#18: Review — Extraordinary Attorney Woo (이상한 변호사 우영우)
When I first saw that Netflix had released a new Korean TV drama about an Autistic woman attorney, it caught my attention. First, people with Autism often struggle and even more so in high stress jobs. Second, despite the negative stigma in Western countries, it is often much worse in Asian countries. Finally, I was curious to see how well the show depicts Autism since most mainstream TV shows and movies do not always show the full impact of Autism. Below are some of my reactions and highlights from watching all sixteen episodes of the show.
Episode 1
In the first episode, we see the main character, Woo Young-Woo (portrayed by Park Eun-Bin), as a little five-year-old girl who cannot speak. This is common for many people with Autism. Then later her dad is shocked to see his daughter recite specific laws in great detail from memory. Turns out that even at such a young age, she had been reading her dad’s law books. This episode shows one of the most extraordinary traits that some Autistic people possess, photographic memory with incredible attention to detail.
Later, it shows Young-Woo as a young woman starting her first job at a law firm. Her new boss and coworkers are stunned by her Autistic traits: Quirkiness, not understanding social rules, not making eye contact, awkward hand movements, walking strangely, her difficulty with revolving doors, and talking about whales in detail all the time. Her boss is very uncomfortable and even more so since Autism was listed on her job application. This is very common in many organizations today where many job applicants are very reluctant to mark that box acknowledging that they have a disability. Most would rather hide it.
Turns out, despite having an almost perfect score on the Bar exam and graduating at the top of her class from a top university, Young-Woo had a hard time finding a job because organizations did not want to hire a person with Autism. This happens almost all the time, but the CEO of the law firm gave Young-Woo the job for reasons that are revealed later in the series. Despite the uncomfortable feelings in the office, things change when she goes to her first court case. She does really well by thinking out of the box and using her incredible memory to find a solution to the problems presented, an incredible Autistic trait possessed by many. Overall, the first episode is a strong start to the series that quickly shows many of the positive traits of Autism, but also the struggles.
Episode 3
In the third episode, Young-Woo is trying to help an Autistic man accused of killing his own brother. The man is confused, waves his hands, and is often violent. This is how Autism is often portrayed especially in older TV shows and films. In the court case, a doctor testifies that a person with Autism is mentally unfit. This was depressing to see, but this stereotype is very common as well.
The episode also shows how Asian society is a patriarchy, one where parents are in charge. Even when the truth of the case is revealed, the parents of the victim did not want the truth to come out due to pride, ashamed of the humiliation it would bring. Pride is a very powerful force in Asian countries, even in Asian families in Western countries.
Episode 4
In the fourth episode, Young-Woo talks about how things were in school. She was bullied and ridiculed often, very common for people with Autism. It made me remember similar things I went through in school. Because when a person is quirky and different, they are easy targets. Young-Woo was fortunate to have a friend who fought for her. I wish I had that when I was growing up.
The episode also showed more of Asian culture. Honoring and paying respect to parents with food, following a hierarchy according to birth order, and again pride. Many people in the episode hide their misery and hardships because they want to avoid shame and humiliation.
Episode 5
In the fifth episode, it shows Young-Woo having difficulty relating and connecting with people, another common trait in Autistic people. For example, when meeting a new client, her male coworkers instantly connected because they were all in the army. In comparison, she struggles and is very uncomfortable. I myself know that feeling and went through that on many occasions.
Young-Woo also goes through being lied to and struggles trying to trust people. I know those feelings all too well. In addition, she struggles with doing the right thing, even though her profession and society in general often want us to look the other way. Many in the Autism community also fight for social justice. I was happy to see this conflict depicted in the show.
Episode 7
In the seventh episode, Young-Woo’s father reveals that he helped her get her job because he knew the company’s CEO. He also talks about the pain he felt seeing his daughter struggle applying for jobs and not even getting an interview because of her Autism. This episode really highlights a big struggle for many who have Autism: Wanting to be independent vs getting help.
Young-Woo feels ashamed getting help. Also, her coworkers resent her for taking a shortcut, but her friend reminds her to not let people walk all over her. Wish I had a friend to tell me that. Her friend also reminds her that discrimination against people with disabilities is prohibited by law, even though the negative stigma around Autism prevented Young-Woo from getting a job through the normal hiring processes. Even in Western countries, the negative stigma is dominant and discrimination does happen.
Episode 11
In the eleventh episode, we see one of the most difficult sides of Autism, sensory overload. Young-Woo sees a man killed in a car accident. The loud noise of the collision, along with the cries and screams from people, is too much for her. She is overwhelmed by everything and starts to hit herself, scream, cry, and panic in a full-blown anxiety attack. I myself have not had one in many years, but for many who have Autism, it is a reality. It turns out that a coworker knew what to do and held Young-Woo tight to apply pressure in order to relieve her anxiety. Which I did not know about. Also, they discuss how France has hug chairs to help people with Autism recover from sensory overload, which I also did not know about.
Episode 13
In the thirteenth episode, we see another area of Autism that is difficult, relationships. Young-Woo’s boyfriend takes her to visit his family. His sister is opposed to her brother dating a woman with Autism because in her view, such a person cannot make him happy and he would have to be the one to take care of her all the time. Young-Woo hears this, is devastated, and breaks up with her boyfriend because she does not want to be a burden. This is ableism at its worst, assuming that a person with Autism is broken and cannot be a stable romantic partner. I know this all too well myself. I got divorced earlier this year because my ex-wife saw me as broken and unable to function normally.
Episode 15
In the fifteenth episode, things get difficult. The kind generous boss is in the hospital and the new boss is an angry control freak. This contrast shows a lot about managing people with Autism. The kind generous boss becomes more understanding and appreciates Young-Woo over the course of the show. In contrast, the angry control freak boss yells, does not tolerate different points of view, and eventually kicks Young-Woo off the case. Having such a boss would give me anxiety too and would make working at such an employer, complete hell.
Episode 16
In the season finale, we see again the conflict that many people with Autism struggle with: social justice aka doing the right thing vs corporate interest aka big business. A company’s leader asks a young man to hack into his own company and we get to see how the court case plays out over the company’s liability. This episode was a great introduction into Cybersecurity legislation in South Korea. It also shows how important it is to look at details when looking at the timeline of a security incident. Once again, Young-Woo is able to find specific details that is overlooked, showing how many people with Autism are very detail oriented and analytical.
Final Thoughts
I very much enjoyed watching Extraordinary Attorney Woo. It is the first Korean drama I watched since moving away from Hawai’i, where Korean dramas are on TV almost all the time. It is the first Korean show I watched that portrays Autism and it does a pretty good job, especially from a part of the world where Autism still carries negative stigma. Also addressing the elephant in the room, Park Eun-Bin, the actress that portrays Woo Young-Woo, is not Autistic herself. Many will feel offended by this, but one must remember that having Autism portrayed in a TV drama at all and showing the benefits Autistic people offer, is still a step forward compared to the years past where Autism was either never brought up or seen in a totally negative light.
The big shock is what happened after the show premiered in South Korea. It became the seventh highest rated drama in the history of Korean TV. Plans are being discussed to create a second season of the show. Discussions are underway to create a US version of the show. The show is being considered to be remade into a webtoon and a musical. Quite extraordinary for a new show about an Autistic woman lawyer that just came out a few months ago. I am looking forward to the second season of the show that will probably come out in 2024.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.
