Zombie Mamma, Tanya, and I are back with our first chat about tvN's new drama, Unemployed Romance. What are our first impressions? Read on to find out.
Zombie: So it
seems we’re all in agreement that the first episode of Emergency Couple wasn’t
nearly as awesome as maybe we were all hoping it would be. Maybe it’s because
we’re all married that we don’t find a hugely gianormous fight between our OTP
all that funny; especially when said fight brings about the end of a marriage.
Tanya: I don’t
know if it was so much the fight itself, but rather the fact that we’re thrown
into the conflict with very little backstory. Don’t get me wrong, the fight was
super dramatic and over the top, but when you have nothing to really base that
level of violence on it is a little overwhelming.
Karen: That’s
true. I want to know the story of how they fell in love, but maybe we’ll get
some of that back story later on.
Zombie: I hope
that’s the case because the entire first episode just felt a little out of
whack. Or maybe a lot out of whack… Something was just off about it. Maybe it’s
just the fact that, like you said, we just don’t know the backstory so seeing
such venom without a cause is a little off-putting.
Tanya: I still
have hope for this drama though! A lot of the characters have very distinct
personalities already and I like it. As long as the characters can successfully
push the story forward, it’ll be good.
Karen: I
wanted to ask you both what you thought is the reason why Jin Hee hesitated
after being asked why she wanted to become a doctor. What are your thoughts on
that?
Zombie: I
think it’s because she doesn’t want anyone to know that her reason for wanting
to become a doctor is to prove to Chang Min and his family that she isn’t/wasn’t
worthless and actually could have been an asset to an incredibly snobbish
family of doctors.
Tanya: I honestly think it’s because Chang Min, as
well as everyone else, have always told her she’ll never amount to anything.
Chang Min couldn’t finish medical school because of their marriage and she
wants to be better than him somehow. Becoming a doctor can prove that.
Karen: But
then, why couldn’t she say her reasons out loud?
Tanya: She
probably doesn’t want to seem petty in a new environment with people she barely
knows. And she hasn’t told anyone she was married… neither has Chang Min and
definitely not to each other!
Zombie: Would
you want it known that you were once married to Chang Min? I’m pretty sure
divorce isn’t as widely accepted in Korea as it is here in the U.S. so the fact
that you’ve been divorced is probably something you wouldn’t want to share with
the world.
Karen: I think
that in front of your own boss, you should have at least something to say even
if it’s a lie. Haha.
Zombie: Maybe she
thinks her boss is kind of cute in a scary sort of way and just doesn’t want to
admit the fact she’s a divorcee.
Tanya: There
is also the possibility that she didn’t want to slip up and go on a rant. Every
time she starts talking about anything to do with Chang Min she tends to
explode, as we saw in the bar that ended up with her in the ER in the first
place. I always say things I don’t intend to when I go off, so maybe she
thought his name would come out.
Karen: That
was an unfortunate event for her just before she started her job as an intern.
I think that was how her intern colleagues started disliking her.
Zombie: That
and because she’s “old.” Seriously, if I have to watch another drama where the
thirty-something female lead is constantly berated because she’s “old” I might
have to scream. C’mon people, thirty-something isn’t old!!!
Tanya: So
let’s talk about some of the characters we met in these episodes. What do you
guys think of the Lee Young Ae and Park Sang Hyuk couple?
Zombie:
Honestly, they’re one of those annoyingly cutesy newlywed couples I just want
to smack!
Karen: I find
it hilarious that they wanted to keep their relationship secret, but they were
so openly affectionate towards one another. They end up calling each other,
“honey,” anyway.
Tanya: Did
anyone else notice that Lee Young Ae is actually very affectionate toward Jin
Hee although she pretends not to like her? There were a few times that Jin Hee
would space out or think of other things and Young Ae would bring her back to
reality. Case in point, when Jin Hee froze in the ER upon seeing it the first
time and Young Ae grabbed her wrist to make her come with.
Karen: I think
Lee Young Ae is just worried that her team will receive a “F.”
Zombie: I’m
actually more interested in watching the relationship develop between Jin Hee
and Dr. Gook. Yes, it’s no secret I’m a sucker for the second male lead (I
suffer from SMLS on a painfully frequent basis) but I think that dynamic to
this story is what’s going to spark the feelings in Chang Min that are needed
to bring him and Jin Hee back together.
Tanya: Any
thoughts on Shim Ji Hye and Dr Gook’s relationship? There’s obviously some
history there.
Karen: I can’t
wait to see how they interact in the ER. Perhaps, they dated once?
Zombie: I’m
pretty sure they’ve had some sort of relationship in the past, my guess is it’s
something similar to Jin Hee and Chang Min’s past relationship and I’m pretty
sure they’ll end up back together, just as our OTP will, by the end.
Karen: Though
they don’t seem to be the type that fight like cats and dogs.
Zombie: Let’s
hope not! I don’t think I can stand more than one couple constantly at each
other’s throats.
Tanya: I was
happy to see Kwon Min as Kim Min Ki, one of the other interns. We haven’t seen
much of him since Monstar. He’s adorable.
Zombie: So
glad he’s not a jerk this time around! Well, not yet anyway…
Tanya:
Rounding out our interns is Han Ah Reum, who is hilariously named after a
supermarket.
Karen: That’s
the first thing I thought of: H-mart, aka Han Ah Reum!
Zombie: I
wonder if the writers know they named her after a giant Korean market in the
U.S.? She’s the most stylish so they decided to name her after a store??? I
suppose crazier things have happened.
Karen: Maybe
there is a different meaning? Haha. I don’t know. I was so surprised she showed
up in a miniskirt to work as an intern at a hospital. Does she know where she
is?
Zombie: I
think that’s what gets me the most about this drama… There’s so much of it
that’s just completely unrealistic, especially when it comes to the happenings
at the hospital. It makes me wonder if the writers of this drama simply watched
a plethora of medical dramas and drew all their knowledge of the workings of a
hospital from those because seriously, this drama is so far out there when it
comes to all things medical.
Tanya: The
medical theme actually seems a little out of place, but it makes for a more
interesting setting than an office or department store like we see so often
with adult characters.
Karen: As long
as the audience doesn’t get any wrong ideas. Who knew a defibrillator can be a
weapon?
Zombie: And
this is where this show starts to get good… The absolute bizarreness of the
circumstances that are bound to arise over the next eighteen episodes is sure
to bring us the laughs that were somewhat missing in these first two episodes.
Karen: I am
missing the romance part of this series!
Zombie: So
basically, what we’re saying is that for a romantic comedy, Emergency Couple is
missing both the romance and the comedy.
Tanya: I love
when shows are miscategorized. I hope that’s not the case with this one because
I can see the potential.
Karen: Me too.
I hope our audience will stick with us to find out. We still need to watch
Changmin’s blind date, Dr. Shim and Dr. Gook’s past history, and Jin Hee’s
chance to shine at the hospital.
Zombie: Oh!
There’s still so much more this drama has to offer! Good thing it’s only just
begun ‘cause we’ve still got a long way to go!
So now that we’ve shared our thoughts, we’d love to hear yours! Share your thoughts with us in the comments below! You can also find us on Twitter: @dapowerz, @Hallyu_Tanya, and @TheZombieMamma!
