Dr. Jin: Episode 7
by HeadsNo2
It’s like the story takes us two steps forward, only for the editing to take us three steps back. Hyuk decides to stick it to history and invent penicillin himself, consequences be damned, only there aren’t any consequences (yet). Despite that, this episode had some good performances while introducing a new case for our doctor to solve, and it ain’t pretty. You can’t accuse Dr. Jin of glorifying illness, that’s for sure.
Ratings were on the rise this week, jumping from the previous episode’s 13.8% to 14.5%, with A Gentleman’s Dignity taking the lead at 17.1%.
EPISODE 7 RECAP
We see how Ha-eung learned of Dae-gyun’s involvement with Kye-hyang – by stringing up the translator who brokered the deal until he spilled his guts. Cut to Dae-gyun receiving a box of gold for selling Kye-hyang to a foreigner, cackling in maniacal glee.
Back to Hyuk’s exchange with Ha-eung, with Ha-eung asking incredulously if Hyuk’s version of history if one where you just watch a sick person remain sick. Ha-eung: “Please save that poor girl.”
Meanwhile, Kyung-tak finds the translator Ha-eung questioned, only to find out that the blubbering translator mentioned Dae-gyun’s name to Ha-eung. Uh oh.
Another quick cut takes us back to Ha-eung and Joo Pal as they discuss the amount of gold Dae-gyun purportedly received. Because he received so much at such low cost, Ha-eung muses that the gold market in Joseon will fluctuate according to Dae-gyun’s will.
But then he comes up with an idea – what if Dae-gyun were to find all that precious gold missing? Joo Pal wants no part of such a dangerous plot and runs away.
Hyuk returns to the shed to check on Kye-hyang, only to find her missing. He runs to find her as Ha-eung contemplates all that Kye-hyang told him about the Westerner she was forced to sleep with, and finds her not too far off, just as she’s doused with water from a woman trying to get her and her disfigured face to leave.
She smiles knowingly at Hyuk, having overheard his talk with Ha-eung about having no cure for her ailment. She doesn’t blame him, and claims that she’s happy to have people care for her like they did. “But, if there was one wish that I could have, I wish I could live like a person, even if it was just for one day,” she says in tears.
Hyuk looks conflicted, and then reaches a moment of decision as he stops her from leaving. “I will… let you live that one day. Not just for one day, but for one month, one year. You can live as long as you want. I will help you.”
So he returns to Heo Gwang and the roomful of doctors, asking for their help in making the medicine. They go through a long and detailed process of culturing the mold and Kye-hyang’s syphilis bacteria until they’re left with multiple batches of the refined drug, and they use separate jars with Kye-hyang’s bacteria to test each batch so that only the strongest concentration can be found and used.
Young-rae comes in time to see the last of the process. Heo Gwang asks what they’ll call the medicine, and Hyuk says, “Penicillin.”
Ha-eung waits on a deserted road to find Young-hwi, who immediately holds a knife to Ha-eung’s throat: “Did you come here to die?” Probably not, as Ha-eung urges him to calm down so he can tell him about the chest of gold brought by a Westerner.
We have a quick cut to Kyung-tak as he arrives for an urgent talk with his father before it’s back to Young-hwi, who asks Ha-eung how much of the gold he wants. Ha-eung’s not in it for the money and only wants a few pieces to give to “a woman who should receive at least that much.”
Young-hwi asks why Ha-eung doesn’t just take this matter up with the royal court, since it’s a crime to trade with Westerners. Ha-eung has a laugh at this, “You of all people are talking about the law of the country and trusting the Court?” Point taken.
But Young-hwi wants to know what Ha-eung is getting out of this deal. (Basically, he wants Anonymous to steal the gold.) Ha-eung: “Powerless and sinless, there was this woman who just wanted to live like a human being. Those people who kicked that poor woman out like used up straw shoes… I’ll make those bastards’ eyes cry tears of blood to make up for mine.”
Minister Kim is in a rage at Kyung-tak’s news, accusing Dae-gyun of bringing possible ruin to the Andong Kim clan by trading with a Westerner, an act currently prohibited by national law. Dae-gyun tries to cover his tracks by claiming that they can make a fortune off selling the gold, and Minister Kim is forced to go into damage control, as it’s too late to undo what’s done.
