ABSTRACT
Introduction Angel Heart (Xinshu, 2012), the popular TV serial under examination in this chapter, is one of the major medical dramas produced in mainland China. The show’s narrative focuses on hospital life and the disputes between health providers and patients, events that are common occurrences in contemporary China. By creating characters that are exemplary doctors, Angel Heart attempts to assuage the antithetical sentiments between medical staff and patients. In line with the government’s endorsement to build a harmonious and an egalitarian society (which indicates an observable left turn in politics), Angel Heart uses the relationship between doctors and patients as a metaphor to mirror the overall social relationship between China’s “haves” and “have-nots.” In its efforts to mitigate the deteriorating antagonism between these two groups caused by the expanding gap between their incomes and social status, the show acts as a mediator between the government and its citizens. The principal goal of Angel Heart is to provide the Chinese people with the understanding that the government aims to provide reliable social welfare. Apart from the public focus on conflicts between health providers and patients, the show also extends its purview to other social debates and concerns. In doing so, Angel Heart turns the hospital’s micro society into a metaphor for the macro society of today’s China.
