“Brain transplant into a dog? Soul possession? Reincarnation? An ending only Im Sung-han could conceive, leaving viewers in total chaos.”
Doctor Shin has officially become the ultimate “brain-off drama” (a show you watch without thinking) after delivering a legendary, absurd ending where the male lead, Jung Yi-chan, dies and ends up in a dog’s body.
In the 16th episode of TV Chosun’s weekend drama ‘Doctor Shin’ (written by Phoebe [Im Sung-han] and directed by Lee Seung-hoon), which aired on May 3, a shocking development unfolded as Shin Ju-shin (played by Jung Yi-chan) passed away.
On this day, Kim Kwang-chul (played by Cha Kwang-soo), the biological father of Kim Jin-ju (played by Chun Young-min), discovered that his daughter had died in Geum Ba-ra’s body after receiving a brain change surgery from Shin Ju-shin. Enraged, Kim Kwang-chul broke into Shin Ju-shin’s home and attacked him with a weapon, leaving Shin Ju-shin critically injured. Two nurses, who witnessed the struggle via CCTV, rushed to the scene despite the danger and worked together to kill Kim Kwang-chul.
The next day, another nurse visited the house out of concern for Shin Ju-shin, who hadn’t shown up for work, discovered the scene, and reported it to the police. By the time police arrived, both Kim Kwang-chul and Shin Ju-shin had already passed away. The two nurses who killed Kim Kwang-chul also died.
Ha Yong-jung, having lost both Geum Ba-ra and his friend Shin Ju-shin, struggled with his longing for Geum Ba-ra. During this time, he heard a shocking revelation from James (played by Jeon No-min).
Paul Kim (played by Ji Young-san), who found his grandson thanks to a handwritten letter left by Geum Ba-ra before her brain change surgery, shared this news with his close friend James. James put the pieces together and realized that the baby Geum Ba-ra gave birth to was actually Ha Yong-jung’s son. James immediately informed Ha Yong-jung.
Momo (who possesses Geum Ba-ra’s brain), who had been caring for the son under the guise of being an aunt, wept while watching Ha Yong-jung hold his son. Despite this, Momo (Geum Ba-ra’s brain) initially had no intention of revealing her identity and planned to divorce Ha Yong-jung.
However, Momo (Geum Ba-ra’s brain) was moved by memories of her own childhood, having been abandoned by Hyun Ran-hee (played by Song Ji-in) and raised in an orphanage. She was further swayed by the words of James and Paul Kim, who said, “It breaks my heart to think of Yong-jung and Geum-bi (the son) living their whole lives in longing. I know what it’s like to have a void where a mother should be,” and “He could just raise Geum-bi. It’s not like the world knows the inner details of their family history. Things like that happened often in the past.” Ultimately, Momo (Geum Ba-ra’s brain) confessed to Ha Yong-jung that she was actually Geum Ba-ra.
Afterward, Ha Yong-jung became a father of two and started a family in Shin Ju-shin’s former home. The mother of the children was Momo (Geum Ba-ra’s brain). In the yard, there was a large dog that Geum Ba-ra had always wanted to raise, and shockingly, Shin Ju-shin was inside that dog’s body.
Whether the dying Shin Ju-shin received a brain change surgery from the nurses or someone else, whether his soul possessed the dog, whether he was reincarnated as a pet, or if Momo (Geum Ba-ra’s brain) simply felt Shin Ju-shin’s presence through the dog is impossible to guess. Adding to the shock, Momo (Geum Ba-ra’s brain) even confessed “I love you” to the dog. Netizens reacted to the shocking conclusion, saying, “This is a true brain-off drama,” “It’s setting a new standard for brain-off dramas,” “The level of writing is on another plane,” and “I wouldn’t even dream of something like this.”
