HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 1-2 (1/4)

Hey everyone! Hallyu Zombie’s drama review is back and this time we’ve asked our fellow DramaFever Drama Clubber, Karen (aka Powerz) to help us recap TvN’s latest medical rom-com, Emergency Couple. Woo-hoo! Much like we do for DramaFever, Tanya, Karen and I will be spending the next ten weeks sharing with you all of our thoughts and hopes, likes and dislikes, predictions and ponderings as the story of Emergency Couple unfolds. As always, we’d love for you to join us in our discussion, so grab yourself a snack, curl up in your favorite chair with a warm blanket and your computer and join us as we dig into Emergency Couple!

I wish that I could say I loved Emergency Couple from the very beginning but to be perfectly honest, I just can’t. What started out as completely adorable, with our OTP, Oh Chang Min and Oh Jin Hee, racing toward the alter in an adorably carefree and slightly mischievous way, quickly morphed into something absolutely awful, a couple so full of anger and resentment they could no longer function as rational human beings. Now I’m sure the fight that tipped this couple over the edge was supposed to come across as funny (and I’m sure that to some it was) but for me it was sad, bordering on the line of completely heartbreaking. The very idea of such a reckless love turning so quickly into something so poisonous is just so sad, it made me wonder if I was going to be able to endure twenty episodes of pure hate. Lucky for me, the story quickly moves on and we find ourselves six years into the future, where, oh happy day, we find our OTP at each other’s throats… Again.

Honestly, after the first episode, I was kind of wondering what I’d gotten myself into. From the constant spewing of venom from both Chang Min and Jin Hee, to the reappearance of Park Jun Keum as yet another vile, controlling mother with an awful hairstyle and far too many airs, to Jin Hee’s the near-death experience and one too many chance meetings, I was seriously beginning to have my doubts about this show but then came episode two and all was forgiven. (Well, close enough anyway.)

As soon as Jin Hee stepped out from behind the curtain in the ER, I knew this drama was going places and I’m excited to see if those places are anywhere near what I’m thinking right now because if they are, this show has the potential to be really good. So where do I see this drama headed? I’m so glad you asked!

First, I see Dr. Gook Chun Soo quickly finding that the woman he told to leave on day 1 is the very woman he comes to count on the most. I see this fact drawing Dr. Gook’s attention and that attention turning into affection. Yes, poor Dr. Gook is the doomed second lead but have no fear, I’m convinced he has some sort of past with Shim Ji Hye (probably something very similar to what Chang Min and Jin Hee have going on) and in the end the two of them will get everything sorted out and live happily ever after.

Second, I see Chang Min falling head-over-heels for Jin Hee (obviously) though he’s going to fight those feelings until he absolutely cannot hold them back any longer. How do I know this? Because he’s already showing signs of affection, despite his best efforts. You can read in his face how much he dislikes listening to everyone in the ER bash Jin Hee, which is quite hypocritical of him but that’s to be expected, given the circumstances. You can see in his actions how concerned he is for Jin Hee’s well-being. Yes, on the outside he’s an absolute jerk but when it comes down to it, you don’t shove the woman you hate into a utility closet just to spare her from the pain that running into her ex-mother-in-law would inevitably cause.

Third, I see the relationship between Jin Hee and Han Ah Reum developing into something but at this moment I can’t really tell what that something will be. I can see it going one of two ways… Either they’ll use their confrontational and competitive nature to shape each other into better people and better doctors and become friends along the way or they’ll conflict with each other so much, they’ll nearly kill each other. If the second route is the way things go, it’ll only get worse when they see each other as rivals for Chang Min’s affections because you know Chang Min’s going to flirt with Ah Reum for a while (mostly to make Jin Hee jealous) before he realizes the girl of his dreams is the woman he was married to six years ago. Of course he’s going to have to find a way to pull himself out of the pit he’s going to dig with that one but he’ll eventually do it and all will be well in the world once again.

So now that I’ve shared my first impressions and predictions, I’d love to hear yours! What do you think of Emergency Couple so far? Are you as happy as I am to see Choi Jin Hyuk back? (And more importantly, in a role where he’ll eventually get the girl… Yes, Heirs, I’m still mad at you for that one!) As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts so be sure to leave your comments below!