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Jackpot: Episode 22

If the last short-lived revolt wasn’t enough rebellion for the discerning viewer, fear not—another one gets planned and executed as if everything that came before it never even happened. Our two brothers end up back in each other’s orbit when Injwa rears his head again, this time with an army of followers ready to take down the king (again). You know what they say: If at first you don’t succeed, don’t worry because you’ll never die.

 
EPISODE 22 RECAP

After the fleeing man he shot turns out to be Nameless and not Injwa, Dae-gil and his men comb the forest to look for the missing fugitive.

Meanwhile, Prince Yeoning hears the entire palace begin to cry out in mourning at the king’s death, just moments after he left his chamber. Yeoning is suspiciously unsurprised and unmoved by the news, having possibly instigated his own brother’s death.

Dae-gil suspects Injwa’s hiding nearby, and begins to stab into the brush to root him out. He gets closer to Injwa than he knows, but Injwa is once again saved by the death of a royal family member, as news of King Gyeongjong’s passing reaches the troops. Injwa can only laugh at his good fortune from his hidey-hole.

Upon reaching the palace, Dae-gil’s first thought is to suspect Yeoning of being involved in the king’s death. The Soron ministers seem to think the same, as they confront the prince over serving the already ailing king such a dangerous food as raw crab.

But Prince Yeoning musters all the authority he has to tell the Soron ministers off for daring to blame him, the crown prince, for doing nothing more than serving the king a meal. They storm off in a huff, leaving Dae-gil to ask Yeoning what really happened.

Yeoning is suspicious of Dae-gil’s suspicions, and asks him if he really thinks he poisoned the king. “Can you assure me that you didn’t?” Dae-gil asks, desperately hoping to hear him say those words. He reminds Yeoning that they were/are friends, and he would give his life for Yeoning. So the least Yeoning can do is tell him the truth.

Leveling him with an even look, Yeoning asks if Dae-gil would believe him even if he said he didn’t do it. “We were friends once,” Dae-gil says. “We were also brothers. I trust you.” Yeoning shakes his head at this, claiming that Dae-gil had already turned against him the moment he allowed himself to be suspicious of him.

Furthermore, he corrects Dae-gil in calling him “Jeoha” (or “His Royal Highness,” the way princes are addressed), instead instructing him to call him “Jeonha” (or “His Majesty,” which is the way kings are addressed). He adds that he won’t allow anyone to insult or degrade him for being the son of a water maid from this point forward, and that includes his brother.

Chae-gun, having overheard their conversation, tells Dae-gil that Yeoning wasn’t wrong—this is no longer a matter Dae-gil needs to concern himself with. He and Yeoning can no longer be considered friends.

As Dae-gil packs up to leave home, Man-geum comes to the house to pay them all a visit. Grandpa doesn’t even ask where he’s been the past twenty years, and Man-geum doesn’t bother to explain where he was or why he was in hiding until now of all times. (And is no one going to introduce him to Seol-im? No? Or we could just keep pretending like she’s not in the room. That works too.)

But Dae-gil’s plan isn’t to leave home alone—he wants to take Grandpa and Seol-im with him to a place where they can all live well together, presumably Man-geum’s secret village.

Ever the eavesdropper, Chae-gun hears Dae-gil’s plans to leave, but has no problems with him going. As for Injwa, Chae-gun feels confident that he’ll never be able to bounce back and start another rebellion. Pfft. He says that like he never told Dae-gil that he’d regret letting Injwa live.

The shamanistic Madam Jeong knows Injwa is alive through her powers of perception, but receives a letter from him telling her to wait for his return. He lives as a vagrant in the meantime for what looks like all of one day.

Prince Yeoning is officially crowned as KING YEONGJO, the 21st king of Joseon. It’s the second such ceremony we’ve seen in a short period of time, and as all the gathered ministers chant “Long live the king!”, King Yeongjo turns to see Dae-gil watching nearby.

“Do you resent me?” the newly crowned king asks his brother telepathically. “I don’t resent you,” Dae-gil thinks back, adding that they each have their own destinies, and their own separate paths to follow.

Injwa is close enough to the palace to hear the chanting from the coronation ceremony inside, and thinks to himself that this still isn’t the end—he will rise to power again and tear down the corrupt nation that is Joseon. He ducks his head as he passes Man-geum, who thinks he sees him, but for whatever reason thinks that there’s just no way it could actually be Injwa.

Chae-gun bids Dae-gil farewell, before he leaves with his makeshift family in tow. Wait, why can Man-geum traipse around in plain sight now?

King Yeongjo’s first order of business is to order Minister Kim Il-kyung executed for masterminding the massive Noron purge that killed Chief State Councilor Kim Chang-jip and so many of his other supporters. He also orders Noron turncoat Mok Ho-ryung executed for his crimes as well, effectively silencing any protest from the other ministers, who now fear for their own lives.

The king asks Chae-gun about Dae-gil, though the warrior has no idea where Dae-gil might’ve gone. King Yeongjo thinks to himself that he can endure the weight of the throne, but enduring it alone is much more difficult. Aw, he misses Dae-gil.

Man-geum takes Dae-gil & Co. to his secret village, and after a quick cut of Injwa’s wanted poster hanging in the capital, we return to the village as Yeon-hwa returns from wherever she’s been these past few episodes.

The appearance of King Yeongjo’s son CROWN PRINCE HYOJANG, as well as some kingly facial hair, lets us know that some years have passed. The now-tattered “Wanted” posters of Injwa and his cohorts hanging in the capital are replaced by posters claiming that King Yeongjo poisoned the late King Gyeongjong, courtesy of Madam Jeong.

