Doctor Stranger - Episode 11 (A SqueeCap)

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.

Episode 11

Jae-joon goes for a run, still smarting over the memory of last night. After he had cast aside the last of his pride and begged, Chairman Oh had taken him inside. He told Jae-joon that he was giving him one more chance, for Soo-hyun's sake, then told him about Hoon looking at Broom-Alike's medical records.
bcook: The need for revenge is deep in that one. 
JoAnne:  Still, all I really want to say to him is 'Deeper, Joon-ah, deeper!'
KimChi wakes up and sees a that a woman is in bed with him, and he starts freaking out at the thought that it might be Soo-hyun. He slooowly pulls back the blanket... and it's a mannequin that he'd seen on the way home and fallen for. Pfft. Drunk KimChi is funny. This show is trying to get on my good side again, isn't it?
JoAnne:  Oh I do remember that sequence and the aftermath, all the drunks sprawled all over the apartment. Funny! Not that we advocate alcohol abuse. Drink responsibly, kids.
Jae-joon calls to ask if Soo-hyun got home all right (why isn't he just calling her?), but KimChi hangs up quickly when a hand starts creeping up his chest. He starts peeling back the blanket again, and this time it's Dorky Doc. They both scream and then we flash back to last night again and learn that everyone had staggered into Soo-hyun's apartment together and collapsed.
bcook: Hehe. It was so funny. Drunk Soo-hyun is pretty crazy.
JoAnne:  *whispers*  Responsibility is no fun.

In the present, their fight spills out into the main area, where it comes to an abrupt halt when they see the trail of clothes leading up the stairs.
They follow it up to the bedroom and see two pairs of feet poking out from under the blankets. They assume it's Hoon and Soo-hyun, but nope! Wrong again - it's Hoon and Moon! Soo-hyun is asleep on the floor, with the bottom half of KimChi's mannequin, and chases them out with one of the legs when she wakes up and sees them in their undies.
JoAnne: Here we have nearly half a dozen men in their undies and over on Jang Bori I am actively campaigning for just ONE man in boxer briefs, and no dice.  The Drama Gods are not kind.
Once they're all fully dressed, she asks what they're doing here and is reminded that she's the one who refused to let them go home last night. I love drunk Soo-hyun so much, it's ridiculous. In fact, everyone in this show should always be drunk. They're more fun.
JoAnne:  *Shakes head at Cookie while looking at the readers sadly* *Secretly slips Cookie a note inviting her to go out drinking*
bcook: *mouths where and starts making plans to have a heavy dinner* more drinking that way.

She's trying to hustle them out the door, when it opens and Broom-Alike enters, wondering why they're all here. Turns out there was a mistake and they both signed a lease.
bcook:aaaah that explains why creepcha was all up in the apartment. Was it planned? Another plot twist the writer will promptly forget about? 
JoAnne: That was when that happened?  I thought that was before.  Nothing ever makes sense in this drama.
They discuss it back at the hospital, and Soo-hyun says that she'll leave, since Broom-Alike signed the lease first. Broom-Alike offers to let her stay until she finds another place, though, reminding Soo-hyun that she'd stayed at Mom's house for awhile. So it's agreed, and I'm grumpy again. I don't want THESE roommate hijinks!!
JoAnne:  No look this can work; they'll be besties and Soo Hyun will be the first to pick up on the weird symptoms that signal Broom's impending death from some fatal disease related to working more than 40 hours a week or drinking cold water or something.  She'll fight valiantly to save her bestie's life while Hoon wails and wrings his hands in the background because there's no operation that fixes invisible things that are wrong.  But slowly he'll grow to realize that Soo Hyun is a wonderful woman, and there'll be this deathbed scene where Broom takes his hand off hers and places it on Soo Hyuns, and they all smile sad smiles, then Broom gets a nosebleed and dies, and Soo Hyun gets pregnant and delivers a baby without ever having taken her clothes off in front of Hoon.  The end.
Becca: Do we really want Soo-hyun with Hoon at this point? And what about Jae-joon??

