Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim: Episode 4

73 November 18, 2016November 18, 2016

by tineybeanie

This episode is all about confrontations, and in a way, the shouting matches we get this hour prove to be therapeutic for characters who didn’t previously have an outlet to pour out all their frustrations. Now that they can be truthful about their issues, the plot pacing has picked up, with new characters being introduced and different story arcs taking shape. Hopefully, the writers will continue ramping up the tension along with the pace.

CHAPTER 4: “Necessary and Sufficient Condition”

Seo-jung drops her phone as she soon as she sees Teacher Kim. He knows what’s going on, but ignores her to attend to the more immediate problem: the patient. He heads into the hybrid room, and finishes the burn treatment that Dong-joo started. Covered with soot marks, the gangster chef who held Dong-joo’s arm down in the casino rushes into the emergency room calling for Teacher Kim.

Distraught, the chef asks about the current state of his line cooks. Dong-joo silently notices a tattoo on his burn victim that matches the one on the cook that tried to take off his hand. Teacher Kim calms the head chef down, only to be interrupted by a flashy newcomer.

Dressed in a sharp business suit and followed by two hulking henchmen, the newcomer states to Teacher Kim that all the costs incurred for treating the burn victims will be paid by their company.

Teacher Kim isn’t impressed, and says that he’ll be filing a claim for the bruise on his face as well. She tells him that the CEO wants to see him again, but Teacher Kim refuses, saying that he’s busy with his patients.

Furthermore, he adds that if the CEO is so desperate, he should come to the hospital. Dr. Nam remarks to Nurse Oh that the lady in the power suit is the general manager of the casino that Teacher Kim frequents.

The scene flashes back to three hours ago. Teacher Kim is in the casino with his medicine bag when he notices a sweaty man rubbing his arm. He surreptitiously tests the man’s reflexes by holding out a water bottle, and when the man fails to catch it, he tells the security guard to call 911.

In the CCTV room, an elderly gentleman sitting in a wheelchair watches the scene unfold. The potential patient faints almost immediately after his encounter with Teacher Kim, and an ambulance is called. The general manager walks up to Teacher Kim after the unconscious man is taken away by emergency workers.

When she tells him that the CEO would like to see him, Teacher Kim follows, but as soon as they turn the corner, he’s suddenly assaulted by two suited goons. The lady turns around and apologizes, saying that this is all being done under the CEO’s orders.

We cut back to the rich elderly man, who is revealed to be the CEO. When Teacher Kim is forcefully brought to his knees in front of him, CEO SHIN eats his expensive steak and calmly tells Teacher Kim that he knows that he’s been secretly going around treating VIP casino clients for extra cash.

Teacher Kim responds that in terms of bad deeds, CEO Shin is worse, since at least he treats his patients for payment — CEO Shin just takes their money. CEO Shin asks if Teacher Kim’s skills are as excellent as the stories say. The doctor truthfully and arrogantly states that he saves more people than he kills, so the CEO offers Teacher Kim a job as his personal physician while ordering another steak to be brought to him.

In the kitchen, the cooks receive the order, but a gas accident causes a major explosion to occur. Meanwhile, Teacher Kim tells CEO Shin that he would only consider it if the CEO were willing to hand over all his wealth.

As he turns to leave, a guard barges in and notifies the CEO of the kitchen fire. Teacher Kim runs to the site of the fire, where all of his gangster-cook friends are fighting a losing battle with the inferno. Without regard for his own safety, Teacher Kim plunges a cloth in water and starts batting out the flames. This is where the flashback ends.

In the present, we return to the hospital, where the gangster head chef boards the helicopter taking his severely burnt underling to a specialized treatment center.

As the Friday ER patients clear out, Dong-joo confronts Teacher Kim about Seo-jung helping him with the patient. Saying that he had never treated a burn victim before, he claims he needed Seo-jung’s advice to properly treat the patient. Dong-joo claims that this was solely his decision, and not Seo-jung’s fault.

Teacher Kim calls him out for his bullshit. The furious doctor humiliates Dong-joo in front of the entire ER by claiming that Dong-joo is just a coward who hides behind other people like Seo-jung because he is too afraid to own up to his mistakes.

He orders Dong-joo never to posture again in front of him, adding that he’s sick of how Dong-joo acts like a know-it-all and a heroic doctor when he’s just doing what every physician must do. Telling Dong-joo to not make up more excuses, Teacher Kim walks away.

All the while, Seo-jung worries about the consequences of helping Dong-joo, since she had already been fired by Teacher Kim when she helped out.

Seo-jung steps in front of Teacher Kim as he leaves the ER and kneels to beg for forgiveness, vowing that she’ll stay kneeling until Teacher Kim reinstates her at the hospital. Tiredly, he repeats that his mind is made up, but adds that she can do whatever she wants.

For Dong-joo, seeing the woman he loves (or at least wants to sleep with) on her knees in front of the jerk who has just insulted him is the last straw. He grabs Seo-jung’s wrist and pulls her up.

He runs after Teacher Kim with fists swinging, which the older man easily evades. Seo-jung tries to stop the fight, but Nurse Oh blocks her, saying that this is something that needs to be resolved between the two of them.

In a rage, Dong-joo yells that even if he is older, Teacher Kim doesn’t have any right to lecture him because he knows nothing about him and his hardship-filled life. He insults Teacher Kim by saying he’s an old codger.

Teacher Kim snaps back, “Yes, an adult shouldn’t do that. Even if he has lived longer, it doesn’t mean that he knows more. I don’t know anything about you. But after living this long, I’ve learned how to tell whether a person is fake or real, whether they’ll make it or break.”

In reply, Dong-joo asks, “Are you saying that I’m fake? That I’ll break?” When Teacher Kim fails to answer, Dong-joo tackles him again. At that point, a burly orderly pulls Dong-joo into a bear hug while Dong-joo struggles uselessly to break free. (His legs can’t even reach the ground, ha.)

That’s when Nurse Oh lets out a fearsome scream for the fighting to cease. She reprimands both the doctors for behaving like little children, and rebukes Teacher Kim for being so hard on Dong-joo as well as for his stubbornness regarding Seo-jung. She demands that Teacher Kim reinstate Seo-jung despite his feeble protestations.

At Geodae Hospital, trouble is brewing. Other general surgery specialists are interviewing for Dong-joo’s position, meaning that perhaps his relegation to the rural Doldam Hospital might have been a permanent move.

After being apprised of these facts by his friend and recalling his lost opportunity at the bigwig dinner, Dong-joo firmly resolves to quit Doldam once and for all and find somewhere else that will properly appreciate a doctor of his stature.

As he goes to give his notice, he encounters Seo-jung standing outside Director Yeo’s room. Teacher Kim, Director Yeo, Nurse Oh, and Ki-tae are in the middle of deliberating Seo-jung’s situation.

That’s when Dong-joo barges in and throws down his resignation letter, ready to give them all a piece of his mind before he quits. Disgusted with Dong-joo’s attitude, Teacher Kim says that they shouldn’t hold onto someone who wants to leave.

At that, Dong-joo acknowledges that he is a craven brown-noser who studies out of fear that he won’t be able to become successful. Nonetheless, he asks why he should be blamed for being ignorant and cowardly when it’s codgers like Teacher Kim who are responsible for creating a dirty world where nepotism and obsequious kowtowing are the only ways to get to the top.

He tells Teacher Kim, “You don’t know what it is to live right, so don’t try to tell me how to live my life. It’s nauseatingly hypocritical.”

