Deluxe Taxi / Taxi Driver 모범택시 [ S1- 2021] [S2 - 2023] [S3 -TBD]

[dream]

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Edited June 24, 2023 by dream

[abs-oluteM]

Eps 10 was a nice break from all the excessive violence shown in the U Data case. I laughed so hard seeing Do Ki with his raspy Busan accent & OTT dressing. Yes @Dhakra , good advice there from Do Ki about the 3 savage things you should never show a woman. LOL!  Apart from the fact that Do Ki is a skilled fighter , he's their ace executor because he pays attention to all the details when going undercover. I laugh so hard  at the way he  walked to his uncouth way of eating. He sure knows how to charm them ladies ....crab claw anyone? ( Actually quite romantic if someone peels this for me since I am one of those lazy eaters.) 

 

I think it is becoming clear that CEO Jang's plans to reeducate these criminals is backfiring. Madam Baek has found a good supply for her organ trafficking business. I wonder though if the rest of the team are aware ? I know so far only Do Ki knows what happens to them. Kang Hana would be a lot more "open" to what they do if they hadn't cross the line with "jailing" the baddies themselves. She has now connected all the dots to what Do Ki and team have been doing .And honestly, given her character, I don't think she will be able to condone it even if she understands their motives/ intentions to get even for the victims.

[mademoiselle]

1 hour ago, abs-oluteM said:

I laugh so hard  at the way he  walked to the his uncouth way of eating. He sure knows how to charm them ladies ....crab claw anyone? ( Actually quite romantic if someone peels this for me since I am one of those lazy eaters.) 

I thought he was butchering the crab coz I saw meat flying left, right and center in the beginning and was freaking out internally ~ "Noooooo!" Ahhhh crabs. I miss 'em.

 

But yeahh that whole scene was just HI-LAAARIOUS! I mean, I was even thinking would I be focusing on all those areas she was eyeing at IF my Oppa is sitting in front of me I notice the way he walks too ~ the whole demeaner was just funny. I bet Lee Jae Hoon has fun playing multiple roles too.

 

To be honest, they got rid of one voice phising group but there are plenty more. Most of them are stationed overseas. We can't really get rid of them all, they are like cockroaches.

 

They were on to Madam Bae next episode, right? That came earlier than I thought.

Edited May 9, 2021 by mademoiselle

[abs-oluteM]

1 hour ago, dream said:

do think my biggest gripe is they don't delve much into Do Gi's psyche, what he's feeling, how he's handling all this? Its just boom/boom to the cases/action, which makes sense since a film writer wrote this. But I want a bit of an emotional connection.

I know they only told us how his mum was killed but the killer got away with it or with jail time that was insufficient? Gosh , I cannot remember now . LOL! But given that he is the main lead , I agree it would be great if they will flesh out more of his story and his thoughts. 

 

Yes @mademoiselle it seems that Do Ki going to join Madam Baek's gang to find out what is going on. But now whatever operations that Rainbow does will be more complicated given that KHN has her eyes on them. 

[ktcjdrama]

6 hours ago, Dhakra said:

•  
• I wonder what they would have done if she put the bag the other way around.....or on the ground. 

Haha, I wondered about that too. I guess luck is always on their side 😉😁 Even when Park’s disguise was found out, I was thinking what if they don’t say too much and just kill on the spot? That cleaver was already brushing against his neck 😱

One thing I could never understand, why would people hide in toilet cubicle to have a secret conversation 🤦🏻‍♀️ I really wish all dramas will stop showing this type of scenes. Everyone can hear you and you’re the only one not knowing who or what it’s like outside the cubicle. You can go into the toilet to speak, but maybe keep your eyes always on the entrance. But then again, the acoustics in a public toilet will only amplify  your voice volume so it really is the worst place to have secret conversations in the first place. 

[mademoiselle]

17 minutes ago, abs-oluteM said:

I know they only told us how his mum was killed but the killer got away with it or with jail time that was insufficient?

