Doctor Stranger: Episode 19

86 July 7, 2014January 24, 2016

by gummimochi

It’s an odd kind of penultimate episode as jumbled pieces finally start coming together just in time for the surgery we were allegedly waiting weeks for. That isn’t to say those pieces necessarily fit all that well together, but then again, Doctor Stranger has never been the kind of show that gave us answers when we wanted (or needed) them. But inasmuch as we get some answers in this hour, I’m just happy that we got them at all.

Now in its finale week, Doctor Stranger netted first place with 10.9%, followed by Triangle with 9.0%, and Trot Lovers at 6.5%.

SONG OF THE DAY

MBLAQ – “그대 내 맘에 들어오면은 (If You Come Into My Heart)” [ Download ]

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EPISODE 19 RECAP

After watching Chairman Oh keel over in front of him, Jae-joon tops off his revenge cake by crushing the old man’s glasses with his shoe. By the time Soo-hyun bursts in, there are tiny cracks in Jae-joon’s once-stony expression, and as her father is taken away, she vows that she won’t ever forgive him.

Alone, Jae-joon teeters and appears to be on the verge of tears, as if ashamed by his own words and behavior. Have the glasses disappeared, too? Does anything even matter in this show anymore? Why am I even asking these questions?

After being assured from Hoon that Chairman Oh will be fine, Soo-hyun beelines for Jae-joon’s office to ask him if killing her father was his plan all along. When he claims to have locked the doors so that their conversation wouldn’t be interrupted, she fires back, “From what? Killing my father?”

She doesn’t buy the excuse that all Jae-joon wanted was a sincere apology, indicating how she found her father moments from death’s door. Horrified, she asks how Jae-joon could be so cruel as to watch someone die in front of him: “You’re not a doctor, but a murderer,” she breathes. Him and every doc in this place, if we’re counting.

Jae-joon genuinely seems hurt to hear those words from her, and although he accepts her criticism, he asks if she can’t understand where he’s coming from and what made him so cruel. Despite being told that how she feels now is how he felt when he lost his parents, Soo-hyun says she can’t understand and demands that he leave the hospital immediately. He agrees.

As Jae-joon packs his things, he prepares to destroy his Metaphor Castle, only to stop himself at the sight of the princess figurine. When Chi-gyu comes in saying those crazy rumors claim that Jae-joon was the malpractice victim’s son out for revenge, Jae-joon confirms that it’s all true, and then bids Chi-gyu farewell, telling him to become a good doctor.

Then Jae-joon wanders through the hospital, his memories with Soo-hyun bringing a smile to his face. He stops outside the ICU where Chairman Oh lies unconscious. Needless to say, Soo-hyun isn’t happy to see him here or anywhere else in the hospital, and flatly tells him never to appear in front of her again.

Again, Jae-joon accepts that and silently walks away, a shadow of the revenge-fueled man he was in the previous episode.

Jae-joon informs Hoon that he failed in his decades-long revenge, to which Hoon corrects him—he gave up on it because of the woman he loves. Jae-joon denies it, but Hoon knows that he performed CPR on Chairman Oh in an attempt to save him.

Hoon encourages Jae-joon to come clean to Soo-hyun and ask for her forgiveness, lest she misguidedly resent him. But Jae-joon is okay with that consequence and says he’s here to say his goodbyes. He’s hanging up his scalpel because he feels he doesn’t have the right to be a doctor anymore.

Jae-joon: “Since the beginning, I became a doctor for my revenge, and I had no sense of duty to treat patients. At first I thought you were a stranger, but after I thought about it, the real stranger was me. I finally realized that, thanks to you; that doctors who don’t sincerely respect a patient’s life are all strangers.”

Hoon tells Jae-joon to stay if he feels that way because Soo-hyun will eventually understand. But Jae-joon says he can’t forgive himself and asks Hoon for a favor, repeating Soo-hyun’s feelings for Hoon.

The answer to that is no, since Hoon has found his Jae-hee. So Jae-joon requests that Hoon look after Soo-hyun as a friend.

Soo-hyun has fallen asleep beside her father’s bedside when the old man comes to. Surprisingly, the first person he’s looking for is Jae-joon, whom he claims saved his life. And sure enough, a flashback teaches us that Jae-joon indeed performed CPR to save him—for Soohyun’s sake, Jae-joon had reminded the barely conscious man.

Chairman Oh orders his daughter to bring “Jae-joon-ie” to him, and even though Soo-hyun can hardly believe what she’s hearing, she tries calling, but her calls go unanswered. As for Jae-joon, we see him leave behind his white coat in his now-empty office.

Soo-hyun runs throughout the hospital in search of him and runs outside just as he drives away. “I’m sorry,” she ekes out. “I’m sorry.”

While Prime Minister Jang counts the days until his pretend surgery, Nightshade receives the disturbing news that Agent Cha’s body has yet to be found.

Since we all know that being unable to discover a body means that character is Not Quite Dead, it’s why we see Very Much Alive Agent Cha visit Hoon’s clinic and Jae-hee’s apartment, only to find nobody at home.

With Chairman Oh still in recovery, Soo-hyun is the new acting chairwoman who also gives Doctor Moon his old job back as the head of the cardiothoracic department. He’s over the moon about it.

Hoon gets called in to see Soo-hyun, who relays that Jae-hee knew the truth about her kidney transplant before she met Hoon in the South, which means that Jae-hee still loves him. It seems like they’re both over the awkwardness of Soo-hyun’s feelings for him, and Soo-hyun says she felt like Jae-hee was trying to push him towards her.

Knowing that now, Hoon confronts Jae-hee at her place and asks why she lied, pretending to be angry and purposely pushing him away. Jae-hee repeats herself from last time, saying how his love for her was a lie. Does he know how it feels to be tormented by guilt every day, especially when the evidence is physically within her?

