ENA’s Monday-Tuesday drama ‘Scarecrow’ is hitting its stride with rising ratings and massive buzz. Starting at 2.9%, ratings soared to 7.4% by the 6th episode and maintained that peak in the 8th. It is also ranking high on the OTT platform TVING, with fans flooding online communities with theories and interpretations of every twist. The key to its success? High immersion created by unexpected plot twists, even while drawing from a familiar real-life motive.
Recent episodes have pushed the hype even further. The ending of episode 7, aired on the 11th, revealed that Lee Ki-hwan (played by Jung Moon-sung) was actually ‘Lee Yong-woo,’ the real culprit behind the Gangseong serial murders from 30 years ago. While attention was focused on the prime suspect Im Seok-man (played by Baek Seung-hwan), the camera shifted to Lee Yong-woo’s face in prison 30 years later, revealing Jung Moon-sung’s face in a shocking twist. The simple, calm shot of him smiling made the scene even more chilling for viewers.
‘Scarecrow’ is inspired by the actual Hwaseong serial murders that occurred from 1986 to 1991. The fictional Gangseong serial murders mirror real-life events, including serial killings of women in rural areas during the 80s and 90s, long-unsolved cases, forced investigations, and wrongful accusations. The Hwaseong case, well-known through Director Bong Joon-ho’s film ‘Memories of Murder’ (2003), shocked society again in September 2019 when Lee Chun-jae was identified as the true culprit.
‘Scarecrow’ also weaves other real-life tragedies into its narrative. A prime example is the case of Yoon Seong-yeo, who was wrongfully accused and imprisoned for about 20 years in connection with the 8th Hwaseong murder. In the drama, Im Seok-man is portrayed as a character reflecting this narrative. With clues like a limping gait, blood type, and radioactive isotope test results pointing toward him, viewers were led to suspect Im Seok-man as the killer. However, the reveal that he was a wrongly accused suspect, much like the real Yoon Seong-yeo, reminded viewers of the tragedy of the actual events.
The irony is that even though viewers already know the outcome of the real-life case, they remain completely confused within the drama. While everyone knows Lee Chun-jae was the real killer in the Hwaseong case, ‘Scarecrow’ creates a paradox where viewers struggle to identify the culprit among Lee Ki-beom (played by Song Geon-hee), Lee Ki-hwan (played by Jung Moon-sung), and Im Seok-man as new clues emerge. This structure, where the culprit is known but the process is a mystery, creates intense immersion.
The addition of imaginative elements has also enriched the story. The bad blood between Kang Tae-joo (played by Park Hae-soo) and Cha Si-young (played by Lee Hee-jun) during their school days, their reunion as a detective and prosecutor, and the conflict over illegal investigations and forced confessions heighten the tension as a genre piece. The plot point where the wrongfully accused Lee Ki-beom eventually passes away and the real killer was hiding behind the closest family member has been praised for blending tragedy and suspense.
The acting is another major driver of the ratings. Park Hae-soo convincingly portrays a detective torn between guilt over Lee Ki-beom’s death and an obsession with catching the killer. Lee Hee-jun creates a multi-dimensional character in the ambiguous prosecutor Cha Si-young, who wavers between good and evil. Meanwhile, Jung Moon-sung delivers a chilling performance as a serial killer hiding a cold duality behind the face of a gentle bookstore owner, driving the immersion in the latter half of the series.
Having passed the halfway mark, ‘Scarecrow’ has revealed the face of the real culprit, its biggest secret. While revealing the killer can often lead to a drop in tension, ‘Scarecrow’ has instead made viewers more curious about what truths the remaining characters will face. With a solid plot that maintains immersion even after the reveal, excellent direction, and stellar acting, all eyes are on whether ‘Scarecrow’ will continue its upward trend and establish itself as a representative hit for ENA.
