Double Play – Series Review & Episode Guide

Jeongho is the captain of his high school baseball team. He plays as the catcher. Jeongho gets along with most of his teammates, but one person constantly challenges him. Taehun, the team's star pitcher, prefers to train alone and distances himself from group practices. His lone-wolf attitude frustrates everyone, including Jeongho, who values teamwork as an essential part of baseball.

The team's coach makes an unexpected announcement. Due to a lack of funding and poor performance, the school has decided to disband the club. Everyone is shocked. The coach offers to help those interested transfer to other teams. However, Taehun protests. He refuses to let the team fall apart and promises to deliver results. Moved by his passion, the coach decides to negotiate with the principal.

The principal agrees to keep the baseball team intact, but only if they win the next competition. The upcoming match is just a month away. To prepare, the coach sends the team to a baseball camp, where they will live and train together. Jeongho and Taehun are extremely annoyed about sharing a dorm room together. Meanwhile, their teammates spread a rumour that Taehun is possessed by a ghost. Jeongho, being superstitious, becomes even more cautious around him.

One night, Jeongho notices Taehun getting out of bed and sneaking out of the room. After following him, Jeongho is surprised to find Taehun practicing baseball alone. Although impressed by his dedication, Jeongho can't understand why Taehun refuses to train with the rest of the team. One night, Jeongho realizes that Taehun is injured. He tries to hide his shoulder pain from everyone, but it's clearly affecting his ability to pitch. Bound by this secret, Jeongho and Taehun finally grow closer.

Double Play is about baseball, a sport rarely seen in the BL genre. Basketball is typically the go-to choice for most dramas, so this series stands out for picking another niche. I like seeing the characters wearing the uniforms, swinging their bats, and pitching those balls. Personally, I have zero interest in baseball and would never watch it unless there's a gay romance involved. Even so, I appreciate Double Play for doing something different than usual. This baseball love story has a certain novelty.

Unfortunately, the storyline in Double Play isn't that interesting. It follows the usual sports drama tropes, such as learning about teamwork, dealing with injuries, and facing the pressure to win. However, this series executes the topics poorly. One particularly awkward plot involves the protagonists arguing over cleaning the washroom. Sorry, but that's not what I want to see in a BL. Also, other sports dramas have hours to tell their stories as the athletes go on inspirational journeys. In contrast, Double Play must fit everything into one-minute episodes, so it feels rushed and lacks depth.

Jeongho and Taehun don't get along at the start of the series. Annoyingly, the story focuses too much on them being in conflict. The leads argue a lot, more than they flirt with each other. Despite their nightly training sessions, I still don't sense much romance between them. Also, the couple has their first kiss at a bizarre time, catching me by surprise. I expected another boring baseball scene, but suddenly, they kissed! Their physical affection came out of nowhere. The randomness feels unsatisfying because I want them to build up to this milestone more smoothly.

When Jeongho and Taehun argue, their actors (Choi Si Woo and Nam Dae Jeong) appear too intense in some moments. The reactions feel over the top, from distorted expressions to the anger flashing in their eyes. You're yelling at your love interest, someone you have feelings for. You're not supposed to hate them. A little softness would add more nuance to the characters' conflicted emotions. Despite all the fiery arguments, the leads don't bring that same energy to their romantic scenes. Their lifeless kisses lack passion, while their on-screen chemistry also feels dull.

Double Play is yet another reel drama in the BL genre. I'm tired of complaining about the vertical film format, but it sucks. Baseball is a sport that thrives on vast fields, open space, and fast-paced action, yet this series fails to capture that sense of scale. Everything is confined to a narrow box, limiting the movement and energy of the scenes. Also, the series doesn't do much with its baseball theme. Most of the time, we just see the characters throwing balls at each other. Double Play could have highlighted a few more interesting aspects of this sport.

Despite all the buildup around the upcoming competition, we don't see it play out. The series skips over the most important event, showing only the results instead of the actual match. At least the story ends happily, and the finale leans into that classic sports drama sentimentality. However, the romance still doesn't satisfy me. Jeongho and Taehun seem more like teammates than soulmates. They lack the emotional depth to make their relationship compelling. Overall, Double Play feels shallow and mediocre. It's another lousy vertically filmed BL drama.