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Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo: Episode 12

by HeadsNo2

There’s plenty of suffering to go around this hour, both the internal and external kind. Our hero seems to be the only one who knows what he wants and is fully intent on getting it, though he’s up against some new resistance in the form of Su’s guilt. He might be the only one who can save her now—but it’s less about saving her from her situation, and more about saving her from herself.

 
EPISODE 12 RECAP

King Taejo orders his son and fourth prince So to go to China (specifically the Later Jin dynasty) as an ambassador. So agrees to do as he’s told, but he asks for the king to allow Su to continue working in the palace.

The king agrees, only for as long as it takes for So to leave the room. Then he tells Astronomer Choi to send Su to a place where none of the princes will be able to see her again—if So won’t let her go, then he’ll make it so he has no choice.

Astronomer Choi finds Su in the late Court Lady Oh’s room, and offers Su some comfort when it comes to her mentor’s death. But then he informs her that she’s to leave the palace, effective immediately.

Su just sighs in resignation as she asks where it is that she’ll have to go. Meanwhile, So packs his belongings, including the makeup needed to cover his scar. Before she goes, Su makes sure to find So, despite having to limp because of her wounds.

They go for a slow walk, where So gives her pointers on how to best get over her pain and grief. If she works hard, she’ll be able to forget, which Su turns back onto him: “You should forget me now.” So doesn’t take her seriously, and only asks that she stay in the palace and wait for him.

“I will not wait for you,” she replies, handing back the hairpin he gave her. “This happened to you because you tried to help me,” she adds, referencing his new appointment to go to Later Jin. She feels bad because she knows how happy he was to be allowed into the palace, but now he’s having to leave because of her.

Using a hand on her waist, So pulls her closer, and leans in for a kiss. At the last moment, Su turns her head, and So just smiles. “I said I would get your permission,” he says in light admonishment.

Then, with her guard down, So steals a very quick kiss. “I lied,” he explains with a Cheshire grin. He takes the hairpin in her hand and says he’ll use it as a good luck talisman, since he’ll be back soon. But as he walks away, Su thinks to herself that she won’t be waiting for him, even though he risked his life for her and called her his.

As he turns around and waves at her with the pin in his hand, Su thinks to herself that she can’t help but be afraid every time they meet. Despite knowing that her heart had been in someone else’s hands, she wonders, “Why is it so difficult to let you go?”

Wook sees her limping up the steps upon her return to the palace, but can’t bring himself to say anything to her. She turns around to see him turned away from her, and he walks away from her purposefully. Tears well in her eyes, but she says nothing. Only when she’s turned away does Wook chance a look back at her.

So returns to wearing a mask on his journey to Jin, while Su is sent out of the palace with a small bundle of her belongings. Fourteenth prince Jung finds Wook to tell him that Su’s gone. Wook leaps to his feet and checks Su’s room, which is now devoid of her presence.

Knowing that she’s been cast out, Wook slowly sinks to the ground, crying. “Su-ya… if you just leave like this…” He reaches out a trembling hand to her bedding, before he throws it in a rage and cries out, “Su-ya!”

Outside the palace, Su turns as if she’s heard it. Maybe she did.

Queen Sinmyeongsunseong talks casually about that “pesky creature” who’s now dead to Princess Yeonhwa, referencing Court Lady Oh. Now that she’s seen Yeonhwa’s scheming side, the evil queen thinks that they’re very much alike, but Yeonhwa puts the kibosh on this notion by reminding her that her own mother, Queen Sinjeong, was exiled for supposedly causing Court Lady Oh’s miscarriage.

Though she doesn’t outright claim that the evil queen was to blame for the miscarriage, everyone knows that she’s the reason Court Lady Oh, the woman the king loved the most, had to die. If her own mother could be exiled for causing a miscarriage, then Queen Sinmyeongsunseong is in for much worse—so Yeonhwa knows an alliance would be foolish.

The evil queen says that Yeonhwa is just as culpable as she is, which makes the princess laugh. Because she drank the poison, she’s free of suspicion, and anyone else who was involved is either dead or gone. “You are alone now, Your Majesty. Do not make my mother get on her knees ever again,” Yeonhwa adds as a warning.

Third prince Yo is back, and having overheard the conversation, he tells his mother that he can’t help but like Yeonhwa for her gumption. His mother warns him to stay away from her, while Yo seems to think of it as a challenge. Besides, his uncle, Wang Shik-ryeom, has offered to support his potential rise to the throne.

One year later, the 26th year of Taejo’s reign. King Taejo is apparently not long bound for this world, and third prince Yo taunts his brothers that the king may very well decide that he should have the throne.

Now that Yo’s returned to the palace with supporters ready to place him in power, Crown Prince Mu worries that the king has made it so that anyone can take the crown. Astronomer Choi assures him that the king is only using this opportunity to find out who’s on Mu’s side, but Mu worries that those close to him will be the ones to pay for the king’s experiment.

At a festival held for King Taejo, princess-in-disguise Woo-hee is among the group of sword dancers performing for him. Suddenly, she breaks from the others, jumps onto the king’s table, and stabs him with her sword.

Of course, it’s just a daydream on her part, since she’s just practicing her sword dance. Thirteenth prince Baek-ah calls her out for getting the move wrong, since he’s providing the accompaniment. Does no one pay attention to how weird a job this is for a prince to have?

Baek-ah ends up inches from Woo-hee’s face during his admonishment, which makes her acutely aware of their proximity. But when he mentions that “the wife” has prepared food for him, her eyes go wide: “You’re married?”

Seeing her face, he pounces on the chance to taunt her as he asks if him being married would bother her. She’s quick to demur, though she’s curious to know how long he’s been married, if he has children, etc. Baek-ah continues to tout his imaginary family until he tells her that the wife he was referring to was his father’s wife, aka his mother, and gives her the modern “Okay” hand signal that Su taught him. Hah.

Tenth prince Eun scoffs at his wife for testing whether he read a book she gave him, even going so far as to bet his own wrist that he read it. Soon-deok draws a line on his wrist and says that it’s hers now, as are his eyes and nose (which she draws circles around, hah).

He tells her she might as well take all of him, but makes an exception when she tries to mark his finger—that’s Su’s, he says. When she turns away, Eun nervously asks if she’s crying, but then a dagger comes flying at them. Soon-deok protects him from it, but it cuts her hair tie in the process, causing her hair to flow loose around her face.

It was her dad who threw the dagger to test her reflexes, and she chastises him for scaring her husband. But when she offers to blow on Eun’s booboo from the fall, Grand General Park just gapes.

Yo offers Princess Yeonhwa a ring along with the promise that he’ll divorce his wife once he becomes king, and make Yeonhwa his queen. She’s not buying it, since Yo’s father-in-law is the current Minister of the Left, Park Young-gyu, and he’d be crazy to lose that alliance.

But Yo says he’ll only need Minister Park’s support before he becomes king, and not after. He deliberately places the ring on Yeonhwa’s finger even after she pushes it back toward him, though Wook’s appearance gives her a chance to pull her hand back.

Though Wook is slightly hostile toward him, Yo reminds him that with the king about to release teachings for his descendants, it means that there’ll be a major shift soon. Yo wonders if they should just attack first and get their father out of the way before that happens, but at Wook’s admonishment, he claims he was only joking.

Yo leaves, but not before reminding Wook of his promise to support him when the time comes. Yeonhwa is quick to call Wook out for making such a bargain—why wouldn’t he try to claim the throne for himself?

But Wook has clearly given this more thought than her, since he knows that whoever goes against the crown prince will become a traitor. However, if he were to rise up against that traitor, then he’d become a hero.

When Yeonhwa asks what would happen if Yo were to end up betraying him, Wook’s eyes land on the ring Yo gave her. She’s scandalized when he says it suits her well, knowing full well what he means: “Are you telling me to become a hostage?” With a humorless smile, Wook tells her to call it what she likes. “We owe each other a great debt, do we not? You should put up with this much.” Damn, Wook. That’s cold.

We find Su working as a lowly water maid for a gisaeng house, though her reputation for once being a court lady in Damiwon is well known amongst the other girls. They grow angry when the still-crippled Su refuses to gossip about any of the princes with them, and deliberately trip her when she tries to leave.

They accuse her of killing her own superior, calling her bad luck. They throw her laundry back into the river, and as Su struggles to collect it all, Wook and Jung happen to see her struggle. Wook is the first to turn away.

Once in the palace, Wook confronts Jung over deliberately taking him to see Su. Wook claims to be indifferent to her plight, but Jung knows that he loved Su once, so what’s the reason he can’t go to her? Wook claims that it’s because he can’t go against the king, but Jung doesn’t quite look like he buys it.

That night, Wook finds Su eating a meager meal alone. She sets it aside when she sees him and rises unsteadily, causing Wook to ask if her leg still pains her—he knows Jung has been sending her medicine. In a flat tone, she tells him that it only bothers her sometimes, but that she’s fine otherwise.

“Do you hate me?” Wook asks tentatively. Su’s eyes fill with tears as she looks blankly forward. Wook explains that he couldn’t come because he couldn’t promise her anything, and that it’s his own shame over being so useless to her.

Because the king was so upset over Court Lady Oh, he explains, he couldn’t even dare to bring up the idea of marrying her to his father. Only then does Su speak up: “Did you miss me? Even once? Has there been a time when you missed me?”

After a pause, Wook quietly replies, “Every day. I longed for you every moment.” Su takes this in for a moment, her expression softening with relief as she says, “That is all I need then. That is enough.” But when Wook says that everything will get better once he has more power, Su tells him not to put himself in danger on her behalf.

With tears in his own eyes, Wook can only tell her to keep herself safe. “Please don’t make me feel sorrier than I do,” he adds, before abruptly leaving. A tear snakes down Su’s cheek as she watches him go.

So returns from Later Jin, and updates his father on the political goings-on there, including a possible conflict between Jin and the Khitan. King Taejo wants to send him back to deal with it but So refuses, since he knows his father broke the promise he made to keep Su in the palace when he left.

