Doctor X ep (1-2) review: Kim Ji Won's bold avatar challenges hospital politics, medical ethics in a promising opening

South Korean actress Kim Ji-won has built a strong presence on television with memorable performances in popular dramas such as Descendants of the Sun, My Liberation Notes and Queen of Tears. After a two-year break from the small screen following the success of Queen of Tears, the actress returns with a different role in Doctor X: Mafia in White.

Medical dramas often revolve around life-or-death decisions, but what happens when the biggest threat to patients comes from the very people meant to save them? The medical noir follows a brilliant surgeon who challenges hospital corruption and puts her exceptional surgical skills to the test in a system where power and influence often overshadow patient care.

What happens in episodes 1 and 2 of Doctor X?

In episode one of Doctor X, it begins with a flashback to a fire at a remote medical facility, hinting at Gye Su Jeong’s (Kim Ji Won) past and her pragmatic, no-nonsense approach to saving lives. It is shown on her first day at Guseo University Hospital, where she is placed through a doctor placement agency run by Jang Hui Suk. However, Su Jeong ruffles the feathers of the hospital by criticising how senior doctors rely on prestige and status rather than skill.

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When an upcoming surgery spirals out of control and the patient suddenly crashes with unmeasurable blood pressure, Su Jeong steps in directly to take over and save the patient. Despite proving her superior surgical capability, she refuses to play along with hospital politics controlled by director Bu Seung-gwon, leading to her getting fired by the end of the episode.

In episode 2, when emergency patient Lee Ju Hee needs help, Su Jeong refuses to let a VIP patient's status take priority. Her actions anger colleagues who believe the hospital hierarchy should be respected. Su Jeong then challenges the treatment plan for Chairman Park Gwang Cheol, a wealthy patient with pancreatic cancer.

While surgery Do Yun Sik favours a less aggressive procedure, Su Jeong believes the tumour can be

removed completely through a much riskier operation. Su Jeong operates on Ju Hee while Yun Sik takes charge of the chairman's surgery. When Yun Sik discovers that the cancer is more extensive than expected, he hesitates and decides to stop the procedure. Hospital director Bu Seung Kwon then calls

Su Jeong into the VIP patient's operating room.

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The episode closes on a mystery surrounding Su Jeong's past. Other doctors discover a medical report from seven years earlier describing a similar high-risk operation performed by a surgeon identified only as Doctor X. The patient died two months after the procedure, and the report includes a photograph that appears to connect Su Jeong to the case.

What works?

The biggest strength of the opening episodes is Kim Ji Won's portrayal of Su Jeong. She gives the character a commanding presence without making her depend on conventional warmth or constant emotional speeches. The series uses hospital politics to explore a broader question: what happens when healthcare becomes entangled with money, status and influence?

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In addition, that mystery gives viewers a reason to continue beyond the immediate satisfaction of watching her challenge corrupt authority. It also creates the possibility of a more complicated character arc as the series progresses.

What does not work?

The series would benefit from giving more of its supporting characters convincing professional strengths and motivations. The surgical dilemmas are central to the premise, but the personal rivalries and power struggles can dominate the storytelling.

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Final verdict

The first two episodes of Doctor X: Mafia in White delivered a strong introduction to a medical drama driven by an unconventional protagonist. Kim Ji Won, in the centre of the show, brings conviction and sharpness to a surgeon who refuses to let hierarchy dictate her decisions.

For the first two episodes released, Doctor X gets off to a promising start, with Kim Ji-won giving viewers a compelling reason to stay tuned. Its next challenge is to match its bold central character with equally layered medical cases and supporting performances. Doctor X is currently streaming on Netflix.