Injwa didn’t have to spend long in thin cotton robes, since he’s back to wearing the fine silk garment of a nobleman. He finds Jin-ki somewhere in the wilderness, and tells him that Nameless is alive. We find him in prison, while Injwa muses that Nameless might be used against him someday.

As for why Injwa’s just seeking Jin-ki out now, Injwa says it’s because it’s time to achieve their great cause… again. Nameless receives a letter calling for the replacement of the current king in prison, while Jin-ki goes to tell Park Pil-hyun that it’s time to revolt. Again.

Injwa finds Traitor Jeong tilling a field, and all the other farmers/soldiers instantly mobilize behind him. “Are you ready?” Injwa asks. Traitor Jeong just wants to know when the rebellion will start, only for Injwa to say it’s already begun in his hometown of Cheongju.

Injwa and Jin-ki take control of the Cheongju Fortress after killing all the officers, bringing us back to the opening scenes of the show, with the chyron telling us that this is the year 1728, the year the historical Musin Revolt took place.

After the battle for the fortress is won, Injwa looks over the mass of cheering soldiers. A quick cut shows us a random man sending a white dove into the night, who presumably carries a message from Injwa to Traitor Jeong with instructions for him to take over the Yeongnam region. Park Pil-hyun receives similar instructions to push toward the capital city of Jeonju in the Honam region.

Despite the battles raging on outside the capital, things are peaceful inside the palace, save for the icy tension between King Yeongjo and Queen Dowager Seonui, the late King Gyeongjong’s wife. She has no love for King Yeongjo, made clear by her flashing back to when she found her husband dead.

News of Cheongju Fortress falling into the hands of the rebels spreads throughout the capital, which Yeon-hwa overhears. She returns to the home she shares with Dae-gil, Seol-im, Grandpa, and Man-geum, the latter of whom has to remind his son not to get involved. So… are we dropping the whole thing where Man-geum went into hiding for twenty years in order to make Dae-gil king?

Chae-gun comes to pay a visit to Dae-gil for the first time since he left the palace, but he’s here on business. Injwa’s revolt has caused untold bloodshed, and Chae-gun hopes that, like him, Dae-gil will want to see it end. If nothing else, it would give him a chance to end his and Injwa’s ill-fated relationship.

Injwa and Jin-ki feel more emboldened with every victory, and are ready to take their fight to the capital. Chae-gun says it’s time for Dae-gil to meet with King Yeongjo again, which he does, appearing in his old uniform.

King Yeongjo doesn’t tell his young son who the visitor is, and sends him out so he can speak more privately with Dae-gil about the revolt. Dae-gil suspects that Yeongjo was behind the recent massacre of Injwa’s supporters (that Chae-gun told him about), and while not confessing to it, Yeongjo makes it clear he has no sympathy for the rebels or anyone who aids them.

Dae-gil tries to get him to see why the people are rebelling in the first place, claiming that all the rebels want is enough land to farm and food to eat. If King Yeongjo can’t see that, Dae-gil asks, then what makes him any different from Injwa?

King Yeongjo is not pleased that Dae-gil just came to reprimand him, but Dae-gil only wants him to think of the people. But Yeongjo says that sacrifices must be made for the good of the nation, and that he’ll pay for what he’s done by carrying that knowledge with him.

But he needs Dae-gil on his side since no one knows Injwa better, and gives him a government post and soldiers to do what must be done. Dae-gil has five days to solve the Injwa problem, or else Yeongjo use military force to end the rebellion himself.

Madam Jeong delivers a letter from Yi Injwa to the Sorons, who agree to side with Injwa if the contents of the letter are true. If they aren’t, the Sorons will oppose him. The letter details Injwa’s plans to dethrone King Yeongjo and install MIL POONG-GOON, grandson of Crown Prince Sohyeon (son of King Injo, the 16th king of Joseon), as king. (Aww, Seo Dong-won, stop making me miss Six Flying Dragons!)

Injwa convinces Mil Poong-goon that he’s the only one of true royal lineage who can take the throne back from a lowly water maid’s son, and proves that he has the sheer manpower to bring this rebellion to fruition—200,000 armed rebels, to be exact.

He adds that Traitor Jeong and Park Pil-hyun are training rebels from all classes of society—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—but Mil Poong-goon worries that they may not be a match against trained soldiers. But there’s hope yet, when Injwa tells him that they have Queen Dowager Seonui as an ally.

She supports Injwa’s efforts to overthrow King Yeongjo, believing that he poisoned her beloved husband, and makes a deal with Injwa to work from within the palace to sway the ministers while he works to sway the hearts of the people outside the gates. With that, Mil Poong-goon agrees to join Injwa’s cause.

There’s a bit of comedic relief when Chae-gun gets all huffy over Dae-gil ordering him around, shortly before Dae-gil goes to Hong Mae in her sepia-toned casino to ask a favor. He needs some medicine, and convinces her to get it for him by making her feel guilty—she’s done nothing but take from the people her entire life, and this is her one chance to give back.

Dae-gil hands the bag of medicine over to Seol-im, while Man-geum rolls out a map of the eight provinces of Joseon, instructing everyone on where they’re to go and what they’re to do like a general addressing his troops. Their plan is to win back the people, and take down Park Pil-hyun and Traitor Jeong.

The task becomes considerably more difficult when they find out that Injwa has Mil Poong-goon on his side, a figure who the rebels can rally around. They may not be able to take on the entire rebel army, but Dae-gil believes this can all be stopped if Injwa’s taken out of the picture.

Moreover, he tells the rest of the group about the deal he made with King Yeongjo to catch Injwa in five days’ time, or else Yeongjo would mobilize his army. Chae-gun knows Yeongjo won’t just sit on his hands for five long days, so Dae-gil resets the deadline to three days.

