SBS’s Friday-Saturday thriller, directed by Byun Young-joo and written by Lee Young-jong, has been drawing raves from press and viewers week after week. With the eight-part series through Episode 4, here are four can’t-miss threads that will make the back half even more chilling.
# Three Dead Already: Who’s Behind the ‘Mantis’ Copycat 23 Years Later?
Jung Yi-shin (Ko Hyun-jung) is the notorious serial killer dubbed “Mantis,” who murdered six men who abused women and children 23 years ago. A new copycat mimicking her crimes drags her back into the spotlight―and into an uneasy alliance with her son, Detective Cha Soo-yeol (Jang Dong-yoon), now on the case. But the copycat keeps taunting them, racking up bodies in plain sight.
Three victims are already dead. The first prime suspect, Seo Gu-wan (Lee Tae-gu), turned up dead himself, and Park Min-jae (Lee Chang-min), a former child abuse victim, has emerged as the new lead suspect. Is Park the killer―or is someone else pulling the strings? With everyone looking suspicious, the unmasking promises a twist you won’t see coming.
# Mother Versus Monster: What Does ‘Mantis’ Really Want?
Jung Yi-shin is both “Mantis” and a mother. When she reunited with her son after 23 years, there was a flicker of maternal warmth―but his lifelong fury quickly brought back her cold, calculating side. Even as she “teams up” with him, it’s never clear whether she’s helping or using him. What’s her endgame?
# Killer Mom, Cop Son: Can This Mother-Son Standoff Change Course?
After 23 years apart, the two reunite not with tears but with rage and provocation to chase the copycat. Then Soo-yeol learns the unthinkable: his mother’s first victim was her husband―his father. Can these two ever move beyond hatred, or are they destined to stay locked in a lifelong war?
# He Hates Her―but Mirrors Her: Can Cha Soo-yeol Break the Cycle?
Soo-yeol became a cop to save lives, driven by the guilt of what his mother did. But seeing Jung Yi-shin again shakes him to the core, forcing him to confront the ways he resembles her. If he catches the copycat, can he finally free himself from the crushing weight of being “the Mantis’s son”?
"Queen Mantis" keeps detonating audacious twists that leave living rooms gasping. Torpedo-strength performances from Ko Hyun-jung and Jang Dong-yoon pack a punch, while precision, stylish direction keeps the tension vice-tight―fueling rising ratings and buzz. The back half promises to hit even harder.
Episode 5 of "Queen Mantis" airs Friday, Sept. 19 at 9:50 p.m. KST on SBS.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)