The only problem is the people who know about the transaction. Kyung-tak has already done his part by locking the translator away in a separate cell to keep him from talking. His father also tasks him with finding Kye-hyang in order to find who questioned the translator, since they have to find a way to keep this quiet.
Young-hwi and a few fellow bandits, disguised in their Anonymous garb, infiltrate the minister’s house under the instruction not to kill anyone. By the time Kyung-tak heads outside they’ve already disappeared from view, though he looks suspicious nonetheless. They eventually find the hidden chest of gold in Dae-gyun’s room.
It’s time to check the penicillin samples to see if they’ve succeeded, and Hyuk explains that they’ll know if one of the jars is absent of germs in the area the medicine was used. All of the jars are failures, except of course the very last one, which is a success. All the doctors cheer. Hyuk looks at the jar as he thinks, “Sixty-eight years before Fleming*, in 1860, during the Joseon Dynasty, I succeeded in making penicillin.” (*Sir Alexander Fleming is credited for the discovery of penicillin in 1928.)
Young-rae is also present to celebrate, though Hyuk tells them they have no time – they must make as much of this batch as they can so they can treat Kye-hyang.
Young-hwi and his bandits get caught on their way out with the gold by Kyung-tak, which causes the chest of gold and its contents to spill. While the others pick up the gold Young-hwi and Kyung-tak engage in a sword fight, though he’s not out to hurt Kyung-tak since he passes up an opportunity to kill him when he’s distracted with another bandit.
However, Minister Kim comes outside to find out what’s going on, just as Kyung-tak holds a sword to one of the bandits’ necks. Young-hwi has no choice but to hold a sword to Minister Kim’s neck, a move which has Kyung-tak aiming his gun at his enemy. Dae-gyun comes outside weaponless, and at the sight of his father held hostage, goes to call for help.
Luckily the household slaves were just waiting for their cue with torches at the ready, since they flood the courtyard in no time at all. Minister Kim tells Kyung-tak not to give in to their demands so that they won’t lose the gold, but Young-hwi’s sword has already drawn blood on his father’s neck, leaving Kyung-tak choosing between doing his father’s bidding or saving his father’s life.
He lets the bandits go with the gold to save his father, and gives chase once they’re over the fence. He gets a clear shot at Young-hwi and for whatever reason doesn’t take it, and Anonymous escapes.
Hyuk and Young-rae ready to give an injection to the ailing Kye-hyang, only to be discovered in the shed by Heo Gwang and a fellow doctor, who thus far had no idea Kye-hyang was on their property.
Dae-gyun turns to his usual punching bag – Kyung-tak – to blame him for losing the gold. Only this time little brother fights back, asking whose fault it is that all this happened in the first place. Kyung-tak: “After what you have done, can you still say you are the legitimate son of the family?” Huzzah, he’s finally standing up for himself.
Minister Kim breaks up the fight in the making, and sends Kyung-tak to find Kye-hyang so they can find the thieves. In the meantime he tells Dae-gyun to warn all the local goldsmiths against melting any gold – if Anonymous can’t remove the Westerners’ seal from the bars, they won’t be able to sell them. Dae-gyun cackles in glee.
Now back for another super quick cut with Heo Gwang and Hyuk, with the doctor admonishing him for keeping Kye-hyang a secret. That’s literally all that happens before we cut to the gibang, where Kyung-tak’s troops are tearing the place apart in search of Kye-hyang.
Luckily, Chun-hong is able to turn on the waterworks and convince Kyung-tak that she has no idea where Kye-hyang has gone. He calls off the search.
Ha-eung arrives near the gibang in time to see Kyung-tak leaving, and overhears him telling his troops that he’s onto Chun-hong’s trickery and knows that she’s lying. He’ll post troops nearby to keep an eye on who comes in and out.
So he goes straight to Hyuk, who’s already administered the penicillin IV to Kye-hyang, and the sores on her face are already healing. He’s ecstatic that she’s getting better but warns Hyuk that their time is running out, and when we cut to them outside Hyuk is already asking: “Gold? So are you saying you robbed them?”
They argue back and forth, with Ha-eung claiming he did it for Kye-hyang. Hyuk: “For her? You put her in more danger!” But they’re interrupted by the arrival of Doctor Yoo, who’s arrived because of news that Hyuk has created a new medicine. But really he’s there to find Kye-hyang, because as he says, “Where there is medicine, there is a patient.”
