Good Doctor: Episode 16

by gummimochi

Life is full of uncertainty where no one can predict the outcome. It requires a leap of faith and to take a risk even at the possibility that someone can end up hurt. Those cases are the toughest to treat, but thankfully there does exist a remedy for those types of emotional consequences, where hearts can be treated with love.

The show finally breaks past the yo-yo ratings in the teens with a new series high of 21.5%.

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EPISODE 16 RECAP

Do-han takes on Stabby in the hospital. He gains the upper hand by grabbing the intruder by the throat… until Stabby jabs him in the side with the knife. Gahh, it’s hard enough watching this scene once, let alone twice!

Do-han slumps to the ground, and Shi-on clocks Stabby with a right hook. Yay, but he’s still got a weapon! Stabby shoves him aside and runs out… to see Nurse Jo block his path with a clenched fist. And Scary Nurse Jo is epic.

Thankfully Do-han’s wound isn’t fatal, but that doesn’t save him from Yoon-seo biting his head off for his recklessness. She asks about the attacker, and we see Stabby lying bloody and unconscious in another bed.

I love how upset Nurse Nam gets at the news that Nurse Jo will be taken to the police station for assault. She insists on accompanying him.

In his usual corner, Shi-on tells Yoon-seo this was the first time he’s ever hit anyone, and it was nothing like it is in the movies when the hero punches the villain. He’s told that there are times like today when fighting is necessary, but he should never resort to violence without good reason.

Then Yoon-seo suddenly springs him with a fictional scenario: She’s about to be assaulted by a bunch of gangsters—what would Shi-on do? He narrows his eyes and answers, “I’d tell them: ‘How many cavities do you have? I only accept gold crowns.'”

She recognizes those as lines from the movie Ajusshi, and tells him to stop watching movies as reference, adding that protecting her is one such case where he should fight.

Chae-kyung sighs over Do-han’s bed, disappointed that she’s always the last to know. Do-han tells her that it’s not a big deal, but she disagrees. I’m with her on that one; usually stabbing = big deal.

She asks if he’s ever wondered how difficult it would be on her if something dreadful were to happen to him. Her longtime prayer is to share a long life with her partner since her parents were taken from her so young.

Taking his hand in hers, she asks that he keep in mind how seeing him injured or hurt would affect her too. Stroking her hair, he promises to do so as Yoon-seo witnesses their reconciliation from just outside the window.

Shi-on assures the little girl that they’ve taken care of the baddie, so she doesn’t have to be afraid. There’s no need to be worried either because she has plenty of good people by her side. The little girl says that Do-han’s bravery reminded her of her deceased father, and smiles at the thought of gaining a pair of new protectors.

As they leave the police station, Nurse Nam loudly voices her complaints about the charge against Nurse Jo, who’s back to his usual jolly teddy-bear like self. He doesn’t seem upset about the situation, but he does mention that those hours of questioning leaves him hankering for some food.

She’s more than willing to oblige since he’s been subject to such injustice. That takes them to go out for beef, and Nurse Nam asks how he became such a good fighter. He merely chuckles that he threw a few punches when he was a kid.

Curious, she asks about the origin of his name (Jung-mi) since the hanja characters are the same ones used in “rice mill.” To her surprise, he confirms it, saying how his parents gave him the name after he was born in a rice mill. She can’t help but snort, clearly amused. Cute.

At the nursing station, Shi-on beckons Nurse Jo towards him, and then suddenly swoops in to kiss him on the cheek, to everyone’s surprise. Shi-on explains that he merely wanted to show his gratitude towards him in the same way Nurse Jo congratulated him back when he officially became a resident. Heh.

But their smiles soon fade when they spot Assistant Chief Kang giving a tour of the hospital to another group of investors.

The news about the impending hospital takeover seems to trouble Doctor Pomade whereas Doctor Kim wonders what’s gotten into his once-evil friend lately.

The residents talk about it as well, split over what the changes will mean for their department in the future. Shi-on grows anxious about the idea of turning the hospital into a for-profit institution since it will put their patients and families in further financial stress to pay for healthcare.

Just then, Do-han shows up for work, and even though he winces from the pain, he ignores his team’s recommendations to rest. Yoon-seo follows him to his office to ask what will happen if the takeover goes as planned. Do-han says he’ll likely leave with Doctor Choi. Yoon-seo says she’ll do the same, but he has her make sure the others aren’t too shaken up by the situation.

Assistant Chief Kang receives news from the American pediatric team, who have chosen not to perform a risky procedure on his son. They advise that he seek Yoon-seo for other alternatives.