Hoon sees them talking and, after Soo-hyun leaves, warns Broom-Alike that she shouldn't get others involved. She's unhappy that he's worried about Soo-hyun and drags him away by the ear. Outside, she finds a strand of Soo-hyun's hair on his head and asks just what they were doing last night. He flashes back to last night, when he'd piggybacked Soo-hyun, and when Broom-Alike's still huffy, he promises to make someone else carry her next time. I think that would be a good idea. Not because I care if Broom-Alike is jealous, but because he can barely lift Soo-hyun, anyway.
bcook: Yeah! He could rupture a disc or something and then have to do surgery on himself. *stops and thinks about that* actually that wouldn't be half bad! I'd watch that episode. 
JoAnne:  So...but, his back....he'd have to do it upside down and backwards in a mirror while under general anesthesia.  Now THAT would be a doctor.  Yes. Also, maybe an interesting boyfriend. When I was younger, that is.
Before she leaves, he asks if she can't smile a bit, reminding her that she used to smile all the time. She says they're not in a situation for smiling now.
bcook: Also because NK spies don't know how to smile. Smiling is for capitalists.
JoAnne:  Exactly!  You tool of the Imperialist dogs!

Next, he goes after Soo-hyun and confronts her with the strand of hair, which leads to some childish name-calling and rough-housing, which is ADORABLE. (I don't care about the ship anymore, I just want these two to be besties.) Broom-Alike watches them sadly before turning away.
JoAnne:  Sadness is the first symptom of the invisible fatal disease caused by that secret thing she has.  Shut up.  The writers haven't decided on it yet.
After Soo-hyun, Hoon goes to see Chang-yi, who is here to see her mom. He apologizes, but he's his usual cheeky self about it, so I'm neither convinced nor satisfied. She takes her keys back, still a little mad at him, and he asks again that she keep her mouth shut about all the spy-stuff.
bcook:Oops she already made the phone call. Or was she calling a cab?
JoAnne: No, the writers wanted jjajangmyeon or however you spell that. They accidentally filmed her placing the order.

Chairman Oh hears Soo-hyun and KimChi talking about her new living arrangement (I love that KimChi high-tails it out of there as soon as he sees Oh - smart boy), and they relocate to his office so that she can finally tell him why she's moving. She admits that she's always done everything she could to win his approval and stayed in the house so he'd be able to see her. Now she's realized that she's always in his heart, though, so she can feel comfortable getting her own place.

He agrees to let her move out on the condition that she get engaged to Jae-joon. She's obviously uncomfortable with the idea but still manages a smile when she hears that Jae-joon isn't being sent away, after all.
bcook: What kind of condition is that?!
JoAnne: Well I guess that depends on whether you want Jae Joon or not.
When she leaves, she sees Hoon following Jae-joon to his office and flashes back first to when he'd hugged her, teasing that she might be his soulmate, and then to when she had hugged Jae-joon in the elevator. She turns back toward Oh's office.
JoAnne: Why? Will we have a hug hat trick? Why do they call three of something a hat trick anyway? *turns and faces audience, speaking directly to them as the 4th wall crumbles* Ahem. According to Wikipedia, the term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets with three consecutive deliveries. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he was presented with a hat bought with the proceeds.
bcook: *starts patching up the 4th wall with fairy dust and the sweat and tears of idol-actors.*

In his office, Jae-joon suggests they go for best two out of three instead of the single match they'd agreed on. Hoon isn't interested in playing with patients' lives in the name of competition again, so Jae-joon offers him 100 million Won to walk away. That raises Hoon's eyebrows, but he still refuses. Jae-joon tries the you-need-money-to-find-your-girlfriend tactic, and Hoon says Moon is always doing this, too. Does Jae-joon get paid enough to spend money like this?
bcook:He went to haaaarvard I think he can afford it. 
JoAnne:  Shouldn't having attended a very expensive school make him LESS able to afford it?
bcook: Nope, you get in either on scholarship or with family money. Either way you'll be fine. 

