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Seven Day Queen: Episode 19

Is it really almost over? The amazing feat is that this drama somehow made me enjoy the experience of having my heart ripped out of my chest twice a week and kept me coming back for more. I’m terrified about what’s around the bend, but that’s why we’re in it together right? This is a finale week that’s going to require the moral support of Beanies. And maybe a tub of ice cream.

 

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EPISODE 19 RECAP

In his first official act as king, Yeok struts to his throne before a crowd of people and declares that the death and torture will be put to an end. Countless innocent civilians are freed from prison and their houses and villages are returned to them, and the people line the streets bowing and cheering for the new king.

Myung-hye pours wine on Seo-no’s grave and tells him that Yeok became king just as he wished. But then she puts her hand on the mound and adds that his other wish—for Yeok and Chae-kyung to live happily for a hundred years—might not come true.

Yeok is plagued with Yeonsangun’s last words to him, that making him king would be the ultimate revenge. In his head he replays the moment he found Chae-kyung crying over her parents’ bloody bodies, and the way she looked at him.

He’s shocked when Chae-kyung comes to see him, and runs to embrace her. She cries in his arms, looking conflicted and pained, and then draws a dagger to the back of his neck. In the moment that she hesitates, Yeok senses what she’s doing and pulls her hand down.

But instead of taking the dagger, he simply points it at his heart, telling her that this is where she should stab to kill him. He yanks her arm toward him, letting out a grunt of pain.

Alarmed, Chae-kyung struggles against him, her hand shaking violently. She finally manages to pull away, and the dagger falls to the ground. The tip is covered in blood, but it looks like it was a shallow cut.

She asks Yeok (still calling him “Husband”) if he gave the order to kill her parents, and with tears streaming down his face, he says that whoever did was acting in order to make him king, so the responsibility is his to claim. Gasping, he begs her to get revenge: “Kill me!”

He gets down on his knees and cries out her name, and Chae-kyung chokes down her sobs and backs away from him. Augh that pains me so. She walks away resolutely, leaving Yeok wailing on the floor.

In the aftermath, Chae-kyung looks down at her shaking hand as if disbelieving what she almost did. Yeok looks down at the bloody dagger and finally realizes that this could be very dangerous for Chae-kyung.

Thankfully, trusty Eunuch Song is the only one there, and Yeok asks for his help to quietly burn his robes to get rid of the evidence. Yeok holds onto the dagger and puts it away in a drawer that night.

At the same time, Chae-kyung pulls out the twig binyeo that Yeok gave her while proposing, and the shared memory pains them both. She sits up all night staring at it, unable to sleep.

In the morning Yeok sends Eunuch Song to her, and he leads her to a memorial that Yeok set up for her parents. Eunuch Song explains that Yeok wanted to honor them properly as her family, not as traitors, and so he had this memorial made for her to visit them whenever she missed them.

Crying, Chae-kyung says to her parents that their son-in-law must be very sorry, because he’s trying so hard to apologize to them, and to make her feel better.

Yeok is shocked again when Chae-kyung comes to see him, this time in his bedchambers. She’s there with a tray of medicine, and he lets her in quietly. She slowly undresses him and begins to put medicine on his stab wound, and Yeok can’t take his eyes off of her.

She has to get really close to wrap the bandage around his chest and shoulder, and at one point Yeok is so tense that Chae-kyung has to instruct him to breathe. Ha.

After he’s dressed, Chae-kyung hands him the snail shell that was in her father’s hand when she discovered him. She guesses that it’s another attempt to split them apart (Gah, I love that she’s smart!), and she asks why they’re always facing death at the hands of others, and having to suspect and hurt and resent each other because of it.

Chae-kyung argues that a husband and wife are meant to hold and comfort each other at times like this, “But why is it that we must always wield knives at one another?” Yeok can’t even meet her eyes as he says that it’s all because he’s a foolish man, and because he’s king.

She says with stern resolve, “Yes, you are king. You have become the king, who can do anything. So do not hang your head any longer. Do not make us cry again. I will not be shaken anymore. I will aid your majesty, who has become the ruler of a nation, and steadfastly protect my place at your side—that will be my revenge against those who killed my father and tried to shake us. So you must become an upright king and protect us.”

Damn, can she be king? Yeok finally raises his head and vows to do as she said, and takes her hand.

With a bright smile and a new attitude, Yeok begins his duties as king. Seok-hee gets promoted to the royal palace guard where he’ll protect the king directly, and Gwang-oh is promoted to the royal secretariat, where he will be put in charge of palace accounting.

They bow and address Yeok formally, which Yeok finds so awkward that he runs down from the throne and gets down on the ground with them until they stand up, heh. The three friends have a hard time acting like adults, but they keep it together for appearance’s sake.

Yeok asks them a favor as a friend, and says that he’s returning all the land that Yeonsangun seized as hunting grounds, including Seo-no’s family home. He asks that they move Seo-no and his father’s graves to their house, to fulfill Seo-no’s final wishes. He asks them to pour a cup of wine on Seo-no’s grave for him and say that they are fighting “for the countless Seo-nos remaining in Joseon.” The boys cry as they accept the royal order.

Nanny is promoted to court lady and left in charge of the staff in the queen’s palace, and Chae-kyung smiles as Nanny gapes at the hefty pay raise and fancy new title.

Yeonsangun stops his eunuch from packing up anything to take with them into exile, but then he lingers in front of the box of letters from Minister Shin. He decides to take that, saying that it’s the only thing in here that’s his.

Yeok has Deputy Commander Park brought in to read the list of promotions and rewards for the officials who sided with the rebellion and helped make him king. It says that Park will be promoted to minister of the right, but then he pauses when he gets to the part of the decree that outlines how he disregarded royal orders and acted on his own.

Park gets down on his knees, but he argues that someone had to kill Minister Shin at some point. Furious, Yeok counters that there was nothing his father-in-law could have done to stop the coup at that point, and that Park committed a crime worthy of death.

But Deputy Commander Park isn’t cowed, and he simply asks if Yeok wants to walk the same path as his brother. He argues that a king can’t rule without the support of his court, and Yeok says he knows that, which is why he isn’t going to share this with the court. He says that he just saved Park from death, which means from now on there will be no more second chances for him.

Deputy Commander Park grits his teeth and accepts it, but now I’m just scared for what he’ll do in retaliation. He runs into Chae-kyung on her way to see the king, and they both force fake smiles. He says that the queen’s robes suit her, adding pointedly that it would be better if she were officially crowned.

He asks if she knows that Yeonsangun and her aunt are headed out today, and Chae-kyung volleys back at him that she’s now the lady of the house for the royal family, which means that nothing happens here that she isn’t aware of.

Deputy Commander Park purposely fails to call her queen and then corrects himself, and says that she must also know what will happen to the royal family and the court if she continues to stay by Yeok’s side.

Chae-kyung smiles even wider and replies that in the very least, she knows who is the most bothered by her presence here. She says that “that person” ought to become a truly necessary and faithful servant of the nation and the king, so that she can stand to see him. He asks if he should aspire to her father’s faithfulness to Yeonsangun, insisting that he wasn’t speaking ill of him. Ugh, you horrible troll.

Yeok lights up when Chae-kyung brings him medicine, but after her encounter with Deputy Commander Park, her expression is cloudy and no amount of cheeriness from Yeok can lift her mood. He assures her that Yeonsangun and her aunt will be taken care of as they leave the palace.

Yeonsangun takes one last look at the palace and then gets on horseback to head out with a small entourage, and he doesn’t look back once, not even when his queen runs out to bow to him in tears.

As expected, in court Deputy Commander Park leads the vocal resistance against the daughter of a traitor being made queen, but Yeok is ready for the counterattack. He tosses a book down at their feet and says that he was taught that husband and wife must come first before family and children can exist, and that king and subject come after that.

With authority in his voice, Yeok declares that that makes his marriage the root of his rule, and that he will crown Chae-kyung his queen to preserve his family’s harmony. He asks if anyone objects, but no one dares to speak up in dissent, and Deputy Commander Park fumes impotently.

Yeok asks his mother for her support in crowning Chae-kyung, and she asks why Yeok insists on courting disfavor just to make Chae-kyung queen. Do you people even know Yeok, like at all? He argues that Chae-kyung risked her life and lost her family just to protect him, and that it’s meaningless to be king if he can’t even honor that loyalty.

Nanny encourages Chae-kyung to take a walk outside and says in her comforting way that all of this will pass and before she knows it, she’ll have wrinkles on her face and her heart will heal.

Chae-kyung manages a smile thanks to Nanny, though the mood is quickly dampened when they return to her palace and come upon two court ladies gossiping about how Chae-kyung isn’t even queen and can’t be trusted not to seek revenge. They gasp when they see Chae-kyung, and Nanny whaps them with the duster as they pass.

But moments later, Yeok shows up unannounced to personally deliver the royal decree making her his queen. He reads it to her in his official kingly voice, which is cute since it contains an account of how as his spouse, she kept a harmonious family together, and because he became king, naturally she should be queen since she is already his mate.

He orders her to be to this nation what she is to their household, and she tearfully accepts the decree with a deep bow.

In response, Yeok bows to the ground before her, which throws everyone for a loop. He just smiles and takes her hands in his and raises her to her feet. Calling her queen, he says, “Thank you for being by my side.” The staff bows to her in congratulations.

Deputy Commander Park is furious, and he sighs at Myung-hye for spending her days visiting Seo-no’s grave instead of making an effort to become queen. She argues that it’s too late to change Yeok’s heart, and that they need to find some other way to reinstate their family’s good name.

