I can’t believe the end of my beloved Doctor Stranger is finally upon us but it is so here I sit, with tears streaming down my cheeks, trying to figure out if I’m sad because this drama is actually over or if it’s because absolutely nothing that I predicted for the end came to pass. Maybe it’s a combination of the two? Since I can’t really decide, I’ll just dig into these two episodes and try to find the source of my sorrow. Care to join me?
What looked to be the end for both Oh Joon Gyu and Jae Joon, last week, turned out to be nothing more than a hook used to drag us back to this week’s episodes (as if we really needed that). I have to say, as much as I wouldn’t have minded having Oh Joon Gyu out of the picture (he was a punk, after all) it’s probably for the best that he’s still around, at least for Soo Hyun’s sake. As awful as Oh Joon Gyu was, he’s still Soo Hyun’s father and as tough as Soo Hyun comes off, she’s really a very vulnerable and sensitive individual who desperately needs the love and attention of her father. The upside of all of this nonsense with Jae Joon exacting revenge is that it appears Oh Joon Gyu has learned several valuable lessons, the most important of which is swallowing his pride and admitting his mistakes. I think that now that Joon Gyu sees the value in sincerity, things will be better for everyone around him and for his precious hospital.
I have to admit, I was a bit surprised by Jae Joon’s sudden act of mercy, in saving Joon Gyu’s life. We were left, last week, with the very worst impression of Jae Joon imaginable so I was pretty happy to see that even in his darkest hour, Jae Joon found a way to save rise above and be the better man. Turns out he’s not a bad guy after all. Hooray! Now I don’t feel so bad about him and Soo Hyun spending the rest of their lives together. Oh wait… YES I DO!
AAAARRRRRUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
WHAT IS IT WITH MY STUPID OBSESSION WITH SECOND LEADS? WHY DO I ALWAYS HAVE TO SUFFER THE PAINFUL SYMPTOMS OF SECOND LEAD SYNDROME, EVEN WHEN THE SECOND LEAD IS A WOMAN? WHAT’S UP WITH THAT!?!
Sorry, I just really needed to vent for a minute and how could I not? I’ve spent hours and hours cheering Soo Hyun on, supporting her and all of her feeling for Hoon and for what? NOTHING! NOT A SINGLE STINKING THING! I feel like crying, I’m so upset! The problem is, I’m not really that upset about Hoon being with the girl he’s loved his whole life, I’m just upset because that girl isn’t Soo Hyun! She was just so perfect and Jae Hee was such a punk! WHY MUST THE LEAD ALWAYS END UP WITH THE LESSER PERSON? I think I need to move on for a moment and see if I can’t calm myself down a minute. *takes a deep breath, lets it out slowly*
Alright, how about we talk about the return of Cha Jin Soo for a second. Is anyone surprised by his sudden reappearance right at the end, ’cause I’m not. Not one bit. I knew that slimy little scum-ball would come crawling back out of that water and wreak havoc at the most crucial moment and wouldn’t you know it, I was right! Figures! (Why can’t I be right on love interests for once and not on the return of creepy bad guys?) Honestly, I felt the whole dangling from the bridge thing at the end was a bit too much because, really, we just had to recreate that scene again. Really!?! But whatever, it was what it was and Cha Jin Soo was there to make sure Hoon and Jae Hee met their end. Too bad he really sucks at aiming. I will never understand how he can shoot three different people at point-blank range and not manage to kill a single one. *facepalm* At least he managed to get the bullet into his own brain. (And there was much rejoicing.)
So about those people Cha Jin Soo almost killed… First we have the Prime Minister who, in my opinion, should have been shot in the head in the first place and then we would have never had to have gone through any of this other nonsense, but that’s neither here nor there. Hoon had the chance to prove to the world just how amazing of a person he really is while the rest of us joined Sunglasses and the rest of the PM’s lackeys as we secretly hoped the Prime Minister would die on the table. I suppose I can be satisfied with the Prime Minister spending a significant amount of time in jail instead but honestly, I would’ve rather seen him dead.
