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Mirror of the Witch: Episode 10

Seo-ri and Jun continue to become a support system for one another, and Seo-ri even starts to open up a little to him. But just when things finally start to go right, when it seems like our good guys are finally all working together and on the same page, the villain kicks things up a notch to keep the game interesting.

 

 
EPISODE 10 RECAP

Looking for the latest wish-maker, Seo-ri and Jun cautiously approach the meeting place. Suddenly, swords fly out at their necks, and out walk Poong-yeon and Sol-gae.

Poong-yeon falters upon recognizing his sister and calls out to her, but she recalls the time Poong-yeon had called her a monster, and quickly runs away. Jun chases after Seo-ri while Poong-yeon is momentarily frozen in shock. When Poong-yeon finally snaps out of his daze and follows, he runs into Yo-gwang instead.

Jun stops Seo-ri, advising her to tell Poong-yeon the truth. Seo-ri lashes out, asking what she should tell him — that she’s a cursed witch? Or that he could die if he stays by her side? As Seo-ri points out that she doesn’t even know why she’s been cursed, Sol-gae approaches. Has she overheard their conversation?

Jun notes that he can’t do anything if Seo-ri doesn’t want Poong-yeon to know about her curse, but tells her that Poong-yeon would want any kind of explanation from her, gently reminding Seo-ri that she promised not to run away anymore.

Nearby, Yo-gwang tries to explain to a frustrated Poong-yeon that it’s best for him not to know too much, but Poong-yeon is sick of not being allowed to meet Yeon-hee/Seo-ri without knowing why. Poong-yeon declares that from now on, he’ll be the one to decide whether or not he sees her.

When Poong-yeon sees Seo-ri walking back, he grabs her in a tight hug. Cradling her head, he tells her how thankful he is that she’s alive, and a tear trickles down Seo-ri’s face.

Taoist master Hyun-seo watches as the royal guards rush into the shaman hall to arrest Hong-joo’s minions. Speaking with a pretense of concern, a eunuch explains to Hong-joo that the queen dowager was shocked to hear about the armed shamans and has provided the guards for Hong-joo’s protection.

Facing him with a frightening smile, Hong-joo feigns gratitude for the queen dowager’s concern. The queen dowager scoffs at Hong-joo’s insolence when she hears the message, and reiterates that they must watch Hong-joo closely.

At a riverbank, Yo-gwang, Sol-gae, and Jun give the two siblings some privacy to catch up. Poong-yeon asks Seo-ri if she’s here because of Jun, but Seo-ri corrects her brother, explaining that she has her own matters. She asks after their father and when Poong-yeon can’t answer, she begins to blame herself for Dad going missing.

Poong-yeon catches the slip, and asks what happened the day they disappeared. Seo-ri can only stare dejectedly downward, so Poong-yeon tells her comfortingly: “Slowly, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the next, you can meet me and tell me, from the beginning to the end.”

Their reunion is cut short when Poong-yeon hears that the king’s been looking for him. Poong-yeon asks Seo-ri to meet here tomorrow, and looks pointedly in Jun’s direction, telling him he’ll be questioned for his crime the next time they meet. Jun responds that he has no crime to speak of.

At the palace, the king explains to Poong-yeon that he heard the queen dowager had given birth to a cursed princess, and that this princess is the cause of his illness. The king wants Poong-yeon to find the princess and cure him; afterwards, the king will finish off the queen dowager.

Poong-yeon takes the story in with skepticism, and asks the king if this is what Hong-joo told him. Growing defensive, the king asks if he looks pathetic for believing a mere shaman and Poong-yeon answers honestly that the king seems to be blinded by Hong-joo’s words.

The king tells Poong-yeon that Hyun-seo was the one who saved the princess when he was supposed to kill her, and informs him that Hyun-seo also convinced the queen dowager to revive the Taoist temple.

This is news to Poong-yeon and he’s surprised to hear that his father is back. The king guesses that Hong-joo and Hyun-seo must have returned to the palace because of the princess, and asks Poong-yeon, “If my life were at risk, what would you do?”

Poong-yeon immediately responds that he would sacrifice his own life. Satisfied, the king makes his request to Poong-yeon, to cut ties with his father and investigate him. If what Hong-joo said is true, Poong-yeon is to find the princess and bring her to the king.

As Jun, Seo-ri, and Yo-gwang walk across town, they hear a loud drumbeat and townspeople clamoring around. A man announces that a thief is coming, and forcibly drags Soon-deuk through the streets, with her hands bound by ropes.

They tie her to a tree, and Soon-deuk struggles against the ropes and insists that she did nothing wrong. She demands to be untied but Jun’s half-brother Ok just scoffs, and announces to the crowd her crime of having contempt for a noble.

The townspeople all cower in fear but Soon-deuk’s a feisty one, and she boldly takes the chance to curse Ok out. “Before I take a spoon and carve out all your intestines,” she warns, “untie me immediately!” Ok stammers in response to her nerve, and Soon-deuk continues, mocking Ok for thinking that Jun will come for her.

Ok laughs in disbelief at Soon-deuk’s audacity, and points his sword at her, telling her he doesn’t know how long his patience will last. In the crowd, Jun hides his face, and the trio turn to leave, but then Ok loudly remarks that lowly people only realize their place when their parents have been punished. This strikes a nerve with Jun, and he angrily rushes through the crowd, knocking Ok over and freeing Soon-deuk.

