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| From left, actors Kim So-yeon, Lee Ji-ah and Eugene pose during an online press conference for "The Penthouse: War in Life 3," Friday. Courtesy of SBS |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
The villainy continues as SBS's drama series, "The Penthouse: War in Life," reached over 19 percent in viewership ratings with the first episode in its third and final season, continuing its success from previous seasons.
According to Nielsen Korea, the first episode aired Friday scored a 19.5 percent viewership rating nationwide, the highest of all 3 season openers. The 12th episode of season 2 scored a 29.2 percent viewership nationwide, the highest rating for the second season. Unlike the first season that aired on Mondays-Tuesdays and the second season that aired Fridays-Saturdays, season 3 will air only on Fridays.
Directed by Joo Dong-min, whose works include SBS's "The Family is Coming" (2015) and "Return" (2018), "The Penthouse: War in Life" revolves around familial conflicts between the residents of Hera Palace, a luxury high-rise apartment in Seoul. The events unfold as the characters full of greed, ambition, jealousy and desire for revenge clash with one another.
The series is penned by popular screenwriter Kim Soon-ok, who is known for writing TV series like "Temptation of Wife" (2008-2009) and "The Last Empress" (2018). The new season picked up from the death of Logan Lee (Park Eun-seok) and welcomes two new actors ― On Joo-wan and Park Ho-san.
The suspense-filled storyline involving murder, betrayal and extramarital affairs has captivated viewers, but it has also drawn criticism for its depictions of violence.
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| Scenes from "The Penthouse: War in Life 3" / Courtesy of SBS |
At the online press conference for the series on Friday, the actors said the third season will have a fast-paced and intense storyline just like the first two seasons.
Actress Kim So-yeon, who plays the most despicable of the despicable characters, Cheon Seo-jin, said the third season will consist of nail-biting scenes and unexpected plot twists.
"When I first read the script for season 3, I was shocked by Seo-jin's truly villainous nature. Please look forward to how she further commits evil deeds and shameful acts," she said.
Lee Ji-ah, who played dual roles as Shim Su-ryeon and Na Ae-gyo in season 2, said portraying her character was a new adventure. "Shim Su-ryeon is a three dimensional character who has many shades of emotions. No matter what you expect, you will be shocked when you watch the series until the very end."
Eugene, who plays Oh Yoon-hee, said her character will strive to achieve justice in the final season. "I felt uncomfortable with the setting in which characters who committed crimes come out and repeat wrongdoings. I thought that going to prison would be the end of the story, but there's more to tell," she said.
Um Ki-joon, who plays Joo Dan-te, said he will reprise his role as the villain in the final season. "I continue to do evil things in season 3, but I think he will finally face punishment in the end," he said.
"The Penthouse: War in Life 3" airs every Friday at 10 p.m. (KST).
