Doctor Stranger: Episode 10
by HeadsNo2
Poor Hoon gets taken for one hell of an emotional ride this hour, as his hopes and dreams collide with reality’s inbred cousin. The cat’s no more out of the bag than it was a week ago, though we do get some glimpses into just how gullible our good doctor can be when it comes to love and unrealistic expectations. But if he’s all heart and no brains, then his rival’s just the opposite, with a heart made of building blocks and a mind much more suited to villainy than our resident pajama-wearing Big Bad. Then again, literally anyone would be a better candidate for that job.
And yikes, the ratings race is getting closer each week: Big Man took home second with 11.4%, while Doctor Stranger barely edged into first with 11.7%.
SONG OF THE DAY
MBLAQ’s G.O. – “내일이 안 올 것처럼 (Like Tomorrow Won’t Come)” from the OST. [ Download ]
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EPISODE 10 RECAP
We rewind a bit to the night before, and how Agent Cha and Nightshade met outside the clinic where our two lovebirds were having an intimate reunion.
During their not-so-clandestine meeting, Nightshade had reminded Agent Cha that it was time to move onto the next stage of their plan. Agent Cha had reassured him that the DPRK has already begun to move, and that South Koreans would find a reason to be afraid come morning.
Sure enough, Prime Minister Jang is assaulted by press on his way into a state meeting, all of them asking questions about the North suddenly conducting large-scale nuclear tests.
The nation’s officials watch the one DPRK station with that perpetually-angry newscaster revealing that the North will conduct a nuclear test the likes of which have never been seen before, in order to regain their nation’s freedom and [insert propaganda here].
During the car ride over to the Blue House, Nightshade reveals his concerns over the North’s nuclear activities while Prime Minister Jang brushes them off like he does all things. He’s sure this is just a temporary thing that’ll blow over.
As Hoon dreams of sharing a cozy morning with Jae-hee(?), we see Seung-hee watching the newscast about the South’s reaction to the recent aggression with her honed stone-faced expression.
.
When Hoon wakes up alone, he rushes out calling Jae-hee’s name… only for Seung-hee/Jae-hee to drive up. He embraces her, relieved, before picking her up and swinging her around. They both smile and laugh. (I have no idea what’s real anymore.)
She asks him when he knew that she was really Jae-hee (so… for now we’ll just go back to calling her that pending further info), and he says, “From the moment I first saw you.” She smiles, but urges him to go into work—because if he doesn’t, they’ll have reason to suspect she’s really Jae-hee.
So he skirts the rules by calling Doctor Moon to say that he’ll be late, with the latter doctor so happy they won the competition that he’d let Hoon get away with murder.
Hoon takes Jae-hee out for a dreamy day date, which includes bicycles, playing on an art piece/organ with spoons for keys (it actually looks pretty fun), writing “Hoon ♥ Jae-hee” on a communal wall, and more. It’s all adorable, but in that too-good-to-last-long kind of way. The kind that makes you nervous.
Later, Jae-hee asks if Hoon has anything to ask her, like why she went by Han Seung-hee instead of Jae-hee, or why she came. “Do you want to tell me?” he asks, to which she replies, “I think I should.”
But then Hoon totally blows it (and my mind) by claiming that he’s not interested in knowing why, because all that’s important to him is that she’s here with him.
Jae-joon is upset to find Doctor Moon hanging out in his office like he already owns it, which Doctor Moon thinks is so now that Jae-joon might be sent off to the branch hospital now—because why have two genius cardiothoracic surgeons in a hospital lacking surgeons when you can just have one? That’d just make too much sense.
He then forcefully pushes aside Chairman Oh’s secretary in order to lock himself in Oh’s office, in an effort to force the old man to speak with him.
However, Chairman Oh isn’t having it and calls his guards to the door, causing Jae-joon’s expression to darken as he remembers how utterly dismissive Chairman Oh had been when his father was wheeled out of surgery (with Director Choi at the helm) unexpectedly dead—something he nor his mother could understand, since his father had been healthy enough to walk to the hospital pre-surgery.
In desperation, a young Jae-joon had clung to Chairman Oh’s pant leg, crying, “Bring my dad back! Bring my dad back!” But Chairman Oh wrestled out of his grasp as if he were no more than a nuisance.
Back in the present, Jae-joon tries to negotiate with Chairman Oh for one more chance to prove himself, arguing that without him, Oh would have only Hoon to be the future of Myungwoo Hospital. “I’m not planning on letting it be either of you,” Chairman Oh barks back, before telling Jae-joon that he can take a job at the branch hospital or leave Myungwoo for good. It’s his choice.
Director Moon cheers as Chairman Oh’s guards (oh, now there’s security) escort Jae-joon from his office, only to be chastised by Director Choi, who tells him that they should convince Chairman Oh to keep Jae-joon since their hospital needs surgeons like him. Doth my ears deceive me? Is someone speaking sense?
Soo-hyun tries to make Jae-joon feel better by claiming that a stint at the branch hospital would give her father time to think. “I’m not going anywhere,” Jae-joon says resolutely. “I belong here. Do you know why? I have something I need to accomplish here.”
She thinks his goal is to make the hospital the best, but Jae-joon sends an ominous look toward his Metaphor Castle as he remembers his promise to destroy it. He admits that everything changed when Hoon came, and pins the blame on her for taking Hoon’s side and throwing his feelings out of whack.
“You wanted to move to hospital administration,” Jae-joon reminds her. “Why are you trying to act like a doctor now?” Ouch. Soo-hyun’s face reflects her own surprise at his harsh words, but Jae-joon’s anger only rises as he continues to blame her for his loss, like her siding with Hoon and messing with his psyche was the only reason.
With Jae-joon shooting daggers at her and breathing down her neck, Soo-hyun works up the courage to tell him that she knows the reason why he really lost is because he tried too hard to win, and treated a surgery like a game.
Soo-hyun: “You’re the one who’s just acting like a doctor, not me. That’s why you lost to a real doctor. A fake doctor like you lost to a real doctor like Park Hoon.”
After that ultimate burn, Soo-hyun flashes back to some of the better memories with Jae-joon as someone nicknamed “Garbage” calls her. She just lets it ring, until Garbage himself (aka scummy brother Sang-jin) enters and grabs her wrist—an action that nets him a swift kick to the family jewels.
She takes off in the car Sang-jin stole from her and controls her tears as she heads to Hoon’s clinic/home, only to find him gone. She decides to wait, but when she does she can no longer control her emotions and begins to cry. Poor thing.
Chang-yi gets a text from Hoon thanking her for everything and telling her goodbye—oh, so that’s why he took Jae-hee for a ride and didn’t tell her where they were going. She tries looking for him at the clinic, but Soo-hyun’s the only one there.
Hoon takes Jae-hee to a shipyard, where he’s already planned to escape to China with her by stowing away on a ship. “I don’t need to know why you came here,” he says, “but I know it puts you in danger.” He knows she won’t be able to avoid it while in the country, which is why he wants to smuggle them out.
Jae-hee protests, but Hoon is adamant as he promises to protect her. “We can’t escape,” she pleads, but he forces her to look at him as he repeats his promise.
When Doctor Moon can’t get ahold of Hoon, nor Min-se with Seung-hee, we can assume that Doctor Yang is the spy who reports it to Nightshade, who subsequently reports it to the ever-disinterested Prime Minister Jang. He’s not too worried, since he doubts they’ll be able to escape safely.
Sure enough, Hoon and Jae-hee find themselves surrounded by thugs wielding lead pipes. Agent Cha finally reveals himself to Hoon, right before one of the thugs bashes Hoon over the head. The Jae-hee who was fearless as she looked down the barrel of a gun just looks on helplessly.
Chang-yi can’t find Hoon anywhere, and cries her worries into her mother’s bosom. Aww, she deserved more than a goodbye text, Hoon. That’s like breaking up via a post-it note.
Hoon comes to in a room decorated in North Korean propaganda and torture devices, replete with guards in DPRK uniforms. Has he really been returned to the North via the open freeway everyone must be using? I want to say it’s just a room made to look that way.
Agent Cha tells him he’s in his “homeland” as he brings in a blindfolded Jae-hee and punches her right in front of Hoon. Hoon starts screaming “Stop it, you bastard! I’ll kill you!” as Agent Cha sets to beating Jae-hee. Jesus.
Then Agent Cha holds her up as he looks Hoon straight in the eye so he watches exactly what he does next. He grins as he starts ripping off Jae-hee’s clothes in front of a maddeningly helpless Hoon, who changes his angry threats to desperate pleas that he’ll do anything Agent Cha wants. Anything to just make him stop.
Agent Cha stops the rape tactics and has Jae-hee taken away. Hoon watches her go as he thinks, “Don’t worry, Jae-hee. I’ll… I’ll…” But he doesn’t know what he’ll do. Or what he even can do.
