Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim: Episode 17

90 January 6, 2017January 6, 2017

by tineybeanie

The Doldam team takes a huge momentous leap forward, only to be pushed back by the precariousness of an elderly man’s frail health. Teacher Kim confronts his foes face-to-face, but no real justice is meted out, and we’re still left wondering when the enemy will finally get what they deserve. I’d have to say the best part of this episode was the tiny, tiny bud of friendship between Dong-joo and In-bum that’s beginning to bloom into a full-grown yellow rose.

CHAPTER 17: “Moment of Truth”

Teacher Kim points out CEO Shin’s aorta and cautions Seo-jung to be careful, because the membrane is thin. She tries to gently pull on it, but a sudden spurt of blood sprays onto her face. The aorta keeps bleeding out until Teacher Kim lays a finger on the small tear, but Seo-jung has already lost her sense of calm and descends into a panic. Despite the ever-running clock and looming time limit, Teacher Kim keeps his cool and sutures up the wound with quick, sure movements.

Dong-joo and In-bum watch with apprehension from just outside the OR as they wait to enter for their portion of the surgery, when suddenly Yeon-hwa bursts through the doors to inform them of an emergency ulcer patient. In-bum accompanies her back to the ER to determine if the ulcer patient is indeed critical, all the while berating her for minor mistakes along the way.

After they look at the CT scan together, In-bum confirms an ulcer perforation and calls Dong-joo to let him know that this patient needs surgery immediately. In-bum proposes that he take care of the ulcer patient while Dong-joo stays ready for CEO Shin’s surgery.

But Dong-joo disagrees, because he can’t perform the abdominal battery/controller exchange by himself within Teacher Kim’s given time limit of twenty minutes. He thinks that if they work together, they can sew up the ulcer patient in time to perform CEO Shin’s abdominal surgery.

In-bum quickly agrees, and they move to operate on the ulcer patient. Dong-joo quietly lets one of the nurses know what’s happening on their end, but asks her to not let Teacher Kim know, because it might ruin his momentum.

Inside the Doldam Hospital lobby, Dr. Do and his retinue of Geodae Hospital cardiothoracic specialists view Teacher Kim’s live surgery on a projected screen. Eyes widen and awed whispers fill the air as the doctors witness a near-perfect surgery that seems to be happening at inhuman speed.

Sure that Teacher Kim is negligently skipping necessary steps to increase his pace, Dr. Do asks his cardiothoracic department head, DR. SHIM, what his personal opinion is regarding the technicalities. But Dr. Do only receives amazed compliments regarding Teacher Kim in reply.

In two different operating rooms, Teacher Kim’s and Dong-joo and In-bum’s parallel surgeries steadily progress at astounding rates. As soon as Dong-joo finds the perforation, his hands move like lightning while In-bum and some of the other hospital staff stare at him, obviously impressed.

But there’s no time for praise, because Teacher Kim, in the room next door, is similarly moving at breakneck speed. A nurse from Teacher Kim’s side comes into Dong-joo and In-bum’s OR to hurry them along, since it’s almost time for them to perform on CEO Shin. With less than a moment left, Dong-joo and In-bum finish stapling up their ulcer patient together.

They scrub up again, and are ready just in time as Teacher Kim finishes his part. In perfect sync with each other, Dong-joo and In-bum start cutting into CEO Shin. When they finish, they’ve shaved off two more minutes from their allotted time for Teacher Kim.

Watching the twos rivals’ seamless teamwork, Dr. Song comments to Dr. Do that his son, In-bum, is screen-worthy. In the back of the audience, Ki-tae, who is acting as unofficial host of the Geodae party, intercepts a reporter who asks for the location of the restroom. Suspicious of his motives, Ki-tae watches him until he walks down the correct hallway. But the sneaky reporter is one step ahead of Ki-tae and ends up sneaking to where he wants to be: Teacher Kim’s personal office.

He takes pictures of Teacher Kim’s desk and white board, containing all the cluttered notes and research on CEO Shin’s operation. He rifles through file cabinet, and finds the binder of Teacher Kim’s students, seeing something interesting within. When he comes back to the Doldam lobby, he introduces himself to Ki-tae and flatters him to get on his good side.

Teacher Kim stitches in the replacement artificial heart in record time. He orders for the heart to be turned on, and in that moment of truth, we know that the good guys have won this battle, because the mechanical white heart starts pumping with a steady rhythm.

As the Geodae physicians observe Teacher Kim’s success, the cardiology department head turns to Dr. Do with flabbergasted shock. When Dr. Do asks him if anything went wrong, he responds that the only strange happening was how fast and how flawlessly the surgery proceeded.

At this, Dr. Do grinds his teeth with a thwarted expression, as the other doctors around him revel in wonder. From another location, Hyun-jung watches her father’s surgery from her laptop and smiles, remarking to herself that Teacher Kim’s skills haven’t rusted a bit since his heyday.

In the OR, Teacher Kim urges Seo-jung to touch the mechanical heart, saying that this is only her first artificial heart surgery (implying that she has a bright future in cardiothoracic medicine ahead). She feels CEO Shin’s heartbeat with happy tears in her eyes.

The final time they recorded for the surgery that should have taken ten hours was exactly six hours and two minutes. The surgical team concludes their hard work with bright grins and congratulatory high fives all around.

Dong-joo and In-bum, who exited the OR after their portion of the surgery was done, watch the team’s success with relieved smiles. In an overjoyed, spur-of-the-moment gesture, Dong-joo extends a friendly fist to In-bum, and like the tsundere he is, In-bum looks away haughtily but returns the fistbump.

Later, Hyun-jung marches into Doldam Hospital looking for her father. Dr. Do is already in front of the ICU room waiting for her arrival, where CEO Shin is still unconscious. Inside, Teacher Kim, Dr. Nam, and Seo-jung watch over their elderly patient, whose vitals seem steady for the moment.

When Teacher Kim steps out, Hyun-jung demands to know her father’s condition. He says that CEO Shin is doing fine, and that he should wake sometime in the next six to twelve hours. The devious Dr. Do asks innocently about the possible neural damage that could have come from clipping the aorta.

It’s enough to make Hyun-jung nervous, but Teacher Kim confidently replies that it was a minor issue that shouldn’t have a big effect on CEO Shin’s overall recovery. He goes even further by asking Dr. Do if he even wants CEO Shin to wake up at all, seeming to know that it would be against Dr. Do’s interests.

This causes Hyun-jung to narrow her eyes in suspicion, and Dr. Do, with outrage, claims loudly he’s doing all this because he’s sincerely concerned bout CEO Shin’s health. When Teacher Kim leaves the conversation, Dr. Do tries to smooth over any misunderstanding with Hyun-jung, but she just cuts him off and asks Manager Joo to call her when her father wakes up.

When Manager Joo asks her if she wants to go into the ICU to see him, Hyun-jung replies that she doesn’t want to see her father in his sick condition. In the ICU, Seo-jung talks to the unconscious CEO, encouraging him not to give up, and to get up soon.

Teacher Kim enters the lobby, only to be greeted by a barrage of Geodae doctors who all want to talk to him about his phenomenal surgery. He brushes past them and goes to rest in his room, but he’s soon interrupted by Ki-tae, who brings in the shady REPORTER OH (the one who snuck into his room) to meet him. When Teacher Kim sees him, there’s a moment of recognition that causes Teacher Kim’s eyes to grow dark with dismay.

