Doctor Lawyer (닥터 로이어) is a Korean law-drama TV series directed by Lee Yong-seok and stars So Ji-sub, Lim Soo-hyang and Shin Sung-rok, alongside other cast members. The series has 16 episodes and takes over MBC’s Friday-Saturday 10 PM KST timeslot previously occupied by Tomorrow. Doctor Lawyer episode 1 has a runtime of 63 minutes.
Disney+ describes the series as:
Han Yi-han, a genius surgeon’s life takes a turn when he becomes a lawyer specialising in medical crimes after losing a patient to surgical malpractice.
– Doctor Lawyer Episode 1 recap contains major spoilers –
Doctor Lawyer episode 1 starts with a stir among the general masses after the death of a child due to medical malpractice. As the doctor responsible goes to trial, the head of the hospital also comes under fire for not doing enough to stop such gross misconduct. As the judge reads out the sentence, Park Kitae dies of a heart attack, much to everyone’s shock.
As everyone tries to save him, in comes Han Yi-han to the rescue. Seok-yeong tries to stop him, saying that he’s not a doctor anymore and Yi-han asks her whether he should just let him die. He administers him with something, looking absolutely dapper while he does so, and then just starts opening up his throat for anaphylaxis in the middle of the court – blood, guts and all, much to onlookers’ horror!
In a flashback we jump 5 years ago, Yi-han is seen working on a heart surgery that he finishes in 2 hours instead of the 4 that are required. As he rushes off to Seok-ju after performing three surgeries back to back, his colleagues all fawn over his stamina and determination. Yi-han, meanwhile, looks lovingly at a picture of his supposed girlfriend as he quickly gets ready. Seok-ju turns out to be another patient and his girlfriend Seok-yeong’s younger brother, who is giving an exam in his hospital room.
Unfortunately, the meet and greet turns deadly after Seok-yeong calls and tells him that someone has been stabbed and Yi-han immediately rushes to save him. After a thrilling operation that almost ends in the patient’s death, Yi-han is able to successfully save him and then uses a button on the elevator handle to take him to another operation which Mr Gu, the one performing the operation, has totally botched. The latter looks traumatized for some reason and it seems like there’s some tension between the two doctors – politics at its finest.
In the meantime, Seok-ju’s physical health deteriorates while giving the exam and everyone around him starts to panic. However, he refuses to give up and after a very successful examination it turns out he got a perfect score. Later, Seok-yeong learns that her brother will get a new heart and will be happy and healthy like kids his age. In the same breath, Yi-han proposes to his girlfriend. As problems arise from all fronts, Seok-ju’s heart transplant surgery date comes up quick.
Jin-ki asks Yi-han to have Seok-ju’s surgery at Banseok and that he will cover the cost. When Hyun-seong arrives, Jin-ki announces to both of them that Yi-han will be appointed the head of the cardiothoracic surgery, sending Hyun-seong in a frenzy. He says that he should be appointed the head but his father says that skill is the most important thing in cardiothoracic surgery. Things become tense as Jin-ki compliments Ji-han and Hyun-seong looks like he’s going to murder someone.
As Hyun-seong tries to dish out insults to Yi-han, the latter reminds him that without him, he would’ve killed a lot of patients so really, he doesn’t have much of a leg to stand on. At home, Yi-han opens the box given to him at Jin-ki’s house and finds a bunch of money inside, confusing him. Either way, the day of Seok-ju’s surgery, after a thrilling few moments when the patient almost dies, Yi-han is able to save his brother-in-law in successful surgery.
That night, Yi-han is called into emergency surgery and Jin-ki, confusingly, asks him to perform surgery on a car accident victim who needs an emergency heart transplant. As he asks him whose heart it is, realization dawns on him.
Doctor Lawyer Episode 1 Review
Doctor Lawyer episode 1 starts with a bang as we get a whole host of information in the first episode itself. As the information saturates our brains, I am left to wonder why doctors in TV shows can’t just simply be human and absolutely have to be this mythical creature who can do heart surgeries in half the time. I get it, Yi-han is a genius, and I don’t doubt it. However, I don’t understand the logic of him finishing a 4-hour surgery in 2 hours. Is that even possible?
Either way, the episode is absolutely thrilling and will leave you with several questions in the end. The actors do a fantastic job and So Ji-sub looks cute and menacing at the same time, depending on the situation! A good start to a medical series, overall. We’ll just have to see whose heart Yi-han will be putting into this mystery patient – and just hope that it’s not our worst nightmare!
Doctor Lawyer is streaming on Disney+.
Liked the Doctor Lawyer episode 2 recap? Read our other Doctor Lawyer reviews here.