Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim: Episode 14

87 December 23, 2016December 23, 2016

by tineybeanie

This episode, we learn that when Teacher Kim regulates, everyone gets schooled. He finally steps up his teaching game and has settled himself in my book as one of the best wise mentor figures in drama history. During the beginning of Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim, I just thought he was a guy who liked to shout a lot. But now that I’ve seen the full range of his tough love lessons, I realize that he truly cares for his students, and I love him for it.

CHAPTER 14: “Paragonimiasis Effect”

The scene opens with Dong-joo collapsing to the floor as Teacher Kim watches helplessly beyond the ER doors. Teacher Kim calls for a sterile mask and gown so that he can enter the physician-less ER, but Director Yeo and Ki-tae protest, because without him, the rest of Doldam Hospital’s operations would break down.

As he is about to go through the doors, Seo-jung shows up and volunteers to go instead. She reminds him that she’s the best doctor for the patients in the ER because she’s a qualified ER doctor, while none of their triple-board specialties lie in emergency medicine.

As soon as she goes inside, the first patient she checks is Dong-joo, who is running a high-grade fever. She rules it as a simple loss of consciousness due to dehydration and overexertion. As she checks the other patients, she remembers her conversation with Teacher Kim before she entered the ER, when he had asked if she would not regret her decision.

In voiceover, she says:

“At least in that moment, I didn’t think it mattered. I wanted to be with him. I wanted to be there for him, at least in that moment.”

Ki-tae sends the MERS patients’ blood samples to the pandemics lab just as Dr. Nam arrives at Doldam Hospital on his scooter. Ki-tae explains that they still haven’t been successful in tracking down the protective hazmat suits.

Dr. Song refuses to go into surgery without one, but the condition of the acute appendicitis patient (the girlfriend who pretended to swallow pills) is growing worse by the minute. Then, they receive news that the hazmat suits are on the way, and Teacher Kim orders Dr. Song to prepare for surgery.

Teacher Kim goes upstairs to check up on In-bum’s maintenance of CEO Shin’s condition. He is suspicious because Seo-jung decided to enter the ER despite not having been informed of Dong-joo’s collapse, so he asks if In-bum leaked the information so that he could become the first assistant on CEO Shin’s surgery. In-bum lies to Teacher Kim and denies everything. Although he still seems doubtful, Teacher Kim does not push In-bum further.

In CEO Shin’s room, Teacher Kim finally sees his VIP patient. CEO Shin asks why his attending physician, Seo-jung, was changed. Pretending nonchalance, CEO Shin wonders aloud if she left because she was upset by him. Teacher Kim informs him of the potential MERS patients in the ER.

CEO Shin stays calm and tells Teacher Kim to continue apprising him of the ongoing situation. Teacher Kim is surprised that he’s not more alarmed, but CEO Shin replies that if he were that easy to kill, he would have died twenty years ago.

It’s a statement that gets Teacher Kim thinking that there’s something else going on, but he gets an urgent call from the ER. After he leaves, Manager Joo asks if they should reveal the details of CEO Shin’s condition to Teacher Kim, but CEO Shin tells her not to speak a word until the surgery is finished.

A mother comes to Doldam Hospital looking for her school-age children, who are being held in the ER. Feeling frantic and guilty for leaving her young kids, she asks if she can enter the ER, but the hospital staff tells her of the strict quarantine in place.

In the emergency room, the boyfriend of the acute appendicitis patient eyes the door and carefully looks for opportunities to escape. In a moment when Seo-jung’s back is turned and the nurses are not paying attention, he makes a run for the exit. Simultaneously, the distraught mother heads toward the same double doors leading into the ER.

Both have to be stopped by physical force. The boyfriend is restrained to the floor by Nurse Assistant Park, and he starts screaming that he does not want to die from MERS, causing the anxiety in the ER to escalate as the other patients realize that the threat is real. Seo-jung tries to dissuade the boyfriend from causing more tension, when suddenly, his girlfriend’s condition swiftly declines.

The hazmat suits arrive at Doldam Hospital, which means that Dr. Song has run out of excuses to avoid performing the appendectomy. In a last-ditch effort, he cites that he cannot operate without a surgical assistant, and both In-bum and Dong-joo are unavailable to him.

Tossing him the personal protective gear, Teacher Kim says he will personally be assisting Dr. Song. The ER staff hands off the acute appendicitis patient to Teacher Kim and locks the doors behind them. Teacher Kim salutes Seo-jung with a rare thumbs-up, which she returns with a smile.

In the OR, a thoroughly covered-up Dr. Song hesitates to make the first cut. Impatiently, Teacher Kim tells him to get on with it, and Dr. Song starts the operation, nervously looking at Teacher Kim for guidance.

Dong-joo’s fever breaks during the middle of the night as Seo-jung sits by his bedside, holding his hand. Nurse Oh announces that the public health agency has sent a transport service so that the ER patients can go home one by one. However, she tells them to stay in self-imposed quarantine until the official blood results have been confirmed.

The boyfriend is relieved to hear that he will be going home soon, along with the other patients. While Seo-jung listens to Nurse Oh’s announcement, Dong-joo’s glazed eyes open for a moment, and he sees a smiling Seo-jung holding his hand.

The next morning, Ki-tae runs to Teacher Kim’s office to report that the patients were negative for MERS. The next person Ki-tae tells is Dr. Song, who has seemingly slept the entire night worrying for his life, all wrapped up in in his hazmat suit.

Teacher Kim enters the ER, where the exhausted staff are dozing. He looks over the initial lab work of the potential MERS patients to determine the original cause of their symptoms. After Teacher Kim points out the high white blood cell count, Seo-jung rushes to question the patients on their recent dietary consumption and diagnoses them with paragonimiasis, a parasitic infection caused by eating raw seafood.

When Nurse Oh asks Teacher Kim how he could have let Seo-jung come into the ER when CEO Shin’s surgery was riding on the line, he grunts that he couldn’t stop her, and points his head toward the sleeping Dong-joo. They share a laugh about young romance.

Later on, Dong-joo wakes up to find Seo-jung sleeping on a mat by his bed. She chastises him for not taking better care of his body and rises to get him some food. To confirm that he was not dreaming, Dong-joo asks if she was the one who looked after him and held his hand.

She tries to lie, but he catches the look in her eyes. He stares intently at her, and she babbles until she can’t take it anymore and confesses. She explains that she only held his hand to take his temperature (har, very believable excuse), but he doesn’t listen and pulls her into a hug. She attempts to break away, but he holds her closer and says he just needs a moment because he feels dizzy. Resignedly, she gives into his affectionate embrace.

Nurse Assistant Park is the first to see Yeon-hwa’s return to Doldam Hospital. He recognizes her figure as she climbs the steps to go to Director Yeo’s room and formally announce herself.

When everyone is initially surprised by her appearance, she explains that she was a foreign-exchange medical resident student who ran away during her training to become a general surgeon, because the pressure was too intense. She came back because her resolve was changed after seeing the doctors at Doldam Hospital.

Yeon-hwa is accepted by the council of Doldam authority figures and proceeds to make re-introductions with the rest of the staff. Seo-jung is the most welcoming, and swiftly takes her under her wing, despite Dong-joo’s warnings to Yeon-hwa that Seo-jung is a “crazy whale.”

In-soo, who is thankful to Dong-joo for taking over his shift during the MERS case, has brought pizza. Ki-tae has to swallow hard even as he resists the pizza they offer, because he’s on a diet. The others start to devour the pizza, when suddenly, Nurse Assistant Park barges in with news about incoming traffic accident patients, which causes the doctors to leave for the ER. Before Nurse Assistant Park turns to leave with them, he greets Yeon-hwa warmly.