So, Agent Cha tells him what he has to do to keep Jae-hee safe: operate on Prime Minister Jang’s heart, and tell no one that Seung-hee is Jae-hee. “Remember that I’m always watching you,” Agent Cha sneers, before pulling Hoon’s head back by the hair and ordering him to say “Yes sir.”
After chemically knocking Hoon out, Agent Cha goes out to take Jae-hee’s blindfold off and rearrange her clothes… but the woman who coldly stares back at him is Seung-hee.
“Good job,” he tells her. Man, I was worried that this was all an elaborate scheme to get Hoon’s blind obedience, but damn. So even though it’s still up for grabs whether she is Jae-hee, since we know now she was only acting the part of Jae-hee AS Seung-hee, we’ll go back to calling her Seung-hee for now. (Pending further intel. As always.)
Unsurprisingly, Agent Cha didn’t take Hoon to the DPRK, he just made it look like he did. Nightshade meets him with his concerns that people will start catching on now that Hoon and Seung-hee have been missing for a while, but Agent Cha is unfazed.
In fact, the evil agent thinks this was all worth it, since now they know just how much Jae-hee means to Hoon. “That means that we have full control over the heart he’ll be operating on.” Ah, so Nightshade and Agent Cha are working against Prime Minister Jang together. Or not. I honestly have no idea.
Prime Minister Jang tries convincing the president that the DPRK will halt their nuclear test if he agrees to hold a summit with them—the catch being that they want two billion dollars/two trillion won.
It’s clear that the president is a better leader than Prime Minister Jang, since he’s against giving so much money to the North when it could hurt their own economy. Especially since Prime Minister Jang would have him give them what they want just to win points with the people, an idea the president finds appalling: “You want me to feed the North with our taxpayers’ valuable dollars to boost my popularity?”
Prime Minister Jang clucks his tongue at what he deems is the president’s cheapness later. Nightshade cuts into wisely say that peace bought with money never lasts, only for Jang to chuckle, “Anything can be bought with money.”
We find Jae-joon waiting somewhere that looks like the outside of Prime Minister Jang’s office, while Chang-yi finds Hoon asleep in Seung-hee’s car. He immediately starts looking for Jae-hee as he comes to, and not only ignores Chang-yi but actually pushes her away.
“Do you know how worried I was?!” she screams, but Hoon is in another world entirely. He answers the phone when Soo-hyun calls to tell him that everyone’s gathered for his congratulatory party… including a dour-looking Seung-hee.
Hoon drives like he’s possessed to the party, but Chang-yi won’t let him off on this one. Even though he tells her to shut up, she keeps going on about how Jae-hee’s a spy, and Hoon’s only reply is to yell that she isn’t.
“If she’s not a spy, then how is she here right now? And why did she change her name?” Chang-yi fires back, which is the kind of rational thinking that gets her kicked out of the car unceremoniously. Hoon’s eyes are dead pools of water as he tells Chang-yi that he never wants to see her again as he leaves her there on the side of the road, just like that.
So Jae-joon was outside Prime Minister Jang’s office, since we see him meeting with him to ask for a second chance at being his surgeon.
But when Prime Minister Jang claims he doesn’t want to get that involved in Myungwoo Hospital’s affairs, Jae-joon mentions how he knows the prime minister interfered in order to get Hoon hired back after he was fired—a dangerous piece of intel.
“I won’t ask why you did that,” Jae-joon adds coolly. “I’m only asking you to give me the same chance that you gave Doctor Park.”
Everyone except Seung-hee is pretty well toasted by the time Hoon makes it to the party, and he ignores all of them (including Soo-hyun, aww) in order to drag her out.
No matter what she says, Hoon still thinks they have a chance if they escape. He even suggests turning themselves into the police, to which Seung-hee (acting as Jae-hee, y’all get it by now) says they won’t be safe there—not as long as the prime minister controls everything.
When Hoon won’t listen as he babbles on and on about how he can protect her, Seung-hee slaps him. “You’ll be putting yourself in danger!” she cries, and Hoon seems shell-shocked and broken as he replies, “I never asked you to worry about me.”
“Do you know how much I missed you?” Seung-hee sobs. “Do you know how long I waited to see you? We’re finally together. Please listen to me. I never want to be separated from you again. I don’t want you to be in danger. So just listen to me, you idiot!”
Hoon can’t take her pitiful tears and relents as he pulls her into an embrace. He agrees to do whatever she tells him to, and attempts to lighten the mood by inviting her into the party. But Seung-hee can’t stop crying, so Hoon just holds her to help ride it out.
Jae-joon, god of thunder, calls forth a lightning strike with his anger as he stands outside Soo-hyun’s house. Meanwhile, Nightshade shows Prime Minister Jang proof that Jae-joon isn’t who he says he is—he’s Lee Seung-hoon, son of the man who died from medical malpractice at Myungwoo Hospital twenty years ago. The same malpractice suit Hoon’s father was caught up in, even though he didn’t do anything wrong.
Chairman Oh stands outside the house to refuse Jae-joon entry, leaving the man standing out in the pouring rain. Jae-joon even falls to his knees to beg for forgiveness, but Chairman Oh isn’t moved, since he finds the move gutless.
Flashback to Mini Jae-joon standing on the lawn of Chairman Oh’s house in the rain to demand an answer: “Why did you kill my father? Why did you kill him?!” To which Chairman Oh had coldly replied that he was a doctor who saved lives, causing Mini Jae-joon to call him a liar and a killer.
Back in the present, Chairman Oh retreats inside the house to leave Jae-joon outside, much like he did to him when he was a child. Jae-joon continues to kneel in the rain while Chairman Oh receives a call from Prime Minister Jang to tell him that Jae-joon just came to see him.
He asks Chairman Oh to give Jae-joon another chance, but this time, Chairman Oh refuses to change a decision he’s made and let the prime minister meddle in his hospital’s affairs. Prime Minister Jang smugly threatens to give him a good reason to change his mind by helping him to save his reputation and keep his loyal dog. Whatever that means.
Chairman Oh finds out belatedly that Hoon and Doctor Moon got an illegal look at Seung-hee’s medical records by bulldozing their way past the mall cops of hospital security. I’m guessing this was orchestrated by Prime Minister Jang.
Sang-jin hears the same news, and suddenly cares about Hoon’s job status as he tells his father that they should let Jae-joon in now that they have grounds to fire Doctor Moon and Hoon over the medical records scandal.
Chairman Oh still says no, but only because he intends to tame Jae-joon now that he saw the side of him that acted like a wild dog ready to bite his own master. At least Sang-jin finally says something useful by asking his father how exactly the prime minister would know about Hoon and the medical records. Ah ha.
Cut to: Doctor Yang, Prime Minister Jang’s spy within the hospital, as he finds his wife(?), Nurse Min, ready to leave the party because everyone except for Doctor Moon looks depressed. Never mind Hoon and Soo-hyun having a blast on stage as they sing “Tell Me” by the Wonder Girls, aka the only song Hoon’s ever heard.
Nightshade asks Prime Minister Jang whether Chairman Oh will change his mind, to which his boss says, “He has to.” When he asks what this means for Hoon and Jae-joon, Jang only says that their score is 1:0 right now. Great, the competition is still on?
Chairman Oh goes outside to shoo Jae-joon away, but Jae-joon stays kneeling: “Everything is my fault. Please give me another chance.” When Oh asks why he’s being so stubborn, Jae-joon flashes back to when he confronted him as a child.
“I have unfinished business at Myungwoo,” Jae-joon says, like a cryptic answer right now is going to get him somewhere. His conversation is intercut with what he said as a child: “I want to make Myungwoo the best hospital in the world.”/”Bring my father back to life!”/“I don’t want to lose Soo-hyun.”/”I’ll get my revenge at all costs!”/“Please give me a chance. If you do, I’ll give everything I have to serve you.”/”I’ll have my revenge!”/“So please give me another chance. I beg you.”/”Don’t forget…”/“I, Han Jae-joon…”/”My father was Lee Do-sun, and I’m Lee Seung-hoon. Never forget our names.”
Jae-joon crawls on his knees with tears in his eyes to touch Chairman Oh’s boots. “At Myungwoo…”/”Remember who’ll come for you!”/“I have business to finish. Please give me another chance. Please. Please, just one more chance! Please! Please…” he begs and begs.
COMMENTS
No one can accuse PD Jin Hyuk of plain or uninteresting directing, even if his modus operandi seems to heavily favor style over substance. And while he doesn’t seem at war with what’s on the page, unless the intended effect is extremely blunt, it’s rare to see him making choices that work to enhance our understanding of the story rather than just making the presentation well-lit and pretty. It could be because he’s not sure of the story himself, an excuse I’d totally buy at this point—but most of his overt, in-your-face moments seem to revolve around Jae-joon, which is as interesting as it is inexplicable.