Hoon and Jae Hee were the next to be wounded by Cha Jin Soo’s terrible aim. I’m still not really sure how Jae Hee went from diving in front of a bullet to dangling over a bridge but she did and she and Hoon were bleeding all over the place as Cha Jin Soo rambled on and on with all of his musings as a baddie. Why must bad guys always torture their victims with their villainous ramblings before actually doing their dastardly deed? It’s so silly and yet, they all do it! Maybe it’s bad guy law? Whatever the reason, Jin Soo failed, once again, to kill Hoon and Jae Hee but since he managed to kill himself, all is forgiven. What a lame-o way to go.
I was half-expecting Sunglasses to show up at some point during that final bridge scene but I suppose he couldn’t have been expected to save the day again. He was pretty much the most amazingly heroic side character in the history of dramas and I have to say, I think he’s one of my favorite drama characters ever. Never emotional, always level-headed and seriously a man to be reckoned with, Sunglasses is definitely the man and I’m so glad he’s free from the Prime Minister’s tyranny. Now that Sunglasses is free to do as he pleases, there’s a big part of me that hopes he hooks up with Hoon’s mom sometime in the future. I just think that after caring for her for over twenty years, there’s something more there than just concern and I think he’d do a great job, caring for her in some cute little house, out in the country where the two of them could grow old together in peace, away from all of the crazy that one ruled their lives. Maybe they could live next door to Hoon and Jae Hee…
Alright, I think I’m ready to tackle this final hurdle and accept that Hoon and Jae Hee will spend the rest of their lives living together, happily ever after. Because I love Hoon so much, I’m willing to accept that Jae Hee is the woman he loves and I will even go so far as to wish them a long, peaceful and prosperous life but that doesn’t mean I’m happy with the way things turned out. I would have much rather had Jae Hee fall off that bridge and never return but since Hoon would never be happy without her, I could never be happy knowing his heart was broken beyond repair. So it is with a heavy heart that I accept that Hoon and Soo Hyun were never meant to be but there is a part of me that still thinks they would have made a wonderfully loving couple and could have spent the rest of their lives living just as happily (and perhaps even more so) as Hoon and Jae Hee. *sobs*
As much as I’d like to continue I should probably stop so that Tanya and I have something to talk about later, so I will. Of course that means that it’s now your turn to tell me what you thought of these last two episodes of Doctor Stranger. Did you like the way things turned out for everyone? Would you have like to see things happen differently? Are you a delighted shipper of Jae Hee and Hoon or are you a devastated shipper of the Quack Couple? As always, I’m dying to hear what you thought so be sure to leave me a comment below!
You can tweet at us @Hallyu_Tanya and @TheZombieMamma or find us talking about all manner of Hallyu goodness on our blogs: HallyuKnow and ZombieMamma Catch up on all of our previous Doctor Stranger reviews here:
Episodes 1-2: [Part 1] [Part 2]
Episodes 3-4: [Part 1] [Part 2]
Episodes 5-6: [Part 1] [Part 2]
Episodes 7-8: [Part 1] [Part 2]
Episodes 9-10: [Part 1] [Part 2]
Episodes 11-12: [Part 1] [Part 2]
Episodes 13-14: [Part 1] [Part 2]
Episodes 15-16: [Part 1] [Part 2]
Episodes 17-18: [Part 1] [Part 2]
Episodes 19-20: [Part 1] [Part 2]
My quack couple dreams just died. Died along with all common sense. The writer of this drama is seriously nuts! My husband and I are so baffled about the way things ended. How is it that all the baddies magically became good people, all of a sudden with the exception of Cha Jin Soo who had to take it to the extreme? The President, who decided to become a righteous man. The Chairman, suddenly apologetic, though he won’t admit it? Jae Joon changing for Soo Hyun? When Jae Hee tried to convince Hoon to kill the Prime MInister, I knew they weren’t meant to be together. I’d go as far as to say that there will be no happy ending and they will end up divorcing