Young O sacrifices for others in this final episode.
Beautiful Mind Episode 14 (Final) Recap
Present…
Officer Gye Jin Sung (Park So Dam) is wheeled into surgery.
Dr. Lee Young O (Jang Hyuk) meets his father outside the surgical room. His father states this illegal surgery is dangerous and puts his life in peril. Putting his controlling hand on Young O’s shoulder he forbids him to do it. Young O tells his father “I understand how you felt when you took me into surgery against everyone’s wishes”. Young O walks past his father, turns and looks at his father. His father turns and looks at him. Will this be the last time Dr. Lee sees Young O alive? For all the things that Young O’s father has done wrong during this series, in this moment you clearly saw he cared for his son. His disapproval while gilded in other terms was really about not wanting his son to die.
The doctor, Dr. Hong, that plans to do regenerative treatment on Jin Sung is surprised he finds her hospital bed empty. He asked the nurse where Jin Sung is. The nurse lies and tells the doctor Jin Sung is getting a test. When the doctor asks the CT doctor where Jin Sung is, he lies and says she may be at Dr. Hyun’s office. I’m liking the support the medical team is giving Young O.
Young O is wheeled into the surgical room. He turns and looks at Jin Sung who is already under anesthesia and therefore unaware of what he intends to do. Dr. Hyun confirms that Young O wants to do this live lung transplant. Young O says this is illegal and dangerous but it has a high survival rate, he likes the odds.
Dr. Yang gets his moment to play keep away with Dr. Hong who is searching for Dr. Hyun and Jin Sung.
Young O says the medical team will keep this surgery as quiet as possible. Young O thanks Dr. Hyun for having the courage to do this illegal surgery. They wheel Young O into a separate operating room to do his portion of the surgery.
Dr. Hong bursts into Dr. Chae’s office upset, saying he can’t find Dr. Hyun or Jin Sung. The doctor in Dr. Chae’s office who is trying to keep them from finding out about the illegal surgery has no chance against the two of them. They exit the office determined to find Jin Sung and Dr. Hyun.
Flashback to Young O asking the surgeons to help keep the illegal surgery under the radar. I still gotta laugh when Young O doesn’t know the last doctor’s name, it’s okay I don’t know his name either. They grouse a bit but agree to Young O’s plan.
Turns out Dr. Hong has looked at the surveillance video and knows that Jin Sung is in the OR with Dr. Hyun. Dr. Chae says there’s no reason to do surgery in secret.
Young O’s surgery is underway and the transplant materials are removed from his body.
Dr. Chae has an angry moment and demands that Dr. Hong bring him Jin Sung and Dr. Hyun. He won’t have his clinical trials besmirched by a rogue doctor. It really doesn’t bother me at all to see that smug smiling Dr. Chae sweat.
Dr. Hong literally runs through all the surgical ORs. The doctors run interference for Dr. Hyun and Young O. I like the thumbs up the Dr. Hyun gives the doctor who berates Dr. Hong for trying to interfere in a live surgery. Dr. Hyun begins the lung transplant into Jin Sung.
Dr. Chae waits outside of the surgical area. When Dr. Hyun and the surgical team exits everyone peels off but Dr. Hyun. Dr. Chae says this is against his wishes. Dr. Hyun counters that he was doing his best as a doctor. Dr. Chae promises Dr. Hyun that he will regret this. Dr. Hyun walks away.
In the surgical bullpen they tell each other no one can admit knowledge of what happened. One doctor says that Young O is crazy for doing this because the survival rate is low. That’s counter to what Young O said in the surgical room before he went under, it must be a translation error. Dr. Soh guesses that Young O is doing this for the woman he loves. The other doctors say no way; Young O has no heart. They all murmur agreement. One doctor says you never know with love. They all murmur agreement. I really have grown to love the surgical bullpen sessions between these doctors. What I like is that each doctor has their own opinion, even though they in the end tend to fall in like sheep, but they do express different opinions while they discuss whatever the topic of the day is. You can tell the actors had fun doing the scenes and even though I don’t know all the doctor’s names (it was difficult to distinguish them during this series), these scenes added depth to the series.
Young O wakes up after surgery. He looks over and sees Jin Sung. He tries to sit up but of course it hurts. He watches her sleep.
The Chairman and Dr. Chae discuss the illegal surgery. The Chairman says they were robbed, in their own hospital. Dr. Chae concurs and says they need to slit the throats of their betrayers. The Chairman wants to know what he has in mind. Dr. Chae thinks they can eliminate their enemies via rules and regulations.
The ethics committee discusses the illegal surgery. Young O’s father paces while the three doctors discuss the situation. They want to terminate Young O and Dr. Hyun. They ask Young O’s father if he agrees with their determination.
When Young O goes out for a walk Dr. Yang jokes if he has plans. Young O struggles to walk (love his hand sliding up and down the IV pole). Dr. Yang thoroughly enjoys seeing Young O at less than optimum. In his best doctor voice Young O tells Dr. Yang that light exercise after surgery is acceptable. Dr. Yang counters that he may want to see Jin Sung, but she needs rest and can’t have visitors. Young O asks Jin Sung’s status. Dr. Hyun enters the conversation and says that Jin Sung is stable.
Dr. Hyun tells Young O that the ethics board has decided to terminate both of them. Young O expected this but he is sorry that Dr. Hyun is affected. Young O knows that the regenerative medicine research was important to Dr. Hyun. Down but not out, Dr. Hyun vows to continue with the regenerative medicine research. Dr. Hyun makes the point that to save lives, risks must be taken. Dr. Hyun notes that Young O took a risk to save Jin Sung.
Young O calls and asks if Jin Sung can receive visitors. He’s happy to learn that she can and decides to go see her immediately. Jin Sung’s brother enters the room and with great gusto hugs Young O. Ouch, he just had lung surgery! He raves that Young O gave Jin Sung a gift much better than a ring or car, he gave her part of his body. He declares Young O is a pro at dating. Ha! Struggling to recover from the aggressive hug, Young O asks him to be quiet, he needs his rest. Young O wants to go visit Jin Sung with him but he says there’s no need, Young O gets to see her every day. I guess now the show is playing keep away between Young O and Jin Sung.
The surgeon bullpen discusses the illegal surgery and decision about Young O and Dr. Hyun. The nice surgeon suggests they should visit Young O but Dr. Soh scoffs and says Young O was never part of the surgeon family. Later Dr. Soh feels guilty for saying that and decides to visit Young O. He is stunned to find the surgeons clustered around Young O taking a selfie. LOL! Young O is part of the surgeon family! Young O asks Dr. Soh put up a sign that he needs rest.
Young O’s father thinks back to him telling Young O that he just wanted to create a perfect world for his son. Then he recalls after the mortality conference Young O saying that a doctor could never be perfect, and trying your best doesn’t exonerate every action you take. Then he recalls Young O telling him that now Young O understood how his father felt when he took a young Young O into surgery against his colleagues’ wishes.
Young O puts a do not disturb sign on his own hospital room door. He turns and finds his father. Dr. Lee asked how Young O is feeling. They take the conversation to the rooftop. Dr. Lee says the ethics committee will vote on his termination tomorrow. Young O will have a chance to explain his side of the story. Dr. Lee says Young O will be held accountable for his actions. Young O knew this was going to happen when he decided to have the surgery. His father says “you became a doctor even though I was against it. And you came back to work in the same hospital I was at. I’m surprised you’re setting your termination so easily”. Young O says it’s because he no longer needs his father’s acceptance that he is not a monster but a normal human being. His father asks what did Young O meant when he said he understood how he felt? Young O says he understood the fear of loss, the fear of incompetence, the fear of defeat if the surgery didn’t go well. Young O believes that when his father saw his face after the surgery, he felt like he had failed. And Young O was a constant reminder of that failure. Young O says I thought I feared you father, but you feared me. You were the bigger abuser in our relationship but also the biggest victim. Young O says I don’t have the courage to forgive you, but I want to try and understand you. Be free father, just like I am. As Young O passes his father he touches his hand. Young O’s father has to sit down to process what his son just said to him. He cries. What a stellar scene! The writer gave Young O the perfect words of censure and forgiveness for his father. It’s not full forgiveness, but the desire to understand his father’s perspective, people, that’s empathy. Young O has truly evolved during this series and touched my heart by doing so.
