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Doctor Stranger: Episode 4

Doctor Stranger is settling down into its new home quite nicely, and spends this hour exploring the personal lives of characters who aren’t our lovable ragamuffin hero and his question mark of a first love. The hospital politicking keeps a low and welcome profile, except for the competition for Best Cardiothoracic Top Team—which, of course, gets created as a response to the shortage of surgeons. Because what better way to deal with dwindling doctors than to split their numbers by making them fight to the death (of their careers)?

Ratings-wise, Stranger picked up first place with 12.7%, while former top drama Triangle brought up the rear at 7.4%.

SONG OF THE DAY

DMTN (달마시안) – “E.R.” [ Download ]

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EPISODE 4 RECAP

Hoon chases Jae-hee’s doppelgänger through the hospital, but loses her outside when she gets into an ambulance. When asked what took her so long by the driver, Jae-hee(?) replies that she was tending to a patient named Kim Eun-hee—Doctor Soo-hyun’s mom.

The ambulance drives away, leaving Hoon all alone. Curiously though, Maybe Jae-hee seems to notice him in her side mirror.

Unsettled, Hoon goes directly to Smuggler Im to demand an answer, sure that the man knows where Jae-hee is. The smuggler brushes Hoon off by claiming that the girl he saw was a different person, and puts the heat on him to round up at least fifty grand to get Jae-hee out of prison camp.

After Hoon leaves, a mysterious man pays Smuggler Im for lying. But when the smuggler asks whether Jae-hee really is in the North, the shadowy man with a missing finger uses the “I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you” line before he magically disappears.

Doctor Moon is so desperate to get Hoon to work at his hospital that he pulls out the fifty grand Hoon needs from his wallet to casually wave it under his nose.

He claims he’s in support of young love, when really, he just wants Hoon to head and create a rival cardiothoracic surgical dream team at the hospital Hoon was just barred from re-entering for life. But in the face of all that money, Hoon is definitely considering it.

When Jae-joon and Soo-hyun finally get a chance to talk about her unwelcome (at least on his end) move to hospital administration, they’re interrupted by a giddy and oblivious Doctor Moon. The discussion is yet again tabled, while Doctor Moon mentions that he’s got the perfect new candidate for their department…

Cut to: Jae-joon presenting his candidate choice to his fellow hospital administrators. While they’re all happy to go with whoever Jae-joon picks, Doctor Moon interjects to play footage from Hoon’s impromptu surgery.

The doctors are in awe, not only of Hoon’s precision (since the incision was so perfect that there was no bleeding), but also his speed. Even Jae-joon admires the mysterious surgeon’s skills, but while he’d like to see the surgeon’s records first, Doctor Moon bypasses him by inviting the surgeon in.

The doors open, and Hoon struts confidently into the conference hall. Soo-hyun’s jaw drops, to which Hoon offers her a cavalier wink and a wave: “Hi, Quack Doc.”

Hospital Director Choi, the ajusshi whose portrait Hoon recognized, pays a visit to Chairman Oh after returning from a long leave of absence. Even though he’s close to retirement, Director Choi has a recommendation now that Chairman Oh is looking for new doctors…

Meanwhile, there’s a hiccup in Hoon’s introduction to the conference: when asked where he studied medicine, he replies, “Pyongyang Medical School.” That nips the support movement for him right in the bud.

Jae-joon stays behind with Doctor Moon, and isn’t so much angry as he is practical. If Hoon were to join the team, who would he be operating on? Doctor Moon: “The Prime Minister, of course.” Jae-joon’s next question: how would Prime Minister Jang feel about a North Korean defector operating on him? That’s when Doctor Moon sees where he’s coming from.

Once they’re left alone, Doctor Moon frantically paws at Hoon’s crotch for his money back. Even if everyone were to accept Hoon as a doctor, he wouldn’t, because he hates commies.

He throws a few dollars on the floor, and then proceeds to insult Hoon for stooping to pick it up. Soo-hyun ends up watching the exchange when she goes back in to return Hoon’s 500 won coin, sympathy clearly written all over her face.

Hoon finally has had enough with Doctor Moon’s wheedling, and confronts him with a dangerous gleam in his eye: “That’s right. I want money. I’m crazy for it. I’d give my whole body, not just my kidneys and liver, for this,” he says as he waves the few measly dollars. “Why can’t I do that? What’s wrong with that?”

Soo-hyun stops him as he storms out to ask him why he doesn’t just start a business if he needs money—doesn’t he have pride as a doctor? Hoon scoffs at her use of the word “pride” as he grips her doctor’s coat to make a point. “You don’t get pride from wearing this. Understand, Quack?”

Chang-yi congratulates Hoon for getting a job with a pair of shoes, which he knocks out of her hands. At least he immediately feels bad about it, and puts the shoes on to make her happy. D’aw.

It seems that the semi-retired Director Choi’s candidate recommendation was Hoon, since Chairman Oh calls Doctor Moon and Jae-joon in to tell them that he’s hiring the doctor neither of them want.

To add insult to injury, he all but forces Doctor Moon to take Hoon on in order to form a dream team to compete with Jae-joon’s, since Chairman Oh claims competition is healthy. Whoever wins will have the honor of representing their hospital’s cardiothoracic surgery department, and will also win a prize. Whoever loses will be penalized. Let’s play with people’s lives!

Doctor Moon seems almost scared of Jae-joon, because he can’t help but tuck his tail beneath his legs when Jae-joon flatly asks, “Do you think you can be my rival?” Clearly, Doctor Moon doesn’t.

Hoon helps Chang-yi’s mother settle into the hospital, and declines Chang-yi’s offer to take Mom to his clinic since he’s selling it. Chang-yi protests, but Hoon’s firm on his decision. (I’m not sure if this is important, but Mom throws a strange glance their way. Is she actually sick?)

After Director Choi tells him that Prime Minister Jang wants Hoon on the team, a bipolar Doctor Moon is back to waving money under Hoon’s nose, citing his change of heart as due to his non-existent generosity.

Hoon has no option but to comply if he wants the money, even though Doctor Moon insists that he call him “Master.” Hoon is going to be his general in battle against Jae-joon.

While Jae-joon assembles his team and leaves the hitherto obedient “trashy bastard” Doctor Yang out of it, Doctor Moon swoops him up into Hoon’s team.

Meanwhile, Hoon waves the fifty thousand under Smuggler Im’s nose before tearing the bills in half. He gives the smuggler one half while he keeps the other, promising to give him the full amount once he can prove that Jae-hee’s out of the prison camp. (Just because I’m curious: why didn’t Hoon just give him half the amount instead of half the paper?)

Sang-jin, Soo-hyun’s petulant half-brother, surprises their father by showing him to her mother’s hospital bed. Soo-hyun still doesn’t know she’s there.

Speaking of unwanted guests, Soo-hyun is more than surprised to find Hoon working in her department. He answers all her questions by calling her “Quack”, and because he knows how much he’s grating on her nerves, he protects his cheeks from being slapped with his hands again. Ha.

