Taxi Driver 3’ Premiere Episode: “Call the Boss”… Lee Je-hoon Goes Full Throttle from the Start

 Episode 1 of ‘Taxi Driver 3’, which aired at 9:50 PM on the 21st, recorded a nationwide peak viewership rating of 11.1 percent (based on Nielsen Korea), marking the highest first-episode score among all 2025 miniseries. With the now-iconic line, “Tell the boss to buy new shoes and call me,” SBS’s ‘Taxi Driver 3’ made a powerful comeback, proving once again the class of a satisfying hero drama.

Photo by Taxi Driver 3.

From the opening, the signature exhilarating action of ‘Taxi Driver’ captivated viewers. Kim Do-gi (Lee Je-hoon), who raids a human auction site, reunites with the Rainbow 5, flamboyantly heralding the return of Season 3. The client in this episode is high school student Yoon Yi-seo (Cha Si-yeon), who was kidnapped by a Japanese crime syndicate. After barely escaping and reaching out to Rainbow Transport—only to be captured again—the team immediately crosses over to Japan to launch a rescue operation.

Do-gi revives his legendary persona from Season 1, ‘Teacher Hwang In-sung’, to investigate. From Yi-seo’s friend Ye-ji, he learns that the case is tied to a massive crime cartel involved in illegal mobile gambling, loan sharking, and job placement. At the center is a company called 'Neko Money'.

Go-eun (Pyo Ye-jin) volunteers to act as bait and boards a passenger ship to Japan. The Rainbow team accompanies her, pushing the tension to its peak. Upon arrival, Go-eun is confined in a suspicious ‘Life Reset’ office, but she subdues a thug and escapes on her own. Meanwhile, Do-gi discovers walls covered with profiles of missing women and abandoned suitcases—fueling his anger.

To infiltrate the crime organization, which operates like a cell system, Do-gi adopts a new persona and joins the lowest rank of Neko Money. He destroys the gym and delivers the already-famous line: “Tell the Boss. Tell him to buy new shoes and call me.” The provocative scene, symbolic of Season 3, gave viewers a satisfying thrill.

The chemistry among Lee Je-hoon, Kim Eui-sung, Pyo Ye-jin, Jang Hyuk-jin, and Bae Yoo-ram remained flawless, while filming in Japan and the special appearance of Kasamatsu Sho added uniqueness to Season 3. With even bolder action, dynamic scaling, and stylish visuals, every element of the ‘Taxi Driver’ world has been further upgraded.

Episode 2 of the SBS Friday-Saturday drama ‘Taxi Driver 3’ will be broadcast tonight (22nd) at 9:50 PM.

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