His father asks if he still has feelings for Su, which soon turns into a tirade about how kings should be willing to throw anyone and anything away. So retorts that he isn’t a king and won’t become one, so that rule doesn’t apply to him. He even adds in a subtle threat that if the king wants him to remain as an ally for Crown Prince Mu, then he shouldn’t make things harder for him. “I, too, will live like a human now.”

Grand General Park does some damage control once So leaves, but it’s not that Taejo is upset with So’s actions—he’s actually pleased with his new attitude. “Now, he will not lose no matter who he fights,” the king says, adding that only now will he be able to die in peace.

As Su hangs laundry to dry, she thinks she sees a vision of So, only to turn around and find nothing there. But then she stops suddenly, feeling a presence behind her. “You never did listen,” So’s voice says.

He wraps his arms around her from behind and adds, “I missed you.” Su tells him that he shouldn’t be there as she pulls away from his grasp, but he just takes her work-roughened hands in his and smiles: “You are beautiful, as always.”

That’s when she finally notices his mask, which breaks her out of her stupor. Suddenly she’s all questions, but he unmasks himself to reveal a perfectly covered scar beneath. “I didn’t take it off so I wouldn’t forget you,” he says. “I was determined to come back to you.”

Su reminds him that she’s just a water maid now, and therefore not in a position to be having any contact with him. She’s glad he returned safe, and now he knows she’s fine. That should be enough.

She tries to limp away from him, but So grabs her by the wrist, claiming that he’ll find a way to fix her situation. Su finally breaks and pulls away from him, half-crying that she’s trying to just forget everything through hard labor. But what she doesn’t say aloud is, “You must put a stop to your affections toward me.”

So says he’ll help her just the way she helped him, and together, they’ll find a way for her to forget, without having to live the way she’s living. In voiceover, Su says, “Please do not throw yourself away because of me.” But aloud, she says that So’s the one she wants to avoid—when she looks at him, she’s reminded of everything she’s trying to forget.

She tells him to forget about her too, which is the only way no one will get hurt. She returns to her room, where she’s approached by Astronomer Choi. Hmm.

King Taejo’s health is failing, so as a last resort, Astronomer Choi serves him a specially concocted tea to bring back his appetite. Taejo knows upon tasting it that Su made it, and so he tells Choi to bring her to him.

Quick cut to Princess Yeonhwa asking So to marry her. (This seems sudden.) She tells him that she’s thought about the kind of person she is, and that she’s not satisfied with her lot. She wants power, which means she wants the throne.

So smiles gently at her as he replies that he’s the opposite of the kind of person she’s looking for, which Yeonhwa claims to know already. But what she wasn’t counting on was that she was a woman with feelings, as she admits, “I have loved you for a long time. I am destined to be with you.” (She mimics the same words Yo said about the two of them.)

After a long silence, So says that when he was very young, someone told him he was fated to be king—but that’s the day he received the scar on his face. He wasn’t even treated as a prince, let alone a king. “We’re destined to be?” he all but scoffs. “I don’t believe in destiny. And there’s someone else I want.” Yeonhwa knows he’s talking about Su, and warns that he’ll ruin his future if he ties his fate to such an unlucky girl.

“I wouldn’t even have had a future if it weren’t for Su,” So replies. “Now that I’ve said it, I know for certain—without her, I’m nothing.”

Su limps into the throne room to meet the ailing king, who readily drinks the tea she made him. Looking at him, Su recognizes the same symptoms she once saw in her own grandpa, and guesses that he doesn’t have much time left.

Taejo seems to read her thoughts, and then asks, “Where did you come from?” He admits that he looked into her after Court Lady Oh’s death, and after questioning anyone who ever knew her, he concluded that she became a completely different person. But then, he astutely tells her that he thinks she’s similar to Astronomer Choi: “You know the future, and we do not.”

He asks her if she knows So was fated to become king, and sighs that if Crown Prince Mu and So are both destined to become king, no one knows what will happen. He knows she’ll be able to see it all happen, but warns her against getting involved.

Su’s only request is that the king send her away instead, because she doesn’t have the courage to live in the palace anymore. Taejo’s advice is for her to learn to close her eyes to the things she can’t fix with her own strength, otherwise, her situation will never change.

“Do not get so hung up on the future that you lose what you have now,” the king adds. “If [Court Lady Oh] called you her daughter, then you are a daughter to me, which is why I am giving you this advice.” Oh, now she’s like a daughter to you?

As Su leaves the palace, she suddenly finds herself surrounded by the sounds of battle in the courtyard. A premonition of events to come, perhaps.

Meanwhile, Woo-hee cuts herself while practicing her sword dance, and in his worry, Baek-ah discovers scars from old cuts crisscrossing her wrists. He knows better than to ask, so he asks if he can hold her instead. She shakes her head, but he pulls her in anyway.

He says he’s sorry for any hardship she endured, even though he wasn’t around then. “I want only good things to happen for you, and I want to make you happy now. Trust me.” Woo-hee pulls away, angrily asking who he thinks he is to promise such things. When she leaves, Baek-ah quietly admits, “I still have more to confess to you.”

Su happens to see Woo-hee crying, and next thing we know, the two are sitting down for a chat. She seems to know that it has something to do with Baek-ah, which makes Woo-hee question how Su knows him. They talk as if they know each other, which must’ve come about because Su works as a maid for Woo-hee’s gibang.

To cover for Baek-ah (since Woo-hee doesn’t know he’s a prince), Su claims she met him before she entered the palace. She tells Woo-hee that he’s a good person who she shouldn’t be pushing away, but Woo-hee claims she doesn’t have a choice.

Woo-hee fills in some of the gaps on how she and Su know each other, as she says both of them bonded over their shared hardships. She wants Su to do her makeup for the big ceremony tomorrow, because she wants it so that Baek-ah will look at her once and never forget her. “That’s how I want to be remembered,” she says more quietly.

After Yo plots with Minister Park to use Woo-hee to kill the king at the ceremony, he pretends to feign disinterest in whether the king does or doesn’t attend. But that’s because he knows Wook has his back, since Wook is the one who convinces the king to attend.

Yo looks on approvingly as Wook puts his prince’s garb over another outfit. The ailing king presides over the ceremony, but So waits outside to catch Su so he can give her back the hairpin. “Let’s get married,” he says suddenly.

If she marries him, he says, she can leave the gyobang (gisaeng house that focused more on the arts) as well as the palace. At her reluctance, he adds that they can divorce after he gets her out of the palace—all she has to say is yes.

Of course, Su doesn’t, because she doesn’t want to make So leave the palace. So claims to not care if he’s with his father or not, to which Su asks, “What if you were to become king? Would you still leave?” So: “If I were king, would you leave with me?”

Handing her back the hairpin, So smiles a bit as he asks her to come with him—she’s still his, after all. Su seems to waver for a moment, but then she gives the hairpin back. She can’t marry him, she says, and turns to see that Wook has overheard the entire conversation.

Wook grabs So before he can chase after her, telling him not to fill her head with lies that he, a prince, could marry a water maid like her. “If I say it’s marriage, then it’s marriage,” So fires back. But then Wook reminds him that he’s the reason Su’s in such a lowly state, which is why he can’t forgive him.

But So won’t take the blame from him, and says that he gave him everything he needed to prove Su’s innocence. Wook’s uselessness is the reason Su’s there, he adds, which only makes Wook grab his half-brother by the collar.

At the ceremony, Woo-hee takes part in the sword dance. As the music crescendos, she sees Baek-ah in the crowd, realizing from his clothes that he’s a prince. Baek-ah watches her gaze and has a realization of his own: She was practicing the wrong movements earlier because she had another plan in mind.

As Woo-hee rushes the king, Baek-ah jumps in front of her and takes the sword meant for his father. He couldn’t just tackle her?

Back with the two warring men, So tells Wook to stop pretending like he cares about Su—he can just turn his back on her like he already has. But he can see whatever Wook’s wearing underneath his robes by the hold he has on him.

And then, quick cut back to Baek-ah, who pulls back from Woo-hee.

 
COMMENTS

Well, now I’m more inclined to think that Episode 11 was a lucky fluke. I feel spoiled from having a clear emotional through line that we could easily follow to having the sort of hodgepodge of scenes we got in this episode, where I was left struggling to figure out who we were following and what we should be rooting for them to accomplish. Was this about Su? So? Woo-hee? Killing the king? Focus, Moon Lovers! Focus.

I had a feeling we were in for a ride when that time skip rolled around, since we were already back to being excluded from the events of the episode—and then suddenly, we were dropped into the story a year later without even one exposition fairy to help catch us up. It was disorienting, and for the remainder of the episode I couldn’t help but feel like the show was just trying to keep itself afloat.

The rapid-fire succession of scenes would’ve been much easier to swallow if we had at least one point to anchor us, but we were effectively shut out from seeing Su’s point of view. What she’s been through has been extraordinary and more than enough to cause a person to shut down—but she’s still our heroine, and we need her to at least try to play an active role in events. Su’s biggest issue has been her lack of proactivity, which we could somewhat blame on circumstance before. And even now, we can point to circumstance as being the reason why she can’t help herself, only now she’s willingly given up on trying.

So without her even making an effort to change her fate, and with her being completely resigned to suffering in silence, I’m not sure what we’re supposed to want for her. Obviously, any viewer will want her to snap out of the funk she’s in, but to what end? It’d be great if So really could swoop in to save the day here, but Wook may have a point about his marriage solution not being that feasible. Even so, what is it that Su actually wants? For a hot second, her goal was to try and dissuade So from fulfilling his destiny. I can see why that’s changed now, but that doesn’t mean that she should be the one helping history along by suggesting that So should become king. What does she want to happen?

At least So’s trying, and in an hour so full of doom and gloom, that counts for a lot. Right now I’ve got all my hopes pinned on him, though it’s interesting to note how his father’s opinion has changed in such a short while. Then again, King Taejo seemed to be much more open to a lot of things, considering that he realized that Su was a time traveler. If he’d figured this out about her before and knew that it would’ve made Court Lady Oh happy for him to treat her as a daughter, why did that change now, after a year of hard labor? Was it really just that one cup of tea? More than ever, that would’ve been a scene to hear Su say something. Anything. Or for her to even realize that Astronomer Choi may know more than he’s letting on, and that he could be her ticket out of her misery. But that’d mean she’d have to want something first. So c’mon, Su. You’re from the future. Act like it.

