[Herald Review] 'The Whirlwind' is heavy watch, yet fast-paced, cathartic

Sul Kyung-gu (left) and Kim Hee-ae star in "The Whirlwind."(Netflix)

Netflix's original political drama series "The Whirlwind" starts strong with the sitting prime minister, Park Dong-ho (played by Sul Kyung-gu), killing the president by lacing the president's e-cigarette with poison.

The plot quickly accelerates as Park, aiming to consolidate power in the president's absence, encounters opposition from Finance Minister Jung Soo-jin (played by Kim Hee-ae), who endeavors to dismantle his authority and ascend to the presidency herself.

As of Monday, "The Whirlwind" is the most popular series on Netflix in South Korea.

It has been ranked top on Netflix's top 10 series list in South Korea for three consecutive weeks since its release on June 28.

The series is also currently ranked at No.4 on Netflix's global top 10 list in the Non-English TV category.

Sul Kyung-gu (left) and Kim Hee-ae star in "The Whirlwind." (Netflix)

According to renowned screenwriter Park Kyung-su, he wrote the series out of his longing for "a hero on a white horse" to bring justice to contemporary Korean politics and society. Park previously won best screenplay awards at the Baeksang Arts Awards for his hit crime series "The Chaser" (2012) and "Punch" (2014).

The fast-paced plot of "The Whirlwind" fulfills both the screenwriter's and viewers' desire to see justice. It does so through meticulously crafted scenarios and strategies that the characters employ to defeat their opponents and achieve their goals.

The plot, which provides catharsis to viewers through the various tactics employed by each character, is made suspenseful and convincing by the veteran actors' performances. In particular, Sul's depiction of the fiercely charismatic prime minister, who stops at nothing to uphold justice, is captivating and draws the viewers deeply into the narrative.

Additionally, "The Whirlwind" is a political drama that avoids prompting the viewers to align with particular political ideologies.

Political dramas set in the contemporary era often pay homage to past political figures and events and may present scenes and characters that encourage the viewers to sympathize with particular political parties.

While "The Whirlwind" does reference Korean political figures and events, it criticizes actions taken by multiple political factions, including left-wing and right-wing groups, the prosecution, the labor movement organizations and business conglomerates.

While the engaging back-and-forth of strategies to undermine political rivals may be entertaining at first, the repetitive cycle of one side defeating the other and then being defeated, in turn, can become tiresome to watch.

Furthermore, the dialogues, rich with metaphors and literary similes, may also cause fatigue. While these lines carry literary weight and make an impact, their frequent repetition makes the viewing experience heavy and less casual.

All 12 episodes of "The Whirlwind" are currently available for streaming on Netflix.

By Lee Yoon-seo(yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com)