Jun thrusts his sword at Ok, and our trio plus Soon-deuk make a run for it. When the four of them reach a hiding place, Yo-gwang chides Jun for being so brash, but Jun tells Yo-gwang that he’s not finished yet, immediately turning to go back.

Ok and his assistant are still stumbling around, wondering where the group ran off to, when suddenly, Jun approaches them from behind and knocks them out.

Ok wakes up on a barn floor, groaning. Jun stops Seo-ri from coming in and tells her not to look. He slams the door closed, and unsheathes his sword as he walks over to Ok.

Complaining that it’s Jun’s fault for making him like this, Ok spins a sob story about how unfair it was for him to always be compared to Jun. Angrily, Jun asks if Ok killed his mother just because he didn’t like Jun.

Ok claims that Jun’s mother crawled into the fire herself — after all, he asks, does it make sense for a runaway slave to continue living? He goes on, suggesting that it’s Jun’s fault his mother died because Jun was the one who convinced her to run away.

Jun lowers his sword, and thinks sadly that Ok is right, noting that he couldn’t protect his mother because he didn’t have any power. Jun remarks that in the end, this is the only way to stop Ok, and asks Ok if he recognizes this place.

It’s the same barn where Ok had left Jun’s mother to die, and Ok finally seems to recognize the direness of his situation. Ok pathetically demands that Jun calm down, but Jun just looks at him with determination, angry tears threatening to spill over.

Jun raises his sword to strike, when suddenly, Seo-ri rushes in and cries, “Don’t do it!” Jun pauses in mid-air and glances back at Seo-ri, who fervently shakes her head no, begging him not to be like this. Ok repeats Seo-ri’s plea, and that incenses Jun, who swings his sword.

After meeting with the king, Poong-yeon rushes over to the Taoist temple to find his father, who greets him with a rueful smile.

In the barn, Ok slowly turns his head, realizes he’s still alive, and dashes out, screaming in terror. Jun falls to the floor and beats the ground, and then he notices someone standing before him.

It’s the ghost of his mother, and she watches Jun with a pained expression. Jun breaks down, apologizing for being unable to take revenge for her, but his mother just wipes his tears away, as if to reassure him that he did nothing wrong.

She gets up and turns back one last time to look at Jun, before disappearing in a glimmer. The ghost-seeing tattoo behind Jun’s ear glows and vanishes. Jun looks around in shock, and Seo-ri walks over to put a hand on his shoulder and comfort him as he cries.

In Cheongbing Temple, a candle suddenly lights up by itself.

Meanwhile, Hong-joo is performing her rituals when suddenly, she collapses to the ground, wheezing and panting. She pulls herself up only to vomit blood, and she looks around in horror.

Inside the Taoist temple, Hyun-seo asks Poong-yeon if he’s met with Yeon-hee, and Poong-yeon affirms it with a smile. Poong-yeon excitedly begins talking about her, but Hyun-seo interrupts, asking Poong-yeon if his feelings for Yeon-hee haven’t changed.

Poong-yeon answers that his feelings have indeed changed — it’s no longer childlike innocent love. He won’t ask anymore why Yeon-hee had to be isolated, or what happened in the forest that day, because he no longer needs any reasons to know that he won’t let go of her. Hyun-seo asks Poong-yeon if he’ll love her even if he dies because of that love, and Poong-yeon confirms it.

Red Cloak easily sneaks into the shaman hall to take Hong-joo’s next order. Now that a candle’s been lit by itself, Hong-joo says, she needs to meet the princess as soon as possible.

As our trio plus Soon-deuk make their way back to town, Jun asks Soon-deuk if she’s really going to be okay. She tells him no, she won’t be okay, and jokingly asks for 300 nyang.

Soon-deuk notes that Jun’s found some friends, and stares directly at Yo-gwang as she tells Jun she doesn’t want to be involved in any dirty business again. Yo-gwang sputters indignantly, while Jun asks Soon-deuk if she has a place to hide from Ok.

Jun begins to offer their place at Cheongbing Temple, but Yo-gwang cuts in, saying absolutely not. Looking at Soon-deuk, he snidely tells her that Cheongbing Temple isn’t some welfare center for the poor.

Annoyed, Soon-deuk counters that Yo-gwang shouldn’t be talking when he’s the one with the beggar-like hair, and tells it to him straight: He needn’t worry because she might rob people, but she’ll never be indebted to someone.

She gives Yo-gwang a good thump, and tells Jun that if he ever really needs her help, he can talk to the barmaid at the tavern. She walks off, leaving Yo-gwang to huffily complain about “that little thing.”

At night, Hyun-seo is still in the Taoist temple, examining the torn page of the Mauigeumseo, when suddenly, all the candles go out.

A dark spirit creeps through the palace hallways and Prince Sunhoe walks into the queen dowager’s room. She instinctively calls out to her son, but remembers that he’s just an illusion, and she orders him out.

He begs his mother to save him, and unable to restrain herself, the queen dowager follows him into a different room. The prince cries that he’s in terrible pain when Hong-joo steps into the scene, carrying the jar where she stores Prince Sunhoe’s soul.

With a wave of her hand, Hong-joo strangles the prince with an invisible force, and asks the queen dowager if she hasn’t already forsaken the prince. Resolute, the queen dowager says she won’t let Hong-joo mess with the royal bloodline anymore, and Hong-joo asks irately if that’s why the queen dowager joined hands with Hyun-seo.

