Review: Prison Playbook (2018)

"It is only with the heart that one sees rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye." - The Little Prince

Kim Je Hyeok has been living the time of his life as a hotshot baseball superstar that is loved and adored by many. However, due to some unforeseen situation, he finds himself thrown in the chaotic and constrained world of prison. Armed with nothing but baseball knowledge, will Je Hyeok be able to survive in this alien world and eventually come back to pitch in the mound?

Image via Tving.

Gold. If I had to summarize Prison Playbook in just one word, it would be gold. This 2017 South Korean television series penned by Lee Woo Jung and directed by Shin Won Ho has a lot more to it than what is being shown, and although it's a slow burn story that takes quite a time to set the tone, once it hits, it doesn't miss.

❀ RAVES ❀ »•»

1) Heart. I thought this show would be quite dark, given it being set-up in prison. However I was truly glad this hasn't been the case. Prison Playbook turned out to be a very heartwarming drama, as expected from the producer of the Reply Series which continues to be a personal favorite up to this day. The show does an incredibly great job in breaking a lot of prison and prisoner stereotypes, and I never knew I would get vast emotional sucker-punches by watching random prisoners' daily activities while in jail. Prison Playbook's unique story about men who have done bad things in life but have genuinely good hearts was 100% a gratifying watch, and the lessons inserted in their daily life amidst the sea of serious issues sometimes cracked as a joke is one of the show's greatest strengths that I will never ever get tired of.

2) Undermined Expectations. This is something that Prison Playbook plays really really well. Not everything thrown at you is the truth, and I think it was really clever of the show to twist expectations like that. Among my favorites is this:

Lieutenant Paeng is one very good example of undermining viewer expectations. I initially thought he was bad—I mean he was lazy, looked like an arrogant prick and acted like an arrogant prick, especially with all those cursing. It didn't help that Jung Woong In played villainous roles in most of the dramas I've seen him in, such as I Hear Your Voice. That being said I was genuinely surprised at how thoughtful and understanding he was of the prisoners under his wing. It didn't matter if he'd get scolded, just like when he hastily pushed the button that unlocks the prisoners' cells after the fire alarm went off and smoke broke out in the penitentiary in Episode 12. What's important for him was the prisoners' well-being and that they are all safe, especially during his watch. I can't believe that from doubting him I'd turn 180 degrees backwards and love him to bits until the end.

And this:

When Captain Yoo Jung Woo was first introduced, he was described as a devil captain for allegedly killing a soldier under his supervision. This was even more emphasized when he went berserk and smashed that window in the CRPT Training Room in Episode 6. But as it turns out, Jung Woo was just helping out Officer Song who was having a heart attack at that time. Even if he looked like the real devil captain in the CCTV for breaking that window, he never cared. He never thought about what people might say about him first, he just went all the way and helped save Officer Song's life, and we later learn that he wasn't really a devil captain after all. He was kind and supportive and was just basically framed for something that he didn't do.

3) Fleshed-out Characters. I love how Prison Playbook has put heavy focus on its characters as well as their motivations and their behavior as a person. I love how the show emphasized that these characters were not inately bad. Sure they may be in prison due to some circumstances, but they were genuinely good people, or at least had the potential to change. They just needeed a good push and a great person to do that, and I love that with Je Hyeok in prison and Lieutenant Paeng around, they were able to do just that—change. I also love how us, as viewers, were given access to these prisoners' life, because by revealing the characters' own backstories and giving them their own time to shine, they became all the more relatable. With their stories comes our understanding and empathy for them, and maybe a little bit of admiration too, especially in terms of character growth.

