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TV CHOSUN’s weekend miniseries Doctor Shin launched with Phoebe’s first foray into medical thriller territory.
Episode 1, which aired on March 14, introduces genius neurosurgeon Shin Ju-shin (Jeong I-chan) — a surgeon whose skills verge on the miraculous — and traces the fated spark between him and top actress Momo (Baek Se-ra) before a tragic accident upends both their lives. The premiere also lays out a web of connections involving reporter Geum Ba-ra (Joo Se-bin), who becomes close to Momo while covering her; Ha Yong-joong (Ahn Woo-yeon), tied to Geum Ba-ra by a poignant childhood link; and Momo’s stylist Kim Jin-joo (Cheon Young-min).
The story then rewinds to six months before the accident. In the flashback, Geum Ba-ra meets Ha Yong-joong for an interview and, watching him, recalls Jian-hee (Cha Ji-hyuk), who looked after her like an older brother at the orphanage, along with the warm-hearted Ha Yong-joong. By the end of the interview, Ha Yong-joong does not recognize Geum Ba-ra, and she quietly masks her disappointment. Meanwhile, after seeing Momo’s electrifying TV performance, Shin Ju-shin is smitten and asks his friend’s brother, James (Jeon No-min), to set up a meeting. When they finally meet, Momo declines a dinner invitation because of a reshoot and brusquely tells Shin, “I’m not as charming as that character in the drama.”
Six months after the accident, Momo lies in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber in a deep, unresponsive sleep — a heartbreaking image that amplifies the episode’s emotional stakes. Momo’s mother, Hyun Ran-hee (Song Ji-in), visits Shin Ju-shin and brings up a rumor she heard from his father about a brain “change.” When Shin says he has no candidate to receive the brain, Hyun points to herself and declares, “Me.” Worried the operation could fail, Shin hesitates, and Hyun presses him: “You’d only transfer the brain into me — the eyes, nose and mouth would remain the same. That’s what a mother wants.”
The episode cuts to a tense operating-room tableau: Momo, prepped on the table as her hair is clipped away; Hyun Ran-hee by her side; and Shin Ju-shin, scalpel raised and haunted by memories of happier moments with Momo, beginning the risky procedure. The sequence closes on a note of mounting dread, setting up the series’ promise of shocking developments.
The premiere’s cross-cutting structure — shuttling between six months before and six months after Momo’s scuba-diving accident — foregrounds unpredictable plot twists and layered character transformations.
Song Ji-in makes a strong impression as Hyun Ran-hee, a mother brimful of pride and maternal devotion whose motives remain murky. Jeon No-min turns in a striking, against-type performance as James, blending a soft delivery with sly humor that leaves an impact.
Tae Yuna, TenAsia reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr
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