As Hong-joo continues to choke Prince Sunhoe, Hyun-seo arrives and demands she stop immediately. He points his sword at Hong-joo, but his hand suddenly blackens and he loses his grip on the sword. Hong-joo tells him not to come near her if he’s not joining her, and strangles Prince Sunhoe even harder. Hyun-seo picks up the sword again using all his strength, and this time his sword glows with light. He strikes at the prince, whose figure dissipates, forcing his spirit back into the jar.

Hong-joo holds the jar forward, and mockingly eggs Hyun-seo on. “Do it,” she says, “try making the crown prince’s soul float around without a place to stay.” Hyun-seo prepares to strike but Hong-joo calls his bluff. She holds the jar precariously with just one hand, and the queen dowager screams for her to stop.

The queen dowager pleads with Hong-joo, and agrees to remove the guards and release the shaman minions. Hyun-seo drops his sword in defeat, and Hong-joo tells him that if he had only killed the princess back then, such a horrid thing would not have happened now. Hong-joo turns to the queen dowager, and says menacingly that she ought to think carefully about who is truly trying to save Prince Sunhoe.

At Cheongbing Temple, Seo-ri and Yo-gwang are stunned that a candle has lit itself. They realize that it’s because Jun’s wish was granted after drinking the ghost-seeing potion and they rush over to thank him.

Yo-gwang wraps Jun in a bear hug, and doesn’t even mind when Jun pushes him off, while Seo-ri just squats there, grinning. Jun sees Seo-ri’s cheery smile and breaks out in one himself, telling her that he’s glad he was of help.

Yo-gwang wonders how they’ll receive wishes from now on (since the Hundred Year Tree is now marked as the Murderer’s Tree), but Seo-ri suggests that they worry about it later.

Alone in his room, Poong-yeon worriedly thinks back to the king’s order to investigate his father and bring forth the princess.

At the Taoist temple, Hyun-seo astrologically calculates the relationship between the births of the king and Prince Sunhoe. He concludes that the energy of the two souls and two bodies fit with the same date, and realizes what Hong-joo’s plan was all along.

In the shaman hall, Hong-joo suddenly pushes past a pair of red curtains and smiles evilly at a sleeping white-haired Seo-ri, who’s been strapped down to a table in the hall.

Seo-ri wakes up when she hears someone calling her “sister,” and another figure walks down a hallway of the same red curtains. Seo-ri struggles against her ropes, and suddenly, we see the current king, Seonjo, appear behind the curtains.

The camera switches angles, and then we see Prince Sunhoe instead. He looms menacingly above Seo-ri and takes out a large dagger. He raises it above his head and slices right into Seo-ri’s heart.

Seo-ri wakes up screaming, and her irises briefly glow purple before turning back to their normal hue. Thankfully, it was just a nightmare, and she’s still at Cheongbing Temple.

In the morning, Seo-ri ponders over her bell charm, thinking of Poong-yeon. When Yo-gwang tells her that he’s going to Taeil Temple to figure out how to light the candles again, Seo-ri tells Yo-gwang that she plans on bringing Poong-yeon to Cheongbing Temple today.

In the marketplace, Poong-yeon stops to look at some hairpins for his sister and holds one up to Sol-gae to see how it looks, making her flustered. When he asks Sol-gae to help him pick one, she nonchalantly passes a pretty flower hairpin over to him.

While Poong-yeon is buying the flower hairpin, he notices Sol-gae looking at the one he’d first picked up and asks her if she wants it. Sol-gae denies it, telling him she wouldn’t have any use for it anyway.

As Poong-yeon is looking at hanboks for Seo-ri, the storekeeper asks him what size he wants. He coughs awkwardly and then remembers that Sol-gae is approximately Seo-ri’s size, and tells the storekeeper that the clothes just have to fit Sol-gae.

At Cheongbing Temple, Seo-ri asks Jun why he’s suddenly unable to go with her to meet Poong-yeon. Seo-ri practically rolls her eyes when Jun tells her he’s afraid of ghosts, reminding him that he himself said that the effects of the ghost-seeing potion were disappearing.

Caught, Jun fakes a stomachache, but Seo-ri sees right through him and insists that he help her. He reluctantly gives in, but then adds a request; cutely tapping Seo-ri, he asks her to speak informally to him, just like she used to. She shuts him down, telling him they’re not that close, and he pouts.

At the riverbank, Sol-gae tells Poong-yeon that she’ll pick up the hanbok for Seo-ri and starts heading back to town. Poong-yeon calls out to her and hands her the hairpin she was looking at earlier, telling her that there’ll be a day when it’ll be useful. She’s touched, but clearly unsure how to react.

The storekeeper insists that Sol-gae try the clothes on before leaving. As she undresses, we see that her back is marred by scars and the camera pans to a tattoo on her right shoulder — the same marking that Man-wol’s ghost had pointed Jun towards. Sol-gae lifts her arm to put on the hanbok, and we see an especially deep slash just below her shoulder, exactly where Poong-yeon had cut Red Cloak.

Sol-gae tries on the hairpin that Poong-yeon had given her, and she smiles happily at her reflection, seeing herself all dressed up and pretty. Suddenly, she pauses and takes it out, as if she’s reminding herself that she can’t be like this.