“It hurts even more knowing that that’s because of you,” she says. Just to make sure he gets her loud and clear (for once), she declares, “I never sincerely loved you.”

Hurt, Hoon replays the voicemail she left on his phone, the one that spoke of how happy she was with him and why she had to work alone in this mission from now on. Jae-hee tries to turn away, but Hoon forces her to listen to the sound of her own voice contradicting the words she’s saying now.

Hoon whips her around once more and asks her if it’s true that she doesn’t love him. She says yes. His voice faltering, he asks again, demanding an answer this time. And finally Jae-hee gives in: “Fine, I like you! I love you! I never hated you and it was so hard acting like I did!” Yes, it was hard on us watching that too, but go on.

“I only thought about you every day! Every day I dreamed of living happily with you!” she confesses, crying. Relieved, Hoon hugs her, and then gently asks why she did. She says she thought he’d be safer and better off if she sent him away, and then blames herself because she didn’t know that he’d be in danger because of her.

“Why is that your fault?” Hoon asks. Jae-hee: “Because I made the wrong decision. When I think about it now, I regret it so much.”

A flashback takes us back to the North Korean prison camp where Jae-hee was held captive and literally joined hands with the nine-fingered Agent Cha, who simply asked, “Don’t you want to meet Hoon?”

“Back then, I didn’t even think that it could endanger you,” she says. “No, I never thought about it because I missed you so much. I’m sorry, Hoon-ah. I really didn’t think it would endanger you. But once, just once, I just wanted to see you.”

Once Jae-hee is filled in about Mom’s disappearance, Hoon says he plans to meet up with Nightshade and try to persuade him. Jae-hee approves of this idea.

Hoon has some sort of (unknown) plan, and he challenges Nightshade’s longstanding loyalty to the prime minister, noting how his boss may not feel the same way. Furthermore, Nightshade saved his life and looked after his mother all these years. Surely that couldn’t be on Prime Minister Jang’s orders, right?

But Nightshade considers the latter as repaying a debt and hands him a lollipop—he’ll pretend this conversation never happened.

Jae-hee pays a visit to Prime Minister Jang in his hospital suite. Noticing the newspaper reporting the overwhelming public support for him, she remarks that Jang would get what he wants if the presidential election happened right now.

Jang explains how politics is a world that defies the natural logic where the strong defeats the weak—there’s no need for approval ratings when money talks or a political scare creates buzz. He knows she isn’t here to listen to his boring plans, though, and Jae-hee comes right out with it and requests that he release Hoon’s mother, or else Hoon won’t perform the president’s surgery.

It’s actually funny how she returns Jang’s sarcastic remark with a literal eye roll. She argues that Hoon won’t be moved by threats anymore, but a glimpse of his mother will be enough of a motivation. She reminds Jang that Hoon is all he has now, which has Prime Minister Jang scowling.

While Doctor Moon prepares to look his best for the president’s visit to the hospital tomorrow, Hoon is called over to Jae-hee’s place: his mother is there.

After another tearful reunion, Hoon and Jae-hee sit down to eat with Mom, who places more food on his spoon. Gah, that loving gesture gets me every time. She even feeds Jae-hee, to the latter’s delight.

Hoon proudly introduces Jae-hee to Mom as his girlfriend, and Mom admits that she’s pretty and reaches out to touch her cheek. Nightshade is waiting outside to pick up Mom afterwards, but then Mom doubles back to give her son the teddy bear that hardly ever leaves her side. “See you later,” she says. Why does that sound like a goodbye?

Jae-hee is apprehensive about Hoon’s plan to try and inform the president about Prime Minister Jang’s plans tomorrow, since there will be plenty of eyes watching. Hoon says he’ll find a way, then tasks Jae-hee to ask for Soo-hyun’s help.

At first it seems like Hoon didn’t need the help, since the president says he came to meet the doctor who will operate on his heart. Prime Minister Jang convinces him otherwise, but he still orders Nightshade to make sure that Hoon and the president don’t cross paths.

So Hoon is kept under a watchful eye while Soo-hyun gives the president a tour of the hospital, but still manages to lose his tail, to Prime Minister Jang’s ire. With Soo-hyun’s help, Hoon is able to gain an audience with the president, and gets as far as, “The prime minister’s surgery…”

…And that’s when Prime Minister Jang bursts in to break up this meeting. Still unaware that Hoon knows the truth about who the patient actually is, the president puts his hand out for a handshake. And Hoon takes that opportunity to use his genius and check the president’s heart.

Enraged, Prime Minister Jang tears into Nightshade for almost ruining his plans, to which I have to say you kept messing with for aaaaaggges, but whatever. Convinced that Nightshade did so on purpose, he growls at Nightshade for actually having a heart and gasp, caring about people. For shame.

Listening to Jang spout on about how he’s heard Nightshade talk behind his back makes me wonder if he’s even more deranged than usual, and Nightshade is shocked that his boss could ever think that his loyalty wavered.

But of course, Jang pulls it together to speak to the president in a pleasant voice, though he’s caught off-guard when the president says he’d like to change hospitals.

Nightshade reflects upon the decades he dedicated his life to Prime Minister Jang alone. He takes out another lollipop, reminded of young Hoon. Ooh, will you switch sides officially now?

Jae-hee worries that they’ve lost their opportunity now, but Hoon is confident that he’s the only person who can operate on the president. Next thing we know, Prime Minister Jang grabs Hoon by the lapels, but that hardly fazes him. Given his current condition, the president will barely last a week, Hoon notes.

As the president receives this news simultaneously, Hoon explains that there will be a reason why the other hospitals won’t take on this surgery. Because one kind of experimental procedure’s success rate is too low, they’ll likely recommend a different kind of operation that only Hoon can perform: the SAVER procedure. Another risky procedure that we were told… also has a low success rate.