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Am I the only one that thinks Soo is already in love with So? It's her guilt and denial that prevents her from loving him freely. She feels guilty that everybody who loved her got hurt/died, also feels guilty since she was suppose to be in love with Wook... Her eyes were brimming with tears when So appeared in front of her after a year, if she had 0 feelings for him she wouldn't have that expression on her face imo. I could definitely tell Soo is wavering for So, when he pecked her on the lips I already knew...

And dang, King Taejo, you're a smart man. I can't believe he figured it out she's from the future.

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I think so too. This is the first episode where I feel that she does love him and it’s not just kindness that she would show anyone else.

Even though she technically rejects WS three times, it’s showing that she cares more about him than anyone else including herself. First time, she feels horrible that Lady Oh is dead and she think that the king is sending WS away from palace because WS protested with her when WS has told her his greatest wish is to be in palace. Second time, it doesn’t feel a rejection at all. She confessed that she worries so much about him that she would have the beginning of a panic attack over it. Third time, she says no because she doesn’t want to ruin his dreams of staying in the place and his future of becoming king. I do wonder if her response would have been different if WS had left out the part where he’s asking her to marry him so she could leave the palace and the divorce part. She doesn't say, "I don't want to marry you. I only see you as a friend." She says, "I can't marry you to leave the palace."

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“I can’t marry you to leave the palace.”

I noticed that too! She didn't say no I can't marry you, she's selflessly rejecting his marriage b/c she knows 1. he will become king one day 2. he once told her he likes being in the palace

her rejections don't really feel like rejections to me, she's just being a noble idiot right now, instead of following her heart she's sacrificing herself for others

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Well the last time she didnt listen to jimong's warning to stay out of whatever happening, she ended up opening the door to the current madness.
Now the king warned her to stay put, so myb this is her trying to oblige for once....

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Also it killed me when So said "Come with me" at the end to try and convince her to leave the palace. OMG SU DID YOU NOT LEARN ANYTHING FROM COURT LADY OH?! Remember how much you regretted not leaving when *she* asked?! Try again!

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Thanks for the speedy recap, Heads2!!

[1] This episode was worth the wait. \^o^/

[2] It should be illegal to be as sexy as LJK. His monologues in this episode: I can’t even…. How are all of the female viewers of ML:SHR not his personal slaves by now?

[3] Wang So is such a rascal, but we all knew he lied when he said he would wait for her permission for another kiss

[4]*Squeal* laundry hanging: Hae Su thinks she’s imagining Wang So there. I love how the camera fades in and out so he’s never entirely in focus, with the white sheets billowing in the wind - teasingly revealing then concealing him. Just as she convinces herself he’s not there, she feels his presence and hears his voice. You don't get more romantic than that.

[5] It’s actually believable that Hae Su is falling for Wang So, even when she’s fighting it given the recent trauma and betrayal. She’s pushing him away because she loves him and is fearful for his well-being, NOT because she’s afraid of him anymore. Wang So continues to pursue and be patient with her because that’s who he is. He just doesn’t know how to back down, back off, or let go of what/who he has set his heart on.

I don’t find her rejection of him remotely immature or childish, her reasons at Dongjji all have to do with his best interests. Even when she backs away from his kiss then, you can tell she’s conflicted with her feelings. She even internally muses that she can’t walk away from him even when she has feelings for Wook. And then while hanging the laundry, you can tell how overwhelmed she is that he has returned. If anything, I find her spirit is crushed at the moment.

[6] I REALLY love the fact that Wang So and Hae Su have Dongjji lake where they walk and talk together. It’s their own private sanctuary to connect: so beautiful - like lovers.

[7] I know a lot of people on Soompi were upset that Hae Su wasn’t over Wang Wook, but in all fairness, she received his betrayal, not closure. This is the first conversation between them when I feel Su was completely honest. When she said she missed him, she was expressing feelings of abandonment and betrayal. When she asks if he missed her, I think she was questioning whether he ever loved her or if she had just imagined it.

[8] Wang So and Wang Wook finally coming to blows - SUCH great chemistry. They are evenly matched, which makes for a gladiator-type struggle.

[9] I have to wonder what Yeon Hwa felt after Wang So rejected her. It must be so jarring because she has always assumed (quite rightly) that in the eyes of the world/palace, she’s quite the catch for a would-be king. Yet, both her brother and her crush chose Hae Su: a girl who has very little in the way of political/CV attractiveness.

[10] Baek-Ah & Woo-hee = Pentesilea & Achilles; Wang So & Hae Su = Odysseus & Penelope

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<3 :-D <3

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well said!! i'm still waiting for that bracelet breaking scene, i can only feel at ease once i see that scene

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Agree totally PG.

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Ok guys, the Chinese version had 36 episodes and each episode was 40 minutes. The Korean version only had 20 episodes to work with. Let's just accept all these relationships that were formed off screen and hope that Su gives up on Wook to start dating So already.

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36x40=1440min for C-ver
20x60=1200min for K-ver
The time difference is 240 minutes, which is 4 episode in korean drama, since this is pre-produced, they could have put more episodes out or cut off some characters or storyline that aren't important. After all, this is adaptation of the novel. However, the drama still try to redo epic scenes from C-ver and include scenes that doesn't have much to do with the plot. those scenes could be replaced with scenes that show relationship development.
well, it's the production fault. I hope wook-su ship won't be dragged out any longer so that we get to su-so ship, the throne battle and the ultimate ending

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I wondered what the duration difference was. Thanks for doing the math.

One thing that I am grateful for is there are not a lot of flashbacks. As this is pre-produced and they have so many scenes to work with.
(Directors cut, cough.)

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Yep, can definitely see the story still being adapted without the 10th prince, the 9th prince, and the mommy issues. I would actually like to see So standing on his own two feet, being respected and winning the game of thrones without having to be emotionally manipulated into siding with him from day one. Who doesn't want to root for the obvious dark horse who had an abusive childhood, a physical deformity, and feared/rejected by his family? I actually really liked how 4th prince was very low key, and seemed to come out of nowhere in Bu Bu Jing Xin to take the throne.

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I remember the 4th prince also had mommy issues in the original novel & C-drama, but the Queen wasn't as evil or manipulative or flamboyant or involved in politics as Queen ShucksICantSpellHerName. The Chinese Queen favored 14th prince over the 4th, and there was some angst over this.

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Actually it is 35 episodes x 45 mins = 1575 mins for C-version. The actual running time for each episode is around 48-49 mins, less 3-4 mins for opening and closing songs/trailers, leaves us with 45 mins for the drama proper.

So the time difference is 375 minutes, which is 6.25 episodes in the korean drama length.

However, I do agree that they could have done more episodes to put in more scenes to better show the relationship and character development, plus cut out some irrelevant stuff. On the other hand, I think every character so far has his/her relevance in the storyline, even the 10th prince, though less scenes would have sufficed. Furthermore, the succession in Goryeo history is more complicated than the Chinese version, where we have King->Mu->Yo->So in k-version vs King->4th prince in C-version.

Tbh, I was surprised that a story with so much potential content was set at 20 episodes, but I wonder if the production was constrained by the business side of things like the optimal no. of episodes that could be sold etc. It can't really be due to lack of filming budget or time, since so much relevant scenes seem to have ended up on the cutting floor.

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You know I've felt all along it should be 24 episodes, but on the other hand, I'm really appreciating how much happens each episode. After a few other dramas recently (which shall not be named!) that dragged along like molasses, I think I was ready for this drama, that jolts along like an off-kilter wagon over potholes at times, but takes its time with the dramatic moments, and speeds over things that might give a better logical progression but that I'm not really that interested in seeing. I honestly didn't need to see Woo Hee and Baek-Ah's courtship for instance. Not interested at all, and while we don't get the depth of emotion we could have if we'd seen it, we get enough of it that that sword stabbing thing felt pretty dramatic to me.

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Why should we?

Show, not tell is pretty much the gold standard in storytelling. Having relationships and characters developed off screen and then telling us to accept XYZ is shoddy work. It's like the writers/creative team have never heard of this adage before.

And no, having less episodes is not an excuse. They know the source materials and should have planned it out so as to do the work justice. If 20 episodes is not enough, then go to 25 episodes. You can't just half-assed it and delivered a subpar product then expect people to accept your half-assing. If I told my doctoral supervisor that the reason my thesis is not up to scratch is because I only did the work required for a master thesis (as opposed to a doctoral thesis) she would have laughed in my face.

So if it what they're doing doesn't bother you. Great! But no, I'm not gonna accept that piss poor excuse.

NB: the tone of this message can make it seems like I'm angry and resentful. I'm not. Like I said, if it's working for anybody else, that's great, enjoy the show.

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Dear So, I keep rooting for you but then you kiss a girl without her consent despite explicitly telling her you would get her consent. Being handsome and charming does not excuse this.

Dear Wook, I wish your wife was alive to steer you away from all the politics. Actually, I wish you'd appreciated her when she was still here. You guys could have been great.

Dear Yeonhwa, YOU ARE THE LITERAL BEST AND I HOPE YOU WIN THIS GAME OF THRONES. (I mean, you're horrible but amazing. I love you.)

Dear Su, I...don't know what you're doing? Please figure that out and live a happy life.

Dear Baek-Ah, don't be dead. I will burn this place to the grond.

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"Dear Su, I…don’t know what you’re doing? Please figure that out and live a happy life."

THIS. I agree with this 1000%!