At the same time, Shi-on and Yoon-seo mull over her proposed treatment method. Yoon-seo decides that they’ll need the help of the doctor who worked on the case in Korea, and sends Shi-on out to obtain the files.

Shi-on runs into Chae-kyung as soon as he steps outside. She notes the brisk weather, and when Shi-on says he forgot to bring something warm, she asks for a bit of his time.

So Chae-kyung takes him shopping for a new sweater. She pouts when he anxiously tells her that he was told not to be a burden to others. But she insists, telling him to just think of it as a gift from a noona for saving Do-han earlier.

Yoon-seo is called in to see Assistant Chief Kang, who reveals himself as the father to the hydrocephalus patient in question. He informs her of the bad news that the Boston hospital has cited her proposal carries too many risks.

She argues that it doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but he counters that their pediatric surgery team won’t succeed if the idea has already been rejected by an American hospital. Offended, Yoon-seo walks out.

When she discusses the case with Do-han, he tells her that the other hospital must have good reason not to pursue the surgical procedure, entertaining the possibility that they caught on to something they didn’t.

It still weighs heavily on her mind when she runs into Shi-on in the hall. She immediately notices the new sweater as Shi-on searches for an answer. She grabs the still-attached tag and gasps at the price. When Shi-on gapes with her, she raises a suspicious eyebrow.

Once they’re alone, Shi-on insists that he didn’t know how expensive it was, but Yoon-seo scolds him for accepting such a gift and wearing it anyway. Then she yells that he should have asked her to buy him clothes if he needed them, not Chae-kyung.

Shi-on interrupts her to say that he understands his mistake, but he doesn’t understand why Yoon-seo is so angry with him. She retorts that Chae-kyung is just a stranger, and when he says that she isn’t, she hands the tag back to him and walks away, peeved.

News of Stabby’s capture hits the TV waves, and Dad nearly drops his spoon in surprise when he sees and hears Shi-on’s name in the report. His eyes gleam when the news report paints his son as a hero. Bah, you’re going to try and milk this, aren’t you?

When Il-kyu drops off the surgical files to Doctor Pomade, he asks why the department head about his sudden interest towards Shi-on. Doctor Pomade stutters in response, and makes a quick excuse that he should care for the team maknae. Then Il-kyu starts to ask his superior another question, but decides against it.

We’re briefly introduced to our next medical case of a father-son pair who has traveled a far distance to receive surgery. But what’s interesting is that the father recognizes Shi-on at a distance and slips away before he’s seen. Hmm.

Meanwhile, Dad goes looking for Shi-on and wears a smug smile about Stabby’s capture with a remark that he at least passed on his fighting genes to his son. Shi-on says that his use of violence then was different that his own childhood abuse: “I only hit a bad person! But you hit Mom and me!”

That stirs Dad’s temper, but they’re interrupted by Doctor Pomade, who sends Shi-on elsewhere to deal with Dad himself. And though Dad’s a piece of work, Doctor Pomade takes his grumpiness without complaint. Aw, that was nice of you.

When Yoon-seo finds Do-han doubled over after surgery, she basically gives him the ol’ I told you so, to his amusement. But he tells her that he should accept the pain as punishment for all the times he’s been insensitive towards other people’s feelings.

She figures this means that he’s made amends with Yoon-seo, and he nods. Then when he thanks Yoon-seo for always being there when he needed him, she puts on a brave face.

Chae-kyung comes clean about her actions against her stepmother and Doctor Choi. They’re shocked to say the least, and president Lee tells her stepdaughter that she never wants to see her again. I think it’s safe to say Chae-kyung considers that as happy news.

Doctor Choi steps outside to speak with Chae-kyung in the hall. She sincerely apologizes and promises to set things right again. But Doctor Choi apologizes to her for driving her to this point.

Losing the hospital is trivial in their eyes in comparison to the possibility of losing Chae-kyung, an idea that Doctor Choi is sure her father thought as well. He places a comforting hand on her shoulder before he walks away.

Shi-on tiptoes around Yoon-seo in the staff room, worried that she’s still mad at him. He does, however, trail behind her at a distance on their way home, even diving into some bushes when she abruptly turns around. Ha.

She laughs at his poor attempts to hide and calls him out. He points out that she’s still angry with him, citing her high decibel voice. She asks how he intends to make her smile then, and the next thing we know, Shi-on is wiggling in front of her in a playground next to a pair of springy bouncer toys. LOL. How random, but adorable.

It gets her to laugh, and she asks if Shi-on even knows what she’s angry about. He says he looked it up on the internet, which says that very question has forever boggled the minds of men everywhere. Ha, so true.

