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Faith: Episode 5

I never thought I’d say this, but Kim Hee-sun is sorta rocking my socks in this show. It’s more character than acting, but in either case I think both really work to bolster my favorite aspect of the show, which is definitely the comedy angle.

It’s so funny how I was expecting Faith to be this large-scale epic story, and yet what’s cracking me up in every episode is how the comedy actually undercuts that pomposity. Just when you think the show’s getting ready for a big dose of grandeur, there she is, the modern doctor with a skeptical look and a dismissive “Oh, just get over yourselves” attitude. It makes my day.

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EPISODE 5 RECAP

Ki Chul arrives at court, feigning concern for his king, and demands to know who has been whispering lies in his ear. He accuses Eun-soo, who’s at a loss as to how to respond, although royal doc Jang Bin advises her to stay put to avoid escalating the trouble.

It’s Gongmin who breaks the tension by laughing — so this is the Ki Chul he heard so much about. He says in a conciliatory, almost flattering tone that he owes his current position to Ki Chul and his sister (Qi Empress, a Goryeo woman who became empress of the Yuan Dynasty).

The empress had told him that her brother would look after him, even advising him not to be alarmed should he refuse to bow, or if he boldly approached the throne (and yup, there Ki Chul is, hovering over the throne, showing ballsy disregard for court manners).

Either the empress really knew her brother or Gongmin is a shrewd thinker, because he’s totally defanged Ki Chul’s challenge. He adds that doesn’t take this as disrespect — he knows Ki Chul is acting out of loyalty and sincerity.

Ki Chul asks if they really believe the healer is from heaven. Princess Noguk speaks up: “I believe it.” She shows her neck injury and credits Eun-soo for healing her: “Is there another physician in the land with that kind of talent?”

Jang Bin whispers that Eun-soo should behave as a heaven-sent doctor. To which she’s all, Uh, and how would that be? Ki Chul tsks-tsks that the king has been fooled — was it Choi Young who fed him such silliness? Drag him here immediately!

Eun-soo contradicts, “That is not possible.” As his doctor, nobody is allowed to do anything without her permission. She’s a little hesitant in her delivery, but her stance is firm.

Ki Chul won’t abide a charlatan like her ordering him around, and he starts to override her… only to have Eun-soo balk at his wording (calling her a bitch) and his use of banmal. HA. I love that he’s winding up to make this pompous tirade against her, and she basically cuts him down with Eh, shut yer trap.

Eun-soo says she’s way too old to put up with this and even challenges, “How old are you?” Haha, there’s nothing like modern-day egalitarianism to put a royal in his place. She adds that she’s put up with a ton of difficult patients before so he’s small beans. Muttering like half-ajumma, half-gangster, she warns that she’ll let this issue go here, out of respect for the king.

Pfffft. This is cracking me up. Even when Ki Chul growls, “Do you wish to die?” she isn’t cowed. Instead, she confirms, “Is this guy’s name Ki Chul? Oh right, I remember!” It’s her hazy history coming back to her, and she says, “Yuan doesn’t stick around much longer and ends in ruin!” LOL.

Eun-soo refers to her past-kings-of-Korea mnemonic song, which reminds her that the Ming Dynasty is on its way soon to replace Yuan. “Ki Chul-sshi! I even remembered how you die.” Everyone starts at that, and she adds like a smug child, “But I won’t tell you. Why? Because you’re a pain in the ass.”

I. Love. Her. She gets in Ki Chul’s face like a wannabe gangsta, spelling out F-U-C-K and telling him in English to “Go to hell.” She’s terrible at it, which just makes it more awesome. And that look on his face? Somebody make a meme out of it, please.

It’s not exactly god-like behavior, but she sure is bizarre enough to pass for some kind of otherworldly being. The confrontation does sap her energy, and Eun-soo stumbles once she’s out of sight. Jang Bin helps her up and congratulates her on a job well done.

Eun-soo returns to Choi Young’s sickbed, determined to save him if only for the simple reason that she can’t get back home without him. His sword wound isn’t looking so great, and she gets to work cutting it open to remove pus and rotten flesh. Jang Bin whips up a medicine to treat the area.

Choi Young remains in his dream-sleep, where he fishes with his father. Dad asks the vague question of whether that person is still in his heart, and Choi Young says yes, that he hasn’t been able to let go. It’s worded like he’s unable to forget a dead loved one, and a flashback clarifies the matter:

We’re back in his Jeokwoldae days, and Choi Young trains with his fellow warrior, the one who’d been degraded by the king. They fight and flirt, which seems like a dangerous combination to me. But it gives her the chance to tell him, “Don’t worry about your back, because I’ll always be there.”

Choi Young whirls her around and down to the grass, saying, “Don’t ever leave my sight. That way, I can protect you.” It’s not even double entendre at this point, is it?

He leans in to kiss her, but then she fades from sight and he finds himself alone in the woods. As he races to find (stop?) her, they both think of the recent scene with the king that resulted in their leader’s death.

She uses her whip to swing herself into a tree, flinging her red-moon bandanna into the air, and jumps. The bandanna flies into Choi Young’s hands, and he knows she’s gone.

Back in our present timeline, Choi Young’s body starts to convulse. They hold down his limbs to keep him steady and Eun-soo despairs, not understanding why he won’t wake up. She rants to Jang Bin — they treated his wound and stabilized him, so why is he still out?

Jang Bin says that Choi Young has been injured before, and managed to heal himself without much medical treatment. He says the lesser doctor fixes the wound, but a better one fixes the person. So she’s treated the injury, but not yet the person.

She recognizes that line of thinking from her own med student days; it suggests that Choi Young doesn’t have the will to live. But she can’t leave it be, she says — it’s why she became a cosmetic surgeon although she specialized in cardiothoracic (chest) surgery. She was good at it, too: “But I disliked patients.”

She frames it (as usual) in terms of money, where the simple eyelid tuck brings in easy money. Whereas the difficult, complicated chest-opening surgery… well, it’s not-so-easy money.

Jang Bin asks if she’s ever killed a patient, and she huffily replies no. He supposes, “Then you’re afraid you’ll kill him.” That if Choi Young dies, he’ll be her first death.

More dreaming. Now Choi Young sits at his fishing hole alone, covered in frost.

Over at the House of Ki, younger brother Ki Won and his advisor discuss the doctor. Ki Won admits (in hushed voice) that he got the chills at her death forecast — it doesn’t sound like she was just spouting nonsense. Worse yet, there’s that weird angry phrase she hurled at him (her F-U, haha) — you know, the one that sounded like a death incantation.

Ki Chul decides to reevaluate his stance on the woman, then scolds Ki Won for not bringing Choi Young to them as ordered.

The advisor reports that Choi Young is hanging in life-and-death limbo, perhaps cursed.

Ki Chul returns to the palace that very night, this time giving the king a proper bow as he requests an audience. Gongmin lets him kneel for an extra moment, then says, “Ah, I was so startled to receive your respects that I have let you bow for too long.” So sly.

The reason for his visit is because Ki Chul has deciphered the note Choi Young had shown him relating to the murder of the king’s council. The meaning: the previous king (now exiled) will die if Gongmin becomes king. Thus it’s an appeal to the previous king’s supporters to help him, and proof of treason.

Ki Chul confesses that was the one who killed the advisors, for king and country.

We know that the letter was faked, as the blood wasn’t human. That means Ki Chul has found a way to kill the king’s faithful supporters by accusing them of rebellion, and Gongmin contemplates his next move. Choi Young had outlined his two options: Either confront him with the lie, or play ignorant and go along with it.