But Park says this is a matter of their lives, not their family honor, and he points out that once Chae-kyung has a son who ascends to the throne, she would stop at nothing to have him avenge her parents’ deaths. Ugh, she’s not you!

Unsurprisingly, that’s all it takes for Myung-hye to apologize to Seo-no and begin plotting for her survival.

Yeonsangun’s eunuch worries that he won’t hold up in this state, and urges him to drink some water. Yeonsangun thanks him sincerely and asks after the queen and his children, and Minister Shin. Oh noes, did nobody tell him?

His eunuch delivers the unfortunate news that Chae-kyung’s parents were killed, and Yeonsangun asks in a quivering voice why, when he purposely pushed Minister Shin away just in case and fought the urge to call him back countless times. Aw, really? But we didn’t know!

Yeonsangun asks if it was Yeok’s doing, but the eunuch doesn’t know the details. And all he’s heard about Chae-kyung is that there are already rumors of her getting deposed. Yeonsangun slumps down in shock.

Meanwhile, the small entourage of guards outside is quickly overtaken by masked swordsmen. Then the eunuch comes out and points them in the direction of Yeonsangun’s room. Sad, I thought he had at least one trusted servant left, despite everything.

The men storm into the room and point their swords in Yeonsangun’s face, and he asks if Yeok sent them. They say that they won’t send him off alone, promising to kill Yeonsangun and then his wife and the rest of their family soon after.

That riles him up and he fights his attackers, managing to disarm one man and fight the rest of them off. But then one of them comes in from behind and stabs Yeonsangun right in the gut, and the sword goes clean through to the other side.

He makes a break for it and runs into the woods, and curiously, the lead swordsman sees Yeonsangun hiding but purposely lets him go and watches from a distance.

Yeok is wowed by the lavish table set out by Chae-kyung, and she says that she made all the food herself with Nanny’s help. They both feel awkward when the court lady stops him from eating because she has to taste all the dishes first (to make sure nothing is poisoned), which is customary here but strange for them.

Chae-kyung is planning to go to her parents’ home to finalize some things, and Yeok sighs that he ought to go with her. As they begin to chat comfortably, Chae-kyung moves the dishes around like she always does, and suddenly the court lady announces that she can’t just move around the order of the dishes. Yeesh.

Chae-kyung puts it back and makes a hilarious face, saying, “The chances of us having fun in this palace are none, aren’t they?” Yeok agrees while giving the militant court lady the side-eye.

Yeok and Chae-kyung go for a walk through the palace holding hands, and when another group of court ladies bow as they pass, Chae-kyung notes that he ought to wear something other than his dragon robes when coming to see her.

But he says he wore them on purpose because he wants them all to know that he is this nation’s king, and that the woman beside him is their queen and his wife. He says he wants to show off his beautiful wife to the entire palace.

At that, Chae-kyung pulls her hand out of his grasp and asks why he’s trying so hard. She points out that they’re together now and he’s the king, but he seems more anxious than he was when he was a prince always running for his life.

He tries his best to hide it, but she asks if he’s anxious because of her, fearful that she hates him or will leave him someday, or that she’s lying to him right now. He finally admits, “It’s because I know this isn’t the life you wanted. Because I can’t do any of the things I want to do for you.”

She admits in turn that she can’t honestly say she’s at peace right now, but she asks him not to be so anxious. She takes his hand this time and says, “You are all I have. I will be here.”

Yeok begins to breathe again and says barely above a whisper that this is what he was longing to hear from her, and that his heart is at ease now.

Yeonsangun has managed to change his clothes, and he makes his way into Minister Shin’s house quietly. His face falls to see the memorial, and he thinks of the last time he spoke with Minister Shin and made him cry.

Chae-kyung arrives outside and hesitates at the front gate, and Nanny asks if she’ll really be okay on her own. She says there are only a few things to take care of, and sends Nanny to tend to the graves.

Chae-kyung cries as she enters the room, thinking of her mother’s incessant chatter and her father’s teasing. Yeonsangun comes out from his hiding place when he sees that it’s Chae-kyung, and he asks if she’s okay. Oh crud, this is why they let him go, isn’t it?

She’s shocked to see him there and doubly shocked when he falls to the floor clutching his side where he was stabbed. He reminds her of his warning that she would be unhappy if Yeok became king.

Yeok bows at Minister Shin’s memorial inside the palace, when Seok-hee comes to tell him that Yeonsangun escaped while on his way to exile. And don’t you know it, right on cue Deputy Commander Park marches up to Minister Shin’s house with a small army. Aaaaaaaaaaagh.

Inside, Chae-kyung tends to Yeonsangun’s stab wound and asks why he ran away when the cost is surely is his life. He says he was attacked and that his entire family—his queen, his children, and Chae-kyung—were threatened too. He thinks it’s obvious that Yeok is behind the attack, and that they threatened his family as if intentionally warning him.

As he says the words out loud, it dawns on both Chae-kyung and Yeonsangun that this is a trap. He barely finishes the sentence when Park’s voice rings out from the courtyard declaring that traitors are hiding in this house.

Yeonsangun berates himself for losing his mind at the news that Minister Shin had died, and falling for such an obvious trap as a result. He says this won’t end until he’s dead and Chae-kyung is deposed.

She tells him to sneak out the back door, which is the only way for all of them to live, and then she meets Deputy Commander Park at the door to block their path. She says that she’s the only one here, but Park warns her that if the traitor is found here, she’ll be considered an accomplice.

He bullies his way in, but Yeonsangun shows himself first and grabs Chae-kyung as a hostage. He counters Park’s claim that Chae-kyung helped him escape by sticking his sword at her throat, and then he backs them out through a gate.

Yeonsangun takes Chae-kyung to his horse and holds out his hand to her, asking her to come with him. She says she can’t, but he argues that Deputy Commander Park isn’t here to kill him—he’s here to kill her.

Chae-kyung remains firm and insists that he hurry, and finally Yeonsangun is forced to leave without her. Park’s men fire arrows at Yeonsangun as he rides off, and two of them land in his back, the exact same way Yeok was driven off-course on his way to exile.

Yeonsangun abandons his horse to hide in the woods, and he makes it to a small shed, where he passes out. Someone approaches and sees him inside…

Meanwhile Deputy Commander Park gets exactly what he came for, and has Chae-kyung locked up in prison. She says defiantly that Yeok won’t sit by while he obliterates her entire family.

But he says he’s prepared, because the Snail Brides’ next flyer will detail the illicit affair between Chae-kyung and Yeonsangun. She says that no one would believe such lies, but he challenges her to watch what rumors people will believe once they’re out there in the world.

Then he dangles the carrot and offers to withhold the rumor and only charge her with aiding the escape of a traitor, as long as she confesses to the crime. He asks if this second option isn’t better for Yeok, rather than mar the beginning of his rule with a dirty scandal between his queen and his brother. YOU ASS.

Yeok storms into court and gets in Deputy Commander Park’s face to tell him to focus on capturing Yeonsangun and let Chae-kyung go. Park just calmly says that they should have the queen explain herself before the court. Yeok grows livid at the idea of some public interrogation or torture of his wife, but Park suggests that they should merely hear her out if she’s innocent.

The queen dowager is quick to believe the worst of Chae-kyung when she hears the news, which surprises no one.

Yeok paces nervously until Chae-kyung is brought into court, and they exchange a short greeting, their faces full of worry for one another. Deputy Commander Park asks if Chae-kyung has heard that Yeonsangun escaped while on his way to exile, and then asks if she’s the one who helped him escape.

Yeok jumps to her defense immediately, but Park outlines how it couldn’t be mere coincidence that Yeonsangun happened to go see Minister Shin on the same day that Chae-kyung happened to go there, and says that bloody bandages were found at the house as if she’d treated his wounds.

A wave of murmuring begins, and when Yeok claims that Park is inventing lies, Park says that there are already plenty of rumors about Chae-kyung and Yeonsangun…

Yeok blows a gasket at that draws a sword to Deputy Commander Park’s throat, asking if he truly wants to die.

The other ministers fall to their knees, and Chae-kyung looks around at what’s become of them and she seems to come to a decision. Ohgodohgod.

She tells Yeok that it’s true, that she helped Yeonsangun escape. Nooooooooo. Yeok looks back at her like she just stabbed him in the heart.

In the woods, Yeonsangun regains consciousness for a moment and sees a blurry figure standing above him. He thinks it’s Chae-kyung and tells her to run away because it’s dangerous.

Yeok doesn’t believe her and asks why she’d say such a thing, so Chae-kyung asks if he really thought she’d just live as if dead and not avenge her parents’ deaths. She says that he probably thought he could win her over or just have her deposed if it didn’t work.

She says coldly that he didn’t win her over, and his efforts only made her hate and resentment grow. She asks if he thought she was just an easily mollified girl who would be swayed by him, that he could just kill her parents and not worry. Yeok looks pained, but he seems to see through her lies right away, and thinks to himself, “Chae-kyung-ah, it’s dangerous. Stop!”

He cuts her off and says that’s enough, but tears trickle down her face as she thinks, “No, it’s time to cut off the twisted knot.” With grim determination, she says, “To my parents and to me, there is only one king.” Oh shit.

She continues that she never said she would serve Yeok as her ruler. Yeok knows what she’s doing but she’s already said too much.

And then just to pour gasoline on this fire, the queen dowager storms in and slaps Chae-kyung across the face and demands that Yeok do something about this traitor immediately.

He’s beside himself in tears and argues in Chae-kyung’s defense, but the queen dowager is like a bulldozer and exclaims that he must order her execution right this second. The ministers all bow and chant for her execution, and Yeok looks around helplessly and meets Chae-kyung’s eyes.

With tears streaming down her face, Chae-kyung thinks, “This is where we end, your majesty.”

