Hospital Playlist 2: Episode 5

by lovepark

Life can be difficult and filled with unexpected consequences. One person’s blessing may be another’s tragedy, and someone’s luck could actually be a source of their woes. While the world can be a cruel and heartless place, it can also be surprisingly warm and gentle. There are kind people willing to help, and even the most daunting problems become feasible when individuals join forces to solve it.

 
EPISODE 5 RECAP

Ik-soon begs her brother to keep her condition a secret from Joon-wan, and he keeps his promise, though he looks stunned by the revelation. That night, Ik-joon mulls over what his sister told him—she started dating his friend last summer, but they broke up recently because of her.

Jung-won steps out in the middle of the night to grab some water and jumps back in fright when he sees Joon-wan drinking alone. He asks if something happened, but Joon-wan says that everything is fine. Jung-won wordlessly pats his friend before going to bed, and Joon-wan makes a call that goes unanswered.

On his rounds, Ik-joon meets with a liver cancer patient whose condition has worsened overnight. The husband wishes he could be sick in her place and presses his hand against her shoulder. The wife grimaces under his touch, and Ik-joon notes the odd reaction. After Ik-joon explains the upcoming procedure, the husband responds apathetically, which raises more flags.

At the hospital café, Rosa tells Seok-hyung’s mom that his son has changed a lot, and she agrees with her, adding on that she went through hell but at least has her son. She says that she is happy lately and only has one wish: her son’s remarriage.

Rosa scolds her for meddling into her child’s life again and ruining another relationship. Seok-hyung’s mom feigns ignorance, so Rosa describes, in detail, all the things she did to Shin-hye from calling her constantly about her dowry to forcing her to sign a prenup. She believes her ex-daughter-in-law was amazing for lasting a year under those circumstances, but Seok-hyung’s mom thinks differently.

Seok-hyung’s mom calls it a scam marriage and accuses her in-laws of tricking them before the wedding. She only approved of the union because the other family was supposedly rich, but once they looked under the covers, her in-laws were on the brink of bankruptcy.

Rosa says that she should not have treated Shin-hye as thief though, but Seok-hyung’s mom swears that her daughter-in-law stole the two-carat diamond ring (aka, her dowry). She explains how Shin-hye cleaned her room for the first and last time the day the ring disappeared, but Rosa calls her delusional.

Looking up, Seok-hyung’s mom stares in bafflement at the sight of Shin-hye, and the two of them lock eyes. Shin-hye walks away without acknowledging her, but Seok-hyung’s mom is shocked by something else: Shin-hye’s diamond necklace looks like her ring.

On behalf of a guardian, Min-ha asks if the husband can film the birth of their child, and Seok-hyung approves the request though he thinks the wife might hit her husband. Min-ha has a second question that she wants to ask over coffee, and it takes Seok-hyung a moment to process everything before agreeing to talk with her in private.

In the operating room, Dr. Chun berates the chief resident, and Jae-hak (who is now a fellow) comes to the rescue, explaining how the chief resident had to work all night. Dr. Chun scoffs at the excuse, claiming how back in his day he worked 180 hours a week. Jae-hak mutters under his breath that there is only 168 hours. Pfft.

Joon-wan’s surgery room has a much different atmosphere as the others call him “one percent.” After he leaves, they wonder amongst themselves if he ever gets mad, and a nurse explains how he does chide interns and residents, though even then, he remains respectful.

On their way to grab coffee, Min-ha asks Seok-hyung what kind of movie he likes, but she takes it back when he wonders if this is her allotted question of the day. Down the hallway, Gyu-wool waves at her best friend, but Min-ha motions at her to hide.

Too absorbed in his phone to notice anything, Seok-hyung tells Min-ha that she already used her question and includes a new condition: she can only ask work-related things. She begs him to reconsider, promising to never cross the line.

Cracking a smile, Seok-hyung relents to his resident’s wishes but tells her that she already used her one question. She lights up at the compromise and offers to buy him coffee still. Seok-hyung suddenly stops, causing Min-ha to bump into him, and they stand face-to-face with Shin-hye.

Disregarding the stifling air between them, Min-ha cheerily greets Shin-hye, and Seok-hyung introduces her as his resident. His choice of words elates Min-ha who turns away for a second to bounce around. As the ex-couple stare at each other, Seok-hyung takes his leave, and Shin-hye lets him go.

Song-hwa finishes up a surgery and uses this as a teaching moment for her younger surgeons. Meanwhile, Gyu-wool waits for the elevators with a bag of snacks and smiles when she sees Jung-won standing inside. He grins back and holds the bag for her.