Min Jae visits Jin Sung and offers her congratulations on the successful surgery. Min Jae says she was curious about the woman that helped Young O change. Jin Sung demurs and states she was merely by his side. Min Jae asks if Jin Sung has seen Young O. She says his recovery is going well. Jin Sung asks what she’s talking about. She asks if something happened to Young O. Min Jae realizes that Jin Sung doesn’t know. Min Jae sits down and tells Jin Sung that the ethics committee is meeting today to discuss Young O’s punishment for what he did. Jin Sung asks again what did he do? Min Jae tells her that Young O sacrificed everything, to give her his lung. Min Jae says the surgery was illegal. Min Jae says it was a high risk surgery, and Young O broke every rule by having the surgery done. Min Jae says he wanted to save you that much. Jin Sung wonders if Young O will be terminated for what he did.
The ethics committee meets, with Dr. Hyun and Young O under the spotlight.
The Chairman and Dr. Chae discuss Young O’s antisocial disorder. The Chairman asks doesn’t that kind of person only act to benefit themselves? I know you’re thinking what I’m thinking, that sounds like the Chairman, who only ask the line his pockets with money. Chairman doesn’t understand why Young O did this. Dr. Chae says don’t even bother trying to understand Young O’s motivations. The Chairman asks Dr. Chae why he was so unforgiving with Dr. Hyun. Dr. Chae says that Dr. Hyun pushed him to the edge, and he had to be eliminated. Dr. Chae plans to reach out to him when he’s defeated, so Dr. Hyun will never bother him again. The Chairman understands that.
Dr. Hyun and Young O confirm they knew the surgery was illegal but did it anyways. They ask why they did the surgery. Dr. Hyun says Jin Sung’s condition was critical, she was too weak to wait for a long donor through the legal methods. They ask if they are admitting to everything they did being illegal. Young O says he takes exception to that statement.
The nurse tends Jin Sung. Jin Sung mentions that she knows about the ethics committee meeting. She wants to know if decision has been rendered. The nurse says the meeting has just begun. The nurse states Jin Sung must be Young O’s girlfriend. She says that Young O said that he gave his girlfriend plenty of time to decide whether or not she wanted to become involved with him. The nurse says she just needs to focus on her recovery.
Young O takes responsibility for the surgery and says Dr. Hyun was against the surgery from the get-go. He refers them to the original surgery schedule to confirm this. Young O shows video of the fistfight between himself and Dr. Hyun. Young O claims he forced Dr. Hyun to do the surgery. Young O says everyone knows that he can’t have empathy for another human being. Young O says Dr. Hyun had no choice but perform the surgery due to his threats. Dr. Hyun stands up and says none of this is true. Young O says everyone in this room would’ve made the same decision, under his threats. Young O says Dr. Hyun is an exemplary doctor. That ethics committee asks if Young O is taking complete responsibility for the illegal lung transplant. Young O says even if it means he’s dismissed, he will take full responsibility. But he doesn’t think his actions were wrong. He makes the point that in some countries lung transplants from a living donor is legal. He says saving someone that is dying right in front of you is the responsibility of doctors. That’s the reason he’s not ashamed of the choice he made. He says he’ll accept termination. Dr. Hyun asks for the chance to clarify that this wasn’t all Young O’s idea. Young O’s father stands and says they’ve heard enough, the ethics committee will discuss and render their verdict.
Dr. Hyun confronts Young O in the hallway asking “Why did you do that? Do you think I’d be grateful”? Young O says he didn’t do it for gratitude. Young O says he takes full responsibility for it. Dr. Hyun says the responsibility is shared. Young O reminds Dr. Hyun he has something else that he needs to take responsibility for.
Finally…Young O visits Jin Sung. They are both sitting upright so surgical recovery is going well. Jin Sung asks if Young O planned this after she decided to have surgery. She asks why he did it without telling her. Young O says he did it because he had what she needed. He says you know I’m selfish. I thought about it objectively before he made the decision. Young O says “So you don’t have anything to feel sorry about. I’m different from normal people. While I was seeing you, I thought I’d changed. But I didn’t. I was wrong. A miracle like that won’t happen for me”. Young O says he’ll baffle her from time to time. She may feel lonely, disheartened, because he can’t change. He won’t know how to comfort her. He asks her to remember with every breath that she takes what he feels for her and what she means to him. She asks what she means to him. Young O kisses her. After the kiss Young O says she’s recovering well, her breathing is stable. They both smile and laugh. Young O kisses her again, this time with passion. For those of you that were hoping for a passionate kiss between our couple, your wish is granted. Hello, Young O, you are showing happiness…this is emotion! Terrific little scene between our couple. The sweet smiles, the genuine laughter, the comfortable vibe between these two is lovely to watch.
The ethics committee considers terminating Young O and retaining Dr. Hyun. Young O’s father asks that the committee not terminate Young O. He says Young O did his best to save the patient. The ethics committee states if word gets out about this, the hospital’s reputation will be damaged. Young O’s father says “if Young O’s personality disorder is the problem, then the problem is me”. Young O’s father says that his son developed the personality disorder because of his abuse to cover up a mistake. He says Young O is a better doctor than he is. He says he will take full responsibility for the illegal surgery. The request that termination of his son be rescinded. A tear rolls down his face. Young O’s father stepped out of the shadows and admitted to his wrongdoing. Even more important, he admitted to abusing his son to save his own reputation. Not only Young O is evolving, but his father is too.
The Chairman congratulates Dr. Chae, they caught the biggest fish they could, Dr. Lee. Dr. Chae is surprised. The Chairman says Young O’s sacrificed himself to save Dr. Hyun, and Dr. Lee sacrificed himself to save Young O. The Chairman gets back to business and tells Dr. Chae not to blow the research with the outside funder, Dr. Oh. The Chairman promises to Dr. Chae will become the next director if the final stages of the regenerative research succeed. Dr. Chae says he’ll do his best, as he always has.
Dr. Chae finds Dr. Hyun in his office. Dr. Hyun says research is trial and error. Dr. Chae says the threat of losing his job has caused Dr. Hyun to mature. Dr. Hyun says the heart patients are not suffering side effects. The patients that previously had side effects, suffered because of mistake during the clinical trials, a mistake that Dr. Chae could have fixed. Dr. Hyun says Dr. Chae murdered two people to cover up his mistake. Dr. Chae is adamant that if the public knew about the errors, the research would’ve been shut down. Dr. Hyun says Dr. Chae turned the research, into a crime scene and cannot be forgiven. Dr. Hyun urges Dr. Chae to reveal everything before it goes public. He says they’ll need to start the research over. He leaves the office. Dr. Chae knocks items off his desk in anger.
In the research office, Dr. Hong asks what Dr. Hyun is doing. Dr. Hyun says it’s time to start over. Dr. Hyun says stem cell research for patients with heart valves, has a side effect. Dr. Hong can’t believe it. Dr. Hyun says it was an error in the research. Any research team could’ve made the same mistake. Dr. Hong says if anybody could’ve made the mistake then we made no mistake. Dr. Hyun counters that he wants to be a doctor that can admit mistakes. He says he can’t pretend the research is perfect. Dr. Hyun takes a box of research and leaves.
Dr. Hong confronts Dr. Hyun in his office. Does anybody else have a bad feeling about this? Dr. Hong says this research is his life and he can’t accept Dr. Hyun’s willingness to ruin his life. We see has a scalpel behind his back. He attacks Dr. Hyun and says his sacrifice will allow the research to go on in purity. Dr. Chae, you have a disciple! The two men struggle and security guards come in and pull Dr. Hong off Dr. Hyun. Cool as a cucumber Young O walks into Dr. Hyun’s office and tells him he assumed that somebody would attack Dr. Hyun. Young O admits he surprised that it was his colleague that was the attacker. Young O asked what Dr. Hyun will do now. Dr. Hyun struggles to get to his feet still in shock over fighting for his life only moments ago. Dr. Hyun says he has to take responsibility just like Young O did.
