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Paramount+’s Bargain Demonstrates the Continued Magnetism of Dark Korean Dramas

By Terry Terrones  |  October 4, 2023 | 11:15am
Photo Courtesy of Paramount+
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Paramount+’s Bargain Demonstrates the Continued Magnetism of Dark Korean Dramas

“This is so fucked up.”

That is what a police detective says late in the six-episode season of Bargain, and viewers are sure to agree with him. Murder, organ-trafficking, and the inability to tell if someone can be trusted or will literally stab you in the back make for a messed up situation. As messed up as this situation is, however, it’s one that’s hard to turn away from. 

Bargain, an intriguing (albeit at times uneven) crime thriller, is the second drama to arrive on Paramount+ as part of a partnership between the streaming service and the Seoul-based entertainment giant CJ ENM. It’s also the latest example of American audiences being treated to a K-drama with a unique and dark story that’s rarely seen in the United States.

The series is based on the 2015, 14-minute short film of the same name by director Lee Chung-hyun. In the short, a businessman is bargaining with a young prostitute for her services at a hotel, only to quickly learn he’s been led into a trap and his organs are to be sold off at auction in a hotel room while he’s still alive. The limited series is a continuation of the short film. 

Bargain starts out exactly like the film, then takes a dramatic twist. A businessman meets with a young woman, they negotiate terms, and an elaborate organ-harvesting scheme is unveiled. Then things get really weird. Just as the businessman is poked, prodded, and drawn on like a side of beef while he’s strapped to a table, a catastrophic earthquake hits and collapses a good portion of the hotel where the auction is being held. The victims, organ-traffickers, and desperate buyers are all trapped inside the slowly crumbling building without any way to contact the outside world. 

After the earthquake, the story of Bargain is told from the perspective of three different people with their own disparate motives. The aforementioned businessman who was strapped to a table at the beginning of the first episode is actually police detective Noh Hyung Woo (Jin Seon-kyu), or so he claims. While he has an ID that seems to verify his identity, he doesn’t act particularly brave, has no discernible skills, and frequently lies. 

The detective is almost as good at bending the truth as organ-auctioneer Park Joo Young (Jean Jong-seo), who’ll do and say anything to save herself. An adept charmer who’s able to be sweet and polite to your face then leave you in the dust when it suits her, Park is Bargain’s most engrossing character. Her backstory, told throughout the six-episode season, is heartbreaking, but just like every other character in this series, there’s not a word she says you can believe. 

Organ-buyer Go Geuk-ryeol (Chang Ryul) has the show’s most unusual storyline. A loyal son, he’s desperate to buy a kidney for his ailing father. He’s willing to do anything it takes to get what he needs, including using his own organs for collateral when he comes up short on cash at the auction. Even though the son purchased the detective’s kidney, the duo work together at times, despite rarely seeing eye-to-eye. 

The trio of the Detective, Auctioneer, and Good Son make for a bizarre yet oddly effective three-headed storyline. Throughout the season, the trio will work together, betray each other, and even try to kill one another. It’s a strange mix to be sure, but it works. They’re also the source of one of the series’ most unexpected delights: dark humor. 

The Good Son isn’t a consistent presence, he’ll often randomly appear at the most inopportune moments. His timing is almost always unexpectedly comedic. There are also a number of times when Bargain feels like a straight-up dark comedy. Licking the blood off the thumb of a severed hand so it can be used on a fingerprint sensor to open a safe is surprisingly humorous after watching dozens of characters get brutally taken out.

While Bargain has drama to spare, it isn’t without some flaws. The limited series has a cinematic feel, particularly during its first three episodes. The first half of Bargain is engaging, riveting, and perplexing. You’re certain to be hooked. Unfortunately, the series offers diminishing returns after that. 

Because of all the lying and backstabbing from every character on screen, the true motivation for the three leads is still muddled when the final credits roll. Who exactly you’re supposed to be rooting for, if anyone at all, is totally up to the viewer. While some might find that kind of ambiguity intriguing, I found the lack of clarity disorienting. I finished the six episodes feeling like Bargain’s story wasn’t complete. 

Somewhat ironically, compounding my frustration is the series’ length. The original Bargain short film is 14 minutes long, while the six-episode series is 3.5 hours. While that doesn’t sound like a lot of time, there’s so much fat in this series that Bargain would have made much more sense as a feature length film. Even at its relatively short length, Bargain takes too long to get where it’s going. 

While it sometimes struggles to reach the promise of its unique premise, organ trafficking plus earthquakes plus moral dilemmas will always equal an enjoyable equation when added together for television. Bargain also demonstrates, yet again, that K-dramas will continue to be a source to be mined by American streamers for quite some time. 

Bargain premieres Thursday, October 5th on Paramount+. 

Terry Terrones is a Television Critics Association and Critics Choice Association member, licensed drone pilot, and aspiring hand model. When he’s not avoiding having his organs harvested, you can find him hiking in the mountains of Colorado. You can follow him on Twitter @terryterrones.

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