Among my favorite character growths in this show was Jean Valjean's transformation as a changed man. He had a bad habit of stealing and was also a liar. Yet I love how his boss' testimony in Episode 5 regarding the wallet that he had stolen made him realize that there are still people who are genuinely good, and that made him reflect on himself and inspired him to become a welder. That scene really left a strong impression in me. I also love how he lived up to his promise of visiting his "dad" Min Chul (I actually thought they were related) and how he had literally been there for him when he got released. I never really expected Jean Valjean to do that, first because he never lived up to his word of eating budae jjigae at the restaurant near the penitentiary as soon as he got out, and second, it took him 10 long months to visit I thought he was never really going to pay a visit! But then it turned out that he took quite a while because he was saving money so he could buy goods to be given away to the prisoners under Min Chul's name. That says a lot about how much he'd grown, and at the same time touched me a lot, especially since Min Chul never had the luxury of getting any visitors in the 25 years he had been in prison. Awww.

4) Friendship. The friendship that Je Hyeok was able to form with other inmates while in jail was among the most wonderful things to have happened in this show. Je Hyeok might be short tempered, a tad slow and a bit of a dim-wit sometimes especially about things that isn't baseball, but his kindness was definitely out of this world. He has an eye for seeing the good in people, and his genuine concern for others, especially for his prisonmates, transcends in every possible way. Because of this, he gets to earn not just a number of friends but loyal ones at that. Even those whom he used to be enemies with end up becoming his ally, and it was such a wonderful thing to see Prison Playbook hit all the right notes about friendship and what it really means to have each other's back. Now that's what you call real squad goals.

One of my favorite displays of friendship in this show was how Je Hyeok was able to turn a prisonmate into a comrade through jailbird. I cried buckets when I found out that Je Hyeok donated money for the surgery of jailbird's mom. At first I thought he would be giving in to Chief Jo's absurd "request", but thank goodness he didn't. That part was very well played, and was exactly the turning point I needed to proclaim how good the show really was. It didn't help that jailbird was such a loyal guy, too. Je Hyeok's actions really touched jailbird so hard that when he returned to prison a couple of episodes after, he sticked to Je Hyeok like glue and helped him the best he can. And the best part? Jailbird got that big break towards change outside prison, with Je Hyeok helping him on with his life and giving him a proper job. Awww.

Yet the things I love does not only circle around Je Hyeok being Mr. Congeniality. This right here isn't about him befriending everybody else, but was a stealer nonetheless.

Even if Hanyang and Jung Woo fight and bicker a lot, I found it so touching how Jung Woo was able to easily sense that Hanyang was in danger even when he was in the middle of a meal in Episode 14. He even asked for Officer Song's help and requested the CRPT men to join them, too. And when Lieutenant Paeng came rushing to the infirmary to check on Hanyang after sensing too that something was wrong, it was absolutely cute how Jung Woo was just there, standing on the side with his chopsticks. Dang, that was really sweet. Turns out he does care, after all.

5) Bromance. The dynamics between Je Hyeok and his prisonmates were absolutely great, but his bromance with Joon Ho? It's on a different level of great. I love how these two go out of their way to take care and look after each other. Even if a long time has passed before they got to meet each other again, it was pretty evident that their friendship remained intact. Jung Kyung Ho and Park Hae Soo had amazing chemistry too, and I love more how adorable these two are and how they light up the screen so much whenever they are together.

It was very sweet of Joon Ho to go all out in taking care of Je Hyeok while he is in prison. Suffice it to say this is my favorite part in terms of Joon Ho and Je Hyeok's bromance. He was ready to ditch his day off, or even earn the ire of his bosses, just to be able to be there for Je Hyeok whenever he needed a friend. This was evident in how he silently cried for Je Hyeok in the car in Episode 4, as well as when Je Hyeok was trying to take his chance at pitching again in Episode 6. It was hard, but through these hardships, Joon Ho was there, comforting him with a hug, silently telling him that it's okay, that everything will be okay. If that isn't beautiful for you, I don't know what is. 🤷 I was also as touched as Joon Ho was when he recalled how Je Hyeok matter-of-factly told everyone that they were best friends in Episode 9, even if they haven't seen each other for so long. The look on Joon Ho's face and the suppressed feels that would've exploded right then and there was sooo me I just... couldn't help but go awww.

