The SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Taxi Driver 3" (written by Oh Sang-ho, directed by Kang Bo-seung) follows the shadowy Rainbow Taxi company and driver Kim Do-gi as they deliver vigilante justice on behalf of the powerless. Back for a third season after two hit runs, the series blends tight worldbuilding and cinematic direction with energized performances from a cast that includes Lee Je-hoon, Kim Eui-sung, Pyo Ye-jin, Jang Hyuk-jin, and Bae Yoo-ram―earning raves for its script-direction-cast synergy.
Now past its midpoint, "Taxi Driver 3" is still accelerating. Episode 8 posted a season high, peaking at 15.6%, with averages of 12.9% in the Seoul capital region and 12.3% nationwide. In the key 20-49 demo, it averaged 4.1% and peaked at 5.19%, ranking No. 1 among all programs aired in December across every channel. (Source: Nielsen Korea)
The show is also dominating off-air buzz: it sits at No. 1 among non-original titles on Netflix in Korea and has topped Good Data Corporation’s FUNdex TV buzz chart―across drama and non-drama―for four straight weeks.
One big reason for the frenzy? This season’s villain-of-the-arc showcase. Because Taxi Driver is structured episodically, the antagonists often share the spotlight with the Rainbow team―Do-gi (Lee Je-hoon), CEO Jang (Kim Eui-sung), hacker Go Eun (Pyo Ye-jin), and tech duo Choi (Jang Hyuk-jin) and Park (Bae Yoo-ram). Season 3 ups the ante by casting headliners as each arc’s big bad.
Kasamatsu Sho fired the opening shot as Matsuda, the ruthless head of a Japanese loan-sharking ring tied to international trafficking. With icy cynicism and a feral yakuza edge, his turn instantly spiked the show’s intensity.
Next, Yoon Shi-yoon embodied Cha Byung-jin, an ex-lawyer atop a used-car scam cartel, delivering a chilling transformation―complete with extreme weight loss―that had viewers doing double takes: “I didn’t recognize Yoon Shi-yoon,” and “Who knew he’d be this good at playing evil?”
Most recently, Um Moon-suk headlined Episodes 5-8 as Cheon Gwang-jin, a remorseless psychopath behind illegal gambling, match-fixing, murder, and more. As the main villain of a four-episode arc, his unnerving mania built to a finale that supercharged the Rainbow team’s signature catharsis.
With the villain casting now a full-on talking point, Jang Na-ra steps in next. She plays Kang Ju-ri, a former idol-turned-talent-agency CEO whose glossy success hides a warped, grasping ambition. Beloved for warm, romantic leads, Jang’s first-ever villain role is a true against-type swing―and viewers are eager to see how she keeps "Taxi Driver 3"’s villain era going.
Episode 9 airs Friday, Dec. 19 at 9:50 p.m. KST on SBS.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)
