Kim Ji-won's "Doctor X" Fails to Become "Department Head Kim" After All... Ratings Plunge Ahead of Finale [Official]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Kim Ji-won's "Doctor X" entered a downward trend in ratings just before its finale.

In Episode 11 of SBS's Friday-Saturday drama "Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia" (directed by Lee Jung-rim, written by Pyun Seong-geun / hereinafter referred to as "Doctor X"), which aired on the night of the 13th, Jeon Guk-hwan, who drove Kim Ji-won, Kim Woo-seok, and Lee Jin-hee into pain, awakened during surgery in a scene that closed the episode, shocking viewers at home.

The rating for Episode 11 peaked at 16.1%, with a nationwide average of 14.5% and a metropolitan area average of 13.9%. Consequently, it dropped significantly by 3.2 percentage points compared to Episode 10 (17.7%) on a nationwide basis. However, it maintained its position as the number one program in its time slot and held the top spot among all programs across all channels for six consecutive weeks. The 2049 demographic rating also peaked at 5.5% and averaged 4.9%, proving its buzz (based on Nielsen Korea data).

In that day's broadcast, the ugly reality of "Great Goodwill" Kim Seung-hyo (played by Jeon Guk-hwan) was revealed. Although Kim Seung-hyo appeared to be a respected doctor who founded the medical relief organization "White Wings," he was actually a shameless criminal who had committed sexual crimes against powerless children for decades behind the scenes. In particular, it was revealed that intern Park Tae-kyung (played by Kim Woo-seok) was also a past victim of Kim Seung-hyo, causing shock.

Kye Su-jung (played by Kim Ji-won), who had performed Kim Seung-hyo's first heart transplant surgery, felt guilt over having kept Kim Seung-hyo alive as she faced Park Tae-kyung's pain. Jang Hee-sook (played by Lee Jeong-eun) took care of Kye Su-jung to prevent her from breaking down, blaming everything on herself. Additionally, the reason why Jo Won-jin (played by Lee Jin-hee) had been hiding the fact that she was Kim Seung-hyo's daughter was also revealed. In the past, Jo Won-jin had witnessed her friend taking her own life after learning that the friend was a victim of her father, and even discovered that her mother had known about her father's evil deeds but tolerated them, leading her to cut ties with her family. As the wounds left by Kim Seung-hyo's horrific crimes were revealed one after another, anger erupted.

Even more, it was revealed that Kim Seung-hyo had not abandoned his ugly desires, sparking public outrage. Jo Won-jin discovered an album in Kim Seung-hyo's belongings containing photos of victims and expressed her fury at his true nature, which showed no sign of repentance. Park Tae-kyung pleaded with Kye Su-jung, asking, "Can't you just fail this one time? Can't you just fail once, this one time?" evoking sympathy.

Along with this, the full story behind the nightmares that had long tormented Kye Su-jung was revealed, bringing a sense of heaviness. In the past, the boy Baraka (played by Jeon Ji-on) whom Kye Su-jung could not save and his younger sister Nima (played by Jeon Ai-sha) were victims of Kim Seung-hyo. Baraka had set fire to the building while threatening Kim Seung-hyo to protect Nima. Kye Su-jung, who learned the truth too late, rushed into the flames to save Baraka, but he ultimately lost his life. Kim Seung-hyo not only used Baraka as a shield to protect his own life until the end, but also displayed cruelty by stabbing Kye Su-jung's ankle with scissors, causing astonishment.

Afterward, Kye Su-jung suffered from deep guilt caught between the fact that she had personally performed the heart transplant surgery that saved the criminal Kim Seung-hyo and the fact that she ultimately failed to save Baraka. She wandered through conflict zones to punish herself, pushing herself into extreme situations, and cried out desperately to Jang Hee-sook, saying, "Auntie, we saved that person. We saved him and laughed." It was Jang Hee-sook who protected Kye Su-jung within the wounds of the past. Jang Hee-sook passed on a letter and a doll from Nima, who was staying in a foster home, saying, "Nima sent me to protect you," allowing Kye Su-jung to finally face life again.

Currently, facing Kim Seung-hyo lying in a hospital bed at Guseodaehospital, Kye Su-jung decided to perform his surgery. Kye Su-jung said, "I am going to save that monster. He will get a new heart and look at children again, and those who follow him will cover for him. And one day, he will go peacefully, in respect and tears. That is too easy. It is too comfortable," gazing at Kim Seung-hyo with a resolute gaze, heightening curiosity about her choice.

Towards the end of the drama, Kim Seung-hyo's heart transplant surgery began along with Kye Su-jung's meaningful words, "My last patient, my last surgery." Tension reached its peak as Park Tae-kyung joined the operating room shortly after. Soon, following Kye Su-jung's narration, "The children's nightmares, screams, pain, to your bed. You can no longer sleep peacefully. This is your hell," Jo Won-jin attempted to administer 'Flumazenil' (a drug that reverses the effects of specific sedatives to wake a patient) into an IV drip, and the scene ended with Kim Seung-hyo opening his eyes, sending chills down the spines of viewers at home.

The final Episode 12 of "Doctor X" will air on the night of the 14th at 9:50 p.m.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original