Golden Time: Episode 1

Verde here!
Well, Let me start off by saying that this is the first drama I'm doing recaps for, and it is also the first medical kdrama that I have watched. Please be understanding since I'm a beginner at this and feel free to tell me how I'm doing in the comments section. Onward to the recap!

Episode 1 Recap

We open up to a group of doctors and nurses wheeling in a trauma patient into the ER...and see that it is just another one of Lee Min Woo's (Lee Sun Gyun) western medical dramas that he enjoys so much. The guy knows how to multitask, something I can't do since I tend to give all of my attention to one thing at a time. *jealous*

While typing away on his computer and watching his little dramas, he hears footsteps behind him. Presuming it's his hyung he says, "Ah, Hyung, did that woman leave? How is she? Is she pretty?" When hyung doesn't answer, he turns around to find "that woman". That woman, also known as Kang Jae In (Hwang Jung Eum), in turn asks how "that woman" is. Min Woo stutters out, "you're okay." Wonderful first impression, aren't you, Min Woo?

Jae In scoffs and turns to leave, when she hears something...and we turn to see two of the doctors in Min Woo's drama copulating. Min Woo first attempts to explain and when that fails, resorts to pulling out the cable from behind the computer. Jae In asks if its American or Japanese( ...as in which type of porn?), and Min Woo immediately replies American. 

Jae In: "Aah, I guess that's your interest".
Min Woo, not catching on attempts to explain why he prefers one over the other. Dude, stop talking. You're just digging a grave you don't even  know about.
Min Woo: "It's only because I can understand English. Japanese ones aren't my culture either..."
Jae In: "Language and culture. Of course! You must be more sensitive than you look."
Min Woo" "Of course! That's very important!"

In walks Jae In's boyfriend and Min Woo's hyung, Bang Sun Woo (Song Yoo Ha). We learn that Min Woo graduated from medical school to end up working in an Oriental Hospital as a lecturer and allows other doctors to prescribe medicine and allow CT scans under his license. Sun Woo asks Min Woo to take Jae In to Seoul and to cover for him for a weekend at his hospital. As Min Woo and Jae In leave in the car, Sun Woo gets a call from another girl. So you're just playing her? You got a fling on the side? That's why you asked Min Woo to cover for you this weekend?

During the car ride, Jae In asks Min Woo if he has anything planned on Friday. He thinks she's trying to flirt and starts explaining how there should be ethics if you choose to flirt while in a relationship, and then continues to say that for their relationship's sake, he'll pretend like he didn't hear. That's all fine and dandy, except she just wanted to know if he was free for Sun Woo's birthday on Friday. Since the day after that is their 100th day anniversary, she's planning a surprise party for him. She starts gushing about the present she bought him until Min Woo interrupts and asks nervously if she could still return it. Suspicious, why on earth would she have to return it? When asked why, he just replies that most relationships start to plummet on the love graph after the 100th day. Jae In just says that their love would just continue getting higher on the graph. Aw, you're so lovesick and he's going around with other girls behind your back. Min Woo can only sigh that she is so innocent. 

All of a sudden a car speeds by them almost causing them to crash, and Min Woo is not to be deterred. Dude's got a case of road rage. All I can think about right now is how there aren't any cops around. I'd be screaming my head off like Jae In, right now. Min Woo's racing along after the car and as it makes it way towards a bridge, it slams right into a major car accident. Thankfully, Min Woo stops just short of crashing into anything. My heart was pounding so fast thinking they would get hurt. Just as they think they're safe, A truck full of chickens and chicken feed comes barreling down from the other end of the bridge and crashes, sending chickens and feed everywhere.

Jae In and Min Woo finally take in the scene before their eyes and while Jae In gets out to try to help, Min Woo is busy snapping pics on his phone. He says that he can't do anything for them: the lightly injured ones can just walk away, and the severely injured people should wait for the professional paramedics to arrive. Jae In goes over to a mother who is injured and is trying to get her son out from the overturned car. When the mother begs Min Woo to help, he just says that it's best left to the professionals. So what, does that mean you're not a professional doctor?  What kind of a doctor are you? He tries to reason with Jae In that it's best for them not to get involved, doesn't she know about the case where a doctor helped in an emergency situation and was later sued because the emergency aid went wrong? She fires back that that's why the first aid law was made, check Article 5, Section 2. As they argue, the mother collapses. 

Jae In attempts to help, but is pushed aside by Min Woo who says that she should be careful with trauma patients. He begins to perform CPR, while Jae In tries to keep the child calm. Just then, the ambulances arrive. Jae In is about to go with the mother and child, but Min Woo says again that they should just leave. As they talk, in the background, a car tumbles over and causes the fuel to light and create an explosion. Jae In is injured on her neck and arm.

