In the 2023 Kdrama Dr. Cha, Uhm Jung-hwa stars as Cha Jeong-suk, a housewife with two children who is married to surgeon, Seo In-ho (Kim Byung-chul of Guardian: The Lonely and Great God). Jeong-suk and In-ho went to medical school together, along with Choi Seung-hee (Myung Se-bin), In-ho’s first love. However, Jeong-suk became pregnant by In-ho and the two married. Twenty years later, their marriage has problems, not the least of which is the fact that In-ho has been having an affair with Seung-hee. When Jeong-suk becomes sick and requires a liver transplant, she meets handsome Dr. Roy Kim, a South Korean who was adopted by American parents as a baby. The experience of going through a transplant inspires Jeong-suk to want to complete her residency and become a doctor.
- Series Title: Dr. Cha (Korean: 닥터 차정숙)
- Starring: Uhm Jung-hwa, Kim Byeong-cheol, Min Woo-Hyuk, Se-gin Myeong, Park Tae-In
- Written by: Jung You-rang
- Directed by: Kim Dae-jin, Kim Jung-wook
- Network: JTBS
- Where to watch in the US: Netflix
- Premier Date: April 15, 2023
- # of episodes: 16
- Kafenook Rating: 4.0 sips
Dr. Cha — !! Spoilers Ahead!!
When I first saw the premise for Dr. Cha, I thought it was a South Korean remake of actress Patricia Heaton’s comedy Carol’s Second Act (2020). In that show, a retired science teacher and mother of two begins a second career as a doctor. She spends the first (and only) season of the show as a late in life intern. Sadly, Carol’s Second Act did not get renewed even though it ended on a cliffhanger with Carol’s ex-husband (Kelsey Grammer) coming to the hospital as the new chief of staff. His arrival would have complicated Carol’s budding relationship with a senior doctor (Kyle MacLaclan). See what I mean? As far as I have been able to determine, the two shows are not related.
What I Liked
What I liked about Dr. Cha is Uhm Jung-hwa who delivered her scenes with superb dry humor. I love the twinkle in her eyes when she says something funny but the person it is intended toward doesn’t get the joke. Her husband, In-ho, is not a likable character, but Kim Byung-chul is perfect for the role. He has the most expressive face and perfect comedic timing. In-ho’s reaction when his wife throws her birthday cake in his face is priceless.
The relationship I most enjoyed in the show is that of Cha Jeong-suk and Seo In-ho’s son, Seo Jung-min (Song Ji-ho). A first-year surgical resident, he and Jeon So-ra (Jo Ah-ram), his senior in her third year of residency, have a “residents with benefits” thing going on. So-ra, however, is focused on becoming a top surgeon vs being in a relationship. After working with kind and compassionate Dr. Cha, her outlook changes. Then she learns Jung-min is Dr. Cha’s son and begins to see how much he is like his mother. By the end of the drama, its lovely to see Jung-min and So-ra together in a real relationship. And talking marriage!
Bingability
For most of Dr. Cha, I looked forward to new episodes and wanted to find out what would happen to this gutsy doctor and her family. I had high hopes for the relationship between Dr. Cha and Roy Kim. Alas, my hopes were dashed.
Dr. Cha Ending
I found the last couple of episodes the weakest of the series and wished that the show had ended a few episodes earlier. It was sad to see Jeong-suk’s liver problem return when she worked so hard for her internship. I also have a hard time when a cardinal rule of dramas is broken. This happens when a new, potential love interest is brought in (in this case Dr. Roy Kim), but that potential relationship does not pan out. It is nice to see Dr. Cha truly happy in her life. I almost would have preferred there to be no love interest at all given the ending. Roy Kim could have simply been her doctor instead of being used a foil/rival for In-ho.
Re-watchability
Dr. Cha is a show I don’t plan to re-watch, especially knowing how it ends. I had a choice to watch this show or The Good Bad Mother which aired at the same time. If I could go back in time, I would watch The Good Bad Mother instead.
Dr. Cha Soundtrack
Of the songs on the Dr. Cha soundtrack, the one I like the best is Breath, sung beautifully by Jung Seung Hwan.