 
COMMENTS

Augh, is there no other way? Why can’t we just kill Deputy Commander Park and feed his body to wild beasts? Who would miss him? I knew Chae-kyung would sacrifice herself, and hell, I even felt relief for her in the moment, but I hate hate hate with the fire of a thousand suns that Deputy Commander Park and Myung-hye are getting what they want. It makes me sick to think that he just stood there smugly while Chae-kyung and Yeok had their entire world torn apart, and that he’ll continue to be respected as a virtuous man by everyone else. Even Secretary Im wasn’t that two-faced!

Narratively, I thought the show did a great job of building up the sense of dread and unease as soon as our couple entered the palace, because it actually made me feel a twinge of relief (amidst all the anger), like Chae-kyung was choosing freedom in her own way. How horrible that these are her choices in life. I just felt suffocated for her from the moment she went there as Yeonsangun’s hostage, and it didn’t get that much better once Yeok became king. She seems broken and sad inside that place, and the way she and Yeok both struggled to put on brave faces for each other made it even sadder.

How tragically ironic that keeping Chae-kyung by his side was such a huge part of why Yeok ultimately chose to become king, and the second he did, he began to lose her. The glimpses of their relatively upbeat moments inside the palace today made me think that there was no chance for them to be truly happy here, because what they really wanted was that quiet life in the countryside that they had already lost. It was so apt when Chae-kyung noted how much happier Yeok seemed while facing death outside the palace than as the king who should be able to do anything, and in turn his anxiety about her staying by his side shows how well he knows and senses her unhappiness.

It’s so interesting that in the outside world, Yeok was fearless and reckless, but now he seems so lost and unsure. Yeonsangun may have been crazy and made all the wrong choices, but he didn’t let his court rule him, and I seriously doubt that he would’ve let his ministers pull one over on him like this. Heads would’ve been rolling if anyone dared to speak to Chae-kyung that way. It pains me to think that Yeok’s boyish idealism and virtue are what keep him from being ruthless as a leader, but I think there’s something to be said for the efficacy of a cutthroat king. But yunno, one that maybe doesn’t murder the staff on a nightly basis! Why are these the choices?

The thing that this show has done consistently well from the start is avoid frustrating misunderstandings between the couple, so that even when our heroine is throwing herself under the bus and saying all of those terrible lies to rip out Yeok’s heart and paint herself the villain, he sees right through her noble idiocy to the truth—that she’s doing this to save him because she loves him. It’s that difference that keeps me from tearing out all of my hair, because these characters trust each other before anyone else, and their sacrifices mean something in this world.

I’m mad at Yeok for not having the political clout to protect his queen, but I also understand how he is utterly powerless and at the mercy of the people who made him king. I’m mad at Chae-kyung for bending to threats of rumors and lies, but I believe the threat and how damning it would be to her and to Yeok. And more importantly, I believe that she wouldn’t want to become a political liability and Yeok’s weakness, to be exploited at every opportunity. It’s fascinating that on paper, these plot turns might drive me crazy, but our characters’ motivations and the circumstances are made so crystal clear that the tragedy moves me, because this isn’t a story about missed timing or star-crossed intentions—it’s about people making the best choices that they can and struggling for some happiness in a society that’s rigid and harsh and not built for them. If only they had known what a hefty price they would pay for the throne. The saddest part is, Yeok would give it all up in a heartbeat, but that ship has sailed, hasn’t it?

 
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My heart and tissue boxes aren't ready for this. :(

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I would write a long comment and response, but my heart and mind haven't recovered yet. I don't think I'm going to be ready for tomorrow's episode... Gotta get my tissue boxes, tubs of ice cream, and some OSTs ready T.T

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this drama is soo on point at pulling heart strings
i watched the episode in my office and tears just starting pouring down uncontrollably at the end and people started coming to me thinking i h received some horrible news

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My heart isn't ready for the finale. No matter what happens in the end, I know I'll be sad because the drama would be over!

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I can’t believe I’m still alive after last night’s episode! What’s the point of living unless Show gives us a “happy” finale with the secret kids and all?!

Despite what history tells us, there’s that tiny sliver of hope for a “happy” ending. Chae-kyung was only deposed but she and Yeok never separated/divorced so they were husband and wife until their deaths. And Chae-kyung’s title as queen was also reinstated by Yeok’s son with Myung-he. So I put my full trust in the writer to weave her magic and artistic license with these historical facts. *crosses fingers*

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No matter how much "happy" the writers give us, even if there's something in the slightest bit "happy" about Chae-kyung and Yeok's relationship, I'll be a "happy" watcher (drowning in her tears). I just something to make me feel like smiling after watching the finale episode.

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I totally agree! Making us smile in the end will make all the tears, heartbreak, and extra calories from binge eating worthwhile :)

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Yeok has a son with Myung-Hye? He doesn't have any children with Chaek-young?

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The next king will be Myung-hye's son, but I would be totally on board if the boy will be Yeok and Chae-kyung's secret child that MH adopts.

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That child was only king for a couple of years before he died, in which apparently people are still unsure if Yeok's third wife poisoned him to make her own child king or not. So, I don't know, I don't think I would want them to go that route either. :/

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That makes sense :) Come to think of it, wouldn't people find it weird at that time that their king reinstated a lady who's not his mother but his father's first wife? And we all know how particular they are with royal titles.

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It would be possible if the son is very, very filial or especially close with his father.

IIRC, in REBEL, Yeonsangun battled with the ministers and Confucian scholars because his grandmother wanted a Buddhist ceremony for her late son (Y's father). He prevailed.

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i tried to avoid watching this episode untill ep 20 is up with subs because i can't bear to have my heart ripped out of my chest twice . but couldn't help myself . i avoided all the spoilers because i wanted to walk in to the finale of mother heartaches blind and boy did it deliver !!
no drama has ever given more heartache and tears . i love yeok and chea kyung to death and i'm frustrated and mad at cheakyung!!!

but love the drama for the fresh plot and swings which lands so unpredictabaly . i thought stabbing yeok will be final nail in coffin till i saw the preview and it blew me away how they pulled '' aiding ex king'' . i didn't see it coming .
korea is missing out one of the best sagueks judging by ratings . ( i don't give a flying fig about ratings but feel sad for evryone who isn't watching this masterpeice

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Everything you said is how I feel too, from your first to the last sentence.

I stopped at ep 16 because I'm just too emotionally devastated.. I can only continue to watch and endure the death of their friends and family if this drama has a happy ending. I've been peeking at IG updates because I can't help it but I am too coward to watch the full episodes just yet.

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I agree that the best part of this drama is they know the truth of each other even when their mouth say another things.

How long does the events in this drama happen? Isn't it like 7 years?
I feel like we knew all the things we need for the character and it's been a tough battle, Chae kyeoung want to have a rest and I can't fault her.

"Damn, can she be king?" Yes because she can do it and no because that's probably not the life she wants

Aslo I heard the rating is 7.7%

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I don't recall the last time I felt so much rage against a character such as the rage I feel now for Minister Park.

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Rage away. You are not alone.

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Lol I'm glad am not alone in that. ? I had to remove myself from the library silent study area and continue watching at the stairwell.

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Oh god the finale week. I have kept my promise and didn't watch the last two episodes so that I can truly binge on this and cry my heart out. Oh god oh god oh god.

I knew it is coming I just.. I just.. *cries*

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There really was no way for a ruler to be good, was there?? If he is good, they torture him, or the ruler himself is a monster!!!! The king is not bad, the people around him are!!! Let those lovebirds catch a break!!

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Hurts so good... Even though this has been such a heartbreaking journey, I think this is a drama I'll rewatch, because, like the beginning of the recap said, somehow it's been so sublime I've enjoyed the agony.

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Thanks for the recap @girlfriday, reading it made me re-live the pain and sadness again, but with sass (do you people even know Yeok, like at all? Lol) and outrage thrown in which helps to alleviate some of the pain. But I can't complain, I know what I sign up for when I decide to watch this show (curse that gat-throwing scene, if only I didn't watch that clip). I just hope that I'm not too heartbroken to move on after this. And yes, tubs of ice cream should probably help the process along.

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..The amazing feat is that this drama somehow made me enjoy the experience of having my heart ripped out of my chest twice a week and kept me coming back for more..

~ Aren't we all a bunch of masochist who like to torture our heart and enjoy the sorrowful agony? TT_TT

Haven't watch this episode nor read this recap, just reading the opening and saw the pics. I'll watch it together with the last one and have one last long heartfelt weep later. I need my heart strong before it breaks into pieces tonight...

Thanks for the speedy recap, GF!

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Sharing my tub of ice cream...

I can't contain the sadness after watching this episode. Chae Gyung absolutely ripped my heart out and I feel sorry for Yeok who believed that being king was his way to protect their marriage but there is a big price to pay for ascending to the throne. I can imagine Yung telling him, told you so.

Do me a favor Deputy Commander Park, please die. Can't forgive you for tormenting Kang Chul in W (LOL), then this time, you are destroying our King Yeok's whole being by taking his true love away. Such an ass.

Queen Dowager, you once told Chae Gyung that when you're young, you follow your parents. When you marry, you follow your husband's way. When you are old, you follow your son's ways. Practice what you preach. Don't call our Queen a witch, bitch.

Can't wait for the finale. Following this sageuk from day 1, I am like a proud Momma for all of them for delivering one of the best dramas of 2017.

I guess I stock some chocolates too.

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Haha yes, Kang Chul and now this! I'd forgotten he was in that

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Thanks for the ice cream. I will share my chocolates. ????
Need to stock up for the finale.