Searching through her huge stash, he asks if this is for one meal, and she sheepishly answers, “Two?” The elevator doors open again, and Joon-wan stares at the couple. He offers to wait for the next one, but Jung-won tells him to get on. Though he rides with them, Joon-wan sticks to the farthest wall. Heh.

Ik-joon plays games in Song-hwa’s office since she called an emergency meeting and looks for a charger. Noticing her tired face, he asks if she wants to “recharge” and inserts the cable into her ear while the wall adapter goes up his nose. Joon-wan barges in, asking for a charger, and suppresses a laugh at the sight of them.

Once Seok-hyung arrives, the four friends turn to Song-hwa, waiting for the big news. Seok-hyung wonders if she is getting married and immediately apologizes when the others glare at him. She says that it is as important as marriage, effectively grabbing their attention—she bought snow crabs!

Ik-joon parodies Song Hye-gyo from Autumn in My Heart, and Joon-wan jumps in with Won Bin’s line. They high-five afterwards, clearly proud of their teamwork. Bwahaha!

Song-hwa tells them that she already bought ten crabs and sent them to Seok-hyung’s house. They gasp at the amount, and Jung-won points out that there is technically only four people eating since he is allergic. She says that they can share with their family and friends, except for Joon-wan since he can eat all his portion. Pfft.

Rosa and Jong-soo share a simple meal together, and she nags at him to get a health exam. He refuses, preferring to stay ignorant since everyone dies in the end. She tells him that he should live the rest of his life for himself, but Jong-soo finds nothing fun. His only highlight now is eating food with his best friend, and she offers to make him a meal every spring.

Though Jung-won cannot visit this weekend, another child is coming to see Rosa, and Jong-soo calls her lucky. She sighs at his comment since her life is a weekend drama, so he wonders if her oldest is part of a makjang storyline: is he the late chairman’s illegitimate son?

He always thought Dong-il looked too old, and Rosa chuckles because she cannot disagree though she calls him thoughtful as well. Her supposedly dependable oldest screams for his mom while eating ice cream and presents a small bouquet of flowers he found outside. She scolds him for plucking her daisies, and he plops them into Jong-soo’s cup.

The friends gather at Seok-hyung’s place and skip band practice to eat crabs. Ik-joon complains about their lack of concern for their main vocals since he needs a break from time to time. Song-hwa sees her chance to step in, but before she even finishes her statement, the others cheer and Ik-joon hits a high note. Ha!

Refusing to give up, Song-hwa targets Jung-won, and he starts to give in when she explains how much she practiced. Seok-hyung slaps him out of it, and Ik-joon puts down his foot. When the tide seems to gradually shift in Song-hwa’s favor, Joon-wan calls a time out.

The four guys hold a meeting while Song-hwa waits anxiously for their decision. With the conversation dragging on, Ik-joon leaves for a bathroom break and crab walks out of the room.

After much deliberation, the others decided to let Song-hwa sing but only on her birthday. She accepts the offer before they change their minds, but Jung-won tells her that this year does not count since she sang last year. Joon-wan says that it should be biennial, and Song-hwa agrees on one condition: they go to karaoke right now. Yeah!

Ik-joon sings “I Like You” by Weather Forecast with Song-hwa humming in the back, and Joon-wan looks appalled by her ad-libs. When they reach the bridge, Seok-hyung sings in falsetto like in the original, and twirls around a pole. Ik-joon finishes the song with a little a performance, and Jung-won joins in on the fun, too, tapping on grumpy Joon-wan’s chest. Heh.

Jung-won invites Gyu-wool over to his apartment and sets up the crab he deshelled for her. She is moved by the gesture, and he promises to buy her more while Song-hwa is in Sokcho. Gyu-wool tells him that Min-ha’s parents run a guest house there, and they make plans to visit after she passes her board exams.

She wonders if that day will come because anything can happen in a year, but he says that it will pass by in a flash. As her boyfriend, the only thing he wants is for Gyu-wool to share her worries with him. Gyu-wool, though, wants something different and kisses him on the cheek. She asks if he can show her affection at least once a day, and Jung-won fulfills her wishes right then and there.

Dong-il plants the flowers he picked back into the garden and throws question after question at Rosa. She pushes him to the ground for ruining her daisies again, but he laughs good-naturedly at her scolding. He raises his arms so she can help him up, but Rosa drops him again and giggles as she runs away.

While watering the plants, Jong-soo tells Rosa that all her kids are talkative. She says that they really are, wondering if it makes them look flippant, but he calls them thoughtful. He says that he is jealous, but Rosa gives him a skeptical look and points at her oldest who is making rainbows in the yard with the hose.

