Doctor Slump Episode 9 Recap and Review: Jeong-woo Returns to Work With an Anxious Heart

Doctor Slump Episode 9 brings the days following the Jeong-Ha couple’s break up and Jeong-woo’s work being affected due to his PTSD. However, there is light at the end of this tunnel as Ha-neul tries to pick herself up for Jeong-woo.

Doctor Slump takes over jTBC’s Saturday-Sunday release Welcome to Samdal-ri, starring Ji Chang-wook and Shin Hye-sun. The plot follows Yeo Jeong-woo and Nam Ha-neul who have been living as two successful individuals, only for it to all come crashing down. Now, the two are forced to start afresh while sharing living quarters; reigniting a past rivalry that may lead to a possible romance.

-Doctor Slump Episode 9 Review Contains Spoilers-

Doctor Slump Episode 9 Recap

The episode opens up with Ha-neul recalling how she once easily trusted Kyung-min, who betrayed her while talking behind her back and making sure no one believed her words. Later, he stole her dissertation and became a professor while she was left behind with nothing in her hands. Now, Jeong-woo has become someone she has so easily trusted which is now making her anxious as trauma from her past is ruining her relationship.

Realising how weak she is, Ha-neul decides to end her relationship with Jeong-woo as her anxiety creeps in when she trusts someone. Following the breakup, Jeong-woo decides to work for Dae-young and temporarily moves to a place nearby. However, Ha-neul’s family can see that something has happened between the two, resulting in this.

Meanwhile, Ha-neul calls Hong-ran for drinks while Jeong-woo asks the same from Dae-young. The two ask Ha-neul and Jeong-woo about what happened and realise that the two have broken up. Dae-young then tells Jeong-woo about asking Hong-ran to ask Ha-neul to help him convince Jeong-woo to join his clinic.

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Elsewhere, Ha-neul tells Hong-ran about Kyung-min leaving his job because he is getting married. It is the position for which he stole her dissertation and now he is leaving it to get married which is making Ha-neul mad. The two get wasted with their friends and reach their respective homes where they finally unwind and start missing each other.

The next day, Jeong-woo arrives at Dae-young’s clinic and begins his first day at the clinic. Meanwhile, Wol-seon gets a call regarding a blind date for Ha-neul with the son of a hospital director who is looking for a doctor to be his daughter-in-law to pass the hospital. Wol-seon is not sure if this is the right time to send Ha-neul for the blind date but she ends up telling Ha-neul to meet the man without letting her know that it is a blind date.

Ha-neul goes to meet the man thinking that he wants information about hospitals in Seoul but is soon shocked when he reveals the truth to her. To add on, he badmouths her and tells her that it is better to be a countryside hospital director than a professor in Seoul. This shocks and angers Ha-neul and she rushes home to confront her mother.

Wol-seong is worried about Ha-neul’s reaction after having lied to her, right then Ha-neul returns and asks her if she is embarrassed by her for both having a job anymore. She then tells Wol-seon everything the man said and tells her that she never cared about what others thought about her, but seeing her mother think of her as a failure has hurt her badly.

Meanwhile, Hong-ran calls Ba-da after Ha-neul doesn’t pick up her call and finds out that Ha-neul went on a blind date. This is overheard by Jeong-woo who walks away like she heard nothing. Right then, Wol-seon returns to the restaurant where she bursts out in tears. Elsewhere, Ha-neul’s uncle Tae-seong makes his way to the rooftop where Ha-neul is cooling down.

He asks her about the man she met and is angered when Ha-neul tells him about the words she had to hear. He then recalls how easy it was to please her when she was a child and moves on to talking about the cabbage Wol-seon planted after finding out that it can help with Ha-neul’s depression.

He then asks he to grant him a wish and takes her to a restaurant where Ba-da follows them with Wol-seon. The two then place their order and rush out from there to let the two women talk. Wol-seon apologises to Ha-neul and hands her the bank passbook and stamp that was set up by her father for Ha-neul.

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She then tells her that Ba-da told her about how Ha-neul had insomnia after her father passed away as she was guilty of not being able to pick up his call due to her studies. Wol-seon tells Ha-neul to let go of her guilt as her father had been proud of being her father until his last breath. She confesses that she indeed felt proud of the grades Ha-neul received all these years.

However, upon realising that her pride was built upon her daughter’s depression, she was unable to be happy about it anymore. She asks for Ha-neul’s forgiveness and tells her to use the money to have all the fun she wants in life because now she doesn’t wish for her to have a job but for her to be happy.

The two finally make up and Tae-seon returns with Ba-da who puts up pictures of their family outing. Jeong-woo sees these pictures and is angered but tries to calm himself by repeating that Ha-neul must have had a reason for going on a blind date and having fun after breaking his heart.

Elsewhere, Wol-seon asks Ha-neul if she misses Jeong-woo to which she says yes but it is best to have broken up with him. Wol-seon doesn’t agree as she thinks that Jeong-woo is a rare gem which surprises Ha-neul. Wol-seon tells her that she has been observing Jeong-woo since he arrived at their house.

She has always felt sad for him and when she saw him spending time with Ha-neul, it made her happy as she thought that the two could lift each other because of how similar they are. She wished that they could find solace in each other and that Jeong-woo would be able to give Ha-neul that life that she couldn’t.

This makes Ha-neul tear up and she begins to miss Jeong-woo more than ever. The next morning, she wakes up to find that she has accidentally sent Jeong-woo a message which leaves her shocked. Later, she goes to the rooftop to get some vegetables but stops when she sees Jeong-woo sitting there.

Doctor Slump Episode 9 Ending

Jeong-woo casually asks her about the message while referring to her as “ex-girlfriend” and she tells him that she sent it when drunk. He then begins to leave but returns to ask her if he can wait for her. He wants to wait for her until she feels better and will come back to him. He then tells her to take care of herself and leaves from there while Ha-neul is left in a good mood.

He then arrives at the clinic with Dae-young and is shocked to see it filled with clients but soon understands that it is because of his return to the field. While he is happy with the response he is receiving, he is still traumatised by the events from last time and feels faint when he sees blood.

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The next day, he sits for his first surgery upon his return but is unable to perform due to trauma. The news is spread among the workers at the clinic and reaches Hong-ran’s ears while Jeong-woo and Dae-young discuss the issue. Meanwhile, Ha-neul finds out that Jeong-woo has seen her picture with Kyung-min.

Elsewhere, Jeong-woo reassures Dae-young that he will be able to perform the surgery the next day while Hong-ran calls Ha-neul to ask about Jeong-woo’s PTSD. The next day, Jeong-woo is unable to leave behind his trauma but pushes himself into the surgery room where he is surprised to see Ha-neul present.

Doctor Slump Episode 9 Review

The second half of the show has finally begun and we are already looking at two healing hearts who are on their road to take one step at a time. Ha-neul is slowly getting free from the guilt she has been carrying this whole time and seeing Wol-seon understand her daughter better is a heartwarming touch that this episode brought to us.

Ha-neul does have a very supportive family which only makes us feel sadder for Jeong-woo whose loneliness was seen by all. Coming to Jeong-woo, in Wol-seon’s words, he is a real gem and she is only shining brighter with each week. We hope he heals well because seeing him smile is healing for us as viewers.

Altogether, this was yet another wonderful episode and we are looking forward to more of the healing that this show is bringing to us all.

Watch Doctor Slump on Netflix.

Also Read: All of Our Reviews Of Doctor Slump