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God, the Queen Dowager is just as much of a hypocrite as the Parks are, and it saddens me that I don't think the writer will give us some karma delivery to them for their hypocrisy.

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​I think I am going to stay away from sagueks for a while, the palace politics are making my blood boil. Unless there is a saguek that deals with common people's lives with the palace stories minimal, I am going to pass up on sagueks till I feel like watching one again. It makes me so mad and sad that chae kyung didn't abide by her words that her staying by yeok's side could be the best revenge against the people who killed her parents. :'(

No matter how much they loved each other, how good they were as people, their story isn't a happy one. It makes me so sad that even the times they were able to live together, they couldn't completely be happy (except for very few times that I could count with my fingers), either one person was lying or someone close was dying and it breaks my heart that all they ever wanted to do was have fun together as friends forever. So, my twisted moral from this story was, as long as it didn't hurt someone else physically or emotionally, we should always put our happiness and survival above everything else.

But, then, I realized, that is what chae kyung and yeok did too. Yeok gave up the throne and chose to live with chae kyung in the country side, but, then seo noh died. Chae kyung gave herself up as hostage to save yeok's life because there was no happiness for her without him. so, yeah, if I can't think of a way that they could have ended up happy and together, then I guess this drama did something right, only I wish it didn't hurt me this much. :'(

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I hope Minister Park dies a slow painful death in the finale. ??? That is all.

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That may even be too good for him. Its better he be humiliated and stripped of his title and lands. Then be branded a traitor.

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Yup, there's a special place in hell for scum like him. ?

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I can barely think straight with all of these feels! When Yeonsangun asked CK to leave with him I was like go! But she would've been miserable worrying about Yeok. There was really no way to get a happy ending here because even if they had managed to thwart this attempt, there would always be another. There's no winning for them, and that's the most heartbreaking part of all!
If she knew how this would all end, do you think she would have chosen to stay with Yeok back when her parents told her about the prophecy and to run away? I don't even know what I'd do in that situation.

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i have a feeling she wld have done it all over again and try to change some facts or she wld have been in a dilema knowing how they loved eachother

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What's amazing about this drama is even with preview, you can't predict what will happen. I cried for 4 times watching this 1 hour drama till I shouted enough is enough writer-nim!!!

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Wait until you watch last ep. My headache is at worst and my eyes already swollen now ?

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@ Pmyfan,

"What's amazing about this drama is even with preview, you can't predict what will happen."

Even more amazing is the organic way in which the twists and turns unfold in the plot. They make logical sense, fit in with the flow of the plot, are consistent with the characters' inner landscape, make use of carefully embedded details, and have never felt gratuitous. No pulling rabbits out of hats or macguffins out of sleeves. No deus ex machina. 7DQ delivers the goods the old-fashioned way: with a lovingly-crafted script brought to life by a terrific cast and crew. ;-)

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The amount of trust shown by CG and Yeok is amazing by far...
She knows what's coming if she didn't confess ( tormenting Yeok the most and thus, create most suspicious mind in future) but she chose really thorny path to save the man she loved.
This drama seems towards its final spurt but it will remained in my memory box as one of the magnificent sageuk drama ever created ?

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Ugh i hate hate Deputy Commander Park. I hate that Yeok is being undermined by these ass for their own personal gain. Makes one wish he didnt give mercy to that two-faced toad. At times like this, Yeok's good nature is hindering him from protecting the person most precious to him. I so want him to man up and stop cowering. I agree Yeonsangun would not have stood for the ministers dissent. Could we not have a King that is a combination of Yeok and Yeonsangun's best qualities? Can Yeok not be that King? Because Yeok and ChaeKyung deserves a lifeline right about now for their future's sake.

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Thank you girlfriday for the quick recap! ☺ Appreciate and agree with your thoughts.

I really needed this recap to rant against the injustice of whats going on in the screen. I sure hope that Yeok and CK has an ace up their sleeve. And prove to be smart in turning the tides in their favor.

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"It’s so interesting that in the outside world, Yeok was fearless and reckless, but now he seems so lost and unsure. Yeonsangun may have been crazy and made all the wrong choices, but he didn’t let his court rule him, and I seriously doubt that he would’ve let his ministers pull one over on him like this."

Exactly why I never once rooted for Yeok, because I could see how his idealism and action will end up in contradictory state.

And just that this is the penultimate episode, I want to express how much I love Lee Dong Gun. He continues to break my heart but all for the right reasons. Putting aside the wonderful writing, this is the first time Yeonsangun has been portrayed to be most humane, instead of the typical one-dimensional evil lunatic tyrant. LDG gave so much nuance to the character and I could not thanked him enough. Must so many K-actors with the surname "Lee" be that wonderful in sageuk (Lee Jun Ki, Lee Seo Jin, Lee Young Ae and now Lee Dong Gun).

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I've been wondering what the heck is going on in the cosmos for there to be not one, but two, dramas so intimately involved with Yeonsangun in 2017. It's a real head-scratcher. LOL.

From a dramatic standpoint, he's been an interesting personality to examine in detail, even as the historical personage was a horrific disaster for Joseon.

It has been really interesting to watch Lee Dong-gun's version of Yeonsangun. He is mesmerizing, and does indeed bring out the humanity and vulnerability of the tyrant even as he conveys the monarch's ruthlessness, jealousy, anger, and inner demons. And mental instability.

I'd like to note that Kim Ji-suk interpreted Yeonsangun with great sympathy and nuance in REBEL: THIEF WHO STOLE THE PEOPLE. The production played up his sensitive, artistic side -- which made for truly gorgeous traditional music and dance interludes of ethereal beauty, in particular those performed by Honey Lee in the role of Nok-soo.

I see the two iterations of Yeonsangun as being complementary. Both versions of the character are absolutely certifiable. And the reasons for their becoming that way are clearly depicted in realistic ways.

SAIMDANG, LIGHT'S DIARY included an older version of Lee Yeok than the one we've come to know and love in 7DQ. In some ways he was as paranoid and obnoxious as Yeonsangun has been, but in a curdled sort of way. Having seen what he had to go through in his younger days in 7DQ, I can now feel a tad more sympathetic towards him, but not much.

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@pakalanapikake

My thoughts exactly! You've got to wonder what has been going on in SK dramaland for directors/producers to focus on/depict Yeonsangun in TWO high-quality dramas this year. I wonder if revisionist history is on the rise?

In terms of the traditional music that was highlighted in REBEL, I'm still bummed that Honey Lee's "Nok-soo" duet with Yoon Kyun-sang (where they're walking in that green, maze-like field with Chae Soo-bin following behind) wasn't included in the OST!

Hey, speaking of music, does anyone know when the full 7DQ OST will be released? I love the background music in this drama so much!

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@daktorichick,

... I'm still bummed that Honey Lee's "Nok-soo" duet with Yoon Kyun-sang (where they're walking in that green, maze-like field with Chae Soo-bin following behind) wasn't included in the OST!

Me, too! It totally baffles me that that duet in the tea garden in episode 7 was not included in the OST. What were they thinking???

That scene and the one in which Gil-dong spoke of walking all over the peninsula and seeing the blue of the river whose color reminded him of the sadness of life, were integral to Gong Hwa's adopting Nok-soo as her name.

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My heart went out to Yeonsangun's queen. Somehow it got me thinking that in their generation and in the present the Royal family never deserved the Shin ladies as their Queens. Also, at least it is one of the things Father always tells us, never strike when a man is down, no matter how hateful he is or how bad he was. So I just can't agree with what they did to trap Yeonsangun.

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Yeah, I truly wish this show had more episodes so we could really get to know some of the background characters like the queen. We saw a little of her and the little we saw made her out to be a good person. So I just wish we saw more of her and her feelings in regards to YSG so we could feel even more for her and the king the way he left her. At the very least I wish that Chae-Kyung and her aunt could sit down and talk about how their lives change just because of who their husbands are, and how despite everything they can't help but still regard YSG as family.

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Read somewhere that despite Yeonsangun's notoriety, his queen was revered by the people even after her dethronement. I think given the fact that Yeonsangun was known to be more infatuated with Jang Nok-soo, it's like people expect his queen to have a sort of resentment against him, but that doesn't seem the case, so yeah I'm actually curious as to how their relationship was. Also, unlike other kings who are infatuated with their concubines, he had children with his queen. In the succeeding kings their Queens are almost always childless. Oh God hopefully they don't show the poisoning of the young Princes since historically that happened within the month of Yeonsangun's deposition.

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Exactly, there are so many details from history that I thought would make for interesting side-plots, especially since Yeonsangun was played so well. I understand that with the amount of episodes it has, it did not have time to show "unnecessary" plot points, but still. I think just the fact that he explicitly only called for the queen and their son, saying that they were his family, says something at least about his thoughts. He regarded Nok-Soo as a servant or secretary that he slept with as part of the job, and he truly was touched by her loyalty to him. However, the queen was his FAMILY, even if he was crap at it.

Heh, imagine if the writer does a prequel like "Dong Yi" was for "Lee San" and "Six Flying Dragons" was for "Tree with Deep Roots", and have it shown how YSG and the queen came to love each other before he turned crazy (apparently his first five years as king was good), and leave us with a happy ending but we all just cry because we know it will end horribly and we know it will be YSG's fault. But considering the ratings have been bad (and because of his age I doubt the actor could replay YSG as a very younger man), I doubt it'd happen. Plus for Koreans, watching a drama that makes YSG sympathic would be like for Jews to watch a romantic drama about Hitler. At least someone mentioned YSG being a love interest in 7DQ was one of the reasons it is not popular in Korea.