King Yeongjo orders gunpowder and firearms to be distributed amongst an elite group of one thousand soldiers, with the instructions that they’re to wait for his orders. All other forces are to be mobilized to protect the capital from the incoming rebels.

Later, the king asks Chae-gun whether he thinks it’s possible to stop Injwa without employing an entire army, and while Chae-gun isn’t sure, he trusts in Dae-gil. King Yeongjo remembers when Dae-gil asked for his trust, and thinks to himself, “I trust in you as well, Baek Dae-gil. However, as a king currently sitting on the throne, I cannot trust you. My position does not allow it. I cannot trust anyone.”

Dae-gil travels to the township of Mokcheon, which seems to be Injwa’s latest stronghold. He and Seol-im watch as new followers pledge their allegiance to Injwa and Mil Poong-goon, and it’s actually kind of adorable that Jin-ki’s so hyped about this rebellion.

Madam Jeong arrives in Mokcheon to update Injwa on the king’s movements, including his meeting with Dae-gil. She knows the king will make his move against Injwa soon, and Injwa orders her back to the capital to keep an eye on things.

Injwa isn’t worried about Dae-gil reappearing, since he knows that it’s their fate to meet again—but next time they do meet, one of them will die.

Dae-gil’s plan is to turn Injwa’s followers against him, and sends Man-geum and Chae-gun to the two fortresses Injwa’s army plans to take next. Meanwhile, Hong Mae and Yeon-hwa spread malicious rumors about Injwa within the capital, with the latter using Pigeon Gram to send messages back to Dae-gil.

Tonight will be the decisive moment for both Dae-gil and King Yeongjo, who has his army ready to move in should Dae-gil fail. Dae-gil acknowledges that the rebels wouldn’t know each other very well yet (seeing as everything happened so fast), so they’ll use that against them.

Seol-im infiltrates the outdoor kitchen where food for the rebels is prepared en masse, and uses the medicine procured by Hong Mae in one of the large vats of stew. All the rebels who eat it end up with diarrhea, their horses disappear, and their storehouse is set on fire, all thanks to Dae-gil.

While Grandpa and Seol-im wheel the provisions they lifted from the storehouse away, King Yeongjo addresses his gathered troops, ordering them to massacre Injwa and every rebel pledged to his cause.

Against the light of the burning storehouse, Dae-gil rides up behind Injwa, noting with a cocky smile that it’s been a while. Injwa just growls his name in return.

 
COMMENTS

Remember how we spent all those episodes with Injwa operating off of the dead certainty that he would make Dae-gil king? Remember how Man-geum went into hiding for twenty years operating off that same certainty, and how it didn’t matter to either of them at any point in the process that Dae-gil didn’t want to be king? Remember how Injwa tortured Dae-gil relentlessly for most of his life because it was supposed to build his character so that he could then become king? I’m asking you seriously, Jackpot, because you’re acting like none of that ever happened, and it’s kind of freaking me out.

While it’s entirely possible that Injwa finally just decided to drop Dae-gil as a kingly potential once and for all, it makes all of Dae-gil’s suffering at Injwa’s hands even more pointless than it was before. At least Injwa had his own insane reason for breaking all of Dae-gil’s bones once, but now the show’s gone and negated the already shaky logic it took great pains to establish. And that’s what I can’t seem to wrap my head around. Because if Injwa could just as easily find a backup pawn in Mil Poong-goon, someone who’s much more amenable to his ideas because he didn’t grow up being tortured by him, then what was it all for? If Dae-gil wasn’t integral to Injwa’s cause, why did he do everything he’s ever done to him? I just don’t understand.

I wish it would’ve been more gratifying to see Injwa brought low after his failed mini-rebellion, but two shots of him shivering before being somehow restored to his former glory just doesn’t cut it. It’s also strange to see how miserably he failed at first, only to skip forward a few years, and suddenly he has an unstoppable army at his heels. When has the show ever proven that Injwa is a friend of The People? How did Injwa, a nobleman and constant source of unbridled corruption whether in or out of office, manage to convince The People to rally behind his cause? If anything, it would’ve made more sense for him to plan to use Dae-gil as a homing beacon for the disenfranchised, and while he wouldn’t be the first to use a distant royal relative as a rallying point for a rebellion, he only got Mil Poong-goon on board after he’d amassed a legion of followers.

But since this revolt did happen in history, it had to have made sense to someone at some point. It’s fair to assume that the people of Joseon would’ve been pretty concerned at all the upheaval in the palace, but that’s not something the show itself has established. We’ve had glimpses of Dae-gil’s love for The People, but it’s never been a singular driving force of his character until it had to be used to pit him against King Yeongjo.

By far, the scene between the two of them was the focal point of the episode, and its strength was in the portrayal of King Yeongjo. At this point, we don’t know if he actually had a hand in his brother’s death, but he was absolutely right about Dae-gil having already drawn his own conclusions before coming to ask him about it. I’m not sure if Dae-gil would’ve believed him even if he’d said he didn’t do it, and seeing how purposefully shut off Yeongjo was in that moment was pretty heartbreaking. He knew he was pushing away his only friend, but it was Dae-gil who broke that trust first. Unless Yeongjo really did kill his brother, of course, in which case… I’d actually still feel kind of bad for him. Weird.

 
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This show...I can't even. I'm not sorry I dropped it when I did but I wish it had been good enough for me to keep watching, especially since I like the lead actors.

Thanks for the recap, though.

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I think In Jwa was interested in Daegil at first because he has a hatred for Sukjong. Maybe he thinks using Sukjong own son to get back for what Sukjong done to his family and he might get pleasure in torturing Sukjong's son. In Jwa think his plan is perfect but it's not. Most of the time we think In Jwa knows everything but actually it only In Jwa perception not reality. Reality is Daegil has his own mind, his own life and make his own decision.

