In the SBS Friday-Saturday drama, which premiered last week and is directed by Byun Young-joo with scripts by Lee Young-jong, Jang plays Cha Soo-yeol ― a detective who also happens to be the son of notorious serial killer Jung Yi-shin (Ko Hyun-jung) ― signaling a bold new chapter for the actor.
During a narcotics bust, Cha draws his weapon to save a child, shooting the child’s drug-addicted mother in the leg amid the chaos. The decision earns backlash from colleagues, but his unwavering conviction to protect the kid immediately stamps the character in stark colors. Soon after, at the urging of squad chief Choi Jung-ho (Jo Sung-ha), he joins Major Crimes ― and when Jung Yi-shin demands to speak only with Cha, his past roars back to the surface.
While tracking Seo Gu-wan (Lee Tae-gu), he secures court records and personal files tied to Jung Yi-shin. A handwriting analysis exposes a forged reply; from prison, Jung Yi-shin insists she never wrote it, kicking the thriller into a new gear. In these scenes, Jang’s cool gaze and measured delivery telegraph resolve, while the slightest shifts in expression tighten the air around Soo-yeol’s doubt and dread.
With "Queen Mantis", Jang sloughs off the youthful, rom-com image he built and commits to no-nonsense principles, decisive action, and grounded grit ― staking out fresh territory as an actor.
Rather than going big on outbursts, he plays the weight of choice and consequence: a furrowed brow, crisp diction, controlled eye lines, and hesitant movements sketch an interior life that raises a different kind of tension for viewers. It’s the sort of pivot that could mark a clear inflection point in Jang’s filmography.
Through Cha Soo-yeol, "Queen Mantis" reveals an unfamiliar face from a familiar star ― a transformation that amps up anticipation for where the story heads next.
"Queen Mantis" airs on SBS Fridays and Saturdays at 9:50 p.m. KST.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)