Doctor Slump has finally started airing on JTBC and Streaming on Netflix. It stars Park Hyung Sik & Park Shin Hye. The first and second episode has been released and here is the recap.
The episode starts with Ha-neul leaving the hospital in pain. While walking, she notices everything around her, but suddenly falls in the road, narrowly avoiding a truck. Jeong-woo faces trauma when he can’t save a patient during surgery.
In 2009 Busan, Ha-neul celebrates becoming Korea’s top student. Jeong-woo, excelling academically, suggests selling Ha-neul’s dying business and moving to Seoul. They become rivals in school when Ha-neul, a transfer student, matches Jeong-woo’s academic achievements. Racing to be the top student, only one gets into Hanguk National med school.
At a reunion, Jeong-woo acknowledges Ha-neul’s determination, even though she didn’t attend their desired med school. Ha-neul faces hardships as an anesthesiologist, skipping meals. Jeong-woo’s life takes a downturn during an incident involving a high-profile client from Macau.
The episode intensifies with Jeong-woo trying to save his patient, who dies despite his efforts. Accused of malpractice, he faces trial. Ha-neul, after getting her gallbladder removed, deals with challenges in her career and seeks therapy for depression.
Meanwhile, Jeong-woo, burdened by debt, contemplates his life on the edge of a terrace. As Ha-neul and Jeong-woo cross paths again, memories of their past, both fond and conflicting, resurface.
Episode 2 begins with Ha-neul and Jeong-woo meeting on the rooftop, forced to live together after the controversy. Gossip surrounds Jeong-woo, and even his parents prioritize their image over his well-being.
In a high school flashback, their rivalry unfolds with Jeong-woo’s laid-back style contrasting Ha-neul’s determination. Childish competition escalates, like teasing with a kick scooter and racing to solve math problems faster.
Jeong-woo contemplates moving out but faces challenges due to the contract. He meets Ha-neul to explain the situation, but she remains uninterested. Meanwhile, an unknown figure follows Jeong-woo home, and he struggles to find a new place due to the ongoing court case.
Jeong-woo discusses a suspicious anesthesiologist with Min Kyung-min, Ha-neul’s senior, and playfully banter about their school days. Ha-neul confronts an incompetent professor during a surgery and later learns about physical symptoms of depression at a mental health clinic.
The episode unfolds with Ha-neul quitting the hospital after exposing the professor’s incompetence. She confronts her family about depression, leading to an argument. Jeong-woo accidentally overhears, and later, they decide to go drinking together. At a barbecue restaurant, they encounter their class reunion, where Jeong-woo faces criticism about the surgery fiasco.
Drunk and competitive, Ha-neul and Jeong-woo engage in cheerful banter, sharing their struggles. On the way home, Jeong-woo reveals his fear of people in black suits. They enter a finger-flicking contest, but a message from Ha-neul’s mother brings her to tears. In a comical yet poignant moment, they hug, finding comfort in each other during their lowest points in life – the slump.