The doctors try to protect the shed, but Doctor Yoo barrels through anyway only to find the shed empty. We find Ha-eung and Young-rae tending to Kye-hyang as one of Joo Pal’s minions carries her to safety in a cart. However, Ha-eung is curious to know how Doctor Yoo got the information about Kye-hyang.
Joo Pal’s minion tells Hyuk of Kye-hyang’s whereabouts, as Young-rae prepares the IV with said gisaeng. Kye-hyang asks if Young-rae is a doctor as well, extolling her admirable virtues for practicing medicine as a noblewoman.
It turns out that Joo Pal is a nicer guy than he lets on, since it’s in his hideout that Kye-hyang is being hidden. Ha-eung asks for his help in arranging for her travel back to her hometown and some money so she can buy land, which is where Joo Pal draws the line – why would he lend money to a gisaeng he’s not even acquainted with? A bar of gold clears up his insecurities right away, and he agrees to do everything he can to help.
Chun-hong and Yeon-shim sneak out of the gibang to see Kye-hyang, and they’re spotted by a policeman keeping guard. He reports to Kyung-tak, who readies the troops to catch the criminal.
They dress Kye-hyang up and put makeup on her, commenting on her beauty. She thinks they’re talking nonsense but they hand her a mirror to check for herself, and after working up the courage she looks at her reflection in awe. Aside from a few remnants, the sores on her face have all but healed up. Chun-hong wells up with pride, “You should go see Prince Heungseon like this.”
However, an unwanted visitor bursts through the door – it’s Kyung-tak, accompanied by fellow policemen. They drag Kye-hyang outside just as Ha-eung and Joo Pal are returning with supplies for her journey, and Joo Pal has to hold Ha-eung back before he’s discovered, claiming it’s too late to help now.
Chun-hong clings to Kye-hyang in an effort to save her, crying out to Kyung-tak for mercy. He tells her that hiding a criminal is also a severe crime, but he’ll look over it considering the friendship between gisaengs. Kye-hyang is taken away alone.
We next find her bloody from torture under Dae-gyun’s orders. He demands to know who she told about what happened with the Westerner, though she still claims she told no one. He doesn’t believe her since even Anonymous found out, and his methods have Kyung-tak cringing in dismay – he doesn’t seem to revel in this kind of behavior like his brother, and perhaps still has a conscience somewhere.
One of the officials tries to promise her that if she only reveals who she told, she’ll be treated and even given money to go to her hometown. She replies defiantly, “The reason why I got this horrible disease is because I trusted such a promise that nobles like you gave me.” The officials ordered her to be tortured by burning, and Kyung-tak looks just bothered enough to where you almost think he’ll intervene… but in the end he only looks away as Kye-hyang screams in agony.
Joo Pal’s minion updates Hyuk and Company on Kye-hyang’s grim state, and Young-rae resolves that they must save her. She goes straight to Kyung-tak, not to beg for Kye-hyang’s release, but for him to at least allow her to receive medicine as she’s still fighting the disease.
He’s not having it, and so Young-rae drops to her knees to beg. “Please let us use some medicine on the patient. If you fulfill my wish just this once, I won’t return to Hwalinseo again.” Kyung-tak never liked her going there anyway, so he kneels in front of her and takes her hand to help her to her feet. He tells her to send a doctor when it’s dark, and that he hopes she’ll keep her promise.
So later that night, Kyung-tak uses his authority to allow Hyuk to tend to Kye-hyang in prison. Hyuk sees the scope of her injuries and sends a “How could you?” look to Kyung-tak, who at least has enough shame not to hold his glance. He knows he’s done wrong. I’m liking this facet of his character – he may not be making the right decisions, but it counts for something that he feels bad about them.
Hyuk prepares to give her an injection, reminding her that he promised her he’d help her to live. “Don’t worry,” he adds. “All of us out there are trying hard to do everything we can. You will be released soon.” Only she’s more concerned that the torture will eventually break her and cause her to put Ha-eung in danger.
Just then an enraged Dae-gyun barges on scene, demanding to know who let Hyuk in, and Kyung-tak gets a hard slap on the face for owning up to it. It’s all over once Minister Kim arrives and has a protesting Hyuk dragged out of the cell for a private meeting.
