The Doctor X K-drama has successfully concluded its run, but ultimately fell short of breaking the coveted 20% viewership rating barrier.
During the final episode of the SBS Fri-Sat drama ‘Doctor X: Age of White Mafia’ (hereafter ‘Doctor X’), broadcast on the 14th, the storyline featured Gye Su-jeong (played by Kim Ji-won) performing heart surgery on Kim Seung-hyo (played by Jeon Kuk-hwan).
According to Nielsen Korea, a viewership research company, the final episode of ‘Doctor X’ recorded 15.2% nationwide, 14.5% in the metropolitan area, and a peak of 17.3%, bringing it to a close as the No. 1 show in its time slot. Notably, the finale saw a 0.7%p increase compared to the previous episode, marking an impressive conclusion.
However, considering the strong momentum in its early weeks, the failure to surpass the 20% viewership threshold leaves a slight sense of regret. ‘Doctor X’ premiered with 11.4% for its first episode, surged to 18.5% by episode 4, and climbed to 19.5% by episode 6, putting the “magic 20%” mark within touching distance.
Subsequent pacing issues led to a significant drop in ratings, recording 16.5% for episode 7, 15.6% for episode 8, and 15.3% for episode 9, before rebounding slightly to 17.7% for episode 10.
Unfortunately, the upward trajectory could not be sustained, as the series wrapped up with 14.5% for episode 11 and 15.2% for the finale.
Following its strong start, ‘Doctor X’ drew attention for whether it could surpass SBS’s top-performing hit of the year, ‘Manager Kim’. ‘Manager Kim’ started at 9.5% for its first episode, skyrocketed to 21.6% in just four episodes, and achieved a peak rating of 23.1% before ending its run with a 23% finale rating.
While high expectations surrounded Kim Ji-won’s transformation into a surgeon and the fiery early momentum of ‘Doctor X’, the series ultimately finished as the No. 1 show in its time slot without managing to break the 20% barrier.
Meanwhile, the follow-up project to SBS’s ‘Doctor X: Age of White Mafia’ will be ‘Good Partner 2’, starring Jang Nara and Kim Hye-yoon. It is scheduled to premiere on the 20th at 9:50 PM.
