"Queen Mantis" is already on a tear after just two episodes.
The SBS Friday-Saturday thriller premiered on the 5th, pairing a serial-killer mother with her detective son for a high-tension manhunt. Billed as a reunion of an all-star cast and creative team―and as a long-awaited return to SBS’s Friday-Saturday genre slot―the series arrived to sky-high expectations. Early viewers say it not only met the hype, it blew past it.
That buzz showed up in the numbers. According to Nielsen Korea, the Seoul Capital Area rating for the premiere hit 7.3%, instantly topping its time period and all Friday-Saturday dramas. The episode’s peak minute climbed to 8.7%. In the key 20-49 demo, it opened at a 2.0% average with a 2.57% high―an encouraging start.
Episode 2, which aired on the 6th, held a 7.3% average in the Seoul Capital Area but surged to a 10% peak, cracking double digits. The 20-49 demo leapt to a 2.5% average and a 3.29% high. Considering Saturday night is crowded with flagship dramas across broadcast and cable, the upward momentum is especially notable.
The show’s heat doesn’t stop at linear TV. "Queen Mantis" shot to No. 1 on Netflix Korea’s TV chart for domestic series and also held the top spot for two consecutive days on Kinolights, a local OTT content search platform―clear signs that viewers are watching, rewatching, and talking about it.
Online chatter spiked after both the first and second episodes, with raves for Ko Hyun-jung’s audacious turn as a serial killer, the pulse-pounding storytelling and stylish direction from Byun Young-joo, and Jang Dong-yoon’s full-throttle performance. Anticipation for what comes next is surging.
With ratings and word-of-mouth both climbing by Episode 2, the team behind "Queen Mantis" teases even bigger twists, tighter suspense, and powerhouse performances each week―promising a strong run in the fiercely competitive Friday-Saturday primetime battleground.
"Queen Mantis" airs Fridays at 9:50 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 p.m. KST.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)