Return (TV series)

For the Polish television series, see Powrót.
Return
Promotional poster
Hangul
리턴
Genre
Created by
  • Park Young-soo (SBS)
Written by Choi Kyung-mi
Directed by Joo Dong-min
Starring
Music by Kim Joon-seok
Country of origin South Korea
Original language Korean
No. of episodes 34
Production
Executive producer SBS Drama Operation Team
Producer Park Hyung-ki
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 35 minutes
Production company The Story Works
Original release
Network SBS TV
Release January 17 –
March 22, 2018

Return (Korean: 리턴; RR: Riteon) is a 2018 South Korean television series. It aired from January 17 to March 22, 2018, on SBS TV's Wednesdays and Thursdays at 22:00 (KST) for 34 episodes.

Synopsis

A body is found on the freeway, and the four suspects are South Korea's powerful elites. Choi Ja-hye, the most influential and famous female lawyer in the country, decides to take the case and defend Kang In-ho, per the request of her law school friend Geum Na-ra. However, In-ho was having an affair with the victim and was seen having an argument with her the day before the murder took place. As Ja-hye investigates the case with Dokgo Young, a detective with a dark past as a juvenile criminal, they realize that the case is not a simple murder but was born out of corruption and dark secrets among In-ho and his friends.

Cast

Main

A lawyer who is now the host of a legal-themed TV show titled Return. She helps Na-ra to solve In-ho's trial.
A hot-tempered detective. He has a sharp analytical to follow the trail of a murder case. Throughout the series, he manages to solve the murder cases, but is unable to capture the socialites throughout the years for their wrongdoings.
A calm and successful CEO of an IT company, but turns to have shady behavior when he attempts to cover up a mistake he or Hak-beom makes. He is currently being framed for murdering Ahn Hak-soo, a former police officer whom owns a karaoke bar. After Tae-seok's and Hak-beom's secret is revealed, he plans to silence anyone who gets in his way, especially Attorney Choi.
A professor in theology studies at Myungsung Foundation. He turns out to be an impulsive and abusive man who resorts to violence without thinking of its consequences. When things do not go on his ways, he tends to displace his anger onto other characters or bribe them with money in the show.
The chief director at Taeha Corporation. He was in a relationship with Mi-jung during their younger times. After marrying Na-ra, he had an adulterous affair with Mi-jung for one year and became the co-founder of Mi-jung's wine bar. When Mi-jung was found murdered, he was framed and put into prison. Despite being bribed by his wife, Na-ra, their marriage become more estrange and his attempts to save the marriage becomes futile due to his wife's discovery of his affair with Mi-jung. Throughout the series, he was the one whom knocked down a little girl when he was in high school. Unfortunately, he reluctantly followed Mi-jung's and the rest of his friends' suggestion to throw the girl into the sea.
In-ho's wife and a former lawyer who passed her bar examination. Mi-jung describes her as an innocent, devoted and beautiful wife of In-ho. After Mi-jung was murdered, she discovered In-ho's affair. Currently, she has an estranged relationship with In-ho.
A doctor and an associate with Tae-seok, Hak-beom and In-ho. Due to regrets and guilt he has gone through, he succumbed into drug addiction for years to forget the incident as well as stresses in workplace. When he witnessed Mi-jung's death and became his friends' accomplices, he decided to turn himself to the police. However, he was nearly murdered by both Tae-seok and Hak-beom. Despite running away from his mistakes and his friends, Na-ra managed to convince him to turn himself to the police, together with the evidences he had in the USB.

Supporting

A doctor at The Daemyung Hospital.
Attorney Choi's assistant attorney. She is a very observant and calm character. She helps both Choi and Na-ra to find Joon-hee in a hospital in Taein.
A detective working with Dokgo Young. He saved Jun-hee from car crash. He turns out to have an alliance with Ja-hye to expose Taek-seok and the rest of the socialites' corruptions.
  • Seo Hye-rin as Ko Seok-soon
  • Son Jong-hak as An Hak-soo
A corrupted police, who used to be Detective Young's superior. He was the police-in-charge of the Sung Jung-mi's drowning case in 1999.
In-ho's and Na-ra's quiet and introverted daughter.

Special appearances

The victim of In-ho's case. She owned a wine bar, sponsored by In-ho. She had an affair with him for a year. After aborting his child, she planned to ruin In-ho's family by getting close to Na-ra.
  • Park Jun-gyu as Park Byung-ho
  • Shin Yoo-ram as a drug trafficker
  • Jung Han-hun as Seo Joon-hee's father
  • Kim Hyung-mok as Kim Byung-ki
A car salesperson, who was murdered by Tae-seok
  • Kang Nam-gil as a judge
  • Jo Seung-yeon as a prosecutor
  • Hong Ji-yoon as Bang Seon-yeong
  • Kim Myung-su as Judge Lim Woo-jae
  • Kang Seong-min as a foreign car dealer
  • Ahn Hye-kyung as a client
  • Lee Kye-in

Production

The first script reading of the cast was held on November 15, 2017.

