REVIEW: ‘Doctor Slump’ Episodes 1-2

Mental health and societal pressure to succeed at all costs have been hot topics in Korean Dramas (KDramas) recently. As class inequality continues to widen, more pressure is placed on each generation to succeed. As millennials hit their 30s and 40s, discussions on how these pressures set us up for failure have exploded. In the latest Kdrama, Doctor Slump (Dakteoseulleompeu), we see these topics, the consequences of burnout in particular, explored in the medical field. In Doctor Slump Episodes 1-2, we’re introduced to Nam Ha-neul (Park Shin-Hye) and Yeo Jeong-woo (Park Hyung-Sik) as they face life’s worst slump.

Doctor Slump Episode 1 starts things off dramatically. Ha-neul’s and Jeong-woo’s official worst moments are on display. The stress of Ha-neul’s work environment as a third-year resident is finally taking its toll on her body. She collapses in the middle of a crosswalk, clutching her abdomen in pain. A truck is barreling down on her. Her fate is left up in the air before jumping to Jeong-woo. Jeong-woo’s fall from grace involves a plastic surgery operation gone horribly wrong. He faces a major court case now. Jeong-woo is back at square one now that crippling debt is breathing down his neck.

It is from here that Episode 1 time jumps throughout the episode. By jumping back and forth in time, Ha-neul’s and Jeong-woo’s brilliance shine. These two are an unlikely pair of former high school rivals with a lot of history behind them. While Doctor Slump Episodes 1-2 dive more into Ha-neul’s background, her introduction to Jeong-woo’s life shows us how she challenges him. Ha-neul’s life has always focused on studying. If there’s any way to eke out more time to study, she finds it. But, with that pressure to succeed placed on her, we see how this contributes to her depression and physical deterioration as an adult.

Her declining condition is gallbladder-related, but this does little to help her stress or her unhappiness. Ha-neul realizes something’s got to give and pursues therapy. It is here that the therapist (Lee Seung-joon) has her fill out a series of questions before delivering a diagnosis of depression. Ha-neul is in disbelief, stating that she doesn’t have time to be depressed. With her physical symptoms starting to interfere with her life, however, her therapist’s words linger.

In comparison, Jeong-woo seemingly has it easier. He has an actual concept of work/life balance that Ha-neul likes. That’s what makes his downfall so disheartening. Jeong-woo does everything right, spending his career utilizing social media and resources to build up his brand and – ultimately – his family’s continued medical reputation. A mysterious patient from Macau alters the course of his life after blood thinners create complications during an otherwise routine plastic surgery. Her death propels a whirlwind of chaos for Jeong-woo.

The CCTV footage from the surgery room fails to capture the surgery. During the trial, the prosecution produced blood thinners that were located in Jeong-woo’s office. He looks guilty when the evidence shows his fingerprints on the bottle. This leads to Jeong-woo needing to liquidate everything to pay off his debts but also results in him losing his friendships. With nowhere else to go but up, Jeong-woo finds an affordable place to rent until things blow over.

This leads to the end of Doctor Slump Episode 1, where our eventual enemies-to-lovers couple reunite. Jeong-woo conveniently is renting from Ha-neul’s mom. Not realizing there’s a new tenant, Ha-neul ends up running smack dab into Jeong-woo on the rooftop. For the both of them, memories of their past resurface. In Doctor Slump Episode 2, though, we see a middle ground slowly form between the two.

Doctor Slump Episode 2 also further develops the background between Ha-nuel and Jeong-woo. Jeong-woo soon worries Ha-neul will surpass him as the top student. She surpasses him quickly. This sparks a rivalry between them, which explains why the two have so much animosity towards each other years later. Old rival Ha-neul tells him he needs to find a new place to rent, but due to Jeong-woo’s high-profile court case, no one else is willing to rent from him.

For Ha-neul, her depression is getting worse, and now, at her job, her superior has thrown her under the bus. She’s an incredibly competent anesthesiologist. Unfortunately, her superior has it out for her. These moments of abuse from him highlight how difficult residency is, but also the power imbalances at play. She quits after her superior blames Ha-neul for ruining a patient’s arm. The thing is that her superior is the culprit. Ha-neul steps in during surgery to find the patient’s veins, but the damage is done. Ha-neul feels free after quitting. But when she eventually shares the news with her mother, her mother rebukes Ha-neul.

The pressure for both Ha-neul and Jeong-woo comes from their parents. They are reflections of their parents. Jeong-woo, in particular, carries the weight of his parents’ medical legacy. His legal troubles threaten his father’s career overseas. Jeong-woo feelings mean little. His mother never checks in on him. The difference, as we see by the end of Doctor Slump Episode 2, is that Ha-neul’s mother truly cares for her daughter. Ha-neul’s mother understands how bad things have been upon discovering Ha-neul’s prescription. This leads her to reach out to Ha-neul to tell her to rest, opening up the floodgates for her daughter to feel true relief.

Where Jeong-woo and Ha-neul find a sense of understanding later in Doctor Slump Episode 2. Jeong-woo’s troubles rise to the surface after an awkwardly painful run-in with Jeong-woo’s friends. His controversial court case opens up the floodgates for criticism, with little thought given to whether he’s suffering. Ha-neul ends up a welcome distraction from Jeong-woo’s pain, and the two end up wandering to a park. Actors Park Shin-Hye and Park Hyung-Sik are at their best when they embrace their characters’ silly, drunken antics.

But the floodgates swing open when Ha-neul reads her mother’s text telling her she wants her daughter healthy first. Ha-neul has always prioritized the practical at the expense of her health and well-being. This text permits her to finally prioritize herself. The episode ends with both Ha-neul and Jeong-woo crying into each other’s arms. Whether or not they realize it, they have forged a bond over their shared misery. Throughout the series, here’s hoping that they get over their slump together.

Doctor Slump Episodes 1-2 do a great job of setting up Ha-neul and Jeong-woo as characters. The time jumps are more distracting than they should be. The editing smoothes out the disruptions in pacing caused by the time jumps, with Park Shin-Hye’s and Park Hyung-Sik’s voiceovers providing the connection tissue needed to keep things from falling apart. Since Ha-neul and Jeong-woo have a longstanding rivalry, it can be assumed the time jumps may be a permanent storytelling method. Hopefully, with the background mostly established, they’ll be better finessed moving forward.

Right off the bat, Doctor Slump already has a lot to say about burnout, the weight of parental expectations, and overcoming failure. Seeing Ha-neul and Jeong-woo hit rock bottom highlights the uphill battle ahead. With Doctor Slump Episodes 1-2 laying out the working thesis of the series surrounding burnout, it’ll be interesting to see how things play out.

Doctor Slump Episodes 1-2 establish many things immediately. We know who Ha-neul and Jeong-woo are, know what they’re up against, and have the enemies-to-lovers set up primed and ready to go. With Park Shin-Hye and Park Hyung-Sik both finding the balance between the stoic and the comedic in their character performances, Doctor Slump is off to a great start.

Doctor Slump Episodes 1-2 are now available on Netflix, with new episodes airing on Saturdays and Sundays through March.