Queenmaker follows Do-hee, a woman who decides to go against her powerful employers and make a civil rights lawyer the mayor of Seoul. The series is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
Do-hee has been working for the owner of Eunsung Group, Ms. Son, for the past 10 years. She loyally serves Ms. Son and does everything in her power to cover up her family’s scandals.
Ms. Son’s son-in-law, Jae-min, asks for Do-hee’s help when his secretary accuses him of sexually assaulting her because he rejected her. Do-hee does not take long to fire her, and the woman ends up killing herself.
Do-hee soon realizes that Jae-min lied to her, which resulted in the death of an innocent woman. The guilt changes Do-hee; she now refuses to follow Ms. Son’s orders blindly. When Do-hee dares to do that, Ms. Son fires her without a second thought.
Ms. Son wishes to make Jae-min the next mayor of Seoul, and Do-hee decides to take Eunsung down by making a civil rights lawyer, Kyung-sook, the next mayor of Seoul.
Do-hee and Kyung-sook team up to win the elections, but how far will they go before power and politics crush them or, even worse, corrupts them?
Performances
The show heavily relies on its female characters for its success, and performances by Kim Hee-ae and Moon So-ri do justice to the script. The two women are polar opposites in the beginning, but the audience gets to witness them learn from each other and change.
Their performances make the change very apparent. Kim Hee-ae, as Do-hee, is a poised woman, while Moon So-ri, as Kyung-sook, is very candid, but the two still fit together perfectly whenever they appear next to each other.
Ryu Soo-young is the main antagonist, and his performance convinces the audience that he is the epitome of evil, yet he effortlessly brings out his vulnerable side whenever the script demands it. Ryu Soo-young shows the audience every side of Jae-min.
Jin Kyung and Seo Yi-sook also perform their parts well. The performances by the cast play an important role in getting the audience invested in the characters.
Positives
The show will keep the audience entertained with schemes and scandals that are neverending in the world of politics. The depiction of the world of politics is quite authentic. To put it simply, nothing can be trusted when even the truth can be fabricated.
Since the lead characters in the show are women, it keeps mentioning the issues faced by them in politics. When Kyung-sook’s son is assumed to be at fault, Kyung-sook’s ability to be a leader is questioned because she is a mother and a woman.
Furthermore, the female characters in the show are not superwomen who can manage everything perfectly in their personal as well as professional lives; these are real human beings who cannot be equally present in both places.
Most of the characters in the show avoid simple categorization. These are complex and well-written characters and cannot be called just good or bad. At times, the show will even make the audience sympathize with a cruel man like Jae-min.
Negatives
The show comes packed with loads of drama, but there are times when it gets a little too much. It is not always entertaining to see characters burst out in laughter for dramatic effect; sometimes excessive drama ruins good scenes.
Verdict
Queenmaker will take the audience to a world of lies and betrayals, but it will also show the genuine bond formed by two women who will overcome one difficulty after another to get what they want.
It is a well-written and executed drama. The praise-worthy performances by the cast will get the audience invested in the characters and root for them till the very end.
Also Read: Queenmaker summary and ending explained