The manga artist lying next to CEO Shin in the ICU starts wheezing into his respirator, and Seo-jung hurries to treat him. Knowing that Seo-jung has been running on minimal food and rest since the surgery, Dr. Nam insists that she eat something first. But Dr. Song impatiently waves his arms at Seo-jung from outside, telling her to come follow him.

In-bum lambastes Yeon-hwa again for a mistake she made while taking the CT scan of the ulcer patient. With a frustrated and raised voice, In-bum yells, “Don’t be sorry, just do it well!” Around them, everyone notices the sudden tension, and this ends up being the last straw for Nurse Assistant Park, who has been watching Yeon-hwa and her negative interactions with In-bum for some time now.

After she leaves the ER, he confronts In-bum about how unfair he is being toward her. In-bum tells him to butt out, adding that this is an affair between doctors and not something a nurse should interfere in, showing a superior prejudiced attitude that we haven’t seen before.

Nurse Oh, who has been watching the entire exchange from afar, steps in as the situation looks like it’ll turn violent, and covers her hand over Nurse Assistant Park’s clenched fist. She defuses In-bum enough to get him to leave and gently advises Nurse Assistant Park not to get involved.

Dr. Song leads Seo-jung to a room where Dr. Do is waiting with a young rising star in the Geodae cardiovascular department, who is introduced to her as AHN WOO-YEOL. The meeting is clearly a setup, with Dr. Do standing in as matchmaker. Dong-joo, who was walking past the room, stops and eavesdrops on the conversation when he sees Seo-jung. (Lol, is this becoming a habit?)

When Dr. Do expresses his long time affection for Seo-jung to Dr. Ahn, she’s taken aback, because she remembers that only a couple weeks ago, he cut off all ties with her for her support of Teacher Kim. They never resolved their problem since then, so all this matchmaking now seems fake and pretentious to her.

He smoothly says that their argument was a short lapse in judgment, and tells her that she should not be so upset. Dr. Song then goes on to try to kindle a romantic relationship between Seo-jung and Dr. Ahn, blatantly pointing out that they are both single and available.

When Dr. Do suggests that they all meet in Seoul for dinner and drinks, Dong-joo finally takes a stance and barges in on them. He grabs Seo-jung and announces that Teacher Kim is trying to find her (which is a lie). She quickly rises, and he leaves after her, but not before he sends a death glare in Dr. Ahn’s direction.

Dong-joo tells Seo-jung to go to the break room, where he sits her down and asks what she wants to order for lunch. It’s then that she realizes that Teacher Kim never called for her; it was just a part of Dong-joo’s plan to get her out of an uncomfortable situation.

She starts smiling, while he jealously pouts and tells her not to go to those types of meetings again. He offers to make a sign for her back that states: “Yoon Seo-jung has a man. If you touch her, be prepared for instant death.”

Dong-joo threatens to confess all to Dr. Do by saying, “Seo-jung already has a man. I am that man,” and she can’t stop beaming at his sweet declarations. Thinking she isn’t taking him seriously, Dong-joo stands up to find Dr. Do and tell him exactly those words, when Seo-jung stops him by expressing that she wants pizza for lunch.

He sits back down and looks at the menu to order, but she scoots her chair next to him and lays her head on his shoulder. Frozen with fluttery tension, Dong-joo attempts to play it cool by asking what type of soda she wants. But when her hands wrap around his arm, he drops all pretense of trying to order, and they enjoy a moment of romantic togetherness.

Ki-tae is alarmed to realize that Reporter Oh and Teacher Kim already know each other. Ignoring Ki-tae for now, Teacher Kim calls Reporter Oh a trash investigator and tells him that although he doesn’t know what orders Dr. Do gave him, he should leave, because he’s not going to talk. Reporter Oh retorts that at least he never killed anyone by making others perform surgery in his name.

Teacher Kim rebuts by saying that Reporter Oh has ruined lives by the skewed words he writes. Reporter Oh tells him not to avoid the subject, trying to get Teacher Kim to spill the beans. He warns Teacher Kim that if he doesn’t explain the truth to the world, the world will continue to view him unfavorably. Then Teacher Kim asks Reporter Oh: “If you knew the truth, would you even have the courage to write it?”

After having heard of Nurse Assistant’s Park encounter with In-bum on her behalf, Yeon-hwa has a talk with him to clear up her stance on the matter. Yeon-hwa expresses that although she appreciates what Nurse Assistant Park was trying to do, she still needs In-bum’s criticism, no matter how scathing, to learn and grow as a doctor.

Nurse Assistant Park explains that Doldam Hospital is a place where people show basic respect for each other, no matter how young or inexperienced. Then, he tells her that she’s being bullied more because she does not defend herself. He adds that no matter who it was, if he saw them being treated the way she was by In-bum, he would have stood up for them.

Urgently, Ki-tae calls a meeting with Nurse Oh and Director Yeo. He apprises them about Reporter Oh’s intrusion, and how it could negatively impact Teacher Kim’s peaceful life at Doldam Hospital by public defamation. Nurse Oh rages like a mother bear protecting her cub, but it’s Director Yeo who suddenly stands up and leaves, saying that he has urgent business elsewhere.

At the batcave restaurant, Dr. Nam and Nurse Oh share a drink and discuss the death of Teacher Kim’s former student, Jang Hyun-joo. She asks Dr. Nam why Teacher Kim won’t explain himself after all these years. She doesn’t understand why Teacher Kim is keeping silent about Geodae Hospital’s framing of him.

Dr. Nam tells Nurse Oh that Teacher Kim has his reasons, and the most that he can reveal is that it’s partially because Teacher Kim is protecting another person. Nurse Oh inquires further, but Dr. Nam zips up, saying that he promised to take the secret to his grave. At another table, Reporter Oh, who was posing as a customer, has overheard everything.

The scene cuts to Teacher Kim entering the ER, where Dong-joo is examining another patient. (Is Dong-joo the one Teacher Kim is protecting?) He remarks to Dong-joo that he heard about the ulcer perforation patient’s surgery that happened during CEO Shin’s operation.

Dong-joo apologizes for making the decision to operate on the emergency patient, since it meant going against Teacher Kim’s orders to stand ready for his part in CEO Shin’s surgery. Instead of berating him like he expects, Teacher Kim tells him he did a good job and leaves. Wondering if he heard Teacher Kim correctly, Dong-joo scratches his ear, but ends up smiling at the unanticipated compliment.

At a bar, Dr. Do meets with Reporter Oh, and they discuss what the latter man found out about Teacher Kim on their visit to Doldam Hospital. It seems that Reporter Oh found Teacher Kim’s ambitious “plans,” which he took pictures of on his phone.

Dr. Do scoffs at the preposterousness of Teacher Kim’s dreams, but Reporter Oh counters by saying that they could be possible with CEO Shin on his side. Dr. Do says that while CEO Shin may be on Teacher Kim’s side, God seems to be on his own because CEO Shin has not woken up yet, even long after the predicted 12 hour window.

Hyun-jung screams into the phone, upset that her father hasn’t regained consciousness yet. She goes to the hospital right away, where Teacher Kim and Seo-jung are already checking up on their sleeping patient, whose vitals still remain steady. Hyun-jung bombards Teacher Kim with a barrage of questions regarding her father’s condition. He replies that they need to observe him for another 48-72 hours, and Hyun-jung expresses her agitation.