I love how he’s like, Don’t you just wanna slap me? to which she replies that no, she doesn’t… before she kicks him right in the family jewels. OUCH. Disproportionate response.

Unbeknownst to Soo-hyun, Chairman Oh consults Jae-joon over the probability of success if her mother were to get surgery—but the prognosis is bleak.

Chairman Oh mentions nothing of it when she goes to him to protest Hoon being hired, remaining firm in his decision. That’s when douchey half-brother Sang-jin arrives to forcefully drag her out and into her mother’s hospital room, acting like he’s just won a prize for being the biggest asshat in town. Now here’s a guy who could use a firm kick to the huevos rancheros.

He’s totally taken aback when Soo-hyun has a non-reaction to learning that her mother has one week to live because of terminal lung cancer, and starts blustering when Soo-hyun only identifies his mother as her mother and calls the dying patient only “that woman.”

She leaves Sang-jin without a leg to stand on, though it’s clear she’s compartmentalizing her pain, especially when Hoon off-handedly mentions that the patient signed a “do not resuscitate” order—meaning that if she were to need CPR or life-saving measures, they wouldn’t be allowed to do it.

Soo-hyun visits her mother in private and demands that a nurse try and wake her from her comatose state, because she has something to ask her. A flashback shows that Soo-hyun spent her whole life being ignored by her mother, no matter how desperately she wanted a relationship with her. It looks like Mom was purposefully pushing her away so that she’d continue to live with her father.

She’s especially distant at a dinner Jae-joon has arranged for his dream team, even as he keeps his speech short and says only that his team is like a family to him.

But then she gets a text with shocking news: her mother has flatlined. Though Jae-joon wants to know where she’s going, she keeps him in the dark for now. The air’s still not clear between them.

A code blue is announced at the hospital, and Hoon rushes in to see the nurses just standing by, since the order was for them not to resuscitate the patient. But he refuses to just stand by while someone’s dying, and begins measures to bring her back.

Soo-hyun tries to maintain her composure as she makes her way to her mother’s hospital room, only now instead of remembering the bad times, she remembers being loved by her mother as a child. Before she was sent away, anyway.

Meanwhile, her mother remains unresponsive to a defibrillator, as well as Hoon’s regular methods for CPR. The world goes silent as he takes a step back—did her mother die?

Soo-hyun mentally prepares herself to see her mother dead as she walks into the hospital room. Her fears are confirmed when she finds her mother’s bed empty… only to be told that her mother’s alive and in ICU.

Instead of being happy to find her mother alive, Soo-hyun drags Hoon aside to ream him for going against the patient’s wishes. He responds that he couldn’t just let her die, and that her “do not resuscitate” order was signed a long time ago.

“Maybe she wanted to die since then,” Soo-hyun grits out. Hoon is confused by the reaction, until Soo-hyun tells him that the patient has been suffering immeasurable pain due to her terminal lung cancer, and that by bringing her back, Hoon only prolonged her suffering.

Hoon argues that if the patient truly didn’t have the will to live, the CPR wouldn’t have worked. Soo-hyun can only scoff that a woman who’s barely breathing on life support couldn’t have a will to live before she storms off.

She leaves Hoon curious about her relationship with the patient, at least until he comes across the bracelet the comatose woman is wearing—the same one he once made and gave to Jae-hee.

He calls the attending physician on the patient’s form… and it’s Maybe Jae-hee who answers, only she introduces herself as Doctor HAN SEUNG-HEE. (For ease of use we’ll play ball with the show and call her by her new name, at least until we’re given a reason not to.)

But when Hoon doesn’t immediately answer, Seung-hee leaves the phone to tend to an emergency. Hoon is left to ask the nurse if she knows where their former patient, Kim Eun-hee, got her bracelet from.

The nurse knows nothing about it, and claims that Patient Kim doesn’t even have a family he can contact. The trail’s gone cold.

Only, Seung-hee lied about tending to another patient, since she leaves the hospital to meet the nine-fingered man who bribed the smuggler, now revealed to be Agent Cha. Curiouser and curiouser.

After skillfully avoiding questions dealing with possible bribery charges from the last primary race at an informal press conference, Prime Minister Jang is confronted with them head on when Nightshade tells him that state prosecutors are digging into the details on his campaign funding.

Sure that it’s the president himself toying with him, Prime Minister Jang uses Nightshade as a scapegoat. When the issue blows up on the news, it’s Nightshade who publicly takes the fall for bribery, while insisting that Prime Minister Jang had no part of it.

Rookie doc Chi-gyu gets caught macking on another intern by his bespectacled colleague in love with the anesthesiologist—a love Chi-gyu exploits in order to get out of trouble when Doctor Moon comes looking for Hoon.

Hoon tells Doctor Moon that he wants to operate on Patient Kim because he’s sure that he can save her, even though she has only days to live. Doctor Moon’s blood pressure spikes as he finds a million different ways to say the word no, but Hoon’s just as stubborn as he claims that he will save her, because there’s something he has to ask her.

Jae-joon finds Soo-hyun watching over Patient Kim, and recognizes her medical file from his conversation with Chairman Oh. Soo-hyun seems surprised that her father even took a look at her mother’s situation, but when Jae-joon tells her that his opinion was that operating would be futile, she all but whispers: “Even so, can you operate on her?”

His reply is the same, but not for the reason you’d think—he’s caught up in the new competition with Doctor Moon, and since winning depends on how many successful surgeries they can perform, a failed operation on Patient Kim means that their dream team would lose points. The fact that she’d die comes second.

But when Jae-joon asks who the patient is, Soo-hyun calmly replies: “My mom. My biological mom.”

Meanwhile, Hoon activates his genius to run an in-depth scenario depicting how his operation on Soo-hyun’s mom would go. Even though the first scenario fails, Hoon doesn’t stop dreaming.

Soo-hyun confronts her father over bringing her mother to their hospital, which he explains as an act of love. But she differs from her father in wanting to prolong her mother’s suffering, and asks for his permission to remove her from life support. She wants to be there, alone, when her mother passes.

After remembering the night her mother sent her to live with her father after commanding her not to cry, Soo-hyun begins to slowly turn off the life support equipment as her eyes brim with unshed tears.

Jae-joon requests permission to operate on Soo-hyun’s mother from Chairman Oh, who answers no as he reminds him that he’s got his competition with Hoon to think of now. Plus it’d tarnish their record if a patient were to die during surgery. Having a patient die from willful negligence, though—that’s totally fine.

While Hoon’s virtual scenarios keep failing, Soo-hyun finishes unplugging the life support. She seems unwilling to leave, as if hopeful that her mother will miraculously wake up, and it’s only after she works up her resolve that she stops to look down…

…as her mother’s hand reaches out to hold hers. In complete shock, Soo-hyun watches in tears as her mom’s eyes flutter open. “Mom…” she whispers, but her mother’s hand soon drops and her eyes close.