If they do show the prince's death, it feels a little, I don't know, too much? We only saw the prince last episode, never before, so to have us watch him be poisoned feels like it was only to add angst, but without the feelings in them. We cared about Seo-no because we got to know him, we did not want the nanny to die because we got to know her. I felt sorry for the queen because we got to see her a few times enough to sympathize with her. But if we see the prince die, it would only be sad because he's a child, and that is sad and all, but we should have seen him some times more than what we got, otherwise the angst is as empty as the obligatory Noble Idiocy misunderstanding that happens in inferior dramas, just to create angst.

Really? I did think it was weird how both "Lee San" and "Dong Yi", plus other sageuks, make it a point that the queen can't have children and thus looked to her favourite concubines as sisterly support in that regard. Was the fertility rate really low for nobles at the time, or was the political marriages so poignant that the kings made a point to never make them pregnant? Like a secret thing only the king's family knew, that to be queen you had to drink an infertility poison or something? (I'm just reaching here because this episode left me a hollow mess).

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As for the Princes my fear is that, circumstances being what they are, Minister Park would not definitely let them live. ? Having painted Yeonsangun as an escapee and a traitor, it's just not possible for the sons to escape the brutal fate. So hopefully they don't go that route and just let Chae-kyung be the sacrificial lamb. Ack. This drama really. One episode left and I still can't envision the end.

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"Was the fertility rate really low for nobles at the time, or was the political marriages so poignant that the kings made a point to never make them pregnant?"
I'm guessing the strict rule of choosing dates to sleep together, and then also to a certain extent the tendency to marry relatives and what not contributed to the low fertility rate among Joseon Queens.

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@pensola, the fertility of Joseon queens did decline over time. @kooriyuki is right that it had to do with the scheduled dates. However, I'd say that " the tendency to marry relatives and what not" was NOT a factor. That was a Goryeo (in "Empress Cheonchu" for instance, Wang So's son marries his double cousin. And he's portrayed as positively kooky.) thing, NOT a Joseon thing. The scheduled dates actually had to do with astrology and Confucianism. @pakalanapikake and I discussed Confucianism briefly last week. Anyway, as Confucianism became increasingly important in the later Joseon dynasty, the number of memorial days for previous kings increased. And you know what? The king was not allowed to sleep with the queen or his concubines on memorial days. Hence, this (fewer scheduled dates in general) likely contributed to lower fertility. If you're interested in the details, a Seoul National University scholar actually wrote a paper about this in 2011! https://dgfmssnschws7.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/pdfs/app_xii1_4_kim.pdf

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@shelberry, thank you so much! I am kind of in the state of "this is a subject I genuinely want to learn more about but I don't have the motivation to look for information about", so I am so thankful to have a starting stone to go with!

My question about the fertility was mostly a bad joke, but I am thankful for the helpful answers for a question I was curious about still.

If it's okay, I'll also check your comments with @pakalanapikake to read more about it! ^^

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*waves at daktorichick*

Re: Confucianism resources, there were extensive fascinating discussions of it in the REBEL recaps. It got rarefied, to say the least. And the Beanie confreres were informative and top-notch. ;-)

On my fan wall I posted links to English translations of Confucian and Taoist foundation literature. Be sure to check the very beginning of my entries for the online Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea aka The Sillok aka The Annals of the Joseon Kingdom in hanja as well as hanguel, plus the English translation project that is currently underway. The English translation demo is simply the greatest thing since sliced bread. I say this as a German translator by training who can recognize a great resource when I see it. It is utterly magnificent!!! It's right up there with WorldCat, the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, and the GoogleBooks digitization project.

There's a pointer to the text of an Ursula K. LeGuin story whose theme appears in the form of one of Ga-ryung's tales in REBEL. Also, a pointer to an English retelling of The Monkey King, who crops up in the novel Hong Gil Dong, IIRC. Plus a link to an online English translation of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils by Jin Yong, which figures in SIX FLYING DRAGONS, as discussed at length in the REBEL thread. The last two items tie in with Confucian archetypes, if I recall liina's extensive comments correctly. ;-)

Somewhere in the REBEL thread I compiled pointers to discussions of Mugyo / Muism [indigenous Korean shamanism] that are wonderful cultural background material in the recaps for OH HAE-YOUNG AGAIN (and Open Thread, and maybe also MIRROR OF THE WITCH). They don't come into play in SEVEN DAY QUEEN, but they're certainly germane to REBEL.

Sorry to get carried away recalling nerdy good times on the REBEL thread. ;-)

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@pakalanapikake, I will definitely check out the resources on your fan wall. Like you, I have been waiting a very long time for the translated ??????. :) Also, you don't need to apologize for being nerdy with me! As a student of history, I'm a fellow nerd!

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@daktorichick, August 3, 2017 at 7:13 AM

Re: scheduling of royal whoopee

Robert Ross & The Jazz-Manian Devils: "Makin' Whoopee"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP5tfEuTIkM&feature=youtu.be

Thanks for the link to that paper on fertility among royal women during the Joseon Dynasty. It's a really interesting read. The feng shui of the birthing room was even arranged to facilitate childbirth.

The great irony that jumped out as I read it is that patriarchal Confucianism put tremendous emphasis on women giving birth to sons rather than daughters. So exactly who was supposed to have all these babies? Hello?? Back then, the father's role in determining the sex of offspring was not yet known in the West. I don't know what the situation was in Korea. Nowadays we know that failure to produce male offspring is dad's problem, not mom's, if I correctly recall my high school biology. Heaven forfend that anyone back then would even dream that dad was shooting blanks when mom didn't conceive. Harumph!

A similar scheduling situation existed in Christian Europe starting in medieval times, IIRC. Conjugal relations (for everyone, not just royalty) were prohibited on the many holy days and during seasons such as Lent (when fasting and penitence were observed). I have no idea how the faithful were supposed to go forth, be fruitful, and multiply when there were so many days that were off-limits to begetting. (I say this as a recovering Catholic.)

It's been a dog's age since I read it, but I suspect that Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven: Women, Sexuality, and the Catholic Church would be a good place to start looking. It's a fascinating scholarly study of institutionalized misogyny in the Church by German female theologian Uta Ranke-Heinemann (1990). A real eye-opener.

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@pakalanapikake, thank you for the jazz video! I'm not much of a jazz fan honestly, but it was still a nice listen. I'm glad you enjoyed the paper! I love that you're willing to nerd out with me!

Also, in terms of "patriarchal Confucianism put[ting] tremendous emphasis on women giving birth to sons rather than daughters," I'm pretty sure that, at the time, Europeans also believed women were responsible for bearing sons. Just look at Henry VIII and all of his wives. XD. He certainly didn't think that his struggle for a son was his problem.

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@daktorichick, just want to clarify that I said "the tendency to marry relatives" was prolly a factor, but I didn't say it's Joseon-specific. The thing about genes, ya know. Possibly contributed to low fertility/high rate of babies not surviving past infancy.

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@annerl, yeah, Yeonsangun's queen had a total of nine pregnancies with at least three live births. So she and Yeonsangun, at least initially, must have had a fairly good relationship. (unless he raped her all the time, that is).

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Okay, thats... oh god, that thought never really crossed my mind. I hope it was some genuine interest in each other, at least at the start.

Honestly, in context of Seven-Days Queen's world, I could totally imagine that they were given strict sleeping schedules, but just like Yeok, Yeonsangun was like "...wanna bang anyway?" And the astrologers and scholars are so proud that they keep finding auspicious dates that make pregnancies, without knowing it's just because the crown couple are being rebellious teenagers on hormones.

Except then everything changed and Yeonsangun became a tyrant and he fell in love with her niece and... yeah, I get it if they won't make "Twelve-Years Tyrant" the prequel, to say it mildly.

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@pensola below.

"just like Yeok, Yeonsangun was like '...wanna bang anyway?'" OMG. Yes! Haha. ;)

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"Close your eyes and think of Joseon." ;-)

Do check out the 1928 jazz standard "Makin' Whoopee" in one of my posts above. One of NYC's finest bluesmen is on guitar and vocals with his trio.

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@daktorichick August 3, 2017 at 6:54 AM

Re: The Sillok

I got interested in it while viewing REBEL, which included numerous actual excerpts related to Hong Gil-dong, banditry, and other events during Yeonsangun's reign. I was wishing I could just go ahead and look up entries by date, but it will be about a decade before the online English translation is ready to debut. In the mean time, I'll just have to rely on DB recaps and the scholarly Beanies who so kindly and generously transcribe and translate poetry, song lyrics, sageuk documents written in hanja, etc., etc. And the kind inhabitants of Soompi, too. ;-)

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@pensola, this is Shel. I'm kinda new to commenting and just changed my Display name to daktorichick, so I'm sorry for the confusion. But I'm the one who shared the SNU scholar's article with you! So glad we can learn about Korean history by discussing dramas together!

Also, Pakalana Pikake and I simply discussed Confucianism in the context of Qf7D last week. It was a very brief convo in the Episode 18 comment thread, but you're welcome to join in. :)

waves to @pakalanapikake! This is Shel. :) I changed my display name!

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Hello, and thank you again for the recommendation! I'll probably read it later tonight!

Heh, I know pretty much nothing about old Korean history, so I am mostly just silently reading to learn myself. ^^ Thanks again!

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Yo, Shel / daktorichick!

I was beginning to wonder if I'd slipped my clutch again. You pulled a switcho-chango. Not a problem. ;-)

Your new handle reminds me of a 1960s TV show called DAKTARI (Swahili for "doctor") -- about a wildlife veterinarian in Africa. It's scary the stuff I have cluttering my mind... ;-)

*waves to pensola* Pleased to meet you. ;-)

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@pakalanapikake, DAKTARI is Swahili for "doctor"? That's fascinating. When I made my display name, I was thinking of Korean (dak) and Japanese (tori). lol The chick part, of course, comes from English.

