Offering a glimpse of the science behind how criminal minds work, Brain Works pitches a lighthearted approach to an unsettling plot.
Determined to solve cases connected to brain disease, detective Gyum Myung Se and neuroscientist Shin Ha Ru work alongside to dig deeper into the complexity of how brains work.
Opening Week Rating:
anonymouse watched Brain Works on Viu
Episode Recaps:1&2| 03| 04 | 5&6 | 7&8 | 9&10 | 11&12 | 13&14 | Finale Episodes + Series Review |
PRESS CONFERENCE: “Brain Works” Commits To Refreshing Bromance Story
Brain Works Opening Week Story
“Your mouth may lie but your face tells the truth.”
A new division Neuroscientific Investigations Team consisting of “shy brain” Seol So Jung and the “altruistic brain” Geum Myung Se handles cases related to brain disease.
Following the murder of a famous rocker Kim Jae Won who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, his wife, Jun In Young, immediately confesses she’s the one who killed him by activating a high-frequency device that would mess with his brain implants.
So Jung and Myung Se decided to ask for the help of Shin Ha Ru, a brilliant but arrogant neuroscientist, for their ongoing investigation of the case. While waiting, Myung Se accidentally overhears his assistant mumbling that Ha Ru forged the consent form from the dead inmate for his study on psychopaths’ brains.
After work, Myung Se accidentally relayed the information to his reporter friend due to his drunkenness. Word quickly spread that Ha Ru forged the consent form and he lost his position and the right to study the brain.
“Not everyone has to live looking their best.”
After he gets fired, Ha Ru decides to work for the Neuroscientific Investigations Team to clean his name. While investigating Kim Jae Won’s death, Haru discovered that Jun In Young suffers from a memory disorder where her memory gets easily fabricated and distorted.
During the investigation, the NIT believes that someone else is behind the murder. Various pieces of evidence led to the conclusion that manager Oh Sang Ki is the one who killed Kim Jae Won but framed In Young for it.
During interrogation, Sang Ki insisted that he did it for Kim Jae Won because he knows him best. He knows that he wants to preserve his ego and die while he’s in his brightest moment.
However, Myung Se insisted that his friend needs support from the people he loves while he’s at his lowest moment. He also revealed that Sang Ki only used Kim Jae Won’s disability as an excuse to kill him before he couldn’t work for him anymore and lose a lot of money.
After closing the case, Haru is still determined to keep a close eye on Myung Se and find out about his secret transactions and get back to him for spreading his secret.
Brain Works Opening Week Musings
Attempting to delve into the complexity of the human brain, Brain Works is off to a light start. Despite having an uneasy and slightly gory theme, the show is unexpectedly full of funny scenes with a lot of banter from the characters of Chae Tae Hyun and Jung Yong Hwa.
However, the first two episodes seem like a little bit of a stretch for the homicidal case. It feels like it could’ve been more straightforward with minimal unnecessary scenes to fill in the time.
On the other hand, it is very enjoyable to have some facts about the brain and human behavior inserted throughout the episodes. While watching, you have the sense that you are learning and expanding your knowledge at the same time.
Moving forward, more characters are expected to show up which will heighten the excitement of how the story will unfold. Hopefully, we get to have a glimpse of Ha Ru’s backstory and a lot of compelling cases in the succeeding episodes.
Watch new episodes of Brain Works every Monday and Tuesday on Viu.
Photos: JTBC Drama | Screenshots from Viu
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