Soo-hyun frantically calls Jae-joon, who knows what she wants to ask and avoids her calls. Then she pulls out something she’d forgotten about—Hoon’s 500 won coin.

Hoon wakes up from a nightmare of losing Jae-hee in Hungary only to come face to face with Soo-hyun, who asks him if he can operate on her mother.

He admits that he wanted to, but can’t because the success rate is too low. Soo-hyun latches onto the fact that there is a chance, no matter how small, which makes him clarify that even if the surgery is a success, she’ll still live in pain.

“I had something to ask her, so I wanted to save her,” Hoon confesses. “But I don’t think I can.” Soo-hyun fires back with what he’d told her about her mother having the will to live, which he apologizes for saying now. “I’m sorry, Quack.”

But Soo-hyun, nearing tears, hands him back his 500 won coin as she says that she’ll pay him whatever he wants for the surgery. When he still says no, she tells him that the patient is her mother. “I have something to tell her. I’m begging you… please save her.”

Chairman Oh finds Soo-hyun prepping for her mother’s surgery in the operating theater, and tells her that she’s wasting her time since he rejected Jae-joon for the surgery.

When Hoon enters as the surgeon, Chairman Oh demands to talk to him so he can order a stop to the surgery. It’s sweet how Soo-hyun gives Hoon a chance to back out, since she knows that there’ll be ramifications if he goes against the hospital chairman’s wishes.

But even at the threat of getting his license revoked, Hoon looks up to Chairman Oh as he says, “Sorry, but the surgery fee has already been paid.” Then he winks at Soo-hyun. Aww, did he accept the 500 won coin as payment?

Doctor Moon’s nose-breaking gag continues as he tries to convince a very angry Chairman Oh that he didn’t give Hoon permission for the surgery, but it’s no use.

Jae-joon enters the theater on the mezzanine, and shares only a silent gaze with Soo-hyun as the surgery begins. And for all his bluster, Chairman Oh remains as he watches the surgery from his office.

Hours pass. Hoon and Soo-hyun are the only ones left standing, until a sudden arterial spray marks the beginning of a cardiac arrest. Hoon applies the defibrillator directly to Mom’s heart, while Doctor Moon faints in a ridiculous bout of comic extremity.

They can’t get Mom’s heart beating again, and Hoon stops trying. Soo-hyun holds onto the hope that it’s a part of his strategy… until Hoon tells everyone that they’re done.

“It’s not over yet,” Soo-hyun insists desperately. “It’s not over yet!” Hoon just hangs his head and apologizes, but Soo-hyun refuses to give up. She starts massaging Mom’s heart manually, ignoring Hoon’s insistence that she stop.

Hoon ends up stepping back to give Soo-hyun the time to realize that she’s holding a dead heart. It comes over her slowly, ending in her asking her mother what she wanted so desperately to hear when she was alive: “Why did you do that? Why did you do that to me?”

Breaking down fully, Soo-hyun can only ask, “Why me?” It’s unbelievably sad to watch, especially when Hoon calls the time of death. Soo-hyun still can’t accept it and insists that her mother’s not dead, she’s still alive… and Hoon does the only thing he can do to help her now. He pulls her into a hug.

Even as she begs him to bring her mother back between her sobs, he continues to hold her close. “I’m sorry, but she’s gone now.” Hoon says softly. “I’m sorry.”

Her fists grow weaker as she leans further into Hoon for support, both of them so lost in the moment that they don’t notice Jae-joon enter.

And at the sight of the two so close, a muscle in Jae-joon’s jaw clenches.

 
COMMENTS

This was Soo-hyun’s episode by a long shot, which definitely came as a surprise in a show that initially seemed like it would have a one-track mind when it came to its central romance. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it’s just plain praiseworthy in this day and age for a second lead female to get an interesting and meaningful character trajectory at all, especially one that doesn’t involve sacrificing one’s humanity for unrequited love. You know which dramas you are.

But if the central message of this episode was really about love and loss, then the execution was near perfect when it came to Soo-hyun’s story, which managed to not only expand upon her character, but also those in her direct orbit. While the show dips heavily into some very well-worn tropes in its journey to be every drama ever, it’s at least not doing so at the expense of character. Yet.

Which means that as stereotypical as characters like Prime Minister Jang and Doctor Moon are, we get the ones who break the mold as well—like Chairman Oh, who could’ve just been another uncaring chaebol father, but who mourned Soo-hyun’s mother’s death in his own way. Or Jae-joon, who’s anything but the perfect boyfriend or person, since he seems to have issues with caring only when it’s convenient. What grounds him and makes him imperfect, rather than insane, is the fact that he does attempt to listen to that inner voice telling him when he should make an effort. What makes him almost tragic is that his attempts at personhood end up just below the heroic dramaland average, which means that he’ll always lose to the Hoon’s of the world unless he figures out how to put others first.

In that vein, having Hoon change his tune from wanting to save the patient for selfish reasons to wanting to save the patient for Soo-hyun helped in adding some texture to a character who’s impossible not to like, but one who seems to have the least opportunity for personal growth. The years spent on human experimentation under an oppressive regime didn’t really make a dent in Hoon becoming the doctor he was already born to be, so it’ll be interesting to see how his character evolves from having a superior brain and bleeding heart to… not that? I really have no idea where he can even go from here, but am no less willing to stick around and see.

Hopefully the show will figure out how to juggle all the various things it’s still trying to be in the future, because I do find the medical stuff pretty compelling. The inclusion of the Big Conspiracy and Maybe Jae-hee come off as cuts from a different drama at present, so I can’t take the possible plot twists too seriously, if only because they all sound completely ridiculous. Whether Jae-hee’s a cyborg, alien, clone, identical twin, or simply herself as a brainwashed spy, let’s just hope whatever she is makes just enough sense. Don’t disappoint us, Cyborg Spy Jae-hee. Don’t disappoint us.

 
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I'm thinking about asking lee jong suk to date me if i give him 500 won coin lol

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and i'm thinking about asking him to marry me if i give him 500 won lol

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add some tears to that

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Yes. It's the tears that really bought him. Haha

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if only it was possible

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So if I give him 500, I can wish for him... best deal on earth! Can I throw in another 500 and get Kim Woo Bin too? ;)

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Just realized I have watched every of Lee Jong Suk's dramas, and he is simply great in all of them. what an actor considering that he started out as a model.

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He is really amazing, I love every drama he is in

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His movie hot young blood is a good watch too, give it a try I m sure you will not regret it, you will see a different lee jong suk in it,, that man just leaves me baffled as to how he moulds himself into someone new in every role his given... I was so reluctant on watching tht movie thinking I might come not liking him but instead it only cemented my fascination towards him as an actor.. I just love this man and I hope he never stops to entertain us with his movies and dramas...

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Thanks for the recaps. My thoughts as I was watching:

--Oh ho ho, what a sexy entry, Dr. Park Hoon. The look of approval that female doctor sitting in the back row was giving to your cocky swagger was the same one I had on my face.