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Halfway through the recap i cried for seon-o.. partly because i'm sad that he couldnt enjoy those happy moments with his friends (he can be a great personal bodyguard for the king!) , and partly because im happy that his friends did what he wanted the most..
And then minister park came in and i want to throw a chair to his head.. ugh.. ??

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I don't understand how commander park is still able to move the snail brides to spread rumours....arent they meant to be loyal to yeok...
Too many plot twists here...
However ysg's intelligent portrayal saved the day....
Honestly if he wasn't crazy and if ck wasn't crazy in love with yeok
These 2 would have made a power couple ....
I mourn the fact that he could havd become a sage king...
This is of course fiction as we all know in history he was a tyrant...
But isn't this a what if scenario
I love that yeok n ck make a convincing partnership in the drama... but I hate his inability to protect her...

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I can't think well. Can I just sing a song that best describes what I feel right now instead?
"I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing"
"What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you(show)?"
"They say bad things happen for a reason but no wise words gonna stop the bleeding"
"I'm falling to pieces"

I'll never be ready to bid farewell in this masterpiece. Now, I don't know what to do. Why do you have to be this good in breaking my heart show? :(

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really felt like crying so I watched the last ep and came back to read this ep.. I am not even following this drama. but i needed a good cry, so thanks drama.

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They cannot close without some karma coming to bite park n mh on their a@#@#......

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I HAVE NOT WATCHED THIS EPI AND PLANNING TO WATCH THE LAST 2 EPISODES IN ONE GO....

Am I going to have the cry of my life? TT_TT

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yes!!! this was my plan to but couldn't help myself and watched ep 19 . but i will still have the best cry yet when it ends

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i was going to do that, but I thought maybe I should split my sadness instead of doubling it at one go :P also because reunited worlds subs took so long to come out!

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Yeok should just rule as king but never have any other wife since he can't have Chae kyung. Screw them all. And if they don't like it he should just chuck it all in, go live with Chae kyung and the country can survive under whoever takes over next. At least he got rid of his killing happy brother, which was the only reason he couldn't go live with Chae kyung in the first place.

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gahhhh !!! i can't take this .this show is breaking my heart to million peices . wanted to watch reunited worlds and my cutie yoo jingoo to numb the pain a bit but even that is more angsty less cute and fluffy . i need to drown myself in pure fluff to survie till tomorrow and the withdraval .

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Nooooooooo Myung-hye, do you honestly think Yeok will ever forgive you or your uncle? Even if you do become Queen, he'll never love you. Listen to Seo-No's words if you truly treasure him. By not following him, you're tarnishing his memory. The only time I'll probably ever forgive you if you do something to bring Yeok and Chae-kyung back together again.

As for Yeok's mother and Minister Park, they deserve each other. No saving them now.

For Yung, you do seem more human now that you're out of the palace. You should have done that before all the madness. You could have become a decent person. You're really the biggest if only...so much potential to be good. I was really touched on that part where you sent Chae-kyung's dad away to save him.

As for Chae-kyung and Yeok, I have no words left. You two really deserve to be reincarnated and live happily in the future. There's no better couple more deserving. That's the only way I can think of now that'll make this end happily.

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@bluemoon,

"As for Chae-kyung and Yeok, I have no words left. You two really deserve to be reincarnated and live happily in the future."

They deserve to be reincarnated as commoners, or maybe scholars, living peacefully in the boondocks.

The idea of the burdens of kingship was examined in THE KING'S DAUGHTER, SU BAEK HYANG. King Muryeong (aka Yung) of Baekje had been a very young crown prince whose father was overthrown and killed by invaders from Gogoryeo. His cousin, who was older, succeeded the late king, while Yung himself grew up to be a very successful general. Too successful. His cousin was jealous and insecure, and had already sent other able military leaders to their deaths. Yung's right-hand man saw which way the wind was blowing and arranged for the king to have a "hunting accident" by inciting another military commander who was already disillusioned over being sent to a frontier fortress instead of the capital.

Alas, the traitor was the father of Yung's sweetheart. They planned to tie the knot, and she urged him to resign his commission and take up farming so they could raise their kids in peace. She broke off the relationship because of Dad's treason.

After observing her father's trials and sacrifices for the good of the nation, and hearing how he'd never gotten over the loss of his fiancee, Seolnan/SBH prayed that in his next life, he would be reborn a commoner so he would not have to wear a crown. It was really touching.

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@PakalanaPikake, yes, these kings need to be reborn in another lifetime where they can be free. They deserve their happy endings considering how much they suffered and gave up for their country in their lifetime.

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I promised myself not to watch ep 17 to 20 because I know I'm gonna have a heart attack but can't control myself to look at it ugh.. I really breaks my heart ? ? ? huhuhu.

Chae hyung is totally awesome he stand for his king and protected him till the end by destroying herself.

I know this one is based on lady shin story, I even made some research about her and it make sense to me now that why did myung had son reinstated lady shin as queen ? What is the truth of his identity? Is he lady shin secret son and adopted by mh because she was been deposed?

If that is the case it is a big revelation in Korea's history of prince and lady shin..

The theory made sense why would the son of mh reinsatate lady shin title as queen whereas he had no bloodline to her, could it ba? Another gossip in history hahaha

I think Korean people missed out one of the best saeguk drama of all time for me this is my first on my list, second is jewel in the palace where prince jinseong was already king there ..

I really don't know how to say goodbye to this great drama it is truly one of the best..
And yeah the queen dowager is such as witch!! Grrtt.. Minister park I wonder how he died in that era I don't know how king jungjung handled him hope we can see him here how he died eheh..

Haist (long sigh) tomorrow is really goodbye!!

To all the team of queen for seven days though u did not receive high rating in Korea just believe us we your international fans loves you and you really are all great..

You did pull out on us a different emotions on each episodes, it was an explosive of feelings till the end.. You deserve 10/10 ratings for this

I always yell, cry, frustrated and holding my breath and chairs as if I'm going to fall.. And yes I DID FALL IN LOVE TO THE LEAD you are all great and seoh no huhu you really did die in the end hopefully the two remaining alive friends will stay with him no more sacrifices..

To nanny please stay alive till the end and be with lady shin till the end ..

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My idea of a happy ending is for Yeonsangun to see the light and follow his father's wishes to support and advise Yeok therefore giving Yeok the balls to stand up to the ministers when necessary. He seems to be a lot more sane in this episode since giving up the throne. And also for Yeonsangun to finally appreciate his own Shin wife and his family. This way everyone gets a happy ending, although it doesn't seem likely if the authors are trying to follow history.

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I'm amused at how both King SeJong and our King here had in-laws who were murdered, essentially because of them.

But the trajectory of their lives diverged so much.

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In King Sejong's case, even though it was King Taejong who orchestrated the demise of Shim On, he specifically gave instructions that Queen Soheon will not be deposed and should not be bothered in any way. Chae-kyung doesn't have that backing in this case. It should have been the Queen Dowager's role but apparently there's no love lost between them.

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I know. I'm just noticing the one point both men share. And it should be noted that the in-laws were executed for different reasons too - SeJong's, in a rather extreme precaution to curb the possibility of court going unstable because of the influence of the prime minister in-laws while Yeok's in-laws were practically murdered to keep those who put him in power... in power.

TaeJong was a hard-ass and wasn't easy to deal with at all, but he gave his brilliant son a stable platform to display his brilliance. Yeonsangun and Yeok's parents on the other hand, utterly failed them both, even though both were actually brilliant too - at least, at the start they were.

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I remember once someone wrote about modern horror movies compared to classic ones, and one said "the scariest horror movies have the protagonists doing everything right, thinking logically, using the knowledge they have to get away… and still lose, because that is how dangerous the villain is." Because when the protagonists in a horror movie are idiots (even worse, unlikable idiots), then we don't really care about them dying, we are more angry at the protagonists for doing basic survival thinking rather than scared to see them die.

I feel something similar when it comes to drama. So often drama shows have the protagonists misunderstand each other, get angry and fight over the smallest things that are escalated. Often this is because of bad communication that the viewers know could be solved if they just asked or thought logically. Sometimes the "meant-to-be" couples should show how meant-to-be they are by talking it out or trusting each other, yet they must be Noble Idiots and angst. So instead of feeling for the angsting couple, we just get annoyed or angry with them. Angst feel the best when it is deserved, not when it feels "obligatory". (Same could be said with love triangles, IMO. They're my guilty pleasure, but it needs to have a reason to be there. 7DQ's love triangle making YSG's madness worse, for example, or Reunited World's genuine curiosity about which guy is the morally and healthy better option for the woman to be with. But I digress)

However, in Seven-Days Queen, it is like with the horror movie explanation: Chae-Kyung and Yeok do everything right, they ask each other questions, they demand explanations, they trust each other when they by all means don't have to… and they STILL meet harder obstacles than the last one. In the end, our fear is exactly that they will lose despite everything; instead of dreading the obligatory Noble Idiot misunderstanding that will lead to separation and angst, we are scared that THIS will be it, this will be the final straw where even their love can't prevail. And we would UNDERSTAND it if that was the final straw, or if there was an angstful misunderstanding. Even the noble idiot moments are understandable, because we know there really aren't many options left, so they aren't that idiotic anymore.

That was what I thought last episode, I thought "oh no, the final straw is reached, their love is destroyed!", then this episode came and I felt a mix of "oh thank GOD they managed to sort it out" and "Of course they managed to sort it out, they're Chae-Kyung and Yeok!" And that is what makes this show's drama so good, in that you know the protagonists are TRYING, they are trying so hard to understand and love each other, and that is why every potential misunderstanding or revelation is a scare, because we would understand if they gave up at this point, but because they are so smart and trusting, we want them to succeed instead of just "get it over with".