He can’t figure out why Hyuk would put so much effort into saving one gisaeng, and explains that people’s lives have different worths – for instance, rather than saving one hundred beggars, it would be more valuable to save a high-ranking minister like himself. Hyuk: “I don’t think that way. Whether they are a nobleman or a gisaeng, everyone has only one life. Protecting that is my job.”
However, a minion rushes in with some bad news – Kye-hyang has bitten her tongue and committed suicide.
At the gibang, Chun-hong tries in vain to stop Ha-eung from going to the bureau to confess his crimes in order to free Kye-hyang of guilt. Only that’s when Kye-hyang’s body is carried in. All the girls are struck with horrible grief, with Ha-eung only able to murmur Kye-hyang’s name through his tears.
A mourning song rings out as all the gisaeng, dressed in white, make their way through the streets in a funeral procession. Even Kyung-tak watches, and Ha-eung, perched on a nearby rooftop, pours some of his wine out as an offering.
Hyuk pours a drink for Chun-hong, which is an honor to her. She laments the life of a gisaeng – even if they’re sick, they must serve wine, and even if there is a funeral, they must dance. It’s sad that she realizes there is no one to console her even in her sadness, which leads to an awkward moment with Hyuk as he gets up to leave, but something Chun-hong says makes him pause: “If there is a world other than this one, then I would like to live as a normal woman, not a gisaeng.”
This brings back memories of Mina’s talk of parallel universes, and Hyuk asks Chun-hong to explain the meaning behind her words. She thinks he’s telling her that her wishes are absurd, and it’s doubly sad when we see her switch back into gisaeng mode, even in her tears, to smile and ask him if he’d like a drink.
Minister Kim invites Kyung-tak for a drink, and even pours a glass for him. He wants to reward his son for his hard work, and asks if there’s anything he’d like. Kyung-tak hesitates before making a request about his marriage…
Hyuk comes home to find Young-rae still up and unable to sleep. He thinks back to his conversation with Chun-hong, and tells Young-rae, “I’ve told you this before. Someone I knew in another world said I will live as a completely different person. Perhaps, you and I, in the other world… The fact that we might meet again as different people, have you ever thought about that?” No, Hyuk. People don’t normally sit and ponder existential circumstances like parallel universes, and this comes off as a weird pick-up line anyway.
Looks like we’ve had another cure-all time skip, as the demand for penicillin is high and Ha-eung has just returned from a journey to conveniently calm his body and spirit. He tells Hyuk of a new patient he wants him to see, a high-ranking noblewoman who can only be seen in private. Of course.
Only, once again, it’s like time hasn’t passed for some story threads as Kyung-tak pays Mom and Young-hwi a visit with a grand bow to just now deliver the news that Minister Kim has given him permission to prepare for the marriage – the quicker, the better.
Young-rae’s face falls at the news – she thinks it’s too sudden. Mom clucks that it isn’t sudden, it’s late.
Heo Gwang, Hyuk, and Ha-eung pay a visit to the noblewoman in need of care. Heo Gwang reads her pulse via a string through the door and declares her healthy, but Hyuk is asked to go inside. The noblewoman inside (Jang Young-nam) takes off her neck scarf to reveal a huge boil/growth on her neck.
Outside, Heo Gwang asks whose house this is. Ha-eung: “Knowing is a disease, and not knowing is the medicine.”
Hyuk examines the lump and tells the frightened noblewoman that a simple surgery will take care of it. She wants it gone as soon as possible.
This time, Mom is waiting up for Hyuk when he gets home. She asks him to move out as soon as possible because of Young-rae and Kyung-tak’s impending marriage, and Young-rae rushes outside all, Mo~om!
COMMENTS
The clunky editing in this show is killing me. The scenes are cohesive only by virtue of being written in the same script, and otherwise it’s a crapshoot as far as subtlety goes. This episode made that clear more than others, because it was almost there. It was almost something good. There were some good moments, and there was a decent flow, even with all the shoehorned intercutting scenes that would last one or two seconds at best. There are good things happening, but they either aren’t allowed to happen long enough or are sacrificed at the altar of this pseudo-episodic Sickness of the Week format emerging.
