woo), now oversees all the bandits in the area, and their relationship is an interesting one. In the first two episodes, Si Yul suffers every hardship imaginable until he finally snaps and faces off with Choi Eun (the formidable Shin Ye-eun), the daughter of a prominent merchant family who is taking leadership of the merchant’s guild, whom he believes has avoided payment for his labor.

Within the first three episodes, we see Si Yul challenge the status quo and finds himself at the crosshairs of Mu-deok, who plans to use him and his strength and fighting skills to regain his past glory as frightening bandit. Along the way, the show also portrays the depths of the corruptions of these faraway towns as the police inspector Lee Dol-Gae (Choi Gwi-hwa) is set up to the main antagonist of the show. By the second episode, we see a young new officer, Jung Chun (Park Seo-ham), who is disgusted by all the corruption surrounding the police bureau and who has a connection with Si-Yul.

The way the show shifts and turns are promising a complex story about the fate of the towns surrounding the Gyeonggang River that questions whether righteousness can survive in such a place. 

Director Choo Chang-min ensures that the action sequences are hard-hitting and brutal, while the world he builds is gritty and grounded. The bandits, especially Mu-deok and Si Yul are always grimy and dirty, a stark contrast with how clean and put-together Choi Eun and Jung Chun are. The show presents all the characters are leads and it feels like an ensemble piece, though we know Rowoon’s Si Yul is at the center of it. No character feels underutilized in the first three episodes. 

And what a transformation for Rowoon! Gone is his charm, as Si Yul is unlike any character he has played before. He barely speaks and has to project his inner world through his eyes, which are almost always glaring. It’s amazing how the star of such popular K-dramas like ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘The King’s Affection’ could play someone so broken down and undignified.

Shin Ye-eun continues to show off her talents as Choi Eun. As the merchant’s daughter, she is capable and fearless but also way in over her head. She was amazing in ‘Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born,’ practically stealing the show from the amazing Kim Taeri and in ‘The Murky Stream,’ she doesn’t disappoint.

This marks Park Seo-ham’s first mainstream role after gaining popularity from his previous role in the hit BL series ‘Semantic Error.’ His face gives away all of Jung Chun’s shock and disappointment and his expressive eyes help us understand his character’s motivations and agenda, as he has yet to show his full backstory. 

But the most striking of all performances is Park Ji-hwan’s Mu-deok. Park Ji-hwan’s filmography is extensive, and I’ve seen him in ‘Gyeongseong Creature,’ ‘Our Blues,’ and most recently in ‘Seoul Busters,’ where his comedic timing is off the charts. But here, as Mu-deok, he is both frightening as he is pathetic. He’s a completely different person altogether and he’s primal and really all strung out. It’s an incredible performance as he does not play for sympathy. He’s the one to watch in this show.

As Disney+’s first period K-drama, they are really hitting hard. The show looks expensive, and the scenes are grand. The story is complex and the dynamics of the characters within the first three episodes promise to be very intriguing. Whether the show can wrap things up within nine episodes is suspicious. The set up is big. The story seems grander than what nine episodes can hold.

My Rating:

Catch the gripping twists of The Murky Stream now streaming exclusively on Disney+. Don’t miss the next episode to see where the river leads.