Gongmin makes up his mind: He laughs and agrees, and even proposes giving Ki Chul an award for his service. But since he’s not sure what would be appropriate, what would Ki Chul suggest?

Ki Chul makes his request: There is a patient in his household suffering from an illness that can only be cured by a heavenly physician. “If she is truly from heaven, she will naturally be able to fix that disease. If she is unable, then I, acting on behalf of your majesty, will secretly eliminate her.”

Gongmin tells him to cut to the chase: What does he want? Ki Chul answers that he wants the king on his side, and intends to rid all obstacles — whether that’s Eun-soo or Choi Young.

Gongmin asks, is he saying he wants the king to be a complacent puppet who does Ki Chul’s bidding? No is the response — he wants his heart. Collecting them is a pastime he enjoys (uh, figuratively at least, not literal hearts), and the harder to obtain, the more thrilling the chase.

The king agrees to play this game, starting with the doctor — will he be able to win her heart (loyalty) as well? He’ll give him a week — if he can win her over, she’s his to keep. If he fails, Ki Chul is to return her unharmed.

Choi Yong’s body is growing colder, but Eun-soo has no way to treat him without the proper tools. Sighing, she talks to him, telling him she understands how he feels, and “why you became a psycho.” (Heh.)

But he’s not the only one struggling, she argues — but people live anyway, fighting tooth and nail. “Because… because…” she pauses, tearing up… and notices he’s stopped breathing. Eun-soo begins CPR on his unresponsive body. On the dream-side, Choi Young sits covered in snow, looking blank.

Jang Bin tries to stop her, telling her it’s all over since he’s not breathing. Crying, Eun-soo insists she won’t let him go this way: “You told me to stay by you, that you’d protect me!” Hm, those words are an echo of what he’d promised his old love.

She resumes CPR, her tears falling on his face. In his dream-state, that tear lands on his face as her voice rings in his ear: “You said you’d protect me!”

And then, that tear breaks through his icy outer shell (way to be literal, guys), revealing warm skin underneath. Just as Jang Bin is about to give up hope, they realize he’s come back.

Noguk bursts into the king’s chambers, upset at the news that he’s letting Ki Chul have the doctor. When he takes issue with her lack of respect, she throws that right back at him, saying his is a bigger concern.

He asks if her manners are to blame for this rudeness, or if it’s because she’s the princess of the powerful Yuan while he’s a powerless little king. She replies that the hunted prey thinks everyone is out to get it — just like him. He can’t send away the doctor and Choi Young, two people he needs for his own safety.

Gongmin asks sarcastically if she’s worried about him — what about her calling Choi Young secretly to her chambers? “Was that for my sake, too?” Noguk just replies, “I did not know you had such interest in me.”

He demands a response. She says that if the king falls, so does she — so of course she’s worried about him. That’s why she ran to see him, ignoring the rules of propriety, because she couldn’t sit still and do nothing.

That shocks Gongmin, who starts to approach. But she stops him with her apology: “I will not seek you out or ask questions of you anymore. Pray forgive me.”

Ki Won barges into the hospital ward with armed men, here to take the doctor away. The Woodalchi men draw their swords against him, and Jang Bin steps in to demand proof that this is a royal command, since they’re also under royal orders to protect.

Ki Won orders his men into action, and a fight breaks out. Eun-soo hears the scuffle and emerges from the room, her appearance stopping the action. Several officers lay injured on the ground, and she sees that they’re still alive and literally calls time-out. Ha.

Ki Won tries to command her to follow his orders, but she brushes that aside (“I’ll hear what you have to say later”) to tend to his soldier. Just before another round of fighting is about to break out, Woodalchi No. 2 Choong-seok steps in and confirms the royal decree.

With no other recourse, Eun-soo is dragged off.

The news is reported to Noguk in the morning, who wonders if the doctor will be killed. And if that happens, will Choi Young die too?

Speaking of whom, Choi Young finally wakes. He’s weak and in pain but suits up, intending to get the doctor right back. How could they just let her go, royal command or not? He tells Jang Bin he could’ve knocked her unconscious and argued that she couldn’t be moved.

Jang Bin asks incredulously if the king’s protector is really going to ignore the king’s command. But he doesn’t stop him, and instead hands over a pouch of medicine and the warning not to use his ki if he can, lest he push too hard and render himself unable to use it ever again.

He adds that Ki Chul is using false pretenses to get rid of the doctor, and warns that he’ll accuse Choi Young as well. What is his plan to counter that?

Choi Young: “Frontal attack.” It’s the same response he had when he kidnapped Eun-soo (er, the first time) and blasted aside the SWAT officers. Um, he just told you not to use your lightning powers!

Off he goes (with his trusty police shield tucked behind him, HA), riding alone (and trailed quietly by Dae-man) to Ki Chul’s front gate, where he announces himself and requests an audience.

Ki Chul is displeased with his informants’ contradictory reports: Choi Young was supposed to be on the verge of death, and the doctor was deemed an outright quack. But could the stories be true? Could she really be from heaven, and Hwata’s true disciple?

His advisor tries to argue that they’re all crazy, but Ki Chul isn’t convinced. Would anyone else dare confront him and say they could foresee his death? And is anyone else capable of ordering him to kneel and bow his head, as Choi Young did?

“Both are under my roof right now,” he says, and trades a knowing look with his flutist of death, Eum-ja. That’s not supposed to be a sexy look, is it? And Eum-ja happens to be… petting a cat? That’s random. Or are we picking up narrative devices from Inspector Gadget now? Don’t worry dudes, we already know you’re eeeeeevil, cat overlord or no.

Gongmin doesn’t react strongly to hearing of Choi Young’s departure, although he does say reproachfully that his “frontal attack” mission is an act of mockery to the king, who’s working so hard to pull his own tricks. He looks saddened and disappointed as he says he’d told Choi Young he trusted him, but it’s clear Choi Young doesn’t trust him back: “The princess could not trust me and ran to shout her reproaches, and Choi Young could not trust me and left prepared to die, without one word to me.”

Gongmin gets worked up as he mutters angrily that Choi Young must have felt consulting with the king was useless, “Since the king is so cowardly and incompetent and shameless!” He’s near tears as he says it would have been harder to believe that such a king let the doctor go with a plan in mind.

He wonders how he’s supposed to endure as king when there’s nobody who believes in him.

Choi Young waits outside in the courtyard. As Eum-ja leads him inside, he looks around — noting the guard formation, perhaps? — and spots Eun-soo off in the distance, tied to a chair. He immediately heads toward her, knocking guards aside, and reaches the chair.

Only, it’s not Eun-soo after all. It’s fire-handed Hwasuin, and she whirls around and throws a red-hot cup at him. It bursts into flames against his shield, and they smirk at each other. She’s all, Wasn’t the disguise great? Didn’t I look like her? He tosses back that the woman he knows would never have just been sitting there quietly, which, HA. True enough.

Hwasuin leaps onto the rooftop and leaves Choi Young on the ground, surrounded by soldiers. He beats them all down anyway, and while the scuffle occurs on the ground the others watch from their perches above — Ki Chul, Eum-ja, and Hwasuin.

Ki Chul notices that Choi Young isn’t using his ki, and gives the order for Eum-ja to sound his deathnote. His advisor protests — Eum-ja hasn’t yet been able to hone his abilities to kill a single target, and there’s bound to be collateral damage. Aw, so there’s a killer in dramaland who isn’t a genius?

Ki Chul gives the signal anyway.

