Age is just a number, but older characters can be so much more in shows

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Age is just a number, but older characters can be so much more in shows

Lee Yoon-jung


The author is a culture columnist.
 
I recently came across the KBS drama “Dog Knows Everything” (2024) belatedly, after watching a short clip from an awards ceremony in which lead actor Lee Soon-jae tearfully accepted the Grand Prize at the year-end event. “I never thought I’d see a day like this,” he remarked, his voice laced with emotion. As he pointed out, he was not the protagonist of a historical epic about the likes of Yi Sun-shin but rather the lead in a sitcom-style drama — winning not a lifetime achievement award, but the highest honor at the age of ninety.
 
Beyond Lee, “Dog Knows Everything” also features veteran actors such as Kim Yong-gun, Im Chae-moo, Song Ok-sook and Ye Soo-jung, all in their sixties and beyond. Of course, there have been other outstanding dramas centered on aging, such as “Dear My Friends” and “The Light in Your Eyes." And yet, despite being on my own inexorable march toward old age, I never felt particularly drawn to these narratives. Perhaps it was due to a preconceived notion.
 
In films and dramas, elderly characters often fall into a few predictable roles: They linger as mere background figures in the lives of younger protagonists, serve as burdensome leads grappling with dementia or the ethics of euthanasia, or exist as melancholic vessels of past regrets. At best, they appear as sagely figures who, with an air of detachment, offer magnanimous wisdom and ultimately reconcile with family, imparting some profound life lesson before quietly fading away.
 
But in reality, not everyone grows more forgiving with age. Reconciliation is not always a given. And despite the romanticized notion of elder wisdom, many live without any revelatory insight. I see this in the people around me. At the same time, I don’t want to become invisible, nor do I wish to confront heavy existential dilemmas through the cold lens of a screen. “Dog Knows Everything,” however, intrigued me with its premise: a mystery narrative involving a murder case. The combination of old age plus mystery plus comedy immediately caught my attention, as it aligned with two of the most captivating international series I’ve recently watched.
 
The first is “Only Murders in the Building” (2022-) from Disney+. Starring Steve Martin and Martin Short — both legends in their own right, alongside the young and charismatic Selena Gomez — it follows a trio investigating a murder in a luxurious New York apartment complex. Since its 2021 debut, the series has garnered critical acclaim, earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Now in its fourth season, it has drawn guest appearances from A-list stars such as Sting, Meryl Streep and Eva Longoria.
 
In the show, the two veteran actors portray a former TV star and a retired Broadway director, respectively — both still living in their pricey apartments but struggling with loneliness and financial troubles in retirement. To maintain a semblance of their former glory, they decide to launch a true crime podcast about a murder in their building, inadvertently reigniting a sense of purpose in their lives.
 
While Selena Gomez’s character frequently rolls her eyes at their outmoded grandstanding, she ultimately partners with them, recognizing that their shared goal — turning the podcast into a success — requires their unlikely collaboration.
 
Amid the fast-paced murder investigation, the show also delves into the everyday struggles of old age: the pursuit of love and its inevitable heartbreak, strained relationships with children and the haunting grip of past memories. But old age is not just about regrets and mishaps. The elderly protagonists bring richness to the story — whether through their long-honed musical skills, decades of accumulated fashion sense and wine knowledge or the exuberance that resurfaces when they reenact their younger days. Most notably, their enduring friendships and recollections of love make the narrative all the more compelling.
 
Martin and Short’s brand of comedy — whimsical and energetic, yet tinged with melancholy — sets them apart from younger actors, offering a unique charm that blends humor with pathos.
 
Another compelling example is Netflix's “A Man on the Inside” (2024-), released in November last year. It stars Ted Danson as a retired architecture professor mourning the loss of his wife. Pressured by his daughter to find something to occupy his time, he stumbles into a private detective agency and gets assigned to a peculiar case: the disappearance of a necklace at a senior living facility. To investigate, he checks himself into the residence.
 
The show offers a poignant exploration of senior friendships. It weaves together themes of dementia, death and grief, yet does so with a light touch. The elderly characters, despite their many wounds, navigate life with resilience — reading John le Carré novels in preparation for their “spy mission,” reciting Shakespeare at funerals, and displaying the wisdom that comes from having endured life’s harshest realities.
 
The reason why these hybrid genres — melding senior protagonists, mystery and comedy — feel so refreshing is likely this: The presence of an urgent case to solve transforms the elderly characters into active, dynamic protagonists, rather than passive symbols of nostalgia or loss. Yet, because their lives are rich with accumulated experiences and emotions, the pacing never becomes overly rushed. And by infusing humor into the narrative, the shows manage to tackle weighty themes without being overly somber.
 
As the world continues to age, I hope to see more thoughtful and buoyant mystery comedies centered around older protagonists. These narratives don’t just acknowledge old age — they celebrate it, reveling in its complexities while proving that life’s intrigue, laughter, and purpose don’t end with youth.


Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
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