Despite Prime Minister’s scowling, Hoon is confident that the president will call to change his mind. And right on cue, the president calls to change his mind. Jae-hee is utterly relieved to hear it.

Now that the cat’s out of the bag, the president asks if Hoon’s last SAVER patient is alive and well. Hoon says he is. Then Hoon finally gets a private audience with the president to explain the severity of his heart condition, but that’s something the president is well-aware of.

He’s tired of doctors feeding him words of uncertainty rather than definite answers, but chuckles at Hoon’s answer that God is the only one who can provide that guarantee. All patients are the same in the operating room, Hoon adds.

Amused, the president suggests they pick up their previously interrupted conversation. Once they return to the hospital suite, the president recommends moving up the surgery date to tomorrow… and then teeters in pain.

Hoon checks the president once he’s moved onto the bed, then is pulled close to hear the president whisper to take care of him before slipping into unconsciousness. After the president is wheeled out, Prime Minister Jang wastes no time to assume power and immediately orders a meeting at the Blue House.

As Hoon prepares and begins the SAVER procedure, Prime Minister Jang puts the other ministers’ squabbling to rest with the reminder that the prime minister will assume presidency if something terrible befalls upon the current president.

Jang receives a text that brings him back to Myungwoo, where he gets the verbal confirmation that the surgery went as Jang wanted. As in, the president is now unconscious.

Still, Prime Minister Jang is skeptical as he approaches the president’s hospital bed. Barely listening to Nightshade’s explanation about the BIS activity, Jang chooses a more direct approach, waving his hand in front of the president’s face and poking the man to make sure he’s unconscious.

Satisfied, Prime Minister Jang launches into his rant about how his favorite ruler was King Sejo, who forced his nephew to abdicate (and later killed him) in order to assume power for himself. Sejo was someone who knew that a strong man wasn’t necessarily someone who had physical strength, but knew how to crush the weak, Prime Minister Jang argues.

He practically busts a gut laughing over how foolish the president is—why, he doesn’t even know the reason he’s still unconscious. Jang snarls that the president should have crushed him in the last presidential election. Did he think Jang would be his yes-man forever?

Leaning over the president, Prime Minister Jang tells the man to sleep well until the forthcoming presidential election, after which he’ll win the nation’s hearts by holding a North-South summit, and then make sure the president rests… forever.

And then, to Jang’s alarm, the president opens his eyes and removes his oxygen mask. He’s heard everything he needed to hear.

Prime Minister Jang staggers in shock, unable to comprehend what he’s seeing. Moments later, Hoon and Jae-hee file into the recovery room. Booyah.

COMMENTS

With one episode left ahead of us, I’m still very much wrestling with how I feel about this hour. A part of me can’t help but feel it’s a pity that most of what we saw in this episode didn’t come any sooner in this series, since it would have at least helped us grasp a part of our character motivations, which came across as mostly nonsensical or incomprehensible actions for a large part of this show’s run.

And yet, the other part of me can’t forgive Stranger for spending countless hours spinning its narrative wheels on a surgical competition that drove the medical ethics of this hospital to reside in the greatest depths of hell and carrying us to such extremes that any normalcy (or sense for that matter) felt like a dangling narrative carrot I immediately wanted to latch onto. But like always in this show, plot points that were shoved in our faces as important in one hour were then quickly fizzled out in the next.

Just last week, Stranger emphasized the importance of Jae-joon’s revenge (again), only for the once again Tin Man to save Chairman Oh because of his love(?) for Soo-hyun. Jae-joon’s emotions are even more complicated than his metaphors, where he’ll have an emotional breakthrough, only to retreat to his stony-faced cave numerous times already. And because he disappeared for the rest of the hour after giving up on his revenge (again), all I can do is hope that he’ll get to return to hear what Chairman Oh has to say after all those strained “You… you!!” last time. Oh, and that we’ll get to see it instead of getting another confirmation of something that happened off-screen (again).

Still, it was pretty gratifying to see Prime Minister Jang finally getting his due in terms of the president’s surgery. I wasn’t even sure if there was a set Plan in place, considering how many times The Plan kept changing. And now that we’ve seen it, Hoon really is much smarter than the secret spy Jae-hee is supposed to be, isn’t he? Sure there were a few obstacles and a few more consequences that had to be in his favor (like Soo-hyun as acting chairwoman), but nothing is as good as finding out about a baddie’s evildoings than hearing it straight from the horse’s mouth.

And perhaps for the first time in the longest time, we finally heard Jae-hee loud and clear. It doesn’t, however, necessarily absolve her character from being written as someone whose identity was purposely vague for a reason that’s still largely unknown or negating her nobly idiotic reason for hating Hoon by affirming that she didn’t actually hate Hoon. So does that mean she doesn’t hate Hoon for killing her father by saving her in a kidney transplant surgery? Or that she didn’t think that joining hands with Agent Cha and to see Hoon would risk her life and his after alllllll they went through in Budapest? Honestly, your guess is as good as anyone’s right now.

Now that our undead Agent Cha is back on the loose—since characters in this universe never care to check if anyone who falls in water is all dead—I’m sure he’ll come bursting through any door we thought was locked to try and get another chance to kill Hoon in the next sixty minutes. Or until he’s deader than dead, which at this rate, may never happen.

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1 Lincoln Gu

July 7, 2014 at 8:23 PM

We need agent Cha. or else who will kill Jae-hee? (Jin Se Yeon in another die in last ep or penultimate ep role)

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Mawiie

July 7, 2014 at 10:01 PM

Ha! Not gonna lie: I'm not even watching this drama, but I checked out this episode's recap just to see if she died (yet?) xD will be back tomorrow LOL

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ShinRaeMi07

July 7, 2014 at 11:16 PM

You guys are so heartless. She died on her wedding day in Bridal Mask. Then she also died in Age of Feeling. Now, you want her to die in this drama, too? :-(

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Revel

July 8, 2014 at 1:23 AM

Yes. The tradition must go on!