In the palace, Hyun-seo tells the queen dowager that the fates of the current king and Prince Sunhoe are aligned by their birthdates. The queen dowager realizes that Hong-joo just wants the throne for herself by putting Prince Sunhoe in the king’s body, and Hyun-seo explains that in order to accomplish that, Hong-joo has to make Prince Sunhoe kill the princess with his own hands.

Only the crown prince can kill the princess successfully, and if he does, the curse of the princess will be brought onto the royal family. The queen dowager is incensed at the thought of her son going through such horrors, and Hyun-seo agrees that they must stop Hong-joo.

The queen dowager asks if Hyun-seo can stop Hong-joo with his weakened body, and Hyun-seo tries to brush it off. He adds that he’s found someone who would sacrifice his life for the princess, and explains that this person will help lift the curse.

Hong-joo and the king are having their own conversation, and she tells him to leave his body to her during an upcoming ritual. She advises him to just think of it as sleeping and assures him that if he does this, his pain will soon be gone.

At Taeil Temple, Yo-gwang finds a hidden letter and realizes that Hyun-seo is back. He rushes inside, and Hyun-seo thanks him for keeping Seo-ri safe all this while.

Yo-gwang apologizes for letting the talisman barrier at Cheongbing Temple break down, but Hyun-seo informs Yo-gwang that he was the one who broke it. Hyun-seo tells Yo-gwang that it’s great fortune that Jun is Seo-ri’s human shield, and asks Yo-gwang to do something for him.

On the way to meet Poong-yeon, Jun is still sulking over Seo-ri’s comment that they’re not that close. She takes a hint, and speaking informally, asks if he wants some rice balls later.

It catches him by surprise and she continues talking about food, turning to smile at him. Jun can barely hide his smile, and when she asks if he feels good after thinking about food, he agrees, saying he likes it a lot. Something tells me he’s not talking about the food anymore.

Suddenly, a dagger comes flying at Jun’s shoulder. Jun jumps in front of Seo-ri to shield her, and grabs her to start running as the daggers keep coming. From afar, Poong-yeon sees that they’re being attacked and chases after them. Sol-gae walks onto the scene with the bag of clothes and clocks everything that’s happening.

A smoke bomb separates Jun from Seo-ri, and the masked attacker pushes Jun down a hill, leaving Seo-ri all alone. Jun struggles to climb up the hill, while the attacker runs back up and pulls down his mask — it’s Yo-gwang.

Hyun-seo had requested that Yo-gwang momentarily separate Seo-ri from Jun, so that Poong-yeon would be able to see Seo-ri’s curse with his own eyes. “If his heart doesn’t waver even after seeing her in her cursed state,” Hyun-seo says, “then he’s the last person who can undo her curse.”

Seo-ri scrambles through the forest, desperately calling out for Jun, but it’s Poong-yeon who arrives before her.

At Taeil Temple, Hyun-seo thinks that only a true love’s sacrifice can light the last candle. Hyun-seo had hidden this to protect Poong-yeon, but if this is Poong-yeon’s destiny, Hyun-seo remarks sadly that he cannot go against it, and he will lead his son to death.

In the forest, we see Red Cloak’s mask lying next to the bag of clothes that Sol-gae had picked up for Poong-yeon. We see the same tattoo on her shoulder as she dons her Red Cloak disguise and heads out on her mission.

Poong-yeon grabs Seo-ri’s hand and asks her to go down with him, but she flings his hand away. The curse tattoo behind her ear begins to glow and her hair turns white. Poong-yeon looks at her in shock, while his curse mark begins to glow, too.

He backs away from her, scared, and Seo-ri looks heartbroken that he’s rejected her again. Poong-yeon sees Red Cloak approaching them and unsheathes his sword, but the activation of the curse has weakened him too much and he falls to the ground.

Red Cloak takes out her sword, preparing to attack. But suddenly Seo-ri’s eyes glow purple and in one angry look, she uses her telekinetic powers to send Red Cloak flying, making her struggle for breath as she floats in mid-air. That only terrifies Poong-yeon more, who crawls away from Seo-ri and tells her to get away from him when she approaches, trying to help.

Taking advantage of Seo-ri’s momentary distraction, Red Cloak throws a dagger right at her back. Seo-ri falls to the ground, shedding another tear.

By the time Yo-gwang and Jun make it to the scene, they only see Poong-yeon writhing on the floor. Jun spots Red Cloak carrying Seo-ri off in the distance and they give chase. Poong-yeon’s curse tattoo flickers a few times before disappearing, and he grabs his sword to follow them.

Seo-ri wakes up tied to a table, in a room surrounded by red curtains. It’s just like her nightmare. She struggles against the ropes as Hong-joo walks into the room. Hong-joo says it’s been a long time, commenting that it seems like Seo-ri hasn’t forgotten her.

 
COMMENTS

NOOOOO. Not Sol-gae! Narratively speaking, Sol-gae turning out to be Red Cloak was a great plot twist, but she’s just been such a wonderful character that it pains me to see her on the dark side. I loved how the writers had portrayed her as this outward badass with a soft innocence on the inside, from the way she stood up for Poong-yeon at the gisaeng house last week, to the way she’s delighted over something as simple as dressing up this week.

