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"Deepening Shadows in the Military, Questioning the Absence of National Responsibility"

After the release of Netflix's "D.P. 2"

Nothing changed. Nothing at all. On the contrary, the shadows cast over each character deepened, and the 'massive evil' targeted by the series stoked more intensity. This is the story of Netflix Original 'D.P. 2', which launched its second season on the 28th of last month.
The impact of 'D.P. Season 1' (2021) was significant. It exposed the dark stories inside the military using the unfamiliar subject of the Desertion Arrest Team (D.P.), tasked with catching military deserters. At that time, the Ministry of Defense explained, "The military environment is changing so that malicious accidents cannot be concealed." Reactions varied from surprise, "Is the military still like that?" to accusations, "I also experienced that." But one similar thought remained in all of our minds, 'Anyone can be a bystander, a victim, or even a perpetrator.'

▲ In Netflix Original 'D.P. 2', Ahn Jun-ho (Jung Hae-in, center) and Han Ho-yul (Koo Kyo-hwan) are still constantly confronting the unchanged reality and unfairness, striving to find their own answers. 

Season 2 aims for a deeper place. If Season 1 focused on the deserter arrest story, Season 2 focuses on the story of standing against the 'massive evil' of the system. Here, the massive evil refers to the military organization itself, centered around Goo Ja-woon (Ji Jin-hee), the head of the legal affairs department of the Army Headquarters. The deepening shadows over the main characters such as Ahn Jun-ho (Jung Hae-in) and Han Ho-yul (Koo Kyo-hwan) is also a notable point. If one expected the unique charm of Han Ho-yul, which occasionally lightened the darkness of the drama, or the 'tiki-taka' of 'Jun-ho and Ho-yul', one might be disappointed.

On the 2nd, director Han Jun-hee explained, "After the Jo Seok-bong (Jo Hyun-chul) private case (which was the last episode of Season 1), I wanted to draw how the remaining people 'should live' and 'how can they find their own answers'." It seemed to question whether those who survived horrific incidents and unfair realities can go back as if nothing happened. Characters experience pain in their own ways. Han Ho-yul suffers from aphasia due to trauma in the early part of Season 2, and Ahn Jun-ho continually asks himself, 'Isn't this wrong? What more can I do?'

▲ In Netflix Original 'D.P. 2', the most central plot revolves around the shooting spree incident of Kim Roo-ri (Moon Sang-hoon). Image provided by Netflix.

Although it is Season 2, it is closer to an extension of Season 1. Kim Roo-ri (Moon Sang-hoon), the comrade and friend of Jo Seok-bong, who briefly appeared in Season 1, becomes the central figure in Season 2. Kim Roo-ri, a victim of abuse within the military, becomes the perpetrator of a shooting spree. Just as the debate deepens about 'who is the perpetrator and who is the victim', the series questions the responsibility of the state that we had forgotten. "They came to the military to protect the country. If someone kills someone while living together, 'does the country bear no responsibility?' Then, for such a country, what are they protecting by becoming soldiers?" Lieutenant Lim Ji-sub (Son Suk-gu) asks. This consciousness, which has become clearer than in Season 1, has been proven to resonate globally as the season 2 hit the 'Netflix Global TOP 10 TV (Non-English)' section 5th place on this day.

A point of regret is the weakening of coherence, which was a strength in Season 1. The last episode, a compensation claim lawsuit against the state, leaves an impression of many settings being crumbled or depicted unrealistically for dramatic development. For instance, even setting aside Ahn Jun-ho's decision to desert out of deep-seated guilt for deserter Shin Woo-seok in Season 1, the scene of a fight with the D.P. agents on the train seems overly dramatic. Regarding this, Director Han said, "No one has ever won or even tied against the state," adding, "Although it may be a conclusion that makes you think, 'Can that happen? Does that make sense?' If it went again with a story where nothing is accomplished, I thought, 'What would be the point of making Season 2'." 

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