My #Spoiler-ish Impressions of GRID KDRAMA (Eps 1-5)

GRID is a 10-epioder KDRAMA Series currently airing on DisneyPlus (Screenrgab seen up top via disneyplus.com). As of this blog-feature, 5 episodes have aired, in a one-episode per weekly broadcast schedule. I've a introduction to the series HERE, while this specific blogpost will dive straight into my own personal impressions.

Normally, I'd wait til finishing the first 4 eps before I would make a decision, to either (A) Continue Watching, or (B) Stop Watching. As of Ep 4, I was literally wondering if I had the fortitude to continue waiting for weekly airings. While the premise would be something I am interested in, my impatience could not withstand the wait.

The 3rd option would have been to stop actively watching, and start again when all episodes have dropped, and binge-watch it (OMG I've been CONDITIONED TO BINGE FFS). As of Ep4, I'd felt that GRID would be something you could binge and be satisfied. But a weekly episodic premise might not be as enticing nor attention grabbing.



The pace seems decently spread out (for a weekly episode), if somewhat slower than your average actioneer, and that is what grinds at me more. The story does not warrant such a slow-pace but for the inability of the characters in this futuristic fable to figure out the "mystery" of "The Ghost" (played by Lee Si-Young) - whom has a much more of a "personality", with her seen eating cakes (plural) at a cafe, and chugging from a Coca-Cola bottle - and I want to now WHY, more than what she is doing and what everyone want to catch her for LOL

Understandably, the story we've seen so far extends beyond what is shown and presented, as there is a backstory (where we are slowly being filled in on as the series progress), and perhaps our interests would be piqued with WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO NEXT?

I don't dislike the story (I raved about the 1st 2 eps, innit? LOL) as much as I could not withstand the pacing of happenings unfolding LOL

The cast had been pretty serviceable, and interestingly written, with the actions and responses of Seo Kang-Joon's "Kim Sae-Ha" sometimes confounding Kim A-Joong's "Jung Sae-Byeok" (which I really hope a "romance" with will not be on the cards - it would be too tacky), which makes for a refreshing watch ... but everybody seems to be "holding back", and not fully emote (except for Song Sang-Eun's "Chae Jong-Yi", who says what she wants) - perhaps in line with everyone needing to put on a "mask" amidst a corporate culture, were seniority and rank is to be expected... or am I giving excuses for the series? Would be splendid a development arc for everyone tho..!



Ironically, I'd been distracted with real-life work and other KDRAMAS to conclude my train of thought, until lo and behold Episode 5 was on air!

As of Ep5, we are still fraught with questions, with unauthenticated theories, and general mucking about mysteries that I am genuinely fearful might not be as worth waiting for, as much as their hype seems to be boiling on the surface.

Did watching that make a difference in my opinion? My fear is the slow burn will not be fulfilled by the finale. As far as I am concerned, any "questions" would be answered by Ep4, and the rest of the series would be about how the characters'll arrive at the answer(s), IMHO.