Dr. Chae gets a phone call and prepares to leave his office. The Chairman meets him at the door and says things are going to get ugly. Dr. Chae agrees. The Chairman says he has a plan.
The Chairman drives Dr. Chae to the prosecutor’s office. The Chairman tells Dr. Chae to turn himself in and his family attorney will do the best he can for Dr. Chae. The Chairman says you went too far when you murdered the former director. He says as long as Dr. Hyun has the evidence that you committed this murder, we can’t win. Dr. Chae says you won’t be safe if I confess. The Chairman says you can’t implicate me because you’ll lose everything. The Chairman notices that Dr. Chae seems resentful. Ha! The Chairman hopes that Dr. Chae will be born with more power in his next life. The scene ends with Dr. Chae walking towards the prosecutor building. Well that was a nice wrap-up between the two completely self-centered characters in this series. It is fitting that one turned on the other. It is fitting that Dr. Chae, who murdered two people, was the one that lost. Both these characters were monsters in their own right.
Young O finds his father packing up his office. Young O tells his father that he’s heard his termination has been rescinded. Young O says he’s heard that his father has resigned. Young O asks if this is his father’s apology for his past behavior. Young O’s father says he didn’t think of it as such. Young O’s father looks at Young O and says “you are the best doctor I know. I wanted to leave a legacy here”. Nice! Young O asks his father what he plans to do now. Young O’s father says he’s gonna put his feet up and relax, like Young O told him to do. The two men stare at each other, understanding each other in that moment, and accepting each other for who they are. Lovely way to end this relationship, the pinnacle relationship of this show. The evolution of these characters has been superb. Frankly I didn’t expect Young O’s father to evolve. The fact that he accepted his son, praised his son, and sacrificed for his son (not himself) was touching. And Young O saw it for what it was, and was touched.
Epilogue…
Min Jae has a TV show. Dr. Soh can’t believe Min Jae was cast instead of him. The surgeons offer Dr. Soh support in their special way. The doctor, whose name I can’t remember, suggests to Min Jae that they collaborate on a paper. Min Jae says she doesn’t list people on her papers that don’t contribute. Ouch!
Young O’s father sits in the middle of a field reading a book. Dr. Hyun comes up and joins him. Dr. Hyun says he just visited the ex-director’s grave. Young O’s father says he’s heard that the problem with the valve has been solved. Dr. Hyun is surprised that he knows about this. Young O’s father says his son told him about the development. Dr. Hyun says he’s heard that Dr. Lee is no longer taking painkillers. Dr. Lee says he wants to live out his life being the person that he really is until the end. He tells Dr. Hyun she’s proud of, for being so brave, at such a young age. Dr. Hyun says the cost of his bravery is tangible. He has to cover many of the research costs. Dr. Hyun shares he’s happy.
Young O is consulting with a patient and sporting a bowtie. Young O tells the patient that he has a tumor that will cause him to lose auditory abilities, which is crucial to the patient’s passion. The patient asks what happens if he doesn’t get the surgery. Young O says without the surgery; the tumor is like a bomb in your head. The patient asks if he gets the surgery, is there possibility he can have some of his auditory abilities? Young O says sometimes hope makes you expect the impossible. Young O tells him that he wants him to make the right decision, his auditory abilities cannot be saved. The patient gets angry; he’s losing his passion. The patient yells at Young O “how can you be so stoic when I’m losing everything”? Young O says “I can’t feel your pain. I have a disability that makes me unable to empathize with others. But I’m planning to stand by you. I won’t turn a blind eye to your pain. Or your exhaustion. Whenever you need me, I will extend my hand to you, until you leave this hospital with a healthy body”.
As Young O leaves the room he seems to suffer pain is his chest and says “this woman”. He calls Jin Sung and says you must be going up the steps. Ah, so he feels her pain. Jin Sung says do you really expect me to believe that you can feel that? Young O says I cannot feel your heart but I’m more sensitive and delicate to than others you know. Jin Sung asks if he can feel where she’s walking to. Young O thinks “I can’t emphasize with her”. Young O says that’s not feeling, that’s logical reasoning. He says it’s easy to deduce with her. They stand across the street looking at each other. She counters that easy isn’t the right word. She says consistent is the right word. They smile and walk towards each other. Young O thinks “the only choice I can make is to love you”. They meet and smile, happy to have each other.
My Thoughts
What a relief, this was a good finale. The writer, Kim Tae Hee, gave us a cohesive final episode. I felt the 13th episode was hacked up a bit and certain plot points were fast forwarded so it was not as smooth as previous episodes had been. Understandable considering two episode were eliminated by the network KBS. I was concerned going into the final episode as to what the writer would deliver. But my fears were allayed when the writer ticked off every major plot point and dealt with each one. There were cute moments, touching moments, and a sense that our characters evolved and became better people. And the bad guys, at least one of them, was punished.
Jang Hyuk’s portrayal of Young O gave us a man that sacrificed and won. Young O’s relationship with Jin Sung hit the right note this episode. They were comfortable, accepting, and loving with each other. We even got a decent kiss. But Young O also wrapped up two other primary relationships, his father and Dr. Hyun. I’ll take Dr. Hyun first. When Young O sacrifice himself so Dr. Hyun can continue to practice medicine, specifically the regenerative research medicine he loved, by playing the video of their fight, which we know had nothing to do with them arguing over the surgery, that marked a moment of maturity. But he didn’t stop there, Young O told Dr. Hyun he would have to take responsibility for his own actions. And in the end Dr. Hyun did. Only Young O was not surprised when Dr. Hyun was attacked, though he was surprised it was a colleague. I liked how these two doctors came together to save Jin Sung, and they help save themselves in the process. Last but not least, Young O had closure with his father. Their scenes together touched me the most. Young O was able to be direct with his father about their past relationship. And Young O’s father was finally able to admit his wrongdoing and sacrifice for his son. Without that they couldn’t go forward, but with it, they could move forward.
Park So Dam as Jin Sung lived and loved. She was surprised to learn that Young O sacrificed his lung. But she did not berate him, instead she accepted decision though she was miffed that he put his life at risk. The interaction between Min Jae and Jin Sung was cordial, there wasn’t any jealousy, hair pulling, negativity between these two women. Min Jae recognized that Jin Sung had the right chemistry with Young O, in a way she could never have. I like the fact that Min Jae had the maturity to see that she wasn’t the right woman for Young O, and go on without hard feelings. As far as couples, Jin Sung and Young O were a good match. I thought her role might have her be his emotional touchstone. But that didn’t happen this series. It wasn’t needed because Young O feels emotions. He feels for Jin Sung. How he can spout that he doesn’t empathize, when he clearly empathizes for her, is beyond me. Jin Sung and Young O had an easy chemistry. There was more friendship than passion, but there was love.
Yoon Hyun Min as Doctor Hyun Suk found himself again. I was glad to see Dr. Hyun stand up to the ethics committee, even though Young O’s sacrifice outweighed his statements that the surgery was mutual between the two doctors. I like to Dr. Hyun got angry with Young O for taking the upper hand. I liked that Dr. Hyun dealt with his responsibilities regarding his lying about the regenerative research. He got Dr. Chae over a barrel and it was great to see the unflappable Dr. Chae upset. I was surprised that Dr. Hong attacked Dr. Hyun with a scalpel. For a minute I thought that there would be one last surgery where Young O saved Dr. Hyun’s life. I’m glad that did not happen. The final scene between Dr. Hyun and Young O’s father showed us two men comfortable with themselves and living the life they wanted, bravo for both of them.
Heo Jun Ho’s portrayal of Young O’s father, Lee Gun Myung, gave us a man that admitted his mistakes and sacrificed in retribution. This character scored with me when he admitted to his peers that he had abused his son and sacrificed his career for Young O. He stopped looking at protecting himself and decided to protect his son. The final scene between Young O and his father was touching. The evolution of this character was a bonus I did not expect and it enriched this final episode.