We cut to the (gorgeous) hospital where emergency victims continue to flood in. The hospital is already overbooked with appointments as well as packed up in the ER. Choi In Hyuk (Lee Sung Min) orders that anyone calling to send victims should do so--he won't refuse them. Soon the severely injured victims arrive and everyone is scrambling to make room for them. The mother is wheeled in and Jae In (with the child in her arms) and Min Woo are only a few steps behind them. Min Woo informs them of the mother's condition, and then tells them that Jae In will need stitches. In Hyuk tells her that she can either disinfect the wound and go or wait a few hours to get sutured.

Shin Eun Ah (Song Sun Mi) tells them that the father of the child has been contacted and will arrive in around an hour and a half; they can leave him in the nurses' room. Eun Ah informs In Hyuk that the ER is already full, they don't have room for anyone else. He informs everyone that it is now a Level 1- Disaster situation, the hospital is to vacate patients in the next 30 minutes. Jae In bets $10 that they'll vacate, and Min Woo bets $20 that they won't. Just as people are vacated, more victims come in.

One of the victims is a man that Min Woo recognizes from the accident site. He informs In Hyuk that he may have crush syndrome, which is a post trauma syndrome showing acute renal failure. On a different note, I just thought it was so cute and hilarious when the little kid pulled Min Woo's hair. XD

In Hyuk turns his attention to the mother, and finds out that there aren't any operating rooms free; they all have scheduled surgeries and none of the departments will allow them to use their OR. He decides that they will just operate in the current room then. All the necessary equipment should be brought here. They begin the surgery. (Did anyone else think that he looked like a mad scientist about to create his next monster, here?)

Jae In watches in wonder as they perform the surgery, while Min Woo would rather go home. THAT is a lot of blood. I'll be kind and not post that picture, in case any of you are squeamish. While Jae In answers a call, she returns to find that Min Woo has wandered off. Ah, so cute, he went to go buy milk! Jae In runs into a someone she knows (Grandfather?) and assures him that she was only slightly injured in the car accident. After he has left, he calls Jae In's cellphone to ask if the guy who looks like an anchovy is her new boyfriend. Ha and aw, he doesn't look like an anchovy...does he? Min Woo comes over and asks who the anchovy guy is. Is it him? Jae In says yes, and he mutters that it makes him feel bad. How can you judge someone by the way they look to see if they're a doctor or not? She says that if he's a doctor, he can suture her arm, and he just meekly replies that he doesn't do more than two stitches.

Meanwhile, the mother has just gotten out of the surgery. In Hyuk tells the nurses to make sure no one touches her. They could only roughly patch her up, and they had to leave her belly cut open. To fully heal, she will have to have a second surgery that can properly stitch up her torn organs. Her husband arrives, and they explain her condition to him. Jae In gives him words of comfort and Min Woo hands over the child.

Jae In is called to have her stitches done by a very cute doctor (I feel shallow today. :3) Right outside the room, In Hyuk is being reprimanded by Hwang Se Han (Lee Ki Young) (a higher up, I believe). He asks if In Hyuk is willing to take responsibility of all the critical patients. If he wants that, he should quit the Trauma Team and just become the head of the ICU. The cute doctor (I'm just going to call him that since I don't know his name) tells Jae In and Min Woo that this happens all the time, they shouldn't be so surprised. Dr. Choi In Hyuk is known to accept any patient and perform surgeries if called upon. If it was like the past, those patients would have died while waiting for their surgeries. He's a surgeon, but belongs to the ER since he couldn't get a staff position, otherwise.

After In Hyuk gets an earful from the Quality Improvement Department, Eun Ah attempts to make him feel better by breaking dishes. Yeah, nothing helps to release stress better than breaking things. Min Woo and Jae In are finally ready to get back on the road, except her grandmother calls so Jae In's gonna skip on the ride. Do I detect a hint of disappointment, Min Woo?

Cut to Grandma, also known as Park Geum Nyeo (Sun Woo Yong Nyeo) dancing to a cello, in a very puffy dress. I'm sorry, but I don't like that shade of pink. Too pasty. Grandma is worried about Jae In allowing a man to become an influence in her life and career. Jae In wants to work at the same hospital Sun Woo is employed at. OK, aside from the fact that he is probably cheating on you, why would you want to work in the same hospital as your boyfriend? It's not like you won't be able to see each other otherwise. Can I compare this to the time someone told me she wanted to attend the same college as her boyfriend because he went there? They weren't even majoring in the same subject, and it wasn't even a college that would aid her in the best way possible. Do you understand the point I'm trying to make?