She’s definitely not the heartless killing machine that I expected Red Cloak to be, but that makes me feel all the more conflicted for liking her. I know Sol-gae’s got blood on her hands, and it’ll be hard for the show to redeem a serial killer, but I can’t help but pity her, especially when she’s so affected by Poong-yeon’s warmth. I can only hope that Sol-gae’s unconscious growing attachment to him comes in handy later on.

As for Poong-yeon, I can’t imagine how distraught he’ll be when he learns that there’s really no one, not even Sol-gae, on his side. The king wants him to betray his own family. Hyun-seo seemed sorry about leading his own son to death, but I found it a little disturbing that he’s relatively unemotional when weighing the importance of his family against the well-being of the state. And now, it turns out that Sol-gae’s the very enemy that Poong-yeon’s searching to capture.

If Poong-yeon’s going to suffer heartbreak later, though, Seo-ri’s definitely the one who’s going through the most heartbreak right now. Considering that Poong-yeon tried to defend Seo-ri from Red Cloak even after seeing the transformation, and chased after them when he recovered from the curse, I don’t think Poong-yeon completely rejected Seo-ri; nevertheless, freaking out and crawling away from her wasn’t exactly the best reaction either.

It just broke my heart to see Seo-ri’s worst fears come true, and I can’t help but compare Poong-yeon’s reaction to Jun’s. Jun had accepted Seo-ri and pitied her, whereas Poong-yeon had reacted as if Seo-ri were a monster. I’m sure that Poong-yeon means well, and will eventually be able to see past Seo-ri’s curse, but in this case, his immediate reaction was the one that mattered and once again, we see that only Jun truly understands Seo-ri.

I also can’t believe that Yo-gwang and Hyun-seo would hatch such a half-brained plot to test Poong-yeon’s love for Seo-ri. It’s bad enough that they didn’t think it necessary to consult Seo-ri and Jun about their plan, but the fact that Yo-gwang didn’t take any precautions to keep danger at bay is what really annoys me. At the very least, Hyun-seo or Yo-gwang could’ve stationed themselves with Seo-ri in case something happened, and Seo-ri wouldn’t have been as easily kidnapped.

I’m terrified of what’s to come for Seo-ri, and I really hope our good guys save her before she’s emotionally or physically damaged by Hong-joo. Can this please be Sol-gae’s chance to come back to the good side?

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The best thing about this drama is that it is not predictable. From episode to episode I can't even guess what is going to happen next.

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Another thing I love is Yoon Shi Yoon. Those eyes. ? Love him 1+ infinity. Okay, fangirl moment over.

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Totally agree with you. So far, things are very unpredictable, except for the identity of the Red Cloak, which I was guessing once the priest was not the suspect.

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Yep, and all the characters keep behaving in unpredictable ways (with reasonably believable explanations).

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I knew it! From the moment since Red Cloak making an appearance I was being suspicious to Sol Gae. Idk just gut feeling because in the ep when PY fights off Red Cloak and slash the shoulder, RC escapes then the next scene Sol Gae comes to help PY. Since then I've suspected Sol Gae as Red Cloak.

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But when I rewatched that moment it seemed too impossible, because literally the next second Sol Gae appeared like did she really change her clothes that fast :o

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Well we are watching a story with magic.
She waved her wand and she magically changed. We all need one of those for those days when we are late or too lazy to put on clothes.

On another note why did Seo-ri's brother STOP her from killing/harming Red Cloak. She was still masked so he could not know who it was. Also they were trying to catch Red Cloak. And because her stopped her now she is caught.

And Yo-gwang just got rid of Seo-ri's walking talisman why on earth would he not be near her keeping an eye. What's the point keeping her protected than get rid of it and leave her alone. He could have come in time to stop Red Cloak.

But other than that this show is great with slight illogical actions that it doesn't take away too much.

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are you sure poong tells her to get away at that last scene? i've rewatched it and don't hear anything of the sort. i guess him backing away is the same effect though.

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Oh, drat!
Lesson learned: Never trust anyone.

Thanks for the recap, Happilyeverafter~!

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I'm intrigued by the concept that only a true love’s sacrifice can light the last candle. It reminds me of old folktales or early Disney animations like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. I can't wait to see how they'll re-interpret that here.

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So since PY failed the test does that mean Jun has to die to free her from the curse...NO!!!!!!

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It doesn't necessarily mean jun has to die i think.

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No, he's protected by the symbol and it's strategically located where his heart is. I really do love his response to her in the last episode regarding her curse…that he was a little surprised an his heart ached for her.

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Jun took an arrow for her 5 years ago on her 17th birthday. Does that not count?

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The book said "only true love's sacrifice can cure the curse" or something like that why are we assuming that it has to be Seori's true love? That's what everyone thinks but the book didn't say who's true love, just true love's sacrifice. I think it's possible that Sol-gae could sacrifice herself and betray hong-joo for her love for poong yeon. I think that would be an interesting twist in the plot. The candles are meant to reflect one's true wishes. Maybe Sol-Gae's wish is to die for Poong Yeon and have him acknowledge her love. And this true love's sacrifice might light the candle too. No?

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I'm with you on thinking Sol-Gae is going to die for Poong Yeon. I think Hong Joo is going to unleash the black smoke monster on him and she'll sacrifice herself to save him. But that makes me sad because I want her with Poong Yeon, especially after he gave her the hair pin. Maybe he isn't as blind to her feelings as we think...

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I freaking love Jun! He is so ride or die for Seo-ri and I love that. While I like Poong-yeon, I feel like no one gets her like Jun.