Case in point would be when we first caught onto Jae-joon’s true intentions for Soo-hyun the moment camera panned out from his hug with her to include Myungwoo Hospital behind them. Then there’s every single shot that includes him and his Metaphor Castle. And while I can say I liked the intercutting in this final scene, the point could not have been any clearer had the show flashed Jae-joon’s hidden agenda via intertitles paired with dramatic music right out of a silent film.
That being said, I realized that this was maybe the only way to make the revenge point clear, because Jae-joon’s poker face is so stone-cold, his facade so impenetrable, that there would be no other way for us to read what these scenes were trying to convey just from him as a character. For whatever reason, outside methods have to be used to beat that point into us so hard we’re seeing stars. But that’s okay, because you know what? Jae-joon’s revenge is the only crystal clear motive in a show full of murky, constantly changing objectives and characters. That alone automatically makes his cause worth something.
I don’t know if clinging to a point the show has relentlessly pushed onto us is necessarily the best thing to be doing, but at this juncture it’s a survival instinct—Jae-joon’s revenge, no matter how overt, is the only thing making sense right now. I wish I could say that Hoon’s unending love for Jae-hee has the same effect, but it doesn’t when it literally turns him crazy, with a wild-eyed yet vulnerable quality actor Lee Jong-seok has mastered. It puts into question all the growth he’s experienced while working at the hospital and whether he cares about saving lives at the end of the day when it all boils down to Jae-hee.
What’s worse is that there’s still a very good chance Seung-hee is a completely different person just playing the role of Jae-hee to manipulate Hoon, and while that might make you ask, “So why would she pretend to be someone else?” I’d only be able to tell you that it’s a very good question. Seriously, I have no idea why nine episodes were spent having Seung-hee adamantly deny that she’s Jae-hee, only to turn around and pretend to be her—even if it is her, which is anyone’s guess for now.
All I want to know, if I only had to pick one thing out of dozens in this show, is what Prime Minister Jang actually wants. Does he actually give two cat slippers about who operates on his heart? Because it seems like he’s taking a pretty laissez-faire approach to the whole ordeal by going back and forth between the two wildest of wild cards who could end up opening his chest. Will it be Hoon, the North Korean refugee who wants to kill him? Or Jae-joon, a man operating under a falsified existence to get revenge on the people who killed his father? Are there any other doctors in the house?
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Tags: Doctor Stranger, featured, Jin Se-yeon, Lee Jong-seok
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1 tatashi
June 4, 2014 at 8:14 PM
Sigh.sigh.sigh.sigh.
The worst episode of all worst episode.
I don't know what the writer trying to achieve.... if there is any award for worst and stupid story line for the year.... this drama will might win.
End
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icy
June 4, 2014 at 8:23 PM
I agree. The boat is sinking.
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windsun33
June 4, 2014 at 9:59 PM
It has multiple gaping holes in both sides. I vowed not to watch this, but I had to see how bad it would get - and it got worse.
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Beng
June 6, 2014 at 1:05 AM
after this episode, Big Man might edge them out of the no. 1 slot.
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Lord Byron
June 4, 2014 at 8:45 PM
LOL.
Weird and absurd. I never thought I would say this, but Dr. Jin is beginning to look like a masterpiece.
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Lamar
August 14, 2015 at 12:20 AM
Perfect, Dr. Jin starting to seem like a masterpiece next to this! I was thinking of Dr. Jin in episode 8 and it might come close to that elaborate awfulness and Doctor Stranger passed it with this episode. I am going to stick it out to the end just for laughs.
Netflix took off all the good Korean TV this summer.
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tatashi
June 4, 2014 at 10:13 PM
and you Hoon.... why oh why dear writer, why you make a character who is a very cool, cute and smart at the beginning, but now a totally annoying dude? First, whe he try to leave a dying baby, and now this?
I thought he supposed to be the smart one here...
and Soo Hyun, I like her because she is a tough woman, but she keep on being a cry baby... I don't understand the crying scene at Hoon's house, is it because Hoon was not there? or because of the fight she had with Jae Joon? and why there?
AND then we have Seung Hee suddenly appear at the party? WTH? She is a worst spy dramaland ever have! Instead of going to the party alone, she should go to Hoon first and discuss what to do next! and the she can go to the party alone or with Hoon or who ever she want to go with.
So after Hoon drag Seung Hee, I expect Soo Hyun to be down or confuse, but no, she is singing her heart out with the strange doctor.
...
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jj
June 4, 2014 at 11:28 PM
and soo hyun looks like a clown in the party. she become the female version of dr.moon but dr.moon is much more endearing lol.
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Laden
June 5, 2014 at 9:08 AM
I'm angry! Can someone just shoot Hoon already?! And yes I'm talking about Park Hoon
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Beng
June 6, 2014 at 1:01 AM
i don't know anymore =(. such a waste =(.
who is the writer again?
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Lisa
June 6, 2014 at 2:12 PM
The thing that bothers me the most is that this show had sooooo much potential in the first two episodes but then it just went downhill from there. This show is terrible and it disappoints me because they could have made it awesome!
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Mahiruhh
June 8, 2014 at 8:53 AM
ditto
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2 Tulipsaki
June 4, 2014 at 8:15 PM
The only thing I understood in the episode was Lee Jong Suk's repeat shoulder slip. Yunno, the one showing how amazing his body is and how much he works out.
Thank you, coordi-noona, for his tank tops and rayon cardis.
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Adele
June 5, 2014 at 12:47 AM
Ahah, my toughts, exactly
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3 muahahahahha
June 4, 2014 at 8:15 PM
Am I the only one getting tired of this Seung Hee =/≠ Jae Hee mystery? It's been dragged on long enough. 10 episodes in, I still feel as if I am stuck at the beginning of the story.
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Stuart
June 4, 2014 at 8:27 PM
You're DEFINITELY not the only one. The mantra for dramabeans recappers appears to be "negative analysis is forbidden, only spin, all the time", and while I am in awe of the mental gymnastics needed for them to avoid making any critical comments AT ALL, sometimes one needs to be honest, and this is one of those times.
Despite the relentlessly (and ludicrously, imo) positive spin taken by DB recappers on the recent episodes, the simple reality is that this Drama which started out so positively with an intriguing premise has devolved into an over-complicated directionless mess where no one knows whatthehell is going on. As you say, the "who is she?" mystery is way past its best before date, and the fact that halfway through the series we have not one faintest little clue of what the big dark plot is clearly reflects how badly this Drama has lost its way.
It can't be a coincidence that HJJ's storyline is now the most interesting, simply it because it makes some sort of sense. We know *what* he wants to do, *why* and *to whom*, while we're 0 for 3 on the main arc. I'll be checking out episode 11 to see if it gets any better, but despite heroic efforts of recappers to suggest otherwise, it's more and more obvious that this Emperor is naked, and if he doesn't get dressed right quick, I'll be waving goodbye.
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MapleSilver
June 4, 2014 at 8:34 PM
Thank you for saying what I am certain many here have felt, that DB recappers have recently gone too overboard in avoiding calling something crappy craps.
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windsun33
June 4, 2014 at 10:07 PM
I don't agree. For the most he played it about right for a general audience. I would have a lot harsher, But there are still 2 or 3 people that like it.
If you want to see over the top "reviews" just read the dozens of "best drama ever" one liners on Drama Fever.
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HeadsNo2
June 4, 2014 at 8:42 PM
Huh. I didn't know that calling a show out for operating on reality's inbred cousin qualified as a positive spin.
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windsun33
June 4, 2014 at 10:03 PM
Don't take it to heart - I got the inbred part.
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Mama J
June 5, 2014 at 5:09 AM
Perhaps the critical reader should read more critically.
As for the debate about Seung Hee/Jae Hee - if we're not getting a Soo-Hoon ship, then we either should spend the entire series debating valid clues for which one she is with the final episode giving us the answer...or we should never ever know, and neither should Hoon Puppy.
If ALL I get from this show is a good mind bending 'is she or isn't she', that's plenty.
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Lord Byron
June 4, 2014 at 9:06 PM
Perhaps it serves a good public purpose for recappers to stay cool and positive. And it is possible that they have different, longer-term appreciation for K-dramas, for the simple reason that they have been watching K-dramas way longer than I have.
I, on the other hand, come as opinionated as they make them. (Yes, I am happy to admit it). But that is because I do care for good dramas, like I care for good food. And it is great to find discerning commenters like you.
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kyl
June 4, 2014 at 9:13 PM
Well DB recappers criticize all the time, it's just indirect and sometimes they use metaphors to keep things subtle. I like this style of writing actually, because it takes skill to criticize like that, as opposed to say, "I don't know what the hell is going on with the show, "the writing sucks", etc, etc. Well, you just have to pay more attention to the recap to catch the words.
The first time I felt like slapping Hoon is when he stopped Jae-hee/Seung-hee from saying the truth. And when he shunned Chang-yi aside because of his tunnel vision for Jae-hee.