Eum-ja starts playing, and the shrill sound sends everyone reeling. Choi Young falters, and so do his opponents. The soldiers succumb quickest, while Ki Chul calls upon his own mysterious power to frost over his ears, shielding them.

Choi Young starts to bleed from the ears as well, but he finds the strength to stand. He marshals his ki, which sends energy sparking all around him, and Ki Chul crows in triumph to see proof of it.

Choi Young’s ki-charged shield acts as a shield against the deathnote as well. The mystical forces act like a powerful wind against him, but he approaches and sends the wind slamming back at Eum-ja.

Before more fighting breaks out, a whistle sounds. It’s Dae-man, signaling from his rooftop perch.

In the palace, the entire Woodalchi force kneels before the king, begging for permission to send reinforcements to help their general. Gongmin refuses. Choong-seok argues passionately of their deep loyalty to the king, saying that there’s a reason for Choi Young disregarding the order, and they must save him in order to know it.

Gongmin flatly rejects him, and makes it very clear that contradiction his order makes them all traitors. And then he cleverly revises history: Woodalchi is aware of the king’s order, but Choi Young is not, because they have not seen him since yesterday and they do not know where he’s gone. Got it?

Now they realize that Gongmin is protecting him — although that also means denying him physical protection.

Thankfully he’s beyond needing it: Dae-man has located Eun-soo and directs Choi Young inside the house, fighting off remaining guards.

He smashes the lock and opens the door — and Eun-soo greets him with relief, “Psycho.”

She’s more concerned with his health and cups his face in her hand to check his temperature, relieved that he’s back to health.

Just then, the rest of the Baddies interrupt the reunion, led by Ki Chul. Choi Young reminds them that she is the king’s physician, and that he’d best remember his manners. Ki Chul notes his adherence to propriety, asking if he considers it more important than life.

Choi Young laughs, “Of course not. I’m only mentioning manners to buy myself some time. I’m thinking to take her and run away, you see.”

Now Ki Chul laughs, thinking it impossible to breach his line of supernaturally gifted soldiers. Does he have backup hidden out of sight?

Choi Young replies that he’s on a personal mission, unbeknownst to the king. Ki Chul: “Personal mission? Why?”

Choi Young: “Do you not understand the meaning of personal? I came here because I love that woman.”

Cue derp! faces from all. Even Ki Chul is all, Durrrrr, what?

Choi Young points out that the woman he loves got dragged off in the night; what man would stand idly by? He asks, “So can you not just let us leave, before more people get hurt?”

 
COMMENTS

I have no illusions that Choi Young meant the love confession at face value, despite the signs of a growing bond between them. But what I do enjoy about this show so far is that the war of rhetoric is so witty and sharp; all the characters are generally aware of their opponent’s true feelings, but with a carefully wielded argument here and a twist of wordplay there, they’re able to maneuver around each other. It’s like a game of chess; the movements are transparent, but that doesn’t mean all the strategies are obvious to all.

And then Eun-soo barges into the midst of this delicate balance and screws it all up by acting with her usual irrepressible stubbornness. I love it, because it’s like a standard sageuk with all the usual suspects… but perverted by this bold dash of anachronistic humor.

As I said, I’m really enjoying Kim Hee-sun in this drama; Eun-soo is by far my favorite character, with her plain talking and lack of respect for historical figures (mostly ’cause she doesn’t know them so well, which is a nice touch). The fish-out-of-water scenario is an expected one for this genre, but I love that in this drama it’s not the fish who flails and struggles — it’s the fish who makes everyone else off-kilter and confused.

Yes, Kim Hee-sun has always had a reputation of being more known for her beauty than her acting (along the lines of, say, Song Hye-gyo), but her lightweight flightiness is perfect for this drama. She’s the comic relief, making the gravitas of the sageuk genre seem absurd in relief. I love how every time Ki Chul winds up to exert his influence, she just takes wind right out of his sails and leaves him scratching his head.

And let’s face it, the fact that you have Yoo Oh-sung making such great Derp faces — while headlining as the Big Bad with evil powers and the pointy mustache to boot — totally makes his over-the-top villainy worth it. Because without the comedy, I’d say that yes, the baddies really are comically one-note, in an unintentional way. I’d much rather be laughing on purpose.

In fact, I think this drama is best when it’s being comedic. That may not be a universal opinion, but I find it much more interesting when you’re playing the grandiosity of the setting directly against the outrageousness of the plot and being cut down by Eun-soo’s “Don’t give me bullshit” attitude. The drama is cheeky and sly when it hangs a lantern on its genre like that, and while I fully expect the plot to get heavier as we progress into the series, I really, really hope it doesn’t lose its sense of humor.

And that isn’t to say that the drama doesn’t have depth, because I’m really loving the king’s trajectory, as well as Ryu Deok-hwan’s wonderful, sensitive performance. His marriage seems like a case of sadly crossed wires, where pride and insecurities are intruding, on both ends.

I actually don’t believe the princess has any romantic designs on Choi Young, although I can see why the drama may be playing it ambiguously. As I see it, she’s too devoted to Gongmin, if only he could see it through his own insecurities, but as she says his own frantic-prey mentality has him lashing out, using defense as offense. Perhaps it’s a critical strategy as a weak monarch, but as a husband who clearly seems to love his wife despite their baggage — dude, it’s really messing up your game.

I’d argue that Noguk is clearly in love with him as well, and has been from the first time she met him. But it’s a nice misunderstanding to have him jealous of his new best friend, jumping to conclusions — as he is wont to do — to accuse her. And that knee-jerk response is, ironically, why he isn’t trusted despite feeling he’s extended his trust outward. He has, but it’s with both hands, and one’s always ready to jerk it back at the first sign. I get it, it’s self-preservational. But it also makes him walk dangerously close to the other side, where one bad day, one bad misunderstanding, is all it takes to shove him over the edge, Othello-style. All he needs is his Iago whispering in his ear. Yet he also shows signs of greatness, and I’m pulling for him to realize that within himself.

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Thanks!

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Thank you very much for the recap! Off to read now... I will comment later.

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ha! Ivoire! you're first :)

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:-)!!!! Hello Kakashi :-)!!!

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Ivoire, how come you're awake?! ah, you're probably watching some KDrama, hehe

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Kakashi,

"Ivoire, how come you’re awake?! ah, you’re probably watching some KDrama, hehe"
Right? What else would I be doing? Hehe :-)

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Yaye! Thank you for the recap! :D

Off to read..

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I agree, Eun Soo seems hilarious. I can just imagine how Ki Chul and the others think of her - as some weird shaman spouting prophecies (future for them, past for us) and deadly-sounding curses (English to us, HAHA). It's so cute.

King Gongmin is my second favourite character. Mainly because I really like his acting. He has this wonderful gentle, conflicted yet resilient demeanor, which I admit is kinda hot. Hehe. I haven't seen this episode, but I can tell from your screencaps alone that he's gonna be great in the one.

One thing though - did Choi Young's first love commit suicide? Or just ran away?

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She committed suicide.

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Seems she hung herself by her own whip.

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Hm, so after she told Choi Young she'll always have his back, she goes off to kill herself? I just watched the episode, and I'm still a little confused by that part.

Was he just imagining training with her, or was she actually training with him, then sneaked off when he was about to kiss her to commit suicide?

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I took that scene as two different times. Like the play scene was done before the trip to the king and the suicide was after.

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lol

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oops..just realised u guys were serious abt she committing suicide(avn't seen this ep yet). sorry

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I'm not quite sure she's dead. Might be just me, though. Or else, why would frozen fishing dad ask if Choi Young had "found it?" or "forgotten her"? Is that afterlife or coma-mode? Either way, if she's in the afterlife, wouldn't Choi have bumped into her in coma-mode?