It’s a shame really, because Hyuk shines most when he’s at the tail end of his cases, but this is the second time we’re going to have to see him start from square one (emotionally, anyway). The first time skip was already aggravating, but another one? I’m beginning to worry that we’ll get a small time skip after every case, just long enough for Hyuk to have his factory reset, before moving onto the next one – which isn’t abnormal for an episodic format, but it’s like getting the rug pulled out from under me each time I find myself getting invested.
Granted, while we don’t know how much time passed this go-round, it’s just bizarre that the time skip device is so obviously used to get characters over emotional hurdles the show may not feel like it has the time or energy to tackle, like Ha-eung’s grief (or everyone’s grief, for that matter), but then it acts as if the other story threads have just been in a cryogenic sleep in the meantime, which is what’s bothersome. I can understand needing to move things along if you’ve got a lot of ground to cover, but then you can’t just pick and choose which threads to advance. Kyung-tak visiting Young-rae’s house about the wedding should have happened right after his talk with Dad, not after this unknown time skip, which makes it seem like the talk happened only yesterday. We can reason that it took him so much time to convince Dad, but then we’re filling in an awful lot of unnecessary blanks.
It’s also a case where meaningful conflict is introduced only to be dropped two seconds later, like Hyuk worrying over what’s fated to be, and then him worrying over the historical impact his actions could have. It’s like the show has a laundry list of issues it needs to cover and thinks that giving them only a passing mention is good enough, which leaves me wary about emotionally investing in any of the conflict (except for the Love Triangle conflict, which has more or less stayed the predictable course) because it’s hard to tell if that conflict will be sticking around, or whether it’ll be gone when the next patient arrives.
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Tags: Dr. Jin, featured, Jaejoong, Lee Beom-soo, Lee So-yeon, Park Min-young, Song Seung-heon
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1 mel
June 20, 2012 at 10:23 AM
love how the last picture in every screen capped episode is of Kyung-tak.
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HeadsNo2
June 20, 2012 at 10:26 AM
Ha. Well, his sageuk delivery is questionable, but there's no denying that the camera loves him.
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gummimochi
June 20, 2012 at 11:09 AM
I wish I could "LOVE" this comment. 'Cause Like ain't enough.
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wanderlust
June 20, 2012 at 11:53 AM
Heads could you possibly explain the mechanisms of saguek delivery? Jb mentioned before in her review of princess's man that moon chae wons was horrible but to non Korean speakers, knowing the difference is impossible. I understand they have different endings but I don't understand how some actors are good and some aren't but started to be interested after QIM because boongdos saguek speech sounded so unique and distinct from all the sagueks I've watched. Or maybe that's just him and his voice. Ahem LOL
and serz hyuk, you're all like I don't wanna change history! Then you go naming the penicillin it's actual name and letting everyone know about it. How about giving it a different name or not naming it at all and not letting it go viral so that you save the girl but still allow history to happen the way it's supposed to. Ever though of a win win? Le sigh.
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Javabeans
June 20, 2012 at 12:09 PM
This may not be a helpful answer, but I think you do have to understand spoken Korean to understand sageuk delivery. It's not really a matter of technique (although there's technique involved), but of feeling and conveying the language; you're either credible or you're not.
Consider it this way: American actors fake British accents all the time. Some are terrible. Some are very good. And a lot are in the middle territory, called terrible by some but deemed passable by others.
Then on top of that, there's also the fact that it's somewhat antiquated speech, so think Shakespeare or period British film. How does Keanu Reeves doing Shakespeare measure up against Laurence Olivier, or Anne Hathaway next to Judi Dench? That's similar to the standard we're talking about when comparing Moon Chae-won to a "good" sageuk actor. Or Jaejoong, who maybe be decent for an idol, but not decent by sageuk performer standards.
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diorama
June 20, 2012 at 12:51 PM
I'm a non-Korean speaker, but I managed to pick out the saguek speech in QIHM after watching a lot of saguek. It's got a whole different weight and rhythm to the words. Compare the way Hee-jin would prattle on without modulating her voice and the way Yoon-wol's enunciation would have heavy emphasis on certain syllables - that's what I got from it. Ehhh...I hope this makes sense :)
Noala
June 20, 2012 at 12:51 PM
That was a remarkably awesome reply. Thank you! (even though I wasn't the one to ask I was wondering the same thing) ^____^
beggar1015
June 20, 2012 at 1:13 PM
Now I've got a terrible image in my mind of Keanu Reeves saying, "To be or not to be. Whoa, dude."
nana
June 20, 2012 at 1:17 PM
Keanu did Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. So, um... watching that for would probably clear this issue up super quick for a lot of Americans.