On his way out of the room, Dong-joo bumps into Seo-jung, who has been eavesdropping on the entire conversation. He offers to take her with him when he leaves, but Ki-tae trails him and tries to pacify him into staying. Dong-joo replies that it’s not just Teacher Kim who is the problem, it’s the entire hospital with its hazy department jurisdictions, dirty facilities, and ancient equipment.

Seo-jung comes down the steps after them and puts her two cents in. She scoffs at Dong-joo and his offer, asking why she would want to work at a hospital where she would have to be more afraid of her superiors than the patients. Dong-joo snarks that if she wants to live a long life working at this hellhole of a hospital (referring to Doldam), she’s welcome to do so.

She snipes back that he’s messed up, and that he should stop playing the victim. After a few more sarcastic quips, she leaves him. Dong-joo also turns to go, but Ki-tae grabs him from behind in attempt to get him to stay at the hospital.

Just at that moment, CEO Shin wheels in with his general manager at his side. He comments that in his day, two men did not back-hug each other in public. He then goes to Teacher Kim’s office, where they have a long-awaited discussion regarding the imminent dangers to his health.

CEO Shin reveals that he had a heart operation two years ago, resulting in an external pacemaker with a transcutaneous implant being put in while he waited for a matching organ transplant donor. He asks Teacher Kim to do his follow-up surgery.

He says he needs someone he can trust, and his discerning eye, which has never failed him in business, has recognized Teacher Kim as the real deal. Teacher Kim replies that the CEO must be growing old, which is when Ki-tae comes in with a tea cart to serve cafeteria tea as if it’s a gourmet selection, providing a much-needed comic break.

In the doctors’ break room, Seo-jung pretends to study while Dong-joo noisily gathers his things to leave. As he is about to leave, Dong-joo asks Seo-jung whether she even missed him in the past five years.

She stalls, saying that she was busy with rehabilitation and studying, but just as he turns his back, she admits that she thought of him. On a parting note, she reminds him of his duty as a doctor.

Seo-jung: “Even though success and climbing the ladder are important, remember that we’re doctors.”

Dong-joo: “So what?”

Seo-jung: “Yeah, so what — nothing changes. But just remember, we are doctors.”

Dong-joo takes one last look around the hospital, but is interrupted when Nurse Oh asks him to sew up one last laceration patient before he leaves. She helps him put on his gown, while surreptitiously ordering Nursing Assistant Park to quickly hide his stuff.

As Dong-joo works on the patient, Nurse Oh asks him why he hates Doldam Hospital. First, he says, he hates Teacher Kim, and doesn’t like the hospital because he can’t see a future here. He adds that his goal is to become the most skillful doctor, not a good doctor. Nurse Oh asks just one more question: Does he think Teacher Kim is a skillful doctor, or a good doctor? At that, he pauses.

In Teacher Kim’s office, Seo-jung awaits his final decision on her pending employment. Instead of talking about work, he asks to see her wrist. Then, he tells her to give him three reasons explaining why she should stay.

All her three reasons are the same: She wants to learn under Teacher Kim. Her dream is to collaborate on a surgery with him. He allows her to stay at the hospital on one condition — she can only serve in the capacity of an orderly (essentially a nurse’s helper). She thinks about protesting when talking it over with Nurse Oh, but quickly reverses the notion as Teacher Kim threatens to revoke her reinstatement.

Evil head honcho of Geodae Hospital, Dr. Do, lays out the impressive resumes of his potential hires in front of CEO Shin, showing him the best doctors who could perform his surgery. CEO Shin informs him that regretfully, he has already personally chosen a doctor for himself.

At which point, conveniently, Teacher Kim calls CEO Shin, bargaining to obtain several exorbitantly expensive pieces of equipment for the hospital. Teacher Kim also adds that they’ll need to build a clean room at Doldam Hospital if the CEO wants to continue receiving treatment there after his first surgery with Teacher Kim.

The president says not to worry about price, and that he will take care of any needs that Teacher Kim might have. Seeing this generous contribution, Dr. Do’s feathers are understandably a bit ruffled, and he asks CEO Shin whether he gave him any reason to doubt him or his hospital staff.

The CEO shows him the footage of Teacher Kim putting his life on the line to save the burn victims during the kitchen fire, asking the doctor to tell him what he sees. Predictably, Dr. Do doesn’t see the life-saving efforts of the man in the video as anything extraordinary.

CEO Shin explains that he doesn’t want a rule-following, dime-a-dozen doctor to do his surgery — he wants a doctor that will take crazy risks to save a patient’s life to operate on him. Looking closer at the blurred video, a spark of recognition lights in Dr. Do’s eyes.

An unresponsive car crash patient arrives in the Doldam ER, and Dong-joo starts CPR right away. Teacher Kim arrives when Dong-joo has been performing chest compressions for over three minutes. Even after defibrillating, the patient has no pulse, and Dong-joo shocks him again.

This time, the pulse jumps back to a normal rhythm, but the patient still has a dislocated hip. Teacher Kim asks Dong-joo whether he’s treated a dislocated hip before, and Dong-joo says he hasn’t, but that he has read about it and knows the standard procedure. Once again, Teacher Kim surprises him by performing a reduction with cloth bandages in an innovative yet relatively simple method.

That’s when Dong-joo asks Nurse Oh’s question to the man himself: Is Teacher Kim a good doctor, or the most skillful doctor? Teacher Kim replies that he uses all the knowledge he has to become whatever doctor the patient needs. He tells Dong-joo that in order to really win in the world, you should become a person who is needed — someone who doesn’t make excuses, but who proves himself with his skills.

When Teacher Kim adds, “If you don’t change yourself, then nothing will change,” it strikes a chord with Dong-joo. The speech reminds Dong-joo of the doctor who encouraged him after his father’s death and inspired him to walk the medical path.

He runs out after Teacher Kim and asks if he is Dr. Bu Yong-joo. Teacher Kim shows him the name embroidered on his gown, spelling out “Teacher Kim.” At Geodae Hospital, Dr. Do calls Director Yeo to confirm whether the man from the casino fire is Bu Yong-joo. Director Yeo neither confirms nor denies it.

Seo-jung, who is mulling over her future position as an orderly, finds Dong-joo’s things hidden under the nurses’ station. A photograph of his family falls out, and she smiles as she sees the letter on the back. A flashback to a young Dong-joo shows him at Geodae Hospital, looking for Dr. Bu Yong-joo to give him the photograph, where he’d written on the back:

“Dear Dr. Bu Yong-joo,

I am Kang Dong-joo. I would like to become a good doctor like you when I grow up, so that no cases of injustice like my father will ever happen again.”

In the present, Dong-joo isn’t convinced of Teacher Kim’s explanation, and and he seems very certain that the man in front of him is indeed Dr. Bu Yong-joo.

COMMENTS

Whoa, that reveal happened quickly. Of course we knew who he was, but is Dong-joo mature enough to handle the fact that the doctor who put him on his current path is the same one who just called him a coward? I’m not too sure. I’m also not quite sure about Dong-joo sometimes — his character arc seems to be developing so erratically.

One moment, he’s making progress by choosing the ER patients over dinner with powerful hospital heads. The next moment, he’s blaming his failure on the world around him like an angsty teenager. Although he is taking it out on the wrong people, there is some truth to his ranting. In the drama, inherent corruption in Korea’s medical education system has resulted in the production of rule-following doctors who are more afraid of failing their superiors than of failing their patients.