Yoon-seo admits she doesn’t know what she’s upset about, to which Shi-on asks puzzlingly, “If you don’t know, then who does?” Hahaha, also true. In any case, he says it’s his fault and apologizes for making her angry. Aw.

He runs off to head back to the hospital, but not without one last wiggle. Puhaha.

Do-han catches Chae-kyung outside the hospital, having heard about her confession. Taking her by the wrist (augh, I know. We’ll just move on), they head off to the Library to drink their worries away.

Tipsy, Chae-kyung confesses that she thought she was smart, only to be played like a fool. She wonders if Do-han thinks her loud and pathetic too, but he tells her that she may be loud, but she tends to do things properly.

She wonders why he’s suddenly acting like a boyfriend, adding that the change scares her. She’s afraid he’ll just turn cold again and close himself off from people like she does. She hopes those warm and fuzzy memories will come back soon, and Do-han pulls her close so her head rests on his shoulder.

Assistant Chief Kang seeks Do-han and Yoon-seo for their help, asking that one of them go to Boston to appeal for his son’s case. Do-han says that won’t change the other hospital’s mind, so he suggests for the boy be brought into their hospital.

Assistant Chief Kang contests that it’s not that he doesn’t trust their skills, since he’s seen them firsthand, but rather it’s too early for him to trust them. That was why he wanted to turn this hospital upside-down and transform it into a place where he could guarantee the pediatric team’s surgical skills.

It’s a noble intention albeit a skewed one, and Do-han asks if a patient’s trust can be gained through monetary means. Furthermore, Yoon-seo asks what might happen to the patients who need exceptional care but can’t afford the treatment.

Shi-on silently helps his mother with a few fallen cups in the cafeteria before he heads to see Dad, who’s fast asleep. He covers his father’s legs with the blanket before he scurries off to avoid notice. Aw, you’re a good son.

He greets Assistant Chief Kang in the hall, who’s already deep in thought over Do-han’s words about how they won’t pursue surgery without his trust. Shi-only bluntly tells the assistant chief that he’s a bad person for trying to turn the hospital for-profit when it would only hurt the patients and their families.

Assistant Chief Kang walks up to say that there are two sides to everything, but Shi-on counters that hi-tech medical equipment is pointless if the patients don’t have access to it. “It gets sadder if they die because they can’t come. It gets even sadder when the chance to live gets taken away from them.”

In-hye is in shock at the news that her organ transplant donor is in fact, her sister. She cries that she’d rather end up dead than be a bigger burden than she already is, and runs out.

When Shi-on finds her in their usual corner, she tells him to leave her alone, tears streaming down her face. Back in the hospital room, Jin-wook is surprised at this turn of events, and suggests that In-young reconsider since the surgery isn’t urgent, but she turns him down.

The news of In-hye’s surgery reaches Do-han’s ears, and he beelines for Doctor Kim’s office. He says that In-hye is his patient which means he must participate in the surgery as well. Doctor Kim points out that Do-han doesn’t have much expertise in this area, but Do-han counters that he’s never failed at it, either.

But Doctor Kim says he’ll do it without his help, and when Do-han protests once more, Doctor Kim puts his foot down.

It turns out Assistant Chief Kang’s family turns up at the hospital anyway. His sick son looks up at him, saying he heard that the doctors will make him better here. Assistant Chief Kang promises to make that happen.

He and his wife speak with Do-han outside. Do-han mentions that the assistant chief has been witness to his team’s skills on countless occasions, even telling them that he trusts them, so he doesn’t understand why he’s unable to trust them with his son.

But that’s the very reason why, Assistant Chief Kang responds: “Because… I’m his father. There’s no father in the world who would put his own child at the risk of uncertainty.”

Yoon-seo, meanwhile, speaks with the son, who recognizes her name as the doctor who proposed a way to treat him. He asks that Yoon-seo promise him that she’ll be the one to perform his surgery.

Shi-on and Yoon-seo relocate to their usual corner after he overhears Do-han’s frustrations about the case. He thinks that people tend to hurt others more than they’re hurt by their illnesses.

That’s something a doctor can’t treat, since there’s no vaccine or prescription that can prevent others from being hurt.

Yoon-seo agrees with that idea, but adds that the hurt can only be treated by another person. That’s what Shi-on has been doing for his patients, and they all got better because he healed their hearts with love. That’s why Shi-on is a good doctor, she adds, and gives him a thumbs up.

Shi-on says he still doesn’t know what it means to be a good doctor, so she answers for him: “A good person.” He says that must be why Yoon-seo’s a good doctor, too.