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MikaSan123
June 4, 2014 at 9:54 PM
I actually didn't think those parts were so bad. I mean, I think that line was to show that LJS's character is meant to play the role of the near-perfect boyfriend who trusts in his girlfriend and sees past her whole situation, the one who doesn't push her to reveal anything she's not comfortable with. It's a little stupid, considering the gravity of their situation, but I actually thought it was pretty sweet of Hoon because he's trying to be considerate to his supposed girlfriend. The only thing that really bothers me about Hoon is how he keeps promising to protect Jaehee, and has now failed three times already. I mean, I know it's not his fault, and he's the victim, but if he's going to make the promise again, then he should at least have some cards up his sleeve after what's happened to him the last few times.
And the part with Changyi, maybe I'm reading a little too much into it, but I thought he was being mean to her so that she wouldn't get caught up in the whole mess with him. Like purposely cutting off ties with her so that the North Korean spies don't come after her if he manages to escape with Jaehee to somewhere else (because that's his whole plan, right?).
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Tulipsaki
June 5, 2014 at 8:18 AM
That was my thought too with regard to Changyi.
lh39
June 4, 2014 at 9:20 PM
You have echoed my thoughts. JJ is the Only believable character in this drama and Park Hae Jin is playing this role so convincingly (so was he in Seo Young, My Daughter and YFAS). He has right to be angry with SooHyun. She should be consoling him and not looking for Hoon. There are always risks and no guarantee that an operation will be successful even if same operation on patients with similar conditions. The competition viz-a-viz operation was ridiculous in the very first place.
Despite the big and famous cast, Dr Stranger and YAAS are such disappointing dramas from SBS. Their Glorious Days (weekend drama) is superior to these. I can't believe that I actually like the old fashion song sung by the grandma and the version by another singer ?!
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Akira
June 4, 2014 at 9:22 PM
I have to say though, the positivity, or at least middle-ground stance, is part of why I enjoy dramabeans recaps so much more than other blogs. Though the drama may veer into the crazy, the recap always manage to draw out the story (however little there may be) and re-tell it to make an enjoyable read. There's a healthy dose of sarcasm that criticizes the non-sensical in a funny way, which I often appreciate more than strong condemnation.
I'm now glad I didn't have time to start this drama, but I'm thoroughly enjoying reading about the crazy plots (or lack thereof?) in the recap. Kudos to HeadsNo2 for recapping coherently an incoherent (so far. one can still hope) show!
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Noemi
June 4, 2014 at 9:35 PM
I definitely agree with you. No matter how crazy or yes, bad, an episode or an entire drama is, I'd rather read this style of recap than one that wallows in complaints. Criticism through humor and sarcasm rather than outright condemnation, like you said, is much more enjoyable to read, in my opinion as well.
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Scientia
June 4, 2014 at 9:44 PM
Hear hear.
I like to read intelligent criticism, not mindless whining. You can only say something is bad for so many times until you start to look like an unloved prick that just needs a hug.
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windsun33
June 4, 2014 at 10:10 PM
I need a hug.
Scientia
June 4, 2014 at 10:29 PM
Lol i take an exception for you windsun, I sense entertainment when you do it. Also you hate things equally. A diplomatic hater, I like that. Heh
Harem
June 5, 2014 at 2:39 AM
There's a reason why people like to give their "mindless" whining, THE SHOW is JUST NOT INTELLIGENT and worthy ENOUGH to have a proper/smart criticism on their behalf.
So stop saying like you own the place just because people get mad on the show that have been stupider,by episodes.
Now on topic:
I basically don't quite understand..almost..everything. The plot getting messy,inconsistent, and...laughable. Park Hoon is getting annoying with his lovesick, totally kill all his coolness in just 2 episodes.
Personally, I just love medical drama,with romance. Something like Surgeon Bong Dal Hee, that is my all time favorite medical drama. The medical aspect, was quite good, with many surgeries scenes. And the romance was just sweet enough for me to melt..Dr Ahn and Dr Bong were just too cute!! XD
And this is what lack in Dr Stranger. BALANCE.
pigsnout
June 5, 2014 at 4:43 AM
But commenters are not the recappers. As viewers they have the right to complain if they dislike something or see flaws. If you don't like someone's comment you can also just scroll. I tried really hard to like this drama but it became such rubbish.
mary
June 4, 2014 at 9:52 PM
And here I was giggling so much at the snarkcasm in this recap. Granted, it's not as pissed off as Basketball levels yet, but if you've been reading DB for a really long time, you can tell when they're being sarcastic or not. ^^
I think their editorial style is not "let's be positive about this crap" but more of "calm down and recap the whole thing first, before ranting your thoughts at the bottom". Not everyone likes to interrupt the recap to blog in detail about how much they wanna torture the writer or wish Character ABC would just die die die already.
And although I love the graphically angry recapping style for the LOLs, I also like and appreciate DB's style. Even if they're pissed off (which you can tell by the sarcasm) they still commit to telling you everything that happened in the episode before tacking on their opinions at the bottom of the post.
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pigsnout
June 5, 2014 at 4:47 AM
I feel bad for Heads. Such awful dramas to get stuck with for recap...
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mary
June 5, 2014 at 5:54 AM
Me too.
But if it helps, she's sharing "The HeadsNo2 Curse" with gummimochi this time... heehee
Maybe she's only feeling half the pain of this drama this time. No? :D
Mama J
June 5, 2014 at 5:12 AM
Hey Mary...if a viewer says the show is stupid, but then goes on to say they can't understand it, what does that make you think?
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mary
June 5, 2014 at 5:58 AM
It makes me think about SONG JAE RIM.
To remind me that there is some good in this world, and it is worth fighting for.
kakashi
June 5, 2014 at 6:02 AM
buahahahahahahaaaa
Harem
June 7, 2014 at 7:14 PM
Instead of being denial and cynical, defending some show that obviously stupid, how about open your eyes and read the whole comment.I know you talked about my comment above, so did you read the reason why I said that I can't understand,almost everything? I said that, it's messy, inconsistent, laughable and I am being annoyed by Park Hoon lovesick antics. Can you explain the whole show to me? About the PM, about Jaehee, about the security, about the NK? About everything? Is this show somehow smart and intelligent to you?
jjeopjjeop
June 5, 2014 at 4:28 AM
I honestly do not understand what you're talking about. Heads seems to be mostly frustrated with the drama and it is evident in her comments. In fact I appreciate that she's not constantly, extremely negative like you seem to want, because she'll probably stick with it until the very end so she has to be cautious and see what happens. I followed her Basketball and Sword/Flower recaps, and believe me, she can definitely be negative.
The drama, from the very first 5 minutes, was a complete mess (and that's precisely why I continued watching it). I find it incredible that people continued watching this particular show expecting something more than ridiculous shenanigans, dramatic U turns, crazy thrills, and messy conspiraceptions. The NK episodes were two of the most hilarious drama episodes I've watched in recent times; and after that I had a great time thinking possibilities for Jae Hee from communist robot to spy in love with her target. Of course I'm still watching because I need this particular mess in my life, the over musicalized rollercoaster of whiplash-inducing tonal shifts gives me 2 hours of complete WTFery and I love it. But if I want a "*~quality~*" show, I look somewhere else.
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harukogirl
June 5, 2014 at 7:38 AM
THIS.
:)
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Curio Serand
June 5, 2014 at 9:42 PM
Dear jjeopjjeop,
ALL KINDS OF BRILLIANT, THIS!
Can I just say: I'm adding "conspiraceptions" to my vocabulary. Did you coin it?
Your comment just nails it! Thank you!
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jjeopjjeop
June 6, 2014 at 4:39 AM
Hahahaha thank you, yeah that's how I call the conspiracies within conspiracies in this drama.
I ship this show with myself \(^_^)/
Harem
June 7, 2014 at 7:21 PM
I know right? The show looks really weak outside and inside. Put aside the romance, how about the medical aspects? Too many errors..and Park Hoon is not a genius, he is an esper.
I have said this in my prior comment, this drama lacks balance. Too many for a reader like me to fathom. I watched I Hear Your Voice, it was average but at least it was watchable..but Dr Stranger is just...too strange. It's like a 12 yo writing.
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lemondoodle
June 5, 2014 at 4:44 AM
I'd rather recappers take an unbiased approach (though really read between the lines or read the lines, this review is not positive) than be outwardly hostile towards a drama with or without reason and influences the viewers opinion's of it. Here we are allowed to come to our own conclusion that is sucks.
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4 -%-%%(%
June 4, 2014 at 8:21 PM
screw the ratings fired the writer!!!!!!
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5 sas
June 4, 2014 at 8:25 PM
Lee Jong Seok is a great actor but he needs to choose his project well, I think thr writer of this drama is so insane he is loosing his grip... And also, I hate Jae Hee. I want her to die, Jin Se Yeon is a bad actress. Well, PD Jin Hyuk I beg you save this drama.
