Hospital Playlist 2 finale review
With great reluctance and teary eyes, it’s time we part ways with the irreplaceable 99z cast. This finale review of Hospital Playlist 2 includes what we loved, and what could have been better. We recommend watching the final episode before reading this as it contains spoilers.
Hospital Playlist 2 finale review: what we loved
1. Jung Won learning to make a difficult decision as a doctor
Image adapted from: tvN
Jung Won is in charge of a patient called Seung Chae, a child with bowel issues. Although her condition is improving gradually, she is not allowed to ingest any food or water directly. Instead, she can only consume certain foods through a tube.
Heartbroken by the state her daughter is in, Seung Chae’s mother asks Jung Won if he can carry out an intestinal transplantation surgery on Seung Chae.
Jung Won is in a dilemma as this surgery is a challenging procedure with a success rate of less than 50%. He asks Gyeo Wool if he made the right decision by agreeing to perform the surgery.
Image adapted from: tvN
Image adapted from: tvN
Gyeo Wool responds by saying, “If this was a question with one right answer, you wouldn’t be this torn.” She assures Jung Won that there is no right answer to the decision he makes, and the only thing he can do is to muster up his courage and do his best.
This scene portrays a life-and-death decision that doctors have to make, as well as the emotional burden they carry when taking charge of their final decision.
Image adapted from: tvN
Image adapted from: tvN
Later on, Jung Won makes his decision to perform the bowel transplantation surgery on Seung Chae. Before stepping into the operation room, he has a word with Seung Chae’s parents. He says, “This surgery won’t be easy for me either, but I’ll do my very best.”
Oftentimes, we are intolerant of a doctor’s vulnerability because we think that it’s a sign of weakness and ineptitude. But this scene portrays a raw and honest side of Jung Won where he speaks his mind about the surgery, showing the viewers that he is, after all, an imperfect human like the rest of us.
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With an earnest heart, Jung Won steps into the operation room and says a prayer before getting ready for the procedure. This scene shows the lonely battle that doctors have to fight to ensure the best result for their patients.
2. Ik Jun’s eyes dripping with honey despite Song Hwa singing off-key
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It’s supposed to be date night between Ik Jun and Song Hwa, but their time together gets interrupted by Jun Wan and Ik Sun who join them for dinner.
After dinner, the 4 of them decide to end their night with karaoke. As Song Hwa grabs the microphone and gets ready to sing, Jun Wan throws a hilarious question, “Can we please hit the stop button?”
This is because they know that Song Hwa is not a good singer – in fact, she sings out of tune. But no one stops her from singing, and Song Hwa begins her bubbly performance directed at Ik Jun.
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The song that Song Hwa picks could not be more apt as the lyrics go, “Darling, your eyes are filled with your love for me.”
Image adapted from: tvN
Indeed, Ik Jun’s eyes are dripping with honey as he looks at Song Hwa singing. This lovey-dovey couple is simply adorable beyond words.
Image adapted from: tvN
This scene is both amusing and adorable as Jun Wan and Ik Sun look like they are completely done with Song Hwa, while Ik Jun seems to be in his own world as he is in love.
3. Seok Hyung’s & Min Ha’s heart-racing kiss scene
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After their date night, Seok Hyung walks Min Ha back to her place. As they stroll hand in hand, Min Ha says that she told her parents about Seok Hyung, and adds that they adore him to bits.
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Unfortunately, they reach Min Ha’s place and it’s time to go their separate ways. But Min Ha wants to spend more time with Seok Hyung and can’t bear to let him go.
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Seok Hyung asks Min Ha to get some rest since she has work the next day. But Min Ha is reluctant to part with Seok Hyung, and says that she does not want to say goodbye.
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After a moment of silence, Seok Hyung says that Min Ha should wait a bit more and get to know him better. To this, Min Ha replies, “But I’ve waited a long time.”
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They share a silent moment of intense eye contact, and the scene is followed by Seok Hyung leaning in to kiss Min Ha. His bold gesture takes her by surprise.
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The kiss scene between Seok Hyung and Min Ha had the hearts of many viewers racing, including ours.
4. The fraudster who scammed Jae Hak is finally arrested
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Back in 2019, Jae Hak’s entire house deposit was swindled by his real estate agent. The fraudster disappeared, and Jae Hak was unable to retrieve his money.
One fine day, Jae Hak gets a call from an unknown number. With a confused look on his face, he picks up the call. It turns out that Kim Dong Ik is the caller; he’s also known as the detective in charge of Jae Hak’s scam case.
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Detective Kim explains that the fraudster was recently arrested. He was caught while pulling another scam.
The detective asks if he could pass Jae Hak’s contact information to the fraudster’s family to settle the case. During the call, Jae Hak remains stunned and speechless.
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Jae Hak meets Jun Wan to let him know about the detective’s call. They have a talk outside the hospital, and Jae Hak begins the conversation by saying that he met the scammer’s family. He goes on to explain that the fraudster wants to settle the case with Jae Hak as he is afraid of getting a jail sentence.
To this, Jun Wan responds in an agitated manner, “What? That’s not important. Did you get your money back?”
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Instead of answering Jun Wan’s question, Jae Hak breaks down and sobs like a child. This scene is heart-wrenching because it shows the emotional distress Jae Hak must have gone through in the past 2 years.