I’m glad this episode took the time to work out all the different confrontations between our characters, since now we have a better understanding of where everyone is coming from. Dong-joo’s fight with Teacher Kim revealed his long-suppressed anger at being treated like trash. At Geodae Hospital, it was because of his lack of powerful backing. Here, it’s because the carefully cultivated skills that he prized are a far cry from Doctor Kim’s own prowess. But because he’s being treated the same way, he assumed the root cause is the same, and lashed (wrongfully) out at Teacher Kim for being part of the corruption. Then, his argument with Seo-jung showed his “If you can’t beat them, join them” attitude toward the system. Since he doesn’t think things will ever change, he figures he may as well join the rat race and fight to keep his place.

Dong-joo seems to have some anger management issues that need working out, but I trust that those will get sorted out in time. As far Teacher Kim though, the drama keeps telling me that he’s brilliant, but all the evidence I have of his genius is him performing surgical procedures in an unsanitized ER bed to save the few minutes it would take to transport the patient to a clean room.

Not to mention, where’s his romantic heart? He constantly rags on Dong-joo, who is admittedly an ambitious suck-up, but it doesn’t seem to come from a genuine desire to help improve Dong-joo as a humane doctor. How can he expect something else when Dong-joo has been conditioned his entire adult life by his mentors from the top hospitals to be the cookie-cutter sycophant he is now? I don’t know what magic Teacher Kim worked on Seo-jung to make her idolize him, but I am looking forward to the episodes that fill us in on their ambiguous teacher-student relationship.

And who knows, maybe after a few more episodes, the magic will rub off on Dong-joo, too. Most of all though, I miss all the delicious mysterious kookiness from Episode 2. The lighthearted Addams Family atmosphere added a truly unique touch to Romantic Doctor in a drama scene saturated with formulaic medical shows. Here’s hoping that they incorporate that back into the proceedings soon.

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1 owl 🦉 🫰

November 18, 2016 at 8:32 PM

Seo Jung and Teacher Kim's relationship during the 5 years she went missing - I get a weird feeling about it. Somehow Seo Jung seems too compliant when she is around Teacher Kim. Everything so far points to Teacher Kim being a good guy, a renegade who has bucked the system for what seems to be the right reasons- but I wonder if there is something more sinister to his character. I want to believe he's that unsung hero who is above the institutional hierarchy that can be stifling and even prohibitive, but is that all there is to why he is at the boonies hospital?

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2 Melona

November 18, 2016 at 8:48 PM

I just can't bring myself to like YYS's character here. I guess it's better to start at the lowest point so that the character growth will be more prominent over time but Dong-joo's so annoying that I can't root for him. I'll just read recaps from now on, and maybe re-watch AM1994 so I'd remember how lovable YYS as Chilbongie was. I miss Chilbongie.

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nchoe

November 18, 2016 at 11:04 PM

Yeah... he's so unlikable. But I like that he's so unlikable. It's interesting to watch.

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missjb

November 19, 2016 at 1:14 AM

I like it though he has a cynical view on environment around him and want to fight it back even if his way of thinking to make it to the top is very selfish.
It's solid so far... Can't believe this is the same writers from Gu family book lol...

The build up might be haphazard and for me too fast . But that's okay because The core narrative is solid so far

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Ammy

November 21, 2016 at 7:34 AM

He's being so unlikable that he's cracking me up...

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3 DaeByDae

November 18, 2016 at 8:49 PM

In my opinion from watching these 4 eps, the 'romantic' in the title wasn't so much refering to the romance as in love-related situation. Instead, it's more related to him having an idealistic view of the way things supposed to be. Ironic as it is, with him being totally jaded and pragmatic, his character actually embodies the ideal value of what is it to be a doctor. Someone who is unlimitedly selfless and willing to take any length to help people.
Hence the 'romantic doctor' in the title

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loveblossom🌸

November 18, 2016 at 8:57 PM

Completely agree with you. ^^

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nchoe

November 18, 2016 at 11:06 PM

I hate the cringy title though. It sounds so silly for an awesome drama like this one.

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PakalanaPikake

November 19, 2016 at 4:11 AM

@tineybeanie,

Thanks for the recap!

@DaeByDae,

Thanks for clearing up that misleading "romantic" in the title, which has had me thinking hearts and flowers in the OR.

IDEALISTIC DOCTOR, TEACHER KIM would make a lot more sense, with echoes of Heo Joon and Hippocrates -- and maybe Don Quixote.

Another irony: Kim Sabu is an idealist, and so is Dong-Joo -- or at least he was until the idealism was beaten out of him. It'll be interesting to see how the two reconcile their differences. Maybe Seo-Jung will show that family photo and inscription to Kim Sabu. At the very least, it will give her insight into what makes Dong-Joo tick.

Doc In Soo back at the mothership has likely heard the scuttlebutt regarding Dong-Joo's rampage after his father's death. It was alluded to as common knowledge among the higher ups when he was exiled to Doldamned Hospital. Crazy Whale might just touch base with In Soo.

As for Dong-Joo and his horrible attitude, I think a lot of it can be chalked up to a young boy losing his father in a traumatic way at a vulnerable age. It doesn't seem that he has any male role models left in his family, but I may be jumping to conclusions. We already know how supportive his teachers and mentors are back at the mothership.

I get the feeling that Dong-Joo's grief over Dad's death has curdled into rage, and that he's adapted by cultivating his intellect at the expense of his emotions. It's probably his way of tying a knot in the end of the rope and hanging on for dear life. Methinks he's turned into a perfectionist in the process. Mom strikes me as down-to-earth and a hard worker herself, but he eschews her love and support -- until he hits his breaking point in the ER at Doldamned.

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starswillshine

November 19, 2016 at 4:50 AM

I think Dong Joo is still an idealist as he is trying to beat the system. When he was an intern, he was similar to Teacher Kim, saving patients was his priority and he did not give a damn to the darn system which made things so regimental. However, he changed over the years. Although he still believed in creating a change in the system by being better (his idealism), his definition of 'better' has changed. In the past, his 'better' was referring to as a better human being, being morally superior than the rest (which was what Teacher Kim meant when he told him in the past). However, in the present, his 'better' is defined as a doctor with superior medical skills, which is the reason why he decided to treat the VIP patient because he rationalised himself that it was a platform for him to showcase his 'superior' medical skills (although we knew that he took up the VIP patient case was due to his subconscious desire to climb the corporate ladder).

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PakalanaPikake

November 19, 2016 at 8:53 AM

Ah, being a better human being versus being a better technician -- or a better syncophant.

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Miky

November 19, 2016 at 10:55 PM

They mentioned before the drama started as well that the Romantic meant more about life,the beauty of it and not about the romance between two people

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PakalanaPikake

November 20, 2016 at 5:46 AM

@Miky,

Thanks for the clarification. I hadn't seen the pre-show propaganda.

The beauty of life, eh? I wonder what they mean by that. Maybe camaraderie among the plucky band of underdogs, or finding one's true place in the cosmic scheme of things.

Hmmm. So are we being trolled with all the smoldering that's been going on???

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4 loveblossom🌸

November 18, 2016 at 8:54 PM

YAYYY, finally! Thank you for the recap! :)

The fire scene was scary and intense. This part really reminded me of Chicago Fire. Seeing the urgent situations and people trying to save others made me so nervous and also grateful for the heroes in our everyday lives.

The scene where Nurse Oh was scolding everyone was freaking awesome and hilarious. I was stunned the whole time. Her facial expressions!