With his followers in tow, Dr. Do arrives and advocates Hyun-jung’s position. As the director of the main Geodae Hospital, Dr. Do orders Teacher Kim to begin all sorts of tests on CEO Shin. However, Teacher Kim refuses by saying that any accidental perturbation of the many tubes and wires connected to the CEO could endanger his life. Dr. Do believes Teacher Kim is afraid that CEO Shin won’t wake up, and therefore is hiding his true condition.

He reveals that he knows Teacher Kim’s “plans,” and throws the photo documents he received from Reporter Oh in a showy display of indignation. He asks if this was all Teacher Kim wanted: to create a trauma center at Doldam Hospital with a motley team of misfit medical professionals (malpractice suit defendant Dr. Nam, PTSD patient Seo-jung, disgraced fellow Dong-joo, etc.).

Dr. Do demands to know if Teacher Kim pushed a terminally ill elderly man to undertake a risky surgery just to fill his own ambitions. He then puts Dr. Shim in charge of CEO Shin’s well-being, and demands that a CT scan be taken immediately. As Dr. Shim steps to follow Dr. Do’s orders, Teacher Kim calls for Mr. Go (the bear-like orderly) to guard the ICU against the malicious Geodae intruders.

When Dr. Do asks on what authority he’s acting on, Teacher Kim takes out a handwritten contract and shoves it in front of his face. It’s a sworn notarized statement from CEO Shin, legally giving Teacher Kim all the power necessary to take control of his treatment after the surgery. Manager Joo confirms that it is a real and valid document, and Hyun-jung turns around in surprise.

Teacher Kim repeats himself and tells Dr. Do to leave, and having no choice now, Dr. Do turns and marches away with an enraged glare on his face. Hyun-jung, on her way out, threatens Manager Joo with expulsion if her father does not wake up. Dong-joo picks up the stray papers of Teacher Kim’s plans that Dr. Do threw up in the air, while In-bum watches as his father storms out of Doldam Hospital.

Director Yeo enters a Japanese-style diner and greets the elderly hostess, whose expression suddenly turns to stone. She asks what he’s doing here again. He says he’s there to eat some udon, but she still seems wary.

Meanwhile, in a cafe somewhere, Reporter Oh writes his first sentence of a new story featuring Teacher Kim. It’s extremely sensationalistic: “Dr. Bu Yong-joo, formerly lauded as a medical genius, proceeded with a risky daring surgery on Geodae Hospital Board’s chairman, who now lies in a coma since the surgery.” However, after reviewing Teacher Kim’s student files, Reporter Oh has a slight change of heart. He decides to call the doctor before he publishes anything in print, and asks him whether he’s ready to let the world know the truth.

Dong-joo’s voiceover in the background says:

“An age where real facts are ignored, and the words of the powerful become fact while the powerless stay helpless. Although the truth is based on fact, not all facts were righteous.”

COMMENTS

Despite this being the seventeenth episode, the pace is keeping steady and pushing forward. By now, I expected things to get laggy, but I’ve gotten so invested in the entire Doldam team that I want to know more about all the back stories behind the secondary characters as well. I can’t wait until next week when Director Yeo’s relationship with the udon restaurant hostess and Dr. Nam’s malpractice suit history might be revealed, and maybe we’ll even get to see how Nurse Assistant Park arrived at Doldam Hospital. After his talk with Yeon-hwa, it seems like he might also have a troubled past worth recounting.

The romantic aspect of the show took a backseat as hospital politics occupied most of the screen time this hour, but I’m grateful to the writers for at least giving us some squeal-worthy tidbits. After the will-they/won’t-they part of a love story is over, usually much of the tension disappears, making the couple less interesting as a result. Not in this case: I love all the Seo-jung/Dong-joo moments that capture their natural chemistry and evolving relationship. I’ve noticed that Dong-joo always seems much younger than usual when he’s playing the jealous possessive boyfriend to Seo-jung. It’s exactly like Seo-jung said before — he’s still an elementary school kiddie when it comes to her. Those two together are more adorable than a basket of puppies.

Speaking of puppies, how cute was that fist bump between Dong-joo and In-bum? Too cute for words! I may be in the minority, but I’ve been secretly (or maybe not so secretly) rooting for In-bum to throw off the shackles of his prejudiced background and become the loyal patient-saving doctor I know he can be. But this episode totally threw a curveball in my expectations/dreams for his growth. I can’t tell if In-bum knows he’s being an ass toward Yeon-hwa or if his behavior is just a byproduct of his upbringing from Dr. Do, who taught him that the powerful can trample all over the weak. Either way, it’s clear that she’s being treated unfairly, and that he’s making her a convenient target for him to vent his all of his frustrations. Bad boy, In-bum. Bad.

Another thing that threw me off guard happened way at the beginning: Seo-jung’s sudden minor meltdown during CEO Shin’s surgery. I’m not too knowledgeable about PTSD, but it seems weird that Seo-jung’s triggers are all so random and inconsistent. Initially, it was Dong-joo, which made sense because of the context of her accident with Dr. Moon. But now, it’s minor squirts of blood? I guess that the high-stress situation of the OR could have caused a panic attack. But given that she’s an ER doc who has to face blood-gushing scenarios on a daily basis, at this point, her PTSD just seems like a convenient plot device, rather than a real mental disorder.

All in all, I’m ready for this entire CEO Shin business to end, and to witness Dr. Do’s satisfying downfall from power. Hopefully, they won’t wait until the very end to conclude the story arc, because I want to see Teacher Kim’s vision of a humanistic trauma center at Doldam Hospital come to fruition. Now, wouldn’t that be something – a world where healers can just heal without being tempted by worldly greed for money or fame?

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1 kash

January 6, 2017 at 9:29 AM

Still as crack-tastic an episode as ever. I keep marvelling at how the plot never loses its pace as it hurtles along! :) :)

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Kiara

January 6, 2017 at 11:06 AM

Agreed! And the rating, 25.1% yay!

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leila

January 6, 2017 at 11:41 AM

LOL i think thats the perfect word to describe it- "crack tastic"

its weirdly, oddly addicting :X

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2 jomo143

January 6, 2017 at 9:32 AM

Thanks for the recap, tinyb!

I also LOVED the fist bump, especially how IB appeared to not want to do it at all.
This and last episodes were so freaking tense, I kept pausing and surfing the net every 5 mins. It took forever to finish them.

When YYS plays the jealous and/or loving boyfriend, all my Chilbongie (4EVER!) memories come back. If only they would put him in a ball cap. Just once, SVP!

Director Do sucks so back. I know that I must love the show if I can scream at him every time he comes on screen, but I keep watching. He's such a dick!

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3 jessanno

January 6, 2017 at 9:45 AM

I love this show! I am glad we are now in the "they will" stage for Dong-joo and Seo-jung! They are absolutely adorable and I love Dong-joo when he is all swoony like this. I'm finally liking In-bum a bit more too. I just wish he stopped acting like a complete dick to Yeon-hwa. He is getting ridiculous. I don't blame Nurse Assistant Park for saying something. I know everyone probably wanted to. I hope she learns to stand up for herself though. I get she feels like it's his way of teaching her but he is going overboard.

