The Whirlwind Series Review
The Whirlwind (Korean: 돌풍) is a 2024 South Korean political drama television series created for Netflix and released on 28 June 2024.
The political drama follows the whirlwind power clash between the prime minister and deputy prime minister when the Blue House is thrown into chaos after an assassination attempt on the president….
The Good
The series opens strong, with an assassination plot and a ticking clock structure that doesn’t waste time in getting down to business… The sense of time running out felt reminiscent of the yesteryear hit series 24 starring Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer with a hint of Designated Survivor.
The Whirlwind has a complex political plot packed with hairpin twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. A prime minister on the verge of being arrested and charged with trumped up charges carries out a desperate plan to do what he thinks is best for his country, matching wits with a deputy prime minister who is equally invested.
The lead characters, Prime-minister Park Dong-ho played by Sol Kyung-gu and Deputy Prime Minister Jeong Su-jin played by Kim Hee-ae deliver an outstanding performance bringing depth and fierce intensity to the show’s 12 episodes, plotting and counter-plotting, matching barb for barb in a showdown whose outcome is unpredictable.
The production quality is on point with well-crafted sets and a picture perfect cinematography that gives an immersive viewing experience.
Given the world’s geopolitical architecture, The Whirlwind touches on the mechanism of politics as a psychological operation, where public opinion and people’s reactions are weaponised and manipulated… and truth, well truth is subjective…
The truth does not defeat lies. Bigger lies do
-Park Dong-ho, The Whirlwind
The Bad
While the show has a lot going for it, it comes across as serious, gritty and dry, it feels as it if lacks…. colour… Maybe its because we don’t get to experience the characters beyond their official roles giving them a reserved feel, they don’t let down their hair or have domestic scenes that would add to their emotional depth or make their behaviour and convictions, make more sense.
What makes one think that they and only they are the only ones who can do what needs to be done and no one else can see it through the way they can…. or maybe that’s just how power corrupts.
The Whirlwind doesn’t have clear cut villains, but rather people acting on their conviction of what needs to be done and sometimes that blurs the line between good and evil.
“What do we do with this rotting world?”
The Ugly
The show paints a rather cynical and grim view of the world of politics. Instead of calling it The Whirlwind maybe they should have named it The Quicksand, given how even one with the best intentions sinks into the quicksand…
“You’ve fallen into quicksand, but don’t you dare try and reach out for help. Whoever grabs your hand will be dragged down with you,”
–Jang Il-jun, The Whirlwind
Final Thoughts
The Whirlwind is an intense political K-drama about the subversion and corruption of power that gives a peek into the Korean Culture. It has been one of the most watched Netflix shows in South Korea.
Fun Fact: The president’s residence referred to as Blue House, made me wonder if the former Zimbabwean president’s residence known as the Blue Roof drew any architectural inspiration from the Korean presidential residence that was used from 1948 to 2022 ….
Does this sound like something you would watch… if you havent already.
When watching a Korean TV shows do you watch with English voice-overs or in the original sound with subtitles?
~B
Becoming The Muse 
Your thoughts.. if you will?