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Tree With Deep Roots: Episode 24 (Final)

All told, a pretty epic finale. Okay, really epic. Was it wholly satisfying? No, not completely. Was it filled with operatic flair, covered in blood, grandiose in scale, and riveting from the first charged moment until the very last? Of course. This is Tree With Deep Roots we’re talking about.

At times tragic, at times hopeful, this finale wrapped up our stories with some nicely added twists along the way. And some tears. Okay, lots of tears.

 
FINAL EPISODE RECAP

The jig is up, and Jung Ki-joon knows that the Haerye lies within So-yi’s mind. He orders for her immediate murder, but the moment before his minion looks poised to strike, Chae-yoon arrives on the scene, using Jung Ki-joon’s life as a bargaining tool (again) in order to free someone he cares about. Since Jung Ki-joon has already wagered that he’ll be dying for his cause soon, he has nothing to lose and orders his minion to carry through the order.

Thankfully, So-yi’s would-be assassin chickens out. When Jung Ki-joon then orders the nearby Gae Pa-yi to kill her, the gentle(?) giant remains motionless. Chae-yoon orders So-yi to run away, and she does.

In a literal frenzy at seeing So-yi escaping, Jung Ki-joon screams for his minion to shoot her. Chae-yoon dares them to shoot those arrows if they want their precious leader dead… and when it seems like they’re going to follow orders, Chae-yoon prepares the killing blow for Jung Ki-joon.

At last, however, Gae Pa-yi steps in to fend him off – but not before Chae-yoon slices Jung Ki-joon for good measure. Nice! The two men fight, but Chae-yoon is assured that Gae Pa-yi will have to stay to tend Jung Ki-joon’s possibly-mortal wound. He can’t risk his leader dying, right? It’s this good faith that sets Chae-yoon in retreat mode, following So-yi.

But Jung Ki-joon won’t be having it, despite suffering the deep wound that Chae-yoon inflicted. Gae Pa-yi has a moment of hesitation before he takes up the bow and arrow, and aims at the fleeing Chae-yoon and So-yi. He shoots.

The arrow comes so close to Chae-yoon as to cut the binds to his topknot, but it whizzes right past him and into So-yi’s arm. Oh no!! She falters, and this falter sends her off a cliff and into the night. She better be fine.

Her fate is uncertain as Chae-yoon goes to the edge, wildly calling out her name. Though these times are dark, could it be… is that… a Mane of Glory? (Or was he out partying with Ke$ha again? It’s too dark to tell.)

Dawn breaks, and Chae-yoon is combing the forest for any signs of our girl. We find her some ways away, alive (thank goodness), but something is amiss when she sits up. The arrow just hit her arm, but the moment she rolls up her sleeve she sees a black and bloodied mess. Oh no. It’s the poison Jung Ki-joon talked about before, isn’t it?

So-yi confirms her suspicions by bravely tasting the end of the arrow, and whatever it is can’t be good. She spits it out, a look crossing her face that already puts my heart in my throat. She knows it’s poison. We know it’s poison. Oh no.

She crawls into a nearby cave, using a bit of her hanbok as a tourniquet for her arm, which is looking worse by the second. Outside, Chae-yoon seems to be so affected that he can barely walk properly, but he’s unrelenting in his search for her. Pieces of her skirt are torn up to lay down around her, and it’s a striking visual.

So-yi is progressively looking sicker and sicker as she writes the Haerye down on the pieces of her torn skirt. Her arm wound is looking worse too, relentlessly bleeding and growing blacker. No no no no no. Noooo. No no no no. If what I think is happening is happening… it better not be.

Chae-yoon continues his frantic and desperate search, falling whenever the wind grows too strong out of grief. Good god man, save your grief for later and use your speed now. Where’s that leaping martial arts method when we all need it? At least one of his falls lands him near the cave So-yi is in. All may not be lost.