Jae-joon says there's something more important, which Hoon assumes to be JangBastard's surgery and asks why it's so important. Jae-joon replies that everyone has their own reason to live: Hoon lives for that person in North Korea (buddy, you have no idea), and he lives to be the best in this hospital.
JoAnne:  Ok but Joon, if you want to destroy the hospital, being known as its best still isn't going to do much for you. "Well, sure, everyone says he's great, but if he was so great, why was he even working at that crappy hospital?" Right?
bcook: Revenge makes you blind.
Hoon still refuses the offer, though, stating that he has his own reason for needing to open JangBastard's chest. (Yessss! To kiiiiillll him, right? No??) There's a threatening edge to his voice as Jae-joon advices Hoon to take his offer.
bcook: I worry for Jae-joon's heart. Jealousy and Revengeness (yes it's a word...see?) can't be good for him. 
JoAnne: Revengeness is mine, saith the Lord. Thou shalt have no revengeness before me.  

Meanwhile, Soo-hyun tells Chairman Oh that she needs more time before progressing with Jae-joon, to which Oh says she'll have plenty of time - Jae-joon can't get married until after JangBastard's surgery anyway. And that's how she learns that the competition is back on.

Jae-joon says taking the deal is for Hoon's own good. Hoon says no again and is told that he'll regret it. He leaves, and Jae-joon calls the police.
bcook: So childish. Can't beat 'em so report them to the police. What happened to a fair fight?! Let your nose lead you on the right path Jae-Joon! (side note: I always think of JYJ Jaejoon when I type this name.)
JoAnne:  Play 2 out of 3 with me, Hoon! No! You better, or else! Or else what? Or else I'll make it so you CAN'T play 2 out of 3 with me! Uh...ok, still no, then. FINE. BE THAT WAY.  (giggles)
So the police come to take in MoonHoon for looking at Broom-Alike's medical records. Hoon turns around and locks eyes with Jae-joon, who just raises his eyebrow like, "Whatcha gonna do about it?"

Moon tries pushing all the blame on Hoon, and Hoon smiles a little crazily. He marches straight up to Jae-joon and grabs him by the collar. He guesses this what Jae-joon meant when he said he'd regret it, but he still won't get his way. Jae-joon thinks he will because what he's after is more important than some girl. They turn and see Chairman Oh and Soo-hyun watching.
bcook: But aren't you doing it for a girl Joon? Deep, deep deep down? Under the sea of revengeness aren't you just a boy standing in front of a girl asking her to love you? ....while you plot to bring her father's business down?
JoAnne: Oh, sod a dog. He made the wrong decision, didn't he?
In the squad car, Moon freaks out and Hoon tells him there are three things he needs to know: run, deny, con.

1. Run - Hoon simply turns around and starts to open the door, only to be met by the disapproving detective standing outside the car.
bcook: hehe
JoAnne: His face.It's perfect.

2. Deny - At the station, Hoon and Moon swear up and down that they're innocent. But that's a no-go, too, since there's evidence and a witness. So we're led to....

3. Con - Hoon turns on the waterworks and apologizes, saying his master made him do it. While Moon yells at him to cut it out, Hoon makes a show of cowering in fear, and the detective just stares at them. Because they're craaaaaazy.
bcook:hehe hehehe
JoAnne: So perfect. How does he exist?

Soo-hyun comes to see Jae-joon about Hoon, and he admits that he was the one who reported him. She asks if it was really necessary, saying Hoon was just trying to find his girlfriend. Soo-hyun guesses that it's because of the competition and voices her disappointment, saying this isn't the Jae-joon she knew, but he says the same thing about her. He admits that he was sore about losing, but more than that, he's upset that she keeps looking out for Hoon.
JoAnne: Every time I think he's an ass he does something that reminds me he's the lonely orphan boy dreaming of revenge who grew up and is bewildered to find himself head over heels in love with the daughter of his lifelong enemy and I think how confused he must be and how conflicted and now HURT, too - and remember, he could just lump her in with his dad because she's just one more cruel stab to his heart...but he never does that for a minute.

JoAnne: Oh wait, do we know that yet?

bcook: That he is lonely orphan boy? Yes. That he couldn't lump her together? According to kdrama law once you fall in love with somebody the only way you are allowed to hurt them is through noble idiocy. 

