Teach You A Lesson doesn’t waste any time establishing its dark and emotional premise in its first episode. The story begins at Daehan High School, where student Gyeong-min witnesses a horrific tragedy when his classmate Park Dae-seok jumps off the school rooftop after being bullied mercilessly.
In the course of the episode, viewers learn that Dae-seok’s pain began when he crossed paths with Jun-hyeong, the school’s most feared student. The moment Dae-seok stood up for a temporary teacher against Jun-hyeong’s disrespect, he became the new target of the school’s hierarchy of bullying. His choice to stand up for what was right cost him a lot, while former victim Gyeong-min was spared for a while.
Unfortunately, the school administration is just as clueless as the students. Because of Jun-hyeong’s powerful father, Assemblyman Ryu Gwang-pil, the teachers are scared to step in. Fear and corruption have created an environment where bullies can run rampant without consequences.## Dae-seok’s Death
After Dae-seok’s suicide, Gyeong-min wants justice to be served at last. Instead nothing changes. Jun-hyeong and his friends are still bullying their classmates, and Gyeong-min is once again the favorite target.
The emotional burden becomes unbearable. At one point, Gyeong-min stands at the same ledge where Dae-seok died considering taking his own life. However, fear takes over and he backs down before he goes through with it.
Things take a turn for the worse when Jun-hyeong’s close friend Gwang-su violently beats Gyeong-min in the school hallways as students watch on without stepping in.# Na Hwa-jin Is Coming
But everything is different now that Na Hwa-jin has arrived.
But Hwa-jin doesn’t hesitate to intervene and violently stop Gwang-su’s attack. Jun-hyeong tries to turn the tables and accuses Hwa-jin of attacking a student, but Hwa-jin is completely unfazed.
He identifies himself as an inspector from the newly formed Educational Rights Protection Bureau (ERPB), a body created to deal with extreme cases of school violence. Hwa-jin quickly exposes the school’s complicity, charging that the administrators helped to bury the investigation into Dae-seok’s death.
Principal Kim warns of Assemblyman Ryu Gwang-pil’s political influence, but Hwa-jin is not backing down. Instead, he announces that he’ll serve as the homeroom teacher for Dae-seok’s class, and will look into the situation himself.# Another Type of Teacher
Hwa-jin’s teaching is anything but conventional.
The students joke about Dae-seok’s death and he retaliates by physically punishing the offender and punishing the whole class with an exercise. Jun-hyeong, too, soon learns that his usual intimidation tactics have no effect on this new authority figure.
As the school day goes on, the battle between the two heats up. During lunch, Hwa-jin stops Jun-hyeong from misusing his privilege, humbles him after he contaminates cafeteria food and later makes him do cleaning work he usually avoids.
No one had ever dared challenge Jun-hyeong’s power like that.## The Fall of Assemblyman Ryu Gwangpil
Pretty soon the conflict spills out of the school.
Jun-hyeong’s father Ryu Gwang-pil attempts to use his political power to remove the ERPB. He pushes the Minister Choi Gang-seok to close down the organization.
But the ERPB pushes back.
During one of Gwang-pil’s campaign events, damaging allegations about his past suddenly emerge. Reports of corruption, bribery, sexual misconduct and other criminal activity quickly spread through the media.
The scandal destroys his political career in one fell swoop. Soon after, he is arrested and evidence emerges that Jun-hyeong was involved in bullying and Dae-seok in his suicide.
The untouchable family finally has to answer for something.# Jun-hyeong Hits His Breaking Point
Jun-hyeong is now disgraced and arrested, on the receiving side of the social isolation he used to dish out. His former friends desert him and soon he is an outcast himself.
Jun-hyeong can’t take his fall, and lashes out one last time. In retaliation he imprisons several students in a classroom and attempts to set a fire.
Hwa-jin jumps in before disaster strikes.
Jun-hyeong, trapped and frightened, finally gives way. Hwa-jin makes him face the horrific consequences of his deeds, telling him that Dae-seok died because nobody did anything about the bullying.# Dae-seok’s Truth
A flashback, heart wrenching, shows how deep Dae-seok’s pain really is.
Dae-seok and his father repeatedly tried to report Jun-hyeong’s behavior but school officials refused to take action. Gwang-pil’s influence extended beyond the classroom, eventually wrecking his father Dae-seok’s business and leaving the family financially ruined.
Dae-seok blamed himself for his father’s troubles, could see no solution, and killed himself.
His death becomes the driving force behind Hwa-jin’s resolve to bring justice to the school. # Review: Episode 1
Teach You A Lesson serves up a blast of a premiere that mixes social commentary with satisfying revenge drama. On the serious issue of school bullying, the series gives us a protagonist who refuses to abide by traditional rules when it comes to dealing with abusers.
Na Hwa-jin is an immediate, gripping protagonist. His aggressive method may be controversial, but it makes for a fun dynamic and keeps the story moving at a quick pace. Every confrontation matters because the audience knows how badly the system has failed its victims.
And the episode hints at a larger mystery surrounding Choi Ga-yun, whose gravestone Hwa-jin and Minister Gang-seok visit in the last scene. Her involvement in the formation of the ERPB looks to be significant and could be a big story for the season.
Meanwhile, Lee Seung-gyu is believably convincing as entitled bully Jun-hyeong, with just the right amount of arrogance to make you root for his comeuppance.
If the series continues to follow the ERPB as they travel from school to school punishing abusive students, Teach You A Lesson could be a very fun revenge series with a strong episodic structure. Episode 1 does a great job setting the stage and gives you plenty of reason to keep watching.