So the clinic was on the best land around for growing the illegal crop? What a coincidence! Imagine that!

I won't be back for Season Two. The show could've ended with Se-Yeob and Eun-Woo smiling at each other under the tree as the camera panned to the sky.

This drama is a criminal waste of Kim Min-Jae, who spent the final two episodes crying, looking shocked, and being generally useless. All the side characters did all the work: dragging Se-Yeob out after the fake death, magically finding the ledger, discovering the poisoning method, dying by Instant Boils of Death, and leaving the country after being the real person who saved the day. There's no need to have a second season after all these finale week shenanigans; they should've waited to take down the big bad until part two.

Anyway, I hope The Powers That Be figure out that no one wants multiple season kdramas all the time. Let's tell the story that needs to be told all in one shot, yes?

Going out on a bit of a limb here, but those barbarian invaders from the north should be the Manchus/Ching, who stomped Joseon twice in the 1620s & 1630s.

The evil state minister said his motive was to stop the king from attacking north. If the late king planned such a move it would have been a hung mistake, so the chief baddie perhaps wasn't quite as bad as he always seemed (??) Gasp.

Then the big to-do at the end of the finale probably also involved Ching, and season 2 likely focuses on them -- either the second war in 1636, the submission of Joseon to Ching, or the Ching conquest of China in 1644. Whatever. I probably won't watch.

Yay, Wol lives!!

I hope season 2 would be closer to the slice-of-life Joseon sageuk drama that I wanted after seeing the promo for season 1. Please let us put the palace stuff behind us. Though really, the drama would have ended nicely with Se-yeob proposing to Eun-woo under that tree. Do we need a season 2? I wonder the financial calculations that favor having a second season.

I'm glad they killed off Commander Im so he won't show up in season 2! I hope they won't replace him with an equally annoying, cartoonish villain.

"The other ministers dig into the food, but the second state councilor leaves his bowl untouched, and somehow, this proves that he’s the only one who knows how the late king was poisoned" ---> I side-eyed this proof so much. Especially when the second state councilor went ahead and ate the red bean porridge.

I liked this very much. I don't know how many episodes season 2 will have and if the writers will have enough story to fill it (maybe 16 episodes in one season would be enough), but I'm happy that I will get to see these characters for longer.

eunwoo is such an underrated female protagonist. she's smart, the drama shows it and makes her relevant to the action itself, she has her own agency. it's such a fresh take, especially for a historical drama, and i loved to follow her along the journey. as I said before, I'm not against romance but I wouldn't mind if they became good partners, in a platonic relationship.

excited for season 2 and pleasantly surprised by this drama that I didn't have high expectations for.

My hunch about a fakeout with the court lady proved correct! I'm glad Shin-woo had some redemption even though I wasn't particularly enthused about his acting.

I guess that sums up my thoughts: this was a pretty cute drama and the found family was fun, but it wasn't my cup of tea. There's absolutely no reason in my mind why it should have a season two. I guess I'll see what I'm up to in 2023 about whether I'll be tuning in but I can't help but wish the cast was free instead to pursue other projects. Kim Min-jae in particular is due for a better role...

This one was a disappointment for me, and I agree that apart from KMJ's smile and voice (and general KMJ-ness) there wasn't a whole lot here that I truly enjoyed. My attention lagged quite a bit throughout, and there simply didn't seem to be enough story to justify one season, let alone two. The show was neither a lighthearted romantic romp nor a poignant, cerebral historical (I would have been very happy with either) and ultimately ended on a mediocre note.

Thank you, @Unit, for the weecap! Yes, like you, I was quite surprised that there will be a season 2. Don't know why they had to hide that kind of news, btw. For these last 2 episodes, I enjoyed the king's visit to the clinic and Dr. Gye pointing fingers at him - Dr. Gye's reaction when he realized he was doing that to the king was simply hilarious!

The one and done season format is exactly why I switched over to kdramas (after being burned by the ending of 8 seasons of how I met your mother). I do not like the season format at all. And usually I tend to steer clear of them. So haven’t watched alchemy. but to be blindsided by another season in the episode finale? That’s doing your audience dirty. This show does not need/deserve season 2.