She insists that he shouldn't be jealous, but it's telling that she says Hoon doesn't have room in his heart for her, instead of the other way around. He picks up on that and asks softly if that upsets her. She can't deny it, so they just stand there in silence for a long moment before he gently takes her hand and says, "Come back, Soo-hyun-ah. To my team. I'm saying come back to me." And I know he's still worried about his revenge plan, but this moment seems 100% genuine to me. No ulterior motive. No manipulating. He's just a boy, standing in front of a girl, asking her to... okay, I'll stop. You know what I mean.
bcook: hahahahahaha look at my comment above. I love it when great minds think alike. 
JoAnne: You guys didn't plan that? *goosebumps*

She says she wants to, but he keeps pushing her away. *sigh* She also has a point. :(
Soo-hyun goes to find Broom-Alike and convinces her to go to the station and sort things out, since she's the victim. Broom-Alike looks conflicted, either because she doesn't want to go to the station (because SPY), she's worried about Hoon, or she's worried about Soo-hyun being concerned about Hoon. *shrugs* Who KNOWS.
bcook: Oh is that her conflicted look? I thought that meant she couldn't remember her lines. Good to know going forward. 
JoAnne: I'm not entirely convinced that they actually use the lines that are written for them. I think most of this was filmed in snatched moments when the grown ups left the room.
Chang-yi overhears KimChi telling one of the nurses about Hoon, predicting that he'll wind up in prison for a few years. Chang-yi asks what's going on. Yaaaay! The cute, useless little ship finally comes face-to-face!!!

He's not impressed by her tomboyish look, though, and gloats that Hoon's at the police station now, which, obviously, doesn't endear him to her. She hits him with an empty water bottle and promises to teach him a lesson if he doesn't watch his mouth. Shiiiiiiiiiiip.
bcook: That was pretty awesome. I don't condone violence but he totally deserved it. Not understanding why he hasn't spilled about the overheard conversation since he likes to gossip about everything else. 
Soo-hyun and Broom-Alike come to the station, but are told that the case can't be dropped unless the person who reported it agrees. That's when Jae-joon arrives. Moon argues with him that they won the competition fair and square and is told that it doesn't matter, since they're about to lose their licenses. When Hoon still refuses his best-two-out-of-three proposal, Jae-joon offers that he can even choose the patients for the next round. Which seems strange. Why not just use this opportunity to kick them out? We already know he doesn't care about playing fair.
bcook: So Soo-hyun think's he's fair? Writer logic? 
JoAnne: If they are about to lose their licenses, how could they even have a next competition?
Hoon looks to Broom-Alike, who nods, and he reluctantly agrees.

Outside, Soo-hyun pulls Jae-joon aside and lights into him for playing dirty to get another chance. Ah, but he points out that he could've just let them go to jail and saved himself the trouble of further competition. So you did it to keep up appearances for her? I don't think that's as good a plan as you thought, Jae-joon-ah.

Soo-hyun obviously isn't impressed, either, and takes a taxi instead of riding back to the hospital with him.
Hoon is riding with Broom-Alike. She pulls over, and he finally asks why she wants him to operate on JangBastard. She promises to tell him later, saying they should just follow Creep Cha's orders for now. She has a plan to get them both out of this mess, and he agrees to trust in her. BAH! Here we go again. *grumble grumble grumble* How do the writers think this is a good hero? He doesn't DO anything!! You've got Lee Jong-seok, for goodness' sake! Give him something better to work with!!
bcook: Look he has the magic hands, the magic surgery mind palace, those lips... what more do you want!!
JoAnne: I don't need him to do anything but touch stuff so there's close ups of his hands and kiss stuff so there's close ups of his lips and smile at stuff so there's close ups of his face and walk down hallways toward or away from stuff so I can admire his long, long legs in faded jeans as his long, long sweaters flap around them. Sigh. 