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let me be shallow for a moment.............
why so pretty, long-white-hair killer?*u*

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Totally agree! He is like a manga-character!!

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right? he totally reminds me of yunoki (from la corda d'oro primo passo)!!!^^

-also, i just realized now that they both play the flute! too awesome~ <3

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oh yeah, and boah, he has some fans on i.e. Facebook, even though he hasn't had more than 3' screen time so far :)

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Flute Dude...really?

i know this is being (extremely) petty, but c'mon now...AT LEAST BLOW THE dayum thang.

we're at epis. 5, stop being all Cee Lo Green and put the cat down and LEARN to play that flute!!!!!

no excuse why he can't be playing something on that by now. "in this day and age of cellphones and voyager 2", certainly the film crew can edit out Flute Boy'sounds and insert the ones we're hearing. Show...we're not stupid. Get Flute Boy to play. mKAY?

if Flute Boy isn't making real tunes by the end of the series, i want my money back.

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Pfffttt @Cee Lo Green ref.

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iSad.
no one got my Forces of Nature ref. ;(

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oh yes!!! Pretty men! Pretty dangerous men! ::sigh of satisfaction mixed with a little lust, well a lotta lust:: Cold and pretty and dispassionate...my favorite kinda man.

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I'm on the verge of dropping Faith. The only character keeping me engaged is the princess. Other than her, the plot moves slower than a snail, and I find myself yawning at the one-dimensional villains. But I loved Park Se Young ever since Equator Man. She was magnificent as young Soo Mi with her obsessive crush on Jang Il and rebellious lash outs against her father. So much so, in fact, that I don't think Im Jung Eun did adult Soo Mi justice.

I am not a Lee Min Ho fan nor do I find him the least bit pretty (and do not understand why people do find him pretty), so I was never watching Faith for Lee Min Ho, but because I wanted to see what the hype was all about and whether Faith would be better than Dr. Jin (HA!). I had no expectations going in, so I'm not terribly disappointed in how the drama is turning out.

Thanks for the recap, javabeans!

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Me too I am debating about dropping Faith.

If I still watch, it's only because of Eun-Soo because I am loving her antics but other than that I am really unimpressed with this drama + sooooo slow, errrrrrhhhhh!!!!

I find it boring and when the vilains appears I just feel the urge to do something else when they are on. I'll give it 2 more episodes then I'll see... It's a shame because I was so eager to see LMH plus it's not often that I can watch a drama in Goryo era but there is some much boringness somebody can take!!!

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you just totally read my mind. I'm really thinking about dropping it too, but the only reason I can't is because of Kim Hee-Sun and her character. Maybe a little because of Princess Noguk too. It's just so incredibly slow that I find myself checking my phone, opening a new tab here and there...argh

I was soooo excited for this but now it's just...meh. Honestly I really think these 5 episodes could've fit into 3. COME ONNNN :T

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Kim Hee-Sun IS AWESOME. HAHAHAHA "RED CROSS" "HOW OLD ARE YOU" "GO TO HEWLL" hahahahahaha--I am dying of laughter here

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I know right (about checking my phone, opening a new tab here and there)?!!! Kind of like that https://s-media-cache-ec8.pinimg.com/upload/35114072064861805_2K60vgte_c.jpg

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I find Lee Min Ho very pretty, but as you said the story is moving along sooo slowly, and I don't know why it cannot engage me... I was moving around, cleaning my table whilst pausing and couldn't watch it through in one sitting.... aaaaah... waaeee.....

At this point in time, I'd say so far in all respects its waay better than Dr Jin, but sadly behind when compared to, say, Arang and the Magistrate... why isn't Wed here already...

Thank you javabeans for another nice recap, and sorry that this ep wasn't as good as the last... let's hope things pick up soon..

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I don't understand why people love Arang and the Magistrate. It bores me to death, especially the last 2 episodes. Faith is no more boring than Arang. I enjoyed the first 2 episodes but since then? No. The same good vs evil God fighting. None of the questions are being answered, just more questions to be answered. It is unrealistic, as Arang comes back from the dead with the same face, yet noone knows who she is? Really?

We have basically been watching the same episode for the past 4 episodes. This is one overhyped drama.

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I love Arang because of the mysteries and the questions.

what do you expect for a 16 eps drama, to present a problem in one ep and then solve in the following ep, well there was one Korean drama , City Hunter and a Japanese drama, Ghost Mama , i'm pretty sure you wouldn't bored!

Unrealistic? there's a lot in the drama that is unrealistic, but the reason nobody recognizes her was, when she was living, nobody really saw her, she was protected by the father, a reclusive maiden they said, even the fiancee says, he only see her once, but in the burial scene she tried to hide ,afraid that the caretaker will recognize her.

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So nobody recognized her, when they just saw her dead body? The magistrate was talking to her ghost right in front of everyone, when she was looking at her dead self, and noone saw him?

Her fiancé doesn't recognize her either, even though his ring lights up? Noone who sees the dead body recognizes her. The Magistrate's servant doesn't recognize her, even though he just saw her dead body?

Yes! solve some of the questions, especially if you are going to add more questions to it. We have basically been watching the same episode over and over. Arang fights with the other ghosts, the ghost chasers come, Arang gets away; the good and evil gods play the same game over and over. The magistrate comes to "save" Arang. Arang talks to the shaman somewhere in there. Oh and it rains. Same thing every episode.

I practically already know how the drama will end.

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agree with LoveIt .some same does in Gasital. resecue and run,mouse and cat ...almost same thing in later episode.get borning then

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They don't recognize her because she was confined within the inner quarters (which in her case seems to have been her room), as proper yangban women were during the Joseon era. They didn't go about gallivanting as k-dramas often depict them of doing. Only men of the family were permitted to interact with the women.

And as danny points out above, the drama explicitly mentioned this as well as that her fiance saw her only once.

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Topic, please.

I think I we can all safely agree that a drama can be liked without linking its appeal to the non-appeal of another.

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Oups sorry I posted before seing this...

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thanks, mom.

just reading all the above, i really forgot where i was.

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For me Arang is far better than Faith in all regards but since it's a matter of personal preference each of us can only speak for ourselves and nobody can declare for others which drama is better than which.

You said that Arang is unrealistic but what is realistic in Faith?! the lady who kills/shoots fire with her hands?! the flutist who kills people just by playing the flute?! Choi Young who send electricity through his body with his hands and so on??!! What questions have been answered in Faith?! where is the plot even going?! we don't know because it's too soon, so it's the same for Arang!

I mean it's ok to compare but then it should be fair comparison...

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well, LoveIt, I just answered your question why some (including me) love Arang , as for Faith, initially I was bored too but lately the dialogue has become spanky especially the lead girl. But Javabeans is right, each drama can be liked without stepping the other's shortcomings. So have to save my raging ardours for arang this coming friday ep 5 recap.

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I respect you guys opinion and Javabeans as well, so I will be there Friday with you guys so we can properly discuss it in its right forum.

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OMG Dr. Jin! I don't think I've ever watched something so poorly put together. At the very least I like that the surgery aspect in Faith is much better than Jin. It put stitches in my side that some one could get shot or stabbed and be completely fine the next day, walking around like nothing.

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I think we all agree that we expected something more epic with Faith and that did not happen!

But, I love how is being developed. The story is about the change and grow our lead characters and the relationships between them (the King, Choi Young, EunSoo and the Queen). Because of this, I actually prefer this pace.