Did this final episode grant my wish list?
* Young O lives – my wish was granted
* Jin Sung lives – my wish was granted
* Some kind of resolution that would expose the Chairman and Dr. Chae – my wish was partially granted
* Should Young O find out his father thought he messed up Young O’s frontal lobe in the surgery and that’s why he adopted him? I’m not sure. – This did not happen. I’m good with this.
Final Thoughts. I will write a review of the show in total but here’s a couple of quick thoughts:
* For all the discussion of whether or not Young O could empathize or not, the writer ended up stating Young O was not able to empathize. I reject that. Young O clearly showed that he could empathize with others, especially Jin Sung.
* The writer spent a lot of time calling Young O a psychopath and unable to feel emotions or empathy. Though the writer tried to maintain this to be factual, the “reality” of what was written was counter to these themes.
* This show worked for me. The evolution of Young O was more gripping than the regenerative research. Jin Sung was more ancillary in the final episodes as the police investigation to the hospital murders was closed. Even so Jin Sung was evidence of Young O’s emotions and empathy. Young O was the glue of the series. This character demanded a great actor to make this character likable, lovable and someone you rooted for. Jang Hyuk delivered a stellar performance.
The second song of the compact 2 song OST has been released. Check out “I’ll Hold You” by Nu Ri via this link or the embedded video below:
Recaps/Reviews:
Episode 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Series | A.D.DO! Review | Prettysup Review | Jane Tilly Review | Beez Review
Asian drama fan. I watch and blog dramas on https://kjtamusings.wordpress.com/.
amusings 
it’s a relief to see them both well, and alright. i just don’t think young oh can’t empathize as he claims to be. and too see dr hyun become a better person after realizing the situation in the regenerative medicine.thank you for recapping so fast, by the way. i watched it raw last night, and then read your recap. it’s heartwarming to see fans of this show, even though ratings were saying otherwise. keep it up! 😀
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Regarding YO cannot empathize, I am guessing you are referencing YO feeling what JS feels? Glad you enjoyed this show too. Thanks for commenting.
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it’s amazing how the dynamics progressed immensely due to the episode cut. very heartwarming to see them both well, and alright. and to see dr. lee and dr. hyun own up to their mistakes, was the cherry on top. finally, dr chae got the retribution we’ve all been waiting for.
i wish for an alternate universe where there are two more episodes just to watch young oh and jinsung. >_<
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The writer handled the two episode cut well. I understand about wanting more YO and JS.
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As to the survival chances, the subtitles I watched said it’s very high for the recipient to receive from a live donar but very risky (low survival rates) for the live donar.
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oops – donor. Just realized how goofy my spelling looked.
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Appreciate the clarification.
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….”There were cute moments, touching moments, and a sense that our characters evolved…”
I agree, I felt the flow of the light and dark moments were well balanced, giving us, the audience an anticipation for what was next.
….”For all the discussion of whether or not Young O could empathize or not, the writer ended up stating Young O was not able to empathize. I reject that. Young O clearly showed that he could empathize with others, especially Jin Sung.”
I think he could not feel empathy per se, but he could think like a human, and therefore act and react like a human being. And that left to his own self, he would not have evolved into such a stiff unfeeling person as we saw in the beginning. Love is not just hormones, but it is a mental process as well. Otherwise, we would all be running to find different partners after 3 years.
Overall, a decidedly well written, well balanced drama.
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@Holly Moon. I agree. I think the writers underestimated us viewers on this one point – we all recognize Young Oh’s intelligence so why would he equate whether he feels emotion or not based on whether his heart races or not? It could race due to sexual excitement and mean nothing emotionally.
And the scene after the surgery between Young Oh and Ji Sung was almost too sweet, as if Young Oh had never kissed a girl before. I’ll forgive and accept it because it was sweet, but it doesn’t sit well with me just because of JH’s age (his laugh lines as he kisses her) puts me in a bit of unbelief. The acting was great. If the character had never been in a relationship I’d find the shy “aw shucks-ness” of it totally believable. But they established he had a long term relationship with Min Jae. I guess I’ll have to use my imagination and say all this cuteness from a couple of non-passionate innocent smooches stems from he was faking it with Min Jae all those years.
It really was cute and strangely satisfied my sweet tooth while my stomach was left empty, still awaiting the meal. I could smell it’s awesomeness being cooked in the kitchen, but then KBS pot blocked. 😦
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“And the scene after the surgery between Young Oh and Ji Sung was almost too sweet, as if Young Oh had never kissed a girl before. I’ll forgive and accept it because it was sweet, but it doesn’t sit well with me just because of JH’s age”…
But it does sit well with HER age, and I think the cuteness would stop any nasty talk of the older man taking advantage of a young girl. JH may be able to play a wider age range, (as we’ve seen in several other dramas) but frankly I don’t think this girl has enough experience under her belt. She clearly comes across as a young girl. And I had the notion pop into my head, that at some point in their lives, his real children will be watching this. I know his movies show a lot more action, but his dramas keep it pretty clean. And this age difference was huge.
I know KBS must have wanted her badly, because they waited extra for her. Even if they said she just had not confirmed, I think they knew she was coming. Frankly if any character disappointed me here, it was her. I think her acting talent needs a lot of work. She seemed to have two dimensions and no real depth. When was the last time you saw the leading lady weeping, and the camera focusing on the non active male lead.
I am not trying to be hurtful here. I just think that was the weak spot in this drama.
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I am going to agree that Park So Dam is not the pinnacle of acting talent at this point in her career. JS did come across as a young inexperienced woman. The character’s importance was reduced in the latter part of the series as the police portion was complete and the story concentrated within the hospital. After Episode 12 when I comment that JS had a cameo appearance, Beez suggested “And I agree about Jin Sung being given backseat cameo-like time the last few episodes. As much as I love this show, it would’ve been better served if she’d had a permanent role in the hospital; such as a nurse, or, to keep the initial drama of her suspecting Young Oh of murder, she could’ve still been a cop but undergoing some sort of prolonged treatment that had her investigating while in the midst of YO’s world.”
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@Elizabeth – Agreed. Although she did get better than the early episodes when I thought she didn’t fit the tinge of the drama. Some of the problems with that was either the writing out directing though.
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What I liked about the kiss scene was both actors looked like they were really laughing in the scene, with Jang Hyuk pulling her into two sweet kisses. I liked that these kisses were sweet. The age difference between this couple wasn’t prominent in my mind, but that they were upping the anty on their relationship so a sweet kiss seemed appropriate.
“t really was cute and strangely satisfied my sweet tooth while my stomach was left empty, still awaiting the meal. I could smell it’s awesomeness being cooked in the kitchen, but then KBS pot blocked”
* Love your pot blocked statement!
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Hmmm gosh why am I disagreeing on everything today? Ok, well, my point is, what does age have to do with anything here? To me, whatever LYO is feeling for JS is completely different than what he felt (or not felt) for MJ. This was established from the moment he declared his “love” for JS. Regardless of his age, this is the first time in his life that he feels this way so his awkardness is understandable (to me) and it was there from the beginning so I’m not sure why this had to be different in their second kiss scene?
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@DF I’m totally cool with disagreeing. I love discussion of dramas. Yes, to get a kick out of other people who feel the same way I do. But also to hear dissenting opinions. And sometimes, I change my own opinions because others may notice or get something more or different from a scene (especially ’cause I miss a lot while reading subs. Sometimes someone says “the look on his face when…” or “he waved him away…” And I’m like “huh?” And rush to go back and watch that scene. lol
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“Awkwardness” is a great term to describe YO dealing with JS and his feelings for her. They were sweet together.
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Some like @Holly Moon felt there was too much age difference between Park So Dam and Jang Hyuk. I felt having JS character being young and naïve was her charm—like @DF I have no problem with the age difference. JS’s naivety and her generous nature are the reasons she would put up with YO’s hot and cold struggle towards her—MANY women by the time they get to their 30s would not likely put up with his behavior.
