Review | K-drama review: Mr. Queen – period comedy ends on a high with cathartic finale
- The body-swap/political comedy pushed boundaries with its examination of gender and social standards in South Korea
- The final episode drew one of the biggest audiences in its channel tvN’s history
This article contains spoilers.
4/5 stars
With so many protagonists and plot strands to consider, not to mention what viewers may or may not wish for regarding their favourite characters, finishing any big K-drama requires a careful balancing act. Every once in a while, all the elements build to a cathartic and effortless conclusion. Mr. Queen did just that, wrapping things up with a bang in a finale that drew the fifth-highest audience in tvN’s history.
The mix of frothy body-swap comedy and period political intrigue occasionally came off as ungainly, but for the most part Shin Hye-sun’s barnstorming lead performance and the series’ fresh and flexible approach to genre kept viewers coming back for more – and the showrunners saved the best for last as King Cheol-jong (Kim Jung-hyun) and his queen stormed the palace in a climax bursting with suspense, slapstick and schadenfreude.
Throughout its 20 episode run, Mr. Queen has taken us on quite a journey. Thanks to its present-day opening and protagonist, once the show dragged us back 200 years into the Joseon Era, it forced us to view everything through a modern-day filter.