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4 starswillshine

January 6, 2017 at 10:17 AM

Han Seok Kyu is such a good actor that left in awes. The scene where he was so angry at President Do for maligning him for all sorts of things outside the ICU was so well portrayed. He was shaking in anger with angry tears in his eyes. I was blown away by his acting.

I think Seo Jung's PTSD was kinda 'triggered' because she was feeling guilty for tearing the aorta and delaying the operation, instead of the 'squirts of blood'. I think her trigger for PTSD was guilt. Then again, in the drunk driving accident episode where the grandmother passed away, she was feeling guilty but her PTSD was not triggered. Hmm. Probably, the trigger should be guilt and blood and under immense pressure?

Regarding the Dong Joo's closing words of the episode, isn't history written that way? History is written by victors, which are words by the powerful. Although that being said, I will really like to live in a world where everyone is morally upright like Teacher Kim.

I understand why this drama receives such high viewership ratings in Korea because it says words that Koreans want to hear and brings hope to comfort them. I think this drama is kinda swept under the radar in Dramabeans because it (1) has no mega popular A-lister or idols, (2) not centered around romance. Hence, I will like to say 'thank you' to both recappers for writing the recaps weekly for a small audience!!! 3 more episodes and a prequel and this drama will be over. I will continue to support both of you till the end! :) (Aja Aja) Fighting!!!

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leila

January 6, 2017 at 11:44 AM

yeah i'm so surprised cuz this drama is killing it in the ratings but doesnt seem to be so popular online/on dramabeans

but yoo yeon seok is such a cutie pie!! and seo hyun jin killed it in oh hae young again!

yeah it's definitely lacking in the romance department which i crave in each episode. but the short scenes between our two leads makes up for it cuz of their amazing chemistry lol

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mashimomo

January 6, 2017 at 2:46 PM

I agree with you, as soon as I think the pacing will slow down show keeps coming back with gut punches and good story telling. I love how the ratings are actually well-deserved, especially one that is not centered on romance but just the right amount of cute between YYS and SHJ, and a cast that doesn't have mainstream oppas as leads. I for one am glad that there are kdramas like this and the ones on cable such as Dear My Friends, Age of Youth etc that are being produced and are well-received, and I hope it bodes well for future dramas.

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whatis

January 6, 2017 at 6:26 PM

wow, I didn't know this is not so popular on dramabeans...
I friggin' LOVE this drama. I binge watched this last weekend during new years ... way to start the year right?

I thought it was going to be meh, another medical drama. But maaaaaaaaaaan the drama is so friggin great.

Whenever I thought the stakes couldn't go any higher, that the drama couldn't be more intense, they bring it.

Everything that happens in the previous hour feels so long ago because there's just SO MUCH packed in every episode. LOVE THIS!

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Wayer

January 7, 2017 at 3:31 AM

I agree that it could be not so popular because not much romance involved and a middle-age actor is billed as the top star. Han Suk Kyu is very popular but it is maybe among Koreans only and not outside. I watched the drama after reading the Ratings in Dramawiki. Plus, i have nvr watched YYS in a drama b4, only in movies so need to watch the transition :) (he is still the best kisser in movie and drama hahaha). All in all, this drama has stellar casts and they all seam together perfectly making a great team, protagonists and antagonists. I hope the Special episode will be a Bomb!

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Kiara

January 7, 2017 at 2:05 PM

Not every who watches the show are all going to comment on it. Some people are satisfied with just reading the recaps and other's comments.

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Kiara

January 8, 2017 at 6:45 PM

*everyone*

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5 Lord Cobol

January 6, 2017 at 10:34 AM

Mr Go has become one of my favorite characters. A lot of other shows could use someone like him to support the good guys. I'd especially like to seem him as the crossing guard starting down the Truck of Doom until it quietly backs away.

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shalini

January 6, 2017 at 11:31 AM

So so true!! I love how even the minor characters are so distinct and wonderful. Mr. Go's always so stoic and whenever he's called, he's like a bear protecting his kids.
Him helping break up the fight between Kim Sabu and Dongjoo in ep 4 remains one of the highlights of the show for me.

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RDTK syndrome

January 6, 2017 at 7:05 PM

@shalini i like that scene too, it's so hillarious...their expressions cutely when angry, then mr.go lifted up dong joo like a big giant.

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razzledazzle

January 6, 2017 at 11:13 PM

Agree! And it's hilarious because no matter whether the fight is with teacher kim or in beom, dong joo is always the one being lifted by mr goo lol

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RDTK syndrome

January 7, 2017 at 5:22 AM

Because dong joo the most emotional and can't quiet. If he became angry, he will exploded.

6 hyanggi

January 6, 2017 at 10:52 AM

This episode's fave moment has got to be Seo Jung touching that beating artificial heart, I was in tears along with her :') You go girl!

Got to love Kim Sabu - he brings the best in other people. And that perfect surgery had me clapping and gaping with the onlookers , yeah I know, it's a drama and a 10 hour surgery to 6 is a long shot, but gimme my idealistic dreams and fantasy!

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gina

January 6, 2017 at 11:41 AM

same!!! i teared up a little bit when she touched the artificial heart, its just like..the realization you've come so far and have been so involved and made such a different in someone's life...

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knewbie

January 7, 2017 at 4:35 AM

Someone on another site commented that the operation would have taken only 5 hours 30 mins if they hadn't paused for that touching (in both senses of the word) moment.

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Hika

January 7, 2017 at 5:27 AM

But do they need to wait to see if the new heart works? I don't think that moment would take 30 minutes though, 5 minutes maybe lol.

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Hika

January 7, 2017 at 5:50 AM

...that moment lasted...

No matter what, the scene is definitely needed imo, to hit emotional notes with the audience.

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Ally

January 9, 2017 at 8:12 PM

I'm not a cv surgeon, but did go to med school and they have to pump all the air through the artificial heart before the blood is returned to it so they had time to take a breath there and enjoy the moment. That surgery was epic and I loved the way they did it. I also liked how they "cut" back and forth between master Kim and dr. Kang in their respective surgeries. Gave me chills!

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7 Kiara

January 6, 2017 at 10:59 AM

I must be emotionally invested in this show because I totally burst into tears when the surgery was over.

Han Suk-kyu, why do you keep doing that to me <3. I'm in love with this whole cast.

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8 doctor sun

January 6, 2017 at 11:07 AM

idk the relationship between Director Yeo and the udon hostess but the udon restaurant hostess is the nurse who was in the malpracticed surgery that killed Teacher Kim's student. She was one of the many who knew and acted upon throwing the blame to Teacher Kim. Director Yeo probably wants her to come forth with the truth.

Also, I don't think Seo Jung had a reaction of PTSD during the surgery -- I think she was scared and worried about lengthening the surgery time and messing up her respected Teacher Kim's important surgery that could affect his career as well as the entire Doldam family.

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Lemongrass

January 6, 2017 at 6:23 PM

Agree totally.

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knewbie

January 7, 2017 at 5:18 AM

Agreed. Quite natural for a young doctor to panic at such a moment, even if she is usually pretty competent.

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dramabliss

January 8, 2017 at 6:05 PM

Agree on both issues.

I read somewhere (not sure if in DB) the theory that Teacher Kim was operating on Chairman Shin's illegitimate child while his student who died was being operated on. And that this is the thing that Chairman Shin would reveal to Teacher Kim when he wakes up.

