Tempest Review 2025 Tv Show Series Cast Crew Online
From writer Jeong Seo-kyeong (Decision to Leave) and director Kim Hee-won (Queen of Tears), the Korean spy thriller series Tempest is one of the first, freshest surprises of the fall TV season. It’s a polished, fast-paced action yarn that evokes other highly popular properties as varied as The Manchurian Candidate, The Bodyguard, and the spy fiction of Tom Clancy. It’s also a show that moves constantly from one action sequence to another, smartly scripted and even socially relevant in a way that never detracts from the fun. The possibility of crossover appeal seems likely, but Tempest certainly deserves to be a hit in its own right.
Jun Ji-hyun stars as Seo Mun-ju, a former Korean ambassador who’s married to presidential candidate Jang Jun-ik (Park Hae-joon). An act of political violence is the drama’s inciting incident, pushing the reserved and private Mun-ju into the public eye and the largest-scale political arena overnight. She’s also thrust into the center of an international conspiracy with ties to the White House. Mun-ju’s closest allies, if they can be trusted, are her domineering mother-in-law, Lim Ok-seon (Lee Mi-sook), and Baek San-ho (Gang Dong-won), an enigmatic dark agent whose alliances, and even his nationality, aren’t clear despite numerous instances where he puts his life on the line for Mun-ju’s safety.
In the first three episodes of Tempest’s first season provided for review, the plot becomes increasingly more complicated, involving operatives in Washington D.C. — most crucially, John Cho, as the U.S. deputy Secretary of State — ever-present nuclear threat, airborne and marine warfare. Tempest takes place in a fictionalized present day, with political unrest on the Korean peninsula and debates over reunification underneath many of the broader major plot points. The plot is at once very, immersively, region-specific, but also carefully plotted in a way that’s easy to follow and likely to hook any viewer.
Tempest deserves substantial praise for consistently balancing impressive large-scale set pieces with an intimate human story. Jun Ji-hyun is excellent, with Mun-ju one of the most sympathetic and memorable TV protagonists in recent memory. Early on, she’s established as a loyal romantic partner with zero personal interest in the high-stakes political game and exposure that surrounds her husband 24 hours a day. It’s easy to sympathize with her from the jump, and the writing and performance of the character become increasingly layered. Mun-ju is idealistic without feeling phony or impractical, as well as tough and defiant; at times, she’s very much in danger and in need of others. Frankly, the writing in Tempest is reminiscent of what makes James Cameron’s great action heroines stand apart from all the rest: Mun-ju is a fairly ordinary person who’s unwillingly called into action. She’s a believably resilient lead at the center of a series that’s equally committed to entertaining the hell out of viewers and never letting things get too convoluted.
Mun-ju’s closest relationships and uneasy alliances are also filled with intrigue. Veteran actress Lee Mi-sook has an imposing presence as Lim Ok-seon, with the character and performance clearly echoing Angela Lansbury’s iconic turn in The Manchurian Candidate. Societal gender dynamics and expectations are thoughtfully explored in the script, and the show’s female characters, particularly these two, are often calling the shots in a way that’s believable and engrossing.
Mun-ju’s relationship with San-ho is also a point of interest, a simple and well-executed emotional hook reminiscent of, most recognizably, The Bodyguard, and other stories in that vein that have appealed for ages. It’s unclear exactly where this relationship is going, though romantic possibilities are heavily implied, not least of all through one of the sexiest scenes of attempted bomb disarmament you’re likely ever to see on television. Tempest’s top-notch action sequences and stunt work allow Gang Dong-won to flex substantial action prowess, particularly some showstopping hand-to-hand combat that’s used minimally but effectively. One of Tempest’s great strengths is the way it weaves many genres together, fleetingly playing like a straight martial-arts showcase.
Anyone who might be concerned about a potential language barrier really needn’t be, as Tempest thrives simply as grand visual storytelling. The production values, from the massive set pieces to the crisp, briskly-paced editing, are all pretty much perfect in the series’ premiere installments. That’s not to say that technical aspects are all the show has to offer; it’s emotionally gripping throughout, with a core about seeking peace in the darkest and most disillusioned, paranoid times. It’s urgent escapism, and the first three episodes suggest the series will become more psychologically and narratively complex as it goes along. If you’ve never watched a K-drama and are curious to dip a toe into the genre, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect place to start than this.
