"Taxi Driver 3" is smashing every metric in sight, proving the franchise’s staying power.
SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama "Taxi Driver 3," from writer Oh Sang-ho and director Kang Bo-seung, follows the shadowy Rainbow Taxi company and driver Kim Do-gi (Lee Je-hoon) as they deliver vigilante justice for victims failed by the system.
Episodes 5 and 6 sent Do-gi and the Rainbow Heroes digging into the team’s very first case―and only unresolved one―the Jingwang University volleyball squad’s “murder-without-a-body” from 15 years ago. Along the way, Do-gi cycled through colorful alter egos, from a card shark to a gym owner, before unleashing a ruthless financial takedown on villain Im Dong-hyun (played by Moon Soo-young), a turn that had viewers cheering.
The craftsmanship is drawing raves: a tightly woven narrative connecting Seasons 1 through 3, cinematic visuals, a score that deepens the drama, and performances that make the "Taxi Driver" universe feel fully lived-in. The writer, director and cast are firing in sync.
The numbers back it up. Episode 6 delivered a nationwide average rating of 12.0%, a new series high, continuing the show’s week-to-week ascent. In the key 20-49 demo, it hit a peak 4.21% (average 3.6%), ranking No. 1 among all programs on any channel airing in December, per Nielsen Korea.
On the buzz front, "Taxi Driver 3" topped Good Data Corporation’s FUNdex for the first week of December (Dec. 1-7), leading the combined TV chart (scripted and unscripted) for three straight weeks. It also held No. 1 for three consecutive weeks on the TV program SNS buzz chart, and dominated post volume across blogs, communities and social platforms. Online, the frenzy continues: as of Dec. 8, cumulative video views have hit 107 million across SBS’s official social channels, blasting past the 100 million mark.
This week, Episodes 7 and 8 set the stage for a final showdown with the true mastermind, Cheon Gwang-jin (Um Moon-suk). With the volleyball team’s ugly match-fixing scandal now exposed, all eyes are on how the Rainbow Heroes will serve up some eye-for-an-eye justice―and how a 15-year vendetta will finally end.
SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama "Taxi Driver 3" airs Episode 7 on Friday, Dec. 12 at 9:50 p.m.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)