It looks like everything is back to normal at Doldam Hospital, as the doctors move quickly to treat the car crash patients. Suddenly, the manhwa artist from Episode 10 (Shin Seung-hwan) comes into the ER, wheezing with chest pain. In-bum is the first to treat him, and the first to realize that the patient has an implanted pacemaker.

When Teacher Kim is called, he reprimands In-bum for not performing the protocol emergency procedures for a pacemaker patient. Nurse Oh notices something is off as well, and encourages Seo-jung to check in on them. When she checks the echocardiogram, she finds substantial loss of heart function.

Teacher Kim tells In-bum to perform an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) surgery, since In-bum told Teacher Kim in the previous episode that he had performed one before (when he was trying to get on the team for CEO Shin’s surgery).

In the hallway, Dong-joo runs into Ki-tae, who is browsing through some necklaces on his tablet. He asks Dong-joo for his opinion, explaining that he is looking for a Christmas gift for an unnamed lady. Having witnessed Dong-joo hugging Seo-jung earlier that day, Ki-tae slyly suggests that Dong-joo also look for a present for his ladylove, but Dong-joo just shrugs him off. Contrary to his previous statements, however, Dong-joo gets on the computer to find Seo-jung a present as soon as he reaches the break room.

Meanwhile, In-bum starts operating on the manhwa artist with Seo-jung there to assist him under Teacher Kim’s watchful gaze. After the initial cut, he makes several mistakes that alert the staff of his inexperience. Teacher Kim traps In-bum by handing him the wrong cannula, and when In-bum doesn’t notice that it’s the wrong one, Teacher Kim pulls it back and asks if he is sure. Seo-jung tries to intervene, but the jig is up.

Teacher Kim tells Seo-jung to continue the surgery, and demands that In-bum follow him outside immediately. Teacher Kim quizzes In-bum on all the possible complications of an ECMO surgery, and In-bum answers everything correctly. In a burst of fury, Teacher Kim asks how In-bum could know all the theory behind ECMO but not the correct cannula size if he has done the surgery before.

Teacher Kim delivers the ultimate blow by saying, “You can fool me with your words, but not with your hands. A surgeon’s hands can only move with confidence through experience and effort.” He tells him that he won’t ask why In-bum felt the need to lie to him. However, he adds that he does not want to see In-bum further degrade himself.

At Geodae Hospital, another scheme of Dr. Do unfolds: This time, he has called in reinforcements to stop CEO Shin’s surgery from continuing at Doldam Hospital, and it’s a member of the CEO’s family. When she first arrives at Geodae Hospital asking for CEO Shin’s whereabouts, Dr. Do notifies her that CEO Shin is at Doldam Hospital, about to be operated on by Dr. Bu Yong-joo. She recognizes the name, remembering him as a crazy surgeon.

In a checkup before his operation, Teacher Kim listens to CEO Shin’s heart sounds. Initially, the operation was to change the batteries of CEO Shin’s artificial heart. But, the heart is malfunctioning as Teacher Kim had feared, and he informs the CEO that his artificial heart must be replaced entirely.

CEO Shin accepts the situation without much of a fuss, and Teacher Kim asks why the CEO is entrusting him with such an important, life-risking surgery. CEO Shin repeats his reasoning from before, saying that Teacher Kim is the type of doctor to do anything for a patient’s survival.

He continues by saying that he won’t have any regrets even if he dies on Teacher Kim’s operating table. CEO Shin hints that other doctors might not have the same conscience to do their best, even if bribed.

Immediately, Teacher Kim goes into professor mode by gathering his surgical team and assigning their main tasks for CEO Shin’s surgery. He restates Seo-jung as his first assistant for the cardiac portion.

He tells Dong-joo to take the lead on the machine’s abdominal portion extraction and, in an act of mercy, assigns In-bum as Dong-joo’s assistant. They prepare for the operation by reviewing the procedure and practicing surgery simulations repeatedly.

In-bum keeps his father informed on the progress that the surgical team makes. When he asks Dr. Do how long he needs to stay at Doldam Hospital, Dr. Do tells In-bum that he needs to stay until he says so, and hangs up. Frustrated by the conversation, In-bum recalls Teacher Kim telling him not to degrade himself.

Seo-jung dolls herself up as she gets ready to leave the hospital (maybe she’s trying to look good for Dong-joo). After realizing what she’s doing, she takes off the makeup and walks out of the locker room, but ends up running into Dong-joo, who asks where she is going.

At that moment, Ki-tae comes in to deliver a package addressed to Seo-jung, knowing that it’s a present from Dong-joo. She opens the package as Dong-joo watches nervously in the background, waiting for her reaction. She doesn’t seem pleased, and asks Dong-joo to come speak with her privately.

At first, Seo-jung returns the gift of a snowflake necklace back to Dong-joo, saying that she does not want to accept it. He stops her and asks her what she means by that, wondering if she doesn’t see him as a man. She admits that she likes him, but that being with him brings up memories of her accident from five years ago.

She feels guilty toward him for her thoughts, she adds. With grateful tears in his eyes, Dong-joo answers that it doesn’t matter, and moves to clasp the necklace around her. She hesitates one last time, and he asks: “Am I not allowed?” But after a moment, she acquiesces, and they share a passion-filled kiss.

In the cliffhanger before the episode’s end, CEO Shin’s family member pulls up to Doldam Hospital. While in his office, Teacher Kim searches for CEO Shin’s patient history, and discovers something in his charts that causes him to frown with distress.

Epilogue. Luxuriously dressed in a white winter coat, Nurse Oh glides down the staircase of Doldam Hospital to leave work for the day. A Rudolph-nosed Ki-tae, complete with a matching antler headband, starts serenading her with Bing Crosby’s White Christmas. After a flamboyant spin, he presents her with a jewelry case; inside is a beautiful silver necklace. She reaches toward it as if to take it from him, but instead, she snaps it shut, tosses it away, and leaves him. He stares wistfully after her, in a way that lets us know he hasn’t given up.

COMMENTS

Each week, I become more curious about Teacher Kim’s past. We know that he was framed for the death of one of his apprentices, which caused him to leave Geodae Hospital, but not much beyond that. The man has flaws (with anger management issues and possibly a martyr’s complex), but he never seems to waver from his moral code and always seems able to catch others before they make the wrong decisions (like drinking with Dong-joo last episode, and scolding In-bum for his ECMO lies). Although his students have all had their brushes with the corrupt world of discriminating hospital politics, it seems like Teacher Kim remains pristine in both conduct and belief. It begs the question: Is Teacher Kim innately righteous like Seo-jung, or did he become that way after suffering an irretrievable loss? How does this all tie in with his mysterious “plans?” I’m glad we’re finally starting to move forward with CEO Shin’s surgery, because it seems to be the pivotal event that Dr. Do and Teacher Kim’s futures will ride upon.

That being said, this is the first episode where I felt Teacher Kim really deserved his moniker. I loved the way he regulated everyone to their place, including Dr. Song and In-bum. Teacher Kim’s scolding of In-bum was long overdue—the first time In-bum lied about his surgical record (for the Boerhaave surgery he did with Dong-joo in Episode 10), I still thought he was crossing a line, despite the positive outcome. This time, he nearly endangered the life of the ECMO patient/webtoon artist by failing to admit his inexperience. I think Teacher Kim was less harsh with In-bum than with Dong-joo because he must guess that In-bum is being pressured by his father, but ultimately, it was In-bum’s fault for lying. I don’t know if it’s intentional, but the actor playing In-bum has an unreadable face most of the time, so I’m not sure about his inner motivations, but hopefully his time at Doldam Hospital is slowly changing him for the better.

