Two songs from this episode:
“In Front of City Hall at the Subway Station” by Kwak Jin-eon, a remake of the 1990 song by Zoo
“Beyond the Rainbow Forest” by DANI
How “In Front of City Hall at the Subway Station,” a melancholy song about unexpectedly encountering an old love years later, beautifully mirrors this episode’s themes of old relationships, roads not taken, and looking back at the person you were 20 years ago.
The medical cases in this episode, including a baby in liver failure who desperately needs a transplant, a pregnant woman with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome who has suffered two miscarriages, and Jang Gyeo-ul’s dangerous anaphylactic reaction to pain medication.
Kim Jun-wan’s complete transformation after Lee Ik-sun says yes to dating him and declares that it is their “Day One.”
Lee Ik-jun’s reunion with his former girlfriend Go Ara and how reconnecting with someone from your past can make you reflect on why a relationship ended and how much both people have changed.
The flashback revealing that Yang Seok-hyeong confessed his feelings to Chae Song-hwa years ago and was devastated when she rejected him—and that Lee Ik-jun may have been planning to confess to Song-hwa that very same night.
Chae Song-hwa finally telling her friends that she found a breast lump, had a biopsy, and is waiting for the results.
Lee Ik-jun quietly showing up to accompany Song-hwa when she receives her biopsy results, knowing that the fiercely self-sufficient Song-hwa would never ask anyone to come with her. Thankfully, her biopsy is benign.
Kim Jun-wan giving resident Do Jae-hak the opportunity to perform his first ASD closure, then delivering a very Jun-wan-style compliment: “You did better than I thought. What’s gotten into you?”
Kim Dae-myung, the actor who plays Yang Seok-hyeong, including his theater background, his breakout role in Misaeng: Incomplete Life, his extensive film career, and his return as Seok-hyeong in Resident Playbook.
What we’re watching and reading now, including East Palace, Run With the Wind, The Affair Was Just the Beginning, and Mad for Each Other.
References
In front of city hall at the subway station by Mido and Falasol
In front of city hall at the subway station by Zoo Kim Chang Gi
Improving self-sufficiency in organ transplantation in Korea - PMC
Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Pregnancy: Background, Etiology, Pathophysiology
K Drama Chat is a weekly podcast where we take one Korean (K) Drama each season and and recap and analyze each episode. K Drama Chat is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pandora.
Hi everybody! Joanna referenced a story technique highlighting Ik-jun and Jun-wan’s common experience growing up together, including the area they both came from. This is what backstory works for. When you’re building a drama series, each main character has a unique history in what’s called the bible for the drama. This details where they hail from, family situation, schools and anything else that’s particular to them. Rather than a contrivance, this often comes from the writers themselves and people they know well. As the drama plot is developed, stories grow naturally and convincingly out of real lives.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ellen, for filling us in on the screenwriting background to this plot device. We didn't know what it was called, but we could tell it was significant.
DeleteThis quote re backstory from the actor’s point of view was just published, from Bae Suzy in Elle Korea:
Delete“Rather than looking only at the character itself, I now think more about what kind of relationships the character has with the people around them and what kind of environment they grew up in. Even if it isn’t included in the script, I imagine what kind of time this character has gone through and create my own reasons and backstory for them.”
Some stage directors (verbally) give actors playing even the smallest roles a backstory. I think it really helps!
DeleteEllen and Doremi, thank you for your comments. Hospital Playlist is doing such a good job of giving us the backstory for these characters. These characters are so rich!
DeleteI'm really enjoying the show, and as always the podcast just makes it BETTER! Thanks for all of your hard work.
ReplyDeleteThis show has such an interesting take on friendships, I'd love to know where they came up with the central idea of "The Lacking 5." I loved the scene with the tossed-out birthday gift -- the show didn't have to spell out anything, we all understand that, in the name of friendship, Dr. Lee simply made a (rather consequential, when you think about it) decision, and moved on with his life. In retrospect, this also kept the Lacking 5 together!
The constant examples of FOOD as a love language also cracks me up. So many eating scenes, so many food decisions, so many other discussions while EATING food together!
I remember being disturbed, during my first viewing of HP, by all the plastic waste they were contributing to with their constant food orders! Though apparently lots of people live like this? At least Korea has a strict recycling policy, I guess. :)
DeleteJeff, thank you! Yes, the friendship between these five is amazing and strong. And we love them for it. Yes, Lee Ik Jun valued friendship over a possible love relationship and moved on!
DeleteAs for food, food is love! Have you read the book Never Eat Alone? Every meal is an opportunity to connect with someone! Somehow, these Korean actors don't look awkward or gross slurping large amounts of noodles, even black jajangmyeon noodles!
Doremi, the plastic waste is real everywhere. Every time my family orders take out, I fret over the containers. We try to reduce our plastic footprint, but it is HARD!
I also wanted to mention how much I'm enjoying Four Sonatas Two Hands. It is pure angsty K-melodrama, and the music is just gorgeous, totally complementary to the action.