That scene with his Mom really broke my heart. I am so ready for Ok to get his just desserts. I'm glad Jun didn't kill him (only because that would be bad for Jun) but I really want him to punch him in the face again.

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Ok is MOTW's Injwa. *sigh* That piece of trash must suffer.

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The scene with both Mom and Man-Wol were heartbreaking, while by watching Another Miss Oh, I now more than ever appreciate the background music and can realize how it can change the whole feeling and meaning of a particular scene, in this episode the silence was really well used in these two scenes. Man-Wol when she bowed silently with a sad but peaceful demeanor, it expressed what she meant to tell Jun that she loved him no matter what. Similarly, with Jun's mother, the silence yet the way she looked at him, comforted him said more than what words could convey that you're a good son, a good human and with or without avenging him it won't change that his mother dearly loved him and he loved and cared deeply for his mother.
And Seori lights up around Jun, her Oraboni loves her in his way but Jun is different. Jun accepts her for who she is like she does the same with him. Their relation is still evolving from understanding to trust to more than that and for me that counts more than her Oraboni's way of loving her. He loved her partly because his parents always made her into a forbidden fruit for him, part of the charm he feels towards her comes from that. That is why when she truly felt the extent of her curse, he recoiled at first sight. I don't blame him but that's what Seori was afraid of that she will repel people with her true condition and that's exactly how he reacted.

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I agree with you in everything, but not sure how I feel about Poong Yeon; since he is also cursed he cannot see the real Seo Ri anymore, so I don't think it's his fault...it will take a lot of strength for him to overcome the curse and not reject Seo Ri, let's see what happens :)

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I think Poong Yeon loves Seori as that innocent sweet girl locked up in the tower and relying on him for everything. It's a bit of a lazy way of loving someone. I love you as long as I am the only thing in the world to you - literally. He can't seem to handle Seori when she is not this sweet trapped innocent girl. And that's why it's not going to work between them. She's seen too much and experienced too much to be able to go back to being that sweet innocent girl. She's grown and she's stronger and she's more aware of all that is around her - both good and bad.

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“If his heart doesn’t waver even after seeing her in her cursed state,” Hyun-seo says, “then he’s the last person who can undo her curse.” - i think HS was hesitant to test PY's love coz he's afraid that would mean the death of his son. But now he knows about HJ's plans he's willing to sacrifice PY, but then i think it would be Jun who will fulfill this...

Really liked how SR & Jun are there for each other, making each other smile, both forsaken by their own destiny/parentage but still willing to help out (jun) and find the truth about themselves...

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Well, Jun seems to be some kind of force external to the curse, so I hope he can interfere in a way that helps breaking it while keeping everyone safe...I can't stand the idea of anyone else dying, the show is already dark enough to have Jun dying in the end :(

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i'm bracing myself for more plot twists, can't find any previous work of the writer to compare... true that the show is dark but i like the character development, it shows human frailty and most important HOPE, that SR & Jun can overcome this curse:)

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Everytime I snap myself out of the fantasy world of this drama, I find myself thinking the reason for using the black magic. They needed a prince or else the country would go down. But in the end, there was no prince, and the country is doing just fine. They were able to put someone in the king position. Also, why black magic mediated embryo transfer? Queen could fake pregnancy and swap the babies from the maid as soon as they are born and kill the maid (optional). Or, the king's mother, who is powerful enough to watch the king's bedroom activities can easily get rid of the queen (kill her? - optional) and find a new queen. But then again I am glad that my career choices have not been even close to the script writing. I love each and every cast member, especially KSR, and the pacing of the drama a lot. Thanks for the recap!

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I think the Queen chose that route because she knew she'd be killed by the Dowager if she was useless - i.e., unable to bear children. Also, back then, it wasn't so easy to swap out the Queen. She's sort of "elected" into that position and it would be a lot of political manuvering to get her out. Usually, the Queen had to commit a fault, treason or something bad like that to be ousted, and letting the world know that the Queen can't bear children is an embarrassment to the "Naegeumboo" or the palace's "women"'s department. The Dowager had used Hongjoo before and knew that it worked, and the present Queen was willing enough to try it out so I think that's why they did it. It's also better for the Dowager to have control over the current Queen then to risk going through all the political BS of getting rid of her, and then getting a new Queen and having that Queen not be really obedient to her.

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Thanks for the recap, HappilyEverAfter!

Love YSY as Jun sooooo much!! His scene with mom was heart-wrenching and glad that Seori was doing the comforting this time. These two just get each other and their relationship is just so warm and beautiful. How wonderful to see Seori so insanely happy cuz a candle was lit! The way she kept grinning at Jun made me feel so happy and I'm sure Jun felt exhilarated to see this happy Seori that he's never seen before. Anyway, just gotta love all the Jun-Seori interactions.

Red Cloak reveal was well done though I didn't want Solgae to be on the dark side. I'm curious what her backstory is and how she came to be associated with Hongjoo.

This show does a great drop of laying out clues yet not making the plot too predictable. I thoroughly enjoy each ep and love the range of emotions as well as the balance of the darkness and humour. Can't wait for more!!!

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OMG IS THIS A NEW SHIP I SEE?? Yo-gwang and seon-duk are adorable!

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My thoughts exactly! I love their bickering and can't wait for them to run into each other again! I was grinning like an idiot throughout that whole scene XD

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One more idiot here LOL!