@Beez—YO had been in a long term relationship with MJ, but I don’t recall ever seeing YO have any tender intimacies with MJ—did they even hold hands, let alone kiss? MJ seemed to have low self-esteem, evidenced by her allowing a professor to publish her work under his name with someone else—thus leaving MJ in the cold, I could see her clinging to YO without physical intimacy. I think MJ’s observations of YO’s interaction with JS made her jealous and realize he was capable of a relationship, which is why she asked him to start over.
I totally concur with @Holly Moon that YO’s “shyness and innocence with Jin Sung was because he was like a teenager in this relationship—JS is his first love. The relationship he had with Min Jae was all an act, with no real feelings for her.”
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I did post this on a different blog of ep 14 but since I have different Kdrama friends on this site, here it is again:
I don’t care if the show had been told that after episode 12, they only had 15 minutes left to wrap up the series – I NEED to know why Young Oh’s current MRI shows the same damage that we’re told never existed in the first place other than on another patient’s switched scan. That means Min Jae did something… and this character is rewarded with a tv show?
I loved the way Young Oh warns Jin Sung of what she’ll have to put up with from him (the implication is he’s there to stay), but isn’t he actually normal physically which means he is capable of feeling emotions like anyone else? His emotions are just suppressed under conditioning? Kinda like a Vulcan? (Hey if this serious show can go sci-fantasy with “he can feel her going up the stairs”, then I can use a sci-fi analogy. lol
If this had been a rom-com, I’m head over heels with the crazy cuteness of our OTP, but since it’s not… It’s just not what I wanted from this show. It felt kinda like how I feel when I sit down to watch a rom-com and it’s hilarious for 8 episodes but then somebody gets cancer. I hate that the most. And here I have that feeling in reverse.
Anyway, it is awesome that he tells her that even if he can’t express it, she knows how he feels about her with every breath she takes.
I’ll still think of this show with fond memories but because of the lack of depth to the ending caused by the episode cuts, I don’t think I’ll go to the trouble of downloading each episode and storing it on SDs with my top favs to watch whenever I want. (I’m still paranoid that one day the entire internet will vanish or we’ll have some sci-fi apocalypse that makes us unable to access everything we’ve stored on these weird ethereal internet “clouds”. What can I say…I’m old. 🙂
I am so sad that we all missed out on whatever more Jang Hyuk would’ve shown us of Young Oh as I don’t think these types of complex characters come along often in Kdrama. But, until next time…
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Thanks for bringing up the MRI issue. I am totally confused.
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Agree with you here. All I could think about was any major organ donor I’ve known, is not up and answering a summons within I don’t know here, let’s say a couple of days. Or even a week.
And the organ receiver is not running up stairs so quickly. Now, granted they did not give the time lapse for us to reference here. But we would have to be talking 2 years, at least.And maybe this was the time lapse they were using, but because of the shortened number of episodes, I felt it was all too quick.
And yes I could have done with a few more episodes of JH. Oh yes, I could.
And despite the last episodes pushed together like this, I still enjoyed this drama, and would watch it again.
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I’m good with the Vulcan analogy. Sometimes I felt YO was “Spock-like”, a man that struggled to suppress emotions even though they lurked under the surface.
“If this had been a rom-com, I’m head over heels with the crazy cuteness of our OTP, but since it’s not… It’s just not what I wanted from this show.”
* That goes along with your comment last episode wondering where your dark show had gone. If you track the episodes, the writer definitely “lightened it up” during the latter third of the episodes. The grim scenes reduced and the playful scenes among all the actors (except YO’s father, he was never playful unless you count the smile in the epilogue). Same thing happened with our OTP. I don’t know if the writer switched tone due to feedback/pressure from the network, but I wouldn’t be surprised. To be fair, I’ve never watched anything from this writer, so perhaps this is a pattern for this writer’s dramas.
“I’m still paranoid that one day the entire internet will vanish or we’ll have some sci-fi apocalypse that makes us unable to access everything we’ve stored on these weird ethereal internet “clouds”. What can I say…I’m old”
* That made me laugh. If we have the apocalypse there probably won’t be electricity, so your downloaded stash may be rendered useless and you’ll only have your memories.
“I don’t think these types of complex characters come along often in Kdrama”
* That is a true statement. The bulk of characters we see are formulas, copied, or designed by committee, etc. I enjoyed trying to figure out the mystery of YO, his past, and his potential future. That’s what locked me into this series. It made me think about and feel for YO in a way I don’t for most cookie cutter characters.
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@ktjamuser The thought did cross my mind that anything that would wipe out the Internet would probably get rid of electricity too, but I ignore and suppress that part of my paranoia. 😎
Hey! You gotta leave a girl some hope!
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Hope as much as you like Beez!
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@Beez, YO’s current MRI still showed an injury because the part of his brain had not been used for a long time so it shrank / gets damaged over the long term psychological conditioning which his father subjected him to over 30 years. KMJ did not lie to him. It is not easy to undo that, that’s why he tells JS that he still cannot empathsie with her. Of coz medically this may not be true but since this is a K-drama we can just accept it.
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@prettysup THANK YOU! I just needed ANY explanation whether medically sound or otherwise. Just something that doesn’t leave it hanging. And I couldn’t come up with one scenario on my own other than suspecting MJ.
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No, his brain is not normal anymore. One thing everyone seems to forget is that he has been taking anti-pshychotics since childhood (probably) to suppress his low impulse control. If the kid “was” normal at some point, that brain must’ve sustained some real damage through psychological abuse and drugs.
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All reasonable but I want them to spell it out for me for me to feel “full”. lol
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I’m with you girl…I dislike the vagueness found in many Korean dramas. Please S-P-E-L-L it out!
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@JT especially in a drama that got cut where I feel it’s really necessary to be straightforward with your message/facts. I don’t always need things spelled out because normally, they’d have time for more scenes that imply, reveal, possibly discuss and/or imprint something. But since the later MRI scan scene was put out there…well..you all know how I feel. I won’t start capitalizing my letters again. 🙂
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I enjoyed your recaps almost as much as the real thing…and so fast! So perceptive…you cleared up murky areas for me.
I was happy with it, but will tell you more on the 8th.
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Looking forward to your thoughts.
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When Young O was telling Jin Sung “I’ll baffle you from time to time. You may feel lonely, disheartened, because I can’t change. I won’t know how to comfort you.” Then, “He asks her to remember with every breath that she takes what he feels for her and what she means to him.” Is this not what a woman faces in long term relationship anyway? Aren’t we all baffled, disheartened because of lack of change, and aggravated by the lack of male comforting? Young O empathizes better than anybody in my whole family.
I surmise that Young O may have dampened emotional responses because he’s extremely left brain powerful but Ep 14 clearly showed he loves and empathizes remarkably well. He even illustrated the “first love” that Jin Sung spoke about between children and parents with how he responded to his father–which was one of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever watched in a kdrama.
Young O is in denial. People lie with their lips, but their bodies never lie. Just my opinion.
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@Elizabeth Would you believe…I was thinking all that but couldn’t put out into words the way you did. lol Really tho’. lol
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Ditto
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Oh, plus, Young Oh is in denial because he’s been brainwashed, but little by little JiSung is penetrating and actually calling attention to some things that have been there all along. I do believe in real life people are also influenced by what they’ve been told us the truth.
Heck, even me (I like to think I’m an independent thinker) lol. If I watch a kdrama teaser for a new show, if the show is not what they promised, I don’t find enjoyment in it. (I’m usually going “ok, but when do we get to [that part where…]?”) Until for some reason I watch again, then I can enjoy it immensely for what it actually is. Because I know I’m like this,I never watch promo teasers. I even try to ignore the posters.
The only time I was glad a show wasn’t what they said it was about, was Beautiful Gong Shim. I did not want to see the selfish sister get a good guy.
I think Ji Sung’s “The Entertainer” suffered from expectations from the teaser. When his character was nowhere near as hyper and hilariously manic as the promo,folks tuned out. I stuck with it but I was waiting for that crazy character to show up. After a few episodes, I gave up but stuck with it for other reasons.
