While the show, during some weeks, managed to outperform its competitor in some categories, such as the 20-49 year old demographic, as well as streaming, popularity and brand reputation charts, it enjoyed modest viewership, while its competitor topped the ratings in its time slot.[7][8]
Synopsis
The series is about Noh Ji-wook (Ji Chang-wook), a prosecutor, and Eun Bong-hee (Nam Ji-hyun), a prosecutor trainee. When a murderer strikes, Bong-hee suddenly finds herself as a suspect, and Noh Ji-wook then changes jobs to become a private attorney due to circumstances. The two work together on the case, finding out how deeply connected they are by their past.[9]
A top-performing, tsundere, brainy prosecutor with the highest indictment success rate in the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office who ends up switching professions to a private attorney in the aftermath of defending Eun Bong-hee. He became a prosecutor to fulfill the unfinished dream of his father, who passed away while fighting crime. He has little interest in promotions or honor; his sole dream is to serve as an active prosecutor until retirement and then hang up his robe. He was scarred by an event in his childhood involving his parents. He then went through a traumatic betrayal involving his former best friend and his ex girlfriend. Bong-hee falls for him, though he does not initially return her feelings. He eventually does and tries to pursue her, however he starts to be swayed again by the fact that Bong-hee’s father could have been the arsonist who set the fire in which his parents died.
A prosecutor trainee at Ji-wook’s office, later lawyer who was a Taekwondo athlete in her youth. One day, she becomes a murder suspect as her ex-boyfriend’s dead body was found in her house in which she had no alibi, causing District Attorney Jang Moo-young to keep coming after her and blame her for his son’s death. She eventually falls for Ji-wook after he defended her. He eventually pursues her as he realizes his feelings for her.
Ji-wook’s adoptive father, who was good friend of Jo-Wook’s father and is representative of a big law firm, Byun & Partners, who later joins Ji-wook’s newly opened firm. He was a classmate with Chief Prosecutor Jang Mu-young in the Judicial Research and Training Institute, but they are also sworn enemies.
Ji-wook’s adoptive mom, who is a best friend of Ji-wook’s mother and owner of a pizza shop. She is also the archenemy of Young-soon, Bong-hee’s mother.
Ji-wook’s prosecution investigation officer-turned-lawyer’s paralegal, who he serves with utmost respect, but also scolds him like a strict older brother when it’s necessary. He considers himself to be the ‘hen mother’ of the group.
Ji-wook’s late father, who died in fire. He was righteous prosecutor who wanted to be a legal professional without a single blemish until the moment of his death. He is the person Ji-wook respected the most and the role model in life he wants to emulate.
Bong-hee’s mother, who loves her daughter and remarried after the death of her husband. An indomitable mother who raised Bong-hee while working as a sports massage therapist. She works at a massage parlor where she befriends Ji-wook’s mom and later ends up working for Ji-wook’s mom. The two are frequently indulge in semi-friendly banter.
Bong-hee’s father who died while trying to save Ji-wook and his family. He was earlier accused of murdering Ji-wook’s parents until it was discovered that he was innocent.
A prosecutor trainee, who was a son of District Attorney and Bong-hee’s cheating ex-boyfriend. A descendant of a prestigious legal family for generations. He died in Bong-hee’s house which pointed her as the prime suspect.
People at the JRTI (Judicial Research and Training Institute)
Bong-hee’s classmate and fellow trainee, who was Hee-jun’s lover, later became his girlfriend after Bong-hee caught them. She later became prosecutor in Yu-jeong’s office and quickly becomes friends with her.
Jang Hee-joon’s father and the District Attorney. They continuously persecute Ji-wook and Bong-hee by influencing the Bar Association, the Prosecutor’s Office, the courts, etc. He believes in upholding the might of the prosecution even if it meant defaming common people, as shown when he falsely incriminated Bong-hee’s father as the arsonist who caused the fire that killed Ji-wook’s parents and also himself, releasing the gang-rapists of Park So-young after dismissing their rape charges on the bribery of the parents and forcing Ji-wook to indict and convict Bong-hee (who was actually innocent) for murdering his son. Upon discovering Hyun-soo’s guilt of his son’s murder, he tried to kill him unsuccessfully and this led to his downfall as he was dismissed from his post and arrested for attempted murder (and possibly his pre-existing corruption prior to his arrest).
A victim who was accused of murder which has similar vibe to Bong-hee’s case, but has a mysterious identity that lies in him. He was in fact a serial killer who had earlier, out of revenge, murdered five of the six gang-rapists (including the victim of a murder he was accused of and first appeared in the show for) of his high school crush Park So-young, who committed suicide after this incident. He was also the real culprit who murdered Jang Hee-joon; in fact, his real target was Bong-hee, who unknowingly witnessed him killing two of the rapists, but he ended up killing Hee-joon, who was at the wrong place at the wrong time when he tried to make amends with Bong-hee for cheating on her. Hyun-soo was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders he committed.
A forensic investigator who went missing after being falsely incriminated for murder. He was actually one of the gang-rapists who raped Park So-young and was shown to be plagued with remorse (possibly) for the crime. He disappeared before he could meet up with Ji-wook to reveal something related to Hyun-soo, and was confirmed to be murdered by Hyun-soo when his body was discovered nearing the finale of the series. Four of his five accomplices – Lee Jae-ho, Yang Jin-woo, Kim Min-goo and Sung Jae-hyun – were earlier murdered by Hyun-soo while the final accomplice Min Young-hoon eventually surrendered and went to jail for the crime around the same time Hyun-soo was indicted the second time and finally sentenced.
The early working titles for the drama were Beware This Woman and Suspicious Romance.[16] The first script reading took place April 4, 2017 at SBSIlsan Production Center in Tanhyun, South Korea.[17][18]
The series got the dorama adaptation, which was aired on MBS and TBS across Japan, with Disney+ streamed the series globally.[24] An Indian adaptation in Hindi language was titled A Legal Affair was also confirmed to aired on JioCinema.[25]
Notes
^ abThe series was originally packaged as twenty 60-minute episodes. In order to circumvent Korean laws that prevent commercial breaks in the middle of an episode, what would previously have been aired as single 60 minute episodes are now being repackaged as two 30 minute episodes, with two episodes being shown each night with a commercial break between the two.[2] This, following a fall in ratings and eventual 2-episode cut in the preceding drama serial Saimdang, Memoir of Colors.[3]
^“The Irony of Suspicious Partner”. Newsen. 30 June 2017. 그러나 전체 시청률을 제외한 TV 화제성, 브랜드 평판, 2049 시청률 등에서는 ‘수트너’가 압도적으로 1위다. 전체 가구 시청률에서 20세에서 49세까지의 시청률을 별도로 산정한 ‘2049 시청률’은 ‘수트너’가 6연속 1위를 차지했고, TV 화제성에서는 3주 연속 1위를 유지했다. ‘수트너’의 주인공인 지창욱은 5주 연속 TV 드라마 출연자 화제성 1위에 이름을 올렸다.