Gyu-wool gives an update on the liver cancer patient to Ik-joon, and to her confusion, he asks about her husband. Joining them, Nurse Song mentions the husband’s request for a medical certificate with a statement about his wife’s worsening health, but Ik-joon cocks his head since she is actually improving.

On her way out, Song-hwa runs into Min-ha who exits the bank with a complimentary doll. She tells the two neurosurgeons that she paid off her student loans, and they congratulate her. An emergency sends Min-ha away, and Seon-bin is awed that Song-hwa even knows an OB/GYN resident. Before she leaves, Song-hwa tells Seon-bin that she will not be coming to Seoul for a while, and Seon-bin clings to her arm, sad to see her go.

Ik-joon visits his patient and notices a new bruise on her forehead. He suddenly suggests an ultrasound, and Nurse Song catches onto his plan and plays along. The husband is wary of leaving his wife’s side, but Ik-joon’s friendly image comes in handy as he assures the husband to trust him.

In the delivery room, Seok-hyung tells the nurse to let the husband in since the baby is almost out. Elsewhere, Gyu-wool prepares for her trip to Busan to procure the transplant organ, and the coordinator tells her to call if anything happens.

While Joon-wan reads an article about Eun-ji’s donor, Jung-won enters the office and asks if he wants to have dinner with him. Joon-wan realizes that Gyu-wool must be busy, and Jung-won does not deny it.

Back in the delivery room, the husband walks in with a camera strapped to his forehead, and Min-ha gawks at him for a second before turning her attention back to the mother. Once the baby is out, Min-ha tells the husband to film their child, but he rushes to his wife’s side and thanks her for her hard work. Seok-hyung lets out a small laugh as he watches them express their love for one another.

After tidying his side of the office, Seok-hyung takes a break when Song-hwa drops by with some food from Jung-won. She keeps him company while he eats, and he tells her about the delivery from earlier. He learned from the couple that marriage might not be all bad and was even jealous of them. She suggests that he remarry then, but Seok-hyung tells her that people like him should not.

Seok-hyung fears that marriage will ruin another life like Shin-hye because his mom will never change. Song-hwa gently broaches the topic and asks what efforts he made in the relationship. Though it is not much, he did try to pay for her study abroad trip after he realized that she was on sleeping pills and even suggested that she move to her mom’s place when she was depressed.

The last thing he did was keep silent after he saw his wife steal from his mom because he thought looking the other way was the best option. He asks Song-hwa if she thinks he at least tried, but she tells him that he did not. She says that he ran away from his problems, and Seok-hyung concedes since he recognized his faults a long time ago.

Though Seok-hyung berates himself for being immature, Song-hwa points out that acknowledging the problem is half the battle. She offers him a solution now that they know the issue and tells him to talk more. She says that he needs to share even inconsequential things and suggests that he start with someone close to him.

Pausing their conversation, Seok-hyung answers a call from Min-ha, and she asks him to contribute more to a birthday fund since he is rich. To Song-hwa’s surprise, Seok-hyung takes her advice right away and asks his resident more questions.

In Busan, Gyu-wool notifies the coordinator about the delay, which means they will miss the train. The coordinator promises to find some way to bring them back, and Gyu-wool thanks her for her help.

Ik-joon and Jung-won take a smoke break, and Jung-won realizes that something is bothering his friend. Meanwhile, Gyu-wool and the fellow take an ambulance to Yulje Medical Center, and she sits in the front to keep the driver awake. Throughout the trip, she shares her snacks with him and asks to use the rest stop when she sees him dozing off. They arrive safely thanks to her efforts, and Gyu-wool gets ready for the transplant.

Despite the late hour, Gyu-wool gets a call from her mom who says that she wanted to hear her voice. Gyu-wool asks if she fought with Dad again, but her mom denies it. After making sure that her mom is alright, Gyu-wool hangs up since she needs to go into the operating room.

A guardian storms over to the nurses’ station and demands a room change for her mom. She suspects domestic violence between the liver cancer patient and her husband, but has no evidence since the curtains block her view. Hearing the accusation, Gyu-wool marches over to the patient’s room and finds the husband tucking in his wife. He greets her with a smile, and Gyu-wool walks away, unable to confront him without a proper cause.

In his office, Joon-wan eats two cup ramyuns when Ik-joon pops in to ask about his schedule. Joon-wan tells him that he is away at a conference this week and probably will not come back until the weekend. He wonders why he is asking, but Ik-joon leaves without explaining anything. Soon after, Jae-hak calls Joon-wan and tells him that Eun-ji’s mom requested a meeting with him.