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demi

July 8, 2014 at 3:43 AM

yes i agree with Revel the tradition must go on

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amy

July 8, 2014 at 7:08 AM

I second to that! :)

Freeman_c14

July 8, 2014 at 3:51 AM

"Now, you want her to die in this drama, too? :-("

Of course. She is the korean female version of Sean Bean. eheh

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chachi-yah

July 8, 2014 at 3:53 AM

oh yeah!

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2 Xiarylle

July 7, 2014 at 8:24 PM

Is it too late to hope for a gratifying ending?

Thanks for the recap! :)

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3 moncet

July 7, 2014 at 8:37 PM

I stopped at 29:54 and can't even finished it. I want my 18 hrs++ back!!!.

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4 windsun33

July 7, 2014 at 9:08 PM

The writer must think that nobody knows any history, or does not themselves know any history with that stupid idea of Jangs that holding a summit with the North will get him elected.

Since 1954 there have been around 20 summits, and 50 to 100 mini-summits, and relations now between N and S are probably worse than they ever have been. Not to mention the fact that very few South Koreans actually want reunification at this time due to the cost (estimated at 3.5 Trillion US$).

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5 Ann

July 7, 2014 at 9:18 PM

I just never have liked the Dr. Han character. She does not have chemistry with Hoon, and she always seems to be lying even when she is telling the truth. I could care less about the plot anymore; I just look at the pretty boys.

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Mystique

July 7, 2014 at 9:30 PM

NO!!. CHEMISTRY!!. WHATSOEVER!!.. Hoon would have better chemistry with a statue than he does with her..

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Curioser and Curiosor

July 8, 2014 at 3:39 AM

Ditto on the zero chemistry!

I've been holding out just for the hell of it but this is the episode that finally lost me - or, as they say in KDrama-speak, finally 'let go of my hand.'

In the 'confession scene' Jae Hee is saying all her lines and doing her darndest to emote away, and there is Hoon-ah emoting right along with her (PH: 'Look me in the eye and tell again that you don't love me', SJH: 'FINE. I LOVE YOU, DAMMIT!...' *sobs and tears all around* and yet... meh.

And all the 's/he really, really likes you' resolution speeches before and after, and all the last minute explanations and 'reveals' - UGH! Did no one ever teach these writers the first rule of drama? "SHOW, DON'T TELL!" It's not enough to say two people love each other; rather, let us see it and you will never have to announce it. Even the Ancient Greeks knew as much. In retrospect, those endless competitions and surrounding shenanigans squandered precious time that could have been dedicated to the showing.

I could not finish the episode. Even uri Lee Jong-suk
just looked exhausted in this episode. There must be a limit to how far a person can just play along before it starts to erode you professional resolve to give it your all. As a viewer, I guess I'll just have to phone it in for the rest of the epi and the finale. (Hey, if the writers can do it, why not teh audience?)

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Annoyed~

July 8, 2014 at 10:54 AM

This drama is getting more and more embarrassing to watch... I feel so bad for Lee Jong Suk because I'm sure that this clusterf*ck of a drama was not what he had originally signed on for.

It seriously pisses me off that this show is still number one in ratings when it did not live up to its potential at all. The writers must seriously take us for idiots

The first episode had so much promise! It practically guaranteed a spectacular drama. So disappointed. Now I know never to judge a drama by it's first episode.

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Anointed

July 8, 2014 at 6:01 AM

Truth be told, LJS and JSY had
more chemistry off-screen on their BTS, it baffles me how the show is unable to translate that on-screen.

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6 Mystique

July 7, 2014 at 9:19 PM

Mehhnnnnn!!!! *sigh* *rolling my eyes* *facepalm* I don't get it at all, i just don't. And i don't even know what it is i don't get. This is just ridiculous. Lol i sound crazy.. Thank God this drama ends today.

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7 RBW

July 7, 2014 at 9:22 PM

I actually really enjoyed this episode. Perhaps it's because the last 4 weeks or so, especially last week, lowered the bar so much that any positive direction in storytelling and any loose ends starting to get tied would have been a welcome development (that's what I used to do with my girlfriend, be so completely aloof and lower the bar so that whenever I do anything, well, normal, it would be a big surprise...j/k...maybe). But barring any unforeseen circumstances, which I know we all need to expect, Han Jae Joon's revenge is all but wrapped up, the Hoon and Jae Hee finally get the President on their side and catch Jang Seok Joo, and there's definitely going to be one last showdown with Cha Jin Soo. Now isn't that all we really wanted?

Yes, the past 8 hours have definitely been crap, which is what filler can easily end up being. I feel like if this were a 12 episode drama with a bit better writing and more common sense, this would have been a hit, and we wouldn't be complaining (as much anyway). But it's a Korean drama, and I've learned to suspend disbelief and expect nothing when it comes to K-dramas. Let's all be glad that this wasn't a daily that lasted 150 episodes or whatever at least. How many surgeries would've ended up as part of that competition?

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8 moonlight

July 7, 2014 at 9:26 PM

This got to be the worst drama i have seen this year. Nothing adds up even until now. WTF, are the writer intend to tell us that what they showed us so far that are illogical should remain a mystery? So apparently it's only took her about 1.5 year to become an anesthesiologist and a spy? I really can't stand JH's face in this episode, there is no chemistry whatsoever and even when she confessed to Hoon, her face is blank and so emotionless. Instead of fixing up the drama, they kept on making it worse. And yea btw congratulation on being the worse couple of this suck ass drama. I WISH I CAN HAVE MY INVESTED TIME BACK. :@

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luna

July 7, 2014 at 9:59 PM

obviously your a quakhoon shipper.