As for Man Geum wants him to be king, well you don't have to sit on the throne to become a king or change people life. Actually Man Geum wants him to be the leader coz as a bloodline of a royalty his inherit his father (Sukjong) leadership. He wants Daegil to help the people rather than command the people. It's so wrong to want the best of your 'son'. Daegil is a king of the people heart nonetheless. And those two lovely ladies might be his wives already. King Yeongjo himself gotten himself 2 wives, 2 consorts and 2 concubines in his lifetime.

You can see how many years it take for it to happen.

Jackpot timeline
1693 - Daegil was born
1713 - Daegil: 20 years old in Ep3 he went Hanyang
1716 - 23 years old in Ep6 he was sold as slave
1717 - 24 years old in Ep9 he met first mom
1718 - 25 years old in Ep 17 Choe Sukbin died
1720 - 27 years old King Ep 19 Sukjong died
1722 - 29 years old Noron big massacre, namely the Shinimsahwa (辛壬士禍) Ep 21
1724 - 31 years old Ep 21 King Gyeongjong died
1724 - Ep 22 Prince Yeoning ascended as King Yeonjo and reign for 52 years
1728 - Ep 22 Crown Prince Hyojang, son of King Yeonjo appeared at age of 9
1728 - Musin Revolt
1728 - 35 years old in ep1 when he first appeared with Lee Injwa at chess game. His master Kim CheGun was next to him then and beside Lee Injwa was noname and Hwang jinki
cr: haze lee from eci

I guess 'Daegil' represent the unsung hero that fight for the people. They are the one who really fight with their heart and life without anything to gain for themselves. I think this story are about them, the forgotten 'prince' represent them...the people.

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Thanks for the timeline. Unsung hero fighting for the people?- that is fine, But but what about Jackpot gambler Dae-gil? I've been wondering(complaining) about this every episode.
btw Did Dae-gil get married?

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We can assume that he married Seol Im but Yeon-hwa just showed up as a visitor just in time to help when the rebellion broke out.

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The story of this drama gets a bit more Hong Gil Dong-ish to me, to be honest. The funny thing is that Jang Keun Suk's role is now reversed.
If I'm not mistaken, King Yeongjo was one of the Joseon kings who cared enough about his people, so I feel a bit of a pity that in the last two episodes he has been portrayed as more 'throne-driven'. But yeah... the drama needs another hero, i.e. Baek Dae Gil, doesn't it?

I still don't know if they will throw romance in the end. But honestly speaking, Seol Im's character is also too 'weak' to be the female lead *now that the damned ill-fated tragic love heroine Dam Seo is forever gone and nobody even cares to remember her in the drama land and in the viewers' land*. She still wears her hair with the long braid style- which might indicate her being unmarried yet. Ah anyway, I couldn't care less. I've lost my interest in the romance department and the female characters since the writer killed Dam Seo. I only want to see the decent closure for Dae Gil and Yeoning/ Yeongjo.

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Ok, now I'm starting to feel a little sorry for Heads. But I still laughed a lot reading the recap. Sorry, Heads.

One more week! Will Injwa die next week?

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LOL I feel like we're all members of Injwa Death Watch.

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I am on the Injwa Death Watch too, I agree with Heads it wasn't satisfying to only see Injwa "brought low after his failed mini-rebellion, but two shots of him shivering before being somehow restored to his former glory"

I was more like What the heck!??

Since I have waited this long I will sit through the next two episodes too so I can get that final moment when Injwa fall PERMANENTLY!.

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Truthfully people spitting on him and throwing tomatoes and rotten stuff at him in episode 21 gave me the closure I needed,his departure to the afterlife will just be icing on the cake for me. Torturing a guy like In Jwa achieves nothing but that humiliation in the city square that must have hurt his soul (maybe I am just consoling myself)but for this show I will take whatever I can to stay sane to the end as logic has not been it's drawing point for me

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MythBusters proved that cockroaches can survive even a nuclear explosion. Yi In Jwa is stronger than the average cockroach. Therefore we may give up on hope! He will survive even the immortal Dae Gil from the Baek clan.
Any similarity with history seems already unintentional for this drama.

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wait it was 20 years between Man-geum's "death" and Yeoning's coronation??? what the heck.... this drama doesn't show the passage of time very well. and i don't get why there was so much made about Daegil's future was to be king and then it was just dropped... so frustrating watching this after Six Flying Dragons. the acting is good though :/ storytelling is not. :/

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They have lost it ... why did Injwa brought lady choi to the palace in first place... Such a long term plan even before Dae-gil's birth was dropped like a hot egg. where did hot blood prince Yeoning who fought for people & is executing people like chickens and accused of killing his own brother???
Most importantly where did bromance go?

And Injwa's men don't die with arrows shot, jumping of cliffs and royals that to kings die of illness and eating seafood..I don't get this..

With all these mess at least Heads is giving us some fun from recaps... "some kingly facial hair, lets us know that some years have passed" pfft~~

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I totally agree! I was like, the upright and level-headed prince suddenly becomes this cold-hearted King. And also what happened to the gambling dens daegil amassed? And why are all the palace guards so weak? It's like they never got training at all. It's like choosing random, unqualified people for the secret service to protect the president! I almost dropped it with the last episode but one person encouraged me to plow through it, seeing as i have invested this much time already.