Gyu-wool stays late to organize her charts, but in reality, she was waiting for the husband’s return. Noticing his drunkenness, she follows after him while Nurse Song rushes off in the opposite direction.

Eun-ji’s mom drops off cookies to the PICU nurses and remembers all of them by name. She thanks them for all their help these past couple of months, but there is someone else she feels grateful towards. Meeting Joon-wan in the hallway, Eun-ji’s mom hands him an envelope for the donor’s family. He says that he does not know the donor, but she saw the article about the young boy.

While she was praying for a miracle this entire time, a part of her felt troubled since it also meant wishing for another family’s misfortune. The gift she prepared is a donation under the donor’s name which she plans to continue for the rest of her life in remembrance.

As Jung-won steps out of the elevators, he spots Nurse Song frantically calling the security guards to come help her. Meanwhile, Gyu-wool confronts the husband alone, but the husband pushes her to the ground. Luckily, the guards arrive and apprehend the drunk man before anything worse happens. Jung-won follows right behind the guards and runs to Gyu-wool’s side.

In the ER, Dr. Bong scolds Gyu-wool for charging into things without thinking and advises her to rest until her shoulder fully heals. After he leaves, Jung-won closes the curtains and sits with Gyu-wool. She tells him that she cannot promise this will not happen again in the future since she refuses to overlook domestic violence. Jung-won says that Ik-joon suspected as much, too, which is why the guards were there.

During their smoke break, Ik-joon told Jung-won about his suspicions concerning the husband and requested additional security on their floor. Since he did not have concrete evidence, he tried to talk with the wife privately, but she was too afraid to speak up. She apologized to Ik-joon, but he told her that she was not the one at fault; she was the victim.

Gyu-wool wonders what will happen to the patient if the husband tries to discharge her, and Jung-won tells her that Ik-joon moved her to the ICU and prohibited visitors. She learns another valuable lesson about working together, but something about her reaction bothers him.

Jung-won lets her know that he will always be there for her if she needs him, and Gyu-wool assures him that she is fine. He reaches over to hug her, but stops when Ik-joon calls her name. They chuckle at his antics and ignore him as they hug behind the curtain.

Ik-joon picks up Ik-soon from the airport and teases her for wearing a cap to hide her face. He tells her that his friends will not be there, and she acts gruff to hide her embarrassment. While she gets her checkups, he paces outside in the hall, worried about his little sister.

In the evening, he goes over the results with her in his office, and she tells him that she misinterpreted the signs as a result of stress and old age. He says that the hepatocirrhosis is still in its early stage, so she can get treatment while living at home with their parents—he ignored this part of her request and informed them about her condition already.

Joon-wan returns to the hospital after the conference because of an emergency patient, but when he gets out of the taxi, he spots Ik-joon’s car parked on the side of the road. While waiting for her brother inside his car, Ik-soon gasps when she sees her ex-boyfriend walking towards her and holds back her cries. Before Joon-wan gets close enough to see her, Jae-hak takes him away.

While the band plays “Already One Year” by Brown Eyes, the scene switches back to the hospital. Ik-joon and Gyu-wool check up on the liver cancer patient who found the courage to separate from her husband. She thought no one would help her before but now realizes that there are a lot of kind people in the world.

Seok-hyung watches his favorite variety show on his phone, unaware of Min-ha standing outside the door contemplating on what to do. Having interpreted their previous conversation as a green-light, she enters the office and uses her one question: Can she confess to him five more times?

After getting over the initial shock, he tells her that it does not bother him; however, he will reject her every time. She finds it unfair that he turned her down before she even said anything, but undeterred, she uses one of her chances this instant.

She asks him out to the movies this weekend, but Seok-hyung made plans to go to the temple with his mom. As he gets up, he tells her that she only has four for confessions left, and Min-ha slumps in her seat.

Ik-soon cuts her hair shorter, and it is springtime when she transfers to a new base closer to her home. Much to her chagrin, Ik-joon visits her frequently to check on her health, and we see the seasons change through their food. He even comes down on Christmas, but their cheery mood turns serious when Joon-wan calls him. While he gets up to answer, Ik-soon is flustered by the thought of her ex-boyfriend and spills her cup.

A new semester has arrived, and Woo-joo tells his dad that he is excited to see his girlfriend at school today. Ik-joon wonders if he likes seeing her all the time, and Woo-joo says that he does, just like how he loves seeing his dad every day. They send each other hearts across the table, and Ik-joon turns it into a mini-battle.