I love a lot of little details and moments like when Seo Jung turned around in the break room to look at the door, not expecting Dong Joo to still be there (He had closed the door shut, pretending he had gone out). I think that part made me squeal and chuckle, lol.

Teacher Kim amuses and impresses me whenever he replies to Dong Joo's questions with unexpected and nontypical answers. Like his question about whether Teacher Kim was a good doctor or the best one. :)

It touched my heart so much the moment Dong Joo recognized Teacher Kim was the past doctor who helped him. I'm excited for them to get to know each other more and to see Teacher Kim's full story. I think he is still a good man overall.

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crazyahjummafan

November 18, 2016 at 11:42 PM

Nurse Oh is awesome! Can i put her in a magic lamp and get her to pop up whenever people are being in an asinine and irrational manner to tell them to shut and behave like adults?

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mary

November 19, 2016 at 8:04 AM

I badly need a dozen of those magic lamps, please.

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PakalanaPikake

November 19, 2016 at 4:29 AM

@Cocoboo,

“If you don’t change yourself, then nothing will change.” That flicker of recognition when Dong-Joo hears Kim Sabu's secret password is electrifying.

I can't wait to see the look on Kim Sabu's face when he realizes who he's talking to -- and remembers why he's so angry. I'm hoping he kicks himself around the block. The kid he set off on this thankless crusade has done the best he could without the guidance of the one guru he looked up to.

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daydreamer11

November 19, 2016 at 5:24 AM

I can’t wait to see the look on Kim Sabu’s face when he realizes who he’s talking to — and remembers why he’s so angry.

I think he already realised who he is, @PakalanaPikake :D When Dong Joo asked him if he's Boo Young Joo, he paused for a while (as if having a moment of realisation himself) before smiling and then called him "bonehead" kinda affectionately(?).

Haha. But I could be wrong in reading his face or that I'm seeing his facial expression according to own wish, though. Let's see in ep. 5 if he knows that that's Dong Joo or he doesn't know yet.

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PakalanaPikake

November 19, 2016 at 8:39 AM

I went back and scrutinized the scenes for Kim Sabu's response to hearing his old name.

Kim Sabu hangs out in casinos, and has perfected his poker face. I got the sense that he was surprised to hear his alias, or at least it got his attention. But I don't think he's recognized Dong Joo just yet.

When he called Dong Joo "bonehead" and poked his forehead, it sounded to me as if he were busting him for forgetting his name is Kim Sabu. Interestingly, his tone of voice and playfulness stood in sharp contrast to his earlier belligerence. Even when he was telling Dong Joo to tie the sheet to the bed rail, he was less impatient than he'd been in the past. It was as if his attitude had shifted when he saw with his own eyes that Dong Joo didn't give up on the patient and kept going until he revived. The guy is tenacious like a bulldog in his efforts to save patients -- a man after his own heart. If he'd been in the ER on Friday night, he would have witnessed the same tenacity to save the poisoning patient.

It seems that Nurse Oh's going postal got through to Kim Sabu. She was magnificent. And terrifying. It looked like she would smite them all. ;-)

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knewbie

December 4, 2016 at 2:41 AM

While Dong-joo is at Doldam it is definitely Teacher Kim's duty to mentor him, which I agree he is not doing very well. But I don't see why he should "kick himself round the block" when he discovers who DJ is. The crusade he has sent DJ on, though admittedly thankless in many ways, is a very worthy one, and if DJ has really been doing his best he wouldn't have sacrificed his patient for the VIP, or been such a self-centred, whiny jerk during his first few days at Doldam. Also, I don't see why DJ should need to be guided "by the one guru he looked up to". Doesn't he pride himself on his skills and conscientiousness? Hasn't Seo-jung, for example, done better than him without needing someone to hold her hand?

I agree that Teacher Kim is sometimes too harsh and just generally unhelpful, but DJ's initial insistence that he was too good for Doldam, that he was going to leave in a month or two, etc didn't really give me the impression that he wanted to persevere or to learn.

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5 Martin J Simwaba

November 18, 2016 at 9:16 PM

Okey, Dong Joo is annoying, but he's the only character iam fond of. Iam sure in his entire life something must have happened resulting in his current behaviour. We just have to wait and see what it is, and how he'll trasform.

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6 daydreamer11

November 18, 2016 at 9:32 PM

Ep. 4 is so good I was having such a great time watching it.

I love the fighting part. Sure it was a shouting match but it is so fun to watch. Kim Sa Bu humiliating Dong Joo, dismissing the kneeling Seo Jung, then DJ all determined to go head on with him but all in vain as he was so bumbling with his moves. Nurse Oh's outburst at the end made me laugh out loud and I agree with her about both KSB and DJ. I mean while KSB seems to be right most of the time, but he sometimes being too harsh and an a**hole himself as well.

I agree with what DJ said that the old fossils were the ones who shaped the world this way that people with no background had to live his way, and “You don’t know what it is to live right, so don’t try to tell me how to live my life. It’s nauseatingly hypocritical.” Indeed.

But at the same time, I also agree when KSB said that he can blame the system and the cause of the problem all he wants, but nothing's changing with just blaming. He must change himself first. Indeed. indeed!!! And 'the good doctor' VS 'the best doctor' talk <3

I love this show so much now, help. I had to swallow my own words earlier for looking down on it and thought of it being just another medical drama (cuz I'm no fan of medical dramas, just watching this for the cast) but now I've fallen for the story as a whole - the writing, directing, acting, all.

Please stay this way or get even better, show. Please.

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PakalanaPikake

November 19, 2016 at 5:01 AM

@day_dreamer,

But at the same time, I also agree when KSB said that he can blame the system and the cause of the problem all he wants, but nothing’s changing with just blaming. He must change himself first.

Except that Kim Sabu truly doesn't know the first thing about Dong-Joo. He assumes a lot... and we know what that means: assume = to make an ass of you and me.

Just telling someone to change himself is useless, in particular a young person in need of guidance by someone who's been around the block a few times. Change into what? For which reason(s)? How? This is the kind of thing that requires time and loving attention, not angry, impatient shouting. I feel like pulling a Nurse Oh and hollering, "Kim Sabu, heal thyself." ;-)

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daydreamer11

November 19, 2016 at 5:52 AM

Just telling someone to change himself is useless, in particular a young person in need of guidance by someone who’s been around the block a few times. Change into what? For which reason(s)? How? This is the kind of thing that requires time and loving attention, not angry, impatient shouting.

Aww yes, yes agreed!

I feel like pulling a Nurse Oh and hollering, “Kim Sabu, heal thyself.” ?

Hahaha you're cracking me up. Yes to Kim Sabu needing to heal himself as well. It's obvious while the two young doctors need some healing and guidance, KSB seems to be having his own issues (but not yet told) as well. I love how the show show us that they are all sort of flawed people and needing each other to grow and heal.

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knewbie

December 4, 2016 at 3:58 AM

@PakalanaPikake: "Change into what? For which reason(s)? How?"

Maybe:

Change into a doctor who places patients above career advancement; and who keeps working on his/her skills instead of resting on his/her laurels and regarding him/herself as being too good for a small provincial hospital? So that s/he can help more people, e.g. people like Dong-joo's late dad? By being a bit more patient and observant, learning more about how to manage patients and the system from one's colleagues, wherever one happens to be?