because honestly, Jae Hee is not the same person that she was from the beginning of the drama. Hoon said the reason why he loved Jae Hee was because of her former personality. The Jae Hee I see now is very changed. I don’t care how much they longed for each other. Times have changed and I see a divorce or a break up in the future. Hoon’s father and mother divorced. Nothing’s perfect and I don’t see Hoon and Jae Hee as a perfect couple at all. They never explained how Hoon and Jae Hee survived, but I don’t care anymore. I have no idea why Cha Jin Soo would kill himself. When I heard Jae Hee went to China, I really wished she would stay there, but no. She returned to Hoon again for the finale. I also thought Sunglasses man and Hoon’s mom have some special relationship. I also doubt if Hoon’s mother was really crazy, because she seemed to be normal at times. There was nothing to explain her condition or back-story. And lastly, Soo Hyun and Jae Joon holding hands? Seriously? Why did things progress at lightning speed? They just met each other after a year. Did Soo Hyun suddenly realize that she missed Jae Joon more than Hoon? Ugh, a lot of things just didn’t “flow” or make sense to me. I’m not a fan of sudden changes.
So glad I’m not the only one wishing Jae Hee had stayed in China! WHY DID SHE HAVE TO COME BACK??? I just don’t get it! Actually, I don’t get a lot of things that happened in these last two episodes. There was just too much going on and so much of it didn’t make any sense. I would have much rather had the bad guys die, let the good guys live, seen Jae Hee taken completely out of the picture and Hoon and Soo Hyun finding their “happily ever after” with each other. Honestly, I’m frustrated to no end but what can I do? It is what it is and all I can do is sit here and rant… and sob… and wish I could be a drama writer because I’m pretty sure I could come up with a better ending than this. :/
I wanted to strangle the writer and my husband called this drama “a waste of time” to watch. I mean I found other things that never made sense in this drama that I didn’t even mention, but I’m so frustrated that I want to do something violent. Oh, and there is absolutely no reason why Hoon can’t tell anybody he’s alive. Soo Hyun is right to try to beat him down. Why do that to your friends and people who care about you? Everybody grieved for Hoon for a year for no reason~
Yup! I’m right there with you! I was so mad when I finished this drama that I seriously wanted to punch things. I just couldn’t even handle all of the frustration, mostly because nothing that happened in these last few episodes made any sense. How did Chan Jin Soo come crawling back out of that water? How did the Prime Minister survive 3 bullet holes in the heart? How did the President go from clueless idiot, to traitor, to good guy? Why couldn’t the Prime Minister just die? Why did he have to survive and then go to jail? Why hasn’t Oh Joon Gyu recovered from his surgery, a year later? Why is he still ruling the hospital from his sickbed? How did Jae Joon go from practicing medicine to practicing law in a year? I know he’s smart and all but really? Why couldn’t Jae Hee have just died on that bridge and let Hoon move on with Soo Hyun? Why was Jae Hee such a punk to begin with? Why couldn’t she just be the bad girl we all believed her to be and let her go the way of the dodo? Why keep her around when Soo Hyun was clearly the better choice? Why create such an amazing second and then leave her to rot? Poor Soo Hyun deserves so much better than that! Arugh! There are so many things that went horribly wrong at the very end and I just don’t know how to deal with them all. For a drama that caught my attention right away, it certainly fell flat and I’m quite disappointed.
Oh, you bring up so many good points. So true, so true! There was never any explanation on how each character “survived.” It’s so ridiculous.
Isn’t it though? There’s just so much that doesn’t even make sense and that sucks because so much of this drama was so good! Why’d they have to ruin it at the very end?
They must have ran out of time…
Something. It’s just sad, that’s all. It could have been so much more than it was but it never managed to live up to its potential.