TV CHOSUN weekend miniseries 'Doctor Shin' opened the curtain on a new Shinsegae by Phoebe (Phoebe)-style first medical thriller drama, delivering a uniquely immersive narrative from episode 1.
In episode 1 of TV CHOSUN weekend miniseries 'Doctor Shin' (written by Phoebe (Phoebe, Im Seong-han), directed by Lee Seung-hoon), which aired at 10:30 p.m. on the 14th (Sat), genius doctor Shin Ju-shin (played by Jung Yi-chan), who has brain surgery skills close to a miracle, and top actress Momo (played by Baek Seora), at the height of her popularity, began a fateful romance, and Momo was shown suffering a tragic accident. Also shown were the intertwined relationships among people who grew closer while reporting on Momo: reporter Geum Ba-ra (played by Joo Se bin), Ha Yong-jung (played by An Woo Yeon), who is tied to her by a poignant childhood story, and Momo's stylist Kim Jin-joo (played by Cheon Yeong-min).
At the moment Shin Ju-shin was fully focused on brain surgery, Momo, who had gone scuba diving, lost consciousness in an accident and was transported to Shin Ju-shin's hospital, raising the tension. At the same time, Geum Ba-ra, who had been stood up when she was supposed to meet Momo, headed home, and Kim Jin-joo, who had been waiting in front of Geum Ba-ra's house, told Geum Ba-ra about Momo's accident and warned her to keep quiet.
Momo's accident triggered a reversal to the situation six months earlier, and Geum Ba-ra meeting Ha Yong-jung for an interview was shown in flashback. Geum Ba-ra looked at Ha Yong-jung and recalled Ji An-hee (played by Cha Ji-hyeok), who cared for Geum Ba-ra like an older brother at the orphanage in childhood, and Ji An-hee's friend Ha Yong-jung, who was warm. But until the interview ended, Ha Yong-jung did not recognize Geum Ba-ra at all, and Geum Ba-ra hid her disappointment. Meanwhile, Shin Ju-shin, who fell in love at first sight watching Momo's crazed acting in a TV drama, asked his friend Ha Yong-jung's brother James (played by Jeon No-min) to arrange a meeting with Momo. But when Momo met Shin Ju-shin she refused dinner saying she had a reshoot and abruptly turned down his after request, saying, "I'm not as charming as the character in that drama."
Six months after Momo's accident, Momo was shown asleep in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, deepening the sadness. Momo's mother Hyun Ran-hee (played by Song Ji In), who visited Shin Ju-shin, spoke about brain change that she heard from Shin Ju-shin's father, and when Shin Ju-shin said there was no brain to replace, she pointed to herself and said, "me." Worried that the surgery might go wrong, Hyun Ran-hee persuaded Shin Ju-shin, saying, "You only need to move the brain to me; the eyes, nose, mouth all remain the same. This is a mother's heart." Eventually, scenes showed Momo and Hyun Ran-hee lying face down on the operating table with their hair cut off, and Shin Ju-shin picking up a scalpel as he recalled happy times with Momo and began brain surgery, heightening curiosity about the shocking stories to come.
Especially, the first broadcast of 'Doctor Shin,' as befits Phoebe, the "alchemist of bold moves," writing her first "medical thriller drama," swept viewers with an original story that completely overturned the grammar of existing dramas, increasing immersion. Above all, writer Phoebe emphasized unpredictable twists and three-dimensional changes in characters by naturally alternating between the past six months and the present six months after Momo's scuba diving accident. In addition, the tightly woven structure and Phoebe's distinctive diction and verbal flavor made the lines so gripping that viewers could not take their eyes off each scene.
Director Lee Seung-hoon added dramatic interest with sensuous and delicate direction that maximized the genre innovation of a Phoebe-style first medical thriller drama. The scuba diving scene portraying the grandeur and beauty of the deep sea was attractively depicted, and the meeting scene between Shin Ju-shin and Momo vividly captured the tension of rapid-fire dialogue like ping-pong. In the brain surgery scene, where the fate of Shin Ju-shin, Momo and Hyun Ran-hee was at stake, various camera workings and effects brought out the sensational taste of Phoebe's bold narrative.
Jung Yi-chan, Baek Seora, An Woo Yeon, Joo Se bin and Cheon Yeong-min proved why they were boldly chosen by writer Phoebe with passionate performances. Jung Yi-chan perfectly portrayed Shin Ju-shin, the genius doctor with a dry charisma who restrains his emotions as much as possible; Baek Seora fully embodied the top actress Momo's diverse facets, proud and elegant with a clear personal value system. An Woo Yeon conveyed the confident air of a successful game company CEO and his affectionate demeanor toward young Geum Ba-ra; Joo Se bin flexibly depicted Geum Ba-ra's complex emotions mixing professionalism as a reporter and longing. Cheon Yeong-min captured the cautious, observant Kim Jin-joo with solid acting.
Song Ji In left a strong impression by taking on a dramatic acting transformation as Hyun Ran-hee, who overflows with pride and maternal love for her daughter Momo while hiding unreadable intentions, and Jeon No-min challenged a bold acting transformation as James, whose soft speech and playful humor stood out.
After the broadcast, viewers reacted, "Strangely, the more you watch it the more you're drawn in. I'm so curious about the next episode," "Phoebe was very Phoebe! Phoebe is a genre! Only Phoebe could do this!!" "The writer Phoebe wrote a medical thriller with full intent. This goes beyond interesting; it's pure addiction!" "Even though it's a story I've never encountered before, I watched it spellbound and focused again and again! I'm glad I waited" and other responses.
[Photo] capture from the 'Doctor Shin' broadcast
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