In return for following her orders, though, he asks her to smile for him. (Yes, Hoon, smiling is the most important thing right now! [<--Sarcasm] Idjit.) She does, but it's not very convincing, so he coaxes her until she finally grins. It's really awkward.
bcook: Well when it's the only thing he remembers/likes about his lady love... 
JoAnne: I just decided it would be awesome if they went all Pet Semetary on us, so that this really is her but she died and when they brought her back she was different. And soon she'll start to rot from the inside out.
Becca: Well, she's had that effect on the story, so... halfway there?
When they pull up at Myung Woo, Chang-yi is loading the empty water bottles onto her truck. She makes sure that he's okay, and he notices that she's put on make-up. She says it's for one of her jobs and is adorably pleased when he says she's pretty. She's disappointed, though, when he walks off without seeing the pretty outfit she has on her under work clothes.
JoAnne: They could have used her salary to get a better writer, you know.

After he leaves, she sheds her outer layer to head to the next job, and KimChi cutie walks by and is totally smitten. She catches him gawking and calls him a pervert, then knocks him down with a couple of empty bottles. He just keeps grinning.
bcook: SISTAR!! Show those legs! 

Hoon sees an ajumma arrive at the hospital looking like she's in bad shape, and when she collapses, he rushes her to the ER. He orders her prepped for surgery (he used his MagicHands™ on her when she collapsed), but is stopped when Ajumma's doctor from another department arrives and insists on taking care of her himself. Hoon argues, but Chairman Oh shows up and sends her off with the other doctor.

JoAnne: That other doc is Mr. Magoo, isn't he. Or the Tootsie Pop Owl.
Becca: Who? Who? *giggles*
Hoon wonders if Tootsie Pop Owl is so defensive because he messed up somehow. Oh reveals that he knows who Hoon is and points out that Dad got into that mess 20 years ago because he volunteered to be a witness in a malpractice case. If the case had continued, the hospital would have been ruined. Oh points out how many people this hospital has saved because that didn't happen, but Hoon corrects him: doctors save patients, not hospitals.
bcook: Quite a turn around eh? I guess once he got his daddy's glasses back all the good just flooded in. Speaking of daddy aren't we due for a flashback?
JoAnne: Bad daddy, be good to mama.
Becca: Don't worry, bcook. He's only like this when Jae-hee isn't involved. And JoAnne, uh... carry on.

They argue about which comes first, the hospital or the individual patients. Hoon points out that his Dad agreed to be a witness because he believed the patients came first, and Oh tells him to look what happened because of it. Hoon balls up his fist at that, and Oh warns him not to get cocky. He's not someone to be taken lightly.
bcook: Just once I'd like to see this guy not play an asshole. Hanbondo! huh? huh?
Meanwhile, Lollipop Ajusshi meets Creep Cha by the river and tells him about the new two-out-of-three competition. Cha wonders at all the fuss, and Ajusshi points out that he should be happy as long as he gets the money. So money is involved in this deal, which isn't surprising. Not that I really even care about these plans anymore. *mild grumbling*
bcook: *serious grumbling* yes it's a 20 episode show but this is like the main subplot right? and we still DON"T KNOW WTF (why the f) THE NK SPIES ARE HERE!!
JoAnne: It does seem that everything JangBastard wants to do could be done without any NK involvement on the ground in SK, it's true.

Creep Cha asks if they can trust Jae-joon with the mission, and Ajusshi replies that if he's worried, he should pray Hoon wins instead. (Pssst! Ajusshi! I kinda doubt that Creepy Cha is a religious man.)

Back at JangBastard's office, JB asks if Ajusshi wants to bet with him on who will win: his money is on Jae-joon. (Don't take that bet, Ajusshi. Hoon will win because the writers say so, and then JB will be mad at you for taking his money.)
bcook: and then you'll be in NK. Just saying. He's done it before.
JoAnne: That's ok though because judging by how many NK residents are at Myung Woo hospital it's not all that hard to cross back over.
Hoon runs into Ajumma's husband and son (who is also a patient at Myung Woo), outside her room and is told that she's doing okay now. He looks in as she talks with her doctor, but he still seems unsettled, so he goes to study her CT scan. (I think. I don't know. I'm a squeecapper, not a doctor!)
bcook: It's whatever the writer says it is.
 JoAnne: Stage directions said to look intently at report. They use this time to study restaurant menus for lunch.

