SBS’s new Friday-Saturday drama "The Mantis: Original Sin" (directed by Byun Young-joo, written by Lee Young-jong) premieres Friday, Sept. 5 at 9:50 p.m. KST. Billed as a high-tension crime thriller, the series centers on an unthinkable partnership between a notorious serial-killer mom and her detective son―promising to keep living rooms on edge.
Ko plays Jung Yi-shin, a murderer who slaughtered five men and became known as “Mantis.” Her son, Cha Soo-yeol (Jang Dong-yoon), grew up despising her and became a detective while denying his own bloodline. With Jung behind bars, an unexpected reunion between mother and son sets the story in motion.
Two days ahead of the premiere on Sept. 3, producers teased the shocking incident that kicks everything off: 23 years after Mantis was caught, a copycat emerges, re-creating her killings. The case rattles the public and revives fears of another deadly chain of murders.
New stills capture it all―from Jung Yi-shin’s arrest 23 years ago to today’s grisly copycat crime scene―as detectives Cha Soo-yeol and Choi Jung-ho (Jo Sung-ha) move in to solve the case. A suspect shrouded beneath a large sheet, an ominous scene, and stone-faced officers together set an unmistakably eerie tone.
One detail to watch: Detective Choi Jung-ho is tied to both the original Mantis investigation and the new copycat case, and he plays a pivotal role in the mother-son reunion, according to the production team. With curiosity already sky-high, the premiere is poised to deliver serious shocks.
“The first episode centers on the copycat case that sparks the entire story and throws our leads into the unexpected,” the producers said, adding that Ko Hyun-jung, Jang Dong-yoon, Jo Sung-ha, and Lee El (as Kim Na-hee) deliver powerhouse performances from the jump. “Expect a breathless ride.”
"The Mantis: Original Sin" premieres Friday, Sept. 5 at 9:50 p.m. KST on SBS.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)