6) (Re) Discovering Jung Kyung Ho. The only drama I have watched Jung Kyung Ho in was Time Between Dog and Wolf, and that hasn't been a very pleasant experience as I have been really pissed with his character in that show. However, watching him as Lee Joon Ho in this drama felt like a breath of fresh air that finally freed him of the stigma that I had of him, especially since Joon Ho was such an adorable corrections officer, baseball fan and best friend all rolled into one. I absolutely enjoyed how Jung Kyung Ho played the reliable friend Lee Joon Ho. He was a stealer, and I love how he was able to bring Joon Ho's gruff yet ardent character so vividly alive. Jung Kyung Ho was the perfect actor for this role, although I still somehow feel that the show could have drawn a whole lot more from him and that his acting potential hasn't been fully realized.

❀ RANTS ❀ »•»

1) Episode Length. The show probably has the longest stretch I've ever seen in a drama, with episodes panning to at least one and a half hour each. Honestly, this has been one of the reasons I've been putting Prison Playbook on hold for so long. I've heard a lot of great reviews and its rating on drama listings were even higher compared to Signal, which was a favorite. However, I was never sure if sitting through an hour and a half watching prisoners' mundane lives would be worth my time, especially since I don't have much time to spare. Thankfully I had been proven wrong, but thinking about how I could have missed this gem had I not given this a chance because of its episodes' length gives me shudders.

2) Uncomfortable Comedic Instances. I absolutely hated this, specifically this:

In Episode 1, after Je Hyeok had been tried guilty for assaulting a man who tried to rape his sister (it was self defense though), Je Hyeok had been sent to prison and thus had to undergo a couple of prisoner exams before he could finaly call it a day in his cell. During his rectal examination, a lot of people were very much interested to peek at his butthole, so much so that they'd ditch their posts just to eagerly take a look. It probably was there for comedy, but I didn't find that bit quite comedic at all. It was uncomfortably disturbing, I bet not just for me but for Je Hyeok too.

3) Hanyang aka Looney's Ending. Looney was such an amusing character, and I've had quite a good laugh in every scene that he's in. He had been struggling because of his addiction, but had also been eager in battling out the urge for drugs the best way he can. Which was why...

I hated how he didn't get to have a fresh start with his family unlike the rest of the characters.

In an intellectual sense, what happened to Hanyang was as realistic as it can get. However, I can't help being upset. Hanyang was such a poor, lonely soul and my heart ached so much for him. Sure he was annoying for his prisonmates most of the time, but there is something in him that you just can't help but adore. Even though his family took him for his word and not welcomed him outside prison when he got released (they were waiting for him at home complete with tofu), was it too much to not let him get swayed and turn into drugs once again? I mean, he kept hanging in there for so long already! I was really really sad about his character's fate, especially since the prisonmates he used to have, prisonmates who used to put up with him and understand him, wouldn't be there anymore when he comes back. Really, it's just so dang sad. 😢

4) Je Hyeok and Ji Hoo's Romance. Just to make things clear, nope, this isn't about Krystal, unlike everybody else's gripes. However I just couldn't enjoy Je Hyeok and Ji Hoo's romance completely given the age gap. I usually don't care much about age gaps, especially since most of the time it isn't that much noticeable anyway. However giving that backstory starting from basically when Je Hyeok and Ji Hoo were just kids made the age gap a lot more glaring for me. I mean, Je Hyeok was already in high school and Ji Hoo probably in pre-elementary during the flashbacks, and thinking about how Ji Hoo must have been groomed like that only to be Je Hyeok's love interest felt sort of creepy.

❀ RULING ❀ »•»

Prison Playbook is indeed one dark horse, a gem you never would have expected from something that is set in prison. It's an inspiring and wonderful tale about redemption and second chances, a great reminder that no matter how much you've strayed, you can always find hope and come back into  the light, especially if you are very much willing to commit to change. After all, hell is yourself. As Ezra Taft Benson puts it, "Some of the greatest battles are fought within the silent chambers of your own soul." Sure it may be tough, but personal battles are there to be won over. And only when you win will it be gratifying to say, "Bravo, my life!" 😉

TAGS: Jung Kyung Ho, K-Drama, K-Drama Reviews, Park Hae Soo, Prison Playbook, Wise Prison Life   Edit