ReplyDeleteAlso - a big high five to the actors and editors who go out of their way to make the instrumental performance scenes so convincing. Hospital Playlist does this well too, and the best I've ever seen was Do You Like Brahms? Park Eun-bin playing violin!
So, I am going to start off my comments with two complaints……
ReplyDeleteFirst, I don’t appreciate that this medical drama is so factually accurate and all Sung hee has to do is say “Oh, that’s right. They depict this very well and let me tell you more about this medical condition and its treatment.” Whereas every legal drama I am like “No. Wrong! That would never happen. This is ridiculous. Let me tell you what the law really is.” I think we need to get Sung hee to analyze the medical treatment in Trauma Cod for balance!
Second, I do not know why you refuse to include one of my favorite K Drama elements in your list. I am of course talking about actors in their thirties and forties portraying themselves as twenty years younger and pulling it off! This is present in virtually every episode of Hospital Playlist. I mean Song-hwa with the long hair?! I can’t even…. And them going into their med school interviews with their names pined to their toggle coats like Paddington Bear. Comen on! I’m very disappointed in you guys.
As for the show itself. On my second watching, I am realizing that a lot of the relationship/workplace dynamics are things I have actually experienced in my life. I’m not going to get into details, but if you subscribe to What Malcolm’s Watching Plus, members will get full access to my personal history!
As for Jeong-won and Ik-sun. My guess is he always had a crush on her, but the time was never right, either because she was his best friend’s younger (too young) sister or either she or he were in a relationship. And it clearly looks like the time is now. Dating your best friend’s sister is super high stakes, so he better watch himself….
Finally, Joanna, everyone knows a purple heart emoji simply means Prince.
As for WMW:
I finished The Affair Was Just the Beginning on Viki. Sung hee finally takes one of my recommendations but can’t get past the first episode. SMH. I think this may be the best show I’ve watched this year. Dark humor and very well written.
I finished A Bonafide Killer on Viki. Also right up there with the best of the year.
I am still watching the soap opera-ish Love on the Menu on Viki. This is really classic K drama stuff. The plot lines include who is the father, and paying off the poor girlfriend with an envelope of money. Its ridiculous and I am loving it!
I just started the first two episode of Made in Korea Season Two on Viki. Wow. This show goes hard right from the start. The acting is amazing and the production values are off the charts. This looks like a movie. Hyun bin might be the coolest looking dude on earth. He is so good in this role. Highly recommended, although you might want to brush up on your South Korean history from the 70s and 80s to appreciate it.
OK, gotta go and throw away this birthday gift I got for this girl I really like….
Hahaha...I missed this type of comments from you recently. It is good to read them again :)
DeleteI actually re-subscribed to Viki to watch "The Affair Was Just the Beginning". Watched first episode, and enjoyed it.
Maybe because I don't have emotional attachment to Kim Hye Soo (haven't finished any of her series) I am not particularly taken by her casting.
I thought the rich wife from Parasite was much more suited, and more convincing.
Going by first episode, and considering this is short series, I think this will be breezy, eventful, and twisty.
I am not one who judges series on their endings only, but I have a feeling that this will be one of those where the ending will matter a lot.
I am also going to watch Bona Fide Killer. Sounds fun.
I am not sure if you watch Anime, but try SpyXFamily, at least first few episodes (each is 20mins).
Not spoiling, all this in the first 29maybe 3) episodes.
This is great fun series. Set in Cold War era Berlin. A fake family consisting of a Spy (Father), Secret Assassin (Mother), and telepathic 5-6 years old child (The most adorable child ever lol). The great fun is derived from the fact that the Spy and the Assassin don't know about the other true identity, while the child can read their mind.
It is fun, heartwarming, and has some kick ass action.
Also, arguably, has the most memorable marriage proposal lol.
I have watched 2 Korean movies:
Lost in Starlight: Sorry, I didn't like that much. Too Schmaltzy. And Kim Tae-ri voicing the Fl was hindrance. I couldn't see the character, I was seeing her. In general, I don't like known actors doing voice acting.
Following: This was a solid enjoyable mystery, but nothing memorable.
Malcolm! You are right. We will make actors playing themselves as high schoolers, or even middle schoolers an element! Gotta do it! It's time!
DeleteAnd yes, a purple heart means Prince. Prince is still my love. I got to see the Prime mural in Minneapolis when I was out there this summer. Apparently, the city shuts down the center of the city and celebrates one day in April. Love it!
Seven Seas, I enjoyed Lost in Starlight. Was it amazing? No, but just a sweet, predictable movie. It was fun to see an anime K Drama!
I 've just finished the final episode of Until the Tshirt Dries, and it was so satisfying. This is a standout watch of 2026 for me. A well-paced, subtle, tender relationships-based drama for anyone interested in unflashy Japanese TV.
ReplyDeleteIt was my Thursday afternoon post-work treat, and I'll miss it!