MBC’s new drama The Judge Returns has released intriguing stills that heighten anticipation for the story’s emotional and temporal twists. The images preview a striking first encounter between Ji Sung and Oh Se Young, underscoring how revisiting the past can lead to unexpected consequences.
Starring Ji Sung, The Judge Returns follows Lee Han Young, a corrupt judge who once lived under the control of a powerful law firm. After suffering an unjust death, he is sent back 10 years in time and given a second chance at life. Determined to correct the wrongs of his former rulings, he sets out to pursue true justice and punish greater evils.
In earlier episodes, Lee Han Young completed his return to the past, carrying with him the memories, guilt, and resolve shaped by his first life. Episode three marks a turning point, as he encounters Yoo Se Hee—his wife from his previous life—for the first time in this new timeline.
The newly released stills capture the moment Lee Han Young returns to the year 2025, a point in time when he has not yet met Yoo Se Hee. At first, he appears confident and relaxed, wearing a faint smile as he looks at her, seemingly convinced that he can manage the situation. In contrast, Yoo Se Hee responds with a cold, resentful glare, signaling immediate tension between them.
That tension escalates dramatically in the next image. Lee Han Young is seen clutching his cheek in shock and disbelief, as though he has just been slapped. Around them, café patrons freeze in surprise, with several pulling out their phones to record the unexpected confrontation.
The scene highlights the cruel irony of time travel: although Lee Han Young carries memories of a shared past as husband and wife, Yoo Se Hee sees only a stranger who provokes her anger. Their former bond no longer exists in this timeline, turning a reunion into a collision of mismatched emotions.
What truly lies behind this explosive first meeting—and how the relationship between two people once married in another life will evolve—will be revealed in the upcoming episode. Episode three of The Judge Returns airs on January 9 at 9:50 p.m. KST.
