Episodes 3 and 4 (aired Nov. 28-29) saw Kim Do-gi (Lee Je-hoon) and the Rainbow Taxi crew take down “used-car kingpin” Cha Byung-jin (Yoon Shi-yoon) and his ring, who preyed on everyday consumers. Do-gi’s undercover turn as an easy mark ― and the team’s satisfying payback on the flooded-car scam ― served up pure, fist-pump catharsis. Yoon Shi-yoon’s surprise guest spot as a full-on villain also had viewers buzzing.
The response shows in the numbers. According to Nielsen Korea, Episode 4 hit a peak 15.4% rating, with 12.6% in the Seoul metro area and 11.6% nationwide ― No. 1 in its time slot and the top miniseries of the week. It also ranks No. 4 among all Korean miniseries aired this year by nationwide rating.
In the key 20-49 demo, the drama is equally dominant: Episode 4 peaked at 4.9% (4.2% average), securing the No. 1 spot across all channels for November. Two weeks in, "Taxi Driver 3" has effectively taken over primetime.
The show is also surging in buzz metrics. Good Data Corporation’s FUNdex ranked "Taxi Driver 3" No. 1 among dramas for the week of Nov. 24-30, and it held the top spot on Netflix’s Top 10 TV Shows in South Korea as of Dec. 2. On IMDb, Episodes 1?4 average a 9.5/10 (as of Dec. 2), signaling growing international traction.
What’s working? Season 3 stays true to the series’ world while dialing up slick, high-impact action that supercharges the caper formula. The core ensemble ― Lee Je-hoon, Kim Eui-sung (as Chairman Jang), Pyo Ye-jin (Ahn Go-eun), Jang Hyuk-jin (Choi), and Bae Yoo-ram (Park) ― functions like a well-oiled machine, and standout guest villains, including Kasamatsu Sho and Yoon Shi-yoon, keep the stakes high and the momentum fresh.
Starting with Episode 5, the series pivots to the “murder without a body” case tied to Jingwang University’s volleyball team ― an arc that traces back to how Rainbow Taxi first launched its revenge-for-hire service. All eyes are on how far this ratings juggernaut can run.
"Taxi Driver 3" airs Episode 5 on Friday, Dec. 5 at 9:50 p.m. KST.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)