Doctor Cha, Episode 14 ratings head back up on Sunday night
The JTBC drama Doctor Cha, Episode 14 aired last night in South Korea with events in it setting the plot off onto its final arc.
An arc that, to me, is so predictable, I will be somewhat happy (see my comments below) when this superb-starting drama finally ends.
It appears viewers in South Korea, however, may disagree as, while the previous episode of Doctor Cha collapsed by more than 4 percentage points on Saturday night, the ratings for Doctor Cha, Episode 14 are back up close to their highest point.
According to Nielsen Korea, Doctor Cha, Episode 14 earned an 18.16 percent of the audience share nationwide.
A number that is just .33 percent away from its highest rating, which was earned for Episode 12.
In Seoul, the family drama earned ratings almost as high, with a 17.92 percent of the audience share, and up from the previous episode’s 14.56 percent.
As, in my opinion, Doctor Cha, Episode 14 was one of the drama’s poorest-written and most uninteresting episodes, it is interesting to see South Korean audiences watched it in such high numbers.
Numbers that placed Doctor Cha in the #1 spot for TV shows in Korea on Sunday. Both nationwide and in Seoul.
International viewers and Doctor Cha, Episode 14
While few international viewers seem to be dropping the JTBC series after Episode 14 aired, a majority are now voicing disappointment at where the drama has ended up and what the writer has decided to do with the characters.
Those viewers, via ratings and comments on My Drama List, are still rating Doctor Cha a high 8.5 out of 10 however.
At the same time though, many are now commenting the same scenario has been dragged out for too long, Cha Jung Suk just needs to get a divorce already and, as for the latest plot turn that was hinted at during the end of Episode 14, most seem to be opposed to it.
The problem with Doctor Cha is that the K-drama started off with such huge potential with the premise of a woman finally living life for herself, instead of for her vile husband and albeit nice children.
It then devolved into a story about a weak-willed woman who is constantly playing the victim, yet does little to get herself out of her situation right up to, it seems the bitter end.
As several viewers on My Drama List are now commenting, Doctor Cha has gone from a fun rom com with huge potential to what is apparently a ‘Makjang drama‘ and, for me like many others, there are good reasons why I avoid makjangs like I avoided the Covid-19 “vaccine”.
I must admit, however, even though I am disappointed at where Doctor Cha has ended up so far and at how long the same scenario has been played out over and over again, the drama has been entertaining.
It has also held my attention for 14 episodes and, other than for just a few brief seconds, has not made me consider dropping it. Unlike many other K-dramas, which I have quickly dropped and never looked back.
That is due to the actors who are superb in every role but specifically Kim Byung Chul (horrible husband Seo In Ho) and Kim Mi Kyung (Doctor Cha’s mother Oh Deok Rye), the plot which is ridiculous but fun, and the hope that, after 14 episodes of “poor me the victim”, Cha Jung Suk’s backbone might finally solidify.
With the final two episodes of Doctor Cha heading our way next weekend, fingers crossed that is what we get.
You can currently watch Doctor Cha, Episode 14 on TVING in South Korea, and on Netflix internationally.