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"Dear So, I keep rooting for you but then you kiss a girl without her consent despite explicitly telling her you would get her consent. Being handsome and charming does not excuse this."

one moment I was like "good, you better stay true to your word" and then IMMEDIATELY AFTER he goes and kisses her, like come one, REALLY, REALLY

my eyes rolled out of my head and into the screen where they exploded and took everyone in the palace with them, except for Yeonhwa who can now emerge as the supreme ruler, thank you

and yet I can't quit this show *sighs*

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Wook, oh Wook.... I wish I could hate you but I can't... I don't love you, like I love So *heart eyes* but I can't hate you; For whatever counts I actually understand you: Wook lost his chance with Lady Hae when she passed, and swore to change things with Su, but then when you throw something like the livelihood of your family into the mix, having a choice isn't in the mix anymore DX I'm not justifying Wook in any sense, because, ooof, this episode was a hard pill to swallow on the emotional end of the Wook/Su situation, but I understand the bigger picture and the plight that Wook is in

So, I luff you, 'nuff said <3

Like Wook, I actually understand why it seems as if Su is giving up and shutting down T.T She's been stuck in Goryeo for, what must be 10+ years by now at this point, the one she thought was the love of her life betrays her; So, the one who risked--and continues to risk-- his life for her and the one who really only lives for her at this point, really is... Continuing to just live for her, with the continual risk of his own neck, AND SU KNOWS THAT but anything she says or does to try to fend off So isn't working DX And to me, it speaks volumes about So's love for Su that he's willing to even give up the approval of the King, something that So has been wanting all his life, just to be with Su
*goes off to swoon at Lee Jun Ki*

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Really, Hae Soo's been in Goryeo for 10+ years at this point? I thought she'd been there only a couple of years. How did you get the decade--was it in the novel or the Chinese version?

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Yes ~~ ^.^

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I thought it wast 2++ years too. Reasoning:

1. When Su went to visit lady Hee's grave, prior to the marriage to king, she mentioned that it has been a year.
2. Maybe sometime (months, but not more than 1 year) as court lady before being kicked out of the palace
3. The flash forward one year in this episode

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About 2 years is just right. In the 1st episode, it was the year 941 and Taejo died in 943, based on history.

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Don't think WW ever lost a chance for lady hae.. or that he ever loved her..

The crying when she died was more of guilt conscious.. by that time he was already into HS.. and prior to HS.. he married lady but never loved her.. Can happen!!

But i doubt if he ever moved beyond respecting her as an individual.. defintiely not as a partner

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I believe he loved her =) Love comes in many forms and many ways... it doesn't always have to be romantic/eros love ^.^

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Oh I didn't know you were counting in platonic love..

I was definitely referring to romantic love because it is husband -wife relatinship..

And for the lady, the woman who pined for him.. well, nothing can be more satisfactory than arc of romantic love reciprocation

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I don't think it's been 10 years yet though: we began in Taejo 24, and it's now Taejo 26 so two years have passed at most? But yeah, Su has gone through a whole deal more than what a normal Goryeo girl would, so these two years would seem like over ten years to her I suppose.

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Oh! Good point!! Thanks for the correction... I guess we aren't that far ahead, in terms of timeline, then XD

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Phew! That's a relief!

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This is episode is somehow frustrating especially it comes after such an emotional episode 11. But I am viewing it in a positive perspective that we can't go on and on with the emotional ride and may be taking a backseat in order to set up a bigger stage for the plot to move, I am hoping.

The scene where So informed Yeon Hwa of his prophecy to become king was cut out of ONE TV Asia's version which led me to believe that YH actually proposed marriage to So because she has been in love with him all along. Actually, I still think she loves him only that she has other agenda at the same time. I like YH in a sense that she is smart and for that, I think she deserves So more than Haesoo. She definitely is beneficial for his future.

I have long ago abandoning So-Su ship for the reason that I think the writer went overboard with Wook-Su's romance and she is obviously suffering severe "Second Lead Syndrome". I have no qualm on that but please next time, don't pitch the any guy whom you want to win the girl against Lee Jun Ki. It does not make sense at all because LJK can never lose a girl to other guy. That is a universal logic.

I really feel the romance between Baek Ah and Woo Hee is a waste of time, as much as any scenes involving Eun. I would like to see more character's development of Jung.

At this juncture, I am more intrigued to know why the king wants Haesoo to stay in the palace. Aside from knowing that she needs to be around to keep So in the palace so that he can fulfill his destiny to become King, I would also like to know what kind of unfinished business that Haesoo has in this life that she needs not intervene the course of history but to see things happen before her eyes cause as the King said, "No matter where you go, she can't change her situation."

Still hopeful and gosh, how I miss Wang So and his mask so much.

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but please next time, don’t pitch the any guy whom you want to win the girl against Lee Jun Ki. It does not make sense at all because LJK can never lose a girl to other guy. That is a universal logic.

I'm laughing so hard at your comment because it is SO TRUE! HAHAHA! \^o^/

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My Girl rings a bell?

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LOL

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I didn't mind the 1 year gap. Why?

1. Wang So was sent on a mission by a horse - he would be spying and by horse, to not have him dead by fatigue, he would advance like 50 km per day - he was sent to the other part of the country after all with all the little klan kingdoms it had to be difficult to advance safely even with his bloody hand reputation.

2. Hae Soo was tortured and severly injured by it, we couldn't imagine the pain and the inner injuries she has to deal with + she was kind of betrayed by her love, lost the mother like lady, was sent to work in a damp environment, always soked in cold water, badly nourished. Like we saw, everyone wanted to know, what the life in a palace is like, she can be treated worse than a trash by anybody now - she felt worse than down to bottom, they can easily step on her and yet she kept her dignity - what a strong woman!

3. The king was shown with a weak health for a long time now, that's why he's rushing the throne prince thing. He knows what's going on behind his back, that they are plotting to bring him down, but must stay strong and show he is like a rock to earn all the respect. Inspecting Soo's past would be like sending his people to ask about Soo and refer the result's to him - it would be boring to see all of that and everybody was telling that Soo changed after the drowing accident.

4. Wang So experienced humiliation for so many years that he's no fear anymore. He doesn't want His Person to experience all the pain he had to go trough, but it is happening and he doesn't want to make her suffer much more. He gets hurt by Hae Soo by refusing all his help and her words are like a thousand of arrows hitting the weak spot, yet he stay strong enough.

Maybe we're spoiled by the handsomeness of the princes but it is Hae Soo's story after all not Lee Joon Ki's and she is doing great to survive in the middle of the battle field. I know myself, I wouldn't last as long as she had...

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+1 for your comment. I was so happy when it was shone that we're skipping to a year foward. Dragging in they year wouldve been a time waster and they wouldnt see much growth. If they were developments it would feel too soon and not made sense.

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The problem is that we don't get to see this inner turmoil. I know its sounds sadistic, but I really wish we got to see the torture scenes, how she felt during and afterwards, and what kept her going all these years.
Even her giving up, I'd like to see her do so, shown to have accepted her fate. The problem is that its not Hae Soo centric, and just puts her in these situations then forgets to show her personal growth and development as a person.

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Honestly I'm glad she came out of that ordeal with a realistic limp, like something was broken that never healed right. I have seen so many many sageuks where pretty ladies were subjected to harsh interrogation, shot with an arrow or stabbed and somehow all of them came bouncing back clean and pretty again in the next episode. Soo here looks defeated and flattened, which is a reasonable outcome of all the things she experienced.

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+++ This! <3 <3 <3

The physical effects on her somehow echoes the struggles and sufferings she's endured and still experiencing.
I though that was a genius and realistic take considering all that has happened.

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I agree to this too.

I'm so glad the director decided to give Su the permanent limp:

1. Firstly because it makes Su more real and less candy-like. It's hard to find a drama where the female lead has real disability. Usually in dramas, everything can be fixed and our heroine will be back to her beautiful candy-self in no time. So I really like it when they gave her the permanent limp. She's more real and her life is more tragic, as signified by the limp. Moreover, the limp will always serve as reminder to Wook on how much he had failed her which in turn will become a major rift between them, mostly perceived by Wook. The limp on the other hand makes her closer to So now that they are both damaged.

2. Secondly, I like IU's acting more when Su looks like she's suffering. Somehow, IU's acting seems so much better in this episode and the previous one. It's like she shines more when she doesn't have to look pretty on the screen. I admit I had complained about her acting in the previous episodes, but now I absolutely adore her acting. I want this to keep up.

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When she was still all cheerful it was just IU acting as Hae Soo, but now I really, truly see a grown woman Hae Soo battered and tired but not broken. I loved that she's become quiet but she's still not going to take other people's BS. I think this is what IU needed, to be challenged in a role that's out of her comfort zone.

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The limp shows that she is broken, both physically, and in spirit. It shows how much she has fallen, from high-ranking lady to court lady to water maid.She started high on the social scale and is now sinking lower and lower in status. Physically too, the decline is reflected in her health....I think as the show progresses, and turns darker and darker, Hae Su the life and soul of the drama will deteriorate in health too. The king is ailing too, a sure sign that all is not well in the kingdom. A kingdom thrives and prospers when the king is in robust health, and vice versa. The rot has set in, and the beginning of the end beckons.

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lol this is perfectly summarized, esp about Su! What are her goals, ambitions, dreams? Does she have any? What about her family, is she orphaned? Are they all dead? Does she miss home? What?!!!!
After 12 , I can fairly say I don't really know our heroin!

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Yes..she is an orphan..she was Lady Hae's cousin from her father's side..that was why Lady Hae took her under her wings.. all were mentioned in early episode.

She is all alone...her tie with her clan was also severed when she refused to marry the king...

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I'm sorry I didn't make it clear, I meant Ha Jin, our 21st century heroine. Who is she, really?

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Her goal is to survive. How to have any ambitions or dreams when she's currently stuck as a slave-servant, without any family or friends? What can a person achieve in a vacuum?

And as Amisyka mentioned, Soo has no family to whom she could look to for help. Her only family are the uncles who tried to marry her off to the king!

One year ago, Soo had dreams. She dreamt of leaving the palace, marrying a good man & being a good wife. Maybe she could have become the richest woman in Goryeo if she starts a bbcream business, lol.

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Has she had any thought for the last ten episodes or so on how it would be nice to be back in her own time?

Other than having great make up skills and a vague sense of history, I'm not sure what difference it's made that she came back in time rather than just being Wook's wife's cousin.

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Agree with you. They totally wasted the "time traveling" element here because she has no knowledge of history and everything is merely depending on her premonition.

At least, best to give him some surviving skill, let her outsmart others using her modern perspective except that may be, the lives back then are not that simple - to kill or be killed is not someone of modern era could ever come to term with.

