[Feb 3] “Doctor Slump” Ep.3, “Captivating the King” Ep.5: Ratings & Recap

“Doctor Slump” episode 3 rating & recap

On the cable side, JTBC’s new drama “Doctor Slump” matched its previous week’s average of 5.1% nationwide for its 3rd episode.

Let’s review episode 3 and see how Ha-Neul and Jeong-Woo, who were once high school enemies and now adult friends, are growing closer as they face their life crises.

What happens in the flashback? 

We already know that Ha-Neul took everything away from Jeong-Woo when she transferred to his school. He lost his top rank, his popularity, and his relaxed attitude. 

Ha-Neul had always been under pressure and had to work harder than anyone else to meet her mother’s expectations. Jeong-Woo, on the other hand, had everything handed to him. But when Ha-Neul defeated him in the midterms, he woke up and decided to compete with her and surpass her. Sadly, he collapsed in second place after depriving himself of food and making his life harder than Ha-Neul’s (unrealistic standards here). 

When they both regained consciousness in the nurse’s room, Jenog-Woo kindly asked Ha-Neul if she was alright, but she ignored him and took out a small notebook to study! That was Ha-Neul’s life, and that was all she knew.

Why does Jeong-Woo sleep in Ha-Neul’s house?

In the present day, both Jeong-Woo and Ha-Neul are confused by the fact that they felt comforted by each other’s hugs (guys, it could just be the hug and not the person at this point). They're uncomfortable around each other and avoid eye contact. 

Ha-Neul’s mom is now showering her with love and affection because she's worried about her daughter’s depression. The family even throws her a depression party (I know); this isn't what a depressed person needs, but sigh. 

She needs a way out, but her only friend is occupied at work. She doesn’t have Jeong-Woo’s phone number, so she can’t even talk to him. 

The only good thing for Jeong-Woo is that the anesthetist has agreed to testify for him in court. However, at night, someone breaks into his house and smashes the window. Ha-Neul’s brother discovers that the house has been burglarized, and the family invites Jeong-Woo to spend the night at their place. 

He declines at first, but Ha-Neul shows up later and persuades him that he has to take care of himself, and the best way to do that right now is to stay at her place. She understands him better than he does, and he finally accepts.

At home, Ha-Neul’s brother is curious about what kind of person Ha-Neul was in school and asks Jeong-Woo to spill some gossip. But it only makes Ha-Neul’s mother sad because it shows how hard the girl worked and how she missed out on any normal school experiences. Jeong-Woo kindly decides to give Ha-Neul some of that fun time in the present and takes her to the arcade, where he makes her sing karaoke.

Why has Ha-Neul’s life been so miserable? 

You can’t really say Ha-Neul’s had a bad life. Everyone thinks she’s worked so hard, so how could anything go wrong? It’s that very fact that makes Ha-Neul a person who doesn’t have a purpose in life if she’s not studying or working. It’s also the reason why she has no happy memories of school and doesn’t know any K-pop songs, because she never had the time to enjoy them. 

But it’s not too late, so Jeong-Woo is determined to give her those experiences now! After having a great time together, Jeong-Woo tells Ha-Neul that since they’re both at the bottom of their lives, they shouldn’t force themselves to stand up and face the storm, but rather stay low and have some fun (can someone please tell me this?).

How Jeong-Woo pushes Ha-Neul away

Jeong-Woo thinks of a way to meet Ha-Neul by bringing some fruit to her family as a gesture of gratitude for their kindness. He's about to ring their doorbell when he hears Ha-Neul's mother and brother talking about him. 

The brother tells the mother who Jeong-Woo is and expresses his doubt about letting such a person stay in their house. Jeong-Woo feels hurt and leaves without a word. 

Ha-Neul, who has just arrived home, sees him walking away and follows him to the rooftop. She wants to share her woes with him, such as her low severance pay and her hostile co-workers. But he asks her to go away because he has remembered his reality after forgetting it for a while. "Doctor Slump" subverts the usual trope and makes Ha-Neul realize the truth when her mom questions her about the incident where Jeong-Woo lost a patient on the operating table.

The trial's outcome

Ha-Neul stays up all night to look for articles and information about Jeong-Woo's case. She finds a similar case where another patient died under Jeong-Woo's care. 

She thinks this could be a crucial piece of evidence and hurries to the court to submit it. However, she's too late and the judge refuses to accept it until the next trial, unlike in the movies. But this gives Jeong-Woo some hope in his bleak situation.

The end of episode 3 

Jeong-Woo invites Ha-Neul to watch the sunrise with him. They get there, but the sky is dark and gloomy. They laugh at how it reflects their current state of life. 

Meanwhile, we see a glimpse of some recording devices in Jeong-Woo's house, which implies that someone is plotting something evil. 

At last, Jeong-Woo asks Ha-Neul to be his real friend, not just a classmate. This could have been a funny recurring gag if she wasn't so serious all the time :).

The epilogue's twist

In an epilogue, we learn that when they both passed out, Ha-Neul wrote a sweet note to Jeong-Woo, saying that she would step back and they would heal and improve together. 

But she lost the note when she heard Jeong-Woo's mother scolding the teacher for calling her to school for something as minor as fainting. She also heard that Jeong-Woo's grades were dropping. On the contrary, Ha-Neul's mother was very worried and caring for her daughter when she fainted. You can never tell what someone is going through until you witness it.

“Captivating the King” episode 5 rating & recap

Meanwhile, tvN’s “Captivating the King” dropped to an average of 3.9% nationwide for its 5th episode. The show’s story revolves around Baduk, a board game that Hee-soo uses to get close to the King, and that the King uses to forget his guilt. Hee-soo wants to learn from the King’s usual rival, Prince Doksaeng, but her plan is ruined when the Prince is killed mysteriously.

The palace tournament

The King, Lee In, has no one else to play Baduk with, so he organizes a tournament to find a new opponent who will stay in the palace and play with him regularly. This is the main plot of the episode, as Hee-soo pretends to be Mong-woo to join the tournament.

The King’s struggle

We also see how the King is coping, and it’s not good. He doesn’t care about any woman except the court lady, even though the Queen Dowager urges him to have a child with one of his concubines. He’s unhappy, isolated, and distrustful. Baduk is his only solace.

Myung-ha’s comeback

The King brings back Myung-ha to Joseon after sending him away in the previous episode, and makes him the sixth secretary, with the important duty of reviving the former king’s peach tree – a task that no one else has succeeded in doing, but Myung-ha takes on eagerly.

However, there’s a hidden question of Myung-ha’s true intentions. The Queen Dowager fears he might seek revenge for his father’s death, which is a fair enough concern. Myung-ha also finds out about Mong-woo’s participation in the Baduk tournament and talks to her about it, but she’s determined to go ahead and win.

What happens at the end of "Captivating the King" episode 5?

Lee In eventually discovers that Mong-woo is in the tournament. He still believes Mong-woo is a man and has no clue that it’s Hee-soo, which, as I said, is still a problem for me (and I’m sure others.) Anyway, the King dares Mong-woo to win the tournament or face a harsh penalty, and Mong-woo accepts the challenge, beating everyone else, winning, and becoming the palace’s official player.

At the end of the episode, Mong-woo/Hee-soo visits the King’s room. She tries to act normal, but Lee In asks her why “he” came back after so long. He then angrily accuses her of coming for revenge on him. Episode 5 ends with their furious glares at each other. It seems like those Baduk games are in danger.

(Source: naver.com)