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windsun33
June 4, 2014 at 10:14 PM
I have never actually WANTED the female lead to just die already (except in Queen of Ambition), but I suggest another bridge fall, this time onto a dry river bed.
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hoonhee
July 1, 2014 at 10:52 PM
Not sure if she's a bad actress or the writer just developed her terribly... I logically ship her and hoon together but I just don't feel the chemistry... I wouldn't totally blame it on jin se yeon
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6 ss
June 4, 2014 at 8:26 PM
is it just me or the plot has become nonsensical? lol. i don't really understand the motive of it all. someone enlighten me please
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7 sogazelle
June 4, 2014 at 8:27 PM
If I have to go by the big drop in ratings; viewers are either fed up of the wacky...pull your hair out story line.
or they wanted ...like me...the Hoon/Soohyun OTP
or both...
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windsun33
June 4, 2014 at 10:16 PM
I assume that 1st/2nd place rating was just between those two, because it dropped from 6th to 9th in overall ratings.
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lemondoodle
June 5, 2014 at 4:51 AM
The ratings have not really dropped all that much. It's just that other shows are catching up. So it seems like people who are watching will mostly stick with the crazy, the show just isn't going to grow much.
The last time it had positive growth from an episode was 4-5, so this isn't a new issue.
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8 Mar
June 4, 2014 at 8:30 PM
The best screen time goes to crazy dr. Quack- dr. Park karaoke combo, they are the best when they are not sober haha. Soohyun introducing herself as Dulpari to Hoon via phone conversation is hilarious too.
"Jae-joon, god of thunder, calls forth a lightning strike with his anger as he stands outside Soo-hyun’s house", ow godd, i'm dying laughing, only in dramaland can a doctor summon thunders when he needs more dramatic moment.
I'll keep watching this drama, not for the story, just for the lovely stars in it, and so far the surgery part is always good (just omit the motive and ambition behind it all).
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divyrus
June 5, 2014 at 12:00 AM
God of thunder, yes of course he is !
Awesome, heads! ?
I really did lol so hard at that !
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9 crazedlu
June 4, 2014 at 8:34 PM
Wow. Browsed the screen caps and read your commentary, and eck. Eck eck eck. What IS this? So weird. I haaaate this first love insanity. Come on, Hoon. Dude, there's gotta be more to life, even if she was your sanity growing up in the North.
Blech.
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Lord Byron
June 4, 2014 at 8:52 PM
Yes, you nailed it. That first love thing is this drama's biggest hoax. And the revenge thing comes close in limpness.
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PPasun
June 5, 2014 at 8:22 AM
At least LJS is having an easy time of memorizing his lines. I swear, at least 70% of his lines are "Jae Hee-ya!"
This obsession Koreans have with first love comes from "Sonagi (Shower)," a short story by Hwang Soon Won, that every Korean grows up reading. I like its poignancy myself, but when it comes to Kdramaland, I want to shout "let's give your subsequent lovers a chance!" Korea has a very low birth rate as it is.
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10 Dream
June 4, 2014 at 8:34 PM
Okay....so can anyone suggest if I should watch this show or not? I had decided to marathon it but now I'm not sure anymore.....
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Quiet Thought
June 4, 2014 at 8:40 PM
If you are coming off surgery and on some good dosage of Vicodin, possibly this will all make sense to you.
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Your Biggest Fan
June 4, 2014 at 9:16 PM
I haven't seen your witty comments over here in the DS recaps lately. Welcome back. I've missed you.
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EmmaLeigh
June 4, 2014 at 10:01 PM
Vicodin may not be strong enough if coming out of surgery...unless one's is having minor teeth work. The kind of surgeries seen on Dr. S may required dilaudid, Percocet, MSir, Roxicodone, etc
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11 Quiet Thought
June 4, 2014 at 8:38 PM
This show really, really needs some Romulans.
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windsun33
June 4, 2014 at 10:24 PM
With dogs. I really want Romulans with dogs.
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Curio Serand
June 5, 2014 at 9:50 PM
"This show really, really needs some Romulans."
!!! *[I think I just laughed/snorted my way into a hernia! Somebody, page Dr. Hoon, stat!]*
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12 Minny
June 4, 2014 at 8:38 PM
Well... at least this episode was an improvement over the last.
On whether Seung-hee is really JH: couldn't her behaviour with Cha just be to protect Hoon and herself?
The part when JH slaps and yells at Hoon was satisfying to watch, if only for getting to see some emotion on JH's face. More scenes like that please, JH's character seems so obscure and detached; I'm not surprised many people feel so little for her and consequently HoonxJH.
Finally, some screen-time for Jae-joon! Although, I didn't like seeing him grovel in front of Chairman Oh at all; you seem clever, JJ, I'm sure you could devise a better plot for revenge: one that doesn't involve kneeling in front of the man who covered up your father's wrongful death and one that doesn't involve continuing to deceive his innocent daughter (whom you now seem to like). But his character and backstory is the most interesting and the only other one. along with Soo-hyun's, to make me feel something.
And speaking of Soo-hyun, is she going to get something to do in this drama other than just go about to and fro from Hoon to JJ? Was the attention given to her in the first few eps pointless filler? What about her relationship with JJ? Or her jerk bro and shady Daddy?; what exactly is going on there?
Why are JJ and SH in this drama in the first place? Why craft up characters, hint their past and motivations and then relegate them to about <10 mins per episode? Just so they fill up the customary second lead slot?
I can't believe that it's been 10 eps already; and that's not a compliment! 10 hours, yet it feels like such little of the plot has progressed. What a waste,
Honestly, I started this drama with zero expectations of it having a sensible plot, but counted on it being entertaining and having heart. This is just a mess.
Lee Jong-suk, Park Hae-jin, Kand So-ra and the rest of cast, even Jin Se-yeon (!), all of them deserve better.
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13 Quiet Thought
June 4, 2014 at 8:45 PM
On the bright side, most people have given up complaining about Jin Se-Yeon's acting.
For all we know, she may be giving as precise as performance as Danial Day-Lewis or Meryl Streep.
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pigsnout
June 5, 2014 at 6:58 AM
Now the drama overall is as bad as she is, so her bad acting doesn't stick out so much anymore. Success!
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14 owl 🦉 🫰
June 4, 2014 at 8:52 PM
Where am I? I am so dizzy from the lingering 360 degree camera shots in the hospital corridors, in the operating room, when they kiss, from the rooftop.
Metaphor Castle (chuckle).
How is it that they went from the fake North Korean interrogation warehouse where Hoon was drugged unconscious, by the way, to a congratulatory party in like half an hour? )Oh, and there was a 360 camera spin there, too.)
Didn't Chang yi dial Report a North Korean Spy number and turn in Jae Hee?
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Lord Byron
June 4, 2014 at 9:17 PM
More LOL!
Though the director cannot muster any substance, he is determined to go down fighting till death. Hence, the full-on kiss in the last episode, as if saying that should keep you idiot viewers happy for a while. That's all you want, isn't it? And more camera panning in this episode to make it seem this is a Cannes-ready auteur piece. If viewers don't like it, that is because they are too stupid to appreciate it.
In the meantime, Hoon looks not only like a mangy dog, but also snaps like one.
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15 karen
June 4, 2014 at 8:56 PM
ahaha i can see why jae joon was originally going to be the evil guy from man from the stars. i couldn't see it earlier, but this guy can definitely act normal without revealing his evil intentions. can you imagine him saying something like "i care for your health you now". i actually think he may be better than the guy who actually played him in man from the stars.
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16 Scientia
June 4, 2014 at 8:59 PM
Ah finally Seung Hee admitted that she is Jae Hee, the only piece of explicit confirmation that was missing to bury this plodding mystery once and for all. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind anymore that she’s just playing straight up spy to keep both Hoon and herself alive. Now that we have that end resolved, can the show finally move on to letting us in to what the BIG MISSION is? I wouldn’t even begin to speculate as to what the blueprint is or whatever the hell they’re even trying to do, as I find my interest to it becoming as infinitesimal as to whether what side of the bed I’ll be waking at tomorrow. And to be honest, every scene that involves PM Jang and Nightshade is beginning to bore me—PM Jang with his perpetual smirk and his sidekick with an equally undiscernible sour pout. They’ve frustrated me to the point of indifference.
On the other hand, I like that Hoon is no longer living in a vacuum of information, and that he has finally a chance to cooperate and maybe even outwit his and his Jaehee’s oppressors. Although his track record from escaping Comrade Cha has been less than stellar, at least together with Jaehee, he can face his adversaries without worrying of losing her anymore. They are together and that gives him the stability to concentrate on a singular task as opposed to being all over the place chasing her. What’s even better, are more genuine interactions between our OTP. No more Seunghee façade, at least in front of Hoon that is. I look forward seeing more on how both communicate in an almost telepathic manner, conveying and exchanging knowing looks inside the hospital. Especially when in close proximity of a pining lost soul. The poor girl needs to get a clue, soon.