Controversy

On February 7, 2018, it was reported that there was a large dispute on set of the series on the 5th, between lead actress Go Hyun-jung and the series' director Joo Dong-min. The following day, Go's agency officially announced that the actress would be leaving the team due to irreconcilable differences with the directing team concerning the production process. The agency also denied the initial reports that her sudden departure was due to her physically assaulting director Joo; stating that "there was indeed a verbal conflict but reports of physical assault was nonsensical". Meanwhile, viewers of the series flooded SBS website with comments blaming the producer for "abusing his power" and calling for director Joo to quit instead.

Actress Park Jin-hee later replaced Go Hyun-jung for the role of Choi Ja-hye. She started filming on February 13 and first appeared on the sixteenth episode.

Original soundtrack

Part 1

Released on January 24, 2018
No. Title Artist Length
1. "Return" (리턴) Ronny Chu 3:45

Part 2

Released on January 31, 2018
No. Title Artist Length
2. "Again" Jang Jae-in 3:20

Part 3

Released on February 28, 2018
No. Title Artist Length
2. "Black Sun" (검은 해) Se So Neon 3:30

Ratings

Ep. Original broadcast date Average audience share
TNmS Nielsen Korea
Nationwide Seoul Nationwide Seoul
1 January 17, 2018 6.6% (19th) 7.4% 6.7% (19th) 7.5% (11th)
2 7.8% (15th) 9.3% 8.5% (9th) 9.0% (6th)
3 January 18, 2018 7.0% (20th) 7.7% 7.8% (14th) 8.5% (9th)
4 7.9% (15th) 8.6% 9.0% (8th) 9.7% (5th)
5 January 24, 2018 9.1% (14th) 10.2% 11.0% (8th) 12.0% (5th)
6 10.5% (9th) 12.4% 14.1% (4th) 16.0% (3rd)
7 January 25, 2018 9.8% (11th) 10.9% 12.7% (6th) 13.6% (5th)
8 11.5% (8th) 12.7% 15.2% (3rd) 16.4% (3rd)
9 January 31, 2018 9.6% (11th) 10.9% 12.7% (5th) 14.0% (4th)
10 11.2% (8th) 12.8% 15.1% (3rd) 16.7% (3rd)
11 February 1, 2018 11.2% (10th) 12.8% 14.2% (4th) 15.8% (4th)
12 12.7% (8th) 14.4% 16.0% (3rd) 17.7% (2nd)
13 February 7, 2018 10.4% (11th) 12.2% 14.4% (5th) 16.2% (3rd)
14 12.6% (8th) 14.8% 17.4% (2nd) 19.6% (1st)
15 February 14, 2018 11.5% (5th) 12.7% 12.8% (4th) 14.0% (4th)
16 15.7% (2nd) 16.9% 17.0% (2nd) 18.2% (1st)
17 February 22, 2018 11.3% (9th) 12.5% 12.2% (5th) 13.6% (4th)
18 13.8% (3rd) 15.4% 16.5% (1st) 18.2% (1st)
19 February 28, 2018 10.7% (9th) 11.2% 11.5% (5th) 12.0% (5th)
20 13.5% (4th) 14.3% 15.2% (3rd) 16.0% (2nd)
21 March 1, 2018 11.8% (8th) 13.0% 13.6% (5th) 14.8% (3rd)
22 14.1% (4th) 15.5% 16.3% (2nd) 17.7% (2nd)
23 March 7, 2018 11.6% (7th) 12.8% 13.7% (5th) 14.9% (4th)
24 14.0% (4th) 15.7% 16.2% (3rd) 17.9% (2nd)
25 March 8, 2018 11.8% (8th) 13.5% 13.4% (5th) 15.1% (3rd)
26 13.7% (6th) 14.9% 16.2% (2nd) 17.4% (2nd)
27 March 14, 2018 10.4% (5th) 12.0% 12.1% (5th) 13.7% (4th)
28 12.2% (4th) 14.3% 14.7% (3rd) 16.7% (2nd)
29 March 15, 2018 11.2% (8th) 12.8% 13.0% (5th) 14.6% (3rd)
30 12.6% (6th) 14.5% 15.2% (2nd) 17.1% (2nd)
31 March 21, 2018 10.0% (14th) 11.6% 13.3% (5th) 14.9% (3rd)
32 11.8% (6th) 13.5% 16.1% (2nd) 17.8% (2nd)
33 March 22, 2018 12.7% (7th) 14.8% 14.6% (4th) 16.4% (3rd)
34 13.8% (5th) 15.6% 16.7% (2nd) 18.4% (1st)
Average 11.4% 12.8% 13.7% 15.1%
  • In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref.
2018 54th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Supporting Actor Bong Tae-gyu Nominated
2nd The Seoul Awards Nominated
SBS Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Wednesday-Thursday Drama Lee Jin-wook Nominated
Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Wednesday-Thursday Drama Park Jin-hee Nominated
Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Wednesday-Thursday Drama Park Ki-woong Nominated
Bong Tae-gyu Nominated
Excellence Award, Actress in a Wednesday-Thursday Drama Jung Eun-chae Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Oh Dae-hwan Nominated
Best New Actor Yoon Jong-hoon Nominated
Best Character Won
Shin Sung-rok Won
Park Ki-woong Won
Bong Tae-gyu Won