I don't know any Korean so I had no clue what that end card had said. I actually googled because I was genuinely like "wtf" and I would've never thought this particular drama would be multiple seasons. I suppose technically all stories could be but at the same time, this didn't necessarily feel like one of them. Why does this get a season 2 and vagabond didn't?! What is up with the universe?! (Aside from, ya know, logicistics like budget, location, etc BUT STILL!!!)

Commander Im's death reminded me of Walter White's in Breaking Bad. Both of them positioned in pretty much the same way, touching/looking at their drugs lovingly. In this, I think Im called the plants his "gold" and on Breaking Bad, the music over the death scene was calling the meth "baby blue".

More on Commander Im
What is wrong with that man?! How does he begs for Poong's help/leniency and then try to stab only to go back to begging? Was he inhaling too much of the product?
When Poong said "why do you live like this?" in that disappointed and confused tone, I was thinking the same thing. He tried to stab someone IN FRONT OF THE GUARDS. What was even the point?!

And why did he even bring the clinics family there? I thought it was going to be shown that he was forcing them to work but he just brought hostages to gloat? He died in a way that was fitting to him and I'm just glad he's gone. I absolutely hated the thing he was always doing with is tongue.

It's nice how everything worked out for the clinic family.
Yay for the court maid still being alive (though honestly I was kinda surprised the councilor didn't drive the sword through her heart just to be sure). Also kudos to her for holding her breath as long as she did to fooled them.

@unit thank you for weecapping this season and if you are not here for season two I think the most we can expect will be a drama hangout where two or three of us mumble amongst themselves as the tumbleweed rolls through the empty town square. 🥺

This show would have been great as a slice of life with the found family and a case each week or carried over two weeks like a historical Hospital playlist. I wonder if they plan to do more of the village life in season two but feel historical dramas need palace issues to be authentic. I really wanted to access the source material but couldn’t find an English translation.

I don’t understand why they cut this in two and padded it with the palace storyline when that could have been one episode setting the scene for why a highly skilled clinician ends up in the back waters and then moved on with the real story of friendship and using other means to heal when acupuncture is no longer an option. They could have done that drama in one season and tied it up nicely.

I think I will be amongst the few who tune in for season two in the hope it will be the drama the initial promos were selling.

Well! Who thought a season 2 would work here? 12 episodes was fine.
Glad Im met his end in typical cartoon villain style. Really not sure what the whole last minute opium storyline was about.
Would've preferred the final half episode to be our couple finally getting together and leaving it at that.
Glad Shin Woo stayed on the good side, though, as there is a S2 would prefer him to be in it to team up with our family.
Will I be back for season 2. Probably 🙄. Dealing with sunk costs here....

I seriously think that the show should've ended there with Poong and Eun-Woo living together happily ever after. Why do we even need a season 2??

It was a freaking struggle to finish the last 3-4 episodes of this.
Again, I finished it for the bean. x)

This show was definitely mediocre. I was spoiled that there was going to be a second season. I had no idea. I had wondered what the cliffhanger would be and if they would drag out the current palace politics even more. At least they wrapped up that story....

I liked the clinic family. They were pretty nice and funny. However, Kim Sang Kyung and his acting was wasted here. First time watching Kim Hyang Gi. I liked her and her character was refreshing. Kim Min Jae was handsome as ever. His huge smile when he surprised everyone at the clinic 3 months later was so charming and bright. I seriously perked up at that moment when I was ready to drift off. But still, I would rather see him in a new, better role.

I don't know if I'll tune in for the second season.... Not that motivated.

Agree, ending this at 12 eps with a proposal would have been the best conclusion. Side characters were fun, I did enjoy the clinic family. I watched this for KMJ but he has so much more talent than this drama showed, and now he'll be tied up filming part 2 versus taking on something better. Loved him in Do You Like Brahms. His voice, and beautiful smile!! I hope they don't change the king into an evil controlling ruler. There are a few Kdramas where I would love a second season or even a short follow up but this wasn't one of them. I'll probably watch season 2 just because I like a conclusion but wow if they plan on 3 or more I'll be really unhappy!