Over at the other side of the border, things are just looking bleak between Soohyun and Jaejoon as Jaejoon has started to fully embrace his descent towards second lead villainous pit. Any good faith remaining between the two has deteriorated in an accelerated manner that them becoming a couple has become an improbable proposition. I do like Jaejoon’s motivation, revenge has always been my favorite kdrama trope, but together with Soohyun, his motivations are starting to look more as your garden variety of melodrama fare. I’m still struggling trying to balance and sync in my mind the two couple’s conflicts: on one side you’ve got one fighting in life or death game of spy, while the other you have two insecure people trying to figure out first world dilemmas and selfish goals. Soohyun and Jaejoon have a story worth being told onto a separate drama with a separate genre on all of its own. But mysteriously, both try to coexist in one show. It’s only on Dr. Stranger that you’d find two flavors that are not necessarily bad by their own, but together leaves a bizarre aftertaste.
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Lord Byron
June 4, 2014 at 9:23 PM
I don't think that It is Jaehee / No, it isn't is over yet. I believe now more than ever that this girl is not Jaehee. Plus, that is about the only card that this drama has left. It wouldn't throw it out just yet.
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Scientia
June 4, 2014 at 9:29 PM
Shoot me, if that's the only card they have LEFT. They haven't even begun exploring the bigger scheme of things and they're still going to drag that one out?
I say she is Jaehee, all the confirmation that we should've ever needed is to see her concern for Hoon EVEN when Hoon is not around. Her confrontation with Comrade Cha together with his reprimand to her of "don't try running away again" just about closed the deal. IF that's not real, then I cannot trust that the Sun will rise tomorrow either.
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MajorDickason's
June 5, 2014 at 1:07 AM
I agree with Lord Byron. When Seunghee/JaeHee was being beat up while blind folded, I didn't see a scar on her right shoulder from when Jae Hee was shot in the shoulder in Hungary. As she was being dragged out and only had a bra strap on that side of her torso, I looked for a sign of a bullet wound. Nothing there - a little scar would have been so easy to create with stage makeup.
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Scientia
June 5, 2014 at 4:41 AM
Hoon doesn't have one either. I actually find it funny that people are more at peace with a fake jaehee with plastic surgery theory rather than believing that a scar can be removed.
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windsun33
June 5, 2014 at 7:43 AM
I actually think the writer has forgotten about that bullet scar.
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hey55
June 7, 2014 at 8:50 PM
I think your all missing the point and i dont think han seung hee is jae hee i think that she is a spy the big mission is to kill the premier and thats why she so eagerly wanted to get hoon to do the surgery because they know like they said using jae hee they could do whatever they want because hoon would do anything for her i think the premiers assistant is in on the plan
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17 isabel
June 4, 2014 at 9:02 PM
I've honestly tuned out and just watch for the pretty. Usually only when Soohyun and Hoon are together do I get interested. Because at least then he was trying to be a better doctor, which is a valid trajectory, don'tcha think, Drama?
Hoon better get his head straight. Seriously, he knows she's a spy. Agent Cha was shooting at them. And he didn't even ask why Jaehee/Sung Hee for an explanation. Dude, that's not blind love, that's just crazy.
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m
June 4, 2014 at 11:11 PM
agreed
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18 pigsnout
June 4, 2014 at 9:05 PM
Dear Heads, you have all my sympathies.
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19 zakin89
June 4, 2014 at 9:09 PM
This show... It makes my head spin and I'm sick and tired of all the mysteries and that we don't get answers to any of them -.-
The only really good thing of this week's episodes.... G.O.'s OST :D
I can see why Big Man is catching up and I actually LOVE that! Big Man is really engaging and the show I'm looking more forward every week!
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20 kyl
June 4, 2014 at 9:15 PM
Well DB recappers criticize all the time, it's just indirect and sometimes they use metaphors to keep things subtle. I like this style of writing actually, because it takes skill to criticize like that, as opposed to say, "I don't know what the hell is going on with the show, "the writing sucks", etc, etc. Well, you just have to pay more attention to the recap to catch the words.
The first time I felt like slapping Hoon is when he stopped Jae-hee/Seung-hee from saying the truth. And when he shunned Chang-yi aside because of his tunnel vision for Jae-hee.
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Scientia
June 4, 2014 at 9:22 PM
Word.
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21 Lotus blossom
June 4, 2014 at 9:19 PM
I am enjoying Big Man too. Daniel Choi is a great antagonist. I love our hero!
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22 woooo123
June 4, 2014 at 9:20 PM
i actually like where this drama is going lol so many haters on dramabeans!
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23 gratisetamore
June 4, 2014 at 9:24 PM
TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVEN"T YET WATCH THIS DRAMA =
BEWARE
SAVE YOUR SANITY
BUT IF YOU INSIST COME ON IN JUST TREAT IT AS A CRAZY ESCAPE FROM YOUR DAILY EXISTENCE. BE ENTERTAINED AND DON'T LOOK FOR ANYTHING RATIONAL. REALLY.
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24 Lovely.
June 4, 2014 at 9:26 PM
I don't know anything anymore. I just don't.
But here's my guess: Seung Hee IS Jae Hee. She's become a North Korean double agent spy to become closer to Park Hoon, but there using her to manipulate him. But she's not really and truly evil.
Of course that's probably just too rational for this show. I'm not sure if I think this is what's going on so much as I want this to be what's going on.
Does anyone know WHY the Prime Minister is being choosy about who does his heart surgery? I just don't get this at all! And what exactly are Seung Hee and her four-fingered accomplice trying to accomplish with Park Hoon?
Am I just repeating what everyone else is asking?
Going to get some medication for my headache now...
-Lovely.
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25 ms
June 4, 2014 at 9:34 PM
do anyone know the name of song when hoon and jae hee went for a date?
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26 Yamapisukii
June 4, 2014 at 9:46 PM
after watching these last two eps. I feel like punching something. not good, not good at all. wtf is going on, seriously?! it's frustrating to watch Hoon turn into a mopey, useless walking corpse whose only pining for JH. ugh....I do not need to see this for 10 more eps. it was so good between eps. 3-7 and now it's just going down the poopy drain. drama giveth and drama taketh. *sigh*
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27 riya
June 4, 2014 at 9:58 PM
Stupid drama ever.... All I want is that hoon should be with soo-hyun rather than crying over jae-Hee/seung Hee whoever she is
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28 August
June 4, 2014 at 10:19 PM
At long last, more of Han Jae-Joon's story was revealed. It's about time that Park Hae-Jin was given more than just one or two scenes in this drama. No doubt about his acting skills or ability to convey the motivations and quintessence of his character.
Park Hoon is morphing into the epitome of a fool in love. His love for Song Jae-Hee/Han Seung-Hee is almost reminiscent of and closing in fast on Kim Soo-Hyun's mindset of act first think about the consequences later conduct in God's Gift 14 Days.
"Don’t be fooled by love’s sweetness...Sweet talk doesn’t always mean sweet heart. Don’t be fooled.”---James Filbird
"Never let a fool kiss you, or a kiss fool you."---Joey Adams
"I have loved to the point of madness / That which is called madness / That which to me / Is the only sensible way to love."---Francoise Sagan
I really didn't like when Park Hoon shoved Lee Chang-Yi, dumped her out of the truck, and left her stranded on the street. It would behoove him to recognize that she is a true friend always willing to help and support him in conjunction to being his trusty sidekick.
"A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough."---Bruce Lee
"A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees."---William Blake
Logic was thrown out the window (or door) of Doctor Stranger with the first 2 Episodes and pretty much never returned.
I thought Chang-Yi's mother had been released from the hospital. In Episode 7, Lee Chang-Yi is wearing all of her part-time uniforms in layers and teases Park Hoon in front of her mother at the coffee shop.
Always odd each time it occurs in Doctor Stranger...At the hospital the main characters will leave their cars parked in the loading/unloading zones specifically earmarked for ambulances. It makes you wonder if Myungwoo University Hospital even has a parking lot for staff or the general public.
Prediction:
What is Prime Minister Jang's endgame? He wants either Park Hoon or Han Jae-Joon to implant a bomb into his body during his heart operation surgery. Possible Clues: He craves power, dislikes the President immensely, and is often in close proximity to him.
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29 LJS's girl
June 4, 2014 at 10:46 PM
The plot sucks bigtime and even LJS's great acting and looks can't save it :( the only thing that makes me watch it is because of the Quack couple which now is sinking :( i
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30 windsun33
June 4, 2014 at 10:51 PM
How did the bad guys know they were going to the docks/ships? And why go to China - perhaps North Korea's only semi-friend?
Why is Hoon such an idiot, and why does he keep making so many empty promises?
I am thinking that perhaps if Alien and Predator showed up and had a big fight in the operating room this would be more credible. During an operation on the PM of course, which causes them to misplace the bomb they are putting into his chest, and starts the timer...