If true, this would have made for compelling evidence to debunk the frame up. Though not clear why TKim would not come into the open with that evidence.

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9 nat

January 6, 2017 at 11:46 AM

i want more romance!!! lol

honestly i just want more romance cuz i love the two lead's chemistry

we need to see more of that. on our screens. like now. before the 20th episode comes :(

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RDTK syndrome

January 6, 2017 at 7:09 PM

Don't worry, still there an extension episode (so will be 20+1 episode) which special episode tell about "untold story" about blossom romance dong joo-seo jung and about kim sa bu past.

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10 Martin J Simwaba

January 6, 2017 at 12:15 PM

This show keeps on calling out to me nomatter how hard i try to avoid it. Iam not even a fan of medical dramas, i simply hate them. The cutting, The stitching, blood, so scary.
But this is really a great one and i want to miss a bit of it.

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Martin J Simwaba

January 6, 2017 at 12:19 PM

Sorry, my mistake, i meant to i don't want to miss even a bit of it.

Ah! Poor me!

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loveblossom

January 6, 2017 at 6:41 PM

Yea, medical dramas are usually a turn-off for me too! The blood and cutting into the bodies gross me out, but thankfully the scenes are short and not too bad. I might squint my eyes or shield them with my hand if needed. LOL xD

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KLovers

January 6, 2017 at 7:16 PM

I usually have a bit phobia with excessive blood like that, so i don't like genre like thriller, etc. But after watched RDTK i slowly became familiar with all of it, even in real life i'm not too scared anymore.

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Kiara

January 7, 2017 at 6:56 AM

I try to avoid medical dramas because I just don't like the genre but I'd always give it a try if I like the actors or the people behind it.

I think I've only finished 2 medical dramas before (Brain with Shin Ha-kyun and White Tower with Kim Myung-min) just because I'm a fan of the actors.
It's like watching Doctor Kim for Han Suk-kyu and Seo Hyun-jin. I didn't like the first couple of episodes but I am enjoying the heck out f it now.

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irmar

January 9, 2017 at 5:47 AM

The scenes here are gratuitously gross. I mean they don't skip a chance to show every open wound in close-up. It is even worse than Dr.Stranger with opened chests a pool of blood. But this drama is so good otherwise, that I have to bear it. I scroll down the browser window until only the subtitles appear. The bad thing being that the bottom, where the subtitles are, is also the place of the wound and operation. Sometimes I try to make do without subtitles, as most of what they say are English words of surgical tools and procedures.

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11 KpopKitty

January 6, 2017 at 12:18 PM

I loved so many parts of this entire episode and it looks like we're finally gonna get answers as to what has been missing thus far in the remaining episodes left.

However, I found it really sad to see that Dr. Do didn't even acknowledge his own son at any point during this entire procedure. I knew Dr. Do wouldn't do much anyway, since I'm sure he's salty about the whole surgery success, but still, I can't help bu feel bad for Inbum no matter how much of an ass he acted in this episode.

His whole episode with Nurse Assisant Park really grated on my nerves because he really just came off as saying that nurses don't know as much as doctors do, so they shouldn't be butting in his business. While nurses and doctors may have different responsibilities, hell, I would argue Nurse Oh knows just as much, if not more, than some of the doctors themselves given her experience and how many surgeries she's had a hand in helping in. Maybe she might not be the main person doing them, but she sure knows her stuff. I do think Yeonhwa has to gain some guts in order to establish herself as a true physician. She may have the note-taking skills down, but if she doesn't have confidence in herself, it's going to be hard to convince her future patients as well as others to believe in her.

In that sense, I'm glad Nurse Assistant Park had that talk with her, even if his actions might have been more biased to the fact that he liked her (which I kindaaaa feel like it was, but I still believe he would have defended if it was perhaps Seojung who was being looked down upon by Inbum). Respect is the most basic thing in establishing trust, and if Inbum can't do at least that or realize that he's using Yeonhwa as his own punching bag, my confidence in his growth will falter. I have had hope this entire time given the fact we were introduced to him first at Doldam by him butting in the surgery where he wasn't authorized to, and the fact that we saw some major teamwork between him and Dongjoo today, but then he does something that makes me doubt him again. I know he doesn't have the caring background and that he wasn't exactly taught how to mind his mouth and discrimination since he doesn't have a really good father figure influence, but I hope he comes around in these last few eps.

I supremely hope that Chairmin Shin wakes up, even if he doesn't survive long after that because I really just want Dr. Do to be done for, along with Dr. Song. Idk how I feel about Hyun-jung, I can't tell if I would classify her along with Dr. Do and his goons or not because she seems to care for her father's well being, but not enough to see him after his surgery ended, and not sure how she feels about stepping in her father's place. But I do like that the Manager told her that she and Chairmin Shin really trust Teacher Kim, because that's what really mattered to me in the moments leading up to the surgery.

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12 Bazu

January 6, 2017 at 12:45 PM

RTDK never ceases to amaze me in the acting department. Han Suk Kyu is slaying it as always, and Choi Jin Ho (Dr Do) deserves much credit too! Choi Jin Ho's stages of rage is worthy of mention: simmering --> boiling --> burning (with rage). He makes an evil character so delicious to hate! As much as I'd love to punch him out of the universe, I love his banters and confrontations with Kim Sabu. I guess I loveeeee him being angry and display his savage-ness.

I wish RTDK would receive more love on DB, because this drama is such a gem :)

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UmbrellaMan

January 6, 2017 at 1:20 PM

I totally agree, the actor who plays Dr Do was killing it at the end of this episode. The look of shear anger and frustration - those tears in his eyes!- when Teacher Kim basically shut him down was amazing. Props to the actor. I have seen him in other dramas before and always thought he was good (and rather nice looking), but this one scene really perked my antennas. I could feel the energy roiling off of him.

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Kasumi

January 6, 2017 at 2:25 PM

I agree that the actor who plays Dr.Do is very good. He makes me want to punch Dr. Do in the face and then I remember that it's a character. He is nice looking too and fills out a suit rather well. I would say RDTK is filled with many nice looking ahjusshis, cause Kim Sabu is also very attractive :)

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PakalanaPikake

January 7, 2017 at 8:41 AM

I'm looking forward to finding out why Dr. D'oh bears such a grudge against Kim Sa Bu. And I totally agree with you that Choi Jin-ho is knocking it of the ballpark with his characterization.

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13 Mariel

January 6, 2017 at 12:47 PM

The huge reason I started to watch this drama is my love for YYS. Ever since I watch Warm and Cozy I became a fan,even though it was a dismal flop YYS and KS kept me watching till the end. So I researched, read and watched everything about him and the more I found out about him as an actor and as a person I became a fan. I like a lot of Korean actors but he is my favorite.
I'm glad that RDTK is doing great and have high ratings in Korea. I"m in medical field but still I enjoy this drama and sometimes get me to the edge of my seat or make me tear up when certain scenes reminded me of my experiences so close that it is like" de ja vu ."
Kudos to all the cast for a job well done. This drama is not only about the Doctors but the whole hospital staff that each one is as important as the other and each one plays an important role in delivering good care! Hope this drama will help us appreciate those health care workers who really strive to do their best !

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michykdrama

January 6, 2017 at 5:38 PM

❤

"This drama is not only about the Doctors but the whole hospital staff that each one is as important as the other and each one plays an important role in delivering good care! Hope this drama will help us appreciate those health care workers who really strive to do their best !"

