TYPE OF REVIEW 
: GOOD OL’ REVIEW
Very minor spoilers. For a review of the first season, click here.
Season 2 of Netflix’s D.P. (디피) picks up right where the first left off. And that’s not merely referring to the story itself, but also to the incredible performances, top-notch production and captivating, compassionate writing. Just like the first season, Jung Hae In and Koo Kyo Hwan deliver masterful, nuanced performances as they help bring to life the story of two military police officers tasked with pursuing deserters and in turn hoping to fight the injustices in a system that seems to be untouchable.
In this season’s group of six episodes, Joon Ho (Jung Hae In) and Ho Yeol (Koo Kyo Hwan) must deal with the trauma of their devastating last pursuit and the realization that the corruption and injustice in the military is greater than they could have ever imagined. Still accompanied by their bosses Sgt. Park Beom Gu (Kim Sung Kyun) and Captain Im Ji Seop (Son Suk Ku), their D.P. team run head-first into the wide-reaching conspiracy to maintain the military’s public image at the cost of the mental and physical health of its soldiers.
The season begins first following their pursuit of Kim Ru Ri who, at the end of season one, had opened fire on his comrades who had repeatedly abused him. It is through this case that the D.P. team get a stark picture of just what they’re up against when it comes to truth and justice in their ranks.
The next case the D.P. team handles is that of Jang Seong Min in what will easily be one of the most stunning and heartbreaking hours of television drama you’ll see all year. (Episode 3, to be exact.) Bae Na Ra delivers an absolutely captivating performance as Seong Min. And it is just an episode that must be watched and experienced. While the first season featured several deserters, this second season may feel like they meet less. Which makes this episode even more impactful as sort of a highlighted case.
This case, coupled with the next one in Episode 4 regarding a suspicious death along the DMZ, sets the events of the final two episodes in motion. The climactic finale of these 12 episodes across two seasons really bring everything full circle for Jun Ho and Ho Yeol.
The bullying, hazing and abuse are so wide out in the open in the barracks, but Joon Ho especially believes it is time to expose this injustice to the world so as not to lose any more innocent lives due to negligence and malicious self-serving intent by the military and government’s higher-ups.
Just like the first season, D.P. provides an unflinching spotlight on what life is like in the Korean military and how often overlooked many of the struggles the young men that are required to enlist go through. Whether that is due to the abuse they receive from the other young men who are supposed to be comrades or the physical and emotional hardships they must overcome on their own without any support from anywhere. And not to mention the toll it also takes on their family and friends too.
Beyond the military, both seasons of D.P. shine the needed spotlight on the issues that continue to pervade through Korean society such as the injustices caused by bullying, violence and discrimination. At its heart, the series tell very human stories about a harsh reality that is sadly all too relatable in today’s world. But again, in such a captivating and affecting way. It’s hard not to feel something visceral while watching the series.
And the series itself shows that the fight is not over. Even offering up a sobering idea that perhaps it may never be over. And that despite any good effort, the same injustices depicted in the series and in real life will continue. But that doesn’t mean the fight has to stop. Especially when the effects of such physical and emotional struggles and hardships stemming from that injustice are long-lasting for everyone involved.
D.P.‘s ultimate success is in being able to tell those stories while never losing focus on our protagonists, most especially Jun Ho and Ho Yeol. Their own journeys never take a backseat to anything else. And both sides of the series’ narrative work hand in hand in ways you don’t often see in a drama series.
Jung Hae In and Koo Kyo Hwan once again deliver incredible performances that truly elevate the series.
The care and sincerity in the way writer Kim Bo Tong and director Han Jun Hee bring this story to life really is a testament to how important and necessary a series like D.P. is and can be. Delivering a clear, hopeful message while also ensuring the series is of top quality; that season two matches the quality of the first is another excellent accomplishment that you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
Regardless of whether we will be treated to a third season, D.P. has already accomplished so much in its two seasons than most other series. The profound stories it has been able to tell and bring to light will continue to resonate after the final credits roll. And it is thanks to the excellent performances from its cast, especially Jung Hae In and Koo Kyo Hwan, and the pitch perfect production from writer Kim Bo Tong and director Han Jun Hee. No question D.P. will again find itself on many year-end lists as one of the best.