Binge or Cringe: ‘Original Sin’
A detective who can’t shoot, and a forensic doctor who refuses to give up his gloves, are partnered up to solve crimes in this Chinese crime drama. “Original Sin” follows detective Zheng Ming (Chen Huan) and forensic scientist Dai Yu (Wang Hao Xuan) as they bring justice to victims of abuse and murder, while overcoming their own traumas. The story is comparable to TV programs such as “CSI” and “Law & Order,” but is unique in its short runtime.
Heavy themes such as the sexual abuse, police trauma, and domestic abuse are prevalent in this series. Most victims are women who are targets of men that crave power, acceptance, or money. It is unfortunate to witness casualties that result from unwanted pursuits, however, these scenes direct the audience’s attention to real issues that occur in our societies. For instance, the first five episodes depict the murder of a wife after her abusive husband discovers that she dances for men at a karaoke bar. When she asks for a divorce, he pushes her to her accidental death. After Covid, a study found that intimate partner violence occurs with 25% of victims being women and 8% being male. By bringing attention to such crimes, “Original Sin” sets a precedent for justice against unfair treatment of women.
Another scandal that is reminiscent of real world events takes place in episodes seventeen through twenty, when a female hotel employee attempts to take her own life but is saved by Dai Yu, it is revealed that she has endured weeks of sexual abuse by her boss. Her reputation is ruined by videos her boss had forcibly taken and she sees no reason to live. Later, her unexpected death is a catalyst to seeking justice by the investigation team who ensures that all crevices are checked in order to defend the woman. In 2021, a company known as Alibaba fired a woman for speaking out about a colleague who had assaulted her. Her allegations brought light to harassment faced by women in the workplace.
Episodes are divided into a few key moments that repeat with every new case: on-site investigation, laboratory studies, interrogation, and team discernments. Each scene is defined by its framing and choice of lighting. For instance, on-site investigations featuring Dai Yu often recreate scenarios by utilizing flashbacks that show events at the time of crimes. It is an effective method of portraying both discernment and past events through visual storytelling. The opposite can be said about team discussion scenes. These scenes are hard to keep up with as there is not much to do besides listen to each character’s ideas. It becomes boring due to its lack of movement, but there are times when interruptions to these team meetings result in advancing the plot.
A major critique of this series would be how late it uncovers the layers of its characters in relation to the various plots unfolding. The summary describes “Original Sin” as a story following two main characters as they solve crimes and grow together. However, that growth is rarely hinted at. There are moments where each of the two main stars take care of each other, but they are not frequently expanded upon. In the middle of the series, when Dai Yu and Zheng Ming fight about a friend they lost in the past, it happens randomly and the audience is expected to follow. Each of these moments feel one-dimensional because there is no overlap between cases and character development. Instead, it is one or the other.
A lack of simultaneous plots takes away from fast-paced criminal shows that American audiences are accustomed to. However, the investigations in “Original Sin” highlight injustices of contemporary society that can be applicable to any nation. Still, the show is not worthy of a Binge. Due to its nature of varying investigations at different episodes, “Original Sin” is more like a series to watch with a meal than to binge in one go.