Meanwhile, Min Woo is trying to convince his mother that he still has a respectable job as a lecturer and doesn't need to take the internship course at a hospital. It's hilarious that he's trying to hug her as a way to keep her fists away, while she tries with all her might to throw him off. 

I'm guessing the next scene is of a meeting for all of the department heads. I think Choi In Hyuk is a recurring issue they discuss. Hmm, is he that infamous?

Min Woo goes to work, and I swear he has one of the most boring jobs ever. All he does is sit at his desk and send out requests for medicine and CT scans. After he gets off work, he gets a text from Sun Woo that tells him the address of the hospital he's to cover for. He arrives there in the pouring rain, wondering why there aren't any patients. Seriously, not a soul; all of the medical teams left as well. I think it's just him and that nurse. What kind of hospital only has one doctor and one nurse on night shift? Does that even remotely make sense? She tells him of a saying with a little wordplay added: Yoo Bi Mu Hwan  (meaning be prepared in advance even though there is no rain) saying there is no patient when raining. He can relax, it doesn't look like anyone will come, if they do she'll call.

A little while later, we see a van drive up to the entrance and a couple carrying there daughter come out. Min Woo just looks startled as they place her in front of him. This doesn't look good, he doesn't have any real world experience on what to do in emergency situations. He asks about the girl's medical history: Min Kyung is a five year old who has asthma, and a congenital malformation of the heart. Min Woo finds out that a lump, formed after she was healing from a tracheostomy, is blocking he airway. He attempts CPR over and over again...

The nurse and the parents realize that Min Kyung is already gone. After a while, Min Woo attempts to just talk to Min Kyung, as if that would make her wake up. He tells them to get into the car and takes them back to the hospital where In Hyuk walks in to see her condition. After checking her pulse, he asks for the cause of death. Min Woo can only stare back. 

In Hyuk: "CAUSE OF DEATH!"
Min Woo: "A respiratory failure from a inter-ventricular septal defect."
In Hyuk: "What is the time of death."
Min Woo: "...23:40 (11:40 PM)"

In Hyuk asks why he brought the child here. Did he want to hear that he did the best he could? Did he want someone else to announce the time of death? Does he think this patient died because of his lack of ability? Min Woo shakes his head, yes. All In Hyuk does is look at his watch and declare that the time of death was 11:50. Min Woo is left, hyperventilating.

He gets into a taxi and the driver comments on how they might not be able to make it since the bridge is flooded. He asks if Min Woo is a doctor. All Min Woo can do is repeat, "I'm a doctor." while crying.

Comments:

...Wow. Even before I had started to watch, I thought that the only way Min Woo would ever change his ways was if there was a death. I am sorry to say that my hunch was right. This is one really harsh reality check for him. He now understands that his medical license is useless. He may have the degree, but he lacks actual experience. He can't handle stressful situations when called upon. That's something theory alone can't help you with--EXPERIENCE will. I'm looking forward to the growth he will go through. On a different note, usually, it's the female lead that has the crazy hairdo, but we now have the lead male taking over that role. I wonder if he owns a comb. Maybe he's trying to start a new trend? It would be understandable to have a messy hairdo if you have to deal with patients nonstop, but seeing as he only sits in his office most of the day, I don't understand. Maybe it's a physical embodiment of his quirkiness.

I like Jae In. Simple as that. She's not ditzy or stupid, maybe a little lovesick, but aren't we all at one point? I don't agree with her reason to join the same hospital as her boyfriend. Especially after all the suspicious activity surrounding him, like the phone call, to having Min Woo cover a weekend for him, and Min Woo's discomfort with her buying a gift for him. You don't ask if they can return it unless you know something bad is gonna happen. We didn't see as much of her as we did Min Woo, so there isn't much more I can say.

Choi In Hyuk seems like a man married to his job. He doesn't turn away anyone and will perform surgeries 3-4 days straight. Does he have an IV that contains caffeine? I know I would lose all sense if I was doing his job for only ONE day. 

Lastly, I loved the ending song. I know I'll have the OST when they release it. This was a rather fast-paced episode. I don't know if this is considered another run-of-the-mill medical k-drama (since it's my first) but I look forward to the upcoming episodes. 

Please leave comments with constructive criticism. Let me know about my writing style, the screen shots I use, anything that you can give opinions and constructive criticism for. I would appreciate it immensely. I think I will continue to recap this drama. I just hope it keeps up it's awesomeness throughout. *fingers crossed*