--Dr. Moon is a bumbling funny guy. I like him the most out of all the doctors. Hope to see him become more supportive of Hoon-ah and possibly a nice friend.

--I can't help but dislike Kang Sora's character for being violent, one of my pet peeves. Slapping and kicking other people's groin as anything but an act of self-defense is a big no-no. (Even Hoon grabbing her by the shoulders disappointed me).

--It's official. I'm totally onboard for Jae Hee. My curiosity about her has become maddening. Now I want nothing less of badassery in her storyline. Please by a spy of some awesome sort and save this drama from completely being a medical one. That's like one of my least favorite genres.

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Hi DayDreamer, I'm on board with you on this one. I was pretty angry myself when So Hyun kneed Hoon in the nuts. In this day and age, female on male violence is glamorized, while male violence on women is villified, and, as a woman, I despise the double standard. That an educated professional had to resort to slapping and kicking when a few choice words would've gotten her point across doesn't speak much for her character.

On a lighter note, what I love about Dr Stranger is its mature and adult themed approach to sex. In the last two episodes, they've shown Dr Sexy (I
can't remember his name) swapping spit with at least three different female nurses or doctors, and under the covers with one of them. It's refreshing to see, as lately the puritanical nature of recent kdramas has been such a turn off. Here's looking at you show, hope you keep matching to the beat of your own drum and never change!

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I'm very surprised that there are even sexy hijinks considering we don't usually see that happening in a drama hospital setting. And to be honest, I can't see how someone can be aroused in a place filled with sick patients, microbes, and stern bigwigs.

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Not enough grey's anatomy.

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I don't watch that show so I don't really know what you mean.

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Try an episode or two. I believe that's the effect that this show is going for, as far as sexual hijinks goes. :p

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oh trust me, it does happen in real life, especially when you got frustrated by your superior and only spend time around the same group of people because whenever you are free everyone else in the whole world is dead asleep, sexual frustration is one on top of the list.

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I'm curious to see if the OTP will partake in some of the "sexy hijinks" and convey a "mature and adult themed approach to sex" or will this just be relegated to secondary characters.

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I doubt sexy hijinks will happen between the leads. Most likely chaste kisses?

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In my personal opinion, most Korean dramas have just the right amount of puritanicalness. I think it is one of the qualities that gives Korean dramas a distinct flair. I don't really mind the sexually implicit scenes that have been going on in this drama though. Sometimes I feel like it's a bit random for the drama to be showing the womanizing doctor's conquests but I'm sure there's a reason for it, such as his character playing a future role in some plot machination.

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I do agree about your comments on Kdramas "puritanicalness". The clean nature of most Kdramas is one of the biggest draws for the western world, where Hollywood sexualizes almost EVERYTHING even when it hardly calls for it, to the point it becomes quite distasteful!

However, lately one could argue that even by Kdramas standards the recent bout of prudishness has been extended a little bit too far. For instance, there's a huge difference between Kdramas such as 'Coffee Prince', 'Queen In Hyun's Man', 'Scent of a Woman' where romantic love was portrayed in a realistic, but chaste way and some of the recent Kdramas such as "The Prime Minister and I" where the romantic connection was limited to bug-eyed (wide-eyed) bussing and hand holding.

Another example, in"Bride of the Century" they had a wedding night, and retired to bed fully clothed before the camera fade out. Nine months later the heroine had a baby, but many netizens were wondering how she could possibly be pregnant when it wasn't obvious they even had a wedding night! What I'm saying is that they could loosen up a bit on their standards to create a more realistic portrayal of modern day life.

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My first thought was that she's now a spy. :) And I'm almost always right. :D

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I also think Jae Hee's the spy. That glance says everything.

But why? Does she know that he saved her instead of her father? Is she angry and brainwashed? Or just desperate?

I can't really believe that that girl would be an identical twin. That's even creepier than her surviving that Budapest trip.

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Are you a geeeeenius drama fortune-teller? ;)

But yeah...definitely would like her to be a spy. Her character description on Viki states that she was misidentified as a spy by the hospital but I'm hoping that means they couldn't truly verify it.

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Maybe she's always been a spy - even as far back as their first meeting as children.

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I have always felt that but let it be at the back of mind so that it wouldnot bother me cause I don't want it to be true imagine how big of a shock would be for park hoon,, how much more pain he would have to go through..... after losing everything jae hee is the only one he's got and his whole world revolves round her,,,,,,, and if she really is supposed to be the spy since the first time they met oh my god he would be devastated..... and I don't want him to be hurt any more his taken too many blows and has somehow managed to smile but if what you say does come out to be true I don't think he would be able to hold any longer ..... he's been through so much all his life since very young unusually

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I could almost buy that theory. She was a spy and she loved him at the same time. But if that were true, I don't think she and her father would have such severe medical injuries. What would be the purpose, take two spies injure them both to the point of death and watch to see who he operates on? Because .... ?

But I am totally on the she-is-a-spy-now train. The sketchy details are just part and parcel with the rest of the show. Which would normally bug me, but Hoon has my heart so I am swallowing all of it and loving it.

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it could be, maybe that s why we dunno much about her past, the writer show us nothing of her childhood, family etc.. unlike Soo-hyun, perhaps he intentionally did that to keep the mystery, he will reveal her real identity bit by bit in the upcoming episodes

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Maybe. As Heads said - I hope it makes sense in the end.

Whatever it is, it will be a long and heartbreaking story for Hoon -.-

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My take is she was caught by the North Koreans after she fell into the river, or by the Budapest police and returned to the North Koreans. Then she spent some time in a reform camp before being brainwashed. She forgot her real identity and instead became a spy for North Korea. She will regain her memories and things will look up for her and Park Hoon. But things take a bad turn again when she realize that he had to end her father's life to save her.

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true how she lives through park hoon and how the story has her potrayed into this really mysterious character only bringing in a new wave of questions as if we were not already baffled enough with the amount of question floating around...... its amazing how the story has made her grow on the audience even without seeing much of her....I don't know about the actress playing the role she seems alright or may be she were to get more screen time I would prefer her as jae hee but for now I am love with the jae hee that the drama and park hoon has lead us to imagine , if only we had someone who would be able to bring this charcter into flesh and would let us get under her skin..... anywez lee jong suk and the makers are doing a fabulous job building up her character and making us believe in it....
I really hope jae hee and park hoon gets together..... they are meant to be arent' they so they should be....

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He looks... Let's just say the picture at the top is not very flattering.

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i know that many don't want a love triangle/ square in the drama but ugh i can't help but ship Hoon and Soohyun. Like there's just much more chemistry between them (for ME ) But yeah they most likely won't end up together in the end anyway so let my just sit in the corner of my room thinking of my ship that's already sinking.

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I would like to ship them too, in ep 3 and 4 it seems Kang Sora gets so much screen time. I just hope they're the OTP.
Jae Hee is long dead, Hoon-ah!!

I think Jae Hee v.2 is just a plan from Comrade Cha (maybe PS?). I can't believe someone who just had surgery, ran around a city and fall in Danube river would ever survive.

