긴급 커플 (2014) tvN 21 Episodes
Romantic Comedy, Grade: C
Korean Drama Review by Jill, USA
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I have to start out by warning you that I really disliked this drama, Emergency Couple (2014). I was originally open to watching it because of the two lead male actors whom I had liked in other projects, actor Choi Jin Hyuk (Gu Family Book, Pride and Prejudice), and actor Lee Pil Mo (Pinocchio), but none of the female actresses appealed to me at all, especially the lead actress Song Ji Hyo, whom I considered homely and not equal to the two leading men at all; I couldn't understand what the heck either of them saw in her mousy prune face and silly demeanor. The two secondary actresses, Yeo Chin Choi and Sung Min Lee, weren't much better - anyone could have played their parts.
The writing felt too much like the Koreans had dusted off a failed American TV sex-romp rom-com screenplay, tried to put a Korean spin on it, and failed miserably. This drama was so poorly received by the Koreans that it only averaged about 5% rating shares throughout the whole thing! Yet, incredibly, American viewers online voted this "thing" the best drama for 2014 and the homely leading actress the best actress award for a drama in 2014, beating out the INCREDIBLE and UNFORGETTABLE performance of REAL ACTRESS Gong Hyo Jin in the masterpiece It's Okay, That's Love (2014). When I saw that happen I actually grieved for Gong Hyo Jin - they gave the best actor award to her co-star Jo In Sung, but not best actress to her. I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH AN UNFAIR AWARDS SITUATION IN MY LIFE! Then American voters slapped Gong Hyo Jin in the face yet again, giving her a consolation prize for "best kiss" and she even had the grace to send a video of thanks despite the slight! WHEN will Americans EVER grow up??? No wonder the Koreans portray Americans as stupid and shallow all the time in their dramas and films - a large portion of the population fits that description to a T. I hate to say this but it's the sad truth.
Once again it was evident to me that the Koreans have FAR better taste in their television shows than Americans do. The shows that are well written almost always have better ratings than the shallow pieces; the Korean people are not dumb. Americans, on the other hand, have watched dumbed-down, exploitative, and stupid television shows for so many decades now that our countrymen and women cannot even recognize true brilliance anymore, and take it from me, It's Okay, That's Love was brilliant, while Emergency Couple was like staring into a dumpster for 21 hours! I am not kidding; even in the first episode they showed a doctors' meeting where a lady doctor put her hand on the top inner thigh of the rookie doctor, squeezed it and said out loud, "It's really hard." Now if this garbage is your idea of a great show then you're hopeless! I should have turned it off at that moment but then I became curious if it could EVER improve after that ... and it doesn't improve, much to my dismay. I really feel like I wasted my time, and I don't want you to, so that's why I am writing this as a warning to Stay Away! If you REALLY want to see a great show about medical people and a GOOD love story, watch Joo Won in Good Doctor (2013). That show is inspiring and thought-provoking, unlike this boring and stupid one. Or the drama Angel Eyes (2014), which shows an emergency room physician having a romance with a paramedic; it is a million times better than this turkey.
Rushing to her "wedding" about as ill prepared as anyone can be:
Can you spell "U-G-L-Y"?
The Story, in short: while in their early twenties, a medical school student, Oh Chang-min (Choi Jin Hyuk), and a dietitian, Oh Jin-hee (Song Ji Hyo), fall in love and marry despite his family's strong opposition to their relationship. The two are far too immature and selfish to endure marriage. Their partnership is a joke. Chang-min comes from a family of wealthy, successful doctors; so they think Jin-hee isn't good enough for him (they're right!), and after he marries her, they cut him off without a cent. In order to earn money right away to support his new wife, Chang-min gives up his dream of becoming a doctor, and instead becomes a pharmaceutical salesman. He is miserable at his job, while Jin-hee's inferiority complex deepens as her husband's family continues to look down on her. She starts to lose her hair and is in a frenzy all the time. He becomes super critical of her and she can't do anything right in his eyes. They were both in therapy, but going separately. That wasn't good enough for a couple like this: they needed to go together. However, the couple fight constantly and eventually get a divorce.
Remember this face from Secret Garden?
Would you want her as your mother in law? LOL!
Six years later, Chang-min has gone back to medical school to pursue his real dream, while Jin-hee has also put herself through medical school. They end up as physician interns at the same hospital, a huge shock to both their systems. They'll have to work in the same emergency room together for three months. Old jealousies and differences of opinion rear their ugly heads once again. In six years this couple really hasn't matured emotionally at all. Seemingly unaware of Jin-hee's many frailties, the chief emergency room surgeon Gook Cheon-soo (Lee Pil Mo) develops sympathy for her and eventually a romantic interest (say WHAT? Poor guy, RUN!).
Not him again! Not her again! ACK!!!
If somehow you develop affection for this idiotic couple and then you find the chief surgeon they work with appealing, you will probably end up developing a strong 2nd Male Leaditis, that all too common disease which afflicts many K-drama fans where you actually prefer the lead female character to end up as a couple with the second male lead. Of course it rarely ever happens; you know all along the main couple will illogically end up together, repeating the same old patterns in marriage as they did before (no I don't believe in this case either would last in marriage a second time!). Then later in the plot they bring in this fat adorable baby -- guess they saw how bad the ratings were -- hire a cute baby, quickly! -- but even this baby couldn't help this flop.
If you are really interested in watching this show even after my warnings then be careful. You won't need sleep medicine if you're an insomniac - just attempt to watch this drama instead; tell yourself that sleep is more important than watching Korean dramas.
Actor Lee Pil Mo, second male lead, was really the only reason I kept watching;
loved him in Pinocchio -- love the Alpha Male Actors best of all, those over 35.
Snore ..........
