Netflix cancels new medical K-drama’s second season after just four episodes, despite huge popularity and top ranking

Netflix cancels Resident Playbook

In its classic scrapping style, Netflix has slapped a “limited series” tag on Resident Playbook, which means that after a 12-episode run (already shorter than the traditional 16-22 episode format most K-dramas follow), there’s no chance of a renewal. No official confirmation has come from the makers yet, but the streamer clearly isn’t keen on bringing a sequel on board. The move comes as a surprise, especially since the show pulled in around 2.8 million views this week alone, after spending two straight weeks at the top of Netflix’s non-English TV chart. This week, it’s sitting comfortably at the number 3 spot and is currently the number 1 show in six countries, including India. It’s also in the top 10 in 14 countries, including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and more.

Also read: Heavenly Ever After first impression: Skip Son Suk Ku’s K-drama if you are not ready for the most unconventional romance yet

Speaking of Resident Playbook’s domestic rating, according to Nielsen Korea, the show’s fourth episode pulled in an average nationwide rating of 5.1, marking its personal best. The drama was also named the most popular among key demographic viewers aged between 20 to 49. However, the show’s rising popularity was slightly overshadowed by the arrival of Son Suk Ku and Kim Hye Ja’s Heavenly Ever After, which debuted with a nationwide rating of 6.1 percent, claiming the top spot in its time slots across all cable channels.

Resident Playbook controversy

Resident Playbook’s premiere was delayed repeatedly, probably due to the show’s subject intersecting with the controversy that triggered a massive health crisis in South Korea last year. Back in 2024, many residents and doctors took to the streets in protest, and the country saw mass resignations from the health department after the government proposed increasing medical school admissions. Those protesting argued that mass admissions would lower the quality of medical education, and the core issues, low pay, overwork, and constant stress, would once again be ignored. In the latest move, however, according to the Korea Times, the government has frozen the earlier order passed during former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s term. Meanwhile, some still believe the show risks romanticising resident life amid the ongoing controversy.

Resident Playbook revolves around four Gen Z interns who join Yulje Hospital’s OB-GYN department (again, one of the most debated departments in South Korea’s medical field) as it struggles to find new recruits amid the country’s declining birth rate. The K-drama shows how these first-year students handle crises, their way of confronting issues, speaking their minds, constantly thinking of quitting, and not being ready to settle for the hustle culture just yet.