Thursday, February 6, 2014

HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 3-4 (4/4)

Zombie Mama, Tanya, and I are back to discuss episodes three and four. What kind of theories did we come up with? Did we just write the entire Emergency Couple story line?


Zombie: So I just have to ask, last week we weren’t so sure we were going to like this drama, have any of us changed our minds now that we’re four episodes in?


Karen: I think my overall reactions are still positive. I do miss a lot of the medical drama though because that’s what gets my heart pumping.

Zombie: Yeah, there’s not really a lot of “medical” to this medical drama. Like Tanya said in her post this week, it’s more of a drama set in a hospital than an actual medical drama. Despite the lack of medical drama, I think I like Emergency Couple more this week than I did last week. The characters are growing on me, as is the relationship between Jin Hee and Chang Min.


Karen: Getting to know the background of our characters is the highlight for me. I was shocked to find out Han Ah Reum is the minister’s daughter and that Chang Min had parents whose relationship is even more damaged than his former marriage.



Zombie: It’s no wonder Chang Min and Jin Hee’s marriage was a bad as it was… Look at the example he was given! If he’s only ever seen a marriage based on anger, resentment and tons of arguing, how could he expect anything different of his own? Especially when his father married “above” him (for lack of a better word). I have a feeling he’s had the same superiority mindset as his mother (in his own marriage), even if he wasn’t aware of it at the time.


Tanya: I completely agree. If you are always around broken relationships, then there really isn’t any good to base what a relationship should be like… or rather, what it CAN be like.


Karen: Did you notice how he was always begging his mother to divorce his father? Maybe that’s what he believes is the only way out of the marriage.



Zombie: Has the guy ever even considered the possibility of working out your differences? Is divorce the only option for him? If it is, he’s seriously messed up! Just because something is difficult or maybe even broken, doesn’t mean you automatically give up or throw it out. Anything worth having is worth fighting for and a successful marriage is something worth fighting for, at least in my opinion.


Karen: Don’t forget that he’s the one who initially gave Jin Hee the divorce papers, which made her ponder over whether she should sign them.



Zombie: I think he’s just suffering from a severe case of spoiled only child syndrome. Wealthy family… Only precious son… Gets whatever he wants whenever he wants… You can see how he could easily fall into the assumption that if things don’t go his way he’s entitled to throw a fit until he gets what he wants. Maybe Jin Hee was the only person to tell him “no” and he got upset about it and left. Being from an entirely different background, I could see that being a possibility…


Tanya: I think growing up affluently has a lot to do with Chang Min’s perspective of the world. If it’s broken, throw it out and buy a new one; material possessions and relationships respectively.


Karen: I do want to find out in the next episodes what Jin Hee ever saw in Chang Min? Why did they fall in love at all?


Zombie: That’s one of the many back-stories I want to know! How did they meet? How did they fall in love? How did they fall out of love? What happened in Dr. Gook’s past that is so horrible it haunts him to this day? What is Dr. Gook and Dr. Shim’s relationship? Were they a couple at one time? What’s Chang Min’s parent’s story? How did they meet? How did they survive such an obviously looked-down upon relationship? What’s Jin Hee’s family history? Where’s her dad? Why is her mother so obnoxious? It looks like her sister is going to show up next week and I’m pretty excited about that; I’m hoping for a lot of family history once Jin Hee’s sister shows up.


Karen: Yes! So many questions, so little answers. I want to know everything!


Zombie: The good news is, we’ve still got sixteen episodes to have all of our questions answered! In the meantime, we can wonder how long it’s going to take for Dr. Gook to start showing interest in Jin Hee. You know it’s going to happen sooner or later so what do you think, will it start sooner or later?


Tanya: Dr. Gook is going to be the catalyst for a lot of things in this series. He needs to shake Chang Min up a little and give him a taste of the real world before he even deserves Jin Hee. She’s not much better though, she also needs to realize that she’s not perfect.


Karen: Oh, I trust Dr. Gook is getting there. I think he needs to take Jin Hee out for dinner or something.


Zombie: Maybe he’ll treat her to a midnight snack in the hospital cafeteria first. Maybe under the guise of a pep talk or to give advice...


Karen: That’s so unromantic!



Zombie: I suppose they could both sneak out for a late night drink. That seems to be Dr. Gook’s thing anyway. Maybe that’s as romantic as Dr. Gook gets…


Karen: I’m pretty sure Chang Min will catch wind of it and follow them there. That’s how it always works.