Heads, how would you rate Jaejoong's sageuk delivery compared to Yoochun's?
nana
June 20, 2012 at 1:22 PM
Okay, so, basically, this is Keanu doing Shakespeare: http://youtu.be/iGcXhPK1BoA
Is that a decent English equivalent? Because as much as I love Jaejoong, even as a non-Korean speaker, I can tell he's not... the best at sageuk. He should really stick to modern rom-coms with a cast that has a crazy amount of chemistry (Protect the Boss, etc).
Noa
June 20, 2012 at 1:26 PM
I actually could tell there was something wrong with the way Jaejoong speaks in this drama. I just couldn't tell what it was, so thank you for making it clear! I've watched his other dramas and movie, and in the Japanese one that he acted in, his Japanese sounded horribly forced and just plain awkward. I could tell even though I don't even speak Japanese. In the end I gave up on that drama even with my "undying" and rather obsessive fan-love for him at that time.
I think he's just not yet "there" as an actor (his acting in what I've seen of PTB was ok, and I was surprised). He's improved a lot though, and I hope he improves even more in the future :)
Kiara
June 20, 2012 at 1:26 PM
@beggar1015 LOL was about to say that dude.
Alys
June 20, 2012 at 3:54 PM
@ Noa
but for jaejoong japanese drama his character is a korean people who live in japan and can't speak good japanes language so i think become an "awkward" korean guy live in japan this is his characther and actually i like jaejoong on his japanese drama than on PTB.
anyway about jaejoong skill on saguek speech, i agree with JB i think i found he speak to fast.
wanderlust
June 20, 2012 at 4:56 PM
Much thanks jb! I understood that part and can tell the difference from how comfortable actors seem in it but not good or bad per se. Question, can it be learned or practiced? Or are some just born with better saguek dictation than others? I've noticed veteran (aka older) actors seem much more comfortable in it, and there are always those actors who are always cast in sagueks as side characters or the politicians.
But on another note, naw another part of Korean culture I'll never understand despite learning the language. Besides mastering the difference levels of speech, saquek speech has recently become super fascinating to me and am now convinced I'll never be able to speak fluently :(
wanderlust
June 20, 2012 at 5:03 PM
actually jb and heads and gf if she's up for it, I think this would make an awesome new article post, explaining in depth the mechanisms of saguek delievery and rating veteran actors all the way down to newbie idol actos on their skill!
would definitely be an awesome read, though sagueks have been popular, I feel like it's really picked up in popularity overseas in the last few years especially in the younger ages thanks to the trendies. or is that my love of QIM talking.. LOL but would love to see this if you have a lull in your drama recap schedule!
haha and heads, watching the clunky editing of Dr Jin must be especially hard to swallow after the awesomeness of editing that is and was QIM :) I honestly never cared or more accurately, noticed before despite jb mentioning how editing affects a story but Dr Jin really sticks out like a sore thumb next to it's time travel saguek counterparts and when finally understanding the marvels of proper editing. gah yeah just ignore me, it's my queen's withdrawal talking.
Altari
June 21, 2012 at 1:52 AM
@Noa I think his Japanese was supposed to be awkward. I remember seeing an interview where he mentioned that he had a hard time in that role because he had to speak Japanese less fluently than he was capable of.
M.D.
June 22, 2012 at 6:03 AM
Rooftop Prince was useful to me to discover just a little the difference between the sageuk speech and nowadays speech. I don't know if M. Y. delivers well, but there were obvious differences in rhythm and tone and even in the endings of the words (Well, that fact I noticed before). I hardly understand Korean, but I can say I have a keen ear for languages.
Norkys
June 20, 2012 at 1:04 PM
And what do you think of the other actress/actors? For example Lee Bum Soo or Lee So Yeon?
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Or who is the best sageuk deliverer in the dramaland in your opinion?
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21
June 20, 2012 at 6:20 PM
Cuz he is sooo pretty!
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2 mary
June 20, 2012 at 10:32 AM
Excited to see what the top-secret noblewoman will do.
She was too scary in Dalja's Spring and too awesome in Vampire Prosecutor!
