Two Weeks

I’ve already explored the series in my library, now it’s time to do the same with the screen. I can say I’m a big fan of Kdramas: I plead guilty. So, I’m naturally going to introduce one of my favorites: Two Weeks.

Foreword

It all begins when our gaze falls on a man whose life isn’t very bright. Between alcohol, working for a pawnshop, and a self-imposed solitude, our hero seems to live because there’s no other choice. A change shakes up his routine in the form of his ex-girlfriend, whom he left eight years ago. The news is brutal: he has a daughter (congratulations, dad!), she has leukemia (cold shower), and his ex contacts him just to see if he would be a compatible donor (heavy digestion ahead).

If our hero is initially angry about this sudden fatherhood, he agrees to undergo the tests. By a twist of fate, he crosses paths with his little girl, and just a few words are enough for him to fall under the child’s charm. A few days later, he is happy! He’s a match! He’s going to be able to save her! The doctor’s instructions are clear: the operation is in 2 weeks. Our hero must avoid getting hurt or falling ill; otherwise, he must quickly take the necessary steps to treat himself. He nods, delighted at the chance to save his child.

A work call takes him to visit a warehouse. A blow to the head, and everything goes dark. He starts to regain consciousness only to find himself at the scene of a murder, the weapon in his hand. The police intervene while he’s still swimming in confusion and arrest him. Refusing to confess, he spends the night in prison and narrowly escapes death at the hands of a cellmate. He is then transferred, but the route takes a turn due to an accident. For the hero, the reasoning is as follows: if he stays in prison, he dies; if he goes to those who framed him for the murder (he has a hunch about the culprit), he dies; if he dies, so does his daughter. One solution: escape. And then you can follow the episodes, marked with an ending countdown: D-14; D-13… Will he be able to prove his innocence? But more importantly, will he survive until his daughter’s operation?

In general

One of the reasons I love Korean dramas is the short format of the seasons. They usually range between 16 and 20 episodes, and that’s it. Does this mean they rush their plots? Not from my point of view. It’s a real emotional rollercoaster. Here, we have a police series with an atypical hero, a reason to live that goes beyond romance, moments of tension, absurd and funny scenes, tender moments, exceptional actors, wonderful characters, and a soft spot for the soundtrack.

In details

Lee Joon Ki is simply one of the best actors in many genres, but I think he has a particular affinity for thrillers, police dramas, and psychological dramas. When you watch him act, you wonder how good or bad his character really is, an ambivalence he plays to perfection (especially in another drama, but we’ll talk about that another time). Of course, the other actors are not to be forgotten, my heart melts for the little girl played by Lee Chae Mi.

The plot is simply superb. The slower, more passive moments are perfectly counterbalanced by the scenes that put us under more tension, the ones with more action. I would have loved to see the writing session for the script. As I mentioned earlier, I really appreciate that the relationship highlighted in this series is that of father and daughter. I think it’s a nice change from the typical trope (and yet, I’m a huge fan of romance). I also like that we don’t know much about our hero and why he lives the way he does before discovering his fatherhood, but that it’s explained piece by piece.

Conclusion

Well, all of this made me want to rewatch it (I stopped counting after 10). If only I knew where to watch it again. It was available on Netflix for a long time, but it’s not anymore. Sniff!

The first one to find where to watch it gets a special father-daughter cookie!