"Good Doctor" got close, very close, to reaching 20 percent in the ratings this week but even a love confession could not quite get it there. The drama about a gifted doctor with a disability did reach 19.4 percent by its second night, which meant that it continued to hold on to first place in its time slot.
The "Good Doctor" Park Shi On is a medical genius but a social misfit with autism spectrum disorder. This week he finally confessed the reason that he uncontrollably hiccups whenever he is near his colleague Cha Yoon Seo. Park, played Joo Won, likes Cha, played by Moon Chae Won, but he has a difficult time understanding or expressing his emotions.
Life is still tough for Park Shi On, with people doubting his savant medical skills but the audience keeps cheering for him to succeed. The character's likeability and his sympathetic portrayal by Joo is one of the reasons that the show has succeeded in the time slot's ratings. A new character was also introduced this week. While it has been a few episodes since viewers met Park's mother, the quiet cafeteria lady, this week his cruel father made an appearance.
Ratings for the SBS drama "Empire of Gold" also rose from 10.8 percent on Monday to 11.2 percent on Tuesday. As the battle continues for control of the corporate Sungjin Group, it becomes obvious that the most ruthless players have the best chance of succeeding. Jang Tae Joo, played by Go Soo, makes it clear that he doesn't care what others think of him and that he will do whatever it takes to get to the top.
Ratings for the MBC drama "Goddess of Fire" dropped from 8.4 to 7.9 percent. That drama also recently saw a love confession with Prince Gwanghee, played by Lee Sang Yoon, confessing his love for the potter Jung Yi, played by Moon Geun Young and thereby defining the love triangle with her and Tae Do, played by Kim Bum.
Another love triangle was playing out on the ghostly cable drama "Who Am I?" This one involved two detectives, played by So E Hyun and 2PM's Taecyeon, and a handsome ghost, played by Kim Jae Wook. That cable drama rose slightly from 1.106 to 1.237 in the ratings.
When it came to variety shows, the KBS show "Our Neighborhood Variety and Sports" came out on top with 7.2 percent, while MBC's Cultwo Veranda Show earned 5.0 percent and SBS' Incarnation reached 4.4 percent in the Nielsen ratings.