My only opinion is her time traveling is only to serve the purpose for her to fulfill her unfinished business in her previous life that is to romance the princes and to become the catalyst and set things into motion and pave its way into history.

But really, the most dissapointing fact is that, despite her coming from future, her mindset does not make her stands out or any different than other Goryeo's women which of course, quite hard to figure out why would the princes drool over her except for So who longed for acceptance.

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To be fair, she did try to go back, but did not succeed in the earlier episode. Then, she accepted that she's stuck in the past and tried to make the best of it. Her future wasn't very nice either, betrayed by boyfriend & best friend, chased & beaten up by creditors etc.

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*sigh.

He comes to see her finally, and when they meet, they have this longing stare that pierces your heart, but they stay at an arm’s length. He asks whether she’s angry at him and upset that he couldn’t do anything for her. He asks her if she’s physically well, and she says she misses him. He explains that he’s found himself useless, which was why he couldn’t go to her anymore. Still, she missed him, she said. She tearfully asks him, “did you miss me, even once?” And he replies, “Every day. I longed for you everyday.”

“Then that is all I need. That is enough for me”, she says.

The scene was poignant and moving, yet when it finished, I didn’t feel as sold to his love as I used to, and I didn’t want to relate with Hae soo. Wook's words didn’t carry weight for me anymore. They seemed shallow and empty of meaning. Was it really enough, just knowing you have someone’s thoughts and worries and affections? Was that love? Why, then, did he abandon you at your greatest need? It was very clear that Su is so madly in love with him but Wook can only love her to a point –a point of words and romantic expressions, a point of convenience, as long as it didn’t require him to throw away his position. I don’t doubt his love, but I don’t like how conditional and one-sided it was. She almost got killed yet he still turned his back on her. Hollow words, empty promises. Comparing it to Wang so he had full, reckless abandon of his position in order to protect her. He loved her and proved it by sticking with her when the going got tough. He was her ultimate protector, and he didn’t have to say a lot of words to prove it.

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Not sure if it's too much to ask for, but Su's been there for at least two (?) years now.... I thought she'd be more used to the dynamics and such to use her modern mind and assets to her advantage. She could probably be owning everyone there but instead she kind of wanders around, acting like she's only grown up with rainbows and butterflies and doesn't know something like war exists. Isn't she supposed to have the mind of a 25 year old from 2016? Sorry if I sound a little harsh, I'm just getting fed up with her (lack of) character growth and historical insight. I would've loved to see her trading thoughts on feminism or nationalism or something with the princes, instead of teaching them emojis and needing them to save her. Really, if she wasn't the only person who showed So that ounce of kindness in the beginning of the series, I don't know if there is anything to like about her... Also, does she not have any reactions/critical thoughts about things that happen to her? Like how the Crown Prince was about to be poisoned? And why she was the one who took the fall? Or why Wook stopped taking her side in public? Does she not want to make her presence in the story, yunno, more meaningful than simply existing?

I think this is the first drama that I came across, where the viewer is supposed to imagine scenes and make leaps of logic on his/her own. We don't even get any convenient exposition in the conversation to help us along. I'm trying very hard to love this drama, because LJK is worth it, but I'm having a hard time.

Am I being too harsh on this drama? Because it's so frustrating to see all the potential of an amazing, blow your socks off, kind of show, and then have cake with just the icing. Which is just goop, no matter how pretty or sweet.

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I would like to see you in Joseon era and after severe torturing how your spirit would grow...

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Given that it's Goryeo, I wouldn't mind seeing her channel a little Yeonhwa

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So, one thin which I thought would not happen in kdrama version was 14th marrying HS.. or even the suggestion of this and her rejecting it..

But given how much limelight Jung's concern for her and his gaining prominence in the palace is getting... I am inclined to belive that that trope is yet to come.. and will come..

Jung is caring too much for her.. won't take long for him to realize that he loves her (specially seeing people who claimed to love her abandon her - WS and WW both) .. and he did vow to keep her safe..and is quite proactive (next to WS) in doing that..

He has been appointed General so king thinks of him highly...who knows if one of the 10 instructions upon his deathbed would inclue HS marrying one prince - 14th since that would not interfere with history

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Agree about 14th. I was wondering, since they paint him as such a sympathetic character, what would cause him to go head-to-head with 4th.

But, in te promo poster of 14th, I think the quote is "I don't want to call you sister anymore. I want you to think of me as a man." I assume the "sister" in this case is Hae Su.

Interesting times!

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Patriarchy so unfair. King gets to have 2 queens, countless madams, and all the palace maids to himself.

If I were Su, I'd only want a couple of princes. Somebody rewrite this to make Su be like Yeon Hwa and want to rule the kingdom herself. Then Wook and So can be left and right King Consorts, and the princes left over can be prince consorts.

Well, a girl can dream.

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It may look unfair but that was a huge responsibility for Taejo. He had to take care of all of them and their clans. It was more like a business transaction.
(I don't think I'd want that many spouses and the responsibilities that comes with it).

I believe Taejo would've been happy with just one wife but he was rich,talented and powerful. Every clan in Goryeo wanted a piece of him lol.

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I'mm on a spamming mode but whatever .. he he

So, here's an arc..

Some time in the future, HS tells WS that she travelled through time and 4th prince looks like a well known actor from her time - LJK.. blah blah blah..

WS time travels to 21st century upon his death to find himself in body of a man - who not only broke his nose in that fall but was hospitalized.. and its 2015... anyway.. he wakes up only to be referred to as.. Mr. Lee Jun Ki..

:D :D .. And that leads you to wonder why Mr. LJK only does sageuk dramas :)
**************************

Also, I love LJK's costume designer and stylists in these series.. I love his garbs..

Whereas other older princes (till 9th) look like 40 yr old men in their respective attires...

And second would be 13th.. but that has more to do with NMH's physique i guess..

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Thank you for the recap, Heads! When I thought that Baek-ah was the most perceptive of the princes I did not expect things to go down this way :'(

This episode was really weird again, editing-wise. I felt like the timeskip took away more from the plot, though I understand that they must speed things up now that there are only 8 episodes left. But everything just felt so rushed--Jung's growth as a general (when did he get this close to Wook?), Baek-ah and Woo-hee's relationship, Su's complete loss of life in her eyes--and maybe if they'd just elaborated a little more on everything instead of just giving us exposition, I'd be able to feel more for these characters.

But it's a testament to Nam Joo-hyuk's acting that I really, really felt for Baek-ah and like, literally gasped super loudly in shock when he got stabbed by Woo-hee. It was heartbreaking to see him put the pieces so quickly together, and that despite his mounting fears for both his father and Woo-hee, his first reaction was to step in front of her and do the right thing. It's really what distinguishes him from the rest of the princes, and is exactly what makes him and So so alike (pun intended). Everyone sees what's the right thing to do, yeah, but only So and Baek-ah are able to actually press forward with it--take that knife, be sent away to Later Jin for dangerous scouting missions, etc. It's a trait that binds them together and makes their bromance so realistic and organic and I just really want to see the both of them together in a scene again. Make that happen, episode 13!

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This episode also made me realise why Wook is in essence quite despicable. That little conversation he had with Yeon-hwa was illuminating: the person who kills the usurper becomes the hero? Wow. It really shows how much thought Wook has put into his throne-grabbing strategy--he's been in the shadows forever, and while we previously chalked it up to him being y'know, a nice guy, he isn't. He's in the shadows because it gives him the opportunity to be that backstabber in the background. There's this Chinese saying that goes like this: "when the mantis is hunting, the sparrow lurks behind". Wook is that sparrow. Or at least he wants to be that sparrow. His gameplan is really the most economical, now that I think about it--Yo does all the dirty work of pulling Mu down, and then when that's done, Wook swoops in on the excuse of "killing the usurper" and bags the throne for himself. It's classic Wook: he's always trying to be the nice guy. He wants to be the good guy without getting his hands dirty, but he also wants all the rewards from that dirty work. The same for Su--he wants Su to be with him, but only if somebody else does the sacrificing and gets her out of her dangerous situations first. Court Lady Oh called him out on it, So calls him out on it this episode as well--Wook is that sort of coward who wants to wear the mask of a gentleman forever and keeps his hands super clean while making sure his work is done by people who get entranced by his cover. I have to admit, even I was a little taken by him at first, let alone Su who has been waiting for him for an entire year, god knows why. But yeah, now that the mask is off for Wook he's become a more vibrant character, one who actually has motives and ambitions instead of just flat promises. It's a good thing, plot-wise, and I like it.

More clashes next episode! Can't wait.

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+1000 Love your commentary on Wook, so on point!

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+1
Agree fully with everything you said about Wook.

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Wow! I never thought of Wook that way until I read your comment about his character. *slow clap*

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Your character analysis of Wook is so insightful, thank you!

I do think he makes a very interesting bad guy--not the usual at all. What a great role!

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I think the most fascinating thing about Wook is his obsession with wanting to be recognised as the good guy. It shows so much in his insistence on not wanting to be a "traitor", even if he's done everything that a traitor would do, ergo try to usurp the throne that his father specifically left to his eldest brother. It's just like, he wants to gain EVERYTHING that can only be obtained if you're the bad guy while being acknowledged as the good guy. He's so full of contradictions because he doesn't want to admit his own greed and ambition I feel, and that's what makes him so interesting to me!

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Another interesting thing is Wook's relationship with Yeon Hwa: now that she has destroyed his own illusions that he is a good, peaceful, upright man who is not ambitious for the throne, he is only displaying that dark, conniving side with her (bluntly telling her he will use her as a pawn). He is her very own Frankenstein's monster!

Yo thinks Wook is supporting him because it's either him or So. He thinks he has manipulated a dull, good brother into supporting him, but he doesn't know Wook is angling for the throne himself.

I am really enjoying Dark Wook. :)

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Kumoiwa, we do have the same perspective for both Joo Hyuk and Ha Neul's character. Glad that somebody else can see from my POV too.

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Haha yay for more like-minded folks! Wook is shaping up to be more interesting now, and Baek-ah will always be perfect to me.