BTW, you're right Heads. The charcters in this show seem awfully resilient. At least the mold culture experienced some growth in this episode. :P
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Betty
June 20, 2012 at 10:59 AM
I hope she will be very good, but she often is!! ^^
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Quiet Thought
June 20, 2012 at 5:04 PM
Still rooting for her character to comeback as a vampire defense attorney in VP2.
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Quiet Thought
June 20, 2012 at 4:47 PM
"At least the mold culture experienced some growth in this episode."
That's the kind of humor this putrid running sore of a series deserves! And less lame than a Brain Fetus joke.
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3 zore
June 20, 2012 at 10:32 AM
seems like jj has the same facial expression in all the screen caps. lee so yeon looks so pretty.
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Alys
June 20, 2012 at 4:00 PM
oh i fell that more to SSH, his facial expression..sigh...
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4 JaeDe
June 20, 2012 at 11:00 AM
I'm such a Kyung Tak fangirl. Jaejoong may not be the best actor, but he does a great job delivering an interesting character, and a bonus he has a gorgeous face.
Although the drama is far from amazing, it is entertaining. I think most of the problem with the show lies in the fact that its premier was moved up several months and that there were several issues with writers, and casting after the move up in premier. Despite the drama of screen, the drama is decent
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5 bd
June 20, 2012 at 11:29 AM
Did the writers really have to make the LAST jar of culture the one that was successful? (Really, that totally defeats any sense of what little suspense there is.)
After a laughably bad start (don't know which was worse, the laughable bad start in modern times or the start in Joseon time), "Dr. Jin" has gotten better.
But I'd like to see more of Ha-eung, Chun-hong and Joo Pal and less of Kyung-tak and Young-rae.
I suppose Kye-hyang had to die since Dr. Jin seemingly can't change fate when it comes to life and death (except in the case of brain hematomas), but the "good guys" really have to make it so easy for Kyung-tak to find Kye-hyang?
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6 cv
June 20, 2012 at 11:43 AM
Thanks for the recap! :)
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7 Cynthia
June 20, 2012 at 11:50 AM
Thanks for the recap, HeadsNo2!
At this point in DJ, I'd really like to give the drama a big, ole bi-polar pill - it might help to settle the schizophrenic editing. What in the heck is going on in the editing room?! Are they dealing with live-shooting already? Someone should cut off the soju supply to the screenwriter(s). It's absolutely jarring to watch the transitions between scenes.
And may I say that Hyuk is the Best. Doctor. Ever! - he must be, considering that he can deal with any disease/condition thrown in his path.
My biggest laugh this ep came when Hyuk was asked what to name the newly invented medicine. Now, wouldn't ya think that after his momentary angsting over the ethics of creating penicillin 68 years too soon, that when it came to NAMING said medication, that he WOULDN'T name it Penicillin? Talk about screwing with history and repercussions thereto! Cripes, it didn't dawn on Hyuk to name it differently?! Joseon Gold? WartAway?
Well, as long as Jaejoong continues to look pretty I might be able to suffer through more of this nonsense. Maybe.
I watched ep 6. It only gets better. Can't wait for your recap. HeadsNo2. Jaejoong utters a line to Hyuk that made watched all prior eps worthwhile. I'm still laughing.
:)
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Cynthia
June 20, 2012 at 1:05 PM
Sorry - meant to say ep 8....
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Ashi
June 20, 2012 at 4:47 PM
Some lithium would certianly help the show!
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wilo
June 21, 2012 at 12:45 AM
how would it help
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8 otk
June 20, 2012 at 12:21 PM
The day SSH has a shirtless scene on this show is the day I'll start watchin'
:)
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9 Sho
June 20, 2012 at 12:21 PM
<3 the "custom" to end the recap with a KT screencap. I noticed the pattern since ep4 but didn't want to say anything haha.
Completely agree with the confusing editing & time skips. I have come to realize though, that there IS one consistent storyline in this show- the advancement of Ha-eung as a politician. And now the ridiculous speed at which Hyuk's patients cropped up in the early episodes kind of makes sense to me, for almost all of those patients turned out to be chess pieces in the grand political game. So having Hyuk save these characters is the writer's way of integrating him into Ha-eung's world, rather than due to Dr. Jin being a medical drama like I originally thought, maybe?