Soo-hyun finds him there, and Hoon explains that Ajumma has stents in all three of her arteries, but there's some bleeding. Soo-hyun can't see it (because she's not a geeeeenius), no matter how obvious it is to him. They're interrupted by Moon, who drags Hoon away to his office.
There, he proposes that they forget the almost-prison thing and focus on the competition. While he's anticipating their victory, Hoon notices Ajummah's husband wandering around the hallway and slips away while Moon is distracted.

Ajumma's Ajusshi came to Hoon because the doctors from internal medicine aren't explaining things to him, which adds to Hoon's suspicions of malpractice. He explains that the stents are causing bleeding, which led to Ajumma's collapse. Ajusshi (too many Ajusshi's in this show, really - I wish this guy had a name) asks if this is a case of malpractice, and Hoon admits that he's not sure. The bleeding might stop naturally, but if it gets worse, it could put pressure on her heart and lead to further complications. Her heart might stop.
JoAnne: So here's the interesting thing. Stents are placed in coronary arteries, usually in a cardiac cath lab.  This is done by a cardiologist, not an internist. But whatever.
Becca: Oooh, she went there! Okay, so I also had this thought. But we have to remember - this is medicine, WTFDoc style. So basically... reality doesn't matter. Shhh.
JoAnne:  There have to be some standards. If we let them just run wild with their glaring errors what happens with the NEXT show?

Just then, Ajusshi gets a phone call that alarms him, and we see that, sure enough, Ajumma is crashing. The doctors work to revive her, while the Son watches anxiously from his wheelchair. They manage to bring back her heartbeat just before Hoon and Ajusshi arrive, and Tootsie Pop Owl says the bleeding increased momentarily, leading to shock. He says she's okay now and leaves with his entourage.
bcook: It's a scientific fact, the larger your entourage... the dumber the star. Look at Bieber. 
Ajusshi asks Hoon to operate, but Hoon says her doctors won't allow it. But then Son asks, and Hoon's never met a desperate kid he could refuse, so he promises to ask his master for permission.
bcook: Did he get 500won? That's the going rate for desperation. 
JoAnne: Show me the money!
So he and Moon meet with Tootsie Pop Owl, who refuses to let Hoon operate. He reminds Moon that stealing a patient from another department could cost them their jobs, which is enough to make Moon back down.

But once they're alone in Moon's office, Hoon declares that he's still going through with the surgery. They argue back and forth a bit before Hoon stalks out.
JoAnne: In other words, insert 'stock scene #5'
He finds Son in the hallway and almost walks away before he's seen, but he thinks better of it. He breaks the news that he didn't get permission to operate, and Son's face falls. Son blames himself for his mom's condition - when she collapsed the first time, he had called for help, but he wasn't able to do anything for her because of his lameness. He calls himself a bad son, and Hoon replies that he's worse by those standards, remembering his own helplessness when Dad was killed. (So... being reminded every other episode that Dad was once important to the story... is this a thing now?)
bcook: Does it mean flashbacks? 
JoAnne: All we are guaranteed is desperation and angst.
Hoon tells Son not to blame himself and promises that Ajumma will be okay. When Son asks how, he just smiles and winks.

He goes to Broom-Alike and asks her to assist him in the surgery, and she agrees, despite the inter-department trouble it will cause. Next on the list is Nurse Min, who also agrees but on the condition that Shopping Ajusshi isn't on the team. That of course leads him to Soo-hyun, who is still puzzling over Ajumma's case.
He leans down next to her, which has her suspicious that he's going to start teasing her again, but he grabs her hand and asks to borrow it.
bcook: And the heavens open up and a bright light shines down, angels sing...no? Wrong ship? 
JoAnne: Please watch your step while debarking. Disembarking? Exiting.
Next thing we know, Hoon and Soo-hyun are wheeling Ajumma to the OR. On the way, she thinks to ask if he has permission to operate on another department's patient, and when he says no, she stops short and asks if he's nuts. When he asks if she's going to do it or not, though, she relents for the sake of the patient.
JoAnne: And the off-chance of getting a hug if she dies.

As Ajumma is prepped for surgery, Hoon and Soo-hyun discuss the procedure: he's doing an off-pump bypass, to minimize the bleeding. He reminds her to stay focused.

