Gray Shelter – Series Review & Episode Guide

Soo Hyuk works as an air conditioner repairman. During a random house call, he is surprised to reunite with Yoon Dae, his former stepbrother. Yoon Dae lives with his girlfriend and has called a repair service to fix the broken air conditioner in their apartment. However, he seems unhappy to see Soo Hyuk. They share a tense exchange, especially since Soo Hyuk couldn't fix the air conditioner today. Yoon Dae files a complaint with Soo Hyuk's company afterward.

Soo Hyuk and Yoon Dae used to share a history together. Six years ago, Soo Hyuk was a college student whose father went to prison. His mom remarried Yoon Dae's dad for financial security. Soo Hyuk and Yoon Dae became stepbrothers, living together in the same house. They didn't get along initially. Yoon Dae was a high school delinquent with a belligerent attitude. Yoon Dae didn't like to be home since he was physically abused by his father. Soo Hyuk took pity on his stepbrother. He looked out for Yoon Dae, and the two became closer.

Despite their growing bond, Soo Hyuk and Yoon Dae drifted apart. Soo Hyuk's mom divorced Yoon Dae's dad, and their families parted ways. Soo Hyuk quit school and started a new job as an HVAC technician to support his mother financially. Before leaving, Soo Hyuk and Yoon Dae had an argument. In the heat of the moment, Soo Hyuk admitted that he never considered Yoon Dae close enough to be family. Yoon Dae felt hurt by his words, and the pair left each other on terrible terms. They haven't kept in touch since then.

Soo Hyuk returns to Yoon Dae's apartment to fix the broken air conditioner. Yoon Dae reveals that his father died. The news shocked Soo Hyuk, especially since he and his mother weren't notified. Yoon Dae has a chip on his shoulder and blames Soo Hyuk for cutting ties with him after the divorce. As they argue again, Yoon Dae orders Soo Hyuk to leave before he can fix the air conditioner. Later that night, Yoon Dae is in a sour mood around his girlfriend. She is annoyed and breaks up with him. Yoon Dae, who has nowhere to stay, must crash at a friend's place.

Yoon Dae's ex-girlfriend calls the HVAC repair service. Soo Hyuk shows up and finally fixes the air conditioner. As they make small talk, she tells him about the breakup. Later that day, Soo Hyuk reaches out to Yoon Dae. Soo Hyuk realizes his former stepbrother doesn't have anywhere to live. He takes pity on Yoon Dae and allows his former stepbrother to stay at his apartment. Although hesitant, Yoon Dae agrees and moves in with Soo Hyuk. Despite their tense relationship, the pair begins to make amends.

I watched Gray Shelter twice before writing this review. On my first attempt, I couldn't understand the relationship dynamics. Some random person appeared in a scene, and I'd ask, "Who's that supposed to be?" While I figured out the details on my second try, following the story shouldn't be this complicated. The narrative is often vague and disjointed. It doesn't introduce characters properly, explain their backgrounds clearly, or present information coherently.

Gray Shelter is a moody melodrama with two protagonists from broken homes. Amid their hopelessness, they find comfort in each other's companionship. A few flashbacks highlight their family issues, but the writing doesn't capture the emotions behind their struggles. Many scenes are too mundane and fail to leave an impression. Instead of sympathizing with each character's trauma, I am so bored. It doesn't help that the entire series feels bleak, from the unpleasant conflicts to the dreary conversations. My mood becomes heavier with each gloomy episode.

Gray Shelter doesn't know how to prioritize its storylines. It focuses too much on Yoon Dae's friend and Soo Hyuk's boss, even though these minor characters are irrelevant. Most of the emotional drama rests on Yoon Dae and Soo Hyuk's rocky relationships with their parents. Yet, these pivotal figures are barely featured and only appear once or twice. The series should have included more family scenes, especially while they lived together. Gray Shelter is missing a lot of context that would make us care about the leads. Show us their personalities and interactions.

Soo Hyuk and Yoon Dae's romance is underdeveloped. Despite a few moments of kindness, I never get the sense that they have a close bond in the past or present timelines. The story wants to pretend their trauma brings them together, but is that enough? What do these two even know about each other? Their superficial conversations contain little depth and hardly convey an emotional connection. The couple's clumsy exchanges also fail to display their physical attraction. I want more relationship moments where they get along, support each other, or even flirt a little.

Soo Hyuk, a stoic character, has an emotional breakdown in Episode 3. The actor (Jan Woo Young) delivers a compelling performance during that scene. As tears fall from his face, he portrays the agony with a raw intensity. However, his costar (Lee Jae Bin) appears less authentic. From the bewildered eyes to the agape mouth, he seems too hammy when emoting. He only captures Yoon Dae's rough persona and not his inner vulnerability. Also, the passion is lacklustre when the leads share an intimate moment. They don't seem at ease with each other.

Gray Shelter looks plain. Some moments have no visual point of interest, from the dingy rooms to the dimly lit scenes. The bland appearance adds to the story's sombre atmosphere, but it also drains the energy from the episodes. I can't muster the enthusiasm to care about the dull plot or pay attention to the tedious chats. The finale shows a spark of life when Yoon Dae commits to self-improvement, which I liked. Despite the optimistic ending, I remain bored and disengaged with the series. Overall, Gray Shelter is a depressing BL drama that feels like a slog to complete.