The Devil Rider packed a big emotional punch into a short amount of time. Instead of single-mindedly focusing on the royal court and their politics, this drama special focused more on The Devil Rider and the people hurt and forgotten by an overly entitled elite.

In 1637 Choi Munbok was assigned the task of delivering a message to a Joseon general during the conflict with the Qing dynasty. Serving his country meant leaving his wife who was in labor. He rode his horse through a harrowing hail of arrows during multiple ambushes, suffered an injury that would be lifelong, all to deliver a message that ended up being meaningless. Fourteen years later he became unwillingly embroiled in palace politics which put his daughter's life at risk. He would once again be asked to become The Devil Rider.

Yoo Oh Sung gave a wonderfully emotional performance as the imperfect Choi Munbok, portraying a broken man who often let his daughter down yet was also fiercely protective. He showed a man dragged down by guilt and a loyalty he could not forsake. All of the supporting cast were strong. Lee Chae Young gave an excellent performance as the daughter of the betrayed general looking for vengeance.

The Devil Rider could be frustrating and heartbreaking telling the story of people who were used and discarded by the imperial court. "Rags like us never had names to begin with." Still, Munbok was able to free himself from his past and grasp what was important to him with a lighter heart in the present which is all most people can hope to do even today.

8/8/23