‘Big Mouth’ Starring Lim Yoona & Lee Jong-Suk Review: Plot, Ending, Where To Watch

This article was first published on 2 August 2022.

Actor Lee Jong-Suk and Girls’ Generation’s Lim Yoona star as husband and wife in the newest Disney+ K-drama Big Mouth. The real-life close friends play lawyer Park Chang-Ho and nurse Go Mi-Ho who are currently in their third year of marriage.

Big Mouth plot

The series starts with a noir thriller atmosphere set in the fictional town Gucheon. The title track and cinematography of the opening sequence were presented grittily, letting the audience know precisely what the drama is — or at least what it’ll turn out to be.

We first see a truck dumping a pile of gold bars into a pit. The gold bars are then concealed using cement as a mysterious man oversees everything. This is followed by a montage of news reports showcasing crimes that range from robbery to physical violence with a mysterious criminal ‘Big Mouse’ at its centre. A voiceover starts to describe Gucheon as a city that seems clean and perfect on the outside but actually breeds crime.

Lee Jong-Suk as Park Chang-Ho in Big Mouth

Lee Jong-Suk as Park Chang-Ho. (Photo from: Disney+)

The camera cuts to Park Chang-Ho (Lee Jong-Suk) looking out into the city’s night skyline. The sequence transforms from a gritty crime-thriller to something bright like a rom-com when Chang-Ho’s wife Go Mi-Ho (Lim Yoona) and his father-in-law Go Gwi-Gwang (Lee Ki-Young) enter the scene. We learn that the couple is celebrating their third wedding anniversary.

Chang-Ho receives a call in the middle of their celebration. He learns something about the Gucheon hospital murder case which he is the defence counsel for. He excuses himself from their family dinner and heads out. Before he exits the restaurant, however, a server offers him a free drink which he drinks in the car. After taking a sip, he loses control of his senses and gets into an accident.

Girls’ Generation’s Lim Yoona as Go Mi-Ho in Big Mouth

Girls’ Generation’s Lim Yoona as Go Mi-Ho. (Photo from: Disney+)

The scene cuts to a flashback, showing Chang-Ho’s humble daily life. The audience also learns that his nickname is “big mouth” (thus the title) because his reputation as a lawyer is ‘all talk without results’. Because of this, Chang-Ho captures the interest of Mayor Choi (Kim Ju-Hoon), the mayor of Gucheon.

The mayor invites Chang-Ho to a private meeting, telling him that the Gucheon hospital murder case involves three powerful personalities who already fixed the case in their favour. The mayor wants Chang-Ho to represent these personalities as these figures would think Chang-Ho is merely a pawn in their plans. However, Chang-Ho is to act as a double-agent, helping the mayor to find out the truth about the case. Chang-Ho agrees but things do not turn to be in his favour.

The flashback scene circles back to the present when Chang-Ho gets into the accident. After the crash, he wakes up. However, something within him stirred and he wasn’t the same man as he was before.

Park Chang-Ho is the titular Big Mouth, being a lawyer that’s ‘all talk without results’. (Photo from: Disney+)

Big Mouth ending review

1. The episodes are well-paced

With every new episode adding to the narrative, Big Mouth proved to be a promising K-drama. The pilot set up all the pieces of the game without giving away too much about the plot, ending in a nice high. By episode 2, the audience get a better grasp of the narrative, showing us that Chang-Ho is more than a naive mouthpiece caught in a scandalous affair. The plot’s details simmer into a big payoff, perfectly capturing the mystery-thriller element to a T.

2. The characters are all well-rounded

Big Mouth succeeds in creating well-rounded characters that feel essential to the plot. Chang-Ho wasn’t presented as someone who’s completely gullible despite his unfortunate reputation as a lawyer but is rather shown as someone with the potential to be what the narrative calls for. Mi-Ho isn’t just a trophy wife who’s there to show Chang-Ho’s domestic life but is actually a fierce character who has her own story arc in the drama. Even Mayor Choi is an intriguing character who isn’t just written as purely good or purely evil. These make all these central characters a lot more interesting to follow, since they’re actually multi-faceted and to some extent, unpredictable.

Mi-Ho’s character is more than what meets the eye. (Photo from: Disney+)

3. The non-linear storytelling effectively builds up the story

Going back and forth between several timelines to build up a story can be confusing, but Big Mouth effectively uses this technique to shape its mystery-thriller narrative. Each flashback offers an essential element to the plot. Some examples include diving deeper into a character’s personality which will affect their decision-making; supplying missing information for a present-day event, or subtly introducing a new subplot that’ll play a bigger part later in the story.

4. Despite the final episode ending on a sombre note, the entire series is still great

We won't completely spoil the ending, but Big Mouth concludes on a sombre note that may feel anti-climactic or sad for some viewers. But while we can sympathise to some extent, the finale doesn't exactly disappoint either. The entire drama delivered enough captivating performances and interesting storylines that justify how the ending turned out.