Anyway, all that to say, no one thought Young Oh was strange (maybe stern and offputting, but not weird) until they were told he was a psychopath.
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Agreed. Emotions aren’t something that can be eradicated in humans anyway. Empathy, perhaps. But not emotions. Emotions are primal and nebulous. Who’s to say what a person is or is not feeling? It’s truly subjective.
Even the incident where Young O got aggressive with his school mates (and I probably would’ve reacted similarly in that same situation), it did not point to any of the extreme labels that Young O considers himself. So you nailed it. He was deeply brainwashed by his father.
He’s also puts way too much faith in the interpretation of the medical scans he saw of his brain. He believes he’s completely hindered by the frontal lobe damage he sees. But from his behavior, what is hindered is his understanding of relationship dynamics – cause and effect when navigating and connecting with people. And he has his WiFi to help him build his database there. He may never be Mr. Warm and Fuzzy, but he’s never come across as having a disability or even a disorder.
This was the best drama I’ve viewed in a very long time. Jang Hyuk is cute as a bug and one of the best actors in a Kdrama I’ve ever seen.
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I’m still waiting for somebody to explain the recent MRI. Why did it show no change? Just by logic that the original scan as a child was not Young Oh’s,it would’ve had to have been different/shown no damage.
And also, once Young Oh heard he had no frontal lobe damage, shouldn’t he stop with the blanket statements of “I will never have empathy…” And “I suffer from a disease…”?
He may know he’s stunted but shouldn’t, on an intellectual level, he recognize that there is hope for some change despite the brainwashing. His care for JiSung should be evidence that there’s hope for more changes.
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@Beez see my last reply below about the director’s cut DVD
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@prettysup Yeah, I know. I’ve mentioned the emails I’ve been receiving about the possible dvds here on this site pretty often, and how I feel about them.
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“how he responded to his father–which was one of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever watched in a kdrama”
*Truly that was a master’s acting class in that scene. Heo Jun Ho and Jang Hyuk were superb. Their relationship was the crucial one of the series.
“Young O empathizes better than anybody in my whole family.”
* LOL! YO’s spot on assessments would be welcome in my family.
“Young O is in denial. People lie with their lips, but their bodies never lie.”
* I’m with you on this. In the end I just cannot buy that YO cannot emphasize or that he does not have emotions. The series provided too many examples proving YO did emphasize and had emotions.
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I believe there’s denial, brainwashing, trauma but I also there is real phsyical impairment. That much has been established in the drama (or at least, left to interpretation) What I love about LYO is his attitude “It might be impossible, but I’m willing to try” and the overall message that love is a choice. He has a disability but in trying to overcome it he becomes “better” than those who don’t have it.
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I believe YO is impaired, but I reject that YO was a psychopath who could not feel empathy or change—YO’s display of emotion and empathy increased with throughout the series, we saw changes and he interacted and learned from Jin Sung, forgave his father and even his wardrobe changed from being the man in black to a less foreboding look with a white shirt and a ridiculous bow tie. YO’s empathy may be more cognitive than compassionate, but he displayed it with JS and with his patients after he had the crosswalk collapse and subsequent light-bulb moment affirming his skills with properly diagnosing the drowned wheelchair lady.
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@JaneTilly I agree, what he has might not even be ASPD. That disorder is diagnosed based on behaviours correct? Lord knows how many people are actually misdiagnosed in real life let alone a work of fiction :p That’s why I’m not fixated on the concept of psychopath or sociopath. They are at the end of the day, labels? (Not dismissing the work of scientists but you know what I mean? The human psyche is too complex) I’ve read some books on this due to my fascination with Dexter and other shows lol and what I’ve seen is that not even specialists agree on what constitutes a sociopath, what a pshychopath and if the differentiation should even be made. In conclusion, LYO might be ASPD or maybe not, but the fact remains that he presents extreme aggresive tendencies, low impulse control, uses meds, so he has some issues that need to be worked on but there is definitely hope for him, given the fact that he makes great efforts to be a good person in general. That’s how I see it.
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“he makes great efforts to be a good person in general.”
* YO was a better person that many characters on this show. His eventual courage to expand beyond his limits, is inspirational.
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“His eventual courage to expand beyond his limits, is inspirational” was well said! I ❤ YO for continuing to make efforts to stretch outside the confinements place on him by his father, himself and the stigma of his dysfunction.
What can I say…I like happy endings and I think the writers did their best to provide it, despite the episode cut.
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I got a different take on that. In one of the subbed versions I watched. It said, the father said to drunken friend ” No one will believe you, as you have seen, the scan does not show any damage.” (Or very near to those words, as I am doing that by memory.) Which made the friend very mad and caused him to rush at the father. And we know what happened as the father side stepped away. Which means the father had swapped the scan with an uninjured child’s. This would fit better with the father seeing Young Oh as his failure.
And it means the real scan was hidden in that dusty place, and she found it. So she did see the real scan, and it compared equally with the new scan. He had the damage.
But then, the real sad damage was done by the father in his strictness in denying Young Oh to have and act on any natural feelings and, I believe, physical abuse to Young Oh as he grew up. I suspect physical abuse based on Young Oh’s cowering at the father’s hand on his shoulder. And the response that he still needed to rely on the father. I felt Young Oh was like a teenager going thru growing pains; needing to rebel against the father’s wishes, yet looking to him for approval. And don’t forget the response he made to the father’s clap on the back, and Young Oh’s words that he saw his childhood in that child.
Without that stifling abuse, he would have probably developed more normally, and had friends, and relationships. And would also mean that his shyness and innocence with Jin Sung was because he was like a teenager in this relationship. The relationship he had with Min Jae was all an act, with no real feelings for her.
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This is murky…I can build this case.
1. YO’s father did NOT damage YO’s frontal lobe during the surgery.
2. Dr. Oh sees his mistake (ep 13), the scan of YO and another child were switched. His earlier tirade to YO’s father that he damaged the frontal lobe is INCORRECT.
3. Dr. Oh goes tell YO’s father that he did NOT damage YO’s front lobe and has the scans with him to prove it.
4. Dr. Oh sees everyone fawning over YO’s father and jealously overtakes him. He’s got the upper hand on YO’s father, the secret that he made a crucial mistake.
5. On the balcony before Dr. Oh’s plunge off the railing, Dr. Oh taunts YO’s father about his medical mistake that he buried by adopting YO. Here Dr. Oh is lying about YO’s father’s mistake due to jealousy. YO’s father tells Dr. Oh he did his best operating on YO. He’ll take care of YO to the best of his abilities. Dr. Oh asks how long can you fool people about your mistake? YO’s father says threaten me all you want, no one will believe you over me. Enraged Dr. Oh lunges at YO’s father and plunges to the earth and a permanent grudge.
6. Dr. Oh tells YO’s father (ep 12) he did NOT make any mistakes during YO’s surgery. Meaning he did NOT damage YO’s frontal lobe. Dr. Oh admits if there was a mistake on that day, he made the mistake (when he told YO’s father he damaged YO’s frontal lobe). He closes their discussion by telling YO’s father he did NOT make a mistake during surgery, but he still created a monster.
For the above logic to be true, MJ becomes the villain who lies to YO.
7. After the new MRI (ep 11) MJ tells YO he has frontal lobe disorder and there is no change from previous MRIs. Either MJ is flat out lying to YO that his front lobe is damaged when it is not OR his front lobe is damaged invalidating points 1-6.
8. YO’s father interrogates MJ about the scans she saw from YO’s childhood (ep 12). He asks if YO’s frontal lobe okay after the surgery. MJ does not answer that question.
9. Later, MJ recalls reviewing YO’s case when she found his files in the other hospital. She recalls YO’s father’s visit and looks uncomfortable.
10. Then MJ visits YO after he lost the patient. Upset, asks if he’s a monster locked in his body. MJ looks uncomfortable. She knows his frontal lobe is ok but cannot admit it. Like YO’s father she chooses to protect her reputation. Instead she throws YO’s father under the bus. MJ tells YO he is a victim of medical malpractice. MJ says under the guise of perfect education YO was a victim of discrete and persistent abuse. MJ says YO’s father concealed him to protect his reputation.