Regarding the romance-heavy scenes, I loved the first half of the episode where Seo-jung steadfastly kept near Dong-joo’s side during the MERS crisis. Despite my prior complaints about the slow progress of their relationship, their hugging interlude would have been enough to sustain me until next week. To be honest, I was more moved by her choice to enter the potentially MERS-ridden ER than by their necklace conversation. So far I’ve loved all the poignant Dong-joo/Seo-jung moments that were meaningful even when neither spoke any words, but this time around, I was distracted and disappointed by the circumstances that lead to their long-awaited second kiss.

The blatant product placement left a sour taste in my mouth, as I was left to wonder whether his confession was prompted by a genuine organic development in his character arc, or by ad executives from Agatha heckling the scriptwriters to promote their product. It seemed weird that her reason for not wanting to pursue a relationship was that she felt guilty to Dong-joo for thinking of the car accident when he was with her. If she had said something about still feeling guilty toward Dr. Moon, maybe I’d understand her reasoning, but there’s no real need to feel bad toward Dong-joo. After all, he’s not the one dead from the accident or the one dealing with PTSD from the trauma. So it ended up as a non-reason, which was decidedly an unsatisfying conclusion after twelve episodes of wondering why she kept refusing his advances.

As for the rest, I’m enjoying this drama’s presentation of medical ethics dilemmas – today’s was the MERS quarantine. It wasn’t so much of a dilemma as a no-win situation for the ER patients. The scene when the boyfriend tried to break out while the mother tried to break into the ER was especially touching, since I can only imagine how awful the hospital staff must have felt to be denying a mother her rightful place next to her children. The boyfriend’s selfish actions could have led to a mass epidemic, but the actor’s portrayal of the man’s strong desire to live was so human that I could empathize with him with complete understanding. Is it bad that I think Dr. Song was in the right when he wouldn’t operate until the MERS protection suits arrived? Logically speaking, doctors are the first line of defense in an epidemic, and if they fall prey to a communicable illness, the disease will spread more quickly, because doctors are constantly in contact with immune-compromised (sick) patients. So, I didn’t quite like that the show shrugged off Dr. Song’s legitimate concerns.

On a side note, I’m glad Yeon-hwa is back, because her leaving Doldam seemed like a random loose end. But now, with only six (possibly seven) more episodes to go, I wonder what else she will bring to the main plot. If she and Nurse Assistant Park get together, and Nurse Oh capitulates to Ki-tae’s flirtations, maybe they can stage a Doldam-style love story musical for New Year’s… *dreams*

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1 lunatic4kd

December 23, 2016 at 12:22 PM

This drama!!!!!!!! This drama and Weightlifting Fairy Bok Joo are LIFE!! Just the best. I truly feel sorry for anyone NOT watching Romantic Doctor Kim or WF.

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Kendi

December 23, 2016 at 1:21 PM

IKR!!!

those two are the ones I'm looking forward/obsessed the most right now. Both have compelling story, amazing cast and great chemistry. The only downside is how different the ratings are for both of them. WF deserves more recognition than it currently gets now, at least in Korea.

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moosie

December 23, 2016 at 2:54 PM

YES, Weightlifting Fairy is amazing! Honestly my favorite drama airing right now (and probably also one of my favorite dramas airing ever).

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CrimeFighter

December 24, 2016 at 1:00 AM

I agree. These 2 dramas are on my high priority right now. Goblin not really cos there aren't any intense cliffhanger yet (to me) n I wanted to add that I don't really fancy the lead gal acting cute to the "uncle"...lol.

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garcia_marina

December 24, 2016 at 10:26 AM

same here...i always download first these two dramas when new episodes come up; the rest are in queue :-)

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trishaeri

December 29, 2016 at 2:39 PM

I can't agree more. I am completely obsessed with both shows! I'm not a fan of medical dramas, but this drama has made its way into my heart as a favorite <3

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2 Miranda

December 23, 2016 at 12:26 PM

What I understood of the Dr Song/MERS situation is that while the appendectomy patient may have contracted MERS, they weren't yet in the stage where they could be contagious (based on the elapsed time since exposure in the ER). So if the patient was disinfected on the surface through a shower or some other measure to clear away any possible droplet-borne virus, there's a window where Dr Song could operate without risk to himself. I figure that's why Dr Song was the only one in a protective suit - because he was the only one being a complete ninny about a non-contagious patient.

From what I'm reading, incubation can take up to 14 days, with many patient showing symptoms at 2-5 days. You're not contagious until you're symptomatic, and the ER had only been sealed for around 12 hours. Dr Song was being extremely risk-averse in a situation where it was very unlikely he'd get infected, and a young woman was dying because of his caution.

...now as for why Dr Kim couldn't just wing it without Dr Song, I don't know. I partly wonder if he just wanted Dr Song to man up and didn't want to give him an early out.

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starswillshine

December 23, 2016 at 12:44 PM

I remembered that Teacher Kim told Dr. Song about the incubation period and he had 0% of contracting MERS. However, Dr. Song being Dr. Song who's extremely self-centered, he would take NO risk at all, and partly, I think he did not even want to operate on anyone because he isn't a great surgeon.

Teacher Kim probably treated Dr. Song as his hoobae/dongsaeng because Dr. Song called him 'hyung'. Teacher Kim probably knew that Dr. Song was not confident of his surgery skills or even being bad at it (since from 18 years ago, Teacher Kim was so furious at Dr. Song for opening up his student which ended up as a table death, if Dr. Song was a good surgeon, Teacher Kim might not say things like "Why are you operating on her?!"). By being Dr. Song's assist, he was there to provide support to Dr. Song and build up his confidence, like a caring hyung.

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ck1Oz

December 23, 2016 at 2:14 PM

Dr Kim would be like the Operations commander during a mass disaster plan. Your head can't go off waltzing into theatre. Having said that if it wasn't perforated he could have done an open cut and be in and out in 30 min for an appendectomy.

This is drama land after all and Dr Song was head of General Surgery at Geodae hospital. The patient would be intubated. And he could have worn double gloves and gowns. Most hospital have protective eyewear. And N95 masks. Personally don't know what the writer was on about with the PPE paranoia about the lack of PPE ( personal protective equipment).
But remember in all Kdrama theatre scenes the doctors have blood splatters everywhere on their face and it never gets wiped off. I am surprised more drs don't have HIV if this happens. Or hepatitis.

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michykdrama

December 23, 2016 at 5:41 PM

Yeah the writer hasn't been very consistent when it comes to infection control. Theoretically all the ER doctors should have masks on when seeing sick patients.

And since they already knew MERS existed, they should have had screening protocol to separate febrile patients with positive travel history right from the start.

I do think though, that because of the high fatality rate of MERS maybe the recommendation was for hazmat suits rather than just N95 + goggles/faceshield. So Doldam being a "village hospital" may not have these suits on hand. Besides it looks like they haven't confirmed if MERS is spread by droplets (like SARS) or airborne.

So I guess if the government says the protocol is for hazmat suits, I guess that's why everyone was being extra careful and wanting one before coming into contact with the suspected patients. (my excuses for the writer ?)

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michykdrama

December 23, 2016 at 5:34 PM

Agree with you all on various points

@miranda
Yes that was my assumption too. The appendicetomy patient hadnt had time to contract the disease so she won't be contagious to Dr Song.

Which is why SJ and DJ could randomly take off their masks too- theoretically they aren't infected yet so as long as the suspected patients are quarantined, no one else should be able to transmit the disease yet.

Also, I did a bit of reading and while MERS has a high fatality rate (about 36% of people that contracted it died), it isn't very contagious and only close contacts were infected. So theoretically only Dong Joo really had a very high risk of getting MERS if they had really had it. Low chance for the others who were in the ER but not close to them.