She asks if he’s the president of her fan club to be singing her such praises, and Shi-on calls himself her “-ppa” (a sort of adoring fan). She tells him to stop talking nonsense, but can’t hide the smile on her face.

In-hye sneaks out of the hospital again, but thankfully she hasn’t gone too far off, and Yoon-seo finds her sitting just outside the hospital. In-hye refuses to return to the hospital tonight, so Yoon-seo takes her home where she notices the rose hanging on the corkboard.

As for unni, Shi-on approaches her to tell her that In-hye is in good hands. He says that In-hye will come around because she has a generous heart, and is often acts like a noona towards him.

Then he says that Jin-wook likes her very much, loudly tossing and turning at night so that Shi-on can’t sleep either. Lol. “I thought that I was the biggest idiot in this hospital. But it turns out that Jin-wook is. He’s a real dummy.” Hee, I’ll say.

He repeats Jin-wook’s words that there isn’t a set of credentials to love someone, but that one develops the necessary qualifications to love that particular person. So he hopes that In-young will return Jin-wook’s feelings in kind.

At the same time, Yoon-seo reassures In-hye that this surgery won’t inhibit her sister from dating or getting married in the future. Then In-hye asks about the rose, saying that Yoon-seo would have thrown it out if she rejected Shi-on.

In-hye shares how Shi-on consulted her for love advice, and how she saw a picture of that rose in Shi-on’s phone. Yoon-seo shifts uncomfortably, embarrassed, but replies that she couldn’t dismiss Shi-on’s feelings because his confession was so earnest.

In other words, she’s acknowledging him as an adult. But In-hye isn’t easily fooled and says that Shi-on is a good man: “I’d like if all the good men in this world wouldn’t be
hurt.”

After In-hye falls asleep, Yoon-seo stays up, smiling at the thought of Shi-on, whose voice we hear narrate: “I didn’t know what the phrase ‘Love is something that eases people’s suffering,’ meant earlier today. But after I thought about it, there doesn’t seem to be another painkiller as perfect as that one.”

We enter Shi-on’s dreamscape where In-hye stands looking healthy in amidst lush, green fauna. And then Shi-on wakes up with a start the following morning.

Back at Yoon-seo’s place, she tells a drowsy In-hye to wake up already. Shi-on bursts inside to collect In-hye, to which Yoon-seo tells him she has everything under control.

But that’s when In-hye weakly calls out to the both of them, blood dripping from her mouth. Then she collapses onto the bed. OH NO.

COMMENTS

Acccckkkk. TWO near-death cliffhangers in one week, Show?! I’m pretty sure my doctor told me that this kind of shock isn’t good to my overall health. I sincerely hope that In-hye pulls through this scare, because I enjoy watching her interactions with Shi-on and what her character means to Shi-on. I’ll be honest and say that I thought she had died in her sleep when Yoon-seo was telling her to wake up in the morning, given Shi-on’s dream and that she didn’t stir right away. So I breathed a relieved sigh when she did, only to become another ball of nerves when she collapsed anyway (yes, even with those almost-comical freeze frame reaction shots).

She’s remarkably astute, though, jaded from all the years of being in and out of a hospital, and just cracks me up whenever she plays matchmaker. She’s one of the few minor characters I actually look forward to in each episode, so don’t you dare take her away Show!

Our supposed Axis of Evil characters show some hope that they’re not exactly evil after all. For instance, I was surprised at Chae-kyung for coming clean about her hospital takeover plans to both president Lee and Doctor Choi. Then we have Assistant Chief Kang, whose admission that he’s just another concerned father, and then finally Doctor Pomade, who’s turned from stock evil to stock comic relief. In this way, these actions and revelations are starting to mess with my moral barometer when we’re dealing with not-so-evil characters who can turn back on the road to redemption. It’s great character stuff to reveal their honest intentions for their actions no matter how simple they can be, but at the same time, it is frustrating when you see that honesty is the name of the game among these characters when your good and noble ones still dance around their words. At least there’s solace (?) in the fact that Creepy Chairman is still… well, creepy.

For what it’s worth, I do like how we’ve reached a point where most of the hospital staff has come to embrace Shi-on whether they realize it or not. I love that he has the support of the nurses as well as most of the residents, and even the staff. It’s a minor point in the grand scheme of things, but I loved how Doctor Pomade stepped in before Shi-on was subject to another round of abuse from his father, and telling the man calmly and rationally that this is unacceptable behavior at Shi-on’s workplace. There’s something about this change that the staff will protect their own using their positions of power that’s especially heartwarming. That and the satisfaction of seeing Dad’s aghast expression, but that’s just a plus.

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