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I agree it was heartbreaking to watch my favorite character yeoning turn "cold blooded". I was pissed about that, but later came to understand why. He spent his whole life being undermined for his lineage, no one took him seriously. Even his own mom told him be a player drunkard instead of being the best he could be just to survive (how degrading). Then in a swift minute he loses both his parents and his makeshift parents- the noron faction in the most cruel way. Then he gets threatened with assassination and the only king that can help him is like "your prob not mine." Sooo...all that molded yeoning to become fierce about protecting himself. He lost everything from the beginning. I still believe he has some righteousness, but that's been warped by all the trauma of living life against a wall and learning diplomacy doesn't work. He lost everyone, and being diplomatic-- going through the right channels failed him again and again, even to the point where he is mocked for asking the king to protect his life. I think anyone who is as smart as yeoning would've become Jaded and protective in the face of all that pressure; kill or be killed- because no ones watching after you not even your king brother. Which in turn also makes it mildly understandable that yeoning freaks out when dae Gil's trust in him wavers. yeoning spent his whole life being doubted, and now the only person he has left is doubting him too- wtf! In the end it molded him into the king that he was...noble and just, but blindsighted with the need to protect himself and his lineage. No one can blame yeoning for that.

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This is a fictionalized historical drama. Lady Choi was Sukjong's concubine and she did gave birth to two princes. Dae Gil's character is based on the oldest son. I'm not sure what else you are expecting from that story line.

Yeoning ordered 2 members of the Soron faction to be executed. They were not his people, they tried to have him killed. What was he suppose to do?
He is accused of killing his own brother based on a rumor by his rival faction (the Sorons).
They did not want him to sit on the throne because they would have no power in his court. That is main reason why this whole rebellion started.

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Those man beards are ridiculous. But I am past the point of taking anything in this show serious.

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Am I the only one who cracked up a bit seeing Yeo jin goo with a beard and a son by his side. Aigoo jin gooya at 18 you must be the youngest actor to play a daddy in a kdarama. Maybe Jang geun suk and others had a good time joking you about it lol. The beard could not hide the young creaseless face but it looked good. And jin goo kind of gave an older brother vibe when smiling at his 'son' lol it was cute though.

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Perfectly fitting for that era since the royals married at a very young age. He could pass as a young dad.

(Spoiler?)
I didn't expect Prince Hyojang to make an appearance. He died the same year of the rebellion (1728). This drama might not end well for Yeoning. Too many people are and will be taken from him and we are not counting Prince Sado because the show is not going to go that far.

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Yeah but too bad this had no mention of Yeonings wives. They should have at least shown lady Seo since Yeoning is one of the two main leads. She only appeared out of nowhere when the prince became king though he was married to her since he was 8. And I was talking about jin goo not Yeoning. ? I'm 22 but I still see jin goo as a kid sometimes. So it made me crack up to see him like that.

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Hyojangs mother had died young it seems so hyojang is always by his father's side. And I hope they won't kill prince Hyojang in the hands of the rebellions. Too much for yeongjo to bear.. I don't want to see the sweet little boy die at all in this drama.

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I don't want to see hyojangs death in this drama even though he died in 1728. I think though that we might see it. Feel bad for Yeongjo he just keeps losing his people and loved ones

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I think they are going to somehow link his death to the rebellion. Dying of illness is not as dramatic lol.

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Dam Seo was supposed to be the main love interest and love square. I think that's why they didn't show lady Seo.
That went south so they have to include her since it would be really weird to crown Yeoning without his queen by his side.

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Tried watching this but give up after a few minutes. I have more fun reading the recaps than watching the drama. Thanks, Heads, for making the experience enjoyable by reading your recaps!

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I think the writer didn't get to go through with what he originally planned. The rating dropped and the two producers from SFD said,.... "hey your style is not well received by the viewers so let's just connect historical dots, at least it'll keep the rating from dropping any further."

They have these amazing actors in their hands and they blew it. Sad...

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They killed off the supposed heroine and decimated any chance of a credible love line for Dae Gil, so nothing surprised me anymore. Just having fun with this, because the most positive thing about Jackpot is just that: the fun. Never take it seriously and you'll have a blast, like me. Also I loved the cast, especially Dam Seo and hated that she was killed off by popular demand.

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Waittt... when yeongnin becomes king who is that woman next to him? Is he already married? When? I thought he was in love with dam seol...
Why is man guem always pouty..

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Yeoning as king is very much like his father. His body language n attention towards his son. It seems like he really idolised his father which is totally opposite of his brother when he was the king

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I was wondering the same thing too. When Yoon and Yeoning was crowned king they both seem to magically have a queen by their side. Can someone explain how this works IRL back then? Is a wife/queen mandatory before they can be crowned king or something?

It would have been easier to follow if the ladies were introduced even briefly at any points earlier. But then again, time constraints, I guess.

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The real Yeoning was married at the age of 8 to the 10 year old lady Seo. She was not shown in the drama before but she (yeah some what magically) appeared in the coronation

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Yes the king had to have a queen and Yeoning's wife lady Seo was the crown princess although they didn't mention her before.

The queen has important roles as the mother of the nation. Yeoning had 2 queens. Lady Seo aka Queen Jeongseong died without an heir in 1757 and Lady Kim became his 2nd queen.

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whats wrong with the script to call it a messy script.. It was all about daegil, the unforgotten prince who stuck to his own morals and used his own wits rather than blindly believing on In jwa.. All of u just gossip about unnecessary things.. Rather than wasting ur time just enjoy the great drama.. Dont take pity for Heads for recapping.. neither on the actors who really appreciate the drama.. As an eel i m a lot lot happy that every thing focuss on only our sukkie with a new concept and thus we r biased by the drama.. Loved all the eps.. Going to rewatch it again and again like YAB, MMM, LR & PM..

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True. Daegil is the only one who hasn't broke my trust in his character as a viewer. There were two times when I was kind of worried that he might make a complete 180 on us (first when Injwa was first imprisoned & requested Daegil to save him by using Mangeum as a trick, and secondly when he went to 'side' with the rebel Jeong). But he kept to his own morals & values both times (and all throughout the show, really), and proved us that he is indeed the hero of the story.

