Kim Ji-won’s “Doctor X” Ends Up… on a Downward Trend in Ratings

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

In “Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia” (hereinafter “Doctor X”), Kim Ji-won demonstrated superhuman dedication by performing a 12-hour continuous surgery, filling the medical gap at Guseodaehospital and once again proving the worth of her reputation as the “Crazy Genius of the Operating Room.”

Episode 8 of SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama “Doctor X” (directed by Lee Jung-rim, written by Pyun Seong-geun), which aired on the night of October 31, recorded a peak viewership rating of 16.7%, with 15.6% nationwide and 15.1% in the metropolitan area. It maintained its No. 1 ranking in the same time slot for four consecutive weeks and swept the top spot among all Saturday mini-series, continuing its unrivaled box-office dominance. However, the rating for Episode 8 dropped by 0.9 percentage points compared to Episode 7 (16.5%). The 2049 demographic rating peaked at 6.09% and averaged 5.4%, securing the No. 1 position not only in the same time slot but also among weekly mini-series and all Saturday programs (based on Nielsen Korea data).

Episode 8 generated interest as a special surgical request came to Gye Su-jung. Professor Kim Seong-jin of Emergency Medicine (played by Heo Jun-seok) requested that they perform surgery on the teddy bear of Lee Hyun-ah, an eight-year-old leukemia patient (played by Lee Chae-yu). The clumsy acting by “Team Gye Su-jung”—Gye Su-jung, Park Tae-gyeong (played by Kim Woo-seok), and Jo Won-jin (played by Lee Jin-hee)—who placed the teddy bear on the operating table for the child’s sake elicited smiles. Meanwhile, it was revealed that Lee Hyun-ah’s health was so precarious that her own surgery would be difficult, evoking sympathy.

Another leukemia patient who moved Gye Su-jung’s heart also appeared. Yoo Ga-eul, age 10 (played by Ki So-yu), had undergone chemotherapy eight times but showed no improvement. A major medical gap incident occurred at Guseodaehospital, leaving her surgery indefinitely postponed.

During a conference, Gye Su-jung invoked one of the clauses in her contract—“allowing her to perform surgeries she wants”—to declare that she would perform a solo surgery (operating alone without an assistant), causing a stir among everyone. Despite widespread opposition citing safety and procedure, Gye Su-jung retorted, “Have you ever had your stomach kicked? Have you ever been crushed by a giant rock? Right now, someone is continuously kicking the stomach of this 10-year-old. Someone has placed a giant rock on her stomach. If you are a doctor, stick to the surgery.” Hospital Director Bu Seung-gwon (played by Son Hyun-joo) threw down a challenge, stating that if Gye Su-jung could successfully complete a surgery that typically takes more than 10 hours within six hours, he would expand the terms of her contract. Gye Su-jung confidently declared, “I absolutely never fail,” heightening the tension.

Gye Su-jung’s attention was also directed toward Lee Hyun-ah. Gye Su-jung showed Lee Hyun-ah’s chart to Yoo Mi-gyeong (played by Kim Jung-young), a doctor from a medical staffing agency, and even recalled Lee Hyun-ah’s teddy bear during the surgical simulation for Yoo Ga-eul, drawing intense focus on her choices.

On the day of the surgery, Surgery Professor Do Yun-sik (played by Kim Young-min) poured out his guilt-laden concerns to Gye Su-jung, pressing her on whether she could see the surgery through to the end. Gye Su-jung said, “Do you know what the decisive difference between us is? I do it myself because I don’t want to fail. You don’t do it yourself because you don’t want to fail. Not failing is not about avoiding failure; it’s because one must not fail,” directly confronting Do Yun-sik’s past decision to abandon a surgery.

However, an unexpected variable emerged before the surgery. Professor Hwang of Neurosurgery (played by Kang Hak-soo), who had been forcing through patient surgeries while ill, collapsed during an operation, creating an urgent need for a surgeon. Gye Su-jung herself was already exhausted from performing surgeries all morning, and there was only one hour left until Yoo Ga-eul’s scheduled surgery at 12:00 p.m. Nevertheless, without hesitation, she rushed into the operating room to save Professor Hwang. Despite pleas to postpone the 12th:00 p.m. surgery, Gye Su-jung stated, “I will not let (Ga-eul) suffer for even one more minute,” and proceeded with the surgery at maximum speed, squeezing out all her strength, evoking a sense of emotional weight.

Near the end of the episode, Gye Su-jung finished the surgery before an hour had even passed. She focused on recovering her stamina to enter Yoo Ga-eul’s surgery in good condition, adding to the emotional impact. However, at the same time, Bu Seung-gwon pressed Jang Hee-sook (played by Lee Jeong-eun) about Gye Su-jung’s past, causing a storm. Citing Gye Su-jung’s unrivaled surgical skills, Bu Seung-gwon sharply asked, “Is Gye Su-jung Doctor X?” The episode ended with Jang Hee-sook appearing greatly shaken, driving immersion to its peak. Consequently, curiosity soars about what happened in the mysterious past of Gye Su-jung and whether she will be able to save a small, fragile life that rests entirely in her hands amid the desperate struggle to fill the unprecedented medical gap.

“Doctor X” airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 p.m.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original