The killer was caught and killed himself in jail (real story). But yeah I agree we could use some Do Ki's backstory and emotional revelation. However seeing the killer has died, it would be unlikely we get to hear his story huh? 

 

17 minutes ago, abs-oluteM said:

Yes @mademoiselle it seems that Do Ki going to join Madam Baek's gang to find out what is going on. But now whatever operations that Rainbow does will be more complicated given that KHN has her eyes on them. 

You know there's this small part of me that thinks if these criminals can't be reformed or worth reforming, and setting them free to the society endangers the others, then instead of locking them up why not make good use of their organs like Madam Baek is doing. At least they can still contribute some good to the society that way. Obviously I'm not encouraging organ tracfficking, but I'm willing to turn a blind eye on this if it is for the greater good. Sigh, I know I know... there's that human rights, moral and ethical issues... 

Edited May 9, 2021 by mademoiselle

[abs-oluteM]

@ktcjdrama the scene that somewhat baffled me was when Park and Go Eun went and save Choi (poor fella !). I thought that Kang Hana was tailing him the entire time.

[mademoiselle]

2 minutes ago, abs-oluteM said:

@ktcjdrama the scene that somewhat baffled me was when Park and Go Eun went and save Choi (poor fella !). I thought that Kang Hana was tailing him the entire time.

I agree with the toilet scene and this tailing scene. I'm even more baffled how they could find him in such large sea! Or is it because he's already diving underneath, waiting for the moment the barrel is thrown off the boat?

[abs-oluteM]

5 minutes ago, mademoiselle said:

You know there's this small part of me that thinks if these criminals can't be reformed or worth reforming, and setting them free to the society endangers the others, then instead of locking them up why not make good use of their organs like Madam Baek is doing. At least they can still contribute some good to the society that way. Obviously I'm not encouraging organ tracfficking, but I'm willing to turn a blind eye on this if it is for the greater good. Sigh, I know I know... there's that human rights, moral and ethical issues... 

ahahaha...I get where you are coming from. But like you said there's all the human rights issues etc that we need to consider. And also the fact that Madam Baek is making money for herself - her profiteering from this already makes it wrong.

 

4 minutes ago, mademoiselle said:

I agree with the toilet scene and this tailing scene. I'm even more baffled how they could find him in such large sea! Or is it because he's already diving underneath, waiting for the moment the barrel is thrown off the boat?

I don't get the timing more than anything - like it looks like it was day time when they threw him over but how did Choi even escape from KHN's watchful eyes when he told Go Eun he can't go to where they are.

[ktcjdrama]

Me confused too! And next scene, he was back at his fishing spot? I am pretty sure I got the timing right in that he was there before Park was dumped into the sea. But still, I got to give points for creativity in saving Park. Maybe it will be better if we’re shown DK shoving some kind of tracking device into Park’s coat before they put him in the barrel. 

Edited May 9, 2021 by ktcjdrama

[mademoiselle]

3 minutes ago, abs-oluteM said:

ahahaha...I get where you are coming from. But like you said there's all the human rights issues etc that we need to consider. And also the fact that Madam Baek is making money for herself - her profiteering from this already makes it wrong.

Not only that. She's giving the organs to powerful people and most likely all the corrupted ones. If it is to save anyone who needed it to survive (although I can also argue from another perspective that this is against natural selection - humans playing God), but at least this is still consider doing some good deeds.

[ktcjdrama]

Okay I went to rewatch and this time paying attention to the clothes Go Eun is wearing. I guess they happened on two separate days. Day one, Choi fishing and Park dumped into the sea, in the middle of the night, assuming everyone including KHN is asleep, Choi went for the rescue missions. Notice Go Eun light blue hoodie the same when she called Choi and when she was helping Park to dry. Then the next day, Choi back on his fishing spot, GE wearing jeans shirt. In the evening, the four of them showed up at fishing spot to put up a show for KHN. GE wearing jeans shirt. 
 

