Season 2 in the Making? ‘Resident Playbook’ Ends with Explosive Ratings

2025-05-19 11:50

With over 800 million cumulative video views, tvN’s latest K-drama sensation wrapped up with explosive buzz.

tvN’s weekend K-drama Resident Playbook (Korean title: Someday, a Wise Resident Life) finished its run on a high note, achieving its highest ratings yet in the final episode. Starting modestly at 3.7%, the show soared to a peak of 10% for its finale—ending with critical praise and strong viewer support.

tvN’s Resident Playbook Finale EP.12 Scene. / Courtesy of YouTube, tvN DRAMA

According to Nielsen Korea, the final episode aired on May 18 recorded an average of 8.6% and a peak of 10.0% in the Seoul capital region, and 8.1% average with a 9.2% peak nationwide. Among the key 2049 demographic, the show also led its time slot across all channels, including terrestrial networks—scoring 4.6% average and 5.2% peak in Seoul, and 4.5% average and 4.9% peak nationwide.

Set in an OBGYN department, Resident Playbook follows a group of first-year residents as they experience the emotional highs and lows of medical life, encountering a wide range of patients, mothers, and newborns. Initially met with skepticism due to the real-life junior doctor strike at the time, the drama quickly won viewers over with its immersive direction, heartfelt performances, and empathetic storytelling.

In the final episode, residents Oh I-young (Go Youn-jung), Pyo Nam-kyung (Shin Si-ah), Um Jae-il (Kang You-seok), Kim Sa-bi (Han Ye-ji), and Koo Do-won (Jung Joon-won) wrap up a tumultuous year. Oh I-young, once uncertain, earns her professor’s respect through her sincerity toward mothers and babies. Nam-kyung matures after saying goodbye to a patient and welcoming new life. Jae-il steps out of his invisibility to become a trusted doctor, while Sa-bi evolves from mechanical efficiency to a warm, empathic physician.

tvN's Resident Playbook EP.12 Highlight Clip. / YouTube, tvN DRAMA

Subtle romances also helped deepen viewer immersion. Oh I-young and Koo Do-won’s sweet relationship blossomed, while sparks flew between Pyo Nam-kyung and incoming resident Tak Ki-on (Cha Kang-yoon). Jae-il’s confession to Kim Sa-bi hinted at a new storyline, with all the emotional threads woven naturally into the hectic reality of intern life.

The finale blended resolution with warmth. Formerly ambitious resident Myung Eun-won (Kim Hye-in) is replaced by Choo Min-ha (Ahn Eun-jin) as a new professor at Yulje Hospital. Her husband, Yang Seok-hyung (Kim Dae-myung), appears to celebrate with heartfelt support for the next generation.

The cast’s performances added immense depth. Go Youn-jung, Shin Si-ah, Kang You-seok, Han Ye-ji, and Jung Joon-won realistically portrayed the vulnerable, evolving lives of residents. Supporting actors like Lee Bong-ryun, Lee Chang-hoon, Son Ji-yoon, and Lee Hyun-kyun brought authenticity to their professor roles, grounding the drama. In particular, Lee Hyun-kyun subtly conveyed Professor Jo Joon-mo’s hidden warmth, while Lee Chang-hoon’s portrayal of Professor Ryu Jae-hwi added emotional gravity.

tvN's Resident Playbook Finale Ending Scene. / YouTube, tvN DRAMA

By focusing on character growth and weaving in rich emotional arcs, Resident Playbook went beyond a standard medical drama to become a healing coming-of-age series. Through intertwining personal journeys in the symbolic space of an OBGYN ward—where life begins and ends—it delivered messages of empathy, error, and evolution.

The show also dominated online buzz, ranking No.1 across TV-OTT combined popularity charts throughout its run. Clips consistently drew 100M–200M weekly views, surpassing 800M in total, reflecting its viral success.

Resident Playbook’s breakout performance is even more notable given tvN’s recent struggles. Earlier this year, the network’s big-budget series Ask the Stars (₩50 billion) ended with poor reviews and just 2.6% ratings. Follow-ups like Potato Research Institute and Divorce Insurance lingered in the 1% range. Amid this slump, Resident Playbook delivered a stunning turnaround in both ratings and reputation.

Viewers responded passionately to the finale:

🗨 “12 episodes were way too short!”

🗨 “We NEED Season 2.”

🗨 “I’m not ready to say goodbye to Koo Do-won…”

🗨 “I waited years and only got six weeks??”

🗨 “Every emotion was in this drama.”

🗨 “There has to be a Season 2 or even Season 3—don’t end it here!”

A spiritual spinoff of Hospital Playlist (2020–21), the series carried forward its emotional tone and humanistic philosophy while injecting fresh energy through a new cast. By authentically portraying both the chaos and compassion of residency, Resident Playbook ends on a hopeful note—with fans already campaigning for a follow-up season.

Next up on tvN is Our Unwritten Seoul, starring Park Bo-young. Premiering May 24 at 9:20 PM KST, it follows identical twin sisters who swap lives and search for love and identity. Park plays both roles—part-time worker Yoo Mi-ji and public financial employee Yoo Mi-rae. The cast also includes Park Jin-young, Ryu Kyung-soo, Lee Jae-in, and Kim Sun-young.