Love Blooms and ‘Resident Playbook’ Breaks 9.2% — Can the Finale Top That?

tvN’s weekend drama Resident Playbook is winning over more and more viewers with its steadily deepening storyline. The 10th episode, which aired on May 11, showcased powerful teamwork, emotional moments, and growing chemistry that left fans both touched and intrigued.

In Episode 10, long-time frenemies Oh Yi-young (Go Youn-jung), Pyo Nam-gyeong (Shin Si-a), Seo Jeong-min (Lee Bong-ryeon), and Gong Gi-seon (Son Ji-yoon) came together in perfect sync during a life-threatening emergency, showing off their evolving dynamics and deepening sense of camaraderie.

This moving episode led to a ratings jump. It scored an average of 8.5% in the Seoul metro area, peaking at 9.2% — a new personal best. Among tvN’s target audience of viewers in their 20s to 40s, the drama topped both cable and terrestrial competitors in the same time slot, with averages of 4.6% (Seoul) and 4.3% (nationwide), peaking at 5.3% and 4.9% respectively (Nielsen Korea, based on paid platforms including cable, IPTV, and satellite).

The tension between obstetrics professors Seo Jeong-min and Gong Gi-seon — once classmates, now fierce rivals — reached a boiling point. Their competition over everything from surgeries to scans cast a shadow over their residents, Oh Yi-young and Pyo Nam-gyeong.

But when a mother suffering from postpartum hemorrhage was suddenly rushed into the hospital, the atmosphere shifted. Faced with a life-or-death situation, Oh Yi-young and Pyo Nam-gyeong steadied themselves and handled the emergency with calm professionalism. Just as Seo Jeong-min was about to pressure the panicking residents in the OR, Gong Gi-seon walked in, bringing relief. Despite their usual bickering, Seo and Gong worked flawlessly together, quickly controlling the bleeding. With the support of their residents — who mirrored their mentors’ skills — the team successfully saved the patient.

Meanwhile, the budding romance between former idol Um Jae-il (Kang Yoo-seok) and fangirl-turned-doctor Kim Sa-bi (Han Ye-ji) added sweetness to the episode. After witnessing Kim being discouraged by harsh words from Professor Jo Jun-mo (Lee Hyun-kyun), Um comforted her, even sharing a quiet meal with her in the outpatient ward — creating a moment full of subtle romantic tension.

In that same ward, couples filled the space — from Hospital Playlist’s iconic “Ik-Song” duo, Lee Ik-jun (Jo Jung-suk) and Chae Song-hwa (Jeon Mi-do), to the quietly blooming “O-Gu” couple, Oh Yi-young and Gu Do-won. Ik-jun, ever playful, reminisced about his own past hospital romance and started looking for other “secret lovers” in the ward.

Just then, Um Jae-il, who had sneaked out with Kim Sa-bi, returned to the ward to grab his forgotten coat — only to freeze as he spotted Oh Yi-young and Gu Do-won walking hand-in-hand. Since their relationship is still a secret from both colleagues and family, viewers are left wondering what Um will do with this newfound knowledge.

Resident Playbook is a spin-off of Hospital Playlist and follows young residents as they navigate the early years of medical life — filled with awkward firsts, emotional highs and lows, and career-defining decisions. The drama is slated for 12 episodes, with Episode 11 airing on May 17 at 9:20 PM KST.