A Beautiful Mind ~ Did He Let the Patient Die on Purpose?

“A Beautiful Mind” is a 2016 Korean drama series, with 14 episodes, categorized as Medical Drama, Crime, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, and Romance; streaming on Viki and KOCOWA+.

• TRIVIA: This K-drama was inspired by Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, and its early working title was “Dr. Frankenstein”.

SUMMARY: A police officer becomes suspicious of a neurosurgeon she believes intentionally allowed a patient to die on the operating table.

♦ Why was the Video of the Surgery Deleted?

In “A Beautiful Mind”, Lee Young-oh is a brilliant neurosurgeon who attended a reputable university in the United States. It would not be an exaggeration to say that his surgical skills are legendary. Even the Mayo Clinic scouted him. He could have remained in the USA and practiced, making a lot more money, but instead, he returned to South Korea to work in the same hospital as his father, Lee Gun-myung. Dear old dad was the head of the cardio-cerebrovascular center.

• NOTE: Mayo Clinic is one of the most renowned nonprofit medical centers in the world, known for its cutting-edge research, expert care, and patient-centered approach. Learn more: Top-ranked Hospital in the Nation – Mayo Clinic

He performed a joint surgery on a patient brought into the emergency room. Based on his initial assessment, the patient could not be saved. However, a fellow doctor, Hyun Suk-joo, a cardiothoracic surgeon, believed that if they combined their “specialty skills” and operated together, there was a chance. Lee Young-oh disagreed that there was a chance, but he agreed to perform the surgery together. Just as he had predicted, the patient died on the operating table.

Lee Young-oh is a genius and a brilliant neurosurgeon. However, there is something patients and doctors might not be aware of.  He has an antisocial personality disorder. People with ASPD disregard the rights and feelings of others and don’t think about right or wrong. The personality disorder is manifested in their conduct, behavior, actions, and decisions. They come across as unsympathetic or devoid of empathy, cold and uncaring. This is dangerous, particularly in a hospital setting, as a lead surgeon, even if he commits medical malpractice, he believes nobody would know unless he confesses. In other words, he could get away with murder. Can people with ASPD be cured?

Gye Jin-sung is a traffic police officer. But she believes she witnessed a murder. She is the one who called for an ambulance and is responsible for getting the patient to the emergency room. Gye Jin-sung desperately wanted this patient to live because she witnessed the hit-and-run accident, and it looked like an intentional homicide. She is not a homicide detective, but is determined to ensure the victim gets justice. While the man was lying on the street, injured, he said something to her about “not telling anyone”. Not tell anyone what? Gye Jin-sung also noticed that his arm had uniquely identifiable markings or bruising.

If the patient lived, perhaps she could question him further when he regained consciousness. Sadly, he died on the operating table. Gye Jin-sung was not willing to allow his death to be dismissed as a hit-and-run. The driver of the car meant to kill this man, and she intended to prove it! She began investigating and developed three key findings.

1. Someone contacted the police and asked to expedite the release of the body for cremation.

2. The body in the autopsy room was not the patient. Gye Jin-sung remembered the marking or bruising on the man’s arm, and the arm on the body in the morgue was unmarked. The bodies had been switched. But who did that and why?

3. The video of the surgery had also been deleted. Once again. Who did it and why?

Her investigation pointed her in the direction of Lee Young-oh, the neurosurgeon on the surgical team who had confidently predicted that the patient would die. Gye Jin-sung began to wonder. Had the surgeon let the patient die on purpose? THAT’S MURDER!!

Main Characters:

• Lee Young-oh (played by Jang Hyuk“Family: The Unbreakable Bond”, “The Swordsman”, “My Country: The New Age”, “Wok of Love”, “Shine or Go Crazy”, “Chuno (The Slave Hunters)”, “Voice”, “The Merchant: Gaekju”, “Tree With Deep Roots”)
• Gye Jin-sung (played by Park So-dam, “Special Delivery”, “Death’s Game”, “Parasite”, “Phantom”)
• Hyun Suk-joo (played by Yoon Hyun-min, “Witch’s Court”, “My Holo Love”,“Tunnel”)
• Lee Gun-myung (played by Heo Joon-ho, “Noryang: Deadly Sea”, “Dr. Cheon and The Lost Talisman”, “Escape from Mogadishu”, “Bloodhounds”, “Mercy for None”, “Buried Hearts”, “Missing: The Other Side 1 and 2”, “Why Her?”, “Kingdom 1 and 2”, “Designated Survivor: 60 Days”, “The Emperor: Owner of the Mask” )

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 7.7 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 8.2 out of 10 stars
• Dramabeans: 8.5 out of 10 stars
• Viki viewers rated this series 9.4 out of 10 stars
• Google users shared a public rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
• Common Sense Media: 5 of 5 stars

My personal rating is the same as Viki.

“A Beautiful Mind” was originally planned for 16 episodes, but was shortened to 14 due to low ratings. ME NO CARE! I’m a loyal fan of Jang Hyuk. I’d watch him if it were 2 episodes, only 15 minutes each. LOL.

(P.S. There is an American film by the same title, “A Beautiful Mind”, starring Russell Crowe. The film and the K-drama are as different as night and day.)

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Beautiful Mind | Korean Drama Review

Beautiful Mind Korean Drama Review | Kdrama Kisses

My Two Cents on the Undeserved Cutdown of ‘Beautiful Mind’ | Girl Meets Dramaworld

REVIEW: Beautiful Mind (2016) | The K-Drama Roo

“Beautiful Mind” Ratings Become Dismal With Episode Reduction | Soompi

TRAILER/TEASER:

OnlyKDrama. “A Beautiful Mind 2016 Official Trailer Korean Drama.” YouTube, 11 Apr. 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3Q-hYHaRCo.

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