The Problematic of the Unproblematic

"I ought to be jealous of the tower. She is more famous than I am." - Gustave Eiffel Everywhere you look, the Eiffel Tower pops up in Asian dramas.  

After the waves of emotion that episode 10 created between the Hoon-induced rage and the Jae-joon-induced feels, my heart is left pretty cold during this episode. It is neither crazy bad nor crazy good. It just kinda... is. But there is some cuteness, so the squeeing is back, though a little subdued and the worse for wear. Hoon is still on probation, though. bcook: I don't remember much about what happens in this episode so my guess is it was a meh as you thought.  JoAnne:  I sort of rely on the pictures and the recap to remind me.  It's all really just a montage of Hoon's mouth and Joon's nose, as far as I'm concerned.

Stick a fork in me and call me done. This episode dashed all my hopes of seeing a smart hero any time soon, as Hoon continues to simply react, without to stopping ask why any of this is happening. I want to see you beat the bad guys at their own game, Hoon! But you're not even trying! Jae-joon, on the other hand, is throwing his everything into the game, so I'm just going to focus on him and try to hold back the waves of rage that you inspired. I. Will. Try. *growls* JoAnne: Joon makes me so sad. bcook: Flashbacks. I would like an episode without flashbacks please. KThanksBye

What happened in episode 9? The short version: a lot of running around and hurt feelings, with a little baby-saving and attempted murder on the side. Oh, and we finally  get to the big competition everyone's been talking about for what seems like forever. But yeah, a lot of running around. As if to make up for the it, though, this episode is especially pretty. So many great screenshots unused, ladies. It killed me. JoAnne: Email them to me in a plain brown wrapper, please.  Call it Vitamins or something. bcook: There's nothing that says we can't do a screenshot post. It's your duty to the public.

It's time for musical surgical teams! The plot advances a little, but mostly this episode is all about doctors switching teams because they're jealous, spies (both international and in-hospital), being threatened, paid, or cast aside. Thankfully, we get some great character stuff to keep it interesting. JoAnne:  And then there's the really important thing - dem BOYZ. bcook: I'm on ship bromance. KRS (Korean Royal Ship) HoonJoon

BIG things happening this episode: Hoon finally gets a clue about what's going on, we get a few more hints about Jae-joon (yay), and just as Soo-hyun starts eyeing my ship, I'm eyeing the one she started out on. Because let's be honest, Hoon has a few too many issues to be healthy. I still love him, but I'm not sure she should. Still. They're So. Cute. bcook: I'm right there with you. The KRK*  SooJae is the healthier ship... well as healthy as you can get in this drama. (*korealand republic of korea) JoAnne: Ha, because I'm sort of shipping SooJae too. They have done too good a job of making us understand why he wants to be the villain, and I totally swoon over his feelings for Soo Hyun in a way I just can't for HoonHee.  Becca: HoonHee is that ship you squee over as it passes by. SooJae is the ship you book a one way ticket on. Because there's no going back.

Politicians and spies continue to weave their plans around our oblivious hero, while he remains consistent in his single-minded fixation on his first love. In some ways I envy him because the world must be so much less confusing without trying to understand all the agendas. My head hurts. bcook: There's this thing called belief that you have to suspend when you watch this show. There's also the matter of trying really hard not to ask questions. JoAnne: Ask the questions! Ask them! We must expose WTFery at every turn!

The search for Jae-hee is back on! Ya.....ay? We don't get any definitive answers about what happened to her, but we do get a few more questions to fuel our wild conspiracy theories. So, that's fun. JoAnne:  When I watch this show I come up with THE most outlandish fanta...errr...theories.   bcook: I've never laughed in disbelief so much in my life. 

Doctors are encouraged to play with lives and relationships are put to the test, all in the name of competition. In other words: just another day at Myung Woo Hospital. WTF, Doc? JoAnne: Oh look, he just noticed me. bcook: hehe

We take a temporary break from the search for Jae-hee to spend some time getting acquainted with our new setup and introduce Hoon to the characters at Myung Woo Hospital. This means that the drama starts to look a little  bit more like what you'd expect from a medical drama, but you don't have to worry: it doesn't last long. The weird is here to stay. JoAnne: Cute judgy faces would like to know if you have a PROBLEM with that. bcook: Nope. WTF is good. Normal is bad.

Episode 2 gives us yet another abrupt time-skip, ups the crazy factor, introduces a new set of characters, and marks the birth of my new favorite thing: Crazy Hoon! Do I understand it? No, not really. Do I love it? Oh, yes. JoAnne: By the Power of the Puppy, he compels us.  Look at that face. It's designed for noonas. bcook: Bring on the WTF! *rubs hands together*

Hello, drama lovers! My name is Becca, and I'm a drama addict. Hello Becca! Hello, hello! If you're watching current Monday-Tuesday drama Doctor Stranger , you know that it's the best kind of crazy and practically begs for squeecapping, and since the ladies of the Problematic are already covering a boat-load of dramas, they've been unable to stop me from elbowing my way in graciously allowed me to help cover this one. This is my first time recapping, and I'm very excited and a bit awed to be here. bcook: *nods sagely* Squeecap corrupts, absolute squeecap corrupts absolutely. JoAnne:  Some would say the corrupter is me, but I say if the material weren't there I'd be quiet as a church mouse.  Blame Hallyu. I tend to have low (read: nonexistent) expectations for medical dramas, so going into Doctor Stranger, I was honestly expecting something along the lines of Good Doctor: North Korea Edition, but the first episode quickly put those fears to rest by burs...