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I agree that this is not a totally a bad drama. Some unrealistic things happned but drama has a flow and an climax. Which we will see in the next two episodes. Everything else helped to built up this moment which is going to happen in next week. And dae gil cannot disappoint the viwers he is the main character. Main characters are like that most of the time. Yeoning/Yeongjo to me seems more human. With human strengths and weaknesses.

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But I have to admit, for some reason, regardless of how wonky the storyline went before, this episode actually made me feel pretty disconnected with the drama.

Things are happening very quickly now, which is still okay, but I suddenly felt disconnected from our main characters. (Am I the only one?)

I kind of half understand and half do not understand how Yeoning is made to turn out to be the way he is now. He's just...cold. I understand he's been through so much and lost so much but what's the point of the past 20 episodes introducing him as a warm-hearted prince who would bow down and ask forgiveness from his people, a 'friend' who declared to the then King he was willing to put everything he had at stake for Daegil? And all those times the two brothers were working together to bring down all the gambler baddies etc (which, how good were those times?). Yes he is now King & circumstances have completely changed, but it felt like we lost the Yeoning we've been following through all these while too, and that is sad. I know he's known as a king who cared greatly for his people, so let's just see what the last 2 episodes have to show us, it's not over yet! I also wished that after all that he's been through Daegil would be doing more than just drying out laundry and eating watermelons (LOL!). But I guess that's the life he said he wanted. So...okay, Jackpot. Okay.

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You echo my sentiments exactly.

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They did not want to let go of Choi Min Soo until eps 19. Now they have to go through a couple of time skip to get to the rebellion.
Sukjong and Lady Choi should have died much earlier. The show was stuck in 1718 for too long. Now they are rushing it trying to crunch 10yrs into 5 episodes.

He's cold on the outside but we haven't seen him sneak out of the palace to interact with his people yet.
I'm not sure why he is pushing his brother away. Maybe he doesn't want to lose him like the others.

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It's not a matter of being a particular fan of the actors or not... a messy script is obviously a messy script :).

I've been a fan of Jang Keun Suk *your fellow eel, lol* since 2010 but to be honest, I have stopped watching real-time for this drama since ep 18 when they suddenly 'killed' the supposed-to-be female lead. What on earth would that be counted as a good, consistent drama script? I feel so bad for the actors, though, they have worked hard and JKS- as always- never fails to satisfy me. Yeo Jin Goo, Choi Min Soo and Jeon Kwang Ryul are additional fun for me to watch due to their acting. That's it... still cannot say that this drama is on a par with Six Flying Dragons in terms of overall quality, for instance, but still watch it for entertainment's sake, for its historical content and for its fine cinematography.

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Kept repeating the parts of Yeongjo with his son..! Aww two cuties!

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I am sad to say that most probably Yeoning did cause his brother's death and I don't understand how can anyone doubt the fact.
Yes, after many days of not eating, he brought the king very heavy food. And why bring him food himself at all, if it had no special reason - they weren't such buddies after all. The historical king died of food poisoning because he ate shrimps brought from the coast in the summer (no refrigerator trucks then).
Yeoning killed his brother because his brother told him that he, although he is the king, cannot stop the Sorons from attempting to take his life. "I cannot die like that".
He decided then that the only way was to become king himself, as quickly as possible, take revenge against the ministers and thus save his own life.
The fact that the king declines the tasting lady means that he understands that this meal will be his death, and he accepts it. He understands his brother's motives and tells himself "Since I don't have a lot of time left and I'll die anyway, and I don't have a heir, at least let's save him". Which is sweet of him. And he asks for forgiveness as a man who is about to die, for that time that he almost killed Yeoning with his sword.

Actually poor prince Yoon is a really tragic character. It seems that his bad health was caused by his mother, who was a sinister witch. He is sickly and sterile, and on top of it all, his father does not love him nor have any respect for him, while lavishing his care on Yeoning and Yeonriong (or whatever his name was), the one killed by Lee In Jwa. Yoon's only support was Lee In Jwa, who used him as a puppet, but what choice did he have? How could he not be resentful and frustrated? Add to this the resentment and frustration of knowing that you're about to die...
And the actor was really fine. His pointy face and lovely sad eyes will be remembered.

So what I'm saying is that the show makes it obvious that Yeoning killed Yoon. Which is proved by his final words on exiting the chambers "It is me your younger brother who will have to ask for forgiveness".
And he never says to Baek De Gil "No it wasn't me". In order to avoid this question, and answering to this question, he retorts "When you doubted me, you already cast me aside". Forgetting how much HE had doubted Baek De Gil, saying "If I had known that the King was your father, I would have never relaxed" and "I cannot trust you" (that wasn't said aloud) etc...
But now he says all this, and he severes all ties, just to avoid having to answer this question.
How smart is it, though, to send away his only close blood relative in the world, a man who has proved that he is willing to give his life for him, and saved him only recently from Yoon's fury and sword?

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Prince Yeoning was kind of staying away from dae gil since king Suk jongs death. King sukjong adviced Yeoning to not to make dae gil a friend or an enemy. A king after all cannot have friends.

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Yeah. So when he thought to himself about how he cannot bear the loneliness he felt when he found out Daegil had left Hanyang & the palace, I couldn't sympathise with him further. In spite of everything his hyung had done and proven to him, he still chose to cast him aside. Daegil was true when he said that unlike Yeoning, he didn't have much to lose. But Daegil also went through just as much pain as Yeoning. I guess what I'm saying is it's sad to see the two brothers drift apart, that's all. Well in this episode, at least! With two more episodes left there is still chance.