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Wow ur analysis is so on point. wook will make a very sly politician. A skillful politician who manages look kind , but instead playing all the puppets. This is an Invisible hand I must say. Let Yo do the hardwork, he will come at last to reap the benefit, the Wook and YH siblings are so cunning

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Yeah so true. I know everyone is complimenting Yeon-hwa on her palace skillz (rightfully so), but I feel like Wook is the deadlier of the siblings. He's definitely got more to lose than she does and he's already come to the point where that mask of his is falling apart. So I don't think he'd really be benevolent to anyone any longer, which means he'd kill you with a nice smile on his face. That's way scarier than Yeon-hwa and her tactics, because as harsh as she comes off she's never had to kill anyone personally before. Wook has, and that's why I don't think he'll have any trouble doing so again.

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I'm so not into the romance because I find it rather stupid but you always connecting the dots and make some sense out of it <3.

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Aw thanks Kiara! You mean the Baek-ah/Woo-hee romance right? If you do it's just because Nam Joo-hyuk is selling it so darn well, and you can feel how much affection he has for her? I found the assassination scene a bit eh in general but Baek-ah's expression when he realised what Woo-hee was really up to sold me on everything.

Seohyun is less skilled but I think he acts well enough for the both of them.

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Man Has Soo rejected So more times in three episodes compared to Kang Mo Yeon when she rejected Yoo Shi Jin in nine episodes XD But on a serious note, I can't help but be torn for both Soo and So, but more for So. I truly understand what Soo is going through and the way she is traumatized because of what happened. I get that I totally do, but then here you have So, a person who's never been loved, never shown a sliver of affection from anyone, pour his entire heart out for her and basically sacrifice his position as prince just for her happiness and freedom. I just wanted to go in there and give him a great big hug for making a huge effort to help her forget about everything, only to be turned down and to be told that you are causing the pain. I was about to cry when he said that she can divorce him after she leaves the palace, knowing how much he wants to be with her that's a HUGE step. I mean, how could you not realize what this man is doing for you and still be in love with that man who turned his back on you and never made an effort to see you once in a year? I'm just so disappointed with Hae Soo, yet I'm also remorseful for her. I just hope they just don't drag out SooWook for long. From the looks of it, we won't get anywhere with the romance plot in episode 13, so 6 episodes... 13 episodes with Hae Soo and Wook and we get <6 episodes for Soo and So. Yeah I don't think that's going to cut it.

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I can understand where Wook is coming from, but there can never be complete justification for his decisions as regards Su. He was being hypocritical trying to blame So for what happened to Su, even if there was some truth in what he said, but playing the blame game isn't going to change anything. Yes, there are many circumstances against him, but really, his only real enemy is himself, which is why I feel so bad for him because he is shackled by his cowardice, and excuses. He has the key to his own prison, but he wouldn't use it. That is the great divide between him and So, it is so glaring that even if I sympathize with Wook, I cannot root for him. Wook-Su romance is totally heartbreaking, it is just not meant to be.

I have to give props to Yeon Hwa, I was slow clapping when she said those words to Queen Yoo, she is such a strong character that even if she does evil things, I am actually rooting for her. Lol.

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"That is the great divide between him and So, it is so glaring that even if I sympathize with Wook, I cannot root for him. Wook-Su romance is totally heartbreaking, it is just not meant to be."

Yes, this is the sad part. Their love was genuine when it was on full display the first 6 episodes, but just not strong enough, and not meant to be. It is heartbreaking to see that this just isn't going to work out. Nope, nope, nope. *sigh

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She is no different than a war strategist on the battlefield but she is just one woman without an army or anyone behind her.

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Thanks for the recap!

This episode was a step back emotionally, but I still like the show, I gave up expecting too much even after the great episode 11 we had. There must be something good because I would never stick with a show that I really didn't like.

I know some people aren't liking Soo right now, but honestly I'm back to liking her again. There've been a lot of comments about how she's not intelligent, and while that may be true, I see her actions today as being totally self-aware on her part. I watch a lot of saeguks, and in real life I'm a practical person, so before her willingness to be around the royals seemed baffling to me. Did she not know how dangerous the palace is? Maybe not, because now that she has experienced it first hand, being from the future, all she wants to do now is live. We can say it's cowardly, but I also think it's smart. Sh's tired and wants no more of the cutthroat politics of the palace. I'm with you Soo.

That being said, our drama would be over if she did get sent far away, loool. For all the other storylines going on I would maybe stop watching of there was no Soo. Maybe she's not very active as a character herself, but her existence is affecting the live of our Wang So, and their relationship is beautiful. I'm a sucker for friends to lovers romances, their the best.

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today iu's acting was really good lol there was so much emotions in her eyes she didn't need to talk, I can understand everything through her eyes.

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Need more Wang So in my life. Too bad he's a dream. No one ever will be like him again ?????

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forgive my poor english,

maybe Hae soo has trauma with her past. People that she loves has passed away and that all caused of her, the only thing that she rejected him because she didn't want the bad thing happen to uri wang so. She loves him guys!! she loves him!! #sigh
We can see the different when hae soo looked at wang so and wang wook, hae soo really cared wang so more than wang wook, even when wang so showed his face with mask, hae soo seems worried him,
And of course she remembered when lady oh said to not trust everyone in the palace, she just walked carefully with her thoughts

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Am I the only one who got goosebumps watching Yeon Hwa & Queen Yo conversation?
I can clearly see why Yeon Hwa's gonna become the queen. And OMG I love her so much. (KHN's acting was superb that I can't help rewatching that scene!!!)
What an ambitious, fierce and strong princess, and then we have Wook. :sigh:

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No, I really loved that part of the episode as well! Here are two people who are at least evenly matched in the evil department, and you gotta love how Yeon-hwa is beyond ruthless when it comes to whatever she wants. And Queen SMSS actually realises that this episode! How awesome. Yeon-hwa is deliciously good at her machinations, you really have to give her that.

Though it doesn't necessarily mean I want to see her get whatever she wants, namely So. It's just so intensely frustrating to see her want to use So as her lifebuoy out of being used as Wook's hostage to Yo--you do know you have to pay for whatever you did to Wook, right? Ok maybe karma doesn't work that way in these parts.

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I think Yeon-hwa has always had a soft spot for Wang-so but survival comes first before love. I love it that she isn't after him like a love sick puppy. She's got her priority straight.

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Rather than goosebumps, I was cackling because the Queen's finally met her match and I was so happy that Yeon hwa basically cut her down. So fun!

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That scene confirms my love for yeonhwa! Lol she's so much more manipulative than evil queen and she's smart. The queen keeps ordering others to do the bad deeds and thats why they keep failing, bcs she's too scared to get her hands dirty. While yeonhwa does the act herself, thus making sure things go according to her plans

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Literally spent minutes reading all your comments ? Great Recap Heads!! If I'm being really really really truthful with myself I would say I was dissapointed by this episode even though I love this drama so freakin much it hurts to even say this. After the emotional roller coaster ride of the last episode, were everything was more or less perfect this episode left a lot of questions unanswered and honestly I didn't think it delivered. ( the episode trailer looked more interesting than the episode itself). I honestly don't get Hae Soo. I understand it's been a year and she needs time to mourn ( don't get me wrong I do appreciate the sad and broken side to her) but I feel like at this point in the game she needs to get her spunk back. I honestly wouldn't believe she has even come from the future if it Weren't for the first episode, and if it wasn't for the flashbacks I would probably forget all about it. As someone mentioned previously we don't really know anything about our heroin at all and maybe that's the problem, we know she was betrayed by her ex boyfriend so I can see why Wang Wooks betrayal would be so hurtful to her but that's about it. I know more about our Hero than Hae soo.

Also, I did get the feeling that she has started to feel something more than friendship for him but is scared about the consequences to her decisions like she might influence/change the future... But she's already changed the past/future ( this is confusing) because she's time travelled so I honestly think she should say what the hell and be in the moment rather than worrying about something that may or may not happen. As mentioned before I get the fact that it would be unnatural for her to start accepting Wang So's feelings after everything but bear in mind it's a drama and we have 11 episodes left, it would be awful and seriously disappointing for me if they rush their romance in the end just for the sake of it! Cus then instead of the gem it could have been it would just feel forced.

The editing really frustrated me this episode after transitioning from one scene to the other I was left with so many question and I honestly thought maybe I missed something so I rewind but nope nothing nada, still the same...felt like it was jumping from one scene to another with no logic. 10th princes scene was so insignificant to the storyline I don't know why they even bothered putting it in. It was one scene then nothing else... So what we've learned is he's still acting like a baby prince but maybe falling for his wife... Ok great moving on.

Wang Wooks character has greatly improved in my opinion after finding his personality quite ' boring in the early episodes and fast forwarding some of his scenes ( admit it it's not just me) he's really began to be an interesting character. I still get a bit miffed at him going after our hero ( don't you even dare accuse wang so of Hae soo misfortunes when it clearly happened because of you as you wanted...

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...to marry her and your sister didn't approve of that so plotted to get rid of her' .

The stabbing of the pretty prince was totally unexpected hoping he isn't dead or I don't know what I will do....wow didn't realise I wrote this much lol. I could honestly talk all day about Scarlet Heart Ryeo ? Anyways hoping for more So Soo moments and can't wait for the battles to commence

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Sorry 9 episodes left ? There's 21 overall right?

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No just 20.

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Hae-Soo, the most annoying, useless heroine to ever time travel. I really did try to give her character the chance but she is becoming more and more unlikable by the second. It has nothing to do with her rejecting Wang So but being mostly useless to the plot so far. How is it that 11 episodes in, we are back to square one with her character. I want growth but her apparent growth completely baffles me along with logic behind most of her actions in the drama so far. I don't want her to end up with anybody, I just think its time she went back to her real life and wake up from a coma or something. What's her purpose anyway!
I had wanted to cut some slack to IU but her blank stares aren't doing it anymore. I keep searching for conflicts of emotions that aren't there. Before attacking me for not liking her, I certainly think she has potential but its not that evident in this show.
I am done. With 8 more episodes to go, I don't think I can stick with this show anymore. I've had enough.

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This episode does feel a bit mess. But, i don't feel dissapointed at all. this is how the show was done for their entire episodes except for that beautiful ep 11. So, i think i might have been immune with it or i just embrace any of his flaw as i am in love with this show.

