Resident Playbook- (Final) Episodes 11-12
Real Estate Red Flags, Secret Roommates, and Surprise In-Laws
Episode 11 of Resident Playbook serves up domestic comedy, workplace drama, and one hilarious group realization that leaves the residents absolutely shook.
We open with I-yeong and Do-won playing house-hunters, visiting a real estate office to find Do-won an apartment near the hospital. There, they meet a very chatty stranger trying to sell them a house—none other than Dr. Do Jae-hak (from Hospital Playlist fame). But our oblivious lovebirds think he’s a scammer and run out before he can convince them otherwise, despite his insistence that he’s the one who got scammed once. Rough crowd.
Their day doesn’t slow down. At a restaurant, a customer suddenly starts choking. In true drama-hero form, I-yeong and Do-won leap into action, saving the man. Unfortunately for their secret relationship, someone catches them in the act. Even more unfortunately—it’s the new OB-GYN nurse. But don’t worry, she promises to keep their relationship on the down-low... for now.
Nam-kyung is still on her OB-GYN recruiting mission, targeting intern Tak Gi-on (again). He’s still not biting. Maybe he just needs a little chaos and blood pressure spikes to be convinced.
Back at the hospital, I-yeong is assigned to Professor Geum Sae-byeok, who is 100% workaholic and about 99% ignoring the fact that she’s due to give birth next week. Geum’s vibe? "Yes, I'm in labor, but can we finish rounds first?"
Meanwhile, Jae-il fakes a frozen leg after napping in a weird hospital-bed yoga pose. His goal? More time with Sa-bi. She doesn’t fall for it completely, but she does help him out. Later, we see a more tender side of him as he visits an elderly cancer patient and her sister—two women who bicker like pros until one breaks down in fear of losing the other. Jae-il snaps a photo of them together, giving them a tangible memory to hold on to. Cue the tissues.
In a crossover of personal and professional worlds, I-yeong accidentally bumps into Nam-kyung during a family dinner with her sister and brother-in-law. Awkward? Yes. Hilarious? Also yes.
The next day, Professor Geum is finally admitted as a patient—but not before still trying to boss I-yeong around mid-contractions. During an emergency delivery, Nam-kyung and her second-year colleague drop their calm facades and spring into action. Their fiery, focused energy finally gets through to Gi-on, who sees for the first time the heart-pounding intensity—and reward—of OB-GYN work.
Later, Professor Geum finally lets go of her doctor armor and admits she’s in real pain. Before going into surgery, she asks I-yeong to perform the suturing herself. I-yeong is hesitant, but she pulls it off flawlessly, gaining her professor’s trust and respect.
That night, I-yeong can’t stop checking on Professor Geum, her protectiveness kicking into high gear. We also learn that the new nurse and I-yeong go way back. In a powerful flashback, it’s revealed that I-yeong once bit a senior doctor who was assaulting the nurse. Rumors twisted the story into her attacking a superior, but the truth? She was defending a colleague when no one else would.
The next day, things spiral into comic chaos. Sa-bi receives texts from both I-yeong and Do-won with the same home address. Suspicious. Then Nam-kyung hears Do-won refer to I-yeong as his "sister-in-law." Odd.
And finally, the nail in the coffin: the residents stumble upon a viral video of I-yeong and Do-won saving that choking man at the restaurant. The pieces fall into place like a medical drama jigsaw puzzle—they’re dating, they’re in-laws, and they live together. The group’s collective brain short-circuits as the episode ends in perfect, chaotic fashion.
Love Revealed, Loss Felt, and One Very Expired Lottery Ticket
Episode 12 of Resident Playbook kicks off with the cat officially out of the bag: the residents all know about I-yeong and Do-won’s relationship. They ask the couple to keep it on the down-low… but plot twist—literally everyone in the hospital already knows. Word travels faster than a Code Blue at Yulje.
To make things even juicier, the gang catches Do-won opening a new bank account and immediately jump to wedding speculation. His shy little “yes” doesn’t exactly help squash the rumors.