I find Hyuk's character somewhat sidelined for the sake of advancement of the politic/history storyline. It's like instead of evolving, Hyuk is merely reacting to things happening around him. He also doesn't seem to currently have a goal in life. Like I have never seen him trying to figure out how and why he was transported back to the past, or if he has decided to settle himself into this strange world the thought process wasn't there. Maybe things will change after ep.8, by the look of it?
On the other hand, I am seeing much more consistent character development for Ha-eung, Kyung-tak and even Young-hwi, regardless if it's development for the better or the worse.
Anyhow, considering that the show has shown gradual improvement in almost all the past episodes, I am holding out hope it will continue the uptrend.*fingers crossed*
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10 nana
June 20, 2012 at 1:13 PM
I know it's a terrible drama, but this stupid show has grown on me.
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11 Elise
June 20, 2012 at 1:39 PM
but am i the only one loving YR in that she's not this meek, helpless, aegyoish, 'nan molla' kinda girl but actually knows when to be defiant even if everyone's against it. Lord knows av had enough of that from Gentlemen's Dignity and BIG...nice one drama, u aint much but am strangely looking forward to u (and ur majorly gross afflictions!) every other weekend!
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spjork
June 20, 2012 at 5:30 PM
I don't know about anyone else but Young Rae grates on my nerves. And I don't suppose it helps that I hate PMY with an intensity usually reserved for pedophiles and war criminals. She has this uncanny ability to warp dimensions of space, rendering any character she plays flat enough for you to swear that they're line drawings in a kid's sketchbook.
YR is just the flip-side of the Kdrama heroine coin you mentioned-- an obnoxiously self-righteous, do-gooding know-it-all whose shit don't stink while everyone else's does. As I see it, her playbook has exactly 2 modes: placidly superior or morally outraged.
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bd
June 20, 2012 at 8:23 PM
And PMY really isn't pretty.
She's OK when she's totally expressionless, but once her face contorts to show some type of emotion, her face (esp. her cheeks) simply looks weird (b/c you know).
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12 jyyjc
June 20, 2012 at 2:58 PM
Chun hong has really thick black eyeliner, it doesn't look very natural for the joseon setting. Unless they had eyeliner back back..i wouldn't know.
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bd
June 20, 2012 at 8:24 PM
Lee So Yeon looks better here than she did in "Dong Yi."
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13 spjork
June 20, 2012 at 4:27 PM
Heh, did anyone else get a kick out of Ha-Eung being a straight up Joseon gangsta?
Pouring some liquor on the curb for his homie that deserves it, Tupac stylee.
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amhrancas
June 22, 2012 at 9:30 AM
late comment is late, but the act of pouring alcohol/oil on the ground in memory of someone or in tribute is actually millennia old. The practice is also one that's been practiced Historically/Archaeologically on every continent, although in North America (Native American) the offering was more-often-than-not non-alcoholic.
*puts away trivia!Anthropologist hat*
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14 dee
June 20, 2012 at 4:42 PM
thank you for recaping...
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15 chaloner
June 20, 2012 at 8:39 PM
Lee So Yeon is sooo beautiful!
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16 Bunde
June 20, 2012 at 10:55 PM
I liked Lee So Yeon ever since Super Rookie and Git. While playing Chun Hong, she has to wear the thick mascara with lashes flaring back like an Egyptian because she needs to look like, well...., a sexy, scheming gisaeng.
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17 bin
June 21, 2012 at 3:14 AM
I like greatly as acting Song Seung Heon. good actor!I followed with interest the drama. I wait for the next episode ...
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18 bin
June 21, 2012 at 3:15 AM
Thank you HeadsNo2!
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19 Lilian
June 23, 2012 at 12:36 AM
Hmm...this show is definitely not perfect but I would say that it is still interesting enough to keep me watching. But for the laughs , I look for Gentleman's dignity!
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20 HMH
July 4, 2013 at 1:19 AM
I don't really get the hate here. I think this show is fine. I don't see "oozing mess" in this. Of course I'm only on episode 8, but I assume the show gets worse?
It's holding my attention. It loosely follows the same storyline as the Japanese one, but it veers enough to make it interesting and like I'm not watching the same drama. Right now I like it as much as the Japanese one.
The characters don't feel flat to me, although I can see there isn't a strong character arc in this.
Queen In Hyun's man bored me. I thought it was overrated. Maybe I just have bad taste.
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