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I agree with you! Faith may not be as epic as we all wanted, and the pacing is not very fast, but I'm watching it because of the characters. Each of their stories are interesting individually and amazing when connected together.

What really gets to me are the insecurities of the King. The actor really conveys the feelings of the character well, and the bad guys are not doing so bad, despite the over-the-top villainy. I really enjoy the Princess's interactions with the King also. And of course, Eun Soo made my day with this episode. I love all of the characters and will keep watching to see how they change throughout the drama.

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I agree about loving the characters and their stories. What interests me is the story of how Choi Young get his groove back, and how Gongmin and Noguk get over themselves and realize they're both crazy in love. And of course, Eun Soo and her interaction with... well, everyone actually. :)

I think the story and the acting have been pretty stellar so far. The directing is a bit boring (which is maybe where the epic fails?) but I'm willing to handwave it if it's the only issue.

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I really don't think it's slow. I find it very intriguing that the hero was laid up and the non-hero captive doc had to save herself by being spunky. IT's a very bold move to have the hero of your story be literally lying down for the first few episodes.

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I´m only continue watching Faith because of Eun Soo, the other oriental hottie doctor and the white haired manga guy.

Other than that I find the drama pretty slow and boring too. They could pretty much just show me Eun Soo hilarious antics and it´s better than the whole episode.

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Thanks!!

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Thank u so much
Brb to edit it

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Thank you. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Commentary....it was beautifully written!

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Thanks for the recap. I have yet to watch this episode.

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Yey, Faith is starting to up its game. :) The women continue to be my favorite part in this drama.

The derp faces are starting to grow on me as well.

(thanks for the recap)

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i am so in love with kim hee sun character but i am hesitating whether to pick this drama up or not....gosh i always had a hard time with gloomy storyline that doesn't really go anywhere and at this point it seem to heading in that direction.....i think i am gonna sit and wait on this one...thanks for the recaps though.

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LOL Thanks for the recap. I do like Faith. It has it's funny and serious moments.
As long as the story don't go crazy out of line on me, I'll watch it to the end. ^^

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I thought this episode was the best so far. And I agree that Eun Soo is the best character. She's just so OVER this whole thing, and her attitude matches that. LOVE IT!

And I love the King and Queen. They're in that place where they could both have exactly what they want if they could set aside their pride and really express their emotions. But neither is willing to do it. And so they go round and round with misunderstanding. And it's the King's growth which I'm most interested in seeing. I said from the first that he's a characer right on the cusp of going either towards the good or bad. I'm still waiting to see which direction he goes.

Aww and I love our Hero. He's so righteous and stoic. He's keeping his promise to the Dr. first even above his duty to the king. I don't think his love declaration is true, but I expect Eun Soo to torture him with it in the next episodes. And of course it will eventually become true.

Thanks for the re-cap Javabeans. And I will end with my usual, DAMN Lee Min Ho is HOT!

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I totally agree that Kim here sun is nailing her part which has been a pleasant surprise because she's not a good actress. I can see now why she waited years for this role for a comeback. Her previous roles irritated me to no end but she seems perfectly cast here. Yay. I take back my earlier criticism of her whiny acting - now its all coming together.

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The ratings seem quite poor for a LMH vehicle but I love Gongmin - Noguk here and Eun Soo is also a highlight.

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Definitely love Gongmin's character and the actor's doing a fabulous job portraying this rather complex person. I do wish we saw more of Noguk cause she's awesome.

And I'd love more of Eunsoo putting Kichul in his place.

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Man, why am I have the feeling that the king might kill Choi Young in the end by his royal command?

Thanks for the recap, so far, the drama (and LMH) doesn't deliver what I had expected and that feeling lingers ^^

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Well, that'd be veering very, very far from the history. I can't imagine the viewers would accept that extreme a rewrite of history.

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Yes, and I can't imagine this team being that ham-handed with history - so far, they have created a world where everything that happens in the real history seems entirely plausible - they have successfully set up both IJ (the advisor) and Ki Chul as future leaders of coup attempts, and they have presented the king in a way that makes perfect sense: he is essentially a weak man, who leans on the strength of those around him, and so when those underpinnings are removed in the future (CY in battle and fallen out of favor, his magnificent queen dead) I can totally believe this king would make the decisions that would lead to his own assassination.

And thanks javabeans, for your thoughtful and incisive recap, as usual!

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I would also guess that these 16 episodes aren't going to go to the end of anyone's story, except in an epilogue.
This is more an origins story of these known historical names.

If we are going to do fusion/fantasy/sageuk, I prefer my "history" speckled with moments of glory and romance with only hints of the actual devastation of reality.
I'll read that in a book.

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He won't. He's already protecting him on his own accord when Wooldaichi requests to go to CY's aid. Of all people he has in the palace, CY is the most trustworthy since he's passed the test. He can't afford to let him go without suffering any repercussions.

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Thanks for the recap. I am actually really starting to enjoy this drama. I don't know about anyone else, but I do see chemistry between the main leads, and Gongmin and Noguk. As the drama goes along we will see the chemistry between LMH and KHS, but right now we just see flashes of it, and it is kind of HOT. I can't wait to see their story unfold. I also can't wait for the Gongmin and Noguk's love story to grow more legs. I care more about these relationships than the fight scenes and special effects.

I think this drama has just began.

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Yup, definitely can't wait to see more of Gongmin and Noguk. They're such complex characters and their relationship equally complex.

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aw man, I knew he was going to be forced to use his 'ki' when he wasn't supposed to!!! my heart was beating at that part.
seems like ki chul loves collecting everyone with 'special powers'. I wonder what he can do besides freezing his ears... he seems quite the powerful guy.

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He's like the Magneto of Goryeo

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hahaha! Magneto , laugh at your comment! that's a good one!

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Considering Eun Soo's X Men comment in a previous episode, this comparison is especially apt XD

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This episode seems to be hilarious! I haven't laughed so much reading a recap in some time... not even recaps for variety shows...

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I've never been a fan of Kim Hee-sun but damn she is a total girl power here <3. Too bad the villain is almost as bad as Tae-mu from Rooftop Prince. It's hard to take him seriously lol.

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Is it me or does LMH look sexy just by walking? I mean the guy is literally just strolling through enemy territory, bad guys raining down on him with only a sword in hand and he just...walks. So sexy. His character in City Hunter also had the same calm, collected, unflappable exterior when facing danger, which I find all the more appealing because it makes me wonder what would push him enough to get him to lose control.

As usual, the women are totally stealing the show. I absolutely love Eun Soo. Everything this woman does is funny. By now I'm usually tired of the female lead but I eagerly await her scenes because I know I'm going to be over-the-moon ecstatic once she opens her mouth. I'm also loving the dichotomy between her and Nogook. Eun Soo's somewhat brash, passionate character against Nogook's stately elegance is such a treat to watch.

Semi not-related but I'm this close to starting up a drinking game for every time someone declares "this is a royal order."

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no, it's not just you...it's you, me, and millions of other fangirls...hehe...i was telling myself, maybe when he is dead, he would be all pale and unattractive,,,,and then BANG...he died, and still SEXY!!...I give up...

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It's great that the females in this show are strong in their own unique ways and we can identify with them.

I prefer CY's "flying" scene because he makes it so effortless in this episode.

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Yea man.. gongmin is annoying me with his whining. All the man has done is draw, and act kingly... but he hasn't actually DONE anything to deserve the "kingliness". How does he expect people to trust him?