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August
June 4, 2014 at 11:50 PM
All the bad guys had to do was track the bright yellow sports car dashing through the streets of Seoul. It's hard to miss even for the average person.
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31 Jat
June 4, 2014 at 10:54 PM
I dont't know what is it with kdrama these day. Big man, golden cross, 14 days, 3 days, Dr. Stranger, I NEED ROM COM!
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MajorDickason's
June 5, 2014 at 1:13 AM
Ah for the days of You From Another Star!
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Curio Serand
June 5, 2014 at 10:02 PM
Hey, I just finished watching "You From Another Star."
It's B.R.I.L.L.I.A.N.T: Impeccably written, beautifully filmed, funny, moving, exciting, suspenseful, Eye Candy Galore and consistently wonderful acting! Not a single false note.
Ahhh!
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32 atz
June 4, 2014 at 11:29 PM
Seriously this show lacks reality in every aspect. Love crazy Hoon,,, though he needed to have Jae Hee when he was in NK to keep his sanity,,,, now he is in SK. He should start his life fresh and new. Forget all about what happened in NK or at least try to forget it. Dive into some pretty fun loving SK girls instead!! Your life would be more fun!! Though many people seem to like the first love dramas, I find them quite unreal. Hoon become very vulnerable person when it comes to JH and lose a cool of normal Hoon, or great doctor Hoon. The viewers do not want to see that, though the writer wanted to show how devoted he is for her.
I still have some doubts on Seung-hee identity. It's apparent that she is a spy but not 100% sure that she is truly Jae Hee. Either way being a female spy, she was forced into many things unimaginable. Does she has a relationship with Agent Cha? If this were a reality based drama, she should be. Many female spies sleep with men. Agent Cha in this eps and end of eps 9 looks like a pimp,,, a pimp who sends his GF willingly to lure a man into his trap. I like to have some reality on Sueng-hee's dirty side,,,in all she is a spy.
Still enjoy your recapping,,, you have some serious skill to recap such a train-derailed-drama filled with different agenda. Thank you.
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applepies
June 5, 2014 at 12:15 AM
Yea! I kind of feel that Agent Cha "likes" SH in his own perverse way lol but well he did abuse her and all
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33 rose
June 4, 2014 at 11:56 PM
Foremost, thank you HeadsNo2 for the recap! :)
The last two episodes felt like story and character developments (for the most part) has stopped. Particularly so for Hoon, where he seemed to have fallen into a slump and his awesomeness - as a doctor, as a feisty South Korean against North Koreans, as a truthful friend who pushes the people around to step up - went MIA. For me, these were the most interesting parts of the drama and to see it lost in ep 9 & 10 is disappointing.
On Seung Hee's real true identity - please writer-nim, JUST TELL IT ALREADY. This has been stretched out too long to even warrant any interest anymore.
Watching the 'sweet moments' between Hoon and SeungHee in this episode left me cold, honestly. It just feels so detached from what we had at the beginning. Its like all the love fire has been doused and what's left is two people trying to make it happen again, when they have grown out of the relationship in the time being apart from each other. In this case, Hoon seems to be stuck in his love for JaeHee from his younger days (he's older now!) while SeungHee (if she is JH) seems to have moved on/grown into another person.
In the entire 60 minutes of ep 10, the only thing I could feel for is SooHyun - when she was at Hoon's clinic. Her loneliness and need for support and comfort was so appealing and it became apparent on how she actually trusts and relies on Hoon to be that support and comfort, whether she realises it or not. She is, as her father says, tough on the outside and really soft on the inside. Kudos to KSR for skilfully portraying it!
JaeJoon's revenge story is introduced a little late, IMO. The drama is already at its half way mark but the stage for JJ has only just been set. That scene of him kneeling only confirms what has been shown all these while - his strong determination to get revenge. I wonder if it was a waste of precious drama time.
Nevertheless, I still have much hope for DS. It's not too late for the writer to redeem it by focusing on answering questions posted in earlier eps and allow for more character developments. The actors and director are worth all the hard work put in to write a good redeeming script from here on out.
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34 daktari34
June 4, 2014 at 11:58 PM
Can't really fault HeadsNo2 for calling the drama out on its failings. I think every drama she has recapped recently has started promisingly only to devolve soon after into a fail of epic proportions.
It is about time the kdrama gods gave her a decent drama to recap.
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35 Amell
June 5, 2014 at 12:34 AM
I still believe Seung Hee is Jae Hee but I'm beginning to wonder how much of Hoon's Jae Hee is actually real. It's very possible she's been a plant in Hoon's life since high school. An innocent school girl to eavesdrop on papa Park and ply details out of the son. Her father screwed something up and they got thrown into a work camp but since the river incident she's been back on the spy roster.
Does she have genuine feelings towards Hoon? Maybe, probably. It'll add even more tragedy to their doomed romance if she dies in his arms swearing she did truly love him.
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jj
June 5, 2014 at 12:55 AM
their hearts beating as one is enough for me that jae hee loves him as much as how park hoon loves jae hee..
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kdramajjang
June 5, 2014 at 12:42 PM
"It’s very possible she’s been a plant in Hoon’s life since high school. An innocent school girl to eavesdrop on papa Park and ply details out of the son. Her father screwed something up and they got thrown into a work camp but since the river incident she’s been back on the spy roster.
Does she have genuine feelings towards Hoon? Maybe, probably. It’ll add even more tragedy to their doomed romance if she dies in his arms swearing she did truly love him."
- My observation exactly!!
Not jumping on any bandwagon, dont wanna get my fragile heart shattered w/delusional love thoughts. [Although I secretly love SH/PH together, that magic wand is shimmering for sure :-)]. I dont think the story was set to be a fully potential love plot. There will be bloody tears in the end, I tell ya
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Amell
June 5, 2014 at 12:58 PM
I don't think this romance is going to have a happy ending.
Although for Hoon if he can't live with JH dying to protect her/so she can escape would probably be his next choice.
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36 m
June 5, 2014 at 12:55 AM
thanks for recapping :)
this episode was hard to watch and not just because i have a low tolerance when it comes to mushy-dushy-lovey-dovey crap (are there really any couples out there that spin around well smiling at each other?). this show has always been such a hot-garbled-mess of writing that i've come to expect it to be confusing and at times even downright senseless but this episode was just… so… ugh! *facepalm* the desperation and complete lack of logic hoon displays when it comes to jae/seung-hee is not so much heartbreakingly romantic as it is mind-numbingly maddening.
the only lasting impression that this episode left on me was the exchange between chang-yi and hoon. i know hoon was terrified and desperate to find jae/seung-hee but the way he treated chang-yi was flat out @$$hole behavior. she was showing GENUINE concern for him and simply stated what he already new to be truth yet he treated her (probably his first real and most trusted friend) like a nuisance and completely dismissed her. i wish chang-yi had taken a page from soo-hyun's book and given hoon a swift kick between the legs, taken the car keys (am i mistaken or does the truck not belong to chang-yi?) and left him there since he never wanted to see her again. that scene would have been SO much more satisfying had it played out that way.
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37 jaejoon
June 5, 2014 at 2:13 AM
I don't know why, but when I see the part where stupid Hoon leave Chang Yi at who knows where, I suddenly remember Lee Jong Suk scandals/news about how he treat his fan badly at the airport. Jerk and Arrogant! I really hate him! Do you think its all about your lover!!!
(Out of topic, I know but just imagine me as JaeJoon who hates Hoon and will do anything to destroy Hoon)
Blame the writer who try to make Hoon as the bad guy instead of the hero I like!
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dal
June 5, 2014 at 7:04 AM
this comment is somehow rubbish and insane, obviously your a jaejoon fun. Come to think of it you are talking below the belt. What a waste.
He is a good actor somehow you feel the intensity of thr scene and of you think about it she is trying to keep his distance because he don't want changyi to get involve. But I admit Hoon is crazy in episode 10.
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jaejoon
June 5, 2014 at 5:13 PM
Rubbish, Insane, Talking below the belt.
Agree.
Indeed my comment are a lil bit harsh, I know.
Apologize for that.
But, seriously I hate how the writer make Hoon as a guy that think, only her lover that matter, others no.
!@$@#$#@$%
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38 OP
June 5, 2014 at 2:34 AM
"Doth my ears deceive me? Is someone speaking sense?"
Ah, I love your snarks. ;)
But should I pray for HeadsNo2 to have a decent drama to recap?
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39 Aly
June 5, 2014 at 2:40 AM
This drama is going downhill. This particular episode was a mess, really.
What worries me the most is that I feel like the PD/cast/writer have no idea where this is going either. As if the writer planned the beginning and ending of this story... but is totally improvising the in-between.
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40 OP
June 5, 2014 at 2:50 AM
"Doth my ears deceive me? Is someone speaking sense?"