O and as I expected, KHN is going to spy DK driving into that secret garage/entrance. 

[mademoiselle]

I can't with this LJH!

 

Spoiler

source: thingskateknows

[Dhakra]

3 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

Haha, I wondered about that too. I guess luck is always on their side 😉😁 Even when Park’s disguise was found out, I was thinking what if they don’t say too much and just kill on the spot? That cleaver was already brushing against his neck

 

Or when they put him in the barrel and threw him in the ocean. You know how hard it is to find something underwater? What if the tides had turned or the waves carried it away. Park surely didn't have much air for long. This stuff also looked highly risky and unprofessional. 

[40somethingahjumma]

We laughed quite a bit watching Do-ki trying to seduce the ajumma and she fell for it hook, line and sinker. What can else can I say, Lee Je-hoon is just brilliant in this series and so deliciously funny. That silly guffaw sent us all in stitches. Even Mdm Lim was charmed by it.I don't know what it is but I am enjoying the humour here more than I did with Vincenzo. I'm also happy to see the other members of the team playing a bigger role albeit reluctantly. The scene with the four of them vacationing at the seaside together to throw Ha-na off was delightful.

 

My daughter insists he has that hot douchey look about him in his latest getup. I can't disagree. All that conspicuous consumption was so kitschy but I still had a good chuckle here and there.

 

Having raved incessantly on about Lee Je-hoon's impersonations, what I appreciate about Do-ki more than his smouldering good looks is his intelligence. I don't know why he wasn't recruited by the NIS but he's a sharp operator, very quick on his feet. It doesn't matter that Ha-na is on to him because like any great schemer, he knows how to use that to his advantage. Even if she's on to him, he's cluey enough to expedite matters in plain sight.

 

I'm neutral about Ha-na. She's doing her job and I'm fine with that. Vigilantism isn't exactly law abiding stuff. But she (unfortunately for her) is written as a representative of the legal system in that society. A legal system that is fraught with problems and fails to protect the victims and innocents. I don't think it's any kind of bad writing that she almost blew his cover twice and she wasn't able to protect both whistleblowers in the Udata case. The law and order system is dysfunctional, therefore it is impotent to achieve any of its stated goals. Some creativity is needed to get the bad guys. Just a standard investigation and a search for clues isn't enough to catch really clever criminals who are good at covering their tracks. Procedures can be used to hinder investigations by cunning lawyers. The Rainbow taxi crew has that flexibility to be effective without having to be bombarded by red tape. Because they are outside the law, they can do things without waiting for permission or warrants. They can achieve success much faster through deception than if they showed up with a badge. What Do-ki is doing is essentially undercover work but without the backing of the government.

 

My feeling is that the show is looking for that middle ground. Do things legally but don't tie up the cops and prosecutors too much. But then of course there's also the issue of abuse of power. So ultimately the problem is about individual human beings doing the right thing under the rule of law. The best system in the world can't change the human heart.

 

To be frank, I don't think there's any easy solution to this perpetual problem. 

[ktcjdrama]

@mademoiselle I was hoping someone will post this gif and you did  The way he walks...

 

So I found a pic to best illustrate my rant about secret conversations in public toilets. Caption would be "I'm hidden"

Edited May 9, 2021 by ktcjdrama

[JenL]

On 5/2/2021 at 10:11 AM, dream said:

 

@JenL Can I say this? But whenever he gets into fight mode, its very alluring and cunning. 

Like that scene in Ep 6 when he ripped something off the guys car. He does the job, and then swagger walks his way down. JFC!!! So hot. gah!! Whomever gets w/ LJH, is one lucky person!!!

 

Hahaha I just caught up on Taxi driver episode 10 and I have to say....Why is LJH so damn hot especially when he is a smooth-talking trashy bad boy gangster?!  