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my sentiments exactly. I can't believe that she's able to hang-on to Hoon during the motorcycle chase. It's not even a simple kidney transplant, otherwise she wouldn't have become a case study worth to be sponsored by millions of dollars.

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It's kdramaland, people!
In historical dramas when characters fall down from a cliff after being shot by arrows, they always survive. The same rules apply here. Even if Jae Hee may get amnesia following the fall, as long as we are not shown her lifeless body, she is presumed still alive.

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Exactly. And people, don't shoot me, but I wish Jae Hee is alive, promenading around as Seung-hee. What can I say? I happen to like Hoon/Jae Hee pairing more as it has more exciting conflicts. Hoon/Soo-hyun sort of storyline I've seen plenty of times.

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Speaking of comparisons-- JH/PH seems more attuned for a sageuk kind of romance while SH/PH seems more of the modern rom-com. There is a product for everyone's taste.

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yeah im with you too jae hee/park hoon is more intriguing and fun to wacth compare to the kicking of the groin w/c for me is not funny at all.and base on ljs interview he describe that their love is a kind of love that people around them will be moved.if there is a loveline in hoon and soo hyun im sure its going to be at the end of the show where the pdnim writernim will give us an open ending.park hoon's love for jae hee is eternal lol..he even imagined she is eating dinner with him and when he blow his hand for touching the just heated curry sauce is insane..the next time he will fall in love again is after armageddon.

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It was shown when they disembarked from the motorcycle at the embassy that he untied a white sash around her waist that secured her to his body during the chase. That explains why she didn't fall off

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Please don't let that ship sink! Oh how I wish Hoon and Soo-hyun would end up together. They are so right for each other. Show, please listen to us!

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I ship hoon & soohyun too!

I think this is the first time I'm more drawn to the second lead's character than the main lady of the otp. Not sure if it's because kang sora is being awesome or her character is just more interesting.

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Cuz "Hello, quack" just sounds so sexy from Hoon's lips.

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So, besides the whole Jae Hee/Seung Hee situation, there are two mysteries presenting themselves in this episode:

-> What's the deal with Chang-Yi's mom?
Her glances at Hoon clearly suggest there is something going on. I'm thinking either she's been brought back from North Korea on purpose by Agent Cha to help monitor Hoon, or she recognizes Hoon's name from his time in North Korea, maybe he killed Chang Yi's dad during one of his experiments or something like that.

-> Why do everyone (Prime Minister Jang, Director Choi) want Hoon to operate on the Prime Minister? I don't think it's only because of his skills: Jae Joon or any foreign doctor could perform that surgery. Perhaps Prime Minister Jang wants to screw over Hoon one more time by passing him as a North Korean spy who wants to murder him, and using that as political leverage to become president?

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Yeah, there's definitely something going on with Chang-yi's mom!
She had that strange reaction after she first heard his name as well...

Ahh, I just hope it's something like "Oh, I remember I heard the name somewhere" and not some kind of "Oh, so that's the guy I need to murder" stuff... <.<

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There's definitely something with that mom, and my hunch is that it's not something good...

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Ahh, I just hope it’s something like “Oh, I remember I heard the name somewhere” and not some kind of “Oh, so that’s the guy I need to murder” stuff… <.<

LOL. Now that you say that, her glance did look a little murderous. Or maybe my imagination is going on overdrive.

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ya it is kind of obvious at this point that changyis mom is upto something .....
and your second point is quite intriguing and gives a rational reasoning as to why that devious prime minister would particularly want park hoon for his surgery............

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I cared not about romance in the first 2 episodes of DS but I do now, I want Hoon to end up with Dr. Quack errrr Dr. Oh, their chemistry is undeniable. ^^
Thanks for the recap HeadsNo2. :)

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i second the motion =). I think Sora's good acting will end up her being the lead =)

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By the flow of the story I hope he reconciles with Jae Hee than Soo Hyun.

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mind you because of the story and especially for lee jong suk who makes her live in the drama through his emotions and memories.......how he makes her breath into life through him is just amazing.... and how the maker are relying on lee jong suk to let jae hee live in the drama using only minimal amount of scenes with the actual actress playing the role is very much working for me.... because of lee jong suk I believe in jae hee too and feel more connected to her through him........ thus I want them to be together and they have to in one way or the other cause it is their love story primarily aint it.....
kang sora's character is really nice too but what I see her and park hoon is possibility finding a true friend in eachother...

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If I were having doubts before with this drama and mostly bothered by its incapability of reigning in the jarring tonal shifts (of which is the biggest roadblock for me to liking it), then I’m (we’re) probably in luck, as today’s episode is every single bit of what I wanted this show to be. And as a story, all the right elements which make this drama great are also present and running as smoothly as how Hoon makes a surgical incision.

At the forefront and central to this drama’s flaws, is and for the most parts, always been its continuous wrestling of the enormity of melding several genres together into one coherent story, which often results into the abovementioned abrupt tonal shifts. It’s with great pleasure and surprise for me therefore, to come in and out of this episode without a single trace of being yanked from one tonal direction to another. Perhaps the show is just waiting to be settled, after all, we’re just coming on the heels of the drama’s premiere which do tend to be loaded with introductory information, and sadly at times, the overall intended tone just gets muddled. And comparatively, episode 4 is less cluttered as its predecessors in terms of introducing and tackling different plot points. Still it comes as a surprise however, that there is actual value in slowing things down in a drama.

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(2/2)

And at the heart of this magnificent episode’s plot point is Soo Hyun’s mother’s looming death and the struggle to keep her alive—for long enough that is—to both procure and disseminate important information from and to her, nefarious reasoning and ethical implications notwithstanding. Moral issues aside, this episode manages to give us a meaty introduction to Soo Hyun’s past and a chance to be fleshed out as a character that she so deserves. And what better way to properly introduce us viewers to her, but have her colliding heads with our scrupulous hero? To aptly describe this episode, I’m pressed to call it as the Soo Hyun show, or more precisely, the Park Hoon and Soo Hyun show. As both characters exudes not only chemistry, but the contrast in their approach to both medicine and life, adds another dimension to their blooming camaraderie (and perhaps romance?) that is much amusing to watch.

Furthermore, their connection goes beyond friendly banter, and in fact it is also very telling when Soo Hyun trusted her mom’s surgery to Hoon despite the short amount of time knowing him and him literally being a total stranger to her. Of course, it’s not to say that her father would’ve allowed the surgery anyway, and she’s pretty much stuck with Hoon, the only doctor willing to do it (or even competent enough to attempt it), despite the consequences. But at that moment when Hoon was ordered to stop the surgery by her dad himself, the unspoken pleading of SH to PH is yet another beautiful moment, and in fact is the highlight of the episode to me as it sets an early yet deep foundation for any future relationships between them. Again, there is power in subtlety. And speaking of which, is that subtle jealousy I’m seeing from Jae Joon? The romance pot is definitely brewing.