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moonlight

July 7, 2014 at 10:11 PM

YES i am, and? I support those who can act and work hard to get there. Not those who always remain the same and only get the role because she/he has some big shots behind her back. Knetizens can relate to this! I said it based on how i see it. Love it or hate it, it's my opinion.

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pigsnput

July 7, 2014 at 10:29 PM

She has connections like that? Wow that woulf explain why she gets all these lead roles even with the bad acting and constant double booking.....wouldnt have been so bad if she could act but there are even idols who are better than her.

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Unholy

July 7, 2014 at 10:40 PM

She's got the lousiest one to be casted as last minute replacement for thrice in a row now. Next time she better have her sponsor cast her on a drama that's not saddled with problems and add a clause that she would at least survive the show.

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Jacqueline

July 7, 2014 at 11:15 PM

AGREE. fighting jin se yeon.

pigsnout

July 8, 2014 at 1:16 AM

I think she gets to live if she doesn't go running off to another drama before finishing work on the first.....Gaksital was not riddled with problems either, maybe KBS should just grow backbone against her sponsor and stop givingher major roles.

pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉

July 8, 2014 at 8:30 AM

don't worry JSY fans, she hasn't done her usual sign-another-drama- in-the-middle-of-liveshoot routine here, the writers will let her live.

Annoyed~

July 8, 2014 at 10:42 AM

I think her backer is pretty good to get her casted in three major roles with young, hot, and popular actors even if it was last minute...I mean what do you expect when you are a subpar actress? I still can't believe that she got to work with Joo Ji Hoon

Anointed

July 8, 2014 at 11:42 AM

Sponsor issues are so 2009, and she's what 17 at that time? Yeah jailbait is an understatement here.

pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉

July 8, 2014 at 1:25 PM

Whether it's sponsors or major family connections, this girl has got something behind her that lets her subpar performances and unprofessional behavior keep getting a pass.

Her fans should be grateful, really, she'll get to mouth-breathe and simper her way through yet another drama lead at some point in the future, woohoo. All while her agency tells more half-truths about the situation (they've already admitted to fudging her age while she was underage, talk about desperate).

windsun33

July 7, 2014 at 11:08 PM

I guess then that a 5-star rating is out of the question?

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macdmond

September 16, 2017 at 9:08 PM

I agree. It was really impossible for her to be trained for less than a year for being an anesthesiologist, let alone a spy. First a thought that she was a spy from the beginning since childhood, like Evelyn Salt kind of spy. That would be more realistic given that she didn't finished her med school along with Hoon since she was captured few years back. I'm so disappointed with the outcome especially the ending. It really sucked.

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9 owl 🦉 🫰

July 7, 2014 at 9:41 PM

Well, it was a cool move in the end.

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10 lalalalala

July 7, 2014 at 9:45 PM

Not the best drama I've watched, but I still wanted to see Jaejoon and Quack together but after this ep, I dunno if that will work out ugh Jae hee, pls get out

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11 Elle

July 7, 2014 at 10:08 PM

It's amazing how commenters are busy sourgraping about silly ships rather than critiquing the drama's many (many, many) failings. Part of the reason this drama sucks is because the writer tried to cater to y'all.

Many things that happened in this episode should have happened earlier. The last scene with Hoon and Jae-hee vs Jang was nice, but it could have been awesome if it had been built up properly. Sadly, everything about this episode was too little, too late. Jae-joon's and Soo-hyun's plotlines were resolved with barely a whimper, and Agent Cha was brought back from the dead for some lackluster conflict in tonight's finale. *sigh* I wish some talented writer would go back in time and rewrite this drama from scratch.

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windsun33

July 7, 2014 at 11:12 PM

Agreed. So many shippers totally ignoring the horrible writing, especially on the fan sites. Personally I don't care if Zombie Cha kills them all.

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jjeopjjeop

July 8, 2014 at 4:01 AM

Personally, I'd *LOVE* if Zombie Cha kills them all.

HOPEFULLY.

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pigsnout

July 8, 2014 at 6:02 AM

Yes, I support Cha killing them all. Best ending for this mess...

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Ann

July 8, 2014 at 6:36 AM

It's the first time nuclear annihilation seems like the best ending.

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12 iklama

July 7, 2014 at 10:17 PM

This drama had so much potential and it is really too late to salvage it. Here is my ending. I would have given it more espionage overall (and much less of the competition). I would have had quack doctor inadvertently put Hoon and Spy girlfriend in danger because of her naivety. Hoon would get shot and Revenge doctor would have to operate on him to save him. Hoon and spy would end up happily together - they just belong together because of storyline and their shared suffering in N Korea. Maybe quack and Revenge doctor would be happy ... But also, Revenge doctor and Hoon would end up as friends, with some scene where each learned what the other had to go through in life. And they would end up running Hoon's hospital together. Water bottle girl needs some good ending also.

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13 iklama

July 7, 2014 at 10:23 PM

Also,
what happened to all the other parts of Revenge doctors' revenge that he set in motion last episode? Seemed like his real plan was destroying the hospital and sending everyone to jail. Did that not happen?

And Quack was really not likable this episode. Did she not get at all what her father did? I know, I know...it is a drama.....

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14 pigsnout

July 7, 2014 at 10:31 PM

Fighting, gummi and Heads! Just one more to go....

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15 xvanex

July 7, 2014 at 10:41 PM

and Jin Seyeon continues her streak of terrible acting. I seriously tried to give the girl a chance but I cannot watch her. She makes every drama worse. Even though this one is pretty bad all on its own. I def hope her character is killed off again.

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16 Unholy

July 7, 2014 at 10:49 PM

JSY should have never accepted this one. She only got undue criticism since the first casting news despite going off a much better outing, albeit equally woeful drama from IG. Shippers even made it worse. How much I relish to see that stupid Quack ship sink though I'm not a shipper myself for just deserts.