LOL.
Glad I didn't watch it. Though I love your snarks, HeadsNo2.
Should I pray for a better drama? For the sake of everyone's brain?
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41 jae
June 5, 2014 at 3:25 AM
I am really getting tired of the SeungHee/Jae Hee fiasco, well I think she is Jae Hee only that she went against Hoon because he "killed" her father. 10 episodes into the drama and I still feel like there's no movement at all, plot-wise. This show is turning to an overly designed cake iced with layers of mystery, conspiracy, revenge and undying first love. The more they add the less appetizing it becomes to the viewers. While I really got excited in the beginning I am really thinking of just reading the recaps to finish the drama. Sad that from a spectacular episodes with Hoon and his father, the writers chose to set us inside a labyrinth where they themselves are not sure how to navigate out.
I am all into Medical AND Spy/Action Dramas (I've finished Medical Top Team, don't judge me). I tuned in at first because as cliche as it may seem, I like geeeennnniiusss doctors (and other equally genius professionals too) with almost impossible to solve rare cases to deal with , but this is just set in a spy conspiracy story done by confused people in lab gowns.
They should solve at least some aspects of the mystery instead of piling em all up. Things could only be too crowded before the feels so small already.
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42 Plod
June 5, 2014 at 5:10 AM
@HeadsNo2: "Seriously, I have no idea why nine episodes were spent having Seung-hee adamantly deny that she’s Jae-hee, only to turn around and pretend to be her—even if it is her, which is anyone’s guess for now."
Well, I share the general feeling that this whole thing is just a huge romp, with the team shaking up a dozen or more possible (and impossible) plot segments in a hat before each episode pair is shot, then going with whatever comes out.
But though there's no explanation of the ultimate plot-design reason for the Seung-Hee / Jae Hee sudden attitude switch, precisely this switch at precisely this juncture is one of the few things that that was plainly laid out well in advance and has been faithfully stuck to, so it shouldn't come as a surprise.
In ep 6, our minimally-expressive female lead, with a gun to her head, reminded Cha that she was indeed Han Seung Hee ("Right! The HSH I created," Cha chipped in) then continued "But Park Hoon will see me as Song Jae Hee". Korean has a variety of future tense equivalents. The one she uses here "박훈은 나를 송재희로 볼 거예요" is deployed to imply that a future event is one you are determined to make happen, whatever anyone else thinks or does. Given that English doesn't have a tense that expresses that rather important nuance, it's tempting to translate her words as "But I'm going to make sure he sees me as SJH". "And so [그렇게]", she goes on (explaining to Cha just what she's up to and that her lurking around Hoon isn't down to neglect of their mission) "until the moment when the surgical team for the PM's operation is decided, I'll continue to be HSH in his eyes, but then I'll turn into SJH." The Korean makes it clear, via the grammatical parallel between the 송재희로 (= as SJH in his eyes) in the first part of her remarks and the 송재희로 되겠어요 (I will turn into SJH) in the second that this is all about how she will manipulatively make Hoon, specifically, see her.
The "will turn into" part deploys a different way of forming a future tense in Korean, with a different, but re-inforcing, nuance. In a context like this, as one grammarian puts it, this tense "expresses a promise to perform a task" in a way that "makes the speaker's intention sound definitive, solemn or binding". So she's making a clear undertaking that the switch in how she presents herself to Hoon will come, by her deliberate long-standing intention, the very moment that the team has been decided. And so it does, the instant Hoon, despite himself, "wins" the bizarre "competition". This is a rare instance where this drama maintains a plot strand consistently across more than one episode.
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m
June 5, 2014 at 5:26 AM
thanks for the explanation. :) i always wonder how much is lost in translation when i watch k-dramas.
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PPasun
June 5, 2014 at 8:55 AM
Lost in translation? Try just lost.
Even understanding all the nuances as a native Korean speaker does not turn this drama into a coherent, consistent work. Even on Korean sites like naver or dcinside, the consensus is that this is gobbledygook and a huge waste of LSJ's looks and talent.
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windsun33
June 5, 2014 at 7:56 AM
I wonder if you have looked at any of the Korean blogs, discussions, or forums about this drama, and if Korean viewers are having the same issues with the plot, even without the possible translation nuances?
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pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉
June 5, 2014 at 8:02 AM
from what I've seen, the widespread consensus on DS is that its plot is now nonsense and poor Lee Jong Seok is stuck trying to carry it.
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43 m
June 5, 2014 at 5:21 AM
this thought just occurred to me, if seung-hee is truly jae-hee then she would be on immunosuppressant drugs because of the kidney transplant. she would also have to avoid certain foods and watch her liquor intake. in hindsight it seems like a kind of gleamingly obvious factor that the writers conveniently glossed over. if hoon or dr.moon had simply thought to check if she was on any medication instead of just focusing on her ct scan they could have avoided tricking her into going through medical tests for a second time and getting caught.
i'm trying so very hard not to be overly nit-picky about this because it's k-drama after all and so many other people seem to find it romantic... but... ah... but it just annoys me so much! it's just TOO cheesy that whole soul-mates have the same heart beat thing! no. no they don't. i think we all know realistically that can't happen but it's even more unrealistic since they are a man and women. heart size is relative to the size of the animal and the smaller the heart the faster it beats. therefor, men have bigger hearts than women and women's hearts beat faster than men's hearts. science. it would almost be the teeniest-tinyest bit more believable if it were 2 men or 2 women but it's really not possible with a man and woman. even if they were the same height men's hearts are still bigger. ugh! ok i know i'm complaining to much, i swear this is the last i will mention of this.
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m
June 10, 2014 at 9:22 PM
came across this (http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10494) totally by chance. maybe there's some truth to hoon's cheesy-romantic lines? :P
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44 osmanthustea
June 5, 2014 at 6:55 AM
Ugh the plot makes me so mad, and what a disgrace to the acting calibre in this.
I'm still in the Hoon-Soo Hyun ship because the Seung Hee / Jae Hee thing is such nonsense and she has no real personality.
Highlight moment: those were indeed Striders that Hoon and SH/JH were riding right? =D
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45 wildfly
June 5, 2014 at 7:36 AM
headsno2 you're cool, your humour is the funniest -its what makes reading about this messy episode bearable
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46 stranger?!
June 5, 2014 at 7:37 AM
uhhhhhh!!!!! how much worse can this get! it's bugging me to watch an amazing actor with overly crowded drama plot that I have no idea what is going on! Because of this mess I don't want joon and jae hee/seung hee to be together.... it just doesn't make sense. I really want soohyun and joon to be together :/
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47 pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉
June 5, 2014 at 8:07 AM
Damn, Heads, I'm so sorry for you and gummi. I really hoped this one wouldn't take the left turn into crazy, and I had such high hopes of the PD to at least cover up the crazy with entertaining, if he could.
I guess now that we've hit the midpoint of the drama, it's officially time for the second leads to become a wuss and a villain respectively. But I'm surprised that our hero ditches all his 'I'm a doctor! we're meant to save lives!' talk and is ready to leave a baby to die, for his gf. This is the 'perfect' boyfriend/greatest romance? I'll just be over in my corner with the popcorn watching this trainwreck.
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48 Heartoppaya
June 5, 2014 at 9:08 AM
Garbage. Why do I love that name so much?
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49 Quiet Thought
June 5, 2014 at 9:35 AM
Jin Se-Yeon's character, whatever her name is these days, could still turn out to be a cyborg. I'm rooting for a guest appearance by the Six-Million Dollar Chaebol Heiress from 'Sly Single Lady.'
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skelly
June 5, 2014 at 12:15 PM
Yep. She's a cyborg, getting secret high-frequency messages from dogs, planted by Romulans disguised as North Korean agents. PM Jang is actually a rogue Romulan in disguise, and they must take him down before anyone else discovers this violation of the prime directive.
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50 pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉
June 5, 2014 at 10:47 AM
This drama is turning out a bigger mess than Heirs, and I do not say that lightly.
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windsun33
June 5, 2014 at 12:34 PM
Yup. Heirs used to be 2nd on my WTF list, after Dr Jin. Now this has moved up to 1st place, surpassing even Dr Jin and Heirs.
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trisha
June 6, 2014 at 12:55 AM
I am not watching DS. Please tell me, if DS is one big mess why it has two digit rating. Yet full sun or pretty man had low ones. What's the magnet?
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MO
June 6, 2014 at 1:20 AM
Lee Jong Seok. Seriously, it barely surpassed 11%
And some found the quirky crazy had the funk of Bride of The Century and King 2 Hearts. The difference is, K2H and BotC managed to deliver the WTF-ery plot executed in a well manner (at least K2H).
But Doctor Stranger? It was. At least until everything went downhill, and I don't know anymore. Only Jae Joon who seemed to be a bit more reasonable (insane is a bit too rough).
Am I the only one glad that Park Min Young took A New Leaf instead of this?
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