Beyond The Bar Review: Lee Jin-wook, Jung Chae-yeon's underrated drama deserves a dekko for these reasons

Beyond The Bar arrived quietly on Netflix on August 2, 2025. Starring Lee Jin-wook, Jung Chae-yeon, it is a JTBC show directed by Kim Hae-Jong who has been part of shows like Revenant and Flex X Cop. Slowly but steadily, Beyond The Bar is finding its audience with glowing reviews pouring in on social media platforms. A legal drama woven around the classic theme of going by the rule book and doing what’s morally right, Beyond The Bar also dabbles with loneliness, betrayal, angst and childhood trauma. Here is our review of the show on Netflix…

Beyond The Bar – The Plot

Yoon Seok-Hoon (Lee Jin-wook) is a top litigation attorney at Yullim Law Firm. A divorcee, he is a top professional and a dog dad. Kang Hyo-Min comes from a distinguished family of lawyers and professors and is a top law student. She joins Yullim as an entry-level attorney. Hyo-rim is a sharp young lady when it comes to going by the legal rule book but struggles to communicate effectively. Yoon Seok-Hoon believes that morals and what is right cannot always be compromised just for the sake of law. In every episode, the two come together to deliver justice as they compete with a rival law firm, Lee & Seo.

The Performances

As of now, the series is centred only around Yoon Seok-Hoon and Hyo-rim. Lee Jin-Wook has done a good job especially in the fourth episode where we see the fatherly instincts of Seok-Hoon come out with full fervour. Fans of Korean dramas will know him from shows like Squid Game 3, Sweet Home, Dear Hyeri, Dark Nuns (movie) and more. Actress Jung Chae-yeon’s act as a bumbling young attorney is a mixed bag. She is good in the emotional scenes but does not look convincing as a bumbling young lady. Actor Lee Hak-joo is competent as Hyo-rim’s former boyfriend who is a top lawyer for the rival firm. The two main leads are supposed to have a mentor and protégé relationship but the manner in which the series is developing, fans are hopeful of a budding romance.

Beyond The Bar is good in the technical aspects like cinematography, screenplay and editing. Like Trauma Code: Heroes On Call it does not waste any time of the viewers. While the show might have released with hardly any hype or promotions, the team is delivering more than what we expected.