While I have...

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that's a beautiful comment,

we all know we came here for a heartbreak but just like you said, we care so much because they strive and choosing what they think is the best but still get separated because this world isn't just revolve around them, there are many people and many fate that also play alongside them.

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Exactly! We came with the knowledge that the couple would be split at the end, but just to see HOW they end splitting up, and knowing that they fought against and won over SO MANY OBSTACLES make it even worse. To see just how desperately they love each other and want to trust each other, how much they want to protect each other, and still see that they lose is way more heartbreaking.

When I watched the first episode, I genuinely thought Chae-Kyung and Yeok would split because she thought he killed her family (with the way he acted I assumed he didn't know) and would not realize the mistake until after everything was done, and he felt too guilty/Noble Idiot to correct her. But how it actually happened was way worse, because I knew their struggles, I knew their love, and I saw that in the end they prevailed the misunderstanding I thought would split them up.

But instead the actual split/dethronement is EVEN WORSE, because she is doing this to protect him, and he KNOWS it. Myung-Hye said she was willing to hit rock bottom because of her love for Yeok (which was a hypocritical lie because Myung-Hye is a lying hypocrite), but in the end she really could never win against Chae-Kyung, who is willing to be branded a traitor and lose Yeok forever, maybe even die, to protect him and his dignity/authority.

I hit the word count on my comment so some was lost, but what I wanted to say was: Though I have some qualms about how side characters are treated and how some plot points just kind of are forgotten until needed, this writer really GETS how to make meaningful drama and angst, and I really hope they get the chance to do more in the future.

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Very well said :) I concur, the writer should have more projects of this magnitude. She has been very consistent since the beginning and throughout the series she was able to convey the beautiful love story between Yeok and Chae-kyung. I love it so much that here comes a couple who know each other so well and use that knowledge to communicate their innermost thoughts and feelings without fear of being misunderstood. I hope that writers penning romantic dramas can learn a thing or two from this writer for she has truly set the gold standard in my humble opinion.

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O.M.G. Why, why, why why? I was so surprised when Chae-gyung "admitted" the "treasonous act", in front of the ministers no less. Then the Queen Dowager had to enter the scene with all that slapping and screaming that Chae-gyung should be beheaded. I reckon I was like Yeok with his hand on his head, trying to make sense of what I was seeing and hearing, and yes, with the tears rolling down my face too! I mean what the hell?????

What Chae-gyung did may have been consistent of her character but really, I just could not imagine that she'd actually own up to it. She's so brave making those statements knowing her neck is at stake! Poor Chae-gyung, there must be no alternative left that she had to resort to this! But she could have told everybody in that court just what Park said, although he would surely deny it but still Yeok would have believed her. But well, it became extremely complicated when Yeonsangun came into the picture which is just shit! Nanny wasn't even there to witness everything. Damn you, Deputy Commander Park! I wish we'd see this evil character suffer and slowly die sans the smug face tomorrow. Alright show? Please? I wish we could see this piece of shit plead for his life while he bleeds to death. You'd been so cruel to everybody, show, so can't you just be cruel to him too?

Thank you so much for this recap, Girlfriday! I'm glad we're all together with this. Yes, bring on the tub of ice cream will you and make it a hot fudge brownie for me please, thank you!

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Thank you for your recap and comments, girlfriday! I'm with you. Watching this episode was like having open heart surgery without anesthesia.

On top of that, I'm hopping mad at the duplicity of Myung-hye and her horrid uncle. I felt like barfing when she visited Seo-no's grave and had the gall to tell him she didn't think Yeok and Chae-kyung would get to live happily after now that he had ascended the throne. Gag me with a spoon. If it weren't for the fact that he truly deserves to rest in peace, I would wish his shade would haunt her until the end of time.

As if that first stunt weren't bad enough, watching Myung-hye do an instant about-face when Uncle Slimeball told her that Chae-kyung will come after her upon the birth of her first son kills the last shred of sympathy I might have had for her. She was only too willing to expect the worst of others who simply wished to be left in peace -- which says a lot more about the craven backstabber than it does about Chae-kyung. Uncle Park sure knew how to play her like a fiddle -- but she was willing to dance to his tunes. Arrrg!

I didn't know I could hold my breath for 6 days while waiting to see where last week's cliffhanger would take us. Who woulda thunk I'd turn anaerobic because of my Kdrama addiction?!

The parallel between Yeonsangun's making it look as if Yeok stabbed him in the gut, and Yeok's turning Chae-kyung's dagger on his own heart -- Bloody hell, what were those people thinking?! I was afraid that someone would walk in on them and she would be hauled off for attempted murder. I'm glad Yeok had even one eunuch he can count on -- but at the rate the help changes sides when the chips are down, I'm half expecting Park to get to him, too. Just because we saw a red dragon robe in flames doesn't mean that it's the one with a bloodstain and a rip just over the heart.

With Deputy Commander Park fomenting evil right and left, Yeok committed a fatal strategic blunder when he refrained from killing the bastard when he had the chance. Yeonsangun may have been paranoid and nuts, but he didn't put up with BS from his subordinates. Yeok is too decent a human being to be in that snakepit -- and he's too weak by himself to fight against the underhanded tactics employed by an experienced politician like Park. If Yeok had shishkebab'd Park, Yeonsangun might not have been attacked and forced to run for his life. It frustrates me to pieces that when Park was grilling Chae-kyung in front of the ministers about her helping Yeonsangun escape, she said nothing about the deposed king's being attacked first. All she was doing was rendering first aid. No good deed goes unpunished. (I know, I know. In legal terms, she was "aiding and abetting.")

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continued --

What really surprised me was the way Yeonsangun sincerely tried to protect his family. Deputy Commander Park was looking to not only entrap and destroy Chae-kyung, but the deposed king and his entire family. By stampeding the former monarch into committing a treasonous act, his little sons would be fair game. All I can do is shake my head and wonder why Chae-kyung had to pick that particular day to visit her parents' home. Since Park had his people all over the palace, he could very well have coordinated his movements with hers. I don't put anything past the bastard.

I agree that Yeok and Chae-kyung don't waste a lot of time when it comes to mending fences and figuring out who has thrown the latest monkey wrench into the works. It's gratifying to see their steadfast solidarity. I also love how Yeok rebutted the ministers' earlier protests against Chae-kyung with the passage about married couples from the I Ching. But there's a limit to human endurance, and in the face of the bottomless geyser of venom spouted by Deputy Commander Park, I can't blame Chae-kyung for reading the writing on the wall. I'm just thoroughly agog at how she set herself up to go down in flames. Doesn't she know Yeok will never stand for it?

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Hey, @pakalanapikake! This is Shel from last week. I changed my display name. :) I'm glad you brought up family and Confucianism again. I was surprised by Yeonsangun's care for his family this week too. And man, the way that his queen bowed to him as he left the palace for the last time was full of feels! It's like @pensola said earlier; I wish we could see a younger, saner Yeonsangun interact with his wife and kids in a prequel! (Honestly, I'd also like to see more of Yeongsangun's complex relationship with Yeok's mom, the Dowager, especially since she's the one who raised him).

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Howdy, daktorichick!

It was actually Yeok who quoted the I Ching to the ministers who were calling for him to dump Chae-kyung this week. I think it was positively brilliant that he was so attuned to it. IIRC, it's actually a Taoist text.

While Mrs. Shin's farewell bow to her departing hubby was wonderful and solemn, the one that really knocked my socks off was Yeok's return bow to Chae-kyung after he installed her as Queen. The look of panic on her face and the faces of all the attendants was priceless. LOL! All the hidebound protocol in the world couldn't stop him from thanking her from the bottom of his heart, and that made my heart flutter. ;-)

From what I've read of Lady Yun, Yeonsangun's birth mother seems to have had anger management issues of her own. He may have been doomed from the start.

Yeok's mother isn't much of a prize herself. She's got all the cuddly warmth of a feral pit bull. It's one thing when she deploys her savagery against her rivals and enemies -- but she unleashes it on her sons, too. She's such a harridan I'm sure Chae-kyung was glad to be free of her at last.

I understand that the king's consorts and concubines (and their clans) were all constantly jockeying for power and influence at court. It must have been a terribly nerve-wracking life sentence to live at court -- from the lowest water maid to the king himself.

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Wouldn't mind an appearance from Chansung if only as a ghost to haunt Myung-hye. ?

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If anything, Yeonsangun was a bad king for lack of better words, but it cannot be denied that his actions were through his own volition. He did things because he wanted to do them, and damn anyone who stands on his way. The same thing cannot be said of Yeok. He wants to do one thing but ends up doing the exact opposite of what he wants to happen. To be a king and a good one at that I think one needs equal parts tyranny and enlightenment. Just having one or the other wouldn't do, and we have seen that for the former through Yeonsangun. And though Yeok here comes across as enlightened, just merely having that will make him an easy picking for wily ministers who make a living out of twisting words.

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UGH. This was so brutal. My heart is breaking. You know it's coming but it still hurts. I hate how Park and Myung He are getting what they want too! They don't deserve Yeok! I can't even fathom what the last episode has in store for us. I just want to retreat into a cave and re-imagine a happy ending for our couple.

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Chae-kyung was well and truly screwed the moment Minister Park decided to actively target her. She knew it too. Her options were to admit to treason or be publicly branded an adulteress (with treason still on the table). Her choice to admit to treason is consistent with Yeok's belief that loyalty between husband and wife is higher than loyalty to the king. She would rather be seen as a treasonous subject than an unfaithful wife. This isn't noble idiocy so much as choosing between the lesser of two evils.