 

Oh right, because that is my drama oppa type 

 

 

On 5/2/2021 at 9:05 PM, 40somethingahjumma said:

I'm still wondering what happened to the porn director, the yellow-haired guy (Mr An) and the pimp. They all took a nice beating and magically disappeared. Are they sweating it out in the dungeon? I especially appreciated Do-ki's accurate aim landing beautifully on the porn director/ex-boyfrind's boy parts. Well deserved.

 

I've been finding this confusing too? It's like they imply they are locked up, but we don't tend to see it happen all that often...makes you wonder where they all are?  I mean, they can't let them go into hiding and roaming free plotting their own revenges or getting back into crime again...so either they killed them or locked them up outside the normal legal systems.

 

On 5/2/2021 at 10:58 PM, ktcjdrama said:

Great reference of him being a chicken. I'm sure everyone did not miss his whining just because of one punch on his face. And then when at the end he called out to his mother... 

 

Hahaha, I feel like he was especially mean to chickens because he totally was one. Ah the irony! 

On 5/3/2021 at 1:08 AM, Dhakra said:

Eight episodes in and so far Prosecutor Kangs role still isn't really visible, so far she didn't really contribute anything to the drama except being too late, fail at every attempt to get someone and being in the way. By now my hopes she will join Deluxe Taxi are also zero.
I hope they will give her character more color in the second half of the drama. 

 

I think she's starting to be more on the ball, but I'm not sure I like her type of character - which is that she is the annoying cat in the cat and mouse chase of the Law/ police/ prosecution trying to catch the Vigilante crew . Like you, I would have preferred if she joined the crew as well  

On 5/3/2021 at 1:46 PM, Chocolate said:

Woah I can feel @dream's love for Le Je Hoon 😂😂😂

 

 

Hahaha me too...but I can''t blame @dream at all....LJH is just so damn charming it's hard not to be swept away completely 

[JenL]

On 5/3/2021 at 1:46 PM, Chocolate said:

 

Yes, it's awful for people to see you naked and having sex online and people talking about you behind your back or asking you for services. Yes, the police can't help and you can't delete all the videos. So? At the end of the day, this is a private act and you were betrayed. You did nothing wrong. What's to be ashamed of? The people who care about you won't let it matter. With time, it will blow over, to a certain extent. There is no need to die for it. You should go after the people who caused it instead. 

 

No offence, but it's not so simple, though I do agree with that it's never worth taking your life over it. The internet is a pretty creepy place. If you have a video like that online, it's not just about shame. Most people get bullied in the extreme  - ie. creepy incel guys/ hackers stalking girls in these videos and constantly harassing them with dirty messages, rape threats, people exposing identity and things like addresses so that girls are in danger - doxxing. It's a matter of personal safety - you would not feel safe again. To be fair, they didn't really do a super good job of showing the consequences of having an online sex tape, so it probably looked like it wasn't a big deal in GE's sister's storyline...but I feel like if you're savvy with internet culture, you can see what horrors were implied in her life after the video came out. 

 

I think the other thing is Korean society is probably much harsher Like if you're from a Western country, even a South Eastern country, people would probably be understanding. But there's still some pretty weird gender discriminations that happen in SK. When you pair that with a tendency to judge people on surface factors alone and a pressure to maintain strong image/face/reputation, I think it would make life terrible after that. I'm always surprised by some stories of things I wouldn't think were a big deal where I am, which is seen as a big deal by Korean friends. That's why depression is so high there. While suicide is never the answer, I get why it affected GE's sister to the point of death 

[JenL]

On 5/8/2021 at 7:38 PM, mademoiselle said:

As for the voice phising scam episode, it's very relatable because whenever it's close to some big holiday e.g. Easter or Christmas, I'd be getting a lot of voice phising calls on my mobile. And every other day I'd need to delete my house phone's voicemail from anonymous calls even after requesting our number not to be published on phone register and we've signed up to reject telemarketing calls!