As a whole, the first 4 episodes of this show has been a really rough ride, but two weeks in, and it has definitely found its bearing, and I’m finally finding a reason to get hooked in. I continue to pray to the drama Gods that it keeps this much refined pace up. Consistency is the operative word.

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@ Silverteen

I didn't find the tonal shifts too jarring in 1st and 2nd episodes. It was mostly running through a quick pace of events which was pretty exhilarating. And somehow the mish-mash of the genres worked in a captivating way. Ep 3 and 4 did show a lot of settling down but perhaps at the expense of losing some steam that offset the premiere.

Anyways, this show works for me. Like I said before, it just hits all the right spots. The speedy premiere captures the audience's interests and the settling down came at the right time to hold them in. Nifty strategy ratings-wise.

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An idea for your question. Because if he gave him half of amount the smugglers can use the money and gone. But half the paper? Nah.

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Doesn't money become useless when it is ripped?

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Hmm... I'm not completely sure, but aren't those actually some kind of checks and not really banknotes in the sense...?
So maybe it's okay if you tape them together or something?

I know here in Germany, if you have more than half of a ripped banknote, you can go to the bank and have it replaced.

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Ripping the money gives Hoon a lot more power – symbolically for sure. The scammer cannot to do anything with half a banknote, he could have done something (run off with the money) with half the money. Basically Hoon just said very clearly "Don't you dare mess with me" with that gesture. I thought it was great – he's not going to be played by that guy and if he is, he'll get him back three-fold for sure.

Whether the money is useable afterwards when taped back together is going to depend on the country. In some countries you'll find torn money taped back together, and I'm not just talking a little corner ripped off. In others, damaged money would no longer be usable, but in some nations (as Shadow-chan says), banks will still take and replace the notes if you've got all parts.

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Real money does not, you can exchange it for new money if you have all the pieces. But he tore up checks, so yeah.. that scene was a bit dumb. But this show has so many dumb scenes that I have come to expect it.

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When I was a kid, you could tape up a ripped bill and stores would still accept it, but that was a very long time ago.

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The ripped up checks called 자기앞수표 in Korean are kind of like cashier's checks. If you take them to the bank that originally issued them, it will replace them as long as the serial number info is all there and match up.

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Tearing the paper exactly in half actually protects both sides since neither can spend the torn bills, and even countries that replace torn bills won't replace half bills. Giving half the amount would still allow either side to run off with half the money. With torn bills, the smuggler can't cheat by not performing, but he can be sure of receiving the full amount once he performs because the torn bills are no good to Hoon. Checks would work the same way, unless they were personal checks drawn on Hoon's account. The only problem is that the smuggler can't perform if he needs to front the money to his "subcontractors," which is what he claims.

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this episode is about soo hyun i guess next week it will be jae jon turn and my most anticipated encounter of park hon and seung hee pls be soon.2 episode of her walking around mysteriously is enough.this is just my guess maybe chang yi mom had met jae hee in prison camp before she was transfered to a special camp.

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You mean Soo-hyun is just second lead? Wow, i thought she's the first lead. She's (Sora) way a better actress than Jae-hee (Se-Yeon). Well, she could end as Hoon's girl, if cyrborg Jae-hee will turn to be an out and out brainwashed spy.

I'm totally liking the show. Totally wow on the conspiracy. The Puppet Master, whoever he is, is quite intelligent and patient in all he does.

Another drama that i watch and still wait for the recaps =). Thanks HeadsNo2 =)

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Yeah Kang Sora is indeed better.

But Jin Se Yeon has a better career. Or at least was in more famous korean dramas I would say e.g. Gaksital. That shot her to higher levels.

I don't think Kang Sora has something like that (in dramaland I mean). Doctor Stranger could be her thing!? Maybe.

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if you are a Park Hoon and Oh Soo Hyun shipper hit like,

i am totally shipping this couple, funny and cute together great chemistry (Y)

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More than a 1000 voted for Park Hoon / Soo Hyun couple :D this should be a hint for the PD and writer to make some changes

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I must say, I'm liking this show more and more :)
I also really didn't notice any of those jarring tonal shifts you guys keep mentioning... Or at least they aren't so jarring for me :D (I'm talking about all episodes now, not just this one)
But then I really like my funny scenes ^^

The only thing that SERIOUSLY bothers me is all the defibrillating flatlining patients - geez, I have basically all my medicinal knowledge from dramas and the internet and even I know that that doesn't help even a little bit.
On the other hand, during Soo-hyun's mother's surgery it seemed they used it right, so I have a little hope left...

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Trust me - the medical scenes in this show are not something you would want to get any medical education from.

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That makes me remember: Soo Hyun turning off her mother's life support.
Is that even legal in South Korea? I know the mother is a DNR patient and all, but cutting off life support in the condition she is in, isn't that considered euthanasia and strictly forbidden?

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You raise an interesting question. I'm not sure if what So Hyun did could be described as euthanasia, though. One is letting nature take it's course by shutting off all sources of artificial life support (which is what she did), the other is actually participating in speeding up the death process (by drugs or other methods). The latter description is what I understand to be euthanasia, but maybe a medical professional could clarify this somewhat.

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It was my understanding that the two situations you describe can both be considered euthanasia, but I'm not an expert on the subject, and the definition of euthanasia may vary by country.
In any case, Soo Hyun's mother was not brain-dead (they wanted to operate on her to ask her questions) and was not terminal (Even Jae Joon agreed that the surgery had a slim but not non-existent chance of success). Cutting off her life support in this situation may be considered murder.

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@mudaepo It was my understanding that her mother was terminal (Stage 4 Lung Cancer) and was only given a week to live at most. That was why So Hyun was more concerned about sparing her mother pain than prolonging her life (which was the reason she was so upset when Hoon resuscitated her mother after she initially flat-lined). It's a slippery slope, I often wonder how medical professionals navigate such waters.

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@AdAl: Oops my mistake! You can substitute "was non terminal" with "could still live a few days conscious".

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Not sure in Korea. In the US a DNR patient would not have life support at all - basically they are allowed to die when the time comes.

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Thanks for the recap HeadsNo2!

I agree that the tonal shifts in Doctor Stranger seem to have definitely settled down. Hopefully DS will continue to find its footing and steer clear of jarring us as it endeavors to mash-up various genres.

"...it’s just plain praiseworthy in this day and age for a second lead female to get an interesting and meaningful character trajectory at all, especially one that doesn’t involve sacrificing one’s humanity for unrequited love. You know which dramas you are."---HeadsNo2

It would be wonderful if DS could continue this trajectory.
This type of 2nd lead character is under served in kdrama land.

Let this be the next trend in dramas! What's one more trend added to the equation - after all we've enjoyed time travel, noona romances, mind readers, ghost-seers, 2nd attempts at relationships, divorce, remarriage, and remakes of past successful Taiwanese & Japanese dramas.

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I'm looking forward to more interaction between Park Hoon and Jae Hee / Seung Hee. There has to be something there even after the brainwashing / amnesia / spy training whatever she has gone through that may bring them back together again.

