Doctor Slump (2024) K Drama Episode 8 with Park Shin Hye and Park Hyung Shik

Episode 8 of Doctor Slump begins with Bada’s recollection of  the Nam siblings. Ha-neul was born in the day with a clear sky, hence Ha-neul (sky) while Bada (sea) was named to match hers. he further says that they’ve been true to their names – while Ha-neul’s grades has been reaching the sky, Bada’s remained at the sea level. He goes on to tell us about the differences in his and Ha-neul’s personalities – while Bada was interested in hanging out with friends and going on dates, Ha-neul just loved to study. But lately, she has been acting like Bada would – texting on her mobile while smiling. 

Back to the present, Ha-neul is busy talking to Jeong-woo and wonders if they are dating because neither of them had made it official even after holding hands the previous day. So, she goes to her mother and uncle and asks them whether holding hands automatically means that a couple is dating even though it hasn’t been officially agreed upon. She feels dissatisfied from either of their answers since their dating etiquettes are outdated. Bada, on the other hand, feels that even if a couple has held hands but hasn’t officially spelled out that they are dating, then they’re not. 

Ha-neul goes to the rooftop to talk to Jeong-woo but once inside, she hides in the bathroom as Bada comes to talk to Jeong-woo “man to man”. He proceeds to spill the tea over Ha-neul’s behaviour and threatens Jeong-woo to not play with her. Meanwhile, Ha-neul is completely mortified listening to Bada revealing all her embarrassing secrets. However, Jeong-woo declares that he thought that Ha-neul and Jeong-woo had started dating loud enough for Ha-neul to hear, putting an end to the scenario. After Bada leaves satisfied, he gives Ha-neul a bouquet and asks her to go on a date with him. 

Elsewhere, Bin Dae-young and Hong-ran meet near the elevator while on their way to work. Hong-ran apologises for encouraging him to call Jeong-woo and Dae-young tells her that he believes that there’s been a misunderstanding since the woman who cursed him out sound too mature to be his girlfriend and definitely wasn’t his mother.  Hong-ran, then, tells him that Jeong-woo is living at her friend’s rooftop. 

As Jeong-woo and Ha-neul are about to leave for their date, Bin Dae-young appears and hugs Jeong-woo. He makes Jeong-woo talk to him and Ha-neul seeing that Dae-young seems genuine, lets them talk while she waits for them to finish. Jeong-woo reluctantly goes to a restaurant with Dae-young. 

As Jeong-woo returns, he finds Ha-neul waiting for him. At the same time, he receives a call from Min Kyung-Min who asks him to meet but Jeong-woo brushes him off as he wants to go on a date with Ha-neul. Ha-neul makes him feel excited for a “sweet” date only to find out that Ha-neul’s “sweet” date means reading dissertations in a library and writing dissertations at a book cafe. After a while, Jeong-woo takes her to watch a movie.

They have a good time at the theatre, click pictures at a photobooth and then go for dinner. At the restaurant, Jeong-woo tells Ha-neul not to suppress her feelings and yield to others. He, then asks her if something happened at the hospital to make her quit and which triggered her depression. Simultaneously, we find from Wol-seon and Bada’s conversation that Ha-neul doesn’t tell anyone anything which she doesn’t want to. So, Ha-neul lies that everything was fine at the hospital but Jeong-woo can sense something wrong. 

As they reach home, Jeong-woo finds a wedding invitation. Ha-neul discovers that Kyung-min is getting married and her demeanor undergoes a visible change. The next day, Jeong-woo is unable to catch hold of Ha-neul and she sounds in low spirits. Jeong-woo then remembers his appointment at the mental health clinic and sees Ha-neul during a session. 

Ha-neul tells the therapist about the one day that was perfect and in which she felt the most happy – she got assigned the first seat in class, solved a difficult problem, did well in her PE test. And just when her happiness was at its peak, her father passed away. Since then, she always felt anxious, terrified and guilty whenever she felt too happy.

After Ha-neul leaves in a taxi, Jeong-woo meets Dae-young and turns his offer to work in his clinic down since he feels Ha-neul would feel dejected if he got the job. Ha-neul meets a colleague from her previous workplace who tells her that Kyung-min is getting married and also leaving the hospital. It’s revealed that he took the professor position (which ideally would have been Ha-neul’s) so that his profile gets a boost when he works for his fiance’s family’s company. 

Meanwhile, Jeong-woo finds a photograph of Kyung-min and Ha-neul and misunderstands that they had dated in the past and assumes Ha-neul’s behaviour as a reaction of the news of his marriage. Ha-neul on the other hand gatecrashes Kyung-min’s farewell party and throws beer at his face before leaving. 

As Ha-neul is drinking by herself, she receives a call from Hong-ran who tells her everything that transpired between Dae-young and Jeong-woo with Jeong-woo declining the job offer. Ha-neul feels humiliated and on her way back home, meets a cheerful Jeong-woo while he brings her an umbrella. Ha-neul breaks down and breaks up with Jeong-woo saying that her emotions are all over the place and that it’s unfair to Jeong-woo to struggle beside her. 

The Episode Review

This episode was an emotional roller-coaster ride and probably one of the best episodes of Doctor Slump yet! Shin-hye did a phenomenal job at portraying Ha-neul’s mental struggles and her ambivalence with her feelings. Ha-neul’s suffering doesn’t just seem like a plot progression but it seems very real and the show has managed to portray the emotional suffering of people going through depression. 

Moreover, Ha-neul and Jeong-woo’s relationship is adorable and mature at the same time. They complement each other quite well. The misunderstandings that arise from a lack of transparency and communication in a relationship between two different people is also very well portrayed. We cannot really wait for the next episodes to see how Ha-neul and Jeong-woo will overcome their seemingly everlasting slump and we cannot help but root for the two, not only as our favourite couple, but also as just two very normal people going through the uncertainties and difficulties of life.