Zombie: I could see that being both hilarious and annoying as I’m sure Chang Min would then feel compelled to “retaliate” by going out with Ah Reum.


Tanya: I can already see the flames of jealousy!



Karen: Yeah, but Ah Reum would probably take Chang Min to the club.


Zombie: Where she’d quickly learn Chang Min lacks rhythm and is a giant embarrassment to be around.


Karen: Ah Reum already hinted that Chang Min is “old.” How can she handle that?


Tanya: I don’t know if it was old as an insult. Many girls find older men more attractive because they are more mature.


Zombie: I’m pretty sure she’d get tired of Chang Min very quickly, for that very reason. If she can’t tolerate Jin Hee because she’s “old” it’s not going to take her long to realize Chang Min is too much of an old geezer for her and all of her youthful ways. (And yes, this is heavy on the sarcasm because 33 is NOT OLD!!!)



Karen: Please, Ah Reum will be 33 some day. She just needs to wait her turn.


Zombie: And give up on Chang Min already because he’s obviously not interested in her (well, beyond the interest in her short skirts anyway). I think Im Yong Kyu is better suited for her anyway, at least he isn’t “old” so they ought to get on better. I’m pretty sure he’d at least be able to dance… Very important for all those trips to the clubs.


Karen: It’s no use when Ah Reum wouldn’t even give Yong Kyu the time of day.



Tanya: He’s adorable though! I think he can change Ah Reum’s mind eventually through persistence. That’s how the cutesy characters work their magic.


Zombie: Give Yong Kyu time, he’ll eventually wear her down. Maybe she’ll have a traumatic incident at the ER like Chang Min and Yong Kyu will be the one to give the “kiss of life” to her and then she’ll fall madly in love with him and they’ll live happily ever after…


Karen: Ta-da! At least one happy ending down.



Zombie: I’m pretty sure Park Sang Hyuk and Lee Yong Ae (aka the annoyingly cutesy newlywed couple) are going to hit a rough patch sometime in the near future and be on the brink of divorce only to be talked into working things out by none other than Chang Min and Jin Hee. Once they heed the wisdom of their elders they too will live happily ever after.


Karen: Two happy couples down!


Zombie: Man, I’m good! I should be a drama writer! LOL!


Karen: You practically wrote the rest of the story!


Zombie: I think I’ll save the happy endings for everyone else for later and instead focus on how determined Jin Hee is to become a doctor. Are we still thinking she’s pursuing this career to prove to everyone that she’s not worthless or is there more to her determination than that?



Tanya: There is a possibility that she wanted to prove that she is better than Chang Min. Since he couldn’t finish, she wants to finish to prove she’s better in the end.


Karen: That’s such a mystery to me. I have a few theories on that. Maybe her father had something to do with why she wanted to become a doctor or maybe Chang Min’s father, Oh Tae Suk, inspired her to become a doctor. Or maybe, she thinks this is the fastest way to earn money since her family is in debt.



Zombie: While I don’t see becoming a doctor a particularly fast way to earn money, it’s certainly better than appealing to the loan sharks and then losing your hands, so I give her props if that’s her motivation. I honestly don’t know, at this point, why she decided to pursue such a difficult occupation but I applaud her determination. It’s obvious she isn’t one to give up easily which makes me wonder why she gave up on her marriage…


Karen: Surprisingly, she knew about Chang Min’s cheating scandal with the hospital director, but I think Chang Min’s mother put the nail in the coffin.


Zombie: I have no problems with that theory! I’d want to put a nail in my own coffin if I had to endure a mother-in-law like hers!


Tanya: She’s a new level of mother-in-law hell.


Karen: I feel like slapping my neck in pain when I think of her.



Zombie: She really is awful, so much so that I’m really hoping the previews of next week are true and she’s on the brink of death. I honestly wouldn’t mind if she just kicked the bucket next week so everyone around her could live the rest of their lives in peace.


Karen: Why do I get the feeling that Jin Hee is going to be the one to save her?


Zombie: Because that’s just how cruel fate is in Dramaland. You’re probably right and it’s going to be awful for Jin Hee and Yoon Sung Sook is going to go ballistic when she finds out the truth of her salvation and once again I’m going to want to slap her in the face! Yes, I’m awful. I know. I just can’t stand Yoon Sung Sook. If history is any indicator of the future, you know that Sung Sook is going to refuse to recognize Jin Hee, no matter if she’s a doctor or not, and is going to make life miserable for Jin Hee and Chang Min for the rest of their lives because that’s the only type of character Park Jun Keum plays. Ever.