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I'm definitely onboard the ship!

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Wow, Hong-joo's crazy eyes at the sight of Seo-ri on the table. *shiver* I half expected her to start chowing down.

I think what's most fascinating is all the conflict we feel as viewers over the "good" guys and "bad" guys. Writers are totally messing with our minds. Like with Sol-gae as Happy mentioned but also like with the alliances we see happening. There's the King who we were sympathetic towards and I would have said is a good guy, but now he's teaming up with evil Hong-Joo and is gonna make Poong-Yoon bring the princess to him on a plate! Or there's the queen who we probably do NOT have much sympathy for and is probably on the "bad" side but then she teams up with Hyun-seo and now she wants the Kings body for her son's spirit. Love that there's such gray between the good and bad sides, which is so much more true to real life.

And what of this "true love's sacrifice" thing?! This show's totally gonna leave my heart in shreds, isn't it?

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So, this is actually a fairytale in disguise. Something like the Grimm's brothers story, extremely dark, plus true love required, but mixed with Korean folklore.

Black magic? Just a witch casting a spell.

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I always have to pause and catch my breath after an episode of this show.

The revelation about Sol-gae was actually my favorite new development this episode. I'd wondered more than once over the past few episodes if she could be Red Cloak, but kept telling myself it couldn't be possible. I was so sure she was another typical but really endearing female-soldier-hopelessly-in-love-with-her-superior, so now I'm dying to know her story.

"it'll be hard for the show to redeem a serial killer."

Well, I just watched I Remember You, so...

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Those plot twists. :OOOOOO

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Okay, I know I said I'd pause my drama watching for a while but I just couldn't, can't pause this drama!!

Hong-joo ya, why are you so creepy?! She gives me shivers everytime she smiles!

I kinda expected Sol-gae to be the red cloak because I couldn't think of anyone else who'll fit that role! Sol-gae disappears everytime red cloak appears and when Poong-yeon had that fight with red cloak, Sol-gae was nowhere to be found, she only came after RC was gone! But I'm a little sad at the reveal, seeing her so touched with the hairpin and the little smile she had when she looked at herself in the mirror all dressed up was just so sad! I don't know how will Poong-yeon react to this if he finds out, he trusts her the most from everyone else around him, that's gonna be a big shock!!

So Hyun-soe was keeping the truth away from Poong-yeon because he was afraid he'd readily sacrifice himself for Seo-ri?! but now he's willing to let him do that?!

I do understand that Poong-yeon needs to see her in the curse but wouldn't it be better if Hyun-seo told him about it first and then let him see her like that? He could've prepared himself or would've been able to control his reaction and not hurt her like this, her worst fear just came true and my heart breaks for her!

Jun is the only one who really truly accepted her without asking questions, he understands her. He knows how it feels to be all alone and blame yourself for things you had no control on, that's why he's trying to be there for her when she needs him, trying to protect her, his heart aches for her. I just want him now to find a way to save her from Hong-joo, and give Hyun-seo and Yo-gwang a beating for such a plan!!

Seo-ri's smile when she found the candle lit, awww!

thanks HappilyEverAfter for the recap!

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When they say true love will help with the curse...does it only mean between lovers?

What about yo-gwang & yeon hee? Can true brotherly love work? He was also willing to sacrifice his life for her right?

Still don't understand why Pyongyang has that cursed mark behind his ear? Why doesnt Jun have it? Or has Jun not reached that stage of love yet?

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I've wondered this as well.

All I can figure is because he's the human shield for her specifically, so for that reason the curse itself can't afflict him, unlike when he gets the mark(s) from the other potions.

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I agree! "true love's sacrifice" can be anyone - Hyeon Soo just thinks it has to be for Seori. BUT, I think it could be Solgae's love for Poong Yeon. That would be an interesting but satisfying twist at the end. For her to sacrifice herself for him and for him to acknowledge her love for him and forgive her for her wrongdoings.

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YSY with that hat is growing on me.. much more than with the panda hat he wore in FBND.

I can watch this show for 50 episodes!

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Concerning Sol-gae as the Red Cloak. I went back, and will do it yet again because I need to check a few other scenes (specifically with a heart hand off), but the body type of the Red Cloak earlier in the series was not the same as now. Broader shoulders for certain, for one.

This might be an oversight, with the use of a stunt cast member who is not the same as the actress playing Sol-gae, but it's bothering me.

Plot wise, it makes perfect sense for her character to be one of the shamens, as Hong-joo probably figured he'd be looking for her, knowing what happened to him in the past so why not have his second be her eyes and ears there. So I'm not really arguing that point...just body size compared to the past.

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I went back and compared the Red Cloak in Ep 5 entering the tent and seeing their hands offering the box with the heart in it. Definitely not the same as Red Cloak in Ep 10.

*sighs* Sloppy work, show!

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You're probably correct. But since Red Cloak wears a mask, isn't it possible that there have been multiple people portraying "him?"

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First things first, i love this drama, thats saying something considering all the so called Historical Fantasy drama's i've watched so far. There's GREAT acting, with YSY being the biggest hotshot there is, damn, what did Army do to you to get this intense side of you?

inner me: Psssst! when's Taecyeon supposed to go again!?

HUH! who said that!?

Anyways, the revelation of Soldier Girl Sol gae being the Red cloak makes me squeeee at the future drama, tenion and man tears am about to see. YEEEPPI to more pretty boy man tears of betrayal!!!!!!!! WIIIIIIIII!!!!!