In points 7-10 either MJ is lying about the new MRI showing frontal lobe damage OR YO really has frontal lobe damage invalidating points 1-6.
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My take is that YO indeed have a frontal lobe injury, but that was not caused by his father’s surgery long ago. Rather the frontal lobe shrank/ gets damaged after years of not being in use.
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With that, then the MRI does show frontal lobe damage that is actually atrophy created versus surgery created.
Points 1 – 6 fit well but the MJ portion points 7-10 are a force fit that doesn’t feel correct.
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@ktjamuser Points 7-8 But didn’t Young Oh view the current MRI scan with Mi Jae, so he would’ve seen if it was really undamaged? That makes me think she switched it to an abnormal one. And since we weren’t shown her answer to Director Lee’s question – but mustn’t she have had to have admitted at that point that it was undamaged for Director Lee to realize Dr. Oh was telling the truth? Hence his reaction to the realization that he “created a monster” that followed.
I hope that can at least tell us in interviews or something where the storyline of Min Jae/current MRI was intended to go.
Whatever the case, all this is making me think I’ll be falling for the scam emails I’m receiving from the site that conducted the petition to not cut the episodes. They now want donations toward a director’s cut dvd or something. (I admit I haven’t really read the emails as it seemed shady to me.) But our ongoing speculations with no resolution means I’ll be falling for the scam. lol
One thing for sure, if there ever is a director’s cut, I’m buying it.
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I’d take an interview with the writer for the missing details.
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THE CASE OF THE MURKY MRI—I concur with @Beez “I NEED to know why Young Oh’s current MRI shows the same damage that we’re told never existed in the first place other than on another patient’s switched scan”. In one of the later episodes Dr. Oh said to Dr. Chae something about if the technology had been better back in the day, the MRI reading mistake never would have happened.
The fact that Dr. Oh hid there was no malpractice (YO is normal) when YO was still young and not yet too traumatized is tantamount to malpractice (points 2-6). I am highly disappointed Dr. Oh did not take responsibility for his own actions (or inactions, as his case may be) that led to YO ending up dysfunctional. Did Dr. Lee ever even look at the MRI results to confirm? Did Dr. Lee jump to CYA mode rather than getting a second opinion?
Both of these monsters contributed to YO’s dysfunction. Dr. Lee, as abuser and brainwasher, has the larger accountability for YO’s dysfunction, however he is the one who ultimately stepped up to take responsibility for his actions regardless of his reputation. Dr. Oh ending up in a wheelchair is the result of his own raging jealousy—I was dissatisfied this character did not get justice for his contribution to YO’s dysfunction and his callous lack of patient concern with his participation in pushing through the ‘not ready for prime time’ stem cell research.
I may be biased as I consider MJ to be a villainess. I don’t recall MJ telling YO that his has a frontal lobe disorder (point 7). I DO recall she SMUGLY told YO there was NO CHANGE from the previous MRI. While that statement was true if he was normal, it was a deception as there no damage in the first place. This exchange took place when MJ was still angry with him and miffed by YO’s attraction to and interactions with JS. As a reported great neurosurgeon how could YO be fooled by MJ? @prettysup offered a plausible solution of YO’s frontal lobe shrinking over time due the abuse and brainwashing. Who knows it if this is medically possible—I don’t particularly buy that scenario, but there is some logic to the idea.
For points 8 and 9 the writers were VERY VAGUE about informing us if MJ lied or told the truth when confronted by Dr. Lee. MJ looked uncomfortable because she: a) continued to lie about YO’s frontal lobe being damaged or b) revealed that she hid the truth even after its discovery. Either way she was more concerned about her reputation and retribution against YO for not disclosing his dysfunction, than she was for exposing the truth, which is her obligation under the Hippocratic Oath—“Do no harm”. There was a whole lot of Hippocratic Oath-breaking in this drama.
While I was glad MJ eventually disclosed “under the guise of perfect education YO was a victim of discrete and persistent abuse…YO’s father concealed him to protect his reputation”, it seemed like she was, on a smaller scale, protecting her own reputation.
MJ started a relationship with YO as he showed her more respect than any other colleagues. She was probably disappointed that he didn’t display affection towards her—despite their long relationship did they ever kiss? YO and his dad concealed YO’s condition and she was pissed when discovered the dysfunction while working at the country hospital. She had a right to be angry and should have confronted YO at that time. She became a villainess when she waited for the opportunity to inflict the most damage to YO by calling out his dysfunction in front of their colleagues at the mortality conference.
Determining if YO’s frontal lobe was damaged is a vital to the story ending and his future. The murkiness of the facts were acceptable in the beginning as it seemed to be one of the plot points—which should have been resolved. But to continue to be vague to the very end and not resolving this point is UNACCEPTABLE. Not resolving this plot point is either a casualty of the episode cut or laziness on the part of the writers.
I think YO’s frontal lobe is NOT damaged—points 1-6 made that clear to me. I believe MJ, the villainess (although not the worst villain in this series), switched the MRIs to dishearten YO as part of her “dog in the manger” attitude at the time.
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Ye-uup.
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Thanks for your lovely recap as usual! I love the ending, am glad that the writer manages to deliver despite the cut. Btw the doctor doing the research with Dr Hyun is Dr Song Gi Ho, not Dr Hong.
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Got it prettysup. All the doctor’s names did not penetrate my brain during this series!
Glad you liked the recap. I sent you a direct email but it bounced back with the error “account disabled”. Can you email me?
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Where can i find your email address?
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I sent you a message via soompi. I didn’t think of that before.
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I replied you already, u received my email?
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yes, I got it. Thank you.
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Hey guys if you are interested in a director’s cut DVD, there is a pre-sales ongoing now for Korean residents. They will only do it if the demand meets the minimum requirement. For international fans, although they are not taking our orders yet, but we still can email them to show our interest. In case the Korean demand is not enough, at least they can take our requests into consideration. Important is to show them our interest. The email is beaumadvd@gmail.com
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I’m sorry but I don’t buy the theory that MJ switched the scans. The only reason she looked satisfed when she found out there was damage, imo is because it once again relieved her from the “guilt” of having exposed him. She confirmed he was damaged and this gave her “permission to hurt him, since he doesn’t feel anyway”. But later, after Dr Lee elder questioned her, she actually tried to remember to find the truth. Why would she do that if she switched scans just to hurt LYO? It doesn’t quite add up.
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The writer did give her a more sympathetic slant in the latter episodes. Her epilogue moment was positive. I wonder if the writer originally intended this shift.
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Btw anti-pshychotics and even lack of sleep (and many other factors) can indeed kill brain cells and shrink the brain. Now, is that damage visibly obvious on a CT scan? I don’t know about that.
Also, on the “love is a choice” theme or rather “nature vs nurture” there’s the case of Dr James Fallon. A neuroscientist who discovered he has the brain of a psychopath, but makes concsious efforts to be a “decent guy”. Google it and you’ll find articles about it. It’s very interesting. Btw I also believe that abillty to feel emotions does not equal empathy. Empathy is identifying other’s emotions and feeling them as your own almost instintively right? I believe LYO is obviously impaired in that sense. Therefore, there must be some denial but also some truth to his statements.
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Interesting case @DF, the best explanation so far…
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What interesting reading…this snippet from Dr. Fallon is applicable…
“Can psychopathy be cured? I know of no case of a teenager or adult who has ever reversed categorical, full blown psychopathy. At present pre-pubescent children with signs of emerging psychopathy are undergoing behavioural re-training and although early results are promising, the real test of permanence is not yet known.
For myself, I decided to try to treat my wife and other loved ones with more care. Each time I’m about to interact with them, I pause for a moment and asked “what would a good person do here?” and notice that my instinct is to always do the most selfish thing at that moment. My wife started noticing this and after two months said “what has come over you?”. When I told her that I was trying to use my own narcissism to show that I could, against all odds, overcome my psychopathy, she said she appreciated the effort even though I was not sincere. I still don’t understand how she can accept that insincerity. Perhaps people just want to be treated with respect and kindness. I find that astonishing.”