I'm just an average person, but I don't need a mentor or guru to come up with possible answers to those questions. Dong-joo, on the other hand, is not just a grown man and a talented doctor but someone who has first-hand experience of the system and its depredations. Of course Teacher Kim could and should teach him a thing or two, but surely the basics should already be clear to him.

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Danie.

November 20, 2016 at 7:02 AM

Do I know you? Hahaha ;D

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7 lunaticandra

November 18, 2016 at 9:39 PM

What is Kim Sabu's problem? What is everyone's problem? Really. Why are they keep pissing each other off with their pointless harsh dispute in the hospital. In emergency room. By a dying patient. And in front of their very poor sad family no least?
How I wish Hong Ji Hong would break drama dimention and scold them all for good. So they can cut the crap out of their nasty temper and focus on doing their job.
But then I should thank the dramagods when nurse Oh coming along. Went rampage and being all badass. Shut them all for their nonsense quarrel, and then saved the day. I was literally clapping for her. Thank you madame for aptly delivered my frustration. You are my new animal spirit now.

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8 starswillshine

November 18, 2016 at 9:53 PM

This drama has a crack factor somewhere I swear. It is addictive, and it has been lingering in my mind for days after I watched this episode. The plot isn't perfect but it has its own points of attractions:

1. (Sexual) Tension between Seo Jung and Dong Joo.
Something is sizzling when both of them are together in the same scene. I'm asking for more. Both of them had acknowledged their attractions to each other, and we shall see how it will develop. (Cuteness overload when Seo Jung turned to look at the door because she thought Dong Joo had left. In a typical korean drama, he should have left while Seo Jung would stare at the door. However, he did not leave and he was waiting for Seo Jung's reaction.)

2. Tension between Dong Joo and Teacher Kim
Teacher Kim is supposed to be Dong Joo's role model since young, and his inspiration to become a doctor. However, both of them hated each other now. It would be interesting to see how both of them 'reconciled' or rather, how Dong Joo would do after knowing Teacher Kim was actually his role model. Would he change his goal now after realising Teacher Kim is a person that he hates? Would he try to learn from Teacher Kim because he is his role model (I believe that the reason for Dong Joo to stay in Geodae Hospital for so long or he chose to intern in Geodae Hospital was because of Teacher Kim. He wanted to meet him and learn from him).

3. The eccentric staff in the hospital
Nurse Oh and her quirky personality, with her ability to stop fights when she blows her top, and her impeccable chemistry with Teacher Kim. Ki Tae and his fondness of Dong Joo despite his flaws in his personality. And the nurses who seem to be in the hospital for a long time. I want to see their interactions MORE. Especially Nurse Oh. I like her. She's cool.

4. Teacher Kim against the system.
Teacher Kim detests the system. He told that to Dong Joo of the way to change the system, which is to become better than them. Teacher Kim is definitely medically more skillful than the rest of the doctors but has he won the system? Dong Joo hates the system too and he is trying so hard to excel in his medical skills but is he a good doctor? Has he beaten the system? If not, how can he/they beat the system? I will want to see them overcoming the system. Teacher Kim must have given up the direct fight with the system or he was defeated, and therefore, becoming a permanent surgeon in a small rural hospital.

5. The patients they are treating.
Medical dramas are not medical dramas if they are not treating patients with complicated problems. We have seen some moral dilemmas being played out in this drama. I think Dr. House type of patients will not be present in this drama but this drama will be filled with patients that forced our doctors to face moral dilemmas. It would make our doctors face their innate flaws and I will want to see the change in them.

As long as the scriptwriter does not screw up the changes in Dong Joo,...

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crazyahjummafan

November 18, 2016 at 11:57 PM

May I add in one more?
I also love the issues that this drama raises.

1) Should it be first come, first serve at the ER? Seo Jung's answer to Dong-joo in an earlier ep that it all depends on the situation of the patient - who is more critical. But that can be very subjective...cos it is based on the call of the doctor in charge. For eg, you have an elderly man who is in a critical condition and has only a small chance of survival, compared to say an important minister (whose death may affect the entire country) who may not be in such critical condition, but should he be left unattended for too long, may die. Who do you serve first?

2) I also like the irony that it took the CEO of a casino identify a good doctor...and he seems to understand the hippocratic oath better thsn most doctors.

3) Should one aim to be a good doctor or the best doctor?

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starswillshine

November 19, 2016 at 12:21 AM

YES!!! The ethical issues brought up by this drama are indeed worth thinking about! As long as the scriptwriter doesn't screw up in explaining these issues and giving his or her stand in it, I think this drama can live up to its expectations.

1. State of patients vs. Who arrives first:
Indeed, state of patients is very important but it can be manipulated. Just like how Dong Joo's father and the VIP patient. Is the VIP patient in a more critical state? Like you said, it's subjective and up to the doctor's call. The doctor may simply say that the VIP patient is more critical, and leaves Dong Joo's father to die. However, if it's first come first serve, and indeed Dong Joo's father was less critical than the VIP patient at that moment, by saving Dong Joo's father first, the VIP patient might still die because he did not receive the immediate care and attention. Ethically challenging to make a decision. Despite Dong Joo hating the doctor at that time for saving the VIP patient, he himself did the exact same thing by operating on the VIP patient. He is trying to become more powerful so he can save more patient. Is he wrong? He can save more patients if he is more powerful. Hence, by sacrificing one life to save many others in the future, is this ethically wrong?

3. Good doctor or best doctor? I like Teacher Kim's answer. I personally think that these two are not mutually exclusive. One should aim to be a good AND best doctor. No one is asking them to stop at one. However, Seo Jung provides a good example of a good doctor but not the best doctor, while Dong Joo portrays a best doctor but not a good doctor. Teacher Kim can be seen as both. Seo Jung is a good but she has psychological problems which impedes her ability to be the best. She may pose as a threat to patients in the future because of her problems. That's dangerous. On the other hand, Dong Joo excels in his medical skills (top in medical school etc.) but he is self-centered and is a coward. He will not dare to try to do things that will harm his future so he is only using his skills on patients who can propel him further. However, by being both good and best doctor, Teacher Kim is not accepted by the system.

These issues are good. I love them. I want more.

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PakalanaPikake

November 19, 2016 at 6:11 AM

@crazyahjummafan,

#1 is dealt with by triage, which means sorting patients according to severity of injury/condition. I first encountered the term when reading about WWII, when battlefield categories were broadly along the lines of Beyond Help, Has a Fighting Chance If Treated Pronto, and Can Wait.

I sincerely doubt that triage criteria are subjective any more than other diagnoses are. Or maybe I should say that I sincerely hope they are not. As a layperson, I may be making assumptions that are completely false. Is there a doctor in the house to enlighten us?

#2 - Did the CEO really identify a good doctor, or a doctor who goes for broke to save lives?

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windsun33

November 19, 2016 at 11:18 AM

I think Dong-joo somehow mentally latched onto the idea that "first come, first served" is some kind of axiom in a hospital. But any real doctor should know that it is much more a matter of triage - when you cannot save everyone, you have to make choices.
"..Triage: The process of sorting people based on their need for immediate medical treatment as compared to their chance of benefiting from such care. Triage is done in emergency rooms, disasters, and wars, when limited medical resources must be allocated to maximize the number of survivors. Triage in this sense originated in World War I. Wounded soldiers were classified into one of three groups: those who could be expected to live without medical care, those who would likely die even with care, and those who could survive if they received care..."

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PakalanaPikake

November 19, 2016 at 9:23 PM

Thanks for that... I knew that there was more to it than three groups, and that limited resources and likely outcomes figured in. Triage is not simply garden-variety customer service first-come, first-serve. I wouldn't expect the young Dong-joo to know any better.

