Don’t die, get revenge. Taxi Driver 2 review
The king of acting range, Lee Je Hoon! that’s it, that is the opener. The main cast for season 2 also comprises of Kim Eui Sung, Pyo Ye Jin, Jang Hyuk Jin, Bae Yoo Ram (they reprised their roles from season 1) and Shin Jae Ha who is a new addition to the cast.
The show follows 5 employees of Deluxe Taxi Services who come to the aid of people who are suicidal or have been failed by the system in some way. They take on these cases and get some form of justice or revenge on their behalf while enabling their clients to find healing, justice and closure.
The show strikes a great balance between action, humour and addressing serious social issues and topics in Korea. The show has managed to do this consistently for 2 seasons (which is impressive) and even though it is based in Korea, it resonates with the lived experiences of many people outside of Korea.
From ghost surgeons, sexual assault, elder abuse, cults and how they prey on the sickly and the most vulnerable in our society to tackling housing scams and the abuse of children. Taxi Driver is more than just an action drama. It forces us to face the realities of everyday people, how some of their misfortunes are exploited for the benefit of a few and how justice sometimes fails them.
The ending made me empathise with the main antagonist because was he truly a villain or a victim of circumstance? Are we above making similar choices, or do we just have the privilege of making different choices because our circumstances permit? These questions by no means negate the harm he caused but humanise him and force us as the viewers to ask ourselves, “Would I have chosen a different path if presented with a similar fate?” Not many dramas are able to humanise a villain in this way, where you as the viewer, arrive at this crossroads independently.
Even with the heavy topics Taxi Driver 2 tackles, it also gives us humour and ridiculousness.
I lack the words to fully describe how good and important this drama is and I can only encourage you to watch it for yourself.
In South Africa, you can watch season 1 on Netflix and season 2 on Viu (you will have to go premium, but it’s worth it). I rate Taxi Driver 2 a 9/10. I wouldn’t mind another season and the ending sets us up nicely for a possible 3rd season.
Review by Mikateko
