The Victims’ Game: A Gripping but Flawed Taiwanese Murder Thriller
The second season of Netflix’s hit crime series, The Victims’ Game, has finally arrived, and it’s a wild ride. Joseph Chang reprises his role as the forensic investigator with Asperger’s syndrome, and the show is just as grungy and gruesome as its predecessor. But while the production values are slick, the storytelling often sacrifices logic for shock value.
The Victims’ Game season 2
The action picks up where the first season left off, with Fang no longer working for the police force and attempting to establish an ordinary domestic life with Hsu Hai-yin. However, the death of his former mentor prompts a new prosecutor to reopen a 15-year-old murder-suicide case involving a pair of teenage lovers. Fang, who signed off on the case, is called in to assist but soon becomes the prime suspect when he is the only person found at the scene of another death.
“The relentless barrage of names, theories, and forensic details eventually becomes overwhelming.”
As Fang delves deeper into the mystery, more bodies start piling up, each with a different organ surgically removed from their body. The victims all had one thing in common: they were high school classmates of the two young lovers. Fang forms an alliance with medical examiner Hsueh Hsin-ning to investigate what really happened, but the plot twists and turns in ways that defy explanation.
Fang examines the evidence
While the show is polished and slickly executed, the real victims are logic and coherent storytelling. The writers rely heavily on unlikely coincidences and contrived motivations to mislead the audience, rather than weaving a genuinely complex storyline. It’s a shame, because the show has all the ingredients of a great detective series.
Joseph Chang’s performance is often reduced to twitching and incomprehensible mumbling
The deeper we get into the mystery, the more infuriating the plotting becomes. It’s almost as if the show’s creators are more interested in shocking the audience than in telling a coherent story. And yet, despite its flaws, The Victims’ Game remains a gripping and engaging watch.
Tarcy Su shines as Fang’s prime sidekick
Perhaps the biggest problem with The Victims’ Game is that it tries to juggle too many characters and subplots simultaneously. The result is a convoluted mess that’s more frustrating than fascinating. And yet, despite its flaws, the show remains a must-watch for fans of crime dramas.
Karencici shines in a memorable cameo
In the end, The Victims’ Game is a show that promises more than it delivers. While it’s a gripping and engaging watch, it’s also a flawed and frustrating one. If you’re a fan of crime dramas, you’ll likely find yourself drawn in despite the show’s many flaws. But if you’re looking for a genuinely complex and coherent storyline, you might want to look elsewhere.