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17 Roar

July 7, 2014 at 10:59 PM

This drama is probably the first time for me to hate the main heroine. The character is too blend and boring. On the other hand, i really like Soo Hyun since she's such a well-rounded character and the actress does an awesome job portraying that character. I honestly don't care at this point about the whole politics and Hoon and Jae Hees love story as long as Soo Hyun gets her happy ending (whether it is with Hoon (unlikely) or Jae Joon (?)).

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18 Pyromaniac

July 7, 2014 at 11:36 PM

I feel like jae joon will get his apology from chairman oh tidying that up. Soo hyun will realize how much she loves jae joon since she has also realised she can't have hoon.

Someone needs to have heart surgery in the final. Maybe cha gets in trouble and hoon and jae hee operate.

At the end jang targets hoon but jae hee steps in front. Leaving chang yi to care for hoon. Someone has to die.

I was thinking doc chi gyu and chang yi but I think chi gyu has slept around with most on staff.

I think the final is anyones guess considering what we have seen so far. But it doesn't seem to take much to tie up lose ends. Almost finished! Can't wait.

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19 roxy

July 7, 2014 at 11:49 PM

Hahaha the comments here are cracking me up but seriously let's face it, as much as this drama is kinda off or should I say not what we expected I actually believe if a better female heroine (lead actress) was chosen the drama might not be that hard to watch or so bad. JSY has a problem with expressing emotions (that's why she is described as stiff) wheras the second leading lady was just perfect (in her acting) so it wasn't that hard for viewers to ship hoon and quack together. OMG I wish moon chae won was the leading female. Well I dropped this drama from episode 12 cuz I couldn't stand the medical jagoon (competitions which honestly don't make sense) and the leading female bullshit (sorry for using a bad word)

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20 Roxy

July 8, 2014 at 12:01 AM

Hahaha the comments here are cracking me up and honestly this drama wouldn't have being that bad or are to watch if a better leading female was casted cuz JSY. Has a problem with expressing emotions and sometimes it feels stiff personally I got angry just watching her my only wish was that moon chae won should have being casted as the leading female. So many things were off in this drama (medical rubbish competions that aren't even ethical, jae joon's character and our prolonged pm jang's plan) well all in all I just want this drama behind us.

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Shiku

July 8, 2014 at 4:43 AM

I find it interesting that people are putting all the blame on the main actress JSY yet the writing and the SBS meddling are the main culprits.

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pigsnout

July 8, 2014 at 5:59 AM

It's not like her acting was any good even when the drama was not yet total nonsense. The other actors at least stayed good as long as they had something to work with, but try as I might the only positive contribution I can say she made to the drama, is a pretty face.

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21 Putri

July 8, 2014 at 12:13 AM

i prefer HoonHee couple than quack couple.. :D *justmyopinion
i think LJS & JSY is cute couple, they are so sweet when dating and take photos together :)

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22 Lovely

July 8, 2014 at 12:21 AM

Die jae-hee die!

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23 August

July 8, 2014 at 12:27 AM

I still contend that the writer Park Jin-Woo is doing a social experiment on all Doctor Stranger viewers- Korean & International fans alike.

How illogical can I make the plot?
How many times can I repeat and manipulate the audience with the same events and plot developments? (Here's looking at you...(1) Constant contests between Surgeon; (2) Questionable hospital practices and ethics; (3) Reverse course when it comes to the consequences of character actions; (4) Overstate how important an event actually is/was; (5) Clarity and character motivation - pfft...who needs that when you can write it into the storyline in the next to last episode; (6) Why should I work hard to be original when I can just serve up Déjà vu action and plot by shooting characters on a bridge, have their bodies fall into the water without being discovered, have a time jump without resolution or wait several episodes and have them resurface; (7) Whatever else is left to be said about this dramas penchant for nonsensical or incomprehensible actions and plot development.

It really is kdrama’s answer to or version of Facebook’s recent experiment on mood manipulation (i.e. to elicit positive and negative emotional responses).

Who knows how many stopped at Episode 2; how many dropped DS midway; how many are just reading the recaps; how many will rant or rave each week (WTF...I need hours of my life back....Where is time travel in real life when you need it! vs. It's the best drama of the year...Oh I just love the OTP... **cough**); and how many are still watching and willing to stick with DS until the very end?

If you want to see a a truly worthwhile and memorable drama about a Doctor embedded in the midst of undercover agents forging his way through life, its hardships, and constant battlefields, then I suggest you watch Baksa Adeul/ (The Doctor's Son)/Jung Shi-hyun in Heartless City aka Cruel City.

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pigsnout

July 8, 2014 at 1:21 AM

Doctor in Cruel City??

When it comes to more medical dramas after this I will just borrow from the APink song and go "Nonono" , thank you. So sick of hospital nonsense.

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Revel

July 8, 2014 at 1:34 AM

It's less of him being a doctor, and more of him being a drug lord with the nickname Doctor.

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sunnyl

July 8, 2014 at 10:50 AM

It is funny that some people confused Shi-hyun being called as BakSa Adul(doctor's son) in the Cruel City.
In Korea, if you do something well (have knowledge), you say something like 'You are doctor'.
In this case, when he was young, one time they were playing chess-like, he made some smart remark. His uncle (what's his name?) said like 'you are doctor, well since you are too young to be a doctor, you be a doctor's son. Yes, doctor's son.' Since then he was called 'doctor's son'.

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Dorothy

July 8, 2014 at 11:33 AM

I think you may be on to something, but I think it's an experiment to see how long a simple story line can be manipulated ridiculously before ALL viewers jump ship or the ratings tank!

If you think about it, all of the repetitiveness, illogical goings-on, and wasted plot devices should make it pretty easy to edit this down to a 2 hour-or-less movie. The movie will probably make sense - as opposed to this drawn-out mishmash of nonsense. Makes you wonder how in the world this didn't get cut to 16 or less episodes!