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Laura

December 25, 2016 at 5:09 AM

Seems like this is the medical thread so I just have to say this :

1. Chairman's CEA is tremendously high at 47 (normal limit is up to 5 for patients; slightly higher for smokers) so he almost certainly has cancer, likely gastro-intestinal though it maybe from the lungs etc.

2. In real life, no surgeon will plan a complicated & high-risk operation, THEN look at the patient's records and CT scan. Doesn't make sense. I wish Kdramas will get basic things right.

3. My big wish : Kdrama doctors, please put on your stethoscope properly. You have a 50% chance of getting it right, so why do you almost always get it wrong ?

PS : watched that Kiss scene 10x ...!!

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ap

December 28, 2016 at 8:18 AM

all of the comments here enlightened me about this MERS virus. im not a medical student and i do not have any idea about viruses and such. it is really nice to read comments of beanies coz they are all really helpful especially to me who doesn't have any slightest idea but keep on watching medical drama just because i feel like watching it. lol

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3 starswillshine

December 23, 2016 at 12:35 PM

Link to BTS of the kiss scene: https://youtu.be/6aWsvXBSyCc

Please watch it, you won't regret spending 2+min watching it!

I do agree that the product placements are over the top in this episode and they are absolutely jarring as compared to the previous episodes when RDTK received almost no attention.

I think the reason why Seo Jung does not want to be together with Dong Joo is because before Seo Jung and Dr. Moon got into the car accident in Episode 1, Seo Jung told Dr. Moon that her feelings were wavered by Dong Joo, and after hearing it, Dr. Moon was distracted for a moment, and the next moment, they got into a car crash. I believed that Seo Jung felt that if she did not mention that her feelings were wavered by Dong Joo, they would not get into an accident. Therefore, to Seo Jung, the fact that she liked Dong Joo was the cause of the accident, and she felt that she 'killed' Dr. Moon due to her confession to Dr. Moon. Hence, the deeper her feelings grew for Dong Joo, the more she was reminded about the cause of the accident. If her heart did not waver in the first place, she would not have told Dr. Moon anything, and Dr. Moon would not die. Thus, Seo Jung might feel that she did not deserve to be together with Dong Joo because she would be riding on Dr. Moon's death to deserve the happiness. She felt bad towards Dr. Moon for feeling happy?

I was hoping for Seo Jung to explain her PTSD to Dong Joo before the kiss but she did not...

Sigh, 2h of RDTK is not enough in a week, how am I going to spend next week with only 1h of RDTK? :(

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Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)

December 23, 2016 at 2:02 PM

Or, proposing while driving = "evolution in action"

Isn't it as distracting as texting while driving ?

And wouldn't most girls prefer to be proposed to in a better setting ?

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PakalanaPikake

December 23, 2016 at 5:18 PM

Lord C:

Step right up for your Darwin Award, Dr. Moon...

Yes to a better setting! Dr. Moon's proposal was so offhand. Really? While waiting at a traffic light? Was it supposed to be a stealth proposal? Or was he multi-tasking, for crying out loud?! I can see it all now in his planner: "6:15 to 6:30 PM: Propose to Yoon Seo-jung while driving to dinner."

No wonder Seo-jung gets hot under the collar when Dong-joo gazes at her with rapt attention.

Actually, though, I really thought the Truck of Doom ran a red, or possibly yellow, light. I thought Dr. Moon still had a green light.

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riarallahssi

December 24, 2016 at 2:37 AM

I hated that proposal. Really? While driving? During a red light? Man arrogant. Made me wonder whether he figured marrying a rock star ER doctor, who btw has the hospital president for a guardian would simply be advantageous to his career. Grrr. Ashhole.

But I liked how SJ in that time in a stretcher worried about the fact that the ashole hit his head. She looked so "i'm a doctor first, before a girlfriend" rather than just a girlfriend crazy worried about her lover.

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CrimeFighter

December 24, 2016 at 1:05 AM

Yes. She kinda caused Dr Moon's death cos she rejected his proposal while he was driving n that distracted him. But this, she did not tell DJ yet and ask DJ did not tell her that Dr Moon was actually two-timing her that time (he was kinda in another rs with a nurse and DJ caught them in an argument just before Dr Moon collapsed from the injuries of that accident and swiftly died)....

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Fye

December 24, 2016 at 1:31 AM

I've forgotten the mystery behind Dr Moon's affair. Is he really two timing her. On the first episodes I was thinking that Dongjoo might be wrong about this.

And i think what seojung meant with "she feels unfair" if she accepted dongjoo and comply with her want to be with him is she feels she's being unfair to him for not loving him wholeheartedly. Because there's always guilt looming near the corner and reminds her about the accident and her wavered feelings at that time

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4 shalini

December 23, 2016 at 12:58 PM

I died when Kim Sabu winked. That is all.

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Mithaa

December 23, 2016 at 3:05 PM

me too.. playful but manly sexy..

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CrimeFighter

December 24, 2016 at 1:07 AM

We need more happy winks from him rather than his angry kicks at his hoobaes' legs. ;) ;)

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5 nasalhazel

December 23, 2016 at 1:53 PM

Papa John's pizza arrives like a Christmas Miracle!

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6 moosie

December 23, 2016 at 2:51 PM

I was surprised at SJ's reasoning at the end too. I do think it's valid reasoning, because it makes sense that she'd feel bad about always thinking of another man while dating DJ, but throughout the show we never had reason to think this was what was holding held her back. The last 14 episodes have clearly focused on her PTSD, and indicated that she felt guilty about what happened to Dr. Moon--I mean, she had auditory hallucinations about it. So her explanation at the end felt dishonest to the character we've come to know.

Still, that was honestly my only gripe, and that kiss at the end did wonders in making me forget about it so I shouldn't complain too much!

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CrimeFighter

December 24, 2016 at 1:10 AM

I wished that she would explain more regarding that accident to DJ (that she have PTSD due to guilt of causing Dr Moon's death becos she rejected his proposal cos her heart already fluttered that time becos of DJ).....

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7 PakalanaPikake

December 23, 2016 at 5:02 PM

Thanks, tineybeanie, for your recap and comments!

LOL at your concept for a musical... As long as it's not "Three Weddings and a Funeral." It cracked me up to see Mgr. Jang lip-syncing to "White Christmas." The lighting and costuming made for exquisite schmaltz. Extra brownie points for going with two classics: Irving Berlin and Bing. Although the way Nurse Oh turned him down, it was more like the chestnuts roasting on an open fire were burnt to a crisp. Ki-tae is such a one-track romantic. ;-)

The PPL for the jewelry didn't bother me. Our hero hasn't had a chance to eat or sleep in days, so when would he have a chance to go Christmas shopping? Heck, it wasn't even on his radar. I liked how Mgr. Jang gave him an avuncular nudge. Yeah, Seo-jung's reason for turning him down took me by surprise, but I kind of liked her sense of feeling that she was shortchanging Dong-joo by still being unsettled by the ghost of Dr. Moon. And I liked her sense of trepidation building over five years of slow burn turning into a 10-alarm blaze.

I've never been clear on exactly how long Dong-joo has been at Doldam, but finally someone said that he's been crashing in the on-call room for two months now. Hmmm, so for two months they've been snoozing together on piles of books with his hand over hers. And this time, her hand is over his for a change in the ER. I like it. You could technically even say they "got a room" -- if you want to count being hooked up to an IV in the ER, or sleeping on a nearby cot while your someone recovers from exhaustion. I loved that "lie detector" look he gave her. And the hug.