Their father told them that they cannot be friends nor foe, and their mother told them otherwise. But they should be able to decide for themselves.

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they understood their paths are different.. and by keeping dae gil by his side only would put dae gil in danger. and dae gil seemed to have a happy life staying in a rural area the way he wanted. Yeongjo missed dae gil but that doesn't mean he's going to keep dae gil with him. Yeoning most of the time spent a stressful lonely life. he didn't went through physical pain like dae gil, but he never really had peace in his mind, which is equally hurting if not more. Dae gil had a handful of trustful people which yeoning didn't. yeah Yeoning had dae gil but the things happened around them drew the brothers apart. Yeoning came to a point where he cannot trust anyone he had to watch his own back. The late king killed the almost all the Norons for having 'rebellious thoughts', for a rebel that didn't really happen or even sketched. But left the real rebellions alive. King Yeongjo only executed two people out of the whole bunch who sent assassins and poison to kill him. i think he is still pretty level headed.

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Yoon had nothing to apologize for. I'm glad he defended his right to the throne even though he was sick.

Thanks for the explanation. I'm liking the writer's version.

The historical version of the spoiled seafood found in the internet is based on a book that was written by a foreigner. I'd be curious to know what was actually written in the annals.

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i actually think Yoon had a lot to apologize for. He executed 100+ people for a rebellion that didn't even existed. The Norons went to ask him to make Yeoning a regent, it was a stupid move from their parts which they had to pay from their own lives, innocents were killed like Kim Chang Jip. The real rebel in jwa was not going to keep yoon much longer anyway. Yoons stupidity put the royal family in danger. Even after seeing the blood oath in jwa and rebel jeong had it did not not open Yoons eyes until that short lived rebel happened.. He though understood everything at the last moment and tried to get rid of in jwa and he apologized to yeoning. No offense. it's nice to have different opinions :)

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It is nice to have different opinions :).

His father King Sukjong ordered 3 major purges where over thousand from both factions were executed/exiled. He did not have to apologize for any of it.

The Norons were doing the same to Yoon. The show doesn't have the luxury to show us the rest of the Noron supporters who were involved in backing those ministers who tried to force Yoon to abdicate the throne. They saw an opportunity to take power from the Sorons. They don't give a crap about the king or the people. It's all about them, their power and their position.

It's unfortunate for Kim Chang Jip whom I really like but he couldn't save himself and watch the rest of his close comrades executed. (Historically he was part of it.)

I do understand why Yoon was reluctant to get rid of Injwa. He was the only person who gave him hope when he had no one on his side.
Yoon is the one I pity the most.

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@Kiara agreed with you on this. Yoon the one I pity the most too.

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HA! It's so fun reading all these opinions. Just when I thought I was wasting too much time overthinking about this drama... LOL.

You know what, looking at things from each of their POVs (Yoon, Yeoning, Daegil), I understand why each of them did what they did (and like I said above, I also sometimes half don't, too! Ugh.). Each of them was just trying to do what they believe was best with all the weight they carry, their own personal history and all the different circumstances around them. In today's world all three of them could have been best buds (or whatever!) but that was how things were back then. Beautiful and tragic both at the same time, huh?

I look forward to more thoughts/comments once it all ends next week (tsk!).

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I used to pay attention to details but I am not completely into this drama because sometimes it requires a lot of thinking. It's not your typical easy watch sageuk.

I totally get what you are saying about (sometimes you half understand and half don't) because you have to look at it from different points of view until you fully get it and it's exhausting.

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Yes and Yeongjo could have had all the sorons killed. But he just ordered one soron executed and one traitor Noron. All other traitors are alive and well. It must've been nice to demolish all the people who are still plotting and rebelling and want you dead, like his father and brother than seeing their faces every freaking day. But no Yeongjo for some reason has decided to put up with that. Maybe he wants to catch them all read handed. We'll see. No one deserves to die but if we can measure it somehow Sorons deserve to die than Norons because they'd been plotting with injwa and gaining benifits from him from the beginning.

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And if people can forgive Yoon for hanging on to in jwa because he had no one to depend on how can they think Yeoning is bad for turning cold and somewhat heartless just trying to survive without any help at all. And no one really tried to kill Yoon until in jwa tried. Many people were trying to keep him alive while wanting to see Yeoning dead.

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Yoon is pitiful his mother was killed (she was wicked though) he went trauma and hang on to in jwa I can get that part. But he held on to him even after knowing he is evil as he confessed to his father sukjong. His hatred toward Yeoning was built upon jealousy and fear. Yeoning a child prodigy, strong and healthy, level headed, does not take hasty decisions, his father favours him more than Yoon. So he had this insecurity in his mind as he knows Yeoning is a far more fitting to be a king than him. He still had all the respect as the crown Prince with a lot of support. Yeoning with all these qualities was mocked just because his mother was a water maid. Looked down by the ministers though he was of royal blood. Had to live as a drunkard playboy to survive and humilate himself in front of everyone even though he was bright and he didn't want to live like that. He did good for people behind the scenes so didn't get much credit though he didn't mind it. It's unfortunate and unfair to live such a life in Yeoning's point of view. Yoon didn't go through any of it. Though he was sick which was unfortunate of him. He himself made Yeoning crown Prince to catch Norons. Norons fell in the trap and became greedy. And because of stupidity of four Norons hundreds of Norons paid the price. Yeoning who had recently had lost almost all of his loved ones except dae gil was left alone without any supporters. He went on his knees and begged to spare them in the cost of his own life which fell on deaf ears. Then he again had to beg for his own life and the king just coldly said no he cannot do anything about it. I don't know if this cannot change him what would?! The king knew he was wrong so he apologized. (The only time I pitied Yoon) Yeoning also knew what he did was wrong so he also apologized. It's obvious.