:)

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LOL @ Taecyeon comment!
YSY was already a good actor even before he went to the marine. I loved him ever since Me too, flower. He was just underrated?

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I agree. YSY's acting in Me too, Flower was fantastic. The show was underrated and I think part of it might have been due to the controversy involving the female lead at the time, who I really like nonetheless.

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I'm still unsure that Sol Gae is the real Red Cloak. What if she's just acting? I mean, she might be involved in Hyun Seo's plan to see whether Poong Yeon could still protect Seo Ri or not after knowing that she's cursed -- just like what Yo Gwang did.

But if she's the real Red Cloak.. ah~ I don't know. I still think that it's not her.

Well, I need to wait for the next episode to confirm it!

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I'm still kinda holding out hope that Sol Gae will come round and be on #teamseori. She seems a fairly nuanced character, and we've seen enough tender glimpses of her. I don't think she hates Seori - jealous perhaps, due to her own crush on PY - so she might be used (or indebted) to Hong Joo. I really really wonder what makes it so easy for her to kill and dig out the hearts of people though... because we don't see her anguished scenes, and I don't think she's that ruthless?

Btw, some speculation I've read on Soompi is that the shoulders - Sol Gae's when she was trying on the hanbok, and Red Cloak when she was suiting up - don't really match up. Sol Gae's shoulders are very very scarred all over, whereas Red Cloak's shoulders seem smoother. The only common point was the mark. So perhaps it's not Sol Gae? Or there are multiple people taking on the identity of Red Cloak? So far the writer seems quite thoughtful in the way he throws clues, so I'm keeping an open mind about this.

I want to know how Hyun-Seo knew about Jun when he's supposedly been asleep/under a spell (or pretending to be) all that time in Hong Joo's lair. Is that a continuity error?

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If Sol gae killed all those people I'm thinking maybe Sol gae is Hong joo's daughter, or she has a serious case of split personality because the show so far is portraying her as quite sweet and innocent.

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No need for split personality. She was definitely under her spell. Or HJ purposely sent her to PY because she knows he will look for SR/YH.

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I also thought this maybe Sol gae is under a spell or hypnotized and doesn't actually know herself that shes killed 12 people by ripping their hearts out.

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These are very interesting theories, guys.
Indeed Seol Gae being Hong Joo's daughter, or being under a spell would explain some things and also provide an interesting stepping stone for the story to move further...I'm so desperate for next episode to come and give us some answers, can't wait! :)

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I don't think Seol Gae is under a spell... she seems quite conscious of her actions. But the possibility of her being Hong Joo's daughter is interesting. Damn, I really want to know Hong Joo's tortured past.

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If Seol Gae is indeed Hong Joo's daughter, who do you think is her father? Hyun Seo?

That Hong Joo and Hyun Seo have that kind of relationship would explain why Hyun Seo couldn't kill Hong Joo when he had the chance and why Hong Joo has kept Hyun Seo alive these past five years.

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Okay, awesome man tears aside, i also agree that Sol Gae may be Hong Joo's daughter, with who? The First King she killed of course, you know the one who was so afraid of her for reason's only the writers painstaking refuse to shade some light on, but hey, i don't mind. The more the mystery the better.

As for the curse theory, i believe that that may have more evidence than the daughter of Hong Joo matter. Remember when Ghost BFF showed Jun the mark on the ground that is identical to the mark on Sol Gae's shoulder, it may either be: a mark of a curse that gives her a serious case of a split personality disorder (Kill me heal me style) or a branding mark that Hong Joo's military shaman have, you know, like how a majority of US Navy Seals have their coat of arms tattooed on their arms and stuff.

Oh and excuse me cause i can't seem help myself to say: *sigh, Jun, why do you have to cry so much, i totally love you YSY!!!!! Man tears allllllll thhheeee wayyyyy!!!!!!

What? I love a man whose not afraid to show his emotions, its totally normal..... i think?

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Honestly, before I read the recap, I interpreted the disappearance of the curse symbol on PY as his love for SR also vanishing. I thought that since he was afraid of her transformation and literally crawled away from her meant that he doesn't love her in that way anymore. Am I wrong?

Thank you for the recap, btw! and I cant wait for the next one!!!

ps loving YSY here. loved him as enrique but man, those eyes looked as if they were made for intense drama like this.

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I interpreted the same thing. I mean, as long as Seo Ri is out there without her human boundary, the curse is active so her mark and PY's mark should be constant (the same as 5 years ago when he was ill in bed until his father made Seo Ri "disappear"). Then, why would PY's mark vanish this time then?
One more thing: Jun is suppose to be in love with herat this point... why doesn't he have the mark then?

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I think it's because he's the human talisman? Or at least I hope so, in which case, they can be happy ever after with or without breaking the curse. :)

I liked how Jun said he was startled a bit but ached for her nonetheless. if that's not love yet, I don't know how else they can manifest love here.

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I came here becaouse of this too. My theories are a.) PY isn't in love with SR, or b.) the human boundary doesn't have to be exactly next to the cursed one, just near enough. It would be really sad if his love has already vanished just like that. pff, boys and their easy love :D

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That was a good twist. I did not think that Sol Gae was the red Cloak.
Well somehow I want Hong Joo to succeed. To me she is the most interesting character in the show.

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