I have never seen anything as ludicrous as this show, but although I want to pull my hair out sometimes, it's fascinated me to the point where I will watch every episode until the bitter end. And at least I got introduced to Lee Jong-seok, who has completely impressed me with his ability to bring this dog of a script to life!

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24 mystisith

July 8, 2014 at 12:29 AM

Take note dear channels and writers: Good and coherent script first then people who can act their parts next. Also, crazy fangirls shippers haters sunked that ship which was already full of holes... Their comments are a broken record and they are venomous: Not pleasant to read at all.
LJS should better be offered a kickass drama by SBS in compensation.

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25 Putri

July 8, 2014 at 12:33 AM

if jaehee die, i hope hoon will die too.. so they are will happy in the heaven :D
Hoon ever said that he and jaehee is destiny at eps 1 :)

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26 August

July 8, 2014 at 12:43 AM

Kudos to Park Hae-Jin for making the most of his character Han Jae-Joon even with the writing flaws and weaknesses of writer Park Jin-Woo.

The ever elusive and well-noted kidney (or kidneys = 1, 2, 3 ???) of Song Jae-Hee / Han Seung-Hee will come into play in Episode 20. If she dies I bet it's because Cha Jin-Soo shoots her in the kidney/kidneys.

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Minny

July 8, 2014 at 3:29 AM

Soon after dropping this I marathoned You Who Came From The Stars (yes, long time coming!) and I was very impressed with him there; the potential I could sense in DS fully shone in YWCFTS, he (and the whole family's storyline) stole the show for me! In that light, it's even a bigger disappointment that he ended up in this drama. His talent was utterly wasted here and this drama isn't nearly popular enough to give his name a boost.

I hope he gets a lead role in his next drama. He's a good actor, handsome and charismatic enough to be a full-fledged leading man.

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27 mary

July 8, 2014 at 2:17 AM

I hope the drama ends on a happy note and everyone gathers at the hospital for a celebration, ONLY to find that comrade Cha is there and shoot everyone in sight. I'd watch this kind of ending for sure.

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28 Aliya

July 8, 2014 at 2:37 AM

really dissaiponted coz hoon endup with jae hee..how about soo hyun..she's alone..i'm saddes... hoon make her failing love n now he living soohyun n go to jae hee..how could he do this to her.. :(

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29 chachi-yah

July 8, 2014 at 4:05 AM

Actually stopped watching this drama since Ep 11. But still checking out the recaps just in case Quack-Hoon becomes the official couple. Is it too late to re-write the story that way? It will be better. Agree to the comments to get rid of the Jae Hee character.

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30 LizJ

July 8, 2014 at 4:20 AM

Oh, my, the haters are out in full force. It is strangely entertaining, but really sad. All that passion wasted on something that doesn't really matter.

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31 Riya

July 8, 2014 at 4:47 AM

If that Jin Se Yeon lady gets one more serious role in dramaland, Imma punch somebody in the face. Know your strengths, love. If it doesn't work out the first couple of times, you gotta stop.
I will give you a chance. No, seriously. Pick out a cute lil romcom and wear that for a while, yeah? I will honestly watch that without judgement and see how you do it.

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Unholy

July 8, 2014 at 6:14 AM

Thanks for that input. How I wish every critic were as reasonable as you.

And JSY did tweet that she is considering rom-com next as her project.

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Jacqueline

July 8, 2014 at 8:23 AM

I can totally see a rom-com working favourably for her. I saw her little stint in Running Man, and it amazes me how she can be so bright and lively! Seriously, she should consider it. Less melo more comedy Jin Se Yeon

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32 Giegie

July 8, 2014 at 5:20 AM

Hooray! Welcome back agent Cha! I'm just glad I dropped the show last week(couldn't bring myself to watch epi 18). I am honestly curious as to what Agent Cha is gonna do in the finale, but not enough to make me watch it. *Sigh*~what the writers did to the show.
Thanks gummimochi for the recap. :)

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owl 🦉 🫰

July 8, 2014 at 9:42 AM

Oh, that's right, this isn't Gap Dong, I almost forgot. Agent Cha is the best actor!

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33 sumitha

July 8, 2014 at 8:02 AM

wat the is the writer thinking????? :/ hyun and hoon should be together han suckss :p

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34 ohmydramagods 🙏🏻

July 8, 2014 at 11:28 AM

Thankfully, I haven't started Doc Stranger yet. I decided to back out after reading these piles of criticisms.

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35 Ador

July 8, 2014 at 1:11 PM

Am I the only one who likes JSY? She is a great actress imo. Even tho this drama sucks I loved the way she acted.

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36 Pungpung

July 8, 2014 at 2:23 PM

I gave up reading even the recaps of this drama since weeks ago, but the comments from the recappers are nice to read, and made more sense than the drama itself.

Korea is bad at conspiracy theory drama. Adding in medical theme, that has more misses than hits, it'd naturally equal a disaster, even more with a noob writer who gets a taste of double digit ratings.

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37 Quiet Thought

July 8, 2014 at 6:22 PM

Truthfully, the only memorable moment I got out of this series was one of the re-cappers referring to "seaplane barges" rather than "aircraft carriers."

That was punched up, however, by the scene of a humble Korean sentry post on land feeling the earth shake under them as Godzilla . . . excuse, me an American "seaplane barge" . . . sailing so close to shore you could have sunk it with a hurled barrage of baseball bats.

