New SBS drama Good Partner, Episode 1 premiered last night to the highest rating for a Friday/Saturday night drama on the network this year.
The Jang Nara and Nam Ji Hyun-led Korean drama grabbed higher ratings than previous shows in the same time slot — My Demon, Flex X Cop, The Escape of the Seven: Resurrection and Connection — who all received solid ratings for their first episodes.
According to Nielsen Korea, Good Partner, Episode 1 earned a high 7.80 percent nationwide on Friday evening.
Its closest rivals were the recently ended Connection and Flex X Cop, which both grabbed a very respectable 5.70 percent for their first episodes.
Both dramas ratings then increased rapidly from there.
In Seoul, Good Partner, Episode 1 performed even better, garnering an 8.10 percent viewership from audiences in that region.
Ratings from international viewers for Good Partner, Episode 1
The drama also seems to be being well-received by international viewers so far, with a handful of Viki subscribers rating the K-drama a high 9.3 out of 10 so far.
Unfortunately, the usual trolls over on My Drama List are currently rating Good Partner a very low 7.5 out of 10. (That platform really should ban ratings until at least three episodes have been released, as every new drama does bring out the idiots on the site).
That crazy low rating, however, will rise (probably quite markedly) as those who are actually watching the drama (and not those who have a beef with one of the cast members, or who have a problem with the plot) begin to rate it more fairly.
As for the first episode, Good Partner is well cast (especially the two female leads), the plot is well-written and grabs your attention, and it ends on a cliffhanger that will have you desperately tuning in for Episode 2 later on tonight
Good Partner airs on SBS every Friday and Saturday night through August 31st.
It stars Jang Na Ra, Nam Ji Hyun, Kim Jun Han, Pyo Ji Hoon, Ji Seung Hyun, and Han Jae Yi.