The Fiery Priest 2 | Bitesize Drama Thoughts

I had been eagerly awaiting season 2 of The Fiery Priest from the moment I heard it was in production and had no idea until February that it was on Disney Plus (which I usually try to avoid almost as much as I avoid Paramount Plus).

Right from the start of the drama, I was shocked — in a good way! I don’t remember the first series being quite as funny as this one. The cast were chewing the scenery like there was no tomorrow and it was very clear just how much fun the actors were having with this project. Even through the infuriating interface of Disney+, I could strongly feel the energy of the performances. I truly believe the actors (and hopefully any returning crew) were so happy to be working together again with these characters.

The addition of Bibi to the cast was great, in my opinion, and she settled into the core cast seamlessly.

I must confess that I do really enjoy gangsters as bumbling, goofy guys in dramas. I’m sure their real life counterparts cause untold harm to the world around them, but a bunch of loyal idiots in a drama? Peak character template!

The gangsters and the main gang of catholics provide just as much comedy as each other, though I obviously have a soft spot for the comedic chemistry between Kim Namgil and Lee Hanee (it’s like the second coming of the Chuckle Brothers). The hijinks surrounding the serious themes tend to be slapstick. I should be getting whiplash from watching this but it is such a fun watch that the atmosphere clearly carries you along as a viewer.

As a drama constructed around crime, the unclear politics do come through this just as it does in other dramas. You can’t trust media, government, or law enforcement, but certain people within those spheres are good guys who will change the world. At several points, characters call Korea a corrupt country, but there is nothing that would resolve the cynical view. The message of the drama truly seems to be that good people just need to persevere in the midst of unjustness entrenched in society. It isn’t a helpful message, but it is something that stands out because it is brought up so often. I’d say that does add some friction to the experience, but it is hardly the first drama to press that issue.

As an overall experience, I’d say this is definitely a drama that stuck with me and will make me view the energy of other dramas in a different light.