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Jae Hak finally says that he got his money back while crying his heart out. A wave of relief washed over us as we watched this scene because we could sympathise with Jae Hak.
Although Jae Hak is a minor character, this scene got many viewers emotional and teary-eyed. We feel happy for Jae Hak’s fruitful result after a long, arduous wait.
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Jun Wan does not say a word. Instead, he pats Jae Hak’s back and comforts him. Sometimes, a pat on the back speaks louder than words.
5. Jun Wan expresses his feelings for Ik Sun through jjajangmyeon
Image adapted from: tvN
The ending of episode 4 of Hospital Playlist 2 was jaw-dropping due to Jun Wan’s and Ik Sun’s break-up scene. Fans were devastated, but they remained hopeful that Jun Wan and Ik Sun would eventually find their way back to each other.
Thankfully, the final episode made our wish of seeing Jun Wan getting back with Ik Sun come true. The scene begins with Jun Wan waiting for Ik Sun in front of the military base she works at. Excited to see Jun Wan, Ik Sun runs out of the gate to meet him.
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Ik Sun asks Jun Wan what brought him to the military base. She does not beat around the bush and asks if he came to see her. To this, Jun Wan replies “no”. Instead, he says that he came to eat jjajangmyeon, a Korean black bean sauce noodle dish.
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Ik Sun is on the verge of tears upon hearing Jun Wan’s response. This is because Jun Wan is indirectly expressing his feelings for her, meaning to say that he is, indeed, here to see her and not to eat jjajangmyeon.
Image adapted from: tvN
Image adapted from: tvN
Jun Wan’s heart softens as he sees Ik Sun on the brink of tears. He pulls her into a tight embrace and comforts her.
Not only did the jjajangmyeon joke make this scene very memorable, but the hug got us screaming internally. Needless to say, their embrace was a gesture that confirmed their feelings for each other at last.
Hospital Playlist 2 finale review: what could have been better
6. Jung Won decides to further his studies in the US
Image adapted from: tvN
It was difficult to pinpoint areas for improvement because the finale of Hospital Playlist 2 was heartwarming and uplifting, to say the least. But if we had to pick a miss, it would be Jung Won dropping a bomb with the news that he will be leaving for the US.
Jung Won says that he will be leaving at the beginning of next year, which means the clock is ticking on the time he has left to spend with his friends.
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Jung Won reassures his friends who are in shock upon hearing the news. He says that he will only be gone for a year. Jun Wan asks him whether he will be going alone, and Jung Won says that Gyeo Wool will be going with him.
Image adapted from: tvN
It turns out Jung Won wants to expand his knowledge in small bowel transplantation. His recent surgery on Seung Chae must have spurred him to make this decision.
Jung Won goes on to explain that the hospital in the US will allow him to participate not only in theoretical work such as research, but also let him have hands-on training in surgeries.
Image adapted from: tvN
It seems like Jung Won’s mind is set as he says that he will regret it if he does not seize this golden opportunity.
To lighten the mood, Ik Jun asks Jung Won who will play the drums when he leaves, and jokingly asks if Rosa, Jung Won’s mother, can step in for him.
Although we want to support Jung Won’s future endeavours, it is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to the 2nd season of Hospital Playlist as well as Jung Won.
7. Happy ending for all, but an unsettling feeling remains
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Towards the end of the final episode, we get closure to various stories that were up in the air.
In episode 10 of Hospital Playlist 2, Jae Hak’s wife was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. Although she was diagnosed at an early stage, she wasn’t able to start chemotherapy immediately due to her pregnancy. But in the last episode, Jae Hak’s wife gives birth to a healthy baby.
Image adapted from: tvN
What’s more, Jae Hak’s wife is also getting better. Jun Wan says that the tumour is responding well to the chemotherapy sessions.
Jun Wan shares this wonderful piece of news with Ik Jun and Song Hwa, and Ik Jun says that this is the most exciting news he has heard this year.
Image adapted from: tvN
The scene is followed by a consultation with Jung Won’s patient, Seung Chae. After the bowel transplantation surgery, Seung Chae is recovering well and she can now eat a packet of Oreo.
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After a series of good news, the closing scene of the final episode shows our 5 protagonists as they enjoy the beautiful sunset view.
Hospital Playlist 2 ends on a positive note, and you can say that it’s a happy ending. But we can’t help feeling that some loose ends were tied up a little too neatly.
Shin Won Ho, the director of Hospital Playlist 2, said that he wanted to conclude the drama by portraying both the ordinary and special daily life of the doctors at the hospital.
Hospital Playlist 2 finale review: life & death, relief & grief
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The finale of Hospital Playlist 2 was heart-warming, but it also depicted the challenging reality that both patients and doctors are forced to face. After entering the operation room, some patients don’t see their family again while others get to see their loved ones smile. When doctors leave the operation room, some shed a tear of joy and others cry their hearts out for the patients they have lost.
To sum up our Hospital Playlist 2 finale review, we can say that the drama has taught us that when there is life, there is also death, and when there is joy, there is also grief. Medical K-dramas, such as the Hospital Playlist series, don’t merely focus on one side of the coin, but also teaches us how to see the other side of it.
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Cover image adapted from: @tvn_drama, @tvn_drama
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