He hit the nail on the head when he stated (though did not understand it) people want respect and kindness.
Link to article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/03/how-i-discovered-i-have-the-brain-of-a-psychopath
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It has taken me days to find time to watch the final and get my thoughts together.
JIN SUNG GO-ROUND & HOSPITAL SHENANIGANS—HaHaHa! I ❤ the ‘Power Rangers’ coming to the rescue to keep Dr. Chae and Dr. Ho from finding JS until after her surgery. This five-some of doctors gave us comic relief, especially the last few episodes. Dr. Soh caught the other Power Rangers taking a selfie with YO without him—serves him right for dissing YO throughout the series!
Live lung transplant is supposed to be taking a lobe or portion of a lung—it looked like they took an entire lung out of YO—that probably would be illegal and dangerous for him. I was very pleased that both of them survived the surgery.
GREEN-EYED MIN JAE—Ohhh…to the end MJ tries to spoil things by “cordially” trying to put a guilt trip on JS. At least nurse ❤ Jang told JS to focus on her recovery. MJ was miffed she couldn’t get YO to respond to her the way he did to JS.
ETHICS COMMITTEE—I ❤ YO for taking the blame for Dr. H, producing evidence with the CCTV footage of YO’s coercion. YO reminded the annoyed Dr. H that his responsibility was for the regenerative research. In real life both doctors would probably be fired and their medical licenses would be in jeopardy. Dr. Lee then took the responsibility from YO. The chairman and Dr. Chae only caught 1 fish (aka Dr. Lee). I was so pleased Daddy dearest took the blame on the road to penance towards YO. I concur “Not only Young O is evolving, but his father is too” It really seemed like father and son came to forgiveness and understanding once Daddy dearest taking responsibility for his actions.
REGENERATIVE RESEARCH— I was glad Dr. Hyun regained his ethics warrior status and was worthy of the trust given to him by YO and JS. I ❤ Dr. H had the courage to start over on the research.
Oh the irony of Dr. Ho (isn’t he the one whose wife left him in an earlier episode?) claiming Dr. Hyun is ruining his life when he does a superb job of destroying his own life by attacking Dr. Hyun with the intent to kill him—yeah…there’s a choice, whether he had succeeded or not, to improve his life…Uh huh!
I concur “It really doesn’t bother me at all to see that smug smiling Dr. Chae sweat.” With all the dead bodies at the beginning of the series I thought Dr. Chae’s threat to Dr. Hyun might be mortal, especially with the “slit the throat” comment he made to the chairman. It was nice to see SOME justice for Dr. Chae, even though he was thrown under the bus by the Chairman who got away scot-free.
YOUNG OH’S EVOLUTION—YO confessing to Daddy dearest he “no longer needs his father’s acceptance that he is not a monster” is a HUGE milestone for YO. The words YO spoke to his dad “I feared you…but you feared me” were similar to the words the monster said to Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s novel. Another YO milestone was when he told Daddy dearest I don’t have the “courage to forgive you, but I want to try and understand you”. I concur with kjtamuser these were the “perfect words of censure and forgiveness”. I don’t know if Daddy dearest or I were more touched by YO tenderly caressing Daddy dearest’s dad just before he walked away.
@Elizabeth “Young O is in denial. People lie with their lips, but their bodies never lie.” In contrast @Beez pointed out “he feels emotion or not based on whether his heart races or not?” I think YO was using a medical approach to discerning emotion, which contradicts with saying he felt nothing after hugging JS—his heart should have been racing simply because just ran through the hospital to catch JS.
JIN SUNG—I agree with kjtamuser & Beez that JS’s character would have been better working at the hospital in YO’s vicinity. JS’s heart problem history simply does not make it feasible for her to be a police officer—candidates are required to pass rigorous physical testing before they can even become an officer. The police aspect and JS’s quest for the hospital killer disappeared.
YOUNG SUNG WI-FI CHRONICLES—JS’s brother hugging YO while declaring giving his body the best gift for a boyfriend. It was a painful, but nice affirmation for YO’s sacrifice.
YO was WRONG when he asserted he had not changed. We have clearly seen changes in our YO. He may still be different from ‘normal’ people as YO explained JS may be baffled, lonely and disheartened by him—but how sweet when YO told her every breath she takes (with his lung, I might add) should be a reminder of what they mean to each other…a beautiful echo of JS’s “whatever you say, as I hear it it’s I love you” from episode 13.
The ending was satisfying with YO stating “the only choice I can make is to love you”.
WISH LIST—I was so glad they did not kill off our main characters. The chairman and Dr. Oh seemed to get off scot free—I really wanted all of them to face justice. We do have the consolation that the lucrative research was at least delayed until it could be done right.
Mmm…I finally got my JH 💋kiss💋—while it was not the passionate kiss I would have liked, it seemed appropriate.
I take issue with the flavor of the drama starting out dark and foreboding and then turning into a comedy in the last few episodes. I’m convinced the writers did this in attempts to raise the ratings. I seriously doubt changing the flavor the series this late in the game improved the ratings, but it certainly insulted the intelligence of the faithful viewers. The transition would have been more credible if there had comic relief moments throughout the series.
@Beez “I could smell its awesomeness being cooked in the kitchen, but then KBS pot blocked.”—this drama had so much more potential than KBS allowed by cutting the episodes and changing the flavor mid-stream in an attempt to improve ratings. The cast was superb! The writing started out very well and did their best with network changes of making the story less dark for ratings and then eliminating the last two episodes.
Despite KBS's mistakes of the midstream flavor change and cutting episodes, the writers pulled together a solid final episode. I enjoyed Beautiful Mind.
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@JT Yuuuup. To all that.
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“This five-some of doctors gave us comic relief, especially the last few episodes. Dr. Soh caught the other Power Rangers taking a selfie with YO without him—serves him right for dissing YO throughout the series”
* The bullpen of surgeons lightened up in the latter part of the series. I found myself enjoying their interactions.
”It really seemed like father and son came to forgiveness and understanding once Daddy dearest taking responsibility for his actions.”
* The father & son scenes on the roof and in YO’s father’s office…simply superb!
“Dr. H had the courage to start over on the research.”
* I was glad to see that Dr. H got his ethical groove back.
“It was nice to see SOME justice for Dr. Chae, even though he was thrown under the bus by the Chairman who got away scot-free.”
* Yep, this drama is poster child for “life isn’t fair”. Not all the bad guys paid, not all the good guys won.
“I don’t know if Daddy dearest or I were more touched by YO tenderly caressing Daddy dearest’s dad just before he walked away.”
* It was a lovely moment and tangible proof of YO’s desire to keep heal his relationship with his father.
“JS’s brother hugging YO while declaring giving his body the best gift for a boyfriend. It was a painful, but nice affirmation for YO’s sacrifice.”
* That was a cute moment
“YO was WRONG when he asserted he had not changed…how sweet when YO told her every breath she takes (with his lung, I might add) should be a reminder of what they mean to each other.”
* Yes, YO was often blind to his own evolution. Tough to shake the “you are a monster” programming.
“I take issue with the flavor of the drama starting out dark and foreboding and then turning into a comedy in the last few episodes. I’m convinced the writers did this in attempts to raise the ratings. I seriously doubt changing the flavor the series this late in the game improved the ratings, but it certainly insulted the intelligence of the faithful viewers. The transition would have been more credible if there had comic relief moments throughout the series.”
* I concur that the low ratings, pressure from the network, etc. forced the writer to alter the trajectory and tone of the story. It was noticeable.
“I enjoyed Beautiful Mind.”
* Ditto!
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While I resented the change in tone, I have to marvel at creative people and what they can come up with when placed under unreasonable demands and expectations.
I have to admit, had this been a rom-com, those comedic scenes in the remaining episodes would’ve been just the thing.
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So true
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True dat
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L’ll bit off topic but, more proof the Olympics had nothing to do with the cut episodes is that other shows are just delaying the next few episodes. So ultimately (as we all knew) it was purely the poor ratings.
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