[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Police University" Episode 4

We start off with a recap of Dong-man's trusted partner Cheol-jin (played by Song Jin-woo) getting smacked on the head. Though Cheol-jin's not quite dead yet, Dong-man is nonetheless quite alarmed by the fact that Cheol-jin appears to have been assaulted in the midst of giving him a clue- something about the "Police University" where Dong-man works. But weirdly enough, it takes the whole episode for Dong-man to realize he should probably stay there if a gambling conspiracy is afoot behind the school's walls.

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The pacing in "Police University" is often questionable like this, with it taking an awfully long time for the drama's characters to reach obvious foregone conclusions. This messes with the dramatic tension. I actually found myself far more invested in the topic of which school clubs our heroes will join, because it's a genuinely ambiguous question. In the end they all come to sensible, appropriate decisions to compensate for their natural weaknesses.

Speaking of which, Kang-hee finally gets some decent screentime in that regard. Despite her natural popularity, Kang-hee is still the daughter of a criminal. So much for her popularity. I like how the "Police University" is portrayed as a largely insular institution subject to dangerous backbiting. In an easy to miss moment, it's mentioned that graduates of the elite student council club tend to enjoy major career advantages.

This whole notion is completely at odds with the more philosophical discussions of the classroom, which get into the best ways to pursue justice and equity. It's to Seon-ho's credit that he's still thinking about his bad, unprepared answer to a question posed by a professor last episode. It shows that despite Seon-ho's questionable motives for joining up, he takes the whole idea of becoming a police officer very seriously. Indeed, the very fact that Seon-ho can take it seriously is the big appeal. It gives his life some badly needed structure.

We also see Seon-ho engage in some necessary sneakiness as he attempts to suss out Kang-hee's cyberbully. I like how Seon-ho's branched out from trying to get Kang-hee to like him to instead try and get her to respect him. It's a much healthier goal, since in the process Seon-ho is also doing a better job of respecting himself. This attitude shift is also instrumental to getting Seon-ho to realize that whatever he may think of Dong-man personally, the man has a noble goal, and that's what really matters.

Review by William Schwartz

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"Police University" is directed by Yoo Kwan-mo, written by Moon Min-jung, and features Jin Young, Cha Tae-hyun, Jung Soo-jung, Choo Young-woo, Lee Dal, Yoo Young-jae. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2021/08/09~Now airing, Mon, Tue 21:30 on KBS.