EMERGENCY COUPLE EPISODE 17
Chang Min's father, Tae-Seok, has passed away and the bulk of this episode is spent dealing with this. We flash forward to the funeral proceedings, Chang Min having changed into a hemp armband that indicates his relation to the deceased.
The world is a lonelier, darker place after the death of a loved one and everyone handles it in their own way.
Chang Min deals with the guests and relatives that come to pay their respects. His grief is made obvious throughout the episode. At several points he breaks down and weeps and as the episode develops we see the depth of feeling he had for his father. Memories spring into his mind and he tears up. He eventually develops a fever; Jin Hee is let in by the building manager and she cooks for him. She finds their wedding ring and shows it to Chang Min.
Dr. Guk excuses Jin Hee and Chang Min from work for the day. He feels that no one benefits by making grieving doctors work their shifts. It's done under the guise of protocol, but I think also it shows that there's more than cogs and wires under his skin. I think he genuinely cares for not only Jin Hee but also Chang Min and wants to see them do well.
Jin Hee feels like she should do something other than be there, so she serves food to the guests. Chang Min escorts her out and tells her to come back as a guest herself. She has a hard time accepting Tae Seok's death and she sobs as well. I think in many ways he represented the father figure she never had and they had developed a closer relationship than what was initially shown. Of course, we didn't see any tutoring sessions or anything like that. It is merely stated that he helped her through medical school. Still, there was undoubtedly a feeling of familial care that characterized their relationship.
Sung Sook is surprisingly civilized during this time. It may well be that she is in shock, but is well-composed except for the understandable bouts of sobbing. She is restrained, polite. It's obvious here she knows how to act, but just chooses not to do so generally? She even thanks Jin Hee and a ghost of a smile plays across Jin Hee's face. Sung Sook doesn't even butt heads with Jin Hee's mother, who comes to pay her respects. In this episode she is not overplayed at all, but instead seems to portray grief quite skillfully. What we don't know is how this will affect the future. Will she become a quieter, more respectful woman? Or will she go back to the nagging ahjumma that she has been in the past?
The other characters are not put on hold while this plays out. Dr. Guk is suspended following his assault on Professor Ahn, Ji Hye's baby daddy has shacked up with another woman,Yong Gyu is brought in as the victim of a beating. Apparently, he feels he deserved to be beaten for his mistake with a patient. And Young Ae goes through various tests at the ER only to find she is not pregnant.
Yong Gyu is quite badly shaken over his inability to correctly treat his patient and he shows that here by punishing himself. We see his sensitive side here, laid bare for anyone to notice. He is far too hard on himself. Ah Reum sticks by his side, though, an ever faithful friend. The longer this show goes, the more she proves herself to be a good person. I like her relationship with Yong Gyu and I hope it develops into something more. Maybe he can be happy once again?
This episode is full of nuggets of wisdom: Chang Min's uncle tells him not to give up on himself like his father did, because his father's death is not his fault; Dr. Guk counsels Jin Hee not to to get over Tae Seok's death, but to simply accept it; and a book that Jin Hee is borrowing from Dr. Guk advises that there are no right or wrong answers in life, that a wise person makes a decision and makes it the right one. I like wisdom in a TV show or movie as long as it's not too preachy. It works well here, simply because it doesn't all come from one person. Make one character too wise and it comes off hokey. Everyone has pieces of advice that they dispense at one time or another. A good drama will reflect that part of real life.
I've said my piece, now it's your turn. I look forward to seeing your comments.
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