In-bum is hoist by his own petard during ECMO surgery, but he's still snitching to Dr. D'oh. (I hadn't recognized the pacemaker patient as the manhwa artist. Oh, no!) Even if he overstated the severity of Dong-joo's condition to finagle his way onto the CS team, he knows how Seo-jung feels about Dong-joo. Shoot, if I were in her shoes, I'd have wanted to know. Oh, duh, something like that did happen to me -- except I was Dong-joo. *smacks self* I was hospitalized (for the only time in my life) over Easter weekend for mononucleosis and strep throat, and one of my colleagues at the campus radio station took over my shifts for the 2-3 weeks that I was out of commission. I got a very warm welcome when I returned, even though I'd been completely oblivious while I focused on graduating that semester. The only difference was it didn't happen at Christmas. He even said something to the effect that he hadn't realized I meant anything to him until he heard I was in the hospital. Honest. So this scenario passes the sniff test. ;-)

I liked how Yeon-hwa's return unfolded. Now that we know she was an AWOL GS resident, her interest in Dong-joo makes sense as something besides a crush. I think it'll be hilarious if the mystery woman is Chairman Shin's daughter, and Yeon-hwa is his granddaughter. HAR. Keep the faith, Nurse Park!

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Le__Ssy

December 23, 2016 at 5:31 PM

I was giddy and smiling re: ur strepthroat story. ???? kyaaaaah!

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PakalanaPikake

December 23, 2016 at 6:45 PM

Aw, shucks, Lessa!

I felt as if I'd been flattened by a Mack Dump Truck of Doom -- no a Peterbilt 18-Wheeler of Doom. Worst. Easter. Break. Ever. Symptoms manifested while I was at my internship at a translating agency at Rockefeller Center in NYC, so I had to trek back to Port Authority on foot, schlepp back to school in Jersey on the bus, and then call my folks to cart me home.

I couldn't swallow anything and got dehydrated and feverish. Was admitted to the hospital on not-so-Good Friday, and discharged on Easter Monday. Was so out of it I could only watch disinterestedly while the IV line was installed -- normally I hated dealing with needles and would get spazzed out. Not this time, so I knew I was in bad shape.

The worst things about mononucleosis (definitely not to be confused with Mononoke Hime!) were the utter exhaustion and total apathy. Eventually the mind became willing, but the bod was still down for the count. Luckily, my liver and spleen were okay. All I could do was lay on the sofa at home for two weeks and take lots of vitamin C while worrying if I was going to graduate. (I did, and that fall studied overseas for a semester.)

FWIW, I'd been diagnosed with a walking case of mono about 15 months earlier after my first semester of living on campus. I don't think I'd ever gotten over it completely, courtesy of sleep deprivation, studying, and cafeteria food. I chalked up my case of "kissing disease" to questionable dish washing in the college cafeteria because I still had yet to smooch anyone. Note to younger Beanies: Like rabies, mononucleosis is transmissible via saliva. This has been your DramaBeans RDTK recap PSA...

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knewbie

December 23, 2016 at 10:43 PM

According to Director Yeo, Yeon-hwa was a Gangwon Hospital resident, not Geodae.

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knewbie

December 23, 2016 at 10:57 PM

Apologies, @PakalanaPikake, I misread "GS" as Geosan.

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PakalanaPikake

December 26, 2016 at 4:27 AM

No sweat! I should have spelled out general surgery... what with all the Geosan/Geodae contractions, which confused the heck out of me in the beginning. ;-)

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8 Le__Ssy

December 23, 2016 at 5:29 PM

I mentioned it in WFKBJ, (sorry) just noticed that for the drama theme: "This Week, my OTP will make out" ? ?

Teacher Kim schools In Bum. #yeahboi

I have a teeny (tiny) comment with the CT Scan & the lab results at the ending. Because these are the stuff that SJ (or if she endorsed them to IB), was preparing Chairman Shin for. Why didnt these pop up *during* the professor-mode-lecture-time & practice-dummy-time. I mean, okay, presuming they are in the boonies, fine... but they have their own CT Scan and their own laboratory, dont they? Didnt SJ say they were going to run some tests? So wont these results come out in a day? (Or two! If I really want to stretch it further)

Because to me, it looked like they were so excitedly busy preparing *several DAYS* for an OR without completing their pre-operative work up. And thats just weird because I dont think SJ would have missed something THAT significant pre-op. It would even impress me if it was SJ who barges into Teacher Kim's office with the results and say: "We have a problem!"

But my technical / protocol complaints can all be ignored because gosh darn it, that ? ?

Re: Chairman Shin keeping an important medical history a secret from Teacher Kim --This reminds me of House MD saying: "Everybody Lies". Patients not being truthful in their medical history, tsktsktsk.

Mr Jang & Nurse Oh? Awwww, but I ship Teacher Kim with Nurse Oh. ?

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michykdrama

December 23, 2016 at 5:53 PM

Lol. I too was wondering about the scans and the lab results.

Like who randomly does tumor markers (CEA, Ca 19-9 etc) before major cardiac surgery? That's just asking for trouble... oh wait we are in a drama. They like trouble ?

My guess is that maybe it was some funky 3D reconstructive CT scan that they didn't do at first. Hahaha. Such a weak arguement I know.

Hoping they have a good reason that ties everything in. I really do feel that Teacher Kim and Chairman definitely Have A Past- either he operated on him before (unlikely because Teacher Kim would have remembered his patients) or he refused surgery for him. I'm leaning towards maybe the latter?

Well hopefully we will know next week! Hope the reason is fairly medically sound. Or there are enough cute scenes with our potential couples (how cute is Nurse Park!) to distract me ?

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SealedHeart.

December 23, 2016 at 6:12 PM

Regarding the CT scans, i pretty much have a rough idea of what had happened or what is bound to happen if they tried to carry on with the surgery. The CT scan was perhaps from 20 years ago and whilst i agree that they should have done a CT scan on him prior to arrival, this may not show up because it was 20 years ago and he got treated for it. But i think Kim Sabu is considering if this condition of his might have a chance of recurrence (considering his CT scan was of 20 years ago and his blood test result was at his present time and not 20 years ago).

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Le__Ssy

December 23, 2016 at 7:14 PM

Interesting thought re: CT results maybe 20 year old scans. It would make more sense if thats the case that SJ did not see any of that pre-op. (But golly, is it just me, or isn't that thing HUGE?! I wonder if he has other scars than the one on his chest)

Also, as @Mitchykdrama mentioned who asks for tumor markers pre-cardiac surgery? So weird IMO if u dont have initial suspicion anyway for a tumor. But okay, Chairman shin is sooooo rich so lets request EVERY SINGLE laboratory test on the planet. How about lupus antibodies, just in case? LOL.

This hospital is such a trouble magnet gosh. I wonder what turmoil is next? Car accident pile up - check. Pacemaker - check. Virus - check. Hostage taking - check.

Earthquake, maybe? Collapsed building? LOL I just remembered that crazy insane dusty operation in DOTS. SNL Korea was hilariously on point in their parody.

Sigh, just one episode next wk. *Sadness Cloud*

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PakalanaPikake

December 23, 2016 at 7:43 PM

Maybe KSB refused surgery on Shin and D'oh went ahead and did it and botched it? Or it might have been surgery on the Mystery Woman Related to Chairman... She sounded as if she holds KSB in low regard.

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PakalanaPikake

December 23, 2016 at 7:39 PM

When I saw PSA, that caught my eye... and made me wonder if something has metastasized or recurred.

Who knows how many days have really passed? The passage of time in this show is almost as inscrutable as in OHYA.

But my technical / protocol complaints can all be ignored because gosh darn it, that ? ?

LOL. As if Shim Chung as erased your memory? ;-)

I've been wondering if Chairman Shin has changed his will, and will spin off Doldam as an entity separate from Geosan UMC. That way they could be out from under Dr. D'oh's thumb. I hope.

