For my 125th series, I picked up Trauma Code Heroes On Call and promptly finished all 8 episodes in 2 days. Dr. Baek Gang-hyeok (Ju Ji-hoon) is a trauma surgery genius. He is appointed by the Minister of Health and Welfare to head the Trauma Center at Hankuk University Hospital. Dr. Baek finds out that the Trauma Center is more of a formality just so the hospital can say they have one. It’s not very functional but he aims to change this and transform it into the best Trauma Center in Seoul.
Everyone who encounters Dr. Baek is astounded by his efficiency, resourcefulness, and surgical prowess. Eventually Dr. Baek finds doctors who are willing to join him at the Trauma Center. The pace is fast and exciting. There’s never a dull moment. Every episode features a different emergency and watching the makeshift Trauma Center slowly develop into a full-blown hospital department is quite satisfying.
There are a lot of surgeries (every episode!) and there will be blood and guts. I enjoyed watching them though as Dr. Baek explains everything he does so well. The supporting characters that make up Dr. Baek’s team include Nurse Cheon Jang-mi, Dr. Yang Jae-won, and Dr. Park Gyeong-won are extremely well-cast and fit their roles to a T. It’s a thankless job and the Trauma Team is constantly harassed by the higher-ups for incurring expenses despite the government subsidy (which the hospital apparently wants to pocket). Watching them work through the challenges is feels strangely fulfilling.
Despite the gravity of most situations, this drama does not take itself too seriously and there are a lot of comical moments which make it fun. I couldn’t stop watching once I started. It’s only eight (8) episodes long so it’s pretty easy to finish. Ju Ji-hoon and the rest of the cast are all on point in their character portrayals.
If you want a break from romantic dramas, this is a great series to watch. It’s definitely one of the best I’ve seen in recent months and I wouldn’t mind another season of emergencies and traumas to see how the team does in the future.
Trauma Code Heroes On Call is exclusively available on Netflix.
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