Yes yes and yes!

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14 Agassi

January 6, 2017 at 1:08 PM

This episode was breathtaking impeccable. I cant believe I cried!

I HATE watching medical dramas but gave this one a chance and my goodness possibly one of the best dramas yet. Story line, cast, acting...etc.

Im glad they extended it. ^________^

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15 Rose

January 6, 2017 at 2:38 PM

I've never finished a medical drama and I cover the screen at most of the surgery portions because I'm so squeamish. But this drama is so addicting!!! I absolutely love the teacher/student aspect of this show. Maybe because I'm a teacher myself, I can't help but admire Dr. Kim's teaching methods. He treats SJ, KJ, and IB so differently and he knows exactly what they need. He's a straight shooter with Dong Joo, assuring with Seo Jung, and acknowledging of Im Bum. He makes a great father figure to all of his students especially since they don't have any (Dr. Do is no father?) And I don't think SJ's ptsd kicked in. I think she panicked/froze because she made a time-costly mistake and felt terrible.

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Seo Jung

January 6, 2017 at 7:25 PM

Yes agree, the way KSB treated his student differently as their needs, it's so wise.

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16 Waky

January 6, 2017 at 2:43 PM

Understood why this show got a highrating...

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17 michykdrama

January 6, 2017 at 4:59 PM

Daebak tineybeanie! Thanks for the great recap- I could feel your fangirl excitement in it. Hehe.

This was the most medically accurate cardiac surgery I've seen in a drama, hands down. Never ceases to amaze me these Kdramas! (I almost forgot about SJ's face sprayed by blood- just almost. Hehe.) I wanted to give credit to the writer so if you want to know a bit more about what they were doing during surgery, I explained it here-https://mydramalesslife.wordpress.com/2017/01/07/cardiac-medicap-romantic-doctor-teacher-kim-episode-17/

It's wonderful that Everyone seems to have such awesome growth, including Teacher Kim who is finally the great mentor that we all knew he could be. He still threatens to chop off wrists but we all know it's just his way of saying Do Your Best. And looks like he does know how to say- Job Well Done! DJ's befuddled and then proud face at the compliment was the cutest and sweetest thing. That's so classic Tough Love- an unexpected compliment makes you feel on Cloud Nine.

Down down Dr Do! I can't wait. I don't really understand the motivations of Chairman Shin's daughter but I wait eagerly for her to have her eyes opened to Dr Do's manipulations and then he can be crushed from all sides.

More cute couple moments (bickering is actually cute! Leaning on shoulders never was more adorable!) and a nice redemptive arc for In Bum, with a side of Reporter attacked by his conscience and a dash of Good Triumphing Over Evil with more crinkly-eyed smiles and jumps of excitement are my wishes for next week. Thankyouverymuch!

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lunatic4kd

January 6, 2017 at 9:33 PM

PLEASE, everyone! You must go to Michykrama's blog about this episode! She is an anesthesiologist and gives high ratings to the stunning accuracy of this medical drama, especially the heart pump replacement surgery. There are lots of diagrams and photos explaining everything, so give yourselves the gift of reading it here. Thank you @Michykdrama! Your thoughtful expertise helps all of us enjoy this even more!

https://mydramalesslife.wordpress.com/2017/01/07/cardiac-medicap-romantic-doctor-teacher-kim-episode-17/

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Kiara

January 7, 2017 at 3:07 AM

Love it! I always find time during the weekend to read her blog.

Thank you Michykdrama <3.

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michykdrama

January 7, 2017 at 9:45 AM

awww thanks @lunatic4kd and @kiara! *hugs*
You beanies here are the best and I feel undeserving of such high praise!

Just doing my part to share the love for this drama and giving credit where it'd due, by letting everyone know just how much work they put into it. It is exciting on its own without knowing the medicine behind it, but even better for me because it really felt true to life and i needed to share that! :)

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Ally

January 9, 2017 at 8:19 PM

I, too, read your blog. The reason I kept watching this was because of how accurate the surgeries are--just like when I was on rotations. My husband almost became an anesthesiologist too. I don't know where you find the time!

dramabliss

January 8, 2017 at 6:49 PM

Just read the cardiac medicap. Just daebak! Thanks, michykdrama.

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madqueen

January 7, 2017 at 5:12 AM

Love you medicaps!

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michykdrama

January 7, 2017 at 9:46 AM

Aww thanks! :)

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PakalanaPikake

January 7, 2017 at 8:23 AM

Michykdrama,

Many thanks for your Cardiac Medicap. I'm so glad you are impressed with the realism of the procedures and devices. As always, I love your detailed explanations in plain English. ;-)

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michykdrama

January 7, 2017 at 9:49 AM

As always I'm glad you enjoyed it PakalanaPikake! You Beanies here make it all worth it. Took me about 3 hours to bang out and I'm glad I achieved my goal of making it understandable!

Sorry I've been pretty silent here due to Real Life, but these 2 episodes were just too good to let slip by without writing up on :)

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PakalanaPikake

January 8, 2017 at 10:07 AM

Wow, Michykdrama!

Thanks for answering my question -- and updating your Cardiac Medicap. I appreciate your explaining that strange external hardware that was shown in episode 4. And I'm glad you found even more realism to crow about in RDTK. ;-)

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18 sejunie

January 6, 2017 at 5:29 PM

Thanks for your wonderful recap. However i want to give my view on seo jung PTSD, i think her panic disorder have started way before the accident. In episode 1, remember when there is a patient with the metal rod, SJ also had a panic attack that Dr moon have to shout at her for her to come back to her sense.
I'm not sure what triggered her PTSD, but the accident surely make her condition even worse

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19 loveblossom

January 6, 2017 at 6:34 PM

Excellent episode! This show always puts me in a feel-good mood. It's really an uplifting drama.

I had tears in my eye the moment the new artificial heart started working. It was wonderful seeing Seo Jung's reaction when she touched it. I felt like all their hard work paid off, but now comes the part where CEO Shin needs to wake up. I hope he doesn't have any adverse effects from the surgery.

I didn't think of Seo Jung's PTSD when she had that moment of panic. I thought her state was directly due to CEO Shin's risky surgery and tight deadline. It does seem like the show moved on from that plot device.

I love the parallel scenes of Teacher Kim's and Dong Joo's quick speed with the suturing. I'm so proud of how mature and professional Dong Joo has become with his career.

Dong Joo and Seo Jung's scene in the breakroom was the cutest. I was smiling like a fool the whole time! They aren't even doing anything major, but their actions are still very sweet. I liked that Seo Jung showed him some physical affection first. Dong Joo has this cute, shy, dorky appeal whenever he gets close with her lately. Other times, they've been sizzling, but it's nice seeing this other side too. ^^

Kim Min Jae aka Nurse Assistant Park is such a cutie. I like his deep voice too. I have only see him in this drama and Goblin, but he has left a good impression.
His speech to Yeon Hwa was really moving.

I had a small moment of fear that Dr. Do had done something deadly to keep CEO Shin from waking up. But I don't think that's the case... Thank goodness Mr. Go is guarding the ICU though.

CEO Shin's notarized statement giving Teacher Kim authority was unexpected, but sensible. It was a hammer slamming down on Dr. Do's attempt to restrain Teach Kim. It felt good to see Dr. Do lose.

