Two of Netflix's Best 2026 Thrillers Share A Universe, And No One Noticed

Custom Image by Hannah Diffey Published Aug 1, 2026, 9:35 PM EDT Vanessa Piña has been a freelance writer for the ScreenRant anime section since 2024. As a senior writer, she focuses on timely coverage of the latest anime releases and updates on popular franchises. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Netflix hasn't disappointed subscribers with the number of excellent K-drama thrillers it has released this year. However, many viewers may not realize that two of the streaming platform's best series of 2026 so far are part of massive fictional universes. One of the standout series climbing the ranks was Teach You a Lesson, which managed to outperform shows like One Piece and Avatar: The Last Airbender, entering Netflix’s top 10 non-English TV series of all time. Although it seemed unlikely that any other 2026 K-drama could rival the popularity of Teach You a Lesson, Agent Kim Reactivated, a spy thriller about a devoted father with a hidden past, became a streaming hit and topped Netflix’s global charts for several weeks. While Teach You a Lesson and Agent Kim Reactivated feature vastly different storylines, the series are more interconnected than one might think. Not only are both based on popular webtoons, but they also belong to fictional universes that include a few K-drama adaptations, an enticing prospect for fans looking to see more of these stories or dive into something similar. Thriller Fans Shouldn't Miss the Rich Universes Behind Teach You a Lesson and Agent Kim Reactivated Viewers looking for a series with a similar style to Teach You a Lesson and Agent Kim Reactivated should explore the universes of their respective webtoons. Teach You a Lesson's webtoon, titled Get Schooled, is part of YLAB's "Blue String" universe, just like the source material for the K-dramas Friendly Rivalry and Study Group. While Get Schooled is the only one to offer an adult perspective, whereas Friendly Rivalry and Study Group center on students, these K-dramas share a similar thematic core: they seek to reflect the flaws of the Korean education system, albeit from polar opposite viewpoints. Now Streaming · Press Play How Well Do You Know Netflix Originals? “Red light, green light.” 🌀StrangerThingsThe Upside Down 🎭SquidGamePlayer 456 👑TheCrownLong live the Queen 🕸WednesdayNevermore Academy 🌹BridgertonDearest readers PRESS PLAY → 01 Squid Game shattered records on launch in 2021, becoming Netflix’s biggest-ever series debut. Hwang Dong-hyuk’s South Korean thriller centres on a desperate gambler named Seong Gi-hun. What is his player number? A067 B218 C001 D456 ✓ Correct! Gi-hun is Player 456 — the last number drawn. Kang Sae-byeok (the North Korean defector) is 067, Cho Sang-woo (the Stanford-educated finance crook) is 218, and the mysterious elderly Oh Il-nam is 001. Squid Game became Netflix’s first show to hit #1 in every country it launched in, amassing over 1.6 billion hours watched in its first month alone. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is 456. Gi-hun’s number is the very last of the 456 players. 067 is Sae-byeok the defector, 218 is Sang-woo the Stanford grad, and 001 is the mysterious old man Oh Il-nam whose identity becomes the series’ biggest reveal. Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched launch ever, hitting #1 in 94 countries. NEXT → 02 The Tim Burton-directed Addams Family spin-off set at Nevermore Academy became Netflix’s second-biggest English-language debut in 2022 and launched a TikTok dance craze. Which young actress plays the deadpan title character? AJenna Ortega BMillie Bobby Brown CSadie Sink DMaya Hawke ✓ Correct! Jenna Ortega — a Disney Channel graduate and indie-horror favourite (X, Scream VI) — took the role Christina Ricci made iconic in the 1990s films and made it entirely her own. Her now-famous cello-accompanied dance scene became an overnight TikTok phenomenon, and her performance earned Wednesday two Emmy nominations despite airing mid-season. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Jenna Ortega. Millie Bobby Brown is Eleven on Stranger Things, Sadie Sink plays Max Mayfield (also Stranger Things), and Maya Hawke plays Robin. Ortega’s deadpan Wednesday Addams — and her viral cello-dance scene — turned the show into a global phenomenon in late 2022. NEXT → 03 In 2013, Netflix released a dark political thriller starring Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman breaking the fourth wall. It became the first major streaming original to land a Primetime Emmy nomination and effectively invented prestige streaming TV. Which show was it? AOrange Is the New Black BHouse of Cards CArrested Development (revival) DHemlock Grove ✓ Correct! House of Cards — adapted by Beau Willimon from the 1990 BBC series — became Netflix’s first prestige original and proved a streaming service could go toe-to-toe with HBO. Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood and his asides to camera defined early streaming TV. Orange Is the New Black followed months later in July 2013 and became Netflix’s longest-running original at the time. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is House of Cards (February 2013). Orange Is the New Black launched five months later (July 2013), Arrested Development’s Netflix revival came in May 2013, and Hemlock Grove was a horror effort the same spring. House of Cards was the flagship — the first streaming original to earn a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. NEXT → 04 Peter Morgan’s The Crown famously recast its entire ensemble every two seasons to age the royal family. After Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1-2, which Oscar-winning actress took the crown for seasons 3-4? AImelda Staunton BOlivia Colman CHelena Bonham Carter DGillian Anderson ✓ Correct! Olivia Colman — fresh off her Best Actress Oscar for The Favourite — played the Queen across seasons 3 and 4, covering the late 1960s through the early Thatcher years. Imelda Staunton took over for seasons 5-6, Helena Bonham Carter played Princess Margaret in seasons 3-4, and Gillian Anderson stole the show as Margaret Thatcher in season 4. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Olivia Colman. Imelda Staunton took over for the final two seasons (5-6). Helena Bonham Carter played the chain-smoking Princess Margaret during seasons 3-4 alongside Colman. Gillian Anderson delivered an Emmy-winning Margaret Thatcher in season 4. Colman anchored the show’s middle era fresh off her 2019 Oscar win. NEXT → 05 The Duffer Brothers’ 1980s nostalgia juggernaut sees Eleven and the gang battle inter-dimensional horrors from a portal beneath the town’s Hawkins National Laboratory. In which fictional US town and state is the series set? ADerry, Maine BHawkins, Indiana CHill Valley, California DTwin Peaks, Washington ✓ Correct! Hawkins, Indiana — a fictional Midwestern small town that became one of TV’s most iconic settings. The Duffer Brothers chose Indiana for its unassuming, ordinary-America vibe, making the supernatural chaos feel more jarring. Derry is Stephen King’s It setting, Hill Valley is from Back to the Future, and Twin Peaks is David Lynch’s famous town. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Hawkins, Indiana. Derry, Maine is the fictional town from Stephen King’s It. Hill Valley is Marty McFly’s home in Back to the Future. Twin Peaks, Washington is David Lynch’s famous fictional town. Hawkins is The Duffer Brothers’ deliberately ordinary Midwestern setting — the flat, unassuming backdrop that makes Vecna’s horrors hit harder. NEXT → 06 Netflix’s Regency romance juggernaut — based on Julia Quinn’s novels and famous for its colour-blind casting, string-quartet pop covers, and narrated gossip column — is produced by which prolific showrunner’s production banner? AShonda Rhimes (Shondaland) BRyan Murphy CJulian Fellowes DJenji Kohan ✓ Correct! Shonda Rhimes — the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal — produces Bridgerton through her Shondaland banner as the first major fruit of her massive 2017 Netflix deal. Chris Van Dusen created the show, but Shondaland’s signature ensemble-romance DNA is all over it. Julian Fellowes did Downton Abbey, Ryan Murphy did Monster/Dahmer, and Jenji Kohan did Orange Is the New Black. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Shonda Rhimes (Shondaland). Ryan Murphy produces true-crime anthologies like Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Julian Fellowes is the Downton Abbey/Gilded Age creator — a different period drama entirely. Jenji Kohan is behind Orange Is the New Black and Weeds. Bridgerton was the first big payoff of Rhimes’ nine-figure Netflix deal. NEXT → 07 La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) became a global phenomenon on Netflix after a modest Spanish TV debut — partly thanks to its gang’s instantly recognisable red jumpsuits paired with a mask of which famous figure? AGuy Fawkes BSalvador Dalí CChe Guevara DPablo Picasso ✓ Correct! The Salvador Dalí mask — with its upturned moustache — became the show’s defining visual alongside the red jumpsuits, a nod to Spanish artistic rebellion and surrealist individuality. It inspired protest iconography worldwide, from Lebanon to France. The original Antena 3 version underperformed; Netflix acquired it in 2017, re-edited it, and turned it into a global sensation. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Salvador Dalí. Guy Fawkes is the V for Vendetta mask that Anonymous adopted. Che Guevara is a common revolutionary image but not the heist crew’s mask. Picasso is a frequent wrong answer given he’s the more globally-known Spanish artist — but the Dalí mask, with its iconic moustache, is the one fused forever with Money Heist’s red jumpsuits. NEXT → 08 Netflix’s 2020 limited series about a Cold War-era chess prodigy named Beth Harmon caused a global surge in chess-set sales and was one of the streamer’s most-watched shows that year. Who played Beth? AFlorence Pugh BAnya Taylor-Joy CSaoirse Ronan DDaisy Edgar-Jones ✓ Correct! Anya Taylor-Joy — already a cult favourite from The Witch and Emma — broke out globally as Beth Harmon, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress. The Queen’s Gambit pulled 62 million households in its first 28 days and caused such a chess-boom that Chess.com and retailers ran out of sets. It also made Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel a surprise bestseller almost 40 years later. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Anya Taylor-Joy. Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Oppenheimer), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People, Where the Crawdads Sing) are all frequent competitors in similar roles. Taylor-Joy’s Beth Harmon earned her a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and turned Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel into a sudden bestseller. REVEAL MY SCORE → Credits Rolling · Autoplay On Your Binge-Watcher Rank 🎬 / 8 Platinum subscriber — or still on the free trial? ⤴ PLAY NEXT EPISODE Friendly Rivalry incorporates elements of a psychological thriller, depicting a ruthless school hierarchy and focusing on class privilege and the dangers of high academic pressure through the clashes between two girls at an elite school. In contrast, Study Group aligns more closely with the comedy touches and action-oriented nature of Teach You a Lesson, featuring frequent physical altercations. However, rather than attempting to reform the system, Study Group's protagonist uses his fighting skills to form a group, survive the chaos of gang-like violence threatening them, and achieve their academic goals together. On the other hand, Agent Kim Reactivated's webtoon, Manager Kim, belongs to the "PTJ" universe, which includes the series Lookism and Viral Hit. Although they are quite different from a storytelling point of view, as Agent Kim Reactivated follows a former member of an elite unit, while both Viral Hit and Lookism begin with a bullied high school student finding an opening to their misfortunes in an unexpected way, the series' stories and characters overlap with one another. Moreover, they have parallel features since their protagonists master martial arts and practical fighting styles while becoming entangled with criminal organizations. Teach You a Lesson and Agent Kim Reactivated's Adaptations Open the Door to More K-Dramas Warning: The following contains minor spoilers regarding connections between characters from Teach You A Lesson, Agent Kim Reactivated, and other shows!Teach You a Lesson and Agent Kim Reactivated offer more than just great action; they also have the potential to launch an expansive K-drama universe. While the webtoons from Blue String and PTJ universes and their K-drama adaptations are standalone titles, meaning viewers don't need to have seen the other series to enjoy them, they do share characters and Easter eggs. This not only makes it more exciting for viewers to spot these references, but also opens the door for other series within these universes to have their own adaptations. Name Adaptation Webtoon Universe Streaming Platform Teach You a Lesson K-drama Get Schooled/True Education Blue String Netflix Study Group K-drama Study Group Blue String Rakuten Viki Friendly Rivalry K-drama Friendly Rivalry/Friendly Competition Blue String Netflix Agent Kim Reactivated K-drama Manager Kim PTJ Netflix Lookism Korean animation/Chinese drama Lookism PTJ Netflix/WeTV Viral Hit Anime/ Japanese drama Viral Hit/How to Fight PTJ Crunchyroll/Netflix Furthermore, Teach You a Lesson may have already set up a future crossover. In Teach You a Lesson episode 10, Im Han Rim (Jin Ki Joo) mentions that her father owns a gym, which is a reference to the webtoon "Hanlim Gym," where she makes several appearances. This also connects her to Study Group. Although it wasn't mentioned in Study Group Season 1, Yoon Gamin (Hwang Minhyun) was trained by his uncle Yeongha Jeon, the protagonist of Hanlim Gym. This means that if Hanlim Gym gets a K-drama adaptation, Jin Ki Joo could reprise her role as Im Han Rim. Meanwhile, Agent Kim Reactivated could pave the way for a Lookism K-drama, given that Manager Kim originated as a spin-off of that series, especially since the webtoon has so far only seen a Korean animated adaptation and a Chinese live-action version. Furthermore, Agent Kim Reactivated shares key characters with Viral Hit, such as Samdak and Taehoon Seong, the son of Hansu Seong (Choi Dae-hoon), who has already appeared in the K-drama. Although a crossover with Agent Kim Reactivated is a difficult task, given that Viral Hit's J-drama was released only recently on Netflix, a future faithful adaptation produced in South Korea hasn't been ruled out, precisely because the Japanese version took significant creative liberties with the original webtoon. Although rights issues between production companies make it difficult to link these K-drama adaptations in the same manner as their webtoons, titles such as Study Group, Friendly Rivalry, Lookism, and Viral Hit are great options for viewers looking for something similar to Teach You a Lesson or Agent Kim Reactivated. Release Date 2026 - 2026-00-00 Network SBS Directors Lee Sung-young Writers Nam Dae-joong Teach You A Lesson Release Date 2026 - 2026-00-00 Network Netflix Teach You a Lesson is a TV Show released in 2026, focusing on unconventional school inspectors who tackle the issue of dwindling respect among students and staff. Through sharp, pragmatic approaches, these inspectors aim to restore order and discipline, imparting essential life lessons beyond the traditional curriculum.