Daebak K-Rambles

Re-watch value: 2 out of 5 stars

Synopsis

*partially taken from Dramafever*

• Park Cha Oh Reum (Go Ah Ra from Hwarang) is an idealistic rookie judge. She grew up in a common family and knows what it’s like to be powerless when the law isn’t on your side. She wants to be the protector that the people need. Passionate and strong-willed, she looks at the court as her stage for justice.

• Im Ba Reun (L/Kim Myung Soo, member of INFINITE) is a fellow judge. A stickler for the rules who comes from an elite background, he thinks only practically. He fights for principle and the rule of law. He may be determined and honest, but he works with his brain, not his heart.

• Han Se Sang (Sung Dong Il from Hwarang) is the most experienced judge on the panel. Realistic and armed with a better understanding of how the law works, he mentors both of the young judges fighting for the law on his circuit—especially when the two fight each other.

Together, the three judges handle the everyday cases of everyday people, and realize that justice is not as simple as reading off the Code of Hammurabi.

Rambling

*beware of spoilers*

Down with the patriarchy!

Undeniably, the best part about this show is Judge Park’s tenacity in trying to basically root out anyone loyal to the patriarchy. Family men that sexually harass their female employees, or small-minded men in general who blame women for wearing clothes that somehow send the message that they are “asking for it.” It’s enough to make you boiling mad, but luckily, our protagonist in Miss Hammurabi does not let anything slide.

INFINITE’s L was pretty good, Go ah-ra was excellent, and then, our “that guy” of almost any K-drama, Sung Dong Il legitimately stole the show. He was perfectly cast, and I’ve never seen him shine so much in a show.

The biggest draw for me in watching this was the upfront look/critique on sexual discrimination/ harassment/ abuse/ assault. Korean society likes to sweep under the rug anything that could disrupt high-status careers, company images, or fragile masculinity. I liked that despite our judges’ best efforts, not every case or dispute was resolved happily. There were lots of losing battles. And that to me was very realistic. In life, escalating situations legally sometimes ends badly for the people (or victims) who deserve justice.

I would say the main drawback of this show was that it was, more often than not, boring. Or maybe a better word is uncompelling and certainly not addicting to watch. I never signed off an episode and immediately had to watch the next one. It was just OK.

That being said, the last four episodes had no business being that good. The writers turned UP, and the stakes got super high. I appreciated that they brought back old side characters, like the grandma whose son died via medical malpractice, the clepto-teen that was huffing glue, and the workplace sexual harassment whistleblower. And they didn’t just appear for Judge Park’s emotional support; they were major players in improving Judge Park’s online image and bringing attention to NJ Group’s scandals. Very nice.

The most progress I wanted to see was in the love line between Judge Park and Judge Im. He confessed his feelings to her early on and she nervously rejects him, even though she’s so clearly into him. I thought their romance would get more play, especially because she was conveniently his first love, but nope. We’re relegated to the judicial mire they sludge through day after day, and their romance is on the back burner.

The show also breaks the rule of the main couple kissing by episode 8, 9, or 10. We finally get a “kiss,” if you can even call it that, in a much later episode. But if I had a hypothetical list of best tight-lipped kisses in K-drama, this would be in last place. Disappointing.

I didn’t quite understand the nickname they give Judge Park (Miss Hammurabi), even though I had heard the name before. I had to look it up before it all clicked. Hammurabi referring to the Code of Hammurabi. According to HISTORY.com:

What does it mean to act like a judge? This question is asked over and over again, and the show really didn’t answer the question. It was rhetorical. And powerful. Judges are humans, too, after all. They are imperfect. They make mistakes. But as far as what a judge should act like? It depends. However, they should always have a heart.

Funny enough, episode 16 had the most meat to dissect. Here we go:Theme of redemption. The show makes of point of showing Judge Im on the subway, confronting a boisterous drunk man as he was bitching about how the woman sitting next to him was dressed. The drunkard somehow gets on the jury for the final murder trial of the show, and Judge Im had major doubts that he would be impartial. That character actually delivers! He influences the rest of the jury to seek a unanimous “not guilty” verdict. So even those who have a questionable past can find redemption and break from precedence….which brings me to the theme of breaking with precedence. It goes hand in hand with the shocking resignation of Senior Judge Han. He cited 3 reasons for doing so: (1) if someone has to be sacrificed to make the bad press and seething public back off, then he will do it, (2) he has always struggled with feeling inadequate and unworthy of being a judge (he’s had his resignation letter stashed in his desk for basically his entire career!), and (3) he felt like he was holding back his junior judges; he says “the past should yield to the future.” Along with the “not guilty” verdict, Judge Park says that they’ll have to revise their judicial opinion and prepare for backlash. Judge Im chimes in, saying that this is how precedence changes.Episode 16, thankfully, tied up the loose end of the shitty senior judge that drove his junior to have a miscarriage. What goes around comes around…

And episode 16 showed some more kismet. Bo-wang had actually met Do-yeon in high school, and she handed him the book of classic poetry—the same one she left behind at the restaurant on their first date.

The man who stole Judge Park’s library spot was in fact Senior Judge Han. Interestingly, Judge Im’s sense of justice was already there when he was in high school, as the finale episode shows him trying to submit a police report on Judge Park’s piano teacher’s sexual molestation. One last subversive idea is explored here quickly. In both instances, the police report and the library seat stealing, Judge Im stands up for Judge Park while she stays silent or absent. In both cases, his concern is dismissed because he is not her boyfriend. So by that token, why does he have to be her boyfriend for his help to be taken seriously? The show sends the message that those who are victims should come forward themselves, instead of hiding behind another person. I can’t say I totally agree, although it is true that the person directly involved should decide how to handle the situation.

All in all, Miss Hammurabi left me with a satisfied feeling, despite my lukewarm watch. If you’re looking for a romantic workplace K-drama, DO NOT WATCH THIS SHOW. But if you’re looking for a slice-of-life, crime-centric, surprisingly touching show that explores a variety of crimes and hot topics, then you’ve found just the ticket.

Did you see Miss Hammurabi? Tell me your thoughts in the comments below!