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[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Blood" Episode 7

We finally find out why Jae-wook has spent the entire drama playing practical jokes on Ji-sang instead of doing something more purposeful- whatever Jae-wook needs from Ji-sang, it requires that the younger vampire at least be alive in one form or another. This plot point could have happened in the third episode and we would not have lost anything of signifiance. I know that to some extent I should really be grateful that "Blood" finally has an actual point but it is way, way too late for the drama to still be establishing basic facts regarding the premise.

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Ditto with Ri-ta's general paranoia regarding Ji-sang's healing factor. Until the flashbacks popped up I'd completely forgotten that she has, in fact, observed multiple strange phenomenon regarding Ji-sang's medical condition. It's just that the pacing in "Blood" has been so bad that we get maybe one of these scenes every episode, so the implication is that she's just rude to Ji-sang because of personality conflict- not out of any actual reason.

So what have we been doing this whole time? Mostly just ominous scenes where medical personnel mess around with IV drips. All right, so that's why Jae-wook seems sympathetic all of a sudden- contrary to what the first episode implied, it's Jae-wook that's actually doing the medical research, and Ji-sang that's just investigating the medical research. Well, that certainly explains why our alleged main character appears to be treating the interesting storyline like it's merely a subplot to standard medical drama.

The drama's still a little hazy on what the actual conflict is going to be. At this point most of what happens in the hospital appears to be political in nature rather than a result of medical investigation. Even the main medical case this drama isn't a case of doctors doing doctor stuff, but Ri-ta using the force of her personality to talk a patient out of making a rash decision. What do you know- it turns out she does have some useful skills.

I feel a little bad being so snarky about "Blood" actually improving, but this episode really does emphasize just how lousy the drama has been up until now. How is it that we had to wait until a third of the way through for any of the three main characters to have an actual conversation with each other? The supporting characters, too, as yet remain mostly undefined. But at least now there's some hope that "Blood" will turn out somewhat watchable.

Review by William Schwartz

"Blood" is directed by Ki Min-soo, written by Park Jae-beom-I and features Ahn Jae-hyun, Koo Hye-sun, Ji Jin-hee, Jung Hae-in, Kim Kap-soo, Son Sook and more.

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