But yea... Eun soo's hilarious. She's the only reason why I'm tuning in.. hahaa

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Hmmm...there's a lot more going on with Gongmin than I think people are giving him credit for. I wouldn't say he's not doing anything. I'd say he's doing things not quite in the optimal manner, rather. And more importantly he's doing everything with words, debate, and veiled threats. Which I guess is less flashy than a sword fight and a booming voice declaring laws into effect but far more intriguing to me in several ways.

We have to remember the King's circumstances, right now. He's 20 years and he's just arrived in court no more than a week earlier after living 10 years as a glorified hostage in the Yuan kingdom. There have been--what was it?--five different kings within the space of 11 years so no one believes in the authority of a Goryeo King. He has 100 soldiers to his name, all of whom can be killed in one battle if need be. Before he even stepped one foot in the palace every single court official who was on his side was murdered. He's up against Ki Chul, the man who has held the authority in the kingdom for probably the last decade.

I guess people are expecting the King to immediately start ordering people's arrests or something but he can't really do that. He is starting from damned near scratch. He has almost zero authority in his own court. Very few people would obey his orders and he'd risk being removed from his throne like his older brother was. So Gongmin has to start small. He has to begin to discredit and/or usurp Ki Chul's authority, which you saw during the first scene of this episode when he took the wind from Ki Chul's sails and called his disrespectful manners 'loyalty.'

He also has to establish his own authority and he only has three real bases of power on which to build it: Princess Noguk, Choi Young & the Woodalchi, and Yoo Eun Soo. So Gongmin first tests Choi Young's loyalty by ordering him to betray his own honor and keep Eun Soo from leaving. Though he proved Choi's loyalty he also broke his trust, so it backfired a bit. Then he tries to prove Eun Soo's loyalty by allowing Ki Chul to try and tempt her from his side. However, Choi Young doesn't know that's what the King is doing nor does he trust that Ki Chul won't kill Eun Soo anyway. And why should he when the King betrayed him first and Ki Chul is clearly a sociopath?

But now Gongmin is in a pickle because he has to somehow make it seem like Choi didn't deliberately disobey a royal order or he'll lose that source of power he has in Choi Young too, both by virtue of not being able to command Choi and because Choi's disobedience would carry a death sentence. So he tells the Woodalchi to pretend to not know Choi's plans so that Choi has Plausible Deniability and he can return with the Heavenly Doctor in tow. Choi Young and the Doctor return, he shows the court he has the land's greatest general and the will of the Heavens on his side, and--bam!--instant authority for Gongmin on which to build his new vision for a Goryeo free of the Yuan Kingdom.

Ki Chul tries multiple ways to take away Gongmin's bases of power: the attempted murder of Princess Noguk, trying to out Eun Soo as a charlatan, and trying to woo away Choi Young. In turn, Gongmin is trying to counter all of these whilst simultaneously trying destroy Ki Chul's authority by insinuating that he controls Ki Chul too.

I've not found any of Gongmin's plans terrible, per se. On the contrary, they are actually quite clever and sly, though sometimes a little reckless. Like I said, he's not going about them in the best way. He asks for Noguk and Choi's trust but doesn't 100% confide in either of them so that they can truly understand his plans. So Princess Noguk thinks he doesn't care about Choi Young and that he is willing to sacrifice Eun Soo which leads wires crossed and a huge argument about it. Furthermore, Choi Young probably thinks the King doesn't care either (not helped by his previous experience with kings) and he decides to rescue Eun Soo on his own. (Though notice he also use Plausible Deniability to protect the king's authority too. I love that last bastion of loyalty he holds.) Eun Soo is probably confused as all hell because she's not too up on her political history and just wants to heal Choi and go the hell home...preferably with a vase or painting in tow. :3

What the king really needs to do is to stop holding things so close to his chest and really truly confide in Princess Noguk and Choi Young about what he's attempting, what he wants to accomplish as king, and accept their advice in return. (Some angry sex with Noguk would prolly speed that along. lmao Too much? Ain't nothin' but the truth, ya heard...)

Anyway, this got far longer than I intended but I just have so many Gongmin and Ryu Duk Hwan feels. lol I'm done. :)

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I agreed with this.. I found the King character rather interesting and I can't wait to know more about him and to see his story unfold.. ^^

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Girl, you're making so much sense right now :D

I watched this episode with no subs, so I couldn't understand anything other than Lee Min-ho is pretty. Thanks for this analysis of the king. From the four fully subbed episodes I've seen, the dialogues (not fighting sequence) are what made this show enjoyable and intriguing. And this is coming from someone who doesn't like historical/royal court politics all that much. Everyone just seems so sly and I like it!

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I agree with you. As the King, he has to work within the law. He's basically powerless and unfortunately cannot go in all sword-swinging like Choi Young. He has to find people loyal to him and earn their trust without Ki Chul finding out he has a brain between his ears.

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You totally nailed it.

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Totally agree. Love your comment.

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WOW that is a detailed analysis of the King and I am convince. ^^ ,well your comment was long but I read it and agree! And may I add, I also agree about the (ahurm) WILD something u mention between Gongnim and Princess Nogok. ayeee my imagination runs wild!

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I totally agree. I see it the same way. People seem just to focus on funny or pretty complaining the story is too slow. Well, it´s a 16-episodes story so it takes time. I like funny parts too but I also enjoy characters and their plans. And I´m not a big fan of mostly boring political machinations in sageuks.

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24 episodes.

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24 episodes = YAY!

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Thanks for the analysis. I find Gongmin to be perhaps the most nuanced character in this drama and he does have a lot of challenges.

I am loving Ryu Deok Hwan for his portrayal. The first moment I saw Gongmin in ep. 1 I was hooked because he had such a look of tragedy and anxiety all bundled in one.

I think he's treading carefully, though what we've seen in this episode is he does have his moments of brilliance.

I too, can't wait to see more of his and the queen's story!

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I'm still okay with the King... I can see where he is coming from and why he is acting that way.. He has no one he can trust and wrong turn, he can be killed.. All he can do now is sit around. He is a King who is suppose to have all this power and can just give command but right now he is weak king with no loyal subjects, who he can trust to do his bidding. So, for now he can just threaten them to do whatever he wants. I mean, even CY is just doing his 'job' for the sake of doing it and not because it his loyalty toward the King. The people that is surrounding the kings right now can just leave him and betray him behind his back. Like showing as if they are loyal to him in front of him and will follow what he says and will help them but in fact they are full of venom waiting to take his place. Clear example is the Derp face.

For me, right now the King needs to gather those who are on his side but sadly most who might be and have the potential to be loyal are killed. >_<

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I agree...this is the character where KHS is most alive. I've seen her before but was never impressed..it could also mean that she played those characters well...but she is revived as an actor well in this drama...:-)

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Thank you for recap. :)

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Faith may not be epic as everyone expected it to be (think: grandeur, large scale, fast paced, badass fight scenes and all the dramatics and showbusiness). BUT it has wit and depth more than everyone expected. The lines are not give-away; it urges the audience to think and figure out. And I think that the rather "slow" approach is helpful in that it helps the viewer grow and develop WITH the characters. I also actually like that it's taking its time with the romance angle between the 2 leads despite LMH being a solid selling point. During the promo, it was Faith=LMH=fangirl feast. But the way the drama is unfolding now, we can see that he is equal with the other cast making Faith not a (hot) character-driven story but a plot-driven one. We still have a long way to go and anything can happen. But at this point, how one views Faith is an indicator of the kind of a Korean drama viewer is: one who's there for the dramatics, and one who's there for the storytelling.

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Yaaasssss, you hit the nail on the head.

