[Jan 28] “Doctor Slump” Ep.2, “Captivating the King” Ep.4: Ratings & Recap

Both “Doctor Slump” and “Captivating the King” have seen their ratings go up.

“Doctor Slump” episode 2 rating & recap 

The new romantic comedy “Doctor Slump” had a 1% increase in its average nationwide rating for its second episode on January 28, according to Nielsen Korea. The show reached 5.1%, which was a significant improvement from its 1st episode.

Ha-neul was shocked to see her former nemesis Jeong-woo in her home at the end of episode 1. He had rented the place from someone who knew someone and had no clue that Ha-neul lived there. She thought he would pack his bags as soon as he found out the truth, but this is a K-Drama, so of course he didn’t.~

The interesting thing about the relationship between the 2 main leads is that they're both suffering, but they don't know how much the other one is hurting. They always act like rivals when they meet, just like they did in school (We see more flashbacks in episode 2 that explain their history.) They argue about who is smarter, and Jeong-woo tells her that she'll end up like him someday, falling to the bottom. He doesn't know that she's already close to that point, and she doesn't know how much he's haunted by his patient's death.

Ha-neul resigns from her job

Ha-neul isn't doing well at work either. She doesn't believe that she has depression and keeps working, even though her senior mistreats her. She reaches her breaking point when she has to take over surgery on the chairman's daughter and saves her life, but then gets blamed for her senior's mistakes. She decides to quit her job dramatically, and she's right to do so.

Her mother isn't happy with her decision, though, and dismisses her mental health problems as something that she shouldn't have because she was raised well (It's not hard to see why Ha-neul is doubtful about her condition.) Jeong-woo hears this and later invites her to drink with him. This time, it's Jeong-woo who gets insulted and accused by others, and Ha-neul hears it.

There is a hint of romance developing between them. They have more in common than they thought, and they can relate to each other when no one else seems to understand them. It's not the best basis for a love story, but it's a start.

What happens at the end of "Doctor Slump" ep.2?

Ha-neul and Jeong-woo end up drinking a lot together, trying to show that they can drink more than the other. But this leads to real emotions, and they end up hugging and crying together.

The trigger is Ha-neul's mother texting her to say sorry and that she only wants her to be happy, not to have a successful career. When Ha-neul starts crying – it's important to note that it's a moment of kindness and honesty that finally makes her cry, not all the difficulties she faces – Jeong-woo also cries, for similar reasons.

Now that we see how similar these 2 characters are, it will be exciting to see how their relationship changes from here.

“Captivating the King” episode 4 rating & recap

On the other hand, the new historical drama “Captivating the King” had a dramatic rise in its ratings from 3.3% to 6.0% for its 4th episode. The show aired the night after “Doctor Slump”.

The 3rd episode of the K-drama shows how Myung-Ha, the queen's nephew, tries to blackmail Kang Hee-Soo. He knows that she's pretending to be Mongwoo, a male baduk player, and he threatens to reveal her secret to Lee In, the prince. He wants to avoid disgracing his father, who is the Chief State Councillor. Kang Hee-Soo decides to give up her disguise as Mongwoo, but then the royal guards arrest her friend Hongjang and some other men, accusing them of treason. Lee In pleads with his brother, the king, to stop the torture, but the king is under the influence of someone else and attacks the prince with a sword.

The 4th episode of "Captivating the King" begins with Lee In trying to reason with the king, who thinks that he's a traitor. Suddenly, the king collapses and spits blood, and then he dies. Later, the prince tells the officials that his brother's dying wish was that he should become the next king. Lee In thinks that this is the only way to protect the throne from the queen's greedy brother.

The king's last words to Jo Jung-Suk were about his son ascending the throne

In "Captivating the King" episode 4, the King dies. He says that he has been poisoned and that the kingdom is full of enemies. He asks his younger brother Lee In (Jo Jung-Suk) to find out who did it. He also tells him to protect the throne for his son.

The king says, "Make sure that the Prince Royal [his son] becomes the king." After he dies, his loyal officials warn him about Kim Jong-Bae, the queen's brother, and his ambition for the throne. To honor the late king's request, Lee In agrees to take responsibility for the kingdom, which he has always refused.

Jong-Bae doesn't accept that the late king's last words were for his younger brother. He orders Assistant Section Chief Yoo Hyun-Bo to make Mongwoo/Hee-Soo admit that he and the other prisoners conspired against the late king with Lee In. When Myung-Ha urges her to lie to save herself, she refuses. So, Myung-Ha fakes the confession. But things do not go as he planned, as Hyun-Bo betrays him and labels Jong-Bae a traitor, leading to his death.

Prince Lee In becomes the new King. This gives hope to Shin Sae-Kyung's character, who is still in prison with Hongjang. When the King calls them, he sentences them to death, shocking Mongwoo. On their way to their execution, Hongjang dies, and Mongwoo escapes by jumping into a river.

"Captivating the King" ep.4 ending: Shin Sae-Kyung returns to seek revenge on Jo Jung-Suk

After Shin Sae-Kyung's character flees, episode 4 skips ahead a few years. King Lee In (Jo Jung-Suk) is looking for a baduk player. Many skilled players, including Mongwoo, have signed up for the competition.

Kang Hee-Soo is back, disguised as a male player, but this time, she wants revenge. She blames King Lee In for Hongjang's death and for not trusting her. The episode ends with Mongwoo entering the palace.

(Sources: naver.com, slist.kr)