MaryMeKpop

This drama just keeps on getting better every week. We got plenty of growth and development from our characters, especially for Yi-young and Jae-il, which I’ll touch upon in a little bit. We also got some development on Yi-young and Do-won’s relationship and a special confession that sort of changed but didn’t really change their dynamic with each other.

To start off, I’m really enjoying Yi-young’s story and character growth. Her character arc is one of my favorites from the show and it shouldn’t come as a surprise given that she’s the main character. But I’m still relieved at how good the drama has been in handling her story. Though she’s still stoic and reserved because that’s just who she is, she’s able to adapt to her patients and situations. The part I enjoyed the most in this weekend’s episodes was when she talked to the little girl at the end of episode 5. You already had a feeling that things weren’t going to be positive for much longer; the drama was sort of hinting throughout the episode that one of the patients was going to unfortunately be negatively affected. Unfortunately, the little girl who was only 10 years old lost her mother and Yi-young was there to deliver the news and comfort her (in her own special way). It was heartbreaking to see how the little girl thought it would be like all the other times when her mom was sick; she believed that things wouldn’t be different this time and that her mom would eventually recover. But as Yi-young mentioned to her, things were really different this time. Her mom wouldn’t be coming back. As someone who also lost her mom at a young age, Yi-young was the most fitting person to talk to the little girl. She experienced something similar. She knew what the little girl was feeling and thinking and had some advice for the little girl.

“Resident Playbook” is pretty procedural with introducing a few new patients into each episode so there’s not a whole lot of time to go over their lives nor do you have a lot of time to really connect and bond with these patients. And maybe that’s why I enjoyed watching Yi-young interact with the little girl, especially at the end of episode 5. There was this connection between them that extended beyond a professional setting. In this scenario, it was a heart-to-heart conversation between two precious girls who tragically lost their mothers way too soon. I love it when you get to see how these connections with the patients and their families affect our characters beyond the hospital walls. As we saw at the end of episode 5, Yi-young woke up the next morning and broke down into tears upon thinking about her mother, missing her mother, and being reminded of her mother. Yi-young’s conversation with the little girl was one that affected her personally and the grief and mourning from missing her mom creeped up on her during the most random time. It goes to show that grief really does hit you in the most unexpected moments. The pain from missing a loved one never goes away; it never gets any easier. You do learn to move forward with your life but you will always miss that person.

The other part that I enjoyed in episodes 5 and 6 was Jae-il and his determination to prove his worth and value. He’s a funny character who likes to remind everyone when he can that he used to be an idol. He’s pretty bright and determined and he works hard even if he isn’t the smartest or brightest or most brilliant. A real and tough conversation with Do-won at the end of episode 5 woke him up and made him realize that he needed to prove his competence. He needed to learn to be a bit more independent, confident, and not rely on the sunbaes as much. Jae-il has what it takes to be a qualified resident so he should continue to do what it takes to prove that. So in episode 6, he took up on as many opportunities as possible to help out and he went around and did what he could. Even if he was exhausted and tired from the endless running, he took Do-won’s words to heart and worked hard. Eventually, the hard work and determination paid off as seen with one of the patients who commended Jae-il for his efforts. To others, Jae-il may come off as this silly, bright, and happy-go-lucky type of guy and these are traits that make him adorable. But at the same time, he’s also so genuine and sincere in the work that he does and in his interactions with his patients. Jae-il wants to prove to himself and others that he has what it takes to succeed but it’s also so much more than that. He genuinely enjoys his work and cares for his patients.

I wasn’t so sure where the drama was going to take Do-won and Yi-young’s relationship and how it was going to approach this topic but I’m quite glad and relieved with the way that it handled their relationship in episodes 5 and 6. We got a surprise confession by Yi-young in episode 5 then some awkward interactions where Do-won avoided Yi-young and rejected her confession. Then at the end of episode 6, we came to learn that Yi-young still liked Do-won and had feelings for him. Even if he rejected her the first time around and didn’t explicitly feel the same way about her, she still liked him. The elevator scene in episode 5 was so well done. I held my breath the same way that our two characters did when Yi-young confessed (they only had 3 more floors until they reached the 14th floor but why do I feel like they went up 10 floors instead? The silence and wait felt soooo long, haha). Do-won’s response to Yi-young’s confession in the elevator was also so well done (and heart-fluttering). He welcomed the idea of Yi-young having a crush on him only if she wanted things to get awkward between them and I believed he did this as a way to protect their relationship. I do think Do-won likes Yi-young. I just think he’s being careful and cautious with how to act in this situation. Their siblings are married to each other, they live under the same rooftop, and they work with each other where he’s her sunbae and she’s his hoobae. It’s already complicated. If they were to get together, things could get even more complicated. That’s why I liked that Do-won didn’t automatically accept Yi-young’s confession even if he has feelings for her (I also think it’s because he’s way more shy than her and isn’t ready to express his feelings just yet).

The playground scene at the end of episode 6 was another great scene between the two and showed once again what their dynamic with each other is like. They get along well and keep things simple. She makes him laugh, he makes her heart flutter. He stands up for her when she gets scolded at work by others; she stands up for him when he deserves an apology from a colleague who betrayed him and disrespected his hard work. There aren’t any grand gestures or confessions or actions; all it takes is simply drinking some beer at the playground and enjoying each other’s presence. Do-won asking Yi-young to repeat what she said at the end of episode 6 was proof that he was still curious if Yi-young had feelings for him. Though he played it off and made it seem as if he was interested in hearing her curse, it was really that he wanted reassurance in knowing that she still liked him. Because yes, he likes her too and he’ll make these feelings clear for her when it’s the right time to do so.

All in all, I’m enjoying Yi-young and Do-won’s relationship with each other, the way that the drama is carefully handling their relationship, and how their love line isn’t the center of attention in the drama. It actually works out pretty well because just when you need a slight break from everything that’s happening in the hospital, the drama gives you a breather by focusing on Yi-young and Do-won’s relationship. I can’t say enough in how well and cautious “Resident Playbook” is highlighting Do-won and Yi-young’s relationship and I hope it continues to stay this intentional and simple the rest of the way.