Alas, Jung Ki-joon has survived Chae-yoon’s wounding and gets patched up by Pyung. Their camp is gone, all of their soldiers have either been captured or killed. Han Ga makes it inside, but he’s soon followed by a barely conscious Leader brought in by piggyback. She’s been wounded in the battle and is on her way out of this world.

After all this time, I still don’t know anything about her. She calls Jung Ki-joon “young master”, though, which leads me to believe she may have once been a slave of his once-prominent household. She soon passes, with Jung Ki-joon saying that he will follow her soon.

The Haerye is splattered with blood, but seemingly complete. As So-yi rests her back against the cave wall she takes in short, terrible breaths, as though she can’t get enough oxygen. From a ways away she hears Chae-yoon calling for her, but can’t even work up the strength to say “orabeoni”.

He makes it to the mouth of the cave and sees the harrowing sight of her surrounded by white while wearing white (bad, bad, bad). Her face is as pale as her clothing, and he desperately runs to her side. Oh goodness. This is really happening, isn’t it?

Cut to: Hidden Root (I know!). They’re having to make some changes to the plan due to the loss of all their armed forces. If he wanted to just assassinate the King, Jung Ki-joon says, he could have just used the secret passage. This isn’t about just killing Sejong, it’s about bringing his downfall in front of thousands of onlookers during the promulgation ceremony.

Gae Pa-yi receives a written order as his final mission and Jung Ki-joon’s last command. He wonders if he’s strong enough for the task. Jung Ki-joon retorts, “Aren’t you the best swordsman on the continent?”

So-yi smiles to see Chae-yoon, though she can barely breathe. He sees her technicolor arm, and knows immediately that it’s poison and that they have no time. Desperately, he tries to get her on his back so he can carry her away but she pushes him away. He’s losing it, and she’s trying to get him to stay focused.

She charges him with taking the explanation for the letters that she’s painstakingly written down in her last moments. She also alerts him that Jung Ki-joon has something terrible planned for the Promulgation Ceremony, and Chae-yoon has to stop it.

He throws the Haerye to the ground, caring nothing for it when she’s dying. Once again he tries to pick her up, and once again he’s forced away. “I won’t make it,” she says. “Are you going to dither around? With the excuse of saving me, with the excuse of tending my corpse, are you going to waver?”

So-yi is handling her impending death like the champion she is (I’m handling it like Chae-yoon), as she comforts him about her impending death. Probably because he’s taking this a lot worse than she is, but it’s also a testament to her how her personality has always been warm and almost motherly to him. She tells him not to be afraid, but he pleads with her. Don’t. Don’t go.

So-yi: “Don’t cry. And look at me. Back then… when I was reunited with you, as I was going back to the palace by myself, do you know what was hardest on me? Sleep. After meeting you, after twenty-some years, for the first time I slept sweet as honey. ‘If I leave together with Orabeoni, I could probably continue to sleep like that, right?’ Just thinking about it, made me so happy already. Again… for allowing me to dream happily again… thank you so much, Orabeoni.”

Tears slip from her eyes as she smiles:

“The image of our letters getting promulgated successfully. The citizens, those letters, the image of them reading them. Through your eyes, Orabeoni, I will see it for sure. Orabeoni… you must see it.”

Wah. That’s the line that broke me. Strong to the end, she tells him to hurry and go. Because he has to see the promulgation so she can see it through his eyes… oh goodness. That’s so horrible.

She draws her last, strained breath… and dies.

The moment she passes, Chae-yoon holds her close and lets out this heartbreaking sigh, as if her leaving this world has just hit him. He can’t even speak as he holds her to him and lets out these horrible sounds that aren’t even cries but ones that break my heart, until he lets out the real cry of anguish. Stick a fork in me, I’m done.

The sounds of Chae-yoon’s grief can be heard through the forest. Cho-tak and Park-po, who have been aiding Chae-yoon in his search for So-yi, follow the sounds into the cave to see her dead body covered, and beside her are the two wooden wedding ducks Chae-yoon bought. Oof. Kill some baby seals while you’re at it and really bring this home, Tree.