The udon restaurant hostess was a former hospital staff member and a witness to Geodae framing Teach Kim. I think she will probably come forward and tell the truth.

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loveblossom

January 6, 2017 at 6:36 PM

I knew this episode had a lot of great moments and the plot was moving forward, but dang I didn't think I was going to write so much. xDD;;;

Thank you for the recap, tineybeanie! ❤

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hyanggi

January 6, 2017 at 9:05 PM

I like Nurse Park, too! So unrattled by everything, so wise! Such a small man, such a deep voice! Haha. No wonder he felt so familiar in Goblin, but he looks so different there.

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ara2

January 6, 2017 at 9:51 PM

Nurse Park reminds me of Yeo Jin Gu. Both looks and voice.

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hyanggi

January 8, 2017 at 11:38 AM

That's right! Yeo Jin Gu! I too thought the same, but for the life of me, couldn't remember his name.

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Ally

January 11, 2017 at 6:19 AM

YJG--Another great young actor. First saw him in Jackpot and he stole the show, I thought. And Kim Min Jae does an amazing job in Goblin as well. Someone else to start watching!

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PakalanaPikake

January 7, 2017 at 7:49 AM

@Cocoboo,

The udon restaurant hostess was a former hospital staff member and a witness to Geodae framing Teach Kim. I think she will probably come forward and tell the truth.

Thanks for pointing that out!

Regarding Dr. Nam's litigation, I inferred from the scene of the photos in his locker that he, too, reminds himself of his deceased patient the same way Kim Sa Bu remembers his student. It also looks as if his wife left him with their daughter. I could be wrong. But I get the feeling that he lost his family because of this mess. Is he another victim of Dr. D'oh's machinations?

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20 RDTK

January 6, 2017 at 7:33 PM

So happy to know if Korean Nursing Association gave support to RDTK team by send a coffee truck to the set.

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21 riarallahssi

January 6, 2017 at 7:38 PM

"her PTSD just seems like a convenient plot device, rather than a real mental disorder."

Spot on. Or perhaps love heals all triggers? LOL. I can't say I'm complaining though because where would all the cute go if she were some melo greenrose-ish tragic, broken mess? I don't want that.

On second thought, didn't that psychiatrist rule her out as normal already? It may not necessarily be a PTSD symptom recurring during that moment, just a regular getting caught off guard moment under an intense situation. It resonated more like the panic she experienced in episode 1, right before she stuck her index finger through the patient's nerve to stop the bleeding. Yrs , the moment that made KDJ fall for her...

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Ally

January 9, 2017 at 8:24 PM

Per my hunny, a US VA psychiatrist, PTSD is curable--people can have normal lives. They can heal.

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riarallahssi

January 11, 2017 at 4:52 AM

Thanks for this. I appreciate this. It gives me certain sense of hope for a lot of people.

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22 Lessa

January 6, 2017 at 9:17 PM

Why is there no Mr Goo-Bear stuffed toy?

I'm sad.

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23 Lessa

January 6, 2017 at 9:48 PM

Re: In Bum on Yeon Hwa

In medschool to junior internship, I experienced being scolded in a similar way and then crying like a baby after. As I moved upward towards residency and fellowship, there were still incidents like that. Of course, it could be a very small mistake, probably insignificant even. But we do experience things like that. But the older I got the more I sort of understand the mean seniors. We handle lives. We need to get used to achieving perfection, even if it is impossible. When my senior residents graduated, they were actually the ones I was really close to even though some of them were really really mean to me when I started. Because they push me to be careful/meticulous about details.

Yes, mistakes do happen (cue: We are only human) but I think mistakes and their lessons should be hammered on to your being. Not to feel guilty or sad or depressed. But to push you to be better.

Yeah sure, In Bum could've been nicer, but maybe that's why I keep wondering what level Yeon Hwa is. If she was a medical student, it would be totally understandable to mix up the AP-PA view of an Xray of the chest. But if she is a surgery resident, that's kind of a major mistake, IMO. Any senior fellow would be mad.

Also, I know Teacher Kim is like super talented and all but wasn't he just as mean to Dong Joo and Seo Jung in the previous episodes. And yet I don't hear any "Respect" violation complaints from the others staff.

Because he's Teacher Kim. And that's just bias and not fair at all.

IRL, (though probably less now than in the old days) things were sooooo much more worse than what In Bum did to Yeon Hwa.

Just my opinion though.

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Lessa

January 6, 2017 at 9:54 PM

Just so we're clear, I do sound like Im defending In Bum but I I also didn't like how he talked to Nurse Park. But I didn't mind him (much) criticizing Yeon Hwa.

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michykdrama

January 7, 2017 at 1:54 AM

It's this whole idea of tough love vs the new "strawberry generation" where we must treat everyone with utmost respect, always praise, never scold.

I for one think we need a bit of both. I am not for going back to the past when senior's words were law and they ruled with an iron fist. But at the same time I also hate the idea that people who are doing something wrong cannot be scolded.

Like you rightly said Lessa- it's literally life and death for healthcare workers. You need to give your 110% and then some. I get very very frustrated by juniors who don't take responsibility or give excuses or are just plain lazy or careless or slipshod. I don't hesitate to scold and I have scolded Nurse Oh style on more than one occasion, so I can see where you are coming from with In Bum dishing out the tough love.

It's a hard balance to strike and while you certainly you bring up a good point about In Bum, I'll venture to state that he is being slightly prejudiced and unreasonable against Yeon Hwa. She is trying her best and none of her mistakes were serious enough to warrant a public yelling or dressing down, and certainly telling her to "do it right" and "not sorry" isn't exactly contructive criticism.

Regardless I'm glad to see she has a few people like Nurse Park in her corner though because I guess that's what will help her get stronger from the scoldings rather than quit and give up. If anything, maybe we can keep the Tough Love but also should remember to try to be a Nurse Park to someone we see is in need of some support, though without the fists of course! ?

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Lessa

January 7, 2017 at 4:12 AM

Its really hard to find a balance in between. And I also do relate to Yeon Hwa (even though I still don't understand what level she is) in that I've been at the stage where I didn't know squat and felt like giving up. (But didn't!) Surprisingly though, the biggest baddest meanie sunbae I ever encountered during training (sometimes outright bloody ridiculously mean) was also my biggest inspiration because she was incredibly smart, talented, organized and eloquent. And she had the best bedside manners ever.

Teacher Kim gives out tough love all the time too, and seeing how Dong Joo rose up to that challenge, I hope Yeon Hwa will also continue to be inspired.

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mariel

January 10, 2017 at 3:46 PM

My problem here is yelling and correcting in front of the staff and patients is unacceptable, unprofessional, and very demeaning. This should be done in private not for everyone to see especially the patients. This would create a bad impression about the working atmosphere in the hospital and the credibility of the staff !

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PakalanaPikake

January 7, 2017 at 7:38 AM

Thanks, Lessa and Michykdrama, for your real-life reality checks. ;-)

As far as In-bum is concerned, what frosts my tailfeathers about In-bum's criticism of Yeon-hwa is the fact that he is NOT Kim Sa Bu, and we've seen enough examples of his own dubious expertise and outright lying. Coming from Kim Sa Bu, a scolding is a serious lesson that is meant to be remembered, and intended to make the recipient a better physician. Coming from In-bum, it sometimes feels like he just wants to kick the dog. It says a lot about how his father has treated him all his life. In order for it to be tough love, there has to be some love there to begin with. In-bum is such a cold fish, I find it hard to think he has much regard for anyone other than himself. I hope I'm wrong.

