HALFWAY POINT | AGENTS OF MYSTERY S2

I just need to say this: if you go on Netflix and find Agents of Mystery, you need to watch the second season.

I just started watching it, and even though it’s only nine episodes, that’s still three more than the first season.

Also, it’s better than the first, with Gabee being a stronger character than Lee Eun Ji. While I like Eun Ji in Earth Arcade as the unfortunate eldest and in her cameo in the second season of The Great Escape, she feels too serious here. I also don’t think she’s much of a thinker or particularly strong in physical missions, which is why a brute-force player like Gabee seems better suited for the show.

Anyway, midway through the season, I can already say it’s better than the first. It feels like Jung Jong-yeon was mightily upset about leaving The Great Escape and made it a point to put everything he wanted into this season. I mean, the fifth season of The Great Escape isn’t as watchable as it was with the original cast. Meanwhile, Agents of Mystery has interactions similar to the other Netflix series, Busted!, where there’s a balance between the cute girls and the guys.

I really like the fact that you don’t need to be a comedian to be funny. In fact, Lee Yong Jin comes off as the more serious one this season. He thrives as the somewhat lackluster, scaredy-cat leader, but he shows flashes of brilliance and comedic fury. John Park and Girls’ Day’s Hyeri shine in the mental missions, while Yong Jin and Gabee do well in the physical ones. Kim Do Hoon and Karina—the eye candies—also work well as combo players. Do Hoon is helpful in mental challenges, while Karina performs well in physical games despite her cute aura.

I enjoy these kinds of strategic games, and the one flaw I had with the first season was that the opening mission wasn’t as entertaining. This season, the missions are extremely entertaining. The second main mission had elements similar to The Great Escape Season 1’s second mission. It was one of my favorites because of the zombie element and how it showed a different side of Kim Dong Hyun. He was the revelation of that series, and I think he’s better when portrayed as a wannabe badass rather than a straight-up coward like he was in the fifth season.

I also felt the show didn’t do much for Kang Ho Dong. One of the reasons the original series thrived was that he was the comedian acting like a leader, similar to Lee Yong Jin’s current persona. Now, they have three “flower boys” who aren’t as dynamic as Kim Jong Min, Shin Dong, and P.O. in terms of actions and interactions, and that kind of affected the aura of Ho Dong, Dong Hyun, and Yoo Byung Jae.

I’m going to finish the season first before giving my final thoughts. But midway through Episode 5, I had to write this because I’m enjoying it so much.