A Bonafide Killer Record Surge Beats Ahn Bo hyun’s Flex X Cop 2
Friday night television delivered high-stakes thrills, but the real war took place on the Nielsen ratings chart. MBC’s A Bonafide Killer surged ahead to claim clear dominance, while SBS’s Flex X Cop 2 faced a surprising setback in viewership despite both shows dropping explosive episodes.
MBC took the Friday crown as A Bonafide Killer (Episode 5) broke its own personal record, pulling in a massive 9.8% nationwide rating (9.5% in the metropolitan area). The show hit a staggering peak rating of 11.4% during a high-stakes casino sequence.
Viewers were hooked as secret assassin-turned-housewife Yoobona (played by Gong Hyo jin) navigated a chaotic clash with her overbearing mother-in-law Ok Seon ja (played by Cha Mi kyung) and shared a tearful reunion with her daughter Kwon Yool (played by Hwang Bom i).
Bona’s dual life reached a boiling point when she rushed into a VIP casino to assassinate corrupt heir Tak Jong goo (played by Kim Min joon), only to walk directly past her husband Kwon Tae sung (played by Jung Joon won)—who was independently investigating a cover-up—leaving her identity hanging by a thread.
In contrast, SBS’s Flex X Cop 2 (Episode 3) struggled to keep pace, dropping 0.7 percentage points to hit a series-low 5.1% nationwide. The dip comes despite a wildly entertaining episode where chaebol detective Jin Yi soo (played by Ahn Bo hyun) butt heads with new team leader Joo Hye ra (played by Jung Eun chae).
Following a creepy tip about a haunted property from middle schooler Park Ah in (played by Park So i), Yi soo bypassed warrant restrictions by simply buying the entire abandoned house on the spot. Deep in the basement, the duo uncovered five buried bodies linked to an arson case, revealing a contract killer syndicate headed by the ruthless boss Yoo Tae kwang (played by Lee Hak joo).
While Flex X Cop 2 brought dark mysteries and high-budget flexes, A Bonafide Killer‘s balance of hitwoman action and domestic comedy proved to be the winning formula for viewers this week. With Gong Hyo jin’s identity on the line and Ahn Bo hyun gearing up to dismantle a murder ring, the weekend ratings duel is far from over.