Tanya: There could be “come to the light” moment between Sung Sook and Jin Hee moment, but considering how shallow Sung Sook has been her entire life, I really doubt that it will happen. I really want to believe that there is more substance to her character but all we have seen has proven that if it doesn’t benefit her, she doesn’t care. She believes Jin Hee to be worthless and won’t easily change that opinion.



Karen: And this is where Mr. Oh Tae Suk saves the day to take his fateful position as the Vice-Director of the hospital.


Zombie: Yes! Because Sung Sook is going to try to get Jin Hee kicked out and Tae Suk is going to step in out of nowhere, accept the position he’s been offered and save the day! Woo-hoo! Go Daddy Oh! Go!


Karen: Because we can’t count on Chang Min to protect Jin Hee.


Tanya: He is definitely irresponsible...


Zombie: I think it’s because he’s too much of a mama’s boy to go against his mother. Which makes me wonder how he managed to find the courage to marry a woman against his mother’s wishes. He has no backbone when it comes to his mom, so what in the world possessed him to marry Jin Hee six years ago?


Tanya: Probably his one moment of rebellion against his mother.


Karen: It’s another Oh family mystery waiting to be uncovered.


Zombie: Speaking of mysteries… I can’t figure out why any department in the hospital would have to take the blame for the death of a terminally ill cancer patient who refused to undergo treatment in the first place.



Karen: How can someone take the blame or get fired for the patient’s death? I think the staff did their absolute best under the circumstances.


Tanya: I think it’s totally ridiculous. I’m not entirely sure how the scenario is even possible since they established that he was a goner from the beginning. Even if he hadn’t gotten stuck in the elevator, there was probably no saving him since the cancer had obviously spread. Sad, but true.


Zombie: If we’re going to be realistic here, we’re at a hospital. People die in hospitals every day and it’s not because of medical malpractice; it’s simply because people are sick or injured and sometimes these illnesses and injuries are too severe to recover from. Simply fact of life. You can’t blame doctors for nature taking its course.



Karen: It seems to be two departments, the surgery and the ER department, blaming each other for the death of the patient. Unless it looks intentional, I can’t see why someone needs to take the blame for it.


Zombie: Exactly! Both departments did their job well and the patient died anyway. I’m pretty sure there was nothing more to be done for the patient as he was the one who refused to receive treatment in the first place. If you really wanted to nitpick, you could say that perhaps the patient was in too weak of a state to undergo surgery in the first place but was anything along that line even discussed?


Tanya: I honestly think it’s a pissing match between the two chiefs. There is obviously some beef there.


Karen: No idea. But, what do you think will happen to Chang Min and Jin Hee? Who will take the blame? Or will they both take the blame together?


Tanya: It’ll be interesting to see if Jin Hee steps up or she lets Chang Min take the fall for her. I’m not sure which way this will play.

Zombie: I see this as being a perfect time for Dr. Gook to display some feelings for Jin Hee. As it seems he’s been through something like this in the past, I can see him wanting to protect Jin Hee from suffering the same blow he did all those years ago. If that’s the case, I can see him being willing to throw Chang Min under the bus but I can also see Jin Hee stepping in to pull Chang Min out from under said bus. If Dr. Gook did offer Chang Min as the sacrifice, I could see that severely damaging his chances with Jin Hee but maybe he’d be okay with that if it meant keeping Jin Hee out of trouble.


Tanya: He seems to be emotional, but I am confident that he wouldn’t let his personal feeling hurt his department.


Karen: Personally, I don’t see Dr. Gook putting his personal feelings into his work. I do, however, think he will try to protect the ER department from further reputable damage.


Zombie: In which case, he’ll do everything in his power to make sure the surgery department takes the fall for this patient’s death. Maybe this would be another ideal time for Mr. Oh to step in as new director and save the day for Chang Min, Jin Hee and the entire ER department.


Karen: No matter what, Oh Tae Suk has to come to the hospital. S.O.S.


Zombie: He’s going to be the savior of more than Jin Hee, I can feel it!



So now that we’ve provided all kinds of theories and plot possibilities (and a couple of “happily ever afters”) what do you think will happen next? We’d love to hear what you have to say so be sure to leave a comment below!



Be sure to check out our blogs for more dramatic fun! 
Zombie Mamma | Hallyu Know? | Wehaiyo!