As Ik-joon helps his son get ready, Woo-joo asks if hospitals have new semesters, too. He tells his son that they do and explains how lots of new people join their team. This year, though, an old friend is coming back, too, and the scene switches over to Song-hwa who cleans up her office.

Her friends drop by to greet her, and Jung-won hands her a daisy from her brother while Joon-wan gives her a swift handshake before heading off to another surgery. Seok-hyung comes in spinning and comments on how even the sky is crying. Ik-joon stops by last, inviting her out to eat, and only he appreciates the rainy day just like Song-hwa.

 
COMMENTS

This was a fun episode with lots of silly moments of the friends together, but besides that, it was mostly setup for the timeskip. The only major, new issue introduced this episode was the liver cancer patient and her abusive husband, but this also seemed to be more about laying some groundwork concerning Gyu-wool’s backstory. The other instance where Gyu-wool flung herself head-first into danger without thinking of the consequences was to chase after an abuser, and the parallelisms might not be coincidental. When Gyu-wool talks with her mom over the phone at four in the morning, the first thing she asks is if she fought with her dad. The fact that her initial thought was an argument between her parents suggests that Gyu-wool is used to these situations, though the severity of their fights is still unknown. While Gyu-wool might have not grown up in an abusive household, she is clearly hiding something from Jung-won when he asks if she is okay. She is a very independent person which is both her strength as well as her weakness. It makes her determined and diligent, but she struggles to find help when she needs it. She rushes into problems without considering better alternatives, and hurts herself in the process. However, Gyu-wool is open to criticism and listens to her teachers well, which means she can learn from her mistakes. While it might take a while, I think Gyu-wool will be able to share more about herself with Jung-won in the future, and the timeskip will probably help with this issue.

The other romantic pairing heavily focused in this season is Min-ha and Seok-hyung. After this episode, it feels like Min-ha might actually have a chance with our teddy bear since he is slowly recovering from his past relationship and warming up to the idea of love. His relationship with Shin-hye was rough, and all parties involved hold some responsibility for the marriage’s failure. Personally, I think Seok-hyung’s mom is the biggest offender even if her accusations against her in-laws are true. She was the reason (or at least partially) why the two of them married in the first place, and if she really thought they were scammers, she should have called off the wedding rather than harass Shin-hye while they were engaged. Seok-hyung is also at fault for their divorce since he clearly had no romantic feelings towards his wife and ignored her despite noticing her struggles. He only offered solutions that kept her distant from him because he didn’t see her as a partner, and likewise, I don’t think Shin-hye thought of him as family, either. Stealing the dowry was wrong, but it feels like Shin-hye did it out of spite because she hated the thought of gifting anything to her mother-in-law. In the end, Seok-hyung’s mom drove them apart, and neither he nor she loved each other enough to make it work. The difference between his present and past relationship, though, is Seok-hyung’s agency, and I think this will play a huge role in whether or not his remarriage will succeed. While Min-ha’s character is also a huge factor—her bubbliness allows her to slowly encroach upon his life and open his heart—it’s up to Seok-hyung to decide if he wants this relationship to be something more because he has to be the one to fight for it.

As usual, I love it when the five friends share a scene together because they have such great chemistry. It’s always chaotic when they are with each other, but it never feels too out of control because they’re all at ease. They can fully be themselves without any of the titles and not worry about keeping up a certain image. These five friends have been through thick and thin; and it shows in their actions and how they treat one another. There are so many little moments that I love about this show like Joon-wan jumping in to play Won Bin’s role so that Ik-joon does not feel lonely, Song-hwa turning to Jung-won because he’s the easiest target, and Seok-hyung full-on slapping his friend in order to snap him out of it only to be convinced himself seconds later. The karaoke scenes are also a hoot, and this one was another hilarious gem. Crabby Joon-wan refusing to participate was funny, but what made this little joke adorable was the fact that his grumpiness only made his friends want to drag him into their shenanigans even more because they knew he has been in a bad mood lately. Not only are the characters a riot, it also showcases their love for each other in a subtle way.

With the show taking a year timeskip, it seems the story has reached its half-way mark. For the most part, the first half of season two felt more like an extension or an epilogue of the previous one than a completely new season. It focused on similar themes, and while the show felt comforting and familiar, it lacked a certain charm that hooked me like it did during the first season. Hopefully with this timeskip and the introduction of new characters (or fleshing out old ones), season two will be able to bring that sense of originality to the show again, and possibly surpass the first one. It’s always hard to come back with a new season because of viewers’ expectations, but with this incredible cast and crew, I’m sure that there are still plenty of more fun and heartwarming stories left to tell.

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