The SBS Friday-Saturday thriller from director Byun Young-joo and writer Lee Young-jong follows a notorious serial killer nicknamed “the Mantis.” Two decades after her capture, a string of copycat murders erupts―forcing a detective into an unthinkable alliance with the very person he’s hated his entire life: his mother, the original “Mantis.”
Since its Sept. 5 premiere, the eight-episode series has drawn explosive word-of-mouth. Now four episodes in―right at the midpoint―"Queen Mantis" is winning praise for its tightly woven plotting, whiplash twists, and daring turns from Ko Hyun-jung (as Jung Yi-shin) and Jang Dong-yoon (as Cha Su-yeol), all elevated by stylish, detail-driven direction that keeps viewers glued to the screen. Unusually for a dense, twisty genre piece, the show is pulling in new viewers mid-run―and the numbers reflect it.
Episode 1 opened at 7.1% nationwide (7.3% in the Seoul metro area) on Sept. 5, topping its time slot and all Friday-Saturday dramas. Episode 2 on Sept. 6 hit a 10% peak in real time. The momentum held: Episode 3 (Sept. 12) rose to a series-high 7.3% nationwide and kept the No. 1 spot, and Episode 4 (Sept. 13) inched up again to 7.5%―an especially encouraging feat on a hyper-competitive Saturday night packed with flagship dramas across broadcast, cable and general programming networks.
The heat isn’t limited to linear TV. Following Episodes 3 and 4, the series ranked No. 1 in South Korea on Netflix from Sept. 13-15. It also topped overall TV buzz for the first week of September on Good Data Corporation’s FUNdex, underscoring its cultural traction.
Why the surge- Episodes 3 and 4 finally unmasked the truth behind Jung Yi-shin’s first kill, deepening Cha Su-yeol’s torment. The prime suspect in the copycat case also flipped―from Seo Gu-wan (Lee Tae-gu) to Park Min-jae (Lee Chang-min)―keeping the whodunit nerve-jangling and unpredictable. Above all, Ko Hyun-jung and Jang Dong-yoon, along with a charged ensemble, deliver commanding performances that supercharge the show’s immersion.
With four episodes left, the producers are teasing bigger shocks and even fiercer performances. The only question now: How high can "Queen Mantis" climb as it keeps breaking its own records?
"Queen Mantis" airs Fridays at 9:50 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 p.m. KST on SBS.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)