My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

I loved the previous seasons. This has been my crack drama - even this season. This review and rating will reflect this season only and not the drama as a whole.

Acting/Cast: One of the major aspects of this drama that had made it so great in the past was its amazing cast. The two leads, the two other leads, and all the side characters had been phenomenal. The acting of the two main leads were undoubtedly top-notch. Watching them as their families are slaughtered and as they're dragged away into slavery was heart-wrenching, but captivating as I rooted for Eun Seom and Tan Ya, on the edge of my seat, to find a way to save everyone. Without their amazing performances (Kim Ji Won 김지원 & Song Joong Ki 송중기), this drama could have easily flopped before it even really began. When I heard that both of these lead actors were being replaced, although the story was already established, I was afraid that it wouldn't be the same without them. Then, when I saw the actors that were taking their places, my heart sank. The female lead was being replaced by one of the worst lead actresses in Korean dramas (actually...she may be the worst in my opinion) and the male lead was being replaced by an actor I've only seen one other time (Moon Lovers). But, I knew just the change in the female lead could single-handedly ruin this season (having seen Shin Se Kyeong (신세경) in many dramas and never liking her performances but continuing to watch her dramas anyway). On top of that, one of my favorite characters was also being replaced - Nun Byeol. Way to kick me while I'm down. At least Yang Cha made it back. That being said, the change in the leads wasn't quite as bad as I thought it was going to be, but that's not saying much since my expectations were basically at nothing. Lee Joon Gi (이준기) was decent as Saya, not as convincing as Eun Seom, but overall he was alright. As for Shin Se Kyeong (신세경) - it wasn't her worst performance; I could tell she gave a little bit of effort, but not enough to warrant too many close up shots of her facial expressions. A comparison could be made between how her scenes were shot versus how Ta Gon's scenes were shot. However, the casting, to my surprise, was not the biggest problem this season… 4.5/10

Writing: While watching, I felt as though the writers were trying to write out the characters whose actors had been replaced because they knew their performances would not nearly be up to par. So, they made Ta Gon and Tae Al Ha the leads this season. Saya’s character in particular changed a lot from the previous seasons. He used to have this alluring, mysterious aura about him. He had been in isolation for most of his life with the intelligence of an Igutu, giving him this innocent vibe which also felt very dangerous at the same time. Sadly, in this season, Saya didn’t feel like a threat at all. He no longer seemed cunning and conniving (which is where he needed to excel in order to compensate for his lack of physical strength and skill). I even thought that he seemed pathetic, which is such a disservice to a once uniquely captivating character. The same thing with Nun Byeol – the previous season had built her up as an amazing swordsman Neanthal sleeper cell badass, but then her actress was changed so the writers said “nevermind” and basically wrote her into a nothing burger. Yang Cha (another favorite of mine) previously had this unique and interesting relationship with Tan Ya - being her protector and the only one who really knows her, as well as the only person he can genuinely communicate with. Unfortunately, this season, the writers immediately threw away this engaging dynamic. In return, they gave him more of a storyline, but it felt cheap or cheesy... They should have just left him alone and let him stay a badass. Overall, the writing had a completely different vibe from previous seasons. It wasn’t dark at all and not as serious. It was even “comical” at times (or at least tried to be), which just felt strange and out-of-place. I would say that the writing started off decently and then worsened as the drama progressed, becoming more predictable and boring. It felt lazy and rushed as if they just wanted to give the audience some sort of conclusion to the story. 2.5/10

Direction/SFX/Music: Not only did the writing have a completely different vibe from previous seasons, but the directing did as well. And just as the writing was, the direction, the special effects, and overall cinematography felt cheap and cheesy. Instead of a dark, gritty, and intense atmosphere, it now had a bright and light-hearted feel. The special effects were so terrible that the only explanation is that the budget for the season must have been drastically reduced. Right away, there’s a scene where Eun Seom jumps into the air and freezes to shoot an arrow. There’s another action scene toward the end that does this same corny freezing in the air technique. They are also apparently unable to fill in crowds with green screens or CGI. There were multiple shots that were laughable, especially in context with the dialogue – characters talking as if there are a multitude of people and then the camara angle showing a crowd of around 50 people at best. The music is definitely one of the stronger aspects this season. 3.5/10

Entertainment Value: Despite all of the disappointment, I still really enjoyed this season. It still had that crack drama vibe for me. Maybe it's because I'm so attached to the characters and invested in their world. I hate how this drama gets me rooting for child murderers. It did in the previous seasons and I still found myself rooting for them this season. I think even the characters in the drama forget that Ta Gon and his people are all child murderers. But, I think that's a testament to how well the character and world building was done from the beginning until now. 8.5/10

Overall, I gave this season a 5 out of 10 stars. It probably deserves an even lower rating objectively speaking, but I still really enjoyed this season. (In order, I had given the previous 3 seasons or parts a 6.5, a 9, and an 8.5.) Although inadequate in many ways, at least this season was able to provide some closure to this epic tale.

A special thanks to the Momo tribe.