Viewership for Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia drops amid controversies

Viewership for the SBS drama 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' fell to 15.6% for episode 8 on the 31st of last month, stalling its momentum toward a 20% rating. The series has faced debates regarding its depiction of medical reality and a storyline involving the May 18 Democratization Movement.

The SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia', which was on the verge of surpassing 20% viewership with a steady upward trend, has encountered unexpected obstacles. Despite a successful run driven by Kim Ji-won's intense performance and significant domestic and international buzz, the viewership for episode 8 dropped compared to the previous episode, stalling its momentum. Following controversies regarding the depiction of medical reality, the series has also become the center of debate due to an episode covering the May 18 Democratization Movement, complicating the reception of the work.

According to Nielsen Korea, a viewership rating company, episode 8 of 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia', which aired on the 31st of last month, recorded 15.6% nationwide. This is a 0.9%p decrease from the 16.5% recorded by episode 7. Given that the series had shown a steep upward curve that raised expectations for it to break the 20% mark, this result indicates a shift in its commercial momentum.

Having premiered on the 9th of last month, 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' established a strong presence from the beginning with overwhelming viewership. After starting at 11.4% for episode 1, it quickly attracted viewers with 14.9% for episode 2, 15.1% for episode 3, and 18.5% for episode 4. Although it briefly slowed to 17.5% in episode 5, it surged to 19.5% in episode 6, fueling expectations that just one more increase would allow it to reach the 20% milestone.

The initial success was supported not only by viewership but also by topicality. In the TV-OTT topicality rankings for the second week of October released by FUNdex of Good Data Corporation on the 12th of last month, 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' ranked first in its very first week of broadcast. As interest in the work expanded beyond viewership into online buzz, it established itself as a major hit in a short period.

Global performance was also notable. Introduced to international viewers through Netflix, 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' ranked 1st in the Korean TOP 10 TV Shows category and reached 4th in the Global TOP 10 TV Shows category. It entered the TOP 10 in 67 countries worldwide and ranked 1st in eight countries, including South Korea, garnering interest beyond the domestic market. Evaluations suggested that Kim Ji-won's presence and the genre characteristics of a fast-paced medical drama resonated with global viewers.

However, the atmosphere surrounding the work changed as controversies that emerged early in the broadcast began to mount. Notably, in episode 8, the viewership for the Saturday broadcast was lower than that of the Friday broadcast. This is a noteworthy result considering that in Friday-Saturday dramas, Saturday viewership is not uncommon to be relatively high. However, it is difficult to conclude that the single episode's decline was directly caused by the controversies.

First, some in the medical community raised issues regarding the way medical staff and medical sites are depicted in the drama. An internet user, identified as "A," who stated they are an orthopedic surgeon, revealed via social media on the 15th of last month that they had requested a broadcast review for 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia'. They claimed that the direction repeatedly portrays medical rounds as unnecessary chores, simplifies medical staff into incompetent villains, and fails to sufficiently reflect the uncertainties inherent in medical procedures.

"While I understand dramatic exaggeration, I judged that this could instill a wrong perception of medical reality," A criticized. The core of the issue is the awareness that while medical dramas may reconstruct reality to increase dramatic tension, they must be cautious in their depiction since they deal with a profession directly linked to human life. This has expanded into a debate over how to secure a balance between the genre's entertainment value and the accuracy of medical reality.

An episode featuring the May 18 Democratization Movement also formed a pillar of the controversy. In the broadcast on the 24th of last month, genius surgeon Gye Su-jeong (Kim Ji-won) stepped forward to operate on patient Oh Sang-beom, who has lived for 46 years with a bullet fragment lodged in his brain from a head wound sustained in May 1980. As it was later revealed that Oh Sang-beom was a victim of gunshot wounds during the May 18 Democratization Movement, the story expanded beyond the medical field to highlight the tragedies of modern Korean history and the scars left on individuals.

The work attempted to highlight a doctor's sense of duty and human compassion through the suffering of a victim who has lived with gunshot wounds and the memories of that day for a long time. However, viewer reactions were divided regarding the method and expression of bringing a historical event into the drama's narrative. Consequently, a "Petition regarding the suspension of the SBS Doctor X drama broadcast" was posted on the National Assembly Public Consent Petition, and it is reported that the petition has met the requirement of 100 supporters.

Ultimately, 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' has faced two opposing currents: commercial success and controversy. In the beginning, it drove up viewership and topicality with Kim Ji-won's powerful character portrayal, intense surgical scenes, and a story that delves into the underside of medical power. The lead actress's performance was also notable, with Kim Ji-won being mentioned as a candidate for year-end acting awards. However, the criticisms raised during the process of handling medical reality and historical tragedy remain tasks for the work to resolve.

Whether the viewership drop in episode 8 is a temporary adjustment or a turning point in its commercial trend remains to be seen through subsequent broadcast results. However, it is clear that it is difficult to evaluate the quality of the work based solely on high viewership and global achievements. Attention is focused on whether 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' can move past the controversy to recover viewer trust and interest and revive its upward trend toward the 20% mark.

Read the original (Korean)