Emergency Couple:
Episodes 1-2: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 3-4: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 3-4 (3/4)



Welcome to Part 3 of Hallyu Zombie Drama Review for Emergency Couple Episodes 3-4! I find it funny that Karen, ZombieMamma, and I are all seeing pretty eye-to-eye on this drama so far. Since they have both done awesome recaps, I want to focus a little more on my personal opinions here.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 3-4 (2/4)


What started out last week as a tumultuous drama I wasn't sure I'd be able to get behind, has morphed, this week, into a drama to which  I am now completely addicted. So what happened in this week's episodes of Emergency Couple that changed my tune? Well, let's dig into them and find out!
save chang min againAs we all know, last week we were left with a crazy hold-up in the ER in which Oh Jin Hee stepped up as the heroine and simultaneously saved the day and knocked Oh Chang Min out cold. While I loved the chaos that followed and loved even more than Jin Hee was the one to step up and bring Chang Min back to life (it was her kiss that brought Sleeping Beauty back to life), I couldn't help but wonder what happened to everyone else involved in that scenario? We know about the guy with the gunshot wound (and I just have to ask, can a bullet really travel through the bloodstream and into the heart?) but what about the officer that was bleeding to death before Psycho Ahjussi grabbed the gun and started threatening everyone's life? He was the one Jin Hee was trying to save first, did he survive? What about Psycho Ahjussi? Did he face a near-death experience like Chang Min? Who jumped up and performed mouth-to-mouth to save him? We know he survived because that's what we were told but how? I suppose I can understand why the writer(s) thought those details weren't all that important but I found it odd that everyone would be crowded around Chang Min and not do their duty as doctors and see to it that all patients were treated equally.
not your fault
Despite that one qualm, the rest of this week's episodes were great. I love the mysteriously developing back-story of Dr. Gook. It's now obvious that he experienced some sort of traumatic event in his younger days that has left him terribly scarred. From what I gather, Dr. Shim was there at the time, perhaps as his fellow intern or maybe even as his senior, and though she was there at the time, I have a feeling she left soon afterwards, leaving Dr. Gook to deal with his mess on his own. I also suspect this is what caused the breakdown in their relationship all those years ago.
father in law daughter in law
It's funny how once a theme is picked up in a drama, it's applied to everyone in said drama. In the case of Emergency Couple, the theme is broken relationships and every single relationship we've come across (so far, at least) has been damaged in one way or another (with our annoyingly cutesy newlywed couple being the exception, though I have a feeling their time is coming). Obviously Jin Hee and Chang Min's relationship is the most damaged but now that we've seen Chang Min's parent's relationship, should that really come as any surprise? His parents have been at each other's throats for years, what other example would he have to follow except the whacked out one, his parents set for him? At least it appears that Chang Min's father is a decent fellow who seems to want nothing more than to live a quite life, as far away from Chang Min's mother as possible. (And really, who can blame him?) I love that Chang Min's dad has been helping Jin Hee achieve her dream over the past six years. As uncomfortable as it may have been for them both at times, you can see that they both truly care for each other in a father/daughter kind of way and I think Jin Hee has really needed that as it appears her father isn't around and her mother seems to be more of a burden than anything.
you can see it in her eyes
What I'm loving the most about Emergency Couple isn't the medical drama (because let's face it, the medical emergencies we've been given up to this point are so far out there it's impossible to mistake them as real), it's not the constant spewing of venom nor the burning death stares, it's not the mistaken identities (Ah Reum is a minister's daughter who could easily be mistaken for a prostitute... Are we surprised???) nor Jin Hee literally falling into Dr. Gook's arms. No, what I love the most about this drama is the very poorly veiled feelings Jin Hee and Chang Min have for each other and the fact that no matter how hard they try to convince themselves that they hate each other, they're in fact, still very much in love. Just knowing that is enough to keep me hooked on this drama, mostly because I'm dying to find out who gives into this truth first... Jin Hee or Chang Min?
it's in his eyes too
So what do you think of my "still in love theory?" Am I right or am I completely out there? If I'm right, who do you think will crack first? If I'm wrong, what do you think is going to happen to Jin Hee and Chang Min? I always love to talk K-Dramas so be sure to let me know what you think in the comments below!