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38 Laana

July 8, 2014 at 6:31 PM

This show has become a joke. I loved it up until the confusing plot became unbearable to think about. This episode in the show was clearly the iceberg to the titanic with the tension of it building up for the past few weeks.
I admit I'm a quackhoon shipper but that isn't even the reason I'm so upset. This show had so much potential and it all suken and rotten at the bottom of the Atlantic. The writers built such good ideas and relationships and then just crumbled them in front of our eyes. What was the meaning of making jaejoon the ultimate evil to just end it with him driving away. What was the reason for the relationship to be built between Hoon and quack when it literally meant nothing in the end. What was the reason for lollipop ajusshi to save hoon and only develop a relationship in the last two episodes. And finally the most baffling of them all, to show the loyalty of lollipop ajusshi to the PM for it to collapse in the sting of a single slap that was surely received countless times before. That kind of stuff doesn't fade in seconds writers! It just does not!
This show was supposed to be more than about love for a lost girlfriend. It was meant to be about sacrifice and not silly competitions teeter tottering lives of patients. Lack of logic and a downward spiraling plotline have killed this drama. Unless they reveal lollipop of jae hee to be part of the plan or some mindboggling plot twist, whatever the writers did right in the first episodes have lost all credit for because of these last crucial episodes that they probably wrote while on LSD.
I'm disappointed; can you tell?

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39 timmy

July 8, 2014 at 9:54 PM

Stop giving jin seyeon any lead role forever !!!
she 's suckkkk
the girlh as chemistry with no one
it's reallly ruin the drama

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40 timmy

July 8, 2014 at 9:56 PM

Stop giving jin seyeon any lead role forever !!!
she 's suckkkk
the girl has chemistry with no one
it's reallly ruin the drama

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41 pyromaniac

July 9, 2014 at 12:29 AM

finally~!! I can rest and not worry anymore... now just have to wait for the dissection.. another open heart surgery? well.. lets stop playing doctor and let it drift off peacefully..

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42 Anja

July 9, 2014 at 6:16 AM

Oh, the satisfaction when the stupid prime minister's 'evil master plan' finally got revealed. I was literally just waiting for the president to open his eyes! But sadly, the past couple of episodes have been incredibly boring to sit through. I'm not even shocked any more. I basically remember this show as: "Oh, we should let Hoon do the operation. No, wait! We should let Jae Joon do it instead! Aah, I changed my mind, I want Hoon to do it. No, Jae Joon won the competition, he should definitely do it! Oh well, it looks like no other than Hoon can do it, after all." And on top of that: "We should kill Hoon. Let's shoot him. No, let's send him to Switzerland! And by that, of course, I mean, shoot him!" Honestly, I don't remember how many times that guy has had a gun pointed at his head. I feel bad for him, you know. He needs a hug! And a new girlfriend....... God, I'm kinda hoping for something terrible to happen to Jae Hee. Does that make me a bad person? They've just never managed to convince me that they truly belong together. But, I'm sure they'll get their sugar coated happy end, I'll probably end up throwing up over. Sigh, so much wasted potential. It's lucky that Lee Jong Suk is fabulous and a talented actor. At least I've had something pretty to look at for the past 19 hours.

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43 rjyuggy

July 9, 2014 at 6:11 PM

This drama is QUACK

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44 amna

July 10, 2014 at 7:38 AM

team quack all the way!!! hoon and doctor Oh had waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more chemistry.

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45 Lulu02

July 10, 2014 at 8:52 AM

I think those last minutes of this episode were good. Now I'm curious about that surgery, did it really happen or was it a set up to get PM Jang to show his true colors? I know it doesn't worth analyzing anything at this point anymore but that's just a question. I love Hoon-Mom's reunions. As you said above there's zero chemestry between Hoon and Jae Hee, don't they test actors chemestry as main couple? Come on. Seriouly I'm hoping agent Cha is alive just to kill Jae Hee, even if Hoon ends up alone, that's better for me I think Quack should have been the main lead, or at least a twist like on Baker King where the second lead gets the boy! I kept watching basically hoping they would that way. Their relationship was fun and touching (considering Quacks's mom died on Hoon's surgery table) from the beggining with JH get get nothing. As for the Jae Joon's revenge? It gave a little bit of something last episode here they throw it on the basket just like that. Seriously, I started liking this show (minus the Jae Hee fall to the river, I even did forgive them for using City Hunter mash up scenes: the shoulder shot-arm dripping blood-saving hanging girl thing) but it went down. Although I loved discovering LJS and started watching IHYV which is the one good thing I got from watching DS

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46 Pegah

July 10, 2014 at 8:05 PM

who knows the name of instrumental song in episode 19 ,,, 4:20 - 5:56 ? i couldn't find it anywhere :((

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47 Mona

October 4, 2014 at 7:06 PM

I haven't reached half of this drama yet but I'm already confused as fuck. Idk but I prefer Hoon and Soohyun as a couple lol. Hoon and Jaehee doesn't have chemistry at all. I was waiting every episode for Hoon-Soohyun thing to happen but reading these recaps, it's hopeless. But I do have this alternate story where Jaehee isn't really Jaehee but some North Korean spy used her face for an evil purpose. The real Jaehee actually died. And while looking for the truth about Jaehee and Dr. Han Seunghee, Hoon and Soohyun starts to fall in love lol. When this fake Jaehee notices she's about to fail with her mission, she lied and tell him that it was really her, Jaehee. Hoon, confused about his feelings, tried to fight his feelings for Soohyun and tried to reunite with fake Jaehee. As they went on being together, Hoon notices that everything was different. Their story doesn't match with what the fake Jaehee tells. Then fake Jaehee, being with Hoon, starts to feel guilty about what she's doing. So other stuff like the old men (PM Jang, Dr. Oh, and whoever involved in their dirty businesses) still happen. But in the end, Hoon found out the truth and while being in danger, fake Jaehee died saving him and tells him that the dying Jaehee still thinks about him until her last breath. Then Hoon and Soohyun start over again, moving on after what has happened. The end lol. Seriously I'm disappointed with the story. But damn, Jongsuk's acting was really great here! Just stop pointing guns at him.