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I’ve been wanting to review the 2nd season of ‘D.P.’ which was released about a month ago on July 28 and finally had the time to write about it just recently. So about a month later, here I am with this post and it’s safe to say, the second season was just as good as the first.

It can be a little daunting to launch a second season after a huge and successful first season of a show. Oftentimes, the second season pales in comparison to the first and it just doesn’t hit the same or it’s just not as impressive. As excited as I was for the second season of ‘D.P.’, there was also another part of me that was afraid that it was going to be underwhelming or not meet my expectations. Thankfully, the second season delivered and came through and impressed in its own type of way.

Our favorite duo, Ahn Jun-ho and Han Ho-yeol, reunited once again to continue their jobs of being military pursuiters. But instead of doing just the chasing, they were also being chased this time and we watched as the two ran away and escaped for their lives. In this sense, it was pretty fun and entertaining to watch the duo be the ones running away and being chased. They sure did get a taste of their own medicine. Because of the switch in the concept, it even felt as if the drama added a bit more comedy and humor as compared to the first season. But the show still possessed the parts about it that kept it as engaging and gripping which included the darkness and the reality check and the intensity of it all.

The second season continued with where the first season left off and we watched the aftermath of the incident involving Cho Suk-bong which Jun-ho was still heavily impacted and traumatized by. We also watched Kim Ru-ri, who shot and killed other soldiers from the same group as him, receive consequences for his actions. ‘D.P.’ does a great job at getting you to think critically and you can’t help but feel for the characters and sympathize for them. In the case of Kim Ru-ri, it was true that he committed a crime where he shot and killed other military soldiers. But at the same time, he was getting bullied by them and he had had enough and he wanted to stop it all. His story was moving, especially during the moment when he had been captured by tons of military personnel and police and was close to death. But his mom intervened at the last second to rescue her son and they shared an intimate, heavy, and heartbreaking moment with each other. Just thinking about the scene still kills me to this day and it’s one of those moments in a drama that will stick with you for a long time.

I liked that the second season continued with where we left off in the first season and that the second season didn’t act independent from the first. We saw some new characters and cases pop up in the show but there were also familiar faces that reappeared in the second season including Moon Yeong-ok and Hwang Jang-soo. This second season also dove a bit deeper into Jun-ho and Ho-yeol’s thoughts about their positions as D.P.’s and how they felt about it. We watched the two contemplate their lives and ponder over what they wanted to do after the military and what type of life they wanted to live. In between all the humor and the darkness, the drama also constantly reminded us of how our characters were human beings. They don’t have it all figured out, not every case was a success, and there were pivotal moments that reminded Jun-ho and Ho-yeol’s of the harsh reality that they were set in.

The ending to the second season was a bit more open-ended than I would have liked but I guess it also sort of made sense that things were a bit more open-ended. By the end of the show, Ho-yeol and Jun-ho separated and bid farewell with each other. Jun-ho also reunited with Suk-bong who thankfully and miraculously survived from the incident. Some of the most impactful and memorable moments in the drama for me were scenes involving Suk-bong, which Jun-ho clearly was still haunted by, so it was nice to see the two together again – both healthy and recovering. I liked that you now have the opportunity to watch the two seasons consecutively now that the second season is available.

As I reflect on the drama a month later, my feelings for ‘D.P.’ still strongly remain the same in that I think I can watch several seasons of this show forever. I can watch Ho-yeol and Jun-ho team up and search for military deserters forever. They make such a compatible and great duo but I also like that the deserters have stories and lives of their own which the drama covers. It’s not just about Jun-ho and Ho-yeol doing their jobs and it’s more than just showing what their lives as D.P.’s are like. The drama showcases the stories of the military deserters as we saw with the first two seasons in a way that is so grueling, heartbreaking, gritty, and realistic. Their stories hit you in the face and grab at your heart and you watch as Jun-ho and Ho-yeol’s lives are changed by the deserters who they go after. The drama also brings up difficult conversations about the South Korean military and the abuse and corruption that exists within it.

Frankly, I didn’t want the second season to end because I loved watching Ho-yeol and Jun-ho do their thing together and I wanted to learn more about the different characters in the drama. The concept and premise is refreshing and gripping, the characters are well-written, and the directing is so well-done. It was bittersweet to finish season 2 of ‘D.P.’ because of how good it was and how much more I wanted to watch Ho-yeol and Jun-ho embark on their missions. But maybe this isn’t the end just yet and one can hope that this isn’t the last time we see them work together again.