I don't think hae soo and woo hee are bff. they just get to know each other at that house and connected with each other through their scars. i think i am satisfied with that little reveleation as the show doesn't give us more scenes of them.

About the king knowing about hae soo, he must knows it from ji mong. Ji mong must have tell him about gwangjong.

And about soo, i understand her current self right now. whoever on her shoes, might goes suicide for all the sufferings that she has been through. living in the world that you dont know without your own family and friends then are subjecting to various depressing events plus going through all the emotional and physical sufferings, i don't think anyone from us here in the future can stand up and living life so strong. We, the future one, are more FRGILE than the past one.

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*FRAGILE

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Another thing that I want to add:

One thing that i think this show are really good at is how its story is so unexpected. people guessing and trying to predicts what will happen next, and what the show give us is totally opposite of what we wanted and it is so unexpected. it always surprise us and come at us when we are off-guard.

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I agree with you. Why is this expectation that someone from the future must be so perfect or strong? A girl who went through the sufferings that she did, who lives in the future, would probably be visiting a shrink!

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I totally agree with you about Soo and how it's completely understandable that she'd be giving up on everything at the current moment. Of course, as a viewer, I don't want her to give up for the rest of the drama, lol, but it makes sense why her light has gone out.

Also, I also agree with you, I feel like the thinking that a modern woman is stronger than a woman from the past is quite flawed. Imagine having all of the freedoms that you enjoyed suddenly taken away from you - equality among people for instance, even instances like this in modern times is something frustrating and painful, how much more in the past when chances for social mobility and the like was a lot slimmer and equality was considered as much more of a dream than it is now? In its own way, ignorance is bliss when it comes to situations like this. For those who know more about what's possible and what could be, they'd feel a huge loss in comparison to those who didn't know that things could be better, and that's what makes Soo's suffering even worse that it already is.

Adding to this, Soo has to deal with the guilt that her mere existence in the past has led to the death of a respectable and well-loved woman, a woman that she loved and loved her in turn. Sure, a year may have passed, but is one year enough to heal the kind of wounds Soo has been inflicted? It's not like she just lost her eraser; she lost someone who was precious to her! T_T

That being said though, I do hope that Soo finds some of her past strength. Probably not all of it, but I would like to see her become an active part of what's going to happen in the future. I've heard that in the source material that the main girl ends up wasting away, but, since the K-drama has brought us that early lol, I hope we'll see her rise as a phoenix instead and then she'll leave the past with a bang? ...maybe? XD

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"But that’d mean she’d have to want something first. So c’mon, Su. You’re from the future. Act like it."

About Soo having no plan or motivation or knowing what she wants,although i know that it makes for a weak narrative and story progression but at the core she does have one goal though that she stated right from the begining itself-she just wants to survive/live. I think she was too naive and thought that all she had to do during the situation was to just live and survive and the things would just go on simply as they had,she hadnt relaize how complicated things would get esp when she fell in love with the smooth talking 4th prince.She is not used to the court and its politics and she was doing the best she could until the death of Lady Oh.
Wouldnt expect a modern girl to just go back in time and get involved fully in everything happening there especially court politics and alliances. But my understanding ends here. Show,now would be a good time to show some character development. She has to take into account that simply just surving and hoping things will sort out by itself is going to work. I hope she becomes more pro-active now and has some clear goals/motivation now.

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This is going to be the war of the cheekbones!!! I can't wait.

As mush as i can feel the sympathy to Soo, SHE NEEDS TO GET IT TOGETHER!!

As now i am rooting for Yeonhwa, but please Wang So, don't marry her!!

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"the war of the cheekbones"

Now, that's a great way to memorize history :D

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I swear it's one step forward, two steps back with this relationship.

They meet? check. She falls in love with someone else.
He falls in love? check. She realizes he could become a crazy ass king and kill everyone. She runs away.
She begins to fall in love? check. She gets accused of treason, tortured and forced out of the palace.

Now, NOW i imagined that they would slowly meet halfway but No, NO now she's guilty, he's obsessed and my face is all ):

I really hope they convince me that the relationship between Soo and So is coming through because I'm getting frustrated watching them.

/sigh

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Will Hae Soo and Wang So never get together, or will they be together only for a very short time before he marries Yeon Hwa, and the evil machinations of the palace take Hae Soo down a different path?

This is what worries and frustrates me: I am invested in them being together, but Hae Soo keeps pushing Wang So away and sinking lower and lower, and Yeon Hwa has set her sights on Wang So now, and... :'(

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For one thing, I don't think that Su is that illogical. Some people like to live in the ideal world in their minds, for Su, the ideal world is living faithfully towards what she has determined to give her heart with.
She says it twice in her heart, it is so difficult to ignore So. So, it's not that she really rejects So, but rather she feels the attractiveness but she thought it is just the right thing for her to keep faithful to Wook.
Other people might look at her as a fool. But, she might think that she is a girl with principle.
An analogy, maybe in a marriage where a wife is experience a domestic abuse. An outsider might say that it is wrong to stay in tr marriage, but the wife might think differently (due to status, or religion etc.) and might even think of herself as a martyr.
Just a different pov.

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"Your uselessness makes me trembles in anger" - Such a classic quote man. Love it. I never like Wook, always thought he was bastard (cheating on his wife and all) and I always roll my eyes and cringe whenever I see him and HaeSoo together. Now I'm glad their ship is sinking...just wish it would sink faster. Wook is useless and a hypocrite. I'm kinda looking forward to Wang So killing him in the future now.

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"I’m kinda looking forward to Wang So killing him in the future now."

Hahaa.Went from 0 to 100 real quick. :D

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it's a no brainer with family as twisted as this royal family - who has no qualms whatsoever killing each other for power - WS as King Gwangjong would resort to kill everyone like in HSs premonition..

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Everyone seems so confused on who should you be watching and who should be the focus on the story. Well, I think the story is good, for me. It showed the weaknesses of the princes, and the could-be reasons for them to grab the throne. As I've read, Gwangjong killed his "rivals" on the throne. It didn't actually emphasized "his brothers". So if his brothers have nothing to fight for, or are too-good-to-be-true brothers, then, people will hate the lead for killing innocent people.

Just my thoughts on the story. Baek Ah fell in love with Woo Hee. And during that time, for someone to actually marry a gaesang, one must first "buy" her from the government. Seeing this, Baek Ah can only marry her if he becomes King. I'm not seeing Baek Ah to be an antagonist, but this could happen, couldn't it? You will want to fight, only if there's something or someone you would protect, or have- someone worth fighting for.

We knew on why Wook and So would fight for the throne. Wook and Su talking, Wook thinking everything for the 2 of them will be okay once he become King, So angry towards Wook, ready to fight for Su, even if it means fighting towards the throne, too.

We also know Yo's thirst to be King. Who else should be there to fight? Hmm. I'm thinking of 9th Prince who will fall in love with Chae Ryung (I saw them being paired in some shoots), a slave. If it really will happen, for love, 9th Prince COULD actually fight for the throne to have his way (his right). :)

HAHA. Just guesses on the story. I'm so excited to see the rest of the episodes though. I'm just analyzing the characters in the story. Well, everyone wants to have a plain story, with only one story focus, but nothing beats a story that has sub-stories to support the major story, don't you think? Complications is actually the spice of the story, not just the tweetums and sugar-coating words. The story will be a normal one if it followed that flow. These complications could be the reason, too, why this show is loved internationally. It's worth watching if you are really after the story. It had a complicated start, time travelling to the part of history where everyone is fated to die for power, so I guess we won't need shallow scenes here. Everyone is expecting a complicated plot for this to actually work. (:

Enjoy the show, everyone. Me, my friends, my sister, my cousins all loved this show and we are always waiting for the Eng subbed version every Tuesday and Wednesday. We are residing in the Philippines btw and we are fans of this show. (:

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Yeah...i was wondering about Baek ha and Woo hee too. How is he planing to marry her when he is a Prince and she is a gisaeng!!
Also his mother is alive. I thought she was dead for some reason. Must be like Prince Yo and the Sneaky Prince' wives they dont show as they are non-relevant characters.

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This episode was a bit choppy for me because i hadn't realized until i read this recap that a year had passed since Lady Oh's death and Su's departure!

I wish the scene of Soo and Woo-hee had a bit more natural flow because suddenly now they not only know each other but are friends. And also it took a year for Yo and allies to plan this assasination plot. Haha. If Evil Queen or Yeonhwa put their mind to it,they would have probabaly carried out in 1 month tops.

Wook continues to disappoint me. He only turns up when things have settled down a bit and that too he has the nerve to blame the situation on Su when he tried till the very last moment even going so far as to incriminate his own mother,whereas he did nothing. Its frustating how he continues to blame other people for his "misery",when the main reason he lands up in such a place is because of his own passiveness. I loved it when Su gave it back to him. Ha.

That laundry drying scene was really sweet. And i do think Soo has wavered a bit even though now she seems too traumatised to feel anything.

And the King,urgh....I laughed out aloud when he said she is like his daughter. Yes after putting to death her mother figure and almost sleeping with her. :/
So the King did have a clue that CP and So both were destined for the throne.But we know his reasons for prefering the CP and its understandable,so i guess thats the reason why he pushed away Su and treated him so badly.But now he has realized that So is a commendable option.

Lastly a minor thing,the sword dance could have been so much better. With Seohyun a idol,i had expected her to be much more graceful. I had seen the dance in "The Treacherous" and it looked so damn beautiful. Maybe it was shot better?!.

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I'm suspecting it's not just an assassination plot, but probably an assassination and coup. That's why Wook is wearing armor underneath his clothes. They need time to build up their army and get their allies into the palace. There was a scene of some nobles visiting, are they invited there to be killed together with the king or are conspirators involved in the coup?

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Ohhhh, that makes sense--a coup! I did not realize that was armor under Wook's robe.

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Oh yes! A coup makes sense. I was under the impression that Wang was wearing an armor underneath his clothes because he didn't trust Eyeliner not to stab him along with the King. :/

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I was also reminded of The Treacherous when I reached that assassination attempt dance scene!