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Lessa

January 7, 2017 at 4:05 PM

Thats true, he's already been portrayed as a poor doctor, & given everything else that happened in the previous episodes, it would seem he has no right to be scolding Yeon Hwa. And his blunted affect face doesnt help.

i think it's hard to define tough love in training. Because it's so deep in us, we don't even realize it is love. A senior told our group once he doesnt really give a rat's ass whether we quit training or not. Yet, he's always the one who notices the tiniest details/mistakes in our work. Another senior was super duper nice, and yet when it comes to our work, he's like: yah, thats fine! no need to add more! good job!

Or maybe ive just been beaten too much in training, im a masochistic freak. LOL

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24 Elissa

January 6, 2017 at 9:53 PM

Thank you, tineybeanie, and all the recappers and commenters here on DB! I've been watching kdramas for almost 3 years now, but this is the first series I'm watching before it has completed its run. I came for Han Suk-Kyu (whom I adored in Secret Door and Tree) and stayed for the fabulous writing and cast. I love coming here to DB after viewing each episode of whatever series I'm watching because all your recaps and comments add an extra level of understanding and enjoyment for me.

Now I get to share in this communal bond of impatience at having to wait for the next installment! :-) Wishing everyone a good weekend.

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25 lina

January 6, 2017 at 11:21 PM

i really like how i fell in love with all the characters in this drama- from our OTP, in bum, kim sabu, nurse park, the manager, to even mr. go hahaha

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loveblossom

January 7, 2017 at 9:22 AM

Me too. This drama really has a wonderful cast with memorable main and supporting characters. ^^

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26 PakalanaPikake

January 7, 2017 at 7:18 AM

Thanks, tineybeanie, for another great recap and commentary.

What a great episode. I was thrilled out of my shoes when Kim Sa Bu presented Dr. D'oh with Chairman Shin's notarized affidavit. That medical power of attorney stunned him and the Chairman's daughter into silence, and surprised me, too. I loved how it took the wind out of their sails. It must have been shocking to her to realize that her own father doesn't trust her.

Truth to tell, I was dismayed to see Shin's daughter drinking while watching his surgery at 9AM. Oh, that's right, somewhere in the world, it's already Happy Hour. I didn't trust her as far as I could throw her before, and now I trust her even less. It really irked me earlier when she didn't even ask KSB about her father's condition when she first came to his office. She was so wrapped up in politics that KSB finally had to show her the CT scan of his lungs to get her attention. It spoke volumes that Chairman Shin didn't tell his own daughter about the lung cancer.

Dr. D'oh really got my goat when he tried to play matchmaker between Seo-jung and his hotshot from the Geodae cardiovascular department. What a schmuck! After telling her that she was dead to him, now he wants to play yenta. How much do you want to bet that he'd done the same thing with Dr. Moon? I loved it when Dong-joo's spider sense tingled, and he extricated her from their clutches.

Thanks, tineybeanie, for translating that sign that Dong-joo offered to make for Seo-jung. I don't think any of the subtitles I read put it this way, and I knew I heard "namja" in there: “Yoon Seo-jung has a man. If you touch her, be prepared for instant death.” I love it when he gets properly territorial.

For the second consecutive episode, we got to see In-bum smile, this time through the OR door when the Chairman's surgery concluded successfully. No pearly whites, but still. And how about that grudging return of Dong-joo's fist-bump? It's as if he'll break out in hives if he expresses too much enthusiasm.

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27 eskimo

January 7, 2017 at 8:28 AM

I remember in episode Seo Jung was also triggered by blood. Perhaps her PTSD goes way back to when her mother committed suicide, and not just because the death of Dr Moon. There's only three episode left and there are still so many things yet to be revealed.. I'm worried how the show is going to address all of them. What did Dong Joo overheard from Dr Moon and the Nurse in the first episode? Who is Seo Jung's father? Dr Kim's story with his favorite student? Dr Nam's malpractice? And much much more..

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28 MM

January 7, 2017 at 10:37 AM

What a great recap! Thank you!

It's my first time posting my comment here. I can't help but felt like sharing my thoughts and feelings for this wonderful drama as well since it is the first drama I watch when it's still airing. How much I love the two love birds, Kim Sabu and the whole cast crew cannot be properly explained I words. Good job everyone involved.

The PTSD thing still strikes me as something quite unnatural and unbelievable in this drama. The thing is that SJ still thought that she was the reason why Dr. Moon got killed and that was precisely why she did what she did in Ep 2 when she encountered Dong Joo at Doldam. Found it strange that her PTSD seemed to be so easily handled and taken control over without her having been cleared of her misunderstanding (I think Dr.Moon was two-timing and Dong Joo seemed to be suspicious of this.)

I like reading all of the above comments since it shows me some aspects I haven't been thinking of. I like it when someone here points out that the woman in that Japanese restaurant at the end of the episode was a former medical staff in that surgery which killed Kim Sabu's student. Like it also when ones think that the characters of both President Shin's daughter and IB are so very difficult to figure out. I do agree with one comment that in order for IB to show a Tough Love there has to be some love to begin with. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that there was no love at all from his side. This kind of enraged feeling towards the new female doctor might be caused by the fact that she swapped with Dong Joo when he had previously asked her to be his assistant in his surgery. Worse still, Dong Joo seemed to outperformed him in that surgery.

I love every scene the two love birds are together. There cuteness is no joke! They are such an adorable couple. The chemistry between them is so natural and powerful. More couple scenes please!

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Ally

January 11, 2017 at 6:34 AM

I never commented until this drama either--welcome! This show just brings it out of us! Thanks for adding to the community of comments.

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29 PakalanaPikake

January 8, 2017 at 10:33 AM

Dang! Another In-bum smile sighting.

While rewatching Chairman Shin's surgery, I was startled to see In-bum flash his pearly whites through the OR door right right after Kim Sa Bu told Seo-jung she had just replaced her first artificial heart. I somehow missed it during earlier viewings.

I don't know if I can handle seeing his killer smile in more than two consecutive episodes. It's so rare, it's like being struck by lightning. ;-)

*creakily picks self up off floor*

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30 lucifer

January 10, 2017 at 3:25 AM

Where's episode 18? Isn't it supposed to have been aired last night? I didn't find it anywhere? Is it preempted? Same goes with Hwarang episode 7.

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Ally

January 11, 2017 at 6:23 AM

Try dramafever. We watched it on that lastnight. I didn't see it in our regular sites either. There are ads--but thankfully they were all for Goblin, my other drama crush now!

OMG, another great episode, YYS is just so good, you feel his pain emanating through the screen.

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Ally

January 11, 2017 at 9:57 AM

Oh, I was speaking about episode 19 above. Episode 18 should be out on dramacool /Viki now. 19 is on Viki now too.

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lucifer

January 12, 2017 at 7:22 AM

I thought it was preempted. Turns out my favorite site just hadn't had it yet. But now I've watched both 18 and 19.

I did feel Dong Joo's pain. I'm glad about how it was resolved. I didn't want him to turn on Teacher Kim.

Now I really want to see Dr. Do destroyed. By his own brand of medicine (pun intended).

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