HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 1-2 (4/4)

Zombie: So it seems we’re all in agreement that the first episode of Emergency Couple wasn’t nearly as awesome as maybe we were all hoping it would be. Maybe it’s because we’re all married that we don’t find a hugely gianormous fight between our OTP all that funny; especially when said fight brings about the end of a marriage.

if looks could kill

Tanya: I don’t know if it was so much the fight itself, but rather the fact that we’re thrown into the conflict with very little back story. Don’t get me wrong, the fight was super dramatic and over the top, but when you have nothing to really base that level of violence on it is a little overwhelming.

 Karen: That’s true. I want to know the story of how they fell in love, but maybe we’ll get some of that back story later on.

Zombie: I hope that’s the case because the entire first episode just felt a little out of whack. Or maybe a lot out of whack… Something was just off about it. Maybe it’s just the fact that, like you said, we just don’t know the back story so seeing such venom without a cause is a little off-putting.

Tanya: I still have hope for this drama though! A lot of the characters have very distinct personalities already and I like it. As long as the characters can successfully push the story forward, it’ll be good.

Karen: I wanted to ask you both what you thought is the reason why Jin Hee hesitated after being asked why she wanted to become a doctor. What are your thoughts on that?

why do you want to become a doctor

Zombie: I think it’s because she doesn’t want anyone to know that her reason for wanting to become a doctor is to prove to Chang Min and his family that she isn’t/wasn’t worthless and actually could have been an asset to an incredibly snobbish family of doctors.

 Tanya:  I honestly think it’s because Chang Min, as well as everyone else, have always told her she’ll never amount to anything. Chang Min couldn’t finish medical school because of their marriage and she wants to be better than him somehow. Becoming a doctor can prove that.

i thought i could do it

Karen: But then, why couldn’t she say her reasons out loud?

 Tanya: She probably doesn’t want to seem petty in a new environment with people she barely knows. And she hasn’t told anyone she was married… neither has Chang Min and definitely not to each other!

Zombie: Would you want it known that you were once married to Chang Min? I’m pretty sure divorce isn’t as widely accepted in Korea as it is here in the U.S. so the fact that you’ve been divorced is probably something you wouldn’t want to share with the world.

Karen: I think that in front of your own boss, you should have at least something to say even if it’s a lie. Haha.

Zombie: Maybe she thinks her boss is kind of cute in a scary sort of way and just doesn’t want to admit the fact she’s a divorcee.

Tanya: There is also the possibility that she didn’t want to slip up and go on a rant. Every time she starts talking about anything to do with Chang Min she tends to explode, as we saw in the bar that ended up with her in the ER in the first place. I always say things I don’t intend to when I go off, so maybe she thought his name would come out.

drunken rant

Karen: That was an unfortunate event for her just before she started her job as an intern. I think that was how her intern colleagues started disliking her.

Zombie: That and because she’s “old.” Seriously, if I have to watch another drama where the thirty-something female lead is constantly berated because she’s “old” I might have to scream. C’mon people, thirty-something isn’t old!!!

annoying couple

Tanya: So let’s talk about some of the characters we met in these episodes. What do you guys think of the Lee Young Ae and Park Sang Hyuk couple?

 Zombie: Honestly, they’re one of those annoyingly cutesy newlywed couples I just want to smack!

Karen: I find it hilarious that they wanted to keep their relationship secret, but they were so openly affectionate towards one another. They end up calling each other, “honey” anyway.

let's go

Tanya: Did anyone else notice that Lee Young Ae is actually very affectionate toward Jin Hee although she pretends not to like her? There were a few times that Jin Hee would space out or think of other things and Young Ae would bring her back to reality. Case in point, when Jin Hee froze in the ER upon seeing it the first time and Young Ae grabbed her arm to make her come with.

 Karen: I think Lee Young Ae is just worried that her team will receive an “F.”

Zombie: I’m actually more interested in watching the relationship develop between Jin Hee and Dr. Gook. Yes, it’s no secret I’m a sucker for the second male lead (I suffer from Second Male Lead Syndrome on a painfully frequent basis) but I think that dynamic to this story is what’s going to spark the feelings in Chang Min that are needed to bring him and Jin Hee back together.

Tanya: Any thoughts on Shim Ji Hye and Dr Gook’s relationship? There’s obviously some history there.

you shocked me

Karen: I can’t wait to see how they interact in the ER. Perhaps, they dated once?

Zombie: I’m pretty sure they’ve had some sort of relationship in the past, my guess is it’s something similar to Jin Hee and Chang Min’s past relationship and I’m pretty sure they’ll end up back together, just as our OTP will, by the end.

Karen: Though they don’t seem to be the type that fight like cats and dogs.

Zombie: Let’s hope not! I don’t think I can stand more than one couple constantly at each other’s throats.

say what

Tanya: I was happy to see Kwon Min as Kim Min Ki, one of the other interns. We haven’t seen much of him since Monstar. He’s adorable.

 Zombie: So glad he’s not a jerk this time around! Well, not yet anyway…

Tanya: Rounding out our interns is Han Ah Reum, who is hilariously named after a supermarket.

Karen: That’s the first thing I thought of, H-mart, aka Han Ah Reum!

h mart girl

Zombie: I wonder if the writers know they named her after a giant Korean market in the U.S.? She’s the most stylish so they decided to name her after a store??? I suppose crazier things have happened.

 Karen: Maybe there is a different meaning? Haha. I don’t know. I was so surprised she showed up in a miniskirt to work as an intern at a hospital. Does she know where she is?

Zombie: I think that’s what gets me the most about this drama… There’s so much of it that’s just completely unrealistic, especially when it comes to the happenings at the hospital. It makes me wonder if the writers of this drama simply watched a plethora of medical dramas and drew all their knowledge of the workings of a hospital from those because seriously, this drama is so far out there when it comes to all things medical.

Tanya: The medical theme actually seems a little out-of-place, but it makes for a more interesting setting than an office or department store like we see so often with adult characters.

Karen: As long as the audience doesn’t get any wrong ideas. Who knew a defibrillator can be a weapon?

what did i just do

Zombie: And this is where this show starts to get good… The absolute bizarreness of the circumstances that are bound to arise over the next eighteen episodes is sure to bring us the laughs that were somewhat missing in these first two episodes.

 Karen: I am missing the romance part of this series!

Zombie: So basically, what we’re saying is that for a romantic comedy, Emergency Couple is missing both the romance and the comedy.

Tanya: I love when shows are miscategorized. I hope that’s not the case with this one because I can see the potential.

Karen: Me too. I hope our audience will stick with us to find out. We still need to watch Changmin’s blind date, Dr. Shim and Dr. Gook’s past history, and Jin Hee’s chance to shine at the hospital.

Zombie: Oh! There’s still so much more this drama has to offer! Good thing it’s only just begun ‘cause we’ve still got a long way to go!

 

So now that we’ve shared our thoughts, we’d love to hear yours! Share your thoughts with us in the comments below! You can also find us on Twitter: @dapowerz, @Hallyu_Tanya, and @TheZombieMamma!

 

Catch up on all of our past posts of Emergency Couple here:

Episodes 1-2: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]

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