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Why can't Jae-hee be a spy? What do we know about her since she was taken to a camp with her family as a teen? Even her "return" wihle in medical emergency in N.Korea might have been staged for some purpose.

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We actually know almost nothing about her, even before she was taken away, except that they went to the same medical school.

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It's still not the most realistic of shows, but I confess I'm digging our genius doctor.

I can't believe how they reacted to him being from Pyeonyang Medical School. If I met a NKorean defector, I would want to ask him a million questions – and if he were genius doctor like that, even more so. I guess that scene said a lot about SK attitudes towards NK – them being the 'lowest of the low' in SK society (I am of course not suggesting all SK treat them like that).

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I think Jae Hee is a spy...but to be honest I'm not that interested in that part of the plot. I'm more interested in how he will fare in the hospital "warzone".

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I was under the impression that Soo Hyun was the main female lead...

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I would love it if Soo Hyun was the lead but it seems like it's already confirmed that Jae Hee is the main lead? Correct me if I'm wrong :)

Is it just me but I also love Soohyun and Jae Joon together. I think they make a really good couple.

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It's official, I love this show and in love with Dr. Park.

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wasn't interested in the first 2 eps. since I'm not a fan of JSY but boy am I getting hooked on SH & PH! the chemistry between these two is just!!...no words can explain it. love, love, love!. keep it coming drama!.

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I loved this episode to bits. I loved the lighter moments and the heavy moments. KS is a good actress was able to convey all the emotions. I loved their interactions.

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this soohyun episode made me like feel for soohyun more than before, and i'm loving the chemistry between hoon and soohyun.

i get theyre trying to make jaehee mysterious but i just don't feel enough for her. the hoon/jaehee romance had been singlehandedly carried by LJS and i'm giving him credit for that 'cause yes i get how much hoon loves jaehee. what i don't see is how much jaehee loves hoon. if it's such a one-sided r/s, i can't get myself shipping for this OTP.

in all honesty i don't care about the romance because hoon /isn't/ going to end up with soohyun (or even changyi) anyway. so i'd rather focus more on the doctor part in him - how he wanted to save the mum for personal reasons but realizing that's not what he should do, and finally deciding to do it because of soohyun's pleas.

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This is still one of the most WTF shows with some of the stupidest plot lines I have ever seen, but at least I can say it is not boring. There is just SO much wrong that for me it has become a satire on k-dramas in general, and I can't wait to see what off the wall plot device they pull out next.

One thing for sure - I would NOT want to be a patient at that hospital: "OK, let's set up a contest, and whoever has the most patient deaths loses". Yeah, I can see that happening :P.

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i swear you have no life. i see you posting negative sh*t all the time. if you hate a drama so much then dont watch it and you dont have to post here. do you not have better things to do w/ your life. like damn. if you think kdramas are so stupid then go watch other shows cuz theres other shows from countries that are great.

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you hate the world windsun33

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I know looking for bits of realism in a Kdrama is an exercise in futility but man, I twitched when they went against the DNR. So so wrong, man.

LJS is really knocking things out of the park, I mean he convey bucket loads of emotions just through screen caps. Like how?!

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Not to mention the fact that she hated her mom for 20 years and then decides she wants an operation that goes against all laws and common sense to save her.. Ah well...

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Soo Hyun never actually hated her mom though. She puts up a facade in front of the useless brother just like Mom pretending to be cold in front of her.

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Hi HeadsNo2,

My guess as to way Dr Park paid the deposit for information from the smuggler. Half of a ripped bill is worthless.

Basically if the smuggler can't provide proof then he gets nothing. If he provides proof he gets $50,000.

If he gave him half the bills the smuggler could rip him off $25,000.

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Most likely if he had the half with the serial numbers he could cash them.

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My question is: why did our Dr Stranger go to the smuggler grandpa and pay him half (LOL) of the money for information about JH AFTER he saw her in South Korea? I mean wouldn't it be logical to try to find her/the lookalike before paying so much?

Did anyone else think about Sailor Moon when Hoon "operated" in the darkened room? I was waiting for him to say a spell like Sailor Moon during her transformation ;)

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When I watch this show, I turn off all buttons in my brain that concern things like logic, common sense, facts, and all that piddly stuff.

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He paid the old man to find her, when he couldn't do it himself. Obviously, he could have used that money more wisely, because he would have a much narrower range of finding her. He already knows she's a doctor, and somewhere in South Korea. But, well he let the old man find her anyway. That's why we see the old man sneaking around while Seung Hee was meeting with the NK agent.

Actually I expected JARVIS to just suddenly start talking, then an Iron Man suit appear while he was 3D simulating the surgery.

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It reminded me more of BBC Sherlock than Iron Man, but I'd not have been surprised if Jarvis's voice popped out of nowhere.

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This drama is getting better. I think Hoon will not fall in love with Soo Hyun or Seung Hee (even she looks like JH). I knew most of you so interested with Soo-Hoon, because they look match and also funny scene between them. But, since Hoon knew and trust that JH still alive, I think its imposible to him fall for another girl. He really loves JH. He never change his heart even they separated for 7 years. Chang Mi's character so interested, she has been live for two years with Hoon. But Hoon didn't fall with her its mean that Hoon never try to kick JH in his live. So, I think we should prepare our heart. Don't be hoping so much for Soo-Hoon. Actually I most interested with whos Seung Hee? Is she really JH? Or just agent who got plastic surgery who made her looks like JH. But I remember about new camp in China. How if JH sent to there? And become like that. Dont forget that Seung Hee its from China.

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"The doctors are in awe, not only of Hoon’s precision (since the incision was so perfect that there was no bleeding)"

To avoid the entire capillary system... Impressive!

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any idea what is the name of the song at the end of Episode 4?

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Will repeat again that Park Hoon will end up with Jae Hee. Consider these points:

1) It's more romantic a notion for the main lead of a drama to remain faithful to his love. It's not only because romanticism sells, it's also because it puts the actors/actresses in a better light.

2) Who would want to see a sweet childhood lover losing out to a fiery new girl?

3) How can we discount his efforts and love for Jae Hee just because his and Dr Oh's scenes are funny?

4) In some scenes Jae Hee looks a little older than Park Hoon. But Dr Oh definitely looks even more so. I'm not too particular about this, as I've accepted even the difference between Lee Bo Young and him in IHYV. But somehow the PH/JH match just looks better.

4) The red bracelet... ah the red bracelet. It contains so much meaning. It is a gift for her the first time he saw her. She wears it all the time and he uses it to identify her. It happens to be red... the colour of blood, therefore also a salute to the medical theme of the show, lifeline. And in Oriental belief, which is the basis of Japanese and Korean beliefs, the red thread is a symbol of love. It binds two lovers together. So the fact that the red bracelet was given to Jae Hee further proves the minds of the screenwriters.

So, for those who ship Soo Hyun, it'll probably only come true if:

1) the girl in the hospital is not Jae Hee. The real Jae Hee is dead (which to me is unlikely).