I honestly wonder how Chairman Shin could hope to keep a juicy bit of medical history from Kim Sa Bu, given all the tests and scans. That's why I think we're maybe being misdirected with red herrings. On the other hand, maybe there's something that Dr. D'oh botched or misdiagnosed 20 years ago that's he's been trying to keep hidden, hence his not wanting Kim Sa Bu to be involved with the Chairman's operation. Hmmm.

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Le__Ssy

December 23, 2016 at 8:04 PM

Oooh! Good theory on President Do-Chairman Shin! Likeeeeey.

I also think this is probably a metastatic thing. Sigh, secretive patients! How did Chairman Shin think that was going to work? >__< Kyaaaah. (Who? What? When? Where? Am I dead?)

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lunatic4kd

December 23, 2016 at 11:14 PM

Love your Doctor "D'oh". Made me laugh!

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PakalanaPikake

December 26, 2016 at 4:36 AM

I've been calling him Dr. D'oh since the beginning. Glad you got a kick out of my channeling Homer. ;-)

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9 SealedHeart.

December 23, 2016 at 6:25 PM

This week episodes were by far my favourite. The confession leaves me with the expression like something is missing tho, like most of you here. I mean we all kinda guess that it was about the accident but the way SJ said it was kinda conflicting/confusing? But anyway, the OTP finally progressed like finally! And the bts was so cute heh. I kinda ship these two in real life too ??. The ending scene of ep 14 left a time lapse of missing information of what happened 20 years ago and hopefully next week it provides more information of any potential secrets between the chairman and kim sabu. Although I have studied about human atonamy and oncology before, i am not by any means a doctor and would not like to make any inaccurate diagnosis. I shall just wait to see how it'll play out next week. What's the fun in accurately guessing anyway ? ?

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10 daydreamer11

December 23, 2016 at 7:12 PM

That morning when Dong Joo woke up in the ward and saw Seo Jung sleeping near him.. gosh Yoo Yeon Seok's attractiveness just shot over the roof. He's so gorgeous. And that lie detecting scene and their hug made me squee and feel like twirling in happiness. Mr. Jang reaction was exactly me when seeing them hug.

And I really like that scene when the squad was preparing for the surgery and doing the rehearsal. Ahhhh can't wait for next episode (and also sad that we'll only get one episode next week. SBS!!! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! WHY ㅠㅠ)

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Ally

December 23, 2016 at 7:23 PM

AGREED! I really didn't think he was attractive until the white t-shirt, and looks like he got a haircut and shave too. That's pretty great service for a hospital in the boonies. Wonder if he got" VIP" service. ? Wish I looked that good after an admission.

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starswillshine

December 23, 2016 at 8:40 PM

He looks better with lesser clothes on (hopefully none at all). HEH. ;) Wonder when we will have a shower scene like all typical Korean dramas, especially since Yoo Yeon Seok has an amazing body, the scriptwriter will not miss out this chance to write in a shower scene, right? HAHAHA.

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knewbie

December 23, 2016 at 10:31 PM

Well he does appear topless in that episode 2 nightmare scene (just after his first meeting with Teacher Kim in the casino). He even wears a rather fetching shower cap...

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starswillshine

December 24, 2016 at 1:07 AM

OH YES!!! Thanks for reminding me!!! I don't mind more of that. HAHAHA.

Bazu

December 23, 2016 at 10:13 PM

No no no, a gorgeous man like him wakes up gorgeous like that ??

Also, the way he cocks his head while he gazes at her is so melt-inducing. There's just something about his body language that shows he's really into her. It's like he's in his own universe and nothing else seems to matter when he looks at her ?

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CrimeFighter

December 24, 2016 at 1:14 AM

His loving gaze at SJ swoon me so much. I would avoid his base if I'm SJ too (and I'm more of a shy person)....??❤?

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CrimeFighter

December 24, 2016 at 1:15 AM

Stupid autocorrect. I mean his gaze.

madqueen

December 23, 2016 at 8:17 PM

Can't agree more!
YYS is totally hot in the manly way he portrays DJ in his pursuit of SJ.

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11 Harem

December 23, 2016 at 7:29 PM

and here I am wanting to ship dr kim with nurse oh before the writer throw manager jang thus sinking the ship n chances for any romance for our kim sabu...

About the initial rejection of seo jung, it was understandable. Even if it wasn't DJ who died or the reason why dr moon 's death, in Seo Jung's perspective, Dong Joo still the third party in her previous relationship, as she felt like a sinner, indicating she still hasn't move on since that day. Hence the rejection.

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riarallahssi

December 24, 2016 at 2:25 AM

Shipping Kim SaBu with Nurse Oh too! ????? There's a very domestic vibe to them as a couple. They act like a married best-friends couple and it's second-skin them.

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12 madqueen

December 23, 2016 at 8:02 PM

I thought the necklace PPL was only obvious when DJ was web surfing for it.

To me the kiss scene was not about the necklace at all and I have a different take on SJ's confession. It was clear in past episodes that SJ's PTSD had a lot to do with her guilt. She blamed herself for rejecting Moon's proposal because of her attraction to DJ and in her mind, that led to the accident which killed Moon. Her confession in this ep that as her feelings for DJ grows stronger, the more she thinks abpit the accident. It was an expression that she cannot love DJ with wholeheartedly because of of her guilt associated with the accident, and it will be unfair to DJ if she cannot love him with abandon.
I thought it was a big step for her to be at least that much truthful to DJ.
Her acceptance of DJ's kiss was a reaction to DJ saying that she has feelings for him is all that matters and he does care about anything else.
So the kiss and lead up to it was great, though in terms of sweet quotient, I loved the earlier hug scene more.

I also thought thete might be something between Teacher Kim and Nurse Oh... just an undercurrent. But I can't be sure.

I have always love realistic medical dramas, my first medical drama being "ER" eons ago.
All tge explanations on various medical scenarios and terms from medical professionals here are really helpful...thanks. My younger sister is a doctor specialising in palliative care but too bad that she is not into Kdramas.

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lunatic4kd

December 23, 2016 at 11:20 PM

I didn't even realize the necklace was a PPL until reading Dramabeans. I guess it's not a well known brand? I haven't minded the PPLs in this, honestly Even the Papa John's pizza delivery worked naturally. Of course, I now base all PPLs against the most horrible of all - Subway in The K2 - so this was mild. Even when Subway popped up in tonight's episode of The Shining Goblin, I didn't mind it so much...but after The K2 I vowed to never eat at Subway again.

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CrimeFighter

December 24, 2016 at 4:48 AM

PPL happens in all dramas I guessed even in my local dramas. I'm kinda sick of Subway commercials n such too already.

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Ally

December 24, 2016 at 5:14 AM

@madqueen. I've only ever seen two kdramas before dr. Kim and wasn't really into them either, but as a physician, I was drawn to this after my friend who is Korean told me that she was watcing her friend (SYJ) in a medical drama. I checked it out not expecting much but I'm hooked. Even posted a link to Episode 14 on my FB site imploring my friends to watch it! Actually got a couple doctor friends to watch! I know, shameless.

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13 Amy

December 23, 2016 at 8:49 PM

I don't find the feels beside of how good technique they use for the kiss lol. Somehow I think the male lead tried too hard while the actress seems not put herself into it but act as professional as she can be but I can't get the feels they deliver. This kinda kiss reminds me Moon Chae Won and Lee Jin Wook (but Seo Hyun Jin at least responded him better). However, I just feel Seo Hyun Jin gives 'gap' to Yoo Yeon Seok. The kiss and the touch were too directed so it looks unnatural.

When I saw the BTS, they're more like friend vibes than a lover. Just my opinion.