 

Oh so relatable, this episode I never answer numbers I don't know unless there's a reason (ie. went for a job interview or something) 

 

On 5/8/2021 at 7:38 PM, mademoiselle said:

 

I am so happy to see Kang Hana's hair is now straight. Look so much neater!

 

Hahaha...I knew something was different about her but I couldn't figure it out!  Thanks for actually pointing it out.

 

On 5/8/2021 at 7:38 PM, mademoiselle said:

It takes a lot of courage to speak up, especially the sexual victims so I also think the drama is designed to give hope and encourage the victims to pluck up their courage to seek appropriate help, hence the quote at the end and the numbers to call. Of course whether or not there's anything can be resolved is another issue, but I think the most important thing/message is we must first try "to reach out" and not shut ourselves up (which will lead to depression, despair and the worse, taking our own lives).

 

This is a very wise insight and I totally agree. The show offers a sense of comfort and courage for people who have been seriously bullied, harassed or victimised in any way. The justice system is not perfect, but you have to be strong and reach out for help and someone will hopefully find you. And for those who haven't been victimised, it shows that people often have backstories we can't see, so be kind to everyone you meet. 

[Dhakra]

 

9 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

 Yes @Dhakra , good advice there from Do Ki about the 3 savage things you should never show a woman. LOL!  Apart from the fact that Do Ki is a skilled fighter , he's their ace executor because he pays attention to all the details when going undercover. 

 

I followed every single word of his. Now I just need gold rings, gold chains and a fake pelt coat to go along with it.

I found it even more smooth how he avoided the question about the restaurant of Madam Lim and completely changed the focus of the topic. He was such a fast thinker.

 

8 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

it seems that Do Ki going to join Madam Baek's gang to find out what is going on. But now whatever operations that Rainbow does will be more complicated given that KHN has her eyes on them. 

 

I guess this will be our last case aswell. Do Ki will join, but probably destroy it from within aswell. 

And I have to say, I'm a bit sad how Baek's "company" changed over the episodes. During the first few episodes she really looked like someone with big influence and someone who is involved und a lot of illegal, dark and horrible stuff. Her whole presence and company felt so big and influential. She looked like a big player.

 

But during the past few episodes that crumbled quite a bit, with DK just walking in, beating everyone up and threatening Baek easily, she also just feels like a backyard gang being involved in some shady stuff. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I still think she is the type of person you don't want to be involved with, but her company doesn't have this big aura anymore.

 

8 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

I agree with the toilet scene and this tailing scene. I'm even more baffled how they could find him in such large sea! Or is it because he's already diving underneath, waiting for the moment the barrel is thrown off the boat?

 

Honestly? They couldn't.

 

Let's have a few mind games.

 

If all of this happened in a single day, we can assume that by the time they threw him off the ship, it must have been close to sunset already. They were also quite far away from the shore, so it was open sea. DK later showed a video of them dealing with Park, which I can only assume was taken by either Go Eun or CCK. 

Normally I would say, with enough air in the barrel, it should float on the surface for quite a while, but only IF the barrel is completely sealed off and no water is able to enter the barrel. In this state Park would have been able to survive for quite some time. But finding a floating barrel in the dark or dawn is hard, like really hard, especially if you try to not get caught. They must have been already on the sea or closeby.

Cutie-Beauty also mentioned that they had to deal with sea fog. 

BUT!

We are shown quite fast, that the barrel was sinking after it was thrown into water, which means the barrel wasn't sealed off completely and water managed to enter the barrel. Let's also not forget Park 's hands were tied behind his back. Even if the water somehow managed to open the barrel underwater, I doubt Park had the navy skills (Drown Proofing) to keep himself alive somehow. So the time-frame is a lot, lot tighter to avoid Park dying by drowning. Since the water is cold, he wouldn't be able to survive for more than 15 minutes? He would also get unconscious even sooner.

 

So either they were pretty much closeby, had some sort of gps tracking device on him or Park having the biggest lungs ever. 

Any way, it is really KDrama-Dreamland that Park magically survived in the dark there. 