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Agreed. I like this writer because she did the same in the Legend. The romance took it's time and did not necessarily go as expected. All of the characters are actively important to the story. You only have maybe one or two throw away characters and based on the writer's previous work they eventually come into the fore too.

I know a lot of people are wanting more cutesy whatever between the "leads" but I kind of like that everyone is getting equal time on screen. It allows for side characters to actually have fulfilling personal arcs of their own. No superfluous and underdeveloped second leads here. (Gongmin and Noguk are fabulous side characters, if you can even label them that.)

I also like that the "leads" are not instantly hot and bothered. They are clearly attracted to each other but in that normal way real people are when someone eligible hits their radar but it's not necessarily the optimal time to go for a relationship yet. Choi Young is still torn up about his past lover's suicide/death/disappearance and Eun Soo has just been plucked from the 21st Century and dropped into a hotbed of Goryeo politics. Not really the time for romance right now. Of course, they know that once circumstances change it'll be full steam ahead but for now they are leaving it simmering beneath the surface.

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Love your comment. Agree with you totally.

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Totally agree! If they are "instantly hot and bothered" then it would be lust not true love. One lasts, the other fizzles after a while and does not, a good relationship, make. If their love is to survive the future-past divide then it has to be strong. The writer(s) is/are laying the foundation right now.

"A strong foundation can survive even the most violent tempest." --Florentine Lily

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Eun-soo is so funny. I love her. :))

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I haven't watched the latest episode, but after reading the recaps the word - "fun and depth comes to mind". Fun in the case of Eun Soo and depth with Choi. According to wiki Choi Young was a real general in Goryeo who served as a good example in terms of loyalty to the country and character therefore spoiler here - he does not get killed by this king and is well recognized as a top notch historical figure.

Eun Soo is needed to lighten the serious aspects of Choi which I believe that is why the show is showing how she suits him. She becomes serious when it really counts though its funny at times.

As for Jang Bin, I do not believe there is a romantic link - its more friendship and mutual respect in the medical profession. He respects her skills and guides her in retaining the humane aspect of medicine. She lets him know there is more to meet the eye in coming up with a solution to heal a person.

Some people are complaining about the slowness of the show, but I disagree as this is 24 episodes and we are just at #5 therefore its enough to tell its story. (Hopefully, there is no extensions). According to Eun Soo's visit to the fortune teller her journey at this time period will cover 1 year where she meets her soul mate aka - Choi. So the powers that be are telling Eun Soo's 1 year story in Goryeo in the 14th century.

I am currently watching too many dramas to count but I admit liking this one. However, I personally prefer Golden Time the medical drama for Mon/Tues, Faith acts as a comedic watching fodder as well. I do not believe its as good as Arang and the Magistrate, that show is in league by itself in terms of the fantasy sagueks being shown right now.

Looking forward to episode 6.

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The King has got to be one of my favourite members, and I think much credit goes to Ryu Deok-Hwan for that. His plays the role of the conflicted king perfectly and the self-doubt and insecurity of the young King is so well portrayed.

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I m a fan of kim hee sun and also lee min ho. I like faith more than arang. Among these, moon sun is the best.

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this episode was a bit more exciting than the previous ones, and hopefully it continues to pick up.

i like kim hee-sun- always have, probably always will, but i'm just not enjoying her performance all that much. to start off with, the voice is too hyper- she needs to dial it down a notch or five. i enjoy the spunk of her character, and i recognize that she's a hoot, and KHS should be doing better in this respect. i laugh because of the dialogue; i don't necessarily laugh because of KHS, which is what i think i should be doing. i won't go so far as to say that she was miscast- maybe she'll get better. but there is a part of me that wishes there was a different, better actress in the role.

that aside, i am enjoying lee min-ho. i still think he's a bit stiff, and has been in every one of his roles since BOF. personal taste, city hunter- the stiffness didn't seem to be there in BOF, so that's always been a source of bafflement for me. but he comes alive in the scenes where he's angry or furious and yelling, so i become reassured again. but i'm starting to think that maybe he's not as good at being restrained/reserved.

i forget the name of the actress who plays hwasuin, but she is so badass and sexy/scary, i love her. she's killing it.

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O.o He was the guy in Personal Taste! Oh my...which reminds me: I still haven't finished episode 16 after two years. Woah! I am such a...TWO YEARS! *face palm*And I never learned his name until now.

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Thanks for the recap!

First half of the show was pretty good, liked more flashbacks for KCCO Choi. When General Choi went to rescue The Doc, it went way off. My roommate, who likes LMH and K drama but watches stuff sporadically, watched this with me and once it hit the action scenes she was DONE with this show. Her reaction: "This is the worst action scene ever, what the hell? Did they blow the budget on bad wigs?" I can't really defend it. It was pretty lame. Not happy that the riot shield took a hit. It was becoming one of the characters of the show! And the bad guy and his posse, sorry, but they are way too cartoonish for my taste.

I like how the King tried to grow up a bit, but still is on the weak side. He's definitely got a duality going on, you want him to make the right choice, but you aren't shocked when he fumbles. I like that he immediately had in mind how to to save General Choi from culpability of disobeying a royal order.

Eun-soo got on my good side in this episode. And she finally pulled her hair back when working on the patient. Finally! Was it the use of the F bomb that really won me over? Maybe lol. I'll say it again, way too much of other people, not enough of The General and Eun-soo interaction. I do not mind taking it slow, hey we've got a long way to go to Episode 24, but let's have a little more interaction other than guts and stitches, and do what I say, because wow, that part is also kind of lame and it annoys me. Ever had major abdominal surgery where they cut you open like that? I have. Twice. You feel like your insides are going to fall out if you move, and you are looking at like 2 months of recovery time, so I don't care how much super duper Mr. Sparky power you have, all that moving around equals ripping up all the repair work. I call bullshit.

Still love the Queen and want more of the mute girl. Lady Choi, she's cool too.

Here's hoping for the k drama magic to kick in next episode.

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I'm little surprised also, they don't care about details at all.
Think having magic powers doesn't explain everything.
Still, King and Queen are my faith for this drama.

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haha, the hair that got pulled back ... I also went: FINALLY. But I've stopped being bothered by how unrealistic the surgery-bits are/have been.

And the cartoonishness of the characters: you can either pretend fantasy is real or you can not even try to hide the manga/cartoon-feel of it. It's definitely the second this drama is choosing ...

And: Has anybody else noticed that everything looks brand new in this drama? (the buildings, the clothes, the armor...) that's a common mistake in movie and TV productions; you make everything look like from the period you are shooting in, but you forget that the world is always also populated by stuff from previous ages (and itself ages pretty quickly).

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The things that make me wary whenever I watch Faith is the ending. Since the theme is time travel, would there be a happy ending for CY and ES? Or is it going to be like RP, where they continue their love and life in 2 different time, exchanged letter via hidden hole then meet the reincarnated guy? Ughh.

Based on history, the King and Queen were together until the end, and our general lived for long time. Tho' it's still long eps to go, I am still wary for the ending, where the scriptwriter going to take me, to the land of disappointment or excitement?? @_@

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Just sit back (and occasionally scream at your screen) and enjoy the ride!

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Hahaha.... Oh well, I shall do just that... - No thinking, no foreseeing, no worrying, G~. Just oww-ing, oh-gling and enjoy the ride! ^^

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This drama wasn't what I predict it to be but I am really enjoying the story and the characters are all pretty likeable (Ki Chul is surprisingly really funny looking when he gets confuse!) The pace is good and Kim Hee Sun is really killing it for me! After Queen In-Hyun's man this is the second best time-travelling show for me!! Thanks for the recap!