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14 gina

December 23, 2016 at 9:19 PM

ugh i didnt know YYS before this but thank you romantic doctor teacher kim for introducing him to me :x

just something about his eyes. the way he acts. AND THE WAY HE LOOKS AT HER IN A WHITE TSHIRTTT

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Bazu

December 23, 2016 at 10:19 PM

Then, my friend, I suggest Reply 1994. He's such a sweetheart there <3 Till today, he's still Chilbongie in my eyes ?

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starswillshine

December 24, 2016 at 1:05 AM

CHILBONGIE! <3 He will forever remain as Chilbong in my heart. :') Even though Dong Joo is good but Chilbong steals my heart away.

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riarallahssi

December 24, 2016 at 2:22 AM

YYS as chillbongie sealed the deal for me, but that drama Reply 94 will forever remain a heartbreaker for me. For Ever.

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15 knewbie

December 23, 2016 at 10:13 PM

In this recap Teacher Kim is described as telling In-bum not to degrade himself, but the subtitles of the version I saw added "[degrade yourself] by thinking you are expendable".

It took me a while to process this, because (assuming that the translation is correct) "expendable" was not a word I'd expected Teacher Kim to end his lecture with. For a start, it implies that In-bum is NOT expendable, which is practically a compliment. Was Teacher Kim saying that In-bum should stop seeing himself as just another of his dad's minions, doing whatever dastardly stuff he was doing just because his dad told him to, and start being the good doctor that he had the potential to be?

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lunatic4kd

December 23, 2016 at 11:24 PM

Yes, @Knewbie, this is it precisely. Teacher Kim wants In-Bum to free himself from his dad. He knows too well the impact and control that wretched man exerts on others and Teacher Kim sees the goodness and innocence in the son. It makes him worth saving.

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riarallahssi

December 24, 2016 at 2:20 AM

It's because of In Beom's character that I'm convinced Dr. Kim has some sort of superhero complex because he's certain about In Beom's skills as a surgeon, and saving the kid from his father is critical to honing that great surgeon he saw in DIB.

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CrimeFighter

December 24, 2016 at 4:54 AM

If I remember correctly, prior to all his lies on his participation in certain surgeries, Teacher Kim was kinda amazed by the way he handled his first surgery at Doldam (rmb that time In Bum and SJ was scolded for allowing In Bum to handle the surgery cos he is not the registered staff/surgeon of Doldam Hospital).... and at time In Bum did volunteered to do the surgery cos no other surgeon were available that time, from here I think I could see that he is actually innately good-natured. He swiftly volunteered to do the surgery despite he is not a staff of this hospital on seeing how critical that patient was, that time.

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riarallahssi

December 24, 2016 at 5:25 AM

I remember that scene very well. I think it was because of that surgery that Master Kim literally asked President Do to re-assign In Beom to Doldam. I'm convinced he knows that In Beom is inherently good-natured and that Master Kim already considers him his pupil. I'm hanging on to that time President Do hit In Beom's face. I wish it will convince In Beom that his dad is worthless. Of all the surgeons in Master Kim's care, In Beom actually has a very good ability to remain focused and logical even in times of crises. He only ever falters and loses grip when his father comes into the picture. This is why I badly need SJ to be his biological half-sister so he can still have his own blood-family on his side even after he deserts his father. I mean I want IB to realize that his dad is shiz and choose Kim Sabu. That probably means losing not just his dad's grace but also all of his luxuries and conveniences in life, possibly his entire essential identity. But still I want him to choose that, otherwise he'll completely grow into the role of being KDJ's archnemesis and will fit snuggly into his father's shoes and become heir to the his dad's presidential throne of bitterness and ruthless calculation. I just feel that a good surgeon like him deserves some kind of redemption. He'd be a real waste if so and Kim Sabu knows it. Sigh.

riarallahssi

December 24, 2016 at 5:29 AM

P.S. I'm half-hoping that IB will one day write his own resignation letter, submit it to Kim Sabu, who will file it in his folder of pupils thay almost resigned but didn't. That would be the day IB becomes a true Doldam doctor, student to Kim Sabu.

16 CrimeFighter

December 24, 2016 at 1:22 AM

Finally, not a dead fish kiss n I like it when the kiss scene was filmed sideways (we can see how their lips moved)...lol ??

At the first few episodes earlier on, I was speculating that Yeon Hwa might be the granddaughter of Chairman Shin (haha) ... ??

And pls for goodness sake, just repair the broken lights of the sign of Doldam Hospital already. It looks so rundown n like a haunted hospital at a remote countryside ! Teacher Kim rmb to get all the newest medical equipment from Chairman Shin but he forgot to repair the flickering lights ??! LMAO !! ??

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PakalanaPikake

December 29, 2016 at 5:09 AM

Until it was revealed that Chairman Shin's daughter now lives in Florida, I was thinking that Yeon-hwa might be her daughter, too.

As for the flickering sign above the main entrance to Doldam, it gave such a pitiful impression of the place when Dong-joo first arrived, I practically snorted. It had all the charm of the Bates Motel.

Like our underdog band of healers, the institution puts its energy into saving lives rather than looking pretty. I can just imagine Mgr. Jang up on a scaffold, changing out the fluorescent tubes.

Q: How many romantic doctors does it take to change a light bulb?

A: None. That's what interns are for. *rimshot*

And a tip of the hat to Crazy Whale. ;-)

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PakalanaPikake

December 29, 2016 at 5:15 AM

Oops... Forgot which recap this is. Hopefully the world will not end because of that little slip about Yeon-hwa.

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17 riarallahssi

December 24, 2016 at 2:13 AM

i'm really enjoying this drama. I really like the concept of a Romantic Dr. Kim. God knows, I need one in my world. These kids are dang lucky to still have a morally upright mentor that's strong enough to take up the bad guys. But well, yeah. Gotta give it to dramaland to let me live my fantasies.

Anyway, Kang Dong Joo's story arc strikes a chord with me. I'm not sure though whether it was the directing, the acting, or the writing that couldn't flesh out his dilemma with enough poignance. I especialy like his sashays between two very different, very character-defining realities. That scene in the mandu shop where he orders mandu, and his mom just tells him to "meet friends and date women" was especially pivotal to his character progression (towards becoming a shallow robot) and i appreciate the way the writer made sure his mom was also there as a driving point towards his character redemption. A bit sad that the meta in the mandu shop didn't take a highlight (a directing problem?) in the same caliber as that of the flyer-distributing wrecked daughter, who was an exact mirror of himself.

I also didn't fully get excited by the MERS arc. IDK. it felt a bit too much of a DOTS knock-off for me.

Seon Yong Joo's character also deserves a bit more depth. Her traumas were very interesting and I would have wanted to see more of that playing a tug of war with her essentially charming and optimistic character. I get that she feels guilty about KDJ. She literally dumped her boyfriend for Dong Jo a few minutes before boyfriend dying so yeah, guilty feelings accepted.

I like Do In Beom's character too. From an outsider's viewpoint, he might be the definition of perfect but surely he has evils lurking beneath him and I want to see that transcendence play out. Crucial to that is a brilliant actor, and while the actor playing In Beom is gooooorgeous, that kind of acting demand is a tall order for anybody.

acting-wise, i'm impressed with Dr. Kim. That guy is a brilliant actor. There aren't many acting holes. Even nurse Park is great. I felt a little underwhelmed by YYS (or I expected too much or is again bad direction?) but he is doing well and i really don't mind because he is sooooooo good-looking.

ending note with drooooooooooollllllls.

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Livii

December 25, 2016 at 5:11 AM

Lol, I saw this ep in HD and I could not look away from In Boem. So pretty.
Even YYS looked darn good this ep.