Also, Minister Park should be drawn and quartered, with his dismembered body fed to the wolves, while the Queen Dowager should spend the rest of her life in exile while contemplating why demanding that her son should have his wife killed - for whatever reason - is a horrible, horrible idea.

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"Also, Minister Park should be drawn and quartered, with his dismembered body fed to the wolves"

What did the wolves do to deserve such cruelty?!

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LOL. I'm so sorry, wolves!

Yeonsangun would've done something exceedingly cruel AND creative with Minister Park. At times like this, I wish he was still in charge.

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Actually, why didn't he kill Minister Park, Yeonsangun? I didn't support all his murders in any way, but if he was willing to kill ministers that were involved with his mother but also ministers that went against him, and he knew Minister Park worked in cahoots with the Snail Brides, and at that point he no longer gave a shit about what people thought, why didn't he kill him?? I know because history demands him to be alive, but it just frustrates me that the one murder YSG could have done that could have helped, he did not do.

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I have been wondering too. He was after the Snail Brides and actually Minister Park was the head of the Snail Brides rather than Yeok and Yeonsangun knew it!

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He's like Secretary Im...In sheep's clothing ?

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@Elle,

On a more serious note,

Her options were to admit to treason or be publicly branded an adulteress (with treason still on the table). Her choice to admit to treason is consistent with Yeok's belief that loyalty between husband and wife is higher than loyalty to the king. She would rather be seen as a treasonous subject than an unfaithful wife. This isn't noble idiocy so much as choosing between the lesser of two evils.

Hear, hear! Chae-kyung was truly between a rock and a hard place. I like how she heeded Yeok's rebuttal of the ministers with his reference to the I Ching. Deputy Commander Park had figured out all the scenarios, and she was truly a sitting duck with zero wiggle room.

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that he and his backstabbing niece get struck by lightning. Several times.

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I wouldn't mind them distorting history just to give Minister Park his just deserts. And I wish Myung-hye a miserable marriage. She can marry Yeok and be his wife on paper, but she will never have his heart.

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The problem is, I don't think the writer means for us to hate Myung-Hye as much as we do. Which is excusable since this is apparently their first project, but still. Myung-Hye is like a useless, spineless Severus Snape; she's on the good side, mostly because of a love she does not deserve but thought she was entitled to, but she is not a good person. However, I think she will suffer from a loveless marriage, but Yeok will still forgive her involvement, because she is supposed to just be a tough but ignorant girl who just did as her uncle told her to do. So we are supposed to feel sorry for her. And I honestly did, back when I thought she honestly thought she was the protagonist of the show. But when she betrayed the Snail Brides and her only friend THRICE (first by planting evidence, second by trying to trick Seo-No to give himself up (though he did willingly), third this episode by breaking his wish), and she lost her rights for sympathy. This show puts huge emphasis on loyalty to family and friends, so if she "only" gets away with a loveless marriage but forgiving Yeok, without her actually doing anything to deserve that forgiveness, I'll be disappointed.

Of course, at the end of the day Myung-Hye is just a spineless, useless tool. The one I really want to be punished is Minster Park. Let us hope they figure out a way to do that.

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Who's with me for the last tear-jerker episode later (whatever time people are on)??!!

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That nod that Chae-kyung gave to Yeok at the very end as if to urge him to punish her just plain broke me! ?

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I've never seen noble idiocy used as effectively as in 7DQ. Throughout the drama, it's been logical, never like a contrived plot point. CK and Yeok have such a solid foundation of love and trust for each other. Their actions are consistent with their personalities and beliefs. There's no pointless misunderstandings because the other half understands their motivations. What's tearing them apart is beyond their control. Which makes it all the more heartwrenching to watch.

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"I've never seen noble idiocy used as effectively as in 7DQ."

I have a hard time thinking of Yeok and Chae-kyung's actions as noble idiocy. Noble? Yes. Self-sacrificing? Yes. Idiotic? No. More like taking the high road when an easier path would mean selling out, stabbing a friend in the back, or stooping to dishonorable, cowardly acts. Just my $0.02. ;-)

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For once I wouldn't mind if like, the last 5 minutes of the finale shows our OTP in modern era, reincarnated and recognizes each other in an instant, leaving us to imagine their modern love story.
Gah. This drama is horribl(y good).

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big thanks @girlfriday for recapping so fast ?
the writer is really really amazing!!!! each episode never dissapoint ?
their trust for each other is really awesome,one of the reason i love this drama ?,because i get tired with misunderstanding between drama leads ?
i'm so happy eunuch song can be trusted by yeok,,it's what yeok needs because there is none who support chaegyung in palace except nanny
and i really really hate minister Park ??? i hope today episode he will be punished ?

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Thank you girlfriday for putting coherent words to all the feels for this show. GROUP HUG EVERYONE. Last one, let's take a deep breath.

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I was dissapointed with yeok character throughout the journey and this ep sealed the deal. He really weak. Yet, still i live him. This must be because of ywj's acting. In other lesser actor i would already throw out my lid and disgusted even at the actor.
About Chaekyung.. Uri beloved fearless, strong, amazing Chaekyung.. She really inspiring as a women, a wife,and queen. I too mad on how she give in to the trap, but at the sama time i relieved for her that she no longer have to endure the suffocated palace life and became free. She already endure as much as she can, sacrifice as much as she can, she gave herself to her prince to the fullest. No regrets. Therefore she can live a peaceful life from now on.
I love you chaekyung-ah!!! Chaekyung manseh!!!
Now, if only they would redone the gallow scene. Uri chaekyung should walk with head high and serene smile in her face, a noble queen through and through even if they stamped her as traitor to be hung.
I hope yeok, myunghee, dowager queen have life full of fights, problem, regrets, resentment, and tumultuous life from now on. Thank you very much. You guys dont deserve chaekyung and seo noh.
I pray pwj would die a difficult death and reborn as the lowest low of animal you two faced shitface you!!

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No, no, no! Why did everything get so wrong? Ugh, I hate this slimy, evil and idiotic (Chae-kyung will take revenge? Seriously?!) Commander so much. And don't even get me started about queen dowager. I can still understand (my understanding is very limited, though...) that Commander Park desperately wants to survive and to do so he will not hesitate to use disgusting methods, but the queen would lose nothing. She knows how much Yeok loves Chae-kyung, how essential she is to him. So why in the hell she still prefers to get rid of her than to trust her son to take care of things and be happy? Isn't this what every mother wants for her child? I hate her almost as much as Commander Park.

The last scene was so perfect: they both know everything, but our heroine is more than willing to throw herself under the bus, even if it's means the end for them, all of this to save Yeok. It's so beautiful and so heartbreaking at the same time. God, I'm not ready for the finale at all.

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This is probably one of the only sageuks where there is more sadness/angst than happiness and yet the viewers still willingly stick around to get tormented by it

But with how the story has been executed so far -- with the writer staying as close to history as possible and at the same time exercising so much freedom and creativity in fleshing out her characters and giving them so much layers that we get so involved in all of them (minus myunghye & the queen dowager & minister park urgh) -- I guess it's not too much to ask for a happy ending here right?

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@ kkothye,

"This is probably one of the only sageuks where there is more sadness/angst than happiness and yet the viewers still willingly stick around to get tormented by it"

Welcome to KDMA -- Kdrama Masochists Anonymous. ;-)

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Yeok you idiot! You fail again n again n never learn! You promise everyone to protect them yet you always fail and hurt them instead! You are a failed husband, failed son in law, failed friend,failed king! Too soft too dumb too innocent too idealistic to live in the snake pit that is palace. You should learn from yung and take no shit from your greedy ministers, you should grilled them alive like yung would you idiot!! Now you lost your beloved chaekyung and left by lying hypocryte MH slimy pwj and naggy queen dowager. Congrats!! I hope you two would have a miserable resentful painful marriage life!!

Yet.....despite all of that, i love you my beautiful daegun mama TT_TT. If you not as innocent, as soft, as nice, as idiot as you are throughout this journey i would not love you that much TT_TT I know you already done your best according to your understanding, its not yout fault that everyone around you sans chaekyung, seonoh, and two sidekick are greedy snakes....ugh..you miserable thing TT_TT

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Chaekyung you fool why you give up?? You already told yeok you would be beside him assist him and would not be swayed again. Why you give up?? You already endure so much, cant you endure it just a bit more? Do t you know your foolish prince will be even more helpless if you arent there to straighten him up??Is dying is really the only thing left?? You just give up because you just dont have strength anymore and fed up dont you?! Why you give up??
Yet... I love her too much to resent her for wanting to be free from all of this. I know if it was me, i would be batshit crazy like yung long ago.
Chaekyung you rock!! You are the best the mist amazing female character in whole kdrama ever!!! I love you uri fearless amazing brave chaekyung!!

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My heart....I just about got through this episode without crying ?...7 day queen....so much suffering but just so good..

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is it really 1 episode before finale ? the writer just step up the game each episode, it doesn't feel we are walking toward the end. i need to remind myself to follow next project of these writers, cause they're just damn good, no plot holes, like at all.

"because this isn’t a story about missed timing or star-crossed intentions—it’s about people making the best choices that they can and struggling for some happiness in a society that’s rigid and harsh and not built for them."

this!

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So yeonsangun did all that to Minister Shin to protect him? I am not crying!

I'm so mad because at the end of the day, the three of them lost everything and these freaking evil people get what they want? This is so unfair!

Yeok is weak as a king. It only goes to show how heavy the throne is. It drove Yeonsangun crazy but he held his own against the ministers.

Niw, I'm so depressed. Is there a way to make the ending happy for them? Please?!

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