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michykdrama

November 19, 2016 at 10:32 PM

Triage exists in real life and it's based on who has a more life threatening condition- e.g. priority 1, 2, 3- 1 being the most urgent and life threatening and 3 being the least. The patients are sent to different areas of the emergency department based on this and seen in the order at which they arrive. However if a patient develops new symptoms or their condition changes, they can be "upgraded" to a different priority or seen immediately. Thus it is not a purely first come first serve situation at the emergency department.

Often there are other things that can be done other than surgery like giving medication for treatment as well, so patients don't languish unattended in the hospital until they die just because someone else is being seen/operated on.

Also, if patients are sick enough and the situation urgent enough we can call back doctors to increase manpower and open up more operating theatres- I have had to do this before (because my luck is just that bad) and everyone is bloody exhausted at the end of the day but well, we saved a few lives. :)

Obviously the drama can't go into all this, but just want to highlight that it doesn't happen like that in real life- we will do whatever we can to save lives, although we aren't sucessful all the time.

(I'm not going to go into the messy topic of withholding/withdrawl of medical care for terminally ill patients because it's a whole different kettle of fish, and not mentioned in this drama, so I'm speaking from the point of view of saving every patient.)

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PakalanaPikake

November 20, 2016 at 5:31 AM

Thanks for weighing in on triage, Michykdrama! I'm always glad to learn more background on the medical stuff. ;-)

PakalanaPikake

November 19, 2016 at 5:31 AM

@starswillshine,

Re: #1. (Sexual) Tension between Seo Jung and Dong Joo

I strained to hear what Seo Jung was listening to on her phone in the break room when Dong Joo asked her if she'd even thought about him in the past five years.

Hint: It's not Buxtehude trio sonatas...

Jason Mraz: "Clockwatching" w/ lyrics ("Mr. A-Z" album, 2008)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HiSHzMoLnI

Hmmmm.

In an earlier episode he'd told her he'd texted her and left voicemails for a month after she disappeared, and asked if she'd read or listened to them. She replied she had not... but her body language made me think otherwise.

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starswillshine

November 19, 2016 at 6:24 AM

Are the lyrics hinting what her mind is thinking? ;)

I think she definitely had listened to them when her mental health stabilised in order to pass through that 5 years because she did say she think of him sometimes in the 5 years. I think probably she kept her old phone and listened to the voice mails again and again, read the same old messages again and again. I believed she missed him just the same, or even more intense. Dong Joo had his hectic life for him to take his mind off missing her. However, Seo Jung only had two people to miss - her late boyfriend, and Dong Joo. I think she would not think of her late boyfriend because it would trigger her into a relapse. Hence, I think she must have thought of Dong Joo over and over again. It's probably bittersweet, and filled with guilt and regrets, but she probably could not resist it.

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9 michykdrama

November 18, 2016 at 9:54 PM

Thanks for the recap tineybeanie! I am in awe of your writing-

"...nepotism and obsequious kowtowing are the only ways to get to the top"

Can't remember the last time I saw nepotism and obsequious used and so aptly put!

I liked this episode a lot more because it seems like both Teacher Kim and DJ have a lot of growing up to do, and while the show has placed Teacher Kim on a pedestal, it also has not been shy about highlighting his flaws (at the top of Nurse Oh's voice!). So I'm intrigued to see what brought Teacher Kim to this rural hospital and why he took on his new name, as well as to continue to watch him butt heads with DJ. I think they are good for one another because they BOTH need someone equally stubborn to scold them, so that they both learn to mature and stop insisting on getting their own way.

And well ive stopped nitpicking on the medical accuracies, so I'm in it for the long haul as long as it stays interesting! (I'm not sure what's up with the external pacemaker, I thought it was a LVAD (left ventricular assist device), because you don't need major surgery to put in a pacemaker (there won't be the chest scar), but I wasn't paying too much attention at the subtitles and again, I've stopped thinking about the actual medicine. XD)

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windsun33

November 19, 2016 at 11:21 AM

Medically speaking, this show seems more realistic than most such shows. But all such shows have to simplify things - you can't go into great detail about a medical device or procedure and still keep the flow of the drama going.

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michykdrama

November 19, 2016 at 10:35 PM

Haha. Did you see all the blood and poop splattering without masks in the first 2 episodes?? That's why I gave up on the realism honestly, and I'm super glad that no more of it happened in episode 3 and 4. I agree some of the scenes aren't bad, but I think BM and Doctors was better than this.

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PakalanaPikake

November 19, 2016 at 8:50 PM

I don't know about you, Michykdrama, but I'll make sure to never get myself into a game of Killer Scrabble with tineybeanie! LOL.

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10 Le__Ssy

November 18, 2016 at 10:03 PM

Nothing much, im still up-down-rollercoaster with this show. I must have been whooped so hard in training because I would worship Master Kim and definitely BEG/GROVEL him to teach me some skillz even if he's mean. I'd probably cry everyday for being an incompetent moron, but I would DIE just to be trained by him. I would sell my kidney if he wanted a new ultrasound machine.

I like Master Kim's answer to whether he's the best doctor or a good doctor. What I think is more important is the rapport to the patient, -and I do believe it contributes to healing. I once referred someone to a doctor who I knew was THE BEST in a certain field. The patient came back, angry, upset, & unsatisfied. There were a lot of reasons for it, but since then, I've learned to refer based on personality: if my patient is older, needing longer consults, more lay person level talk,... i match him to a doctor who will cater to that need. If a patient wants aggressive action, instant results, quick info, I find a doctor like that as well. Its like matchmaking. Because your doctor should be your friend & partner in healing.

I hope SJ gets proper psych treatment. I agree with her not touching a patient for now. But she needs help!

Im loving this series a lot, even though Im not surgically trained. But the drama is solid, the characters flawed, annoying, but the same time relatable and lovable still.

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11 kdramaanalysis

November 18, 2016 at 10:22 PM

I enjoyed episode 4 tremendously and thought it was the best episode so far because of all the confrontations where we got to understand our characters better as compared to the previous episodes where everything just felt so fast and furious.

Have shared my thoughts on the episode here..
http://wp.me/p7U37n-vo

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12 whitewire

November 18, 2016 at 10:55 PM

The character vibe of this drama is highly similar, if not patterned, to:

Kim Sabu (Han Suk-kyu) = Kang Mae (eccentric teacher)
Kang Dong-joo (Yoo Yeon-seok) = Kang Gun-woo
Yoon Seo-jung (Seo Hyun-jin) = Du Rumi

Yes. The Beethoven Virus (MBC, 2008) triangle cast.

(Even the scene, "give me reasons why I should stay..." etc.)

It's creepy - even their personalities are highly similar.

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irmar

November 19, 2016 at 10:23 PM

I'm so happy I'm not the only one who noticed that! I happened to watch Beethoven Virus just a couple of weeks ago (I'm on the editing team at viki) and yes, the resemblance is creepy. But then, they are archetypes.
After all, you could argue it's also similar to My Fair Lady (the grumpy genius and socially challenged professor, the young woman who idolizes him and serves him and sticks to him despite his brusque manners and prefers him over the romantic, young, good looking Freddie) And maybe if I search deep enough I may find other stories with that sort of triangle.
Someone said that there are only five main plots in the world.
- The Cinderella plot (poor girl who gets the rich boy - innumerable examples in films and dramas),
- the Romeo and Juliet plot (lovers from enemy families - lots of examples in film and drama, from West Side Story to The House of Bluebird),
- the Ugly Duckling Plot (insignificant and plain person who becomes a shining star: think of Ugly Betty, She Was Pretty and so many other "makeover" dramas),
- the Pygmalion plot (the genius scientist or artist who takes an unformed person and turns him/her into something worth of admiration). Pygmalion was the name of an ancient Greek sculptor who made a beautiful marble woman and then gave her life, and is the name of the play (by Bernard Shaw) on which My Fair Lady was based.