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18 oscaduran

December 24, 2016 at 2:57 PM

I agree with Dr. Song. In fact, I'm always surprised how in all doctor's drama I watch, they don't use gloves, masks, goggles and they always end up covered with blood. That doesn't happen here.

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19 kdramaanalysis

December 25, 2016 at 12:47 AM

I really agree with tinybeanie that Master Kim is such a great mentor figure and it was really in this episode that his role as teacher started to click for me too.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen him harshly scold someone, since Dong Joo has now come into his good books. In Beom gets it this time, and as always, Master Kim proves himself to be sharp in observing someone who just memorises facts and theories compared to someone who has done it before. He tells In Beom that his hands reveal everything and then tells him, “Don’t degrade yourself by acting as if you are expendable”. Master Kim made similar comments to Dong Joo previously about him degrading himself or feeling so low about himself and that’s his own style of “teaching”. A more nurturing teacher might have told In Beom that he was valuable in this hospital and should not just think of fulfilling his father’s purpose and then leaving. However, Master Kim likes to deliver comments that hit people hard, which ironically also affirm them at the same time. I’ve come to miss that spark in him and it’s great to see it coming back.

What we see also in this episode is what the surgery of Chairman Shin means to him. Initially it seemed like it was just a move to spite President Do and to prove that a hospital like Doldam could do a surgery as well as Geodae. However, from this episode’s exchanges, it goes deeper than that – especially when Chairman Shin tells him that both of them are similar because they are both men of great tenacity – he is a man who struggles to save lives, and Master Kim is a doctor who tries to save a person’s life. This brings us all the way back to the video he observed of Master Kim saving the chef’s men in the kitchen. Chairman Shin saw that Master Kim is not a doctor who merely administers a treatment, but really goes all out to save that person’s life. Master Kim, who is usually very assured and arrogant, seems intimidated by this operation and even asks Chairman Shin why he has so much confidence in him. At the end of the conversation, we see that what’s at stake here for Master Kim is his own personal beliefs in saving lives and how far he will go for that. It’s his whole status and conviction as a doctor that’s at stake, and the best part is he’s pulling a team along on that journey to discover what it truly means to save lives.

Really loving this show!

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20 irmar

December 27, 2016 at 5:32 AM

"I don’t know if it’s intentional, but the actor playing In-bum has an unreadable face most of the time"
It's called bad acting or no acting.

"It seemed weird that her reason for not wanting to pursue a relationship was that she felt guilty to Dong-joo for thinking of the car accident when he was with her. If she had said something about still feeling guilty toward Dr. Moon, maybe I’d understand her reasoning, but there’s no real need to feel bad toward Dong-joo. (...) So it ended up as a non-reason, which was decidedly an unsatisfying conclusion after twelve episodes of wondering why she kept refusing his advances."

That's what she told him. It doesn't mean it is the truth. Or rather, it may be true, but it's just one small part of the truth.
We were not wondering about why she refused his advances. We were clearly informed about the reason. Being with him triggers her guilt. We have been shown her getting a crisis when she hears in her mind Dr.Moon telling her he died because of her, because she told him about being swayed by Dong-joo's confession and steamy kiss.
But she doesn't want to confess that much to Dong-joo.
Why? Well, the real reason the scriptwriter makes her delay to give this information is because if she did tell Dong-joo, he would tell her that Dr.Moon was a cheater, that he had seen him with that nurse, and the suspense would be over. If the love suspense is over, how are you going to fill up another 6 or 7 episodes?

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21 PakalanaPikake

December 29, 2016 at 4:48 AM

There's a certain poetic justice to Dr. Song's insistence on wearing hazmat gear: he looks like a real space cadet. The man is showing his "true colors." ;-)

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22 Sunnybright

December 29, 2016 at 11:00 PM

From episode 12, this drama is one unstoppable roller coaster! Is it me, or YYS is becoming hotter every single moment? I saw episode 15, which is EPIC! Patiently waiting for the recap...

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Ally

January 1, 2017 at 9:11 PM

I think the way YYS looks is intentional from a directing standpoint. They've styled him better because he is coming into his own, being his own person, more ethical, more confident; therefore, more attractive. Contrast this to In Boem, who has been pretty from the start, but only because he's been groomed to be, having everything laid out for him to be successful. We will start seeing him flounder, look more haggard in appearance, as he struggles to find himself as well--I.e. Episode 15.

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23 somegirl

April 16, 2017 at 10:38 AM

Yehey! Thanks for a wonderful recap!
"He finally steps up his teaching game and has settled himself in my book as one of the best wise mentor figures in drama history. During the beginning of Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim, I just thought he was a guy who liked to shout a lot. But now that I’ve seen the full range of his tough love lessons, I realize that he truly cares for his students, and I love him for it." - I love this because this was what I was thinking the whole time and it was so well-written. If it were me, I'd choose him and his tough love over and over again. It keeps me in the right track and it reminds me of the reason why I'm doing this job in the first place. In this world, it's so easy to be swayed and lose your way if you don't have the right people around you to guide you, help you grow, and keep you grounded. More of him in our reality please!

I thought I was the only one confused when Dr. Yoon told Dr. Kang her excuse of avoiding a relationship with him. It didn't make sense to me at all but I just let it slide, until you mentioned it. Heh. I'm happy though that they're finally starting because THEIR CONNECTION is no joke.

I'm also happyYeon-hwa is back and I'm *hoping* for a cute love story for him and Nurse Asst. Park. Also, just want to say, I love how Nurse Asst. Park is calm, patient, and quiet but steps up when needed especially in the line of saving other peopl - like when he punched that officer in ep 11/12 or that time when he ran as fast as he could to stop the boyfriend from opening the door. I do agree how understandble the boyfriend was when he did it and I appreciated how Dr. Yoon explained to him why they all had to stay inside, all the more if they're postive of MERS.

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24 Prim K

February 23, 2021 at 2:39 AM

I might be late but i wonder who tf sent yeon hwa to doldam? She kept appear disappear reappear from nowhere

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25 Mamas Boy

June 10, 2023 at 3:00 AM

SJ feeling DJ’s forehead to check if he’s hot – but she was wearing surgical gloves! Is it really possible for her to check if he’s hot wearing gloves??

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26 Mamas Boy

June 10, 2023 at 3:00 AM

That SOMETHING that happened 20 YEARS AGO that CEO SHIN is keeping from TEACHER KIM will be the key. I think TK misread the CEO when he told DJ that he (CEO) and DIRECTOR DO are on the “same team.” I believe the CEO knows TK is innocent and was unjustly blacklisted that’s why he insist on having him as his surgeon.

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27 Mamas Boy

June 10, 2023 at 3:01 AM

This episode, I believe, has the most numbers of product placements so far. There’s Papa Johns pizza, Estee Lauder makeup, Agatha jewelry. Those are just the obvious ones. I might have missed some. =)

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28 Mamas Boy

June 10, 2023 at 3:01 AM

I don’t get why SJ had to return the necklace from DJ. She says she likes him, too, right? So, that excuse (accident 5 years ago) is a VERY lame excuse, if you ask me.

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29 Mamas Boy

June 10, 2023 at 3:02 AM

The epilogue where MANAGER JANG is singing WHITE CHRISMAS to NURSE OH is missing in the N****x copy. Wonder why N****x butchers some series/episodes??

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mindy

June 10, 2023 at 3:11 AM

Because of music copyright. Either the production only had the rights to use White Christmas in South Korea (so international streaming has to remove it) or the rights to use it internationally expired.

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Mamas Boy

June 10, 2023 at 5:35 AM

If that's the case, then they could've muted the music or replaced it with something else like what they always do. Instead, they DELETED the entire epilogue! That doesn't make sense! =(

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