 

8 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

how did Choi even escape from KHN's watchful eyes when he told Go Eun he can't go to where they are.

   

Maybe he just jumped into the water and swam to Park directly. KHN probably wasn't able to chase him swimming 

 

1 hour ago, JenL said:

I think she's starting to be more on the ball, but I'm not sure I like her type of character - which is that she is the annoying cat in the cat and mouse chase of the Law/ police/ prosecution trying to catch the Vigilante crew . Like you, I would have preferred if she joined the crew as well  

 

Is she though? So far she hasn't done anything that I would say is enough to make her paycheck worth. So far she is a really slow cat in the cat & mouse game. I think she would have joined if she also had some background of someone close of her dying, but we know barely anything of her.
I mean, we are 10 episodes in and barely know any background-story of KHN, did we even see her apartment once?

 

So either she has her shining moment in the last episode by catching everyone and putting them in jail, which I somehow doubt will happen or the crew escapes. And then she will go down in the history of KDramas of Prescoturs who achieved absolutely nothing.

[ktcjdrama]

9 hours ago, Dhakra said:

But finding a floating barrel in the dark or dawn is hard, like really hard, especially if you try to not get caught.

Again, it would’ve been more believable if they show DK putting a tracking device on Park, and if they use a bright colored barrel, like orange. But, I am willing to close both my eyes on this. Just like how DK was still able to fight so many guys after being beaten violently and repeatedly with a baseball bat. 

[abs-oluteM]

BTS

One of the things I love about Lee Je Hoon is his voice. Since I don't read much , he can read me a story with that comforting voice of his :D

 

[abs-oluteM]

On 5/9/2021 at 1:20 PM, dream said:

 

@abs-oluteM He actually did a narration voice over reading for 'Norwegian Wood' 2 yrs ago! 

https://twitter.com/boy_hugs_summer/status/1138218872715145216

Thanks dear ! I’ll go and check it out.

 

 

[Chocolate]

They're quite funny 

 

 

Watch: “Taxi Driver” Cast Show Close Chemistry And Enjoyably Film Drama’s Only “Kiss Scene”

May 12, 2021 by S. Cho

 

SBS has shared a new behind-the-scenes video for “Taxi Driver”!

 

“Taxi Driver” is about a mysterious taxi service that takes revenge on behalf of clients who cannot get justice from the law. Lee Je Hoon stars as Kim Do Gi, a former special forces officer who works for the service, while Esom co-stars as Kang Ha Na, a prosecutor who becomes suspicious of his activities.

 

The clip centers around the scenes filmed at the hospital as Lee Je Hoon and Kim Eui Sung jokingly express concern over each other’s bloody wounds. The cast play around before receiving touch-ups and getting into character as soon as the cameras start rolling.

 

Later, Lee Je Hoon and Kim Eui Sung rehearse their lines where the latter is asking a favor from the former. Lee Je Hoon nonchalantly responds, “I don’t want to,” causing Kim Eui Sung to respond with aegyo, making Lee Je Hoon immediately agree. They practice one more time, with Lee Je Hoon adorably copying the aegyo.

 

Once they begin filming as a group, Pyo Ye Jin shows off her documents and reminds the audience to beware of voice phishing. As they discuss the data, Kim Eui Sung confirms that their notes are based off data from real-life voice phishing cases.

 

Immediately after, Jang Hyuk Jin and Bae Yoo Ram prepare for their “kiss scene” as the director announces, “I think this is our drama’s only kiss scene.” Bae Yoo Ram adds that it’s the first kiss scene of his career before thanking the staff. While lying in his hospital bed, Kim Eui Sung jokingly chimes in, “This is the first bed scene for me in awhile too,” causing the set to erupt into laughter.

 

Source

 

[abs-oluteM]

I think this is a pre-released

@stroppyse is she revealing that she knows what they are up to?

-----------

This BTS ...LJH is the pro - never cracks up even in the OTT scenes