SBS’s Friday-Saturday thriller "Queen Mantis" has viewers wondering if Ko Hyun-jung and Jang Dong-yoon’s mother-son duo can inch any closer.
Premiering Sept. 5, the high-intensity crime series (directed by Byun Young-joo, written by Lee Young-jong) pairs a serial-killer mom with her detective son for a tense joint investigation. The show surged past a 10% ratings high by episode 2, debuted at No. 7 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 (Non-English) for Sept. 1-7, and even hit No. 1 on Kinolights during its premiere week ― a strong start by any measure.
Much of the buzz centers on the combustible chemistry between Ko and Jang as perhaps TV’s most extreme mother and son. Ko plays Jung Yi-shin, a serial killer dubbed “Mantis” after brutally murdering five men; even when she reunites with the son she hasn’t seen in 23 years, her killer instinct snaps into place in a heartbeat. Jang’s Cha Soo-yeol, a cop who’s despised his killer mother his entire life, channels a fury that lands like a gut punch for viewers at home.
Where that rage-soaked relationship goes next ― and what each really feels beneath the armor ― is the question drawing the most intrigue.
Ahead of episode 3, the production released an evocative new still of the pair facing off once more.
In the photo, Jung Yi-shin spends time in the garden of the house where she’s under house arrest. She’s holding a book, but her piercing gaze suggests she’s clocked something ― or someone. Enter Cha Soo-yeol. He leans in to listen, while she offers the faintest smile, a striking contrast to the caustic barbs they traded during their 23-years-in-the-making reunion.
“The tension and pull between a serial-killer mother and her detective son is one of the show’s core engines,” the producers said. “To capture the relationship’s constant whiplash, Ko Hyun-jung and Jang Dong-yoon deliver precise, finely tuned performances. We hope you’ll keep watching.”
Episode 3 of "Queen Mantis" airs Friday at 9:50 p.m. KST on SBS.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)