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13 nchoe

November 18, 2016 at 10:58 PM

When I saw Han Seok-kyu's name... I just knew this drama is gonna be awesome.

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14 Adal

November 19, 2016 at 1:38 AM

The chemistry between Dong Joo and Seo Jung is so hot it's practically cackling. You could light a matchstick with the sexual tension between those two and set the room on fire. Not having seen a couple this hot since OHYA, I welcome their dynamics and all the drama surrounding this hospital makes this drama one to look forward to.

I have to admit that it's refreshing to find something I'm excited about after the duds of heavy fails like Moon Lovers, or lukewarm but very sweet dramas dynamics like Moonlight or SKL. No offense to fans of these dramas (of which I am one) but the obvious youth of their leading ladies makes for very different dynamics than one of a mature leading lady.

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leila

November 21, 2016 at 8:16 AM

+10000

everything you said. i loved the "lukewarm but very sweet drama dynamics" but i'm ready for some sizzling like OHYA :D

i mean come on, even from the first episode, their chemistry was sizzling off the screen. I WANT MORE!

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15 Chronic

November 19, 2016 at 1:42 AM

Man, I used to be in a love-hate relationship with "Doctors" because Ji Hong is.. too ~mature~ and refuse to listen to or share with Hye Jung and it all seems one-sided and more of a mentor-student relationship instead of 2 adults in a relationship.

And this drama, it's the reverse. Dong Joo is so childish and annoying. Like, he can't even manage himself, and he's trying to prove himself to pretty much anyone. I think no one ever say that directly to him other than Teacher Kim and Seo Jung, and because of that, he thinks they are the one who's problematic and he's above all of that. I probably won't watch anything with that actor in the future, he turns me off.

Also, yeah, the whole Teacher Kim thing. I don't get why people seems to idolize him so much other than because of his talent. If I ever encounter someone like that, I would probably say, "What an a-hole" because of his attitude (I know that he's suppose to be a Doctor House (House MD) character but still..), I agree with the comment about good and best doctor though.

Nurse Oh is awesome. I love her.

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16 samantha1

November 19, 2016 at 4:01 AM

Oh, I just love almost everyone in this! :) I hope it continues to be awesome.

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17 potatodrama

November 19, 2016 at 5:07 AM

This drama is so good! I love the entire cast, and I'm willing to see the development in Teacher Kim and Don-joo relationship.

Maybe, we'll have a bromance in a weird way, I guess.

I also love how much "House" vibes this show gives me!

Teacher Kim is a mystery, and I love him so much. Can I say that I already ship him with Nurse Oh??

And the sexual tension between Seo-jung and Don-joo is insane. I love this kind of hate-love relationship, and hope they can sort things out. She needs to know about her cheating ex-boyfriend!

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18 pohonphee

November 19, 2016 at 5:26 AM

I don't get it, Dong Joo is supposed to be a surgeon who had already passed the broad exam, but he had never treated burn patient? Sometimes I think Dong Joo is still an intern who still need supervision rather than a doctor or surgeon with license based on his skill.

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19 snailshell

November 19, 2016 at 6:29 AM

I haven't got this far in the show yet but I saw the byline and thought, 'oh, tineybeanie doesn't do recaps, what a fun surprise!' Are you going to be a regular recapper now? :D :D

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tineybeanie

November 19, 2016 at 9:28 AM

Hehe. This is my first one. I am still mainly a news minion, but if people don't mind reading my drama ramblings, I'll probably continue recapping as well. Have a great weekend folks~!

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snailshell

November 19, 2016 at 12:32 PM

aww yay, I hope so! Thanks so much for your hard work! <3

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jomo143

November 19, 2016 at 3:28 PM

Congrats!! You have already been very helpful is sorting out some of the nuances the subs miss.
Thanks for you brains and sweat and time on this ride. It is going to be fun!

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PakalanaPikake

November 19, 2016 at 8:40 PM

@tineybeanie,

Don't mind?! I'm thrilled out of my shoes that you've taken on the mantle as recapper. If it weren't for you, we ~~rabid, drooling fangirls~~ devoted mandoo (and Mandood) lovers would be ~~forced to carry on like lunatics only once a week on the Open Thread~~ solitary souls left out in the cold. Your grace is immeasurable!

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PakalanaPikake

November 19, 2016 at 8:45 PM

So embarrassing. Wrong kitchen dudes... See what happens when some of us RDTK nuts slip our clutches?!?

*wipes egg off face*

Anyway, thanks a bunch and welcome to Doldamned!

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20 PakalanaPikake

November 19, 2016 at 7:07 AM

I couldn't help but wonder what kind of commercial kitchen is without fire extinguishers at hand...

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21 SealedHeart.

November 19, 2016 at 7:18 AM

Damn this episode had a mix of alot of angst and touching moments. Dong Joo is a GS but i've haven't seen him actually show off his abilities as a GS. Granted that a GS don't actually treat burn patients (correct me if i wrong), the show hasn't actually given him a chance to prove his abilities of being a GS. In ep 3, he was assisting in treating Seo Jung but it seemed like he can't even last 30 mins. Hopefully we can see his surgeon abilities in later episodes. Btw, love the pacing of the romance ; it's like lowkey but like sizzling explosive lowkey.

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jomo143

November 19, 2016 at 7:55 AM

"it seemed like he can’t even last 30 mins." I know! What was that about, exactly?
Was he stressed because he couldn't keep up with MK's pace? It wasn't like it was hour 8 of 15...

I guess it could just be the physical manifestation of his shock and confidence break-down. The drastic difference between what he thought his skill level was (top grades, blah blah) and what it really is as compared.

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SealedHeart.

November 19, 2016 at 5:22 PM

yeah, it could be due to his confidence breakdown. He may be book smart but can't do it practically. He's been saying he's familiar with all the medical procedures of treating hip dislocation and hemoperitoneum but i'm afraid he hasn't actually done it. Granted he is a new surgeon as showed in ep 2, hopefully he'll set down some of his ego and learn from Master Kim.

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22 jomo143

November 19, 2016 at 8:18 AM

Thanks for the recap. This show does keep you on your toes, doesn't it with meaningful glances and elipses and secrets.

I like it.
I adore adore YYS in this and especially the scenes with Han Seok-kyu. It is as if the sunbae actor and the junior actor are working things out at the same pace as their characters are. Not that I think YYS is arrogant, but a lot of folks are out there telling him how great he is. Meanwhile, HSK has been constantly and skillfully working for decades.

I like the browns and smokey lighting of Doldam, too. It reflects the quirkiness of the staff and exudes nostalgia. Maybe to a warmer and more caring time of medicine? The flooring is great. Let's hope it doesn't get all whited out once the new and expensive equipment arrives.