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So far this is the best episode. From the previews next episode looks like it will be better though! can't wait!!!!^_^

Anyways..I am really enjoying Faith. It is going kinda slow but i love all the characters in Faith and not to mention all the actors and actress are doing great. All we need is a little more sparks in the drama. Hopefully it's in episode 6!

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Thank you for the recap.

I enjoy the show. All the actors and actresses are doing great. It could be better if the show more focused on topic of "faith".

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I think this drama is actually focusing on "faith" theme. I read on soompi forum thread that the Chinese(?) characters of the subtitle mean "loyalty".

To me, what this drama is aiming at thematically is to create plot layers through their use of dialogues and wordings, but also to maintain the central theme of loyalty and faithfulness.

-The King actively finding and testing his loyal subjects like someone commented above.

-Choi-Young keeping his words about bringing Eun-Soon back to "heaven," but when he failed to keep his promise due to another conflict of "faith" with the king, he was willing to sacrifice himself because that was an honor code he lived by.

-When the red moon leader was killed by the former king, his dying self still demanded his followers to promise to protect the king. The question of being loyal to the people or the king was raised.

-Choi-Young came back from coma after hearing what Eun-Soon said about keeping his promise of protecting her.

-The Queen's relationship with the king is another test of faithfulness.

-We haven't seen relationship dynamics among the bad guys yet. Whether Ki-chul acquired faithfulness and loyalty from his followers through force or manipulation, we don't know yet. There's a back story to be explored. The list goes on and on.

-In terms of narrative and character developments, this show has done a great job.

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Ooh, interesting, I hadn't thought of this. There really is a lot about faith and loyalty here, between king and subject, between husband and wife, between doctor and patient.

One other dynamic is Eun-soo being willing to trust herself to treat a patient who might die.

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Fabulous analysis. I'm a goner for good Comitatus stories and this one is right up my alley. And the other kinds of loyalty and honor being explored is great too.

Even Eun Soo's honor as a doctor is being tested and explored. Her explanation for why she went from General Surgery to Cosmetic was quite the insight into her psyche. In some ways, you could say she has been shirking her duty/calling as a gifted surgeon. I predict her character arc will involve her becoming comfortable will general surgery and following where her skills lead rather than resisting her surgical talent.

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very interesting aspect, and right on, I think. Thanks, SH

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Oh ty SH, I am loving the insights in the comments!

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Thanks, it's been awhile for me to feel s'thing for this drama.

BTW, think GF is getting better ep ;)

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Love it when what is normal to ES is strange to the others. KHS sounds exactly like a Korean ajumma when she utters the F-word and that 3-word phrase. It had me laughing for ages when I heard it. The time-out is so like ES. Does she really think the bad guys will play fair at a time-out?

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Thanks for the recap javabeans!

This was my favourite episode so far. I guess I can see why people are finding this drama slow, but I find good character development and smart writing the most important, so I'm really enjoying it. Despite the bad directing and LMH's wooden acting.

And Eun-soo is such an AWESOME heroine. Yay for a female lead that calls bullies on their bullshit and isn't afraid to speak her mind!

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This drama nearly killed me with laughter. I choked and could not stop coughing for a while after he said "I love her." It was so unexpected.

I love the pace. I don't find it too slow. It's a 24 episode drama, after all. Everything is still being set up: the villains, the heroes, where the main characters stand and the background stories.

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'Hey you! F U C K! Go to Hell!'

Best line ever! :)

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Totally! It works in the past, it works in the future. What an awesome world!

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pfft, i'm enjoying it still and totally appreciative of the recap! most of that enjoyment comes from the writing of the recap. thanks so much :)

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Girl power!!! I love Eun soo and Princess Noguk.

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i just love choi young (lee minho) whatever he does he is so looooooooooooovely.

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Thanks...

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ah, that was enjoyable! Some people call this drama slow, and I would agree that there is some slowness to it (for example, the meeting between the King and Ki Chul in this episode ... tooooooo looooooong!), but it feels as if the drama is still gathering momentum. I'm expecting that it will get (even) better once all the characters have been sufficiently introduced and the story gets underway. Though I'm not entirely sure where it's going. Is the main story how he tries to return her to the future? Or what happens to the King? cause these two stories don't seem to go together all that well...

I love that most of the characters, even the supporting ones, are well-written and well-acted.

- Eun Soo: priceless. More, please. It's one of the better female characters I've seen in a while!

- The King and how he's acted: superb. I haven't come across Ryu Deok-Hwan before, but I'm totally awed by his acting (and good looks).

- The King & the Queen: I want them to get some counseling and just lurve each other!!

- The Queen and Choi: maybe there's another reason why she's so protective of him?

- Choi Young: 0_o. I still think LMH is/feels/acts far too young to pull this character off (no gravitas!). When he acts all smiley-cutsie, it's just so not fitting this character ... But at least he is taller than most.
IMO he is among the weaker actors in this cast (the King outacts him by just standing next to him) but... he is sooooo pwetty, every single time I see him in a drama he just HAS me. That said, the heartache-story is a bit ... bleh. I get how the loss of a loved one can make you lose your will to live, but the glimpses of that 'love' were far to short to make it believable for me.

- The fighting scene: AWESOME! loved it. want more (I hope he has some ki left for a LOT more of it!)

The evil characters are the weakest ones imo:
- Ki Chul: ok, especially because he's ridiculed so often. That's very well done, writers!
- The evil fire sister: don't like her, she's over the top and totally cliché-evil. I'm sure she has it coming... (soon, I hope)
- Her white haired flute elf-brother: not sure, I hope there is more to him. His special power is cool, but that's not enough to make this an interesting character. The cat-stroking? ? ?

Who else is there? Oh, Jang Bin, of course. I think Lee Philip does a very good job. He is quiet and reliable and I hope his character gets some more depth/backstory too. I want to see some more of the healing with acupuncture needles and stuff.

And I LOVE the rest of the Woodalchi-gang. Particularly Dragonball-cutie and loyal 2nd-in-command (I think he is almost as tall as LMO (I couldn't help noticing))

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It was fun to read your comment...I like when people are into drama ;)

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thanks, mtoh - I'm looking forward to the next episode tonight and then looking forward to Arang on Wednesday and Thursday, that's how much I'm into drama, heheheeee

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See you on new recaps!

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I totally agree with you!!!

Jang Bin bugs me, though. I like his character, "quiet and reliable" as you say, however his hair makes his face so weird that Choi Young's smiley-young face appears more natural than him! :D

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it's true! he can't really see right, because the hair always covers one if not both eyes, haha

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Loved your comment and agreed with it.

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Love everything about faith , LMH and dramabeans fastest and adorable recaps. Havent seen ep 5 yet but will definitely love it. This is my first saeguk drama and never interested before except for rom-com korean drama. This is all because of LMH. Love the colourful costume and traditional ambiance.

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Choi Young's confession would have been really romantic if he meant it. :)

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It would have but that would mean no ammunition for ES to tease him with in the future.

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By the way, Eun-Soo 'red cross' is chasing away vampires. :)

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It was a little slow in the beginning but after this chapter I am going to watch it for LMH and KHS's love story. Just hoping it will have a good happy ending.

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Best scene was when Eun soo told off Ki chul. I like this pairing better because it's so much more interesting than with Choi Young!I laughed at Yoo oh young's derp faces too. LOL.
Drama picked up some speed in this episode finally.

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The bad vs the morbid... welcome to the world of fantasy saegeuk drama

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thank you for the wonderful recap!

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