2) or we take a sentence Jae Hee uttered seriously. In the scene when she falls off from Park Hoon's grip, when she said her goodbye, she addressed him as 'Park Hoon, my friend'. Now I'm not sure if that's a hint of something or simply the way NKs address their lover. But don't put your hopes too high.

Oh btw... I have a feeling Dr Han may eventually fall for Jae Hee instead. Afterall his being with Dr Oh right now seems to have some not very righteous reasons.

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Woderfully put. I'm getting tired of people saying that Sh and PH should get together because of their "chemistry." She kicked him and slapped him and people are shipping that?! Sure these scenes were funny but not enough for them to be a couple. I don't want for PHJ to be left alone again. I guess they're forgetting about the Budapest scene where PH and JH were basically hanging on the bridge in the brink of death. That speaks volume juxtaposed to PH and SH scenes which is stale due to the fact that PH and JH went through a life and death situation.

I'm adamantly hoping that the screenwriter(s) won't forget PH's character of self devotion and faith for JH just to cater to the SH and PH shippers.

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I'm pretty sure PH and JH will end up together, provided JH is still alive. PH and SH will never end up together because yes, let's face it, this show is going to show how devoted PH is.

But that said, all we've had from PH/JH is how much PH loves JH. It's always him holding on to her. It has been a pretty much one way thing. What does JH even feel for PH?

And talking about the Budapest scene, this is probably a very unpopular opinion, but I rolled my eyes when JH said to not forget her. I'm sorry but I just felt that was a really selfish thing to do. It felt like a kind of guilt-trip. I mean, if you know you're going to die, why would you tell someone to never forget you. Shouldn't you be hoping that he'll move on with life instead? It's as if she's telling PH to never forget that he wasn't able to save her. It's one thing to remember you but if you had to tell it to him, it just seems weird and wrong and selfish imo.

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Fnally someone pointed it out ,,, even i find it a bit suspicious, like why does she keeps asking him to remember her is it just to make the scene more emotional or is there a hidden agenda,, didnt it raise anybodyelses brows it certainly did mine,,, everything seems very curious about this lady,,, jae hee,,, park hoon emotions is only making it harder for us to wait for the answers

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Don't be so sure everything may change when it comes to what the viewers want.

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Selfish? I mean, JH took the bullet that was meant for PH. If that's selfish, I don't know what is. IMO, JH and PH always looked out for each other from the very beginning where she concealed him from the officers who were chasing him for selling illegal south korea cassettes(?). Plus PH proposed to her with the ring, therefore JH is still PH's fiancée since they never broke the engagement off. So in my eyes, it's totally out of character for PH to be suddenly falling for KSR's character. All I can see from the two of them is strictly friendship. Nothing more, nothing less.

Life goes on; I get that. But is it really selfish for her to ask him not to forget about her? She wasn't asking him to NEVER move on with his life but she's asking him to treasure the times they spent together. To remember the good times instead of the bad.

And don't get me wrong. I like KSR's character because she served as a foil to PH. And I really don't want the second lead doctor, the one that went to Harvard, to be left alone. ;)

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I did think that was not a very common scenario for a heroine to ask her lover not to forget her when she's probably dying.

However, to me it only serves to highlight the irony of it all. Like I said, in current times she has lost her memory or has been brainwashed. So she is the one who has forgotten him. That sentence she uttered was likely a hint of the irony to come.

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I don't know why many people are disturbed by the act of Soohyun kicking Hoon's groin. If you guys have been paying attention Soohyun is definitely on defence mechanism for humiliation (any kind). For example, breaking her car's windshield. But I got shocked a little just because I thought the show wouldn't kill Soohyun's Mom so soon. And Kang Sora portrayed the role near perfect.

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"The ambulance drives away, leaving Hoon all alone. Curiously though, Maybe Jae-hee seems to notice him in her side mirror."

Amazing observation! Didn't even notice, kind of blew me away with what seems to be visual proof of that.

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did she look at the side mirror?? i watched that scene several time but i couldn't tell

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I keep watching that particular scenes over again but the camera switched scenes so fast that it's hard to actually see JH(?) reaction. I truly believe that she somehow lived from the Budapest fall. A lot can happen in 2 years. So far, I like the mysterious aurora surrounding Jin Se Yeon's character. :)

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Yes, certainly noticed that. Think it serves to confirm the idea that she's not only a spy now but is aware of Park Hoon. Therefore her mission should be related to him.

But knowing Kdramas, it's always possible that the supposed look is to throw audience off track. Because it can be argued that she is not really looking at Park Hoon through the mirror. Or, she is looking but the look means nothing.

Well, I do have more than 80% feeling that she is keeping an eye on Park Hoon. Afterall, she is in contact with that NK commander (or whatever his title is) and the latter has appeared in the shop making the shop owner throw Park Hoon off his path of searching for Jae Hee. His face was not shown in the shop but take a look at his jacket, his voice and the way he threatened the shop owner.

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You are right, I think Park hoon is her mission

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I also think that JH might have been brainwashed and the NK demanded her to kill the SK prime minister. And to do that, she's going to be in PH's team and she has to help them win against PHJ's team. Because remember, 2 teams are competing to be the one to do the surgery on that evil prime minister. I also suspect that she knows PH killed her father for her to live. Sot there's a plausible motive.

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Did it happen before in kdramas that the main male lead end up with the 2nd female lead ??
cause i really want Park Hoon to end up with Soo Hyun
is there any hope for that to happen ?

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i'm not sure but Dream High was actually the one ? Hyemi ended up with Samdong who supposed to be 2nd male lead /he even appeared late in the drama but still beat the girl's first love, jingook

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so there is hope right? :D

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oops sorry..but it's the opposite one haha (female lead with 2nd male lead)

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Today is Monday at last can't wait to see Ep 5 and read your recap, hope it will be a good episode

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Possible ep 5 Spoiler:

So I've just finished ep 5! And omg!!! It's is riveting! Jae Hee is definitely a mysterious figure.

And Lee Jong Suk's acting in this episode is even better than the earlier episodes! He made my heart weep when he sobbed in jail thinking about her. And also when at the very last scene when she walked up to him. Just hearing him looking at her and calling her 'Jae Hee ah'... oh yes, makes me want to be her!

And ep 6's trailer is showing that the drama is bent on us wondering if he will be with which girl. Boy bumped into girl wrapped in towel alert.

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In response to the cheques/cash notes, Hoon ripped them in half to show he had the money. But Smuggler I'm would not be able to cash the cheques in, not until he returns Jae hee, and that when he gets the other half of the cheques. :)

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Maybe jae-jee is like Sydney from alias in her brainwashing years. I think that's the most logical explanation. Haha...logical...

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ALL I COULD DO I SQUEAL when jong suk uses his hands to clasp his face to prevent slaps
SOOOO CUTEE <3

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He gave him half the paper so the bills would be worth nothing without the other half (but they still have value sorta)

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