The highly anticipated drama that everyone had been waiting for finally premiered its first episode this past Thursday on June 17 and it did not miss a beat since the airing of its last episode. The second season to popular drama ‘Hospital Playlist’ is back and it’s just as good as where we left off in May of 2020. Our five friends, five intelligent doctors, and five talented band members are back in the second season of the drama and just like with the first season, they do not disappoint!
I’ll admit, I was one of those people who gave up on the first episode of the first season on my first attempt because I couldn’t get into the rhythm of the drama and it just didn’t really seem like my cup of tea. A medical drama about a group of five doctors who also happens to be a band and sing and play instruments? Interesting premise, but I think I’ll sit out on this one. I remember struggling to finish the first episode and stopping about half an hour in because I just wasn’t feeling it. However, with some encouragement from family members and with the rising popularity and praise that the drama was getting, I decided to give the first season another chance and I’m ultimately glad that I did.
With the start to the second season, the first episode picks up right where we left off in the first episode and it doesn’t miss or skip a beat. Since it had been a year since I finished the last episode, it honestly was a little difficult for me at first to recall and remember certain situations, certain scenes, and certain characters. I was a little confused at first and I had trouble remembering some stuff, but things got a little easier to understand as the episode progressed. While there were many moving parts and stories already just within the first episode, my favorite aspects so far definitely had to be Min-ha’s journey as well as the story with Yeon-woo’s mother. The situation with Yeon-woo’s mother was so touching and heartbreaking because she didn’t want to forget about her child and didn’t want other people to also forget about Yeon-woo so she visited the hospital often to keep those precious memories. The hospital staff, especially Dr. Jang, knew and remembered Yeon-woo just as much so Yeon-woo’s Mom kept visiting to find someone to talk to. That person was none other than Dr. Jang and the two were able to bond with each other. Losing a child is never easy and Yeon-woo’s Mom needed someone to talk to about her child. She doesn’t want to move on just yet; she wants to keep talking about her child and the only way she could do that was by visiting the hospital. It’s bittersweet to know that Yeon-woo’s Mom has found a buddy in Dr. Jang who she can rely on to chat with about her child, but all of this happened because Yeon-woo unfortunately passed away.
Min-ha also proved to be the standout character in episode one for me with her journey and story of working in the hospital. We got a small glimpse of her current struggle where she feels insecure and doubtful about herself. She doesn’t feel confident in her skillsets, abilities, and knowledge and she feels as if she’s not competent enough. She feels as if she’s lacking and she’s struggling to catch up. I loved watching Min-ha in the first episode because I can only assume that the drama will focus on her growth and development in each episode (or at least I hope that’s what the drama intends on doing). She has a lot going on in her mind both professionally and personally and I hope to watch her journey from someone who’s insecure and doubtful to someone who grows. Human beings aren’t perfect and Min-ha will make some mistakes in the future, but I hope to be able to watch her develop into someone much more confident with every accomplishment that she achieves. Min-ha, undoubtedly, stole my heart in the first episode (and I hope she will also steal Seok-hyeong’s heart later on in the drama too, hehe).
The other components to the drama that I’m definitely excited for are the romantic relationships that we got little glimpses of in the first episode. Jeong-won’s relationship with Gyeol-wool was by far one of the more interesting and swoonworthy moments in the first season (and also the one that made me the most nervous! I was sooo nervous for Gyeol-wool and was totally rooting for them to work out). I squealed when the two appeared on the screen together as a couple and went out on a dinner date. They’re so darn cute and I’m so glad, happy, and relieved that things worked out for them. Along with Min-ha’s unrequited love for Seok-hyeong, I’m also looking forward to Ik-joon’s unrequited love for Song-hwa. She gave him her answer to his burning question that we left off from the first season and I’m not as surprised with the response. It makes sense narratively given that we’re only one episode into the drama, but it also makes for a much more interesting watch in the future. Even if feelings aren’t completely mutual between the two as of now, I think that’s okay too. Ik-joon and Song-hwa already have such a great friendship with each other and the others, it’s risky to risk all of that for romance and love.
Just like with the first season, what makes ‘Hospital Playlist’ such a wonderful, lovely, and addicting drama to watch is how humane the drama is. Medical dramas aren’t usually my cup of tea and I actually try to avoid them if possible, but ‘Hospital Playlist’ is different. While ‘Hospital Playlist’ is centered around the hospital setting and involves characters who are doctors, interns, and all of that good stuff, there’s also so much more to the drama than what meets the eye. The drama knows how to tug at your heartstrings and your emotions and does a wonderful job at highlighting the rollercoaster ride that is working in a hospital. As much as we get to see things from the perspective of our main and supporting characters, we also get to witness what the patients and their families are experiencing and going through as well. Through our main and supporting characters, we also get to learn about their patients and their patients’ parents and families. Ultimately, we as viewers get to see things from both sides of the coin so our emotions are heightened even more because we get the full story. ‘Hospital Playlist’ isn’t just a medical drama and sometimes it doesn’t even feel that way even though the drama takes place in a hospital setting and environment. The drama does such a wonderful job at distracting you with all the medical terminology and hospital-y stuff by focusing more on the relationships that our characters have with their patients, with one another, with their respective families, and with themselves. Considering that this is the same team behind the ‘Reply’ series, that doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise. In fact, it explains as to why ‘Hospital Playlist’ is so good and so appealing to many.
All in all, episode 1 of the second season to ‘Hospital Playlist’ made for an easy watch despite the episode totaling to an hour and a half. Although the length of the episodes are equivalent to that of some movies, don’t let it scare you. ‘Hospital Playlist’ knows how to make you cry and how to tug at your emotions and also how to make you laugh in between. The longer length of the episode also balances out when considering that only one episode airs per week (versus the usual two in K-dramaland). Before you know it, the episode will fly by and you’ll be wishing there were two episodes aired per week instead of the one. There are many things I’m looking forward to with this second season and something in me tells me that it’ll be just as good as the first season was.
MaryMeKpop 