Currently Watching: Doctor Cha

Netflix and JTBC’s latest drama Doctor Cha is about Dr. Cha Jung Suk, a former housewife, who decides to pursue her residency after returning from (as they put it) the brink of death. The summary sounds commonplace and unidirectional. It’s a middle-aged woman’s journey through life that is feministic to the boot. If you think such a concept can’t be entertaining, here are all the reasons why you should reconsider it!

Warning: The article does not have any spoilers that are not revealed in the first ten minutes of the show. You are still warned for minor spoilers.

This article includes the incidents of the first 6 episodes that have been released till now.

1. Captivating Cast

Playing the titular character is Uhm Jung Hwa. She is charming as a middle-aged housewife who has not lost her passion or positivity, who has her family at the center of her heart and who just wants to follow her dreams.

Kim Byung Chul as the resident (or Professor?) Bad Boy Seo In Ho – who is so hilarious without meaning to be, that he can’t be hated – plays her husband. His poor life choices have led him to the ridiculous state he is in, where unfortunate situations just seem to keep happening to him.

Myung Se Bin as Choi Sung Hee, Prof. Seo’s first love that continued beyond his wedding and grew into an affair, is no more likeable than Prof. Seo. She’s the typical other woman – unreasonable and demanding. The best part about her is how her tantrums just add to the ridiculousness Prof. Seo is facing.

Min Woo Hyuk and Song Ji Ho play Roy Kim, the handsome, US returned hepatobiliary surgeon, and Seo Jeong Min, Dr. Cha’s treasured son, respectively. They are Team Dr. Cha, her number one support system, and have some intrigue of their own.

Kim Mi Kyung and Park Joon Geum as in-laws complete the main cast. Dissing each other for undergoing beauty treatments is their way of bonding. It’s easy to get used to, even through all those layers of underlying tension.

Measured performances from all of them elevate the already fantastic drama into something more extraordinary.

2. Characterisation and Dynamics

Dr. Cha can easily boast of having decent characterisation replete with strong interactions between friends and others alike.

Doctor Cha is loving, bright, optimistic and adorable as she runs all around her house and hospital trying to get things right, learning and failing. We get to see a capable woman with her head straight on her shoulders.

Roy Kim is a walking green flag with neon headlights for emphasis. He is blunt, soft and encouraging – probably not a combination usually seen. Min Woo Hyuk plays Roy Kim with such an effortless ease as though he’s been Roy Kim all his life. He is cute and distracting. His micro expressions at their team dinner are a sight to behold!

The side characters are also well rounded – Jeon So Ra is more than someone perennially annoyed, there are many shades to Kwak Ae Sim, and the teen daughters Yi Rang and Eun Seo are especially compelling.

There’s something revealed about each of them in every episode that keeps you hooked and looking forward to more.

3. Proper Antagonists

A well written antagonist is a cornerstone of any good story, and Doctor Cha has two solid pillars to rely on. Prof. Seo and Choi Sung Hee carry the burden of being the villains so well they are disliked right from the moment they appear on screen. They are petty, manipulative, lying and scheming. Or in other words, rich in all qualities that make them 100 percent loathsome.

Sung Hee is no angel or damsel in distress and she has the requisite negative shades that come with being the other woman. She is pitiable in comparison, considering her situation, but by no means agreeable.

For now, I see no redemption for Prof. Seo. I would dearly love to see his behaviour exposed, but that would have to wait. 

Given the revelations of episode five, the plot is thickening and moving in a definite direction. I’m curious to see where it’s heading.

4. Themes

On the outside, Doctor Cha is about the journey of Cha Jung Suk through her residency en route to completing her education. Layered beneath are several themes – of self-discovery, midlife crisis, support and the uphill task of starting over. A health issue serves as a wake-up call. Dr. Cha realises that while she’s happy with her life, she’s not really living it. “What did I used to like?” she asks her mother, who reminds her that she loved studying.

In a separate instance, Dr. Cha says, “I can’t believe I’m here at this hour,” after Roy Kim takes her on a bike ride. She cries as she feels the touch of the world around her. Roy Kim points out that it was not something she’d need to get on a plane for, to which she replies, “Exactly.” She’s amazed by her own reflection.

There are many of these small moments of profound realisation that push her to take the step ahead that just cannot be missed.

 5. Authenticity

Dr. Cha opens with her visit to her friend Baek Mi Hee’s clinic. When asked about her outfit and makeup, Jung Suk casually tells her there are no other occasions for her to dress up. This is a cleverly written interaction that highlights Jung Suk’s life as a 46-year-old. I’m sure I heard my mother say something similar. Doctor Cha is very honest in its portrayal of its characters. 

Starting over at a late age is easier said than done. Dr. Cha is gradually realising the practical problems that come with her choice. Family and responsibilities try to hold her back. Just because she’s the protagonist, it’s not easy for her.

Likewise, Sung Hee’s problems with Dr. Cha don’t just revolve around jealousy. Her plight is almost understandable even. On both ends, Dr. Cha keeps it real, simple and natural.

And despite the heavy themes, the drama is lighthearted and enjoyable – a rare combination that must be experienced.

6. Comedy

There’s enough of it. For a story like Doctor Cha, going the melo route is probably routine and successful. But Doctor Cha takes the road not taken. With intelligently placed situational humour, like the in-laws running into each other at Mi Hee’s clinic or Prof. Seo’s barely restrained expressions of despair, Doctor Cha tactfully keeps the proceedings light and insightful.

For example, when Dr. Cha sustains a shock and wakes up in the ER, she’s moderately scandalised to know "her husband carried her there, shoving all the others away". Her imagination is comically dramatic. 

The entire sequence of their team dinner is a laugh riot as well and for all the right reasons. "He's dead" will remain iconic for years to come.

It is going to stay with all of us and Yoon Tae Shik for a while. Will he learn to not ask rude questions? Or will Seo In Ho finally snap and strangle his neck? That remains to be seen.

7. Slow-Burn-Romance

If you, like me, swoon over slow burn romance of adulthood, you cannot miss Doctor Cha. Roy Kim is openly interested.

You start shipping them right off the bat. They have the sparks, the chemistry, the camaraderie and the chance to put them all together into a beautiful equation going for them, though Dr. Cha is currently oblivious to all of it since she’s unaware of the affair. But the romance tag in the description looks promising.

8. Relatability

This is probably something that decides the fate of most slice of life dramas. Doctor Cha is for all ages and genders, and you need not be a woman or 46 years old to relate to it. Cha Jung Suk’s musings are the voice of our thoughts. “It feels like I’m the only one who has aged,” she says at one point. Haven’t half of us felt the same at least once? She speaks to the regrets we hold in our hearts. We have our revelations through her. This is another unmissable experience that Doctor Cha offers.

Besides these, there are several other points I’m interested in: When are the hospital side of things going to develop? Or are they just going to keep it cursory till the end? How will Dr. Cha react to the truth? How will the kids take it? What is going to happen to Yi Rang and Eun Seo? How will Dr. Cha handle the repercussions? Who/What is she going to choose? Are there any of the sacrilegious d-word considerations in store for us or is the affair going to be resolved peacefully with a big heart and acceptance? Are Cha Jung Suk and Roy Kim the endgame?

It’s difficult to tell where all the threads will lead to, but it’s exciting to look forward to the rest of the drama.

What are your thoughts on the drama so far?