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Haven't seen this episode yet. But I had my doubts as to its quality. The trend is there. Viewers are treated with a good episode every 3-4 eps. After ep 11, I suspect we won't get another great one until 14-15. I should probably add this is based on my own standards, but that should be obvious. Judging from the review though, I'd probably feel the way I did with ep 6.

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Me, all throughout the episode (when LJK's face is not there to distract me: ?????????

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What are your motivations? Where are the transitions? What is this whiplash that I'm feeling right now????

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And sorry for having to piecemeal all of my thoughts here but: Hae Soo, girl! Dude turned his back on you literally, and you still want him? The other one protected you with his body and is showing all signs of leaving everything just for you and you reject him twice? Ah, the debilitating power of love, smh.

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Thanks for the recap heads.
Well for me this episode like skipping two episode before. I hope there are some schenes that show :

1. When Wangso delivered to Jin Dynasty. What he do, how he remember hae soo

2. Jung seen different. What made him become more mature. How he demolish the rebellion group.

3. Wook becoming evil. When he start to complote with Yo? Motive? Strugle inside his mind

4. Haesoo, what she think and feel along one year. Why she still love Wook? When and why she befriend wirh Woo hea

5. When the king taejo become ill? Why ?

MLSHR production out of budget or what ?

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1. He kept the mask on to remind him of Haesoo and his goals while he was away from her.

2. He started to mature when he finally saw how evil his mother and brother yo was. He was always a good fighter so being sent to battle makes complete sense. Fighting with your life on the line (he couldve easily die in battle) would make any person mature.

3. Being forced in the situation he is in by yeonhwa is the catalyst for him to bring out the evil calculative person he has become. He's told to fight for powe and he's doing it the way he knows best. With his brain and careful steps.

4. Soo already mentioned keeping herself tired with work was the only thing keeping her sane the whole time. She's gone through a lot and on edge from breaking. Any comfort even comforting herself with the fact that Wook kept ger in his thoughts even though not helping her.
Idk if in the sbs ver. But in the int one woo hee herself said soo and her bonded over realising each other's scars (scars were a bit thing then and symphatising with each others scars to being friends became natural)

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I just don't get it why there is love triangle between Princess Yeonhwa, Prince Yo, and Prince So? Prince Yo asks her to marry him. But she asks Prince So to marry her instead. They're half sibling, right? From the same father: the king. Is it common at that time to marry your own sister/brother? Do I skip the story? Please somebody help me to explain about this!

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in royalty it common to marry your sister/brother to retain the royal blood,
already discussed in the comment but never touched in the actual drama,
so you didn't skip a story,

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You didnt skip anything, it's just a part of history where half sibling marriage in royalty were common. Yeonhwa has liked so since young (hinted before) so she's conflicted between power (marrying yo) and her own feelings.

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Yes, the potential marriages between YH & Yo/So were mentioned several times in the earlier episodes. There was quite a commotion & a lot of discussions in the earlier episodes recaps about the incestuous relationships.

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so heartbreaking watching the 12th epi. Much more tearjerkin if this Korean version follows the Chinese drama based on Tong Hua's novel - Bu bu jing xin. Hopefully Soo will end up better... :( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bu_Bu_Jing_Xin

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The way I am understanding Su in all her dull "get away from me, nobody should do anything for me and just forget me" slump is that she's hit limit break. She used up all of her virtue and is completely drained. Her virtue is definitely Compassion and this totally sounds like either Painful Isolation or Paralyzing Lethargy (Exalted Solar flaws). Who said RPGs were a waste of time?

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Thanks for this, it's perfect! I don't know anything about RPGs; who knew they could add insight to watching dramas? :)

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I don't know if episode 11 was a fluke, because I cried throughout this episode. The foreshadowing is so heavy at this point that I know we're only heading towards tragedy, and on the way we see different outs, could haves and should haves that never eventualised. I'm not even mad at anyone, (except Wook maybe) because Su has valid reasons for staying away from So. I'm just heartbroken.

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Wat a let down man... Was there a different guest writer or editor for last episode. That was epic n then this episode...

Okay... Why is the wook-su drama again... Didn't the show clearly establish his choice. Wats with lingering feelings.. I thought they were over...

So dude u r the only one making sense in this insane episode. Thanks god this boy doesn't change his motivations n life goals every episode.

Su wake up darling... He is right here.. wats with hot n cold behaviour. U are glad he is back n safe but u don't wanna be with him.

Is it just me or is anybody else confused abt her extent of feelings for Wook ??? I reached n all I found a nice gesture from him was breaking the door n asking her to come out. Did I miss something???

Writer make up mind. Don't include ridiculous n pointless angst.

If there is not going to be romance between Su-So then let's just skip it n focus on battle of throne. There is plenty of drama there.

Wook wake up man... U as a king... Really??? Check a mirror. Don't doom a country over ur stupidity.

Su wake up home girl.. So isn't gonna keep asking till doomsday.

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i agree ther with swati.i mean seriously hae seo after all this you were worried whether he missed you or not..wook be a nice villian and break her heart please...and i have a question how can someone look at wook when you have soo in same frame....

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I was confused when saw the episode first time but after rewatching I think it's not so bad. I definitely loved laundry scene, so touching... for me it is obvious that Soo has already fallen for So, her expressions and body language convey that pretty clearly,.

Another great moment is when Soo asks "what if you were emperor?" with a challenging face expression, like 'man, I already know that all of you are weak when it comes to the throne, and you maybe not the exception', but So answers like I will become emperor or whatever if I you will come with me. It shows how much she means to him, and it is obvious Soo got that meaning because her face changed immediately

I want to praise Lee Ji Eun acting in this episode. I think her wide eyes in early eps were cute, but these sad expressions are really beautiful?

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"Another great moment is when Soo asks “what if you were emperor?” with a challenging face expression, like ‘man, I already know that all of you are weak when it comes to the throne, and you maybe not the exception’, but So answers like I will become emperor or whatever if I you will come with me. It shows how much she means to him, and it is obvious Soo got that meaning because her face changed immediately"

Thank you for explaining this because I wasn't understanding it at all when I watched it. I was confused by her question, ad though I saw her expression change, I didn't realize what it meant. This makes sense.

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You're welcome^^ it's easier for me to understand because I watch it in Korean)
Basically, this was a question "will you choose me or throne?" and the answer was "you and only you"; Soo won't be able to resist long :)

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that eyeliner doe

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It's either Su has been traumatized enough to not trust anyone anymore.

The king's a king for a reason. He's smart enough to research Su.

So is too sweetly devoted to Su.

Wook, there's no redemption for you. Never. Not again.

Baek Ah T_____T (NOOOOOOOOO!!!)

Last week was so great that this week's storytelling feels a bit...jarring. Was it the transition? Was it the editing?

I can't wait for tonight!

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What's with our favorite bromance trying to kill themselves for the sake of saving both a family member and their special someone? Ohh. Maybe Baek Ah took notes from So.

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What a heart melting line:

“I wouldn’t even have had a future if it weren’t for Su,” So replies. “Now that I’ve said it, I know for certain—without her, I’m nothing.”

Who would not fall for this man? Isn’t he the sweetest?

My heart aches when So utters the word divorce when he offered marriage to Su. He was so selfless and got nothing but a pure and genuine love for Su. I do understand Su for rejecting his offer, but we know for a fact that, little by little Su is falling for So's stubborn love for her. She just can’t totally admit it, but deep in her heart, she also can’t let go of So. But please, stop rejecting him! Why can’t you just embrace him Su-ya…!

If you don’t want to, I’ll marry him instead. Haha 

Oh and Baek Ah, though I can’t seem to connect how he and Woo-Hee ended up being close and though I can’t fully grasp his deep affection towards her, (blame it on the 1 year gap – missing connections) I can’t help but love him. And please don’t give us heartache and don’t let him die, we will take revenge on you SH team. Please give this two also a bright future. Hear me?

I agree with everyone who says, IU is the prettiest in this episode. Though she wears plain clothes and got no make up, I appreciate her beauty and innocence here.
And as So said, Su is beautiful and yes she is.

Clapping my hands and giving thumbs up for YH for standing against Queen SMS and rejecting her. I love her boldness and courage whenever she faces the queen.
But I’m so happy when So rejected YH offer, serves you right soon to be evil queen YH. You can’t changed So’s heart, it is fully owned now by Su.

C’mon Ep12 cant wait for you. Always excited for my Mon-Tues nights, where moons shines brightly upon us. 

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After K2 as well, offering divorce with your marriage proposal is the new height of romance. lol the power of kdramas.

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Thanks for the recap!

The farewell scene at the garden made me cry. First time in the show that I cried for So. He knows she doesn't love him but still he hangs on and made that moment as light hearted as possible despite the very sad undertone. And at least we get a glimpse of how Hae Su feels about him, she doens't love him as a man yet but has feelings for him somehow.

She was asked not to say goodbye to the princes but still she looked for him for a send-off chat and admitted to finding it difficult to let him go.

The king as a father is a "tough love" kind of father I guess. He knows the potential in So and he rears him through fire to ignite that spark in him. As for Su, he said she's like a daughter after sending her away, doesn't want her to be caught up in palace life probably?

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Thanks for the recap, Heads!

Dang, I felt like I was whizzing through some roller coaster ride with my head thrust around back and forth while watching this ep. Time skip?! Su and WH are close friends? Since when? They shared about their hardships? Not even a flashback? We're supposed to just fill in the blanks using our own imagination??? What is wrong with this production team???

Su-So scenes are still the best, like his kiss steal and his smile when waving good-bye to Su. But like you said, Su is so passive that you wonder how they're supposed to squeeze any plot movement with what's been happening? So remains the only person actively seeking what and who he desires (besides Yo and YH for the throne).

And Wook... *shakes head* Isn't it a little too late to cry out for Su when she's gone? And you did NOTHING? Like So said at the end, just keep walking away from Su if you don't plan to take any action of any sort. To me, words are empty and it's just like what So said about him pretending to care. I don't buy it one bit.

King is pretty on the ball guessing about Su. And he sure changed his mind about So. The assassination scene was predictable, and so was BA's attempt to save his father. Is it too much to hope that tomorrow's ep will be better?

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