Be sure to check out our blogs for more dramatic fun!
Emergency Couple:
Episodes 1-2: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 3-4: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]

Monday, February 3, 2014

HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 3-4 (1/4)



Welcome back to the Emergency Couple review, episodes three and four with Karen, who is reviewing Emergency Couple each week with Zombie Mamma and Tanya. If last week's introductory episodes were incredulous, then this week's episodes are bound to be more interesting because of additional background information on our main characters. Unfortunately, there are still some ridiculous plot lines that bother me.

Last week's episodes ended with Oh Jin Hee (Song Ji Hyo) shocking a suicidal patient and her ex-husband and intern colleague, Oh Chang Min (Choi Jin Hyuk). Immediately afterwards, almost all medical personnel rushed to Oh Chang Min's side. What about the suicidal patient? He was never seen again nor did I see anybody treat him. I thought it didn't make sense to focus all the energy on Chang Min and not the other patient. Even the patient who was accidentally shot by the suicidal patient had more screen time than the actual suicidal patient. Was the suicidal patient's life not as important as the other patients? I had unresolved feelings about that mini story. In fact, the nurse said the drunkard, suicidal patient was discharged afterwards. Shouldn't he go to the police station?



Once again, I have my doubts about what intern life is really about at the hospital. From what I learned from the drama, interns are lucky if they even have one hour for lunch because they never know when an emergency can happen and they are summoned. How much sense does it make to leave the hospital to go out for lunch and on top of that, a blind date? Even worse, Oh Chang Min's blind date was supposed to be fellow intern, Han Ah Reum (Clara). Chang Min is so obedient towards his mother that he didn't have any common sense. Is it that hard to change the blind date to an evening time after interns get off of work? Profession aside, a lunch date isn't really enough time to get to know somebody anyway. Han Ah Reum's family should have known that it would be quite impossible for Han Ah Reum to go to this lunch date when she is an intern at a hospital. The lunch date was doomed to fail from the beginning.


I really like Dr. Gook's (Lee Pil Mo) response to an intern taking lunch during an emergency. Even with his buried pain, he's becoming quite the comical character from his expressions to his view on hospital life.



Actress and comedian Jung Joo Ri has a few cameo scenes as the person who attends the blind date in Han Ah Reum's place. The way Jung Joo Ri looks at art is basically how I look at art. She mistakes the artist's name (but, thankfully corrects herself) and criticizes the man's hairstyle in Leonardo da Vinci's famous drawing of the "Vitruvian Man."



In a way, I love that Han Ah Reum is from the United States or at least has a western mentality. I get to see how she reacts to Korean culture. Foreigners such as I would learn a lesson or two about how to assimilate into Korean culture.


I am intrigued by what Oh Jin Hee said about referring to others who are more than five years in age difference by name. My Korean husband, however, says it really depends on the situation, but either way, I would feel more comfortable referring to my colleagues by surname if I were working in a hospital.



On the other hand, I feel that Han Ah Reum is so rude. I hope her behavior doesn't reflect badly on all Americans. I would never make fun of other people's age and their insecurities. The way she bullied Oh Jin Hee was such a turn-off to me that I hope Chang Min never falls in love with her.



On a positive note, I have a better understanding on why Oh Jin Hee became a doctor. She has been supported by Oh Chang Min's father, Oh Tae Suk, all along. I believe Oh Tae Suk had been burdened by the guilt of his wife separating Oh Chang Min's marriage to Oh Jin Hee so Oh Tae Suk decided to secretly support Oh Jin Hee's path to become a doctor. I find Oh Tae Suk and Oh Jin Hee's relationship very sweet even though they can no longer meet due to the awkwardness of their relationship. Perhaps Chang Min's father will take the Vice-Director job at the hospital after he learns of Jin Hee and Chang Min's fateful working relationship.


On a side note, the way Chang Min's parents fight seems to be way more vicious than Chang Min and Jin Hee's martial fight, yet Chang Min's parents are not divorced.



Lastly, I will talk about the Emergency Couple love gauge. Finally, the drama gives me what I want when Oh Chang Min shows a bit of concern for Oh Jin Hee when they found out that their patient, whom they performed tracheotomy on, had died. As they both tried to take the blame, Oh Chang Min was more forceful in protecting Oh Jin Hee, but I will have to wait until next week's episode to find out what exactly will happen. Previously, Chang Min hated Jin Hee so much that he would rather be shot by the suicidal patient than be saved by Jin Hee. Will protection turn into love again?


Check out our blogs for more dramatic fun!


Emergency Couple:
Episodes 1-2: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 3-4: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
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