Jae-joon's team is in the other operating room, and Flirty sees Hoon and Soo-hyun through the window. She asks if another surgery was scheduled, but Jae-joon says this is the last for the day. He keeps working but glances over at them.
Moon is desperately trying to get a hold of Hoon, who is, of course, not answering his phone. He sees Snotty run by with a security team, and then he's accosted by Tootsie Pop Owl, who has heard about the surgery and is hopping mad. That guy may be tiny but he's legitimately scary.
bcook: Yeah! I did not like that guy. Not one bit. 
JoAnne: Who, the Tootsie Pop Owl guy?
Hoon thanks Soo-hyun for helping, even though she might get in trouble, and she marvels that he's worrying about her right now. He admits that he's worried about everyone on "our team."

Just then, Snotty barges in to stop the surgery. He grabs Hoon by the hands, figuring he can't operate now that they aren't clean anymore (stupid stupid - hands can be rewashed!), but Hoon just smirks and head-butts him. HA! Okay, Hoon, that was awesome.
JoAnne: If his head hurts he can come lay it on my bosom. HOON. Not the other one.
Tootsie Pop Owl runs in next and orders his men to take the patient back. Hoon tries to reason with him and gets punch in the face for his trouble. Soo-hyun asks if he isn't going too far, and when she doesn't back down, her grabs her by the collar and raises his hand to strike.
bcook: Kdrama is a little too casual about violence against women. *judging*
Becca: *also judging*
JoAnne: *Pointing out that it wasn't a male/female interaction, but a senior/subordinate interaction. A man would have been hit, too.* Not that this makes it right.
Becca: *judging casual violence in the workplace* Better?
JoAnne: thank you
He's only stopped by the appearance of Jae-joon, who demands to know what he's doing. Tootsie Pop Owl asks just what he's teaching his doctors. Jae-joon stalks forward and pushes him off Soo-hyun, asking if he teaches his doctors by beating them, then. Thankfully, Moon jumps in to pull Tootsie Pop Owl away before it gets even worse.
Jae-joon makes sure Soo-hyun is all right, then asks Hoon what's going on. Hoon announces that he's found the patient for the second round.

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I have very little so say about the actual events of this episodes, so I'm going to use section to talk about Hoon's character in general. In the early days of this show, I loved Hoon soooo much, and I truly thought that, even if the drama itself was nuts, at least he was a worthy hero. I was fascinated by his ability to adapt himself to every situation. It was how he survived, and I thought how much fun it would be to see this fairly reactive character change into someone who would grab all the villains by the collar and fight them on equal ground. That would require muscles Jong-Suk doesn't have. I wanted to see Hoon developed with loving care and turned into the hero that I knew he could be. But that didn't happen. The writers created a fascinating character, and then they obviously didn't know what to do with him. As a result he's barely changed since episode two, and if anything, he's actually regressed.
JoAnne: Yep, he's no better or worse than he was the day he left North Korea.

Perhaps he's always been obsessed with Jae-hee, but that could have been explored in a compelling way, in all its dark glory. I wanted that! I was perfectly willing to go there with you, Show, if you were at least interesting! But you weren't. You gave me one of my favorite characters in a long time. You made him dark, and quirky, and unpredictable. And then you started slowly chipping away at my love by making him less and less interesting. He's supposed to be the hero of this drama, but I see no character arc. Much like this episode, he just... is. He may have his moments of cuteness, but cuteness does not an interesting character make. And I don't know about the rest of you, but the slow assassination of Hoon's character makes me very sad, indeed.
bcook: This all started when BroomAlike came onto the scene. She doesn't just suck the life out of her character she sucks the life out of others! She's a storyline vampire! *grumble* and she doesn't even sparkle.
JoAnne: We didn't even really get to see him be obsessed because she showed up so fast and revealed herself even faster. All that was left for him was to follow her around after that.

At least we have his new haircut to look forward to?
bcook: Aah yes. The new haircut. More like a reversion to the old haircut no? 
JoAnne: Maybe there'll be new rips in the jeans. And Broom must be getting somewhat close to her contractually-obligated tragic death, right?