Chae-yoon, however, is looking mighty dead inside even as he shoves the Haerye into his clothes. Perhaps knowing that now her corpse will be taken care of, he runs off without a word to fulfill her dying wish.

Shim Jong-soo has survived his fall off a cliff, and comes to crash Lee Shin-juk’s good time. Quick to recover, Lee Shin-juk assures his good friend that whatever he’s thinking is probably a misunderstanding, and that he was sooooo worried…

But instead of being angry, Shim Jong-soo merely hands over the Hidden Root Scroll and the roster of names. He says that Jung Ki-joon is dead, but this smells more like Shim Jong-soo’s wish to keep Hidden Root a secret.

Once he’s alone, Lee Shin-juk has a nice moment where he laughs, cries, and burns the Hidden Root Scroll. After all these years of work, he’s free at last.

With the approval of the three state councilors (thanks probably in large part to Lee Shin-juk), the day of the promulgation ceremony finally arrives. Though most of the commoners don’t know why they’re being called, they arrive by the hundreds anyway to fill the grounds. Officials and common people alike all bow grandly before King Sejong, who sits on his throne at the front of the assembly. Next to him, Jung In-ji begins to read proudly from a scroll.

It’s a basic explanation of what we’ve seen happening over the course of the series, explaining that the Hunminjeongeum (the previous name for Hangul) consists of twenty-eight letters, and that offices are in place to ensure that it’s dispersed widely for use by the people.

All looks as if it’s going well, until we see Jung Ki-joon disguised like all his neighbors in a sea of pastel colors. Through this crowd a figure dressed in black moves among them like an angel of death, headed straight for the throne.

It’s Gae Pa-yi, who sheds his cloak once he’s near the throne to reveal his new haircut and a new uniform. Also a very large spear. In front of all the onlookers, including the King, he becomes a one-man army against a literal army. He’s a giant among men, a complete force of nature, and though he’s surrounded he’s able to take down dozens of palace guards without sustaining one hit. Mu-hyul looks on with something akin to resignation.

Mustering a war cry that just sounds like it might be his last, Mu-hyul jumps down from the platform to try to defeat that which is undefeatable.

Mu-hyul manages to get a hit in, but it’s not long before his sword is broken in half. He’s met in the stomach with the business end of Gae Pa-yi’s spear, but bravely grabs onto it to keep the giant in one place so soldiers can come from behind to cut him down. They’re like mosquitos to Gae Pa-yi, who’s able to use only one hand to beat them away.

Because he’s the best, Mu-hyul breaks the spear in half so he can rip it out of his body and stab Gae Pa-yi. Good. Gracious. He’s a hero until the end, as even though he’s stabbed the giant in the chest, Gae Pa-yi uses the other half of the spear to again slice through our favorite swordsman.

This is the blow that breaks him, but even as Mu-hyul is brought to his knees he makes a last-ditch, desperate attempt to keep Gae Pa-yi from reaching the throne by grabbing hold of his clothing. It’s useless of course, as Gae Pa-yi continues his rampage toward the King’s platform. Why isn’t Sejong protected by a human shield made of loyal bodies again? Where did everyone’s loyalty go?

Unprotected, Sejong can only look at his would-be assassin. Gae Pa-yi makes a leap, but is derailed in mid-air by Chae-yoon, who’s made it at last!

…Except he looks like he couldn’t be more dead inside. At least he faces off with Gae Pa-yi in an epic battle, both of them exchanging blows and sustaining serious injuries. Chae-yoon looks like he’s only half-trying to win the fight.

He does, however, hold his own against the inhumanly strong Gae Pa-yi, who was already wounded before our hero arrived on the scene. Brought to his knees, blood spills from Gae Pa-yi’s mouth as he levels a look at Chae-yoon… and dies in front of the eyes of everyone present