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That was a long read but yes I agree with your insights.. The show is pointing Yeoning as the perpetrator on his brother's death. Why would he think he should be the one to plead for forgiveness from Yoon? But it wasn't really proven according to history. And it was him who first broke the trust between him and Daegil.. when he let that seed of doubt grow in his heart and saw Daegil as a rival to the throne. Still, Daegil kept his promise to his biological parents to be the older brother and protect his dongsaeng.. But still hoping that the last episodes will give us back the bromance and a happy ending to all the main casts except for In Jwa and his minions..

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Every relationship has its ups and downs! wish to see the bromance again when the drama ends next week :)

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King yeongjo is scary lol specially when he kind of look at you in the eye and speak in a cold tone without moving his gaze even a tiny bit. He missed dae gil though. When they met after a long time he had a soft expression and talked to dae gil in a soft voice. But his expression changed when dae gil asked about his involvement in killing the village people who helped the rebels. The old Yeoning is still in him we can see it from time to time specially when he is with his son.

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AM DYING TO WATCH THE NEXT EPISODES I CANT WAIT

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me too!! :)

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Isn't it ironic?? People may found the script as messy and out of logic but we still can't drop it and gets too excited to see the next episodes.. Yes that's Daebak!!!

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ME TOO ,I like this drama so much being my second historical i am utterly impressed.

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I'm glad i dropped it early. This show had all the hype, the story had potential but characters that made no sense (damseo?) Twists and turns that made no sensetransformed it into a huge mess. I feel bad for heads and for actors. To think that it was supposed to be jang geun suk's comeback on small screen :/ well i hope next time he will choose wisely

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I think differently, even though the script is not so great I think this drama showcase Jang Keun Suk talent as an actor. He was the naive, happy go lucky and buffoon Gae Dong at the beginning who fall in love at first sight. Then overnight he became a confuse and angry young man because he did not understand what happen to him. When he lost his memory for a while, he look so lost and furlong. The next time he met Yeoning he's all grow up and just a bit wise but still a rush young person. Finally after some experience and learning as time goes by he become smarter, confident and find his path. Now he ready to be the leader, he even order his master (Kim Chae Gun) in this episode.

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I agree, this drama may not be good in the execution of plots and didn't rate well, but we cannot deny the acting prowess of the lead actors. Jang Keun Suk did a great job here since he decided to drop the pretty boy image and agreed to look dim wit, dirty, broken, etc. etc. I'm proud of him! :)

And that scene where he ordered his master around, that's really funny.. :D

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Another thing I'm curious about king Yeongjo's coronation was in 1724? According to Wikipedia I have no other sources. Rebellion happened in 1728! And the crown Prince is 9? He was born when Yeoning was still a prince. Wives and kids just don't fall from the sky lol. The writer should have mentioned them. i thought at the beginning that they are portraying Yeoning as an unmarried prince to make the love triangle more interesting. Ah I love the main storyline but these things are not good. And someone just marry off dae gil to seol Im she's still sporting the "I'm unmarried" hairstyle. And yeon hwa is married? As she has the married woman hairstyle

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Maybe they could have made Dam Seo the ill fated mom of hyo jong who died young. If they wanted to kill her off. Maybe could've made a love pentagon using daegil, Yeoning, damseo, lady seo and seol im lol my imagination running wild! Just kidding!! Too late now though

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I thought that they would have made her a lady warrior who worked for people *by looking at how heartbreaking she was over the death of the beggar girl in Ep 8 and how she taught the neighbourhood ladies archery in Ep 4 and how she hated the bad guys like Six Ghosts and Gol Sa*. I thought they would have made her work hand-in-hand with Dae Gil, oh my they'd be such a lethal combo!

But hell NO.

They killed her in such a tragically stupid way. There's no time given for her to have her own life back in a good way in 'Jackpot' land.

Giving her spot now to either Seol Im or Yeon Hwa- I guess most likely Seol Im since she's been around Dae Gil like that... I don't think I'll enjoy any of the love storyline possibility any longer. Anyway, 2 more episodes to go!

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One brother is trying to survive and save his life, he needs to be in power to do that. One brother is willing to give his life for the people, he's not afraid to lose his life. Both are not wrong but one is admirable and I hope the other who is in power will one day use his power wisely to help the people (after he's confident that the force that wants him to die disappear).

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Yeoning didn't have a chance to die while saving people. If he were to die it was because of a plotting of some evil ministers. I don't see any wrong in trying to avoid that fate. Not that he killed a king who did a lot for his people. Yeongjo was a king who made joseon a better place. Hope this drama stay true to that fact.

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Dae gils love for people wasn't portrait strongly in the drama before. His intention was unclear. He mostly wanted to take down in jwa and it helped people in a way. In the middle part he almost looked like a supporting character because all the hype was about Yeoning and Yoon and Yeoning's fate. But now at the last 3 episodes they have made him a hero all of a sudden. I'm sorry I felt about it like that way. In the mudflat scenes he really looked like a hero. But in the middle part was just meh. Dae Gilas character needs more development to be a convincing hero to me. But agree the actor did what he can with the given material s. I don't see any wrong in trying to survive. Other than dying without able to do anything. The real Yeongjo was much different. Something I hate about this drama. They made a great king a dark character to shine up a fictional one. Yeongjo is my favorite king and I'm upset by that. Anyway let's hope he becomes much better in the last 2 episodes.

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these recaps are great, funny, accurate, simply amazing! But nonetheless I have to state that Man-geum did not go into hiding for 20 years as has been written for several times now. He went into hiding after having been shot in the back by Injwa when Dae-gil was already 20 years old and afterwards the whole revenge aka getting ready for revenge aka becoming a great tiger thing started.

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