One thing I struggle with is the idea that you have to knock newcomers down to make them great. Why are the boss types always sooo ready to tell them newbies to get coffee or do their bidding? If the brand spanking new med students think they are the shit in the first place, who's fault is that?
If everyone knows that scoring the highest grade for the tests doesn't actually mean anything, why heap the praise on? Why even point it out? I don't get the bullying that goes on because it is never shown to be anything but counterproductive. Is it supposed to make good conflict and therefore be entertainment? it just gives me heartache.
Newbies are the lowest of the low, everyone knows that. They are unproven, they may be book smart, but they don't know the job. Would it be too practical for the teachers to say that calmly, and offer their support and knowledge as the students grow? Reminding them of the 10,000 rule? Am I too naive about something?

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PakalanaPikake

November 19, 2016 at 6:50 PM

@jomo,

You bring up so many good points, some of which have been bugging me, too.

Re: the headbutting between Kim Sabu and Dong-joo

I popped over to K2 for a peek at that epic fight scene in the bath (yep, I'm shallow, guilty as charged) -- and caught the discussions by the bosses about integrating a new hunting dog into the pack: You toss the new critter in and let the whole pack duke out the new pecking order. That seems to be what's going on in RDTK, too. Except no one sent Dong-joo the memo. And Seo-jung has apparently gotten a similar wake-up call for the first time after slashing her wrist.

I don't like the bullying, either. Never have, in real life or on TV.

What's with the build-'em-up-only-to-tear-'em-down BS that passes for didactic methods? Fixate on grades (which are actually used to exclude the unwashed masses and ensure a monopoly, rather than to objectively determine anyone's mastery of book learning), then whipsaw the suckers who've busted their butts and finances for 11 years by telling them that grades really don't matter at all. Wouldn't it have been cheaper for med students to just go to an S&M parlor every day for 11 years? At least they'd know what they were in for.

Thinking back on Dong-joo's state of shock after the wrist surgery:

He'd been floored by the precision teamwork between Kim Sabu and the staff in the OR, in particular the way Nurse Oh anticipated the surgeon's every move. It reminded him of being "in the zone" with Seo-jung during the ECMO installation five years earlier. She appreciated his competence and let him know it. And vice versa. Kim Sabu comes off as a power-tripper who really is that good... all the while expecting Dong-joo to read his mind without benefit of the years of experience that Nurse Oh has accrued in the understaffed hospital.

Speaking of Nurse Oh: The following song came to mind when she started channeling Mama Bear swatting her cubs into shape. I didn't know it at the time it was released, but the singer-composer wrote it because there were no songs that reflected the reality and strength of the women in her family... and considered it a general empowerment song for people. Her brother-in-law at the time was a medical student who listened to it every morning to get his rear in gear... Although it has since been reduced to a punchline, if you were a young woman in the early 1970s, you might remember the uplifting impact of hearing this woman singing on the radio.

Helen Reddy - I Am Woman (with lyrics)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6fHTyVmYp4

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23 immawish

November 19, 2016 at 10:53 AM

Would somebody talk to me about that expression seojung had when she really thought dongjoo left? THE FEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLSSSSSSSSSS. But then it turned into comedy when he was still in the room HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

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24 PakalanaPikake

November 19, 2016 at 7:30 PM

FYI: I reported a new Kdrama trope sighting over in OT#474, post 50, since it involves MLIOH as well as RDTK.

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25 a

November 21, 2016 at 3:18 AM

Ok. I watched these 2 ep and autumn cannot put v up with the yelling and the inaccuracies in the med room er kim was right is dissing and doubting dong's ability. Seriously what had that guy done apart from a cpr? The Fri night er chaos he was just running from one payment to another all flustered. When he does smthg, it's worth seo Jung's helping. He only yells but no skills r put ton use, if v he had them that is, despite him scoring well. Kim rightfully recognised this. I pretty much can't stand that he just doesn't see his own limitations. On fact he should be an orderly as well he has not done any surgery procedure at all n isn't ready to do it. He whined he has done not treated burn patients, has not done this, has only seen this, what the hell was the five years of?
I am attracted to kim , and wonder how seo Jung can fall for this incompetent child man. Sexual chemistry is one thing, but b out doodles off once you get to know the person a little more than those initial times when body heart rules the mind.
Kim is so right in his sharp observations n rebuttals bcz, come on, this is an er, dong acts like he is alien there n kim gives him the necessary kick. After 5 years All you do is yell with no talk with you skills , your hands, dong sweetie you truly do not belong to the med field as a doc surgeon.

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26 a

November 21, 2016 at 3:23 AM

So many typos, sorry .
Trying in a phone with b this auto detect is too much
It's although not autumn
Its patients not payments.
It's not 'but b out doodles off' but it all fizzles off.

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27 leila

November 21, 2016 at 8:14 AM

gotta say i'm a huge fan of this showing. didnt expect it to be so thought-provoking and serious, while revealing how similar hospitals can be to big corporations, and the disillusions and weariness of a doctor who wants to climb up the ladder.

but UGH i need more seojung and dongjoo interactions!!! lol i thought their chemistry was sizzling from the first episode! i need another kiss! lol

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28 Thoa Ngo

November 22, 2016 at 5:51 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUluSf8fD7A ost so cool~~

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29 knewbie

December 4, 2016 at 4:16 AM

According to the recapper:

"...the drama keeps telling me that [Doctor Kim]’s brilliant, but all the evidence I have of his genius is him performing surgical procedures in an unsanitized ER bed to save the few minutes it would take to transport the patient to a clean room."

But what about the speed with which he found the source of the internal bleeding during that procedure on the unsanitised ER bed (something that Dong-joo thought could only be done in a big hospital)? His ability to reconnect an artery, a nerve and three tendons within 30 mins in episode 3? His nifty way with a dislocated hip in this episode? Maybe I'm just easily impressed...

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30 Ally

December 8, 2016 at 8:27 AM

I just wanted to say that after being raised on US shows like ER and Grey's Anatomy, this show is very refreshing, and the chemistry between the leads is palpable. That kiss in the first episode...still dreaming about it. LOL!

I also think the actual medicine and surgery is done as well or better than any other medical drama I've seen. (Let's face it, kdrama, is still kdrama, but that's why I watch it!) I do like the way they have taken time to explain things to the layperson viewer. THe PTSD is so real that my psychiatrist husband doesn't really enjoy the show as much as I do because it reminds him too much of his real patients.

With that said, I think the title is lost in translation. It's utterly ridiculous. I think "Romantic" should be translated as "Idealistic" as Dr. Kim is very idealistic and humanistic in his treatment of patients. His world of doing what is best for the patient at all costs is borne out of this idealism. It's a romantic notion that we do not have the luxury of having in real life medicine most of the time.

I've recommended this show to other physician and medical friends to see what they think, but I can't get past the title. I have to preface every conversation with, "It's a great show with a really stupid title!" I wish they would have thought this through a little more.

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31 Mamas Boy

June 9, 2023 at 1:06 AM

Why did the CEO SHIN have to have DL beaten when he just wants to talk to him?? I don’t understand this unnecessary violence (on the part of the CEO and the writer of this series).

At this point, I have no idea why TEACHER KIM resents SJ so much after operating on her wrist. Still waiting for a reason/logic to this attitude.

So, NURSE OH can control TEACHER KIM! Haha! He’s like a henpeck husband!

I wonder why DIRECTOR DO is so angry at TEACHER KIM (DR. BOO YONG-JOO) and why Doldam DIRECTOR YEO seem to also hate DIRECTOR DO. Does DO really not know TEACHER KIM’s real name? Or is he covering up for him? Hope we’ll find out soon.

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