Looks like Dr. Stranger is continuing with its transformation into whatever might salvage this sinking ship, including doing away with Park Hoon’s fried mop hairstyle and throwing in some much needed but wholly abrupt budding bromance between Hoon and Jae Joon. The new stills showing the two guys having a drink and being all smiling with each other is very easy on the eyes for sure. The fundamental problem with this drama really lies in the randomness of it all, and by all I mean pretty much everything. Even inconsequential elements are rendered so bizarre a choice as to raise eyebrows, like Hoon’s dreadful hairdo and outfits since he’s been in South Korea. Why does he dress like that? Are non-torn pants and a 500 won haircut by any non-blind street barber too much for him? Or how is Dr. Moon even a doctor to begin with since he’s got the brain of a bird and the personality of a gopher. Each and every element of DS is ripe for dissection and mockery which may actually skew in its favor now that it seems to want to restart the whole drama on a new note of righteous doctor fervor. Park Hoon gets a haircut to go along with his reignited fire for the medical profession!

Forget spy death threats, hospital bigwig firing threats, first love identity confusion, now this story is all about how Park Hoon and Han Jae Joon toss everything to the wind in order to fulfill their Hippocratic Oath. I wish it had arrived 4 episodes earlier but better late than never. It also turns Jae Joon’s entire character arc (and glosses over his earlier assholery) by making him all “one of the good guys” now. I suggest he and Soo Hyun can rewind back to the moment of that hot hot kiss in the car and take it from there again. Jae Joon and Soo Hyun not only look better together, their back story actually meshes way more than Soo Hyun and Hoon when it comes to delivering the big romantic struggle and payoff. Her dad’s hospital caused his dad’s death, and compounded the medical malpractice tragedy by covering it all up. I seriously thought he would hate her guts but he really likes her, and even wants her to leave with him as he’s on the verge of getting fired from Myung Woo Hospital. Awww, true wuuuv! Similarly Seung Hee/Jae Hee and Hoon have all the back story that still infuses their fate with plenty of pathos, their getting together despite the odds matters because of how much they have endured to hope for a brighter future with each other.

Preview for episode 13:

Chairman Oh threatens Jae Joon’s career is over. Jae Joon plans to go to the US and asks Soo Hyun to go with him. Hoon fights with Seung Hee about how she can ask him to leave a patient near death. Seung Hee is through being controlled by Comrade Cha and turns the tables on him with his own gun. Jae Joon calmly asks what Hoon thinks about Soo Hyun, and then asks whether Soo Hyun likes Hoon which leaves Soo Hyun confused. Jae Joon finds out the shocker that Hoon’s dad is Dr. Park Chul.