The Lie We Lived In – Series Review

Yi Do is a professional assassin. Recently, he was hired for a dangerous mission. He's supposed to take down Dong Hwa, a man living alone in a secluded villa. Yi Do catches him off guard. The moment Dong Hwa answers the door, Yi Do forces his way in and attacks. Yi Do easily overpowers Dong Hwa, who falls unconscious. Yi Do's boss, Mu Gun, wants Dong Hwa kept alive for now. Conveniently, the villa has a secret passage hidden in the basement. Dong Hwa ends up there, chained and locked away out of sight.

the afternoon, there's an unexpected guest at the door. Yi Do meets Tae Jeong, a good friend of Dong Hwa. Apparently, Tae Jeong just started a new job nearby. He's still figuring out his living accommodations, so Dong Hwa had offered him a place to stay at the villa. Yi Do doesn't know about these plans. He had no idea Tae Jeong would show up and expect to live here. This isn't part of the plan at all.

Yi Do barely has time to get comfortable before the doorbell rings. Tae Jeong is at the door. He's a close childhood friend of Dong Hwa's. Tae Jeong just started a new job nearby and hasn't sorted out his living situation yet, so Dong Hwa had offered him a place to stay at the villa. Nobody told Yi Do about any of this. He had no idea a houseguest was coming, let alone one who planned to move in. This was not part of the plan at all.

Surprisingly, Tae Jeong thinks Yi Do is Dong Hwa's older brother, Dong Jin. They met when Tae Jeong was really young, but Dong Jin moved to the United States and has been living there for almost 15 years. When Tae Jeong sees Yi Do and thinks he looks different, he just chalks it up to time. People change, right? It doesn't cross his mind that "Dong Jin" might be an imposter. Yi Do plays along with this mistaken identity for now.

Yi Do updates his boss on the situation. Mu Gun immediately tells him to eliminate Tae Jeong as well. Since Tae Jeong has already seen what Yi Do looks like, keeping him alive can put the whole mission at risk. Yi Do feels conflicted. Tae Jeong is totally innocent and not involved in the original mission. He seems like a nice guy who's simply crashing at a friend's place. Tae Jeong also doesn't suspect Yi Do's identity and still thinks he's hanging out with the older brother. Is killing him really necessary?

That night, Yi Do slips into Tae Jeong's room with a knife. He plans to kill Tae Jeong in his sleep. However, he changes his mind and decides to let Tae Jeong live. The next morning, Tae Jeong wakes up bright and cheerful, unaware of his near-death encounter. He tells Yi Do he'll wait one more day for Dong Hwa to show up. If nothing happens, he'll head out rather than overstay his welcome. That works out for Yi Do, who doesn't wanna kill Tae Jeong. Yet, it's hard to act normal around someone who doesn't know there's a hostage chained up in the basement.

The Lie We Lived In grabs your attention from the first scene. The story starts with Mr. Assassin attacking a stranger and locking him up in a cage. He spends the rest of the episode debating whether to kill his love interest. WTF!? In most BL dramas, the only stressful moment is waiting for the couple to kiss. But this damn series had me screaming at my screen, "HE'S GONNA STAB YOU!!!" The Lie We Lived In feels so different from all the fluffy romances out there. It's dark, scary, intense, and packed with excitement!

Are you familiar with those classic noir movies from the 1940s & 1950s? The Lie We Lived In gives off a similar vibe. Kinda like the BL version of Alfred Hitchcock. Wow, that's a comparison I never thought I'd make! These old-school thrillers love putting an ordinary person in a dangerous situation they didn't sign up for. Poor Tae Jeong just wanted a place to stay. Now, he's trapped in a villa with a killer, and the tension builds from that claustrophobia. With every scene, The Lie We Lived In gets more intense! I'm holding my breath as the characters hide dark secrets, develop forbidden feelings, and scheme against each other.

The Lie We Lived In was exhilarating in those first few episodes. It had just the right amount of psychological warfare and sexual tension. I was on the edge of my seat, curious about what would happen next! Sadly, the story gets sloppy midway. There are too many plot holes and random coincidences, which break my immersion. I'm also frustrated whenever the characters (especially Tae Jeong, the most naive cop ever) make dumb decisions. Near the end, The Lie We Lived In becomes a totally chaotic mess. I kinda lose interest because of all the ridiculous nonsense.

The sexual tension between the two leads? Ooh, it's juicy! Yet, I have a hard time rooting for them to get together. Mr. Assassin has a hostage locked up in a cage like an animal! I see him as a dangerous threat, not a love interest. For most of the series, I was scared about Tae Jeong's safety. Don't fall in love with that psycho! But I changed my mind after a bunch of plot twists. Mr. Assassin somehow turns into a good guy, so I feel better about shipping him with Tae Jeong. I enjoyed their steamy moments (oh hello, shower sex!), even if this romance is twisted and really bizarre.

The series has done a good job at casting everyone in the right roles. I'm smitten with Yi Do's actor (Kim Seung Beom), who looks so commanding on screen. He has some serious swagger. With those broad shoulders and muscular arms, this sexy assassin is dreamy as hell! Tae Jeong's actor (Kim Kyung Min) is a great fit as the bright-eyed twink with an angelic smile. Is he believable as a cop? Debatable. But he's likable and has good chemistry with his co-star. I'm also impressed with Dong Hwa's actor (Lee Jeong Ho). His feisty performance catches my eye.

As the last few episodes go downhill in quality, I feel less certain about whether I enjoyed The Lie We Lived In. The finale is bonkers and doesn't make much sense, but I kinda like it anyway. Overall, I'm conflicted about this series. My brain points out every plot hole, while my heart pulls me in a different direction. I see a small studio, making its first drama with such an unusual story. I appreciate how The Lie We Lived In feels unlike anything else in the Korean BL genre. Even if it doesn't pull off every aspect smoothly, I wanna reward its ambition with an encouraging score.