Presentation
Korean Title: 악의 마음을 읽는 자들
Aired in: 2022 (12 episodes)
Channel: SBS
Grade: 10/10
Actors: Kim Nam Gil, Jin Sun Kyu and Kim So Jin
For more…
Dramas about real-life murder cases with a psychological aspect:
– Gap Dong (inspired by the Hwaseong murders)
– Signal (inspired by the Hwaseong murders)
– Mouse (inspired by the Incheon Elementary School Murder case)
Analysis
Synopsis
The drama tells the story of criminal profiler Song Ha Yong, who solves serial murder cases by understand the killers’ behaviors.
My Opinion (No Spoiler)
I loved this drama and I highly recommend you take a look at it. Kim Nam Gil delivers a great performance as a rising profiler, who fights for his speciality within the police force and works hard to catch serial killers.
The interrogation scenes are ones of the best I have ever seen. If you are into criminology, psychology and/or just want to know more about profiling and South Korea in the 2000s, this drama is made for you!
Analysis (Spoiler Alert)
Character: Song Ha Yong (Kim Nam Gil) is a genius when it comes to analyzing people’s behavior. He has a special condition that allows him to feel overly sympathetic towards other people. Although this can seem to be an advantage in his work – he understands serial killers better, it can become quite overwhelming as well. Indeed, he feels the pain and suffering of the victims a hundred times more than average people.
Because of this, Ha Yong has become a loner. He is quite reserved and doesn’t speak about his emotions. He keeps everything bottled up to the point that he just explodes by the end of the drama. He is also quite decisive and determined, if not completely obsessed with his cases. Profiling is a puzzle game for him and he doesn’t stop until he has found the last piece of it. This attitude makes him an excellent profiler and a reference in the field, but greatly impacts his life and emotional state. He seems incapable of separating work and private life, as he lives to work.
Ha Yong also bears a certain sadness in him. He rarely smiles or enjoys life. Everything he does is dedicated to arresting serial killers. Nonetheless, he is quite a positive character. Though he doesn’t show his emotions at all, viewers are still able to feel his inner turmoil. He is kind and genuine in his actions. In a nutshell, he is a devoted and good detective fighting against evil.
The inspiration: Whether it’d be the plot or the general framework, the drama makes it clear that it draws inspiration from actual people and facts. Two of these references can be mentioned: The first one – that is also visible at the beginning of the drama – is the book Mindhunter by American famous profiler John Douglas. In the 1980s and 1990s, J. Douglas has been a pivotal figure, who developed behavioral sciences and helped making it a must when tracking serial killers. His book is a sort of biography that traces back his career from a simple FBI agent to an iconic profiler. It also depicts many cases he worked on and the influence of profiling in solving those cases. As seen in the drama, Song Ha Yong has also read this book and realized the importance of such methods in police work.
The second reference is linked with a South Korean figurehead named Kwon Il Yong. He is considered as the first profiler of the country. Through the Darkness includes quite a number of elements from his life and is said to be based on Kwon Il Yong’s book.
That being said, it is obvious that the drama doesn’t just aim at entertaining the audience, but also at educating it. The plot allows for a deep dive into the world of behavioral sciences and everything that it involves.
The realistic take on profiling: Due to its educational/informative characteristic, Through the Darkness presents a rather realistic take on profiling. Here are some elements that enable such a truthful story to emerge:
The cases: Though South Korea is considered a safe country, the ending of the 1990s and beginning of 2000s have seen a rise in assaults, murders and violence. The drama takes place during those troubled times and anchors itself in this period by tackling real cases. One of the most infamous ones is that of Yoo Young Chul.
This serial killer terrorized the country for many years before the police eventually arrested him. He was active between approximatively 1998 and 2003 and confessed to having killed over 20 people. The atrocity and brutality of his crimes shocked South Korea and turned him into one of the worst killers of the nation. His story even inspired a Netflix documentary in 2021 entitled The Raincoat Killer.
This real life murderer is disguised under the traits of Gu Young Chun (Han Joon Woo) in the drama. It is the perfect example of the realism of the drama and emphasizes also the gravity of such acts.
The job: Not only the cases, but also the struggles of behavioralists is showcased in this drama. Even if profiling was quite advance in the US during the 2000s, it was far from being adopted on the other side of the globe. The police force was rather reluctant to these new methods they often considered far-fetched.
As seen in the drama, Kook Young Soo (Jin Suk Kyu) and Song Ha Yong have to fight constantly, so they can work on cases. As years pass by, detectives seem to understand better the work of this special department and even turn to them for help.
At a broader level, Through the Darkness also displays the evolution of police work. From physical torture and violence to get confessions, to a more detailed-oriented approach using the latest available means, there is a clear transformation of the institution during the 2000s.
Same goes for the place of women in the workforce through the character of Yoon Tae Gu (Kim So Jin). She is often discredited, disrespected by her peers, if not harassed at first. But her situation gradually evolves. It is not perfect at the end, but she has at least proven her worth and been accepted.
On a more intimate and personal level, the drama is realistic when it comes to showing the emotional toll of the job. Detectives are also human, so naturally there is a limit to what they can endure. Song Ha Yong’s burn-out by the end of the drama is a great illustration of that. As a profiler, he is confronted with the worst behaviors. He has to be interested in serial killers’ stories, past and has to remain cool-headed when they describe in detail their crimes. In order to catch them, Ha Yong needs to put himself in their shoes. This alone is mentally, physically and psychologically draining. Not to mention that Song Ha Yong keeps his emotions bottled up. So no wonder he has an accident that almost takes his life.
Through the Darkness does an excellent job at celebrating profilers. It truthfully demonstrates the devotion of these people, sometimes – most of the time – at their own expense. It also sheds light on the art of profiling. We are at the same time fascinated and mind-blown by profilers’ ability to reproduce crime scenes and to establish profiles based only on observation and (minor) details.
The rise of serial killers in the 2000 South Korea: The last element that enables the drama to really deliver a bit of truth is the choice of the time period. Like I said, the 2000s sees a significant rise in terms of violence in the Korean society. The social anger due to the economic and societal situation in the country (the IMF in 1997 has destroyed many livelihoods) keeps increasing. People are poor, mad at the era, the times are tumultuous and the presence of several killers preying on lonely women and prostitutes worsens the already existing social anguish and fear. No wonder profilers became such a needed help throughout the years!
All in all, the drama is set in the perfect timeline to convey its messages.
The overall mood: One of the reasons why I appreciated this drama so much is that it stays factual. Indeed, we are dealing with serial killers, so emotionally it is not the best. Yet, the drama doesn’t fall in the category of pure pathos. On the contrary, it is perfectly balanced between entertainment and education. There is no glorification either of the profilers/the police force. Instead, Through the Darkness emphasizes the most important part of all: the victims and the way you can help them. All in all, it is an excellent detective drama, not too long nor too short.
Moreover, the fact that the story is linear (it starts in 1999 and ends at the end of the 2000s) is appreciable. We witness the development of scientific breakthroughs, characters get to meet several killers, allowing for a variety of profiles to be established. This only wouldn’t have been possible with a circular plot, where there is generally one killer against the main character(s) and the drama ends with his arrest.
In the case of this drama, the linear progression is synonym with exploration, discovery and variety of cases and profiles.
P.S.: I highly recommend you go take a look at Mindhunter, the book written by John Douglas, which is an excellent testimony of the job
Once Upon a Drama 