Despite Shin Ye-eun's powerful performance, the drama has fallen to its lowest ratings yet, fueling disappointment.
The June 22 broadcast of ENA's Monday-Tuesday drama Doctor on the Edge episode 7 recorded a series-low 4% rating, according to Nielsen Korea.
In this episode, Yook Ha-ri (played by Shin Ye-eun) prepared to say goodbye to her grandmother Oh Mi-ja (Gil Hae-yeon), deepening the emotional stakes. Ha-ri felt hurt when Do Ji-ui (Lee Jae-wook) seemed to understand Oh Mi-ja's decision to forgo a clinical trial for a new drug as part of a doctor's duty. Amid a downpour at an emergency scene, Do Ji-ui cared for a patient and their bereaved family, while Ha-ri lashed out at him for overlooking her feelings: "You're the kind of doctor who even stitches up patients who are already gone. Then why won't you take care of my heart?"
Oh Mi-ja stood firm in her decision to stop treatment and asked Do Ji-ui to stay by Ha-ri's side. Unable to convey her true feelings to her grandmother, Ha-ri was left even more heartbroken. Encouraged by Do Ji-ui's words, "Right now, the person who's most scared and hurting is Grandma. So even if you're scared, you have to listen to her," Ha-ri resolved to face her—only to discover that Oh Mi-ja had already taken her last breath. Episode 7 ended with Ha-ri's heartbreaking sobs.
Right after the broadcast, viewers reacted with polarizing comments: "Shin Ye-eun's acting is insane," "I bawled my eyes out," "It's good, but the ratings are way too low," "This doesn't feel like a healing drama," "It's too sad," "When will the healing start?" and "The drama is depressing."
Meanwhile, episode 8 of Doctor on the Edge airs on the 23rd at 10 p.m. KST on ENA and is also available on KT Genie TV and Disney+.