Elsewhere, Jae-il shows just how far he’s come from his intern days. He’s been sleeping at the hospital to comfort a terminal cancer patient in pain. After digging through research like a med-school detective, he manages to come up with a med combo that finally eases her suffering. His professor is so impressed, he offers Jae-il a co-authored paper—with Jae-il as first author. From K-pop idol to published doctor? We love a glow-up.
Meanwhile, Sa-bi watches Professor Ryu try to lift a nervous patient’s spirits before surgery… with dad jokes. Post-op, he repeats the same corny humor and explains it helps patients feel normal again. Inspired, Sa-bi gives joking a try, and while she’s more awkward than funny, it’s a sweet moment for a resident who’s struggled with emotional connection.
Over in OB-GYN, I-yeong and Professor Seo are dealing with a full house of soon-to-be moms on New Year’s Eve. A couple of younger mothers are fixated on delivering exactly at midnight to make the “New Year’s baby” news. Spoiler: that doesn’t happen. But when the babies arrive early, all that timing anxiety melts away. Ironically, it’s one of the older mothers who ends up delivering right at midnight—and I-yeong gets to perform the placenta removal like a pro. Professor Seo is quietly proud.
Nam-kyung, on the other hand, faces a different kind of milestone. She meets her first terminal cancer patient and holds her hand through the final moments. Just as the emotional weight hits her, Dr. Yang Seok-hyung (yes, him) rushes in with a laboring patient. Nam-kyung helps deliver the baby, experiencing the full circle of life and death in a single shift. It’s quietly devastating—and beautifully done.
At the residents' New Year’s meal, I-yeong casually drops a bomb: she once won the lottery and planned to quit the hospital this year. No one believes her until she pulls out the actual ticket… only to find the claim date has expired.That second-year salary never looked so disappointing.
Later, Do-won shows up with flowers and a couple’s ring, sealing the deal with a kiss. Jae-il, in the spirit of romance, confesses to Sa-bi. She admits she misses him but isn’t ready to date. Still, they walk off together, and we’re definitely not ruling anything out.
In a surprise move, Gi-on officially joins the OB-GYN team and drops a subtle-but-not-subtle hint that he’s got a thing for Nam-kyung. Let the new awkward tension begin.
The next day, Professor Seo drops her own bomb: Dr. Chu Min-ha is promoted to OB-GYN professor—beating out Dr. Myung. Min-ha is radiant; Dr. Myung, predictably, is not. But she plays along… for now.
Meanwhile, I-yeong’s sister Ju-yeong faces yet another failed IVF attempt. This time, she decides to stop trying. It’s a quiet, emotional decision, made heavier by the fact that she and her husband still don’t know that Do-won and I-yeong are dating—even after literally seeing them holding hands. Selective blindness, anyone?
As the episode winds down, I-yeong officially steps into her role as a second-year resident. It’s a fresh start—personally and professionally—and a perfect note to end on.
DramaZen's Opinion
Episodes 11 and 12 of Resident Playbook are the emotional, hilarious, and heartwarming finale we didn’t know we needed—but absolutely deserved. These episodes are packed with everything we’ve come to love about the show: chaotic medical emergencies, slow-burn romance payoffs, resident glow-ups, and that uniquely Yulje blend of laughter and tears.
Episode 11 sets the tone with everyone finally catching on to I-yeong and Do-won’s relationship—and the collective meltdown that follows is comedy gold. From surprise real estate run-ins to viral video clues, the reveal is both chaotic and sweet. Meanwhile, Jae-il fake-injuring himself just to spend time with Sa-bi? Adorable. Also mildly concerning.
Then Episode 12 beautifully balances humor and heartbreak. We get life, loss, and one tragically expired lottery ticket (still not over it). Watching I-yeong grow under Professor Geum’s mentorship, Nam-kyung experience her first death and birth in one shift, and Sa-bi awkwardly learning to joke with patients—all felt so authentic. And Jae-il getting that co-authorship offer? He really said, "idol to intern to published legend."
Add in a surprise promotion for Min-ha (yes!), a soft ring-and-kiss moment for our main couple (finally!), and the beginnings of a possible love triangle with Gi-on and Nam-kyung? We’re fed.
The finale wrapped everything with heart and intention—bittersweet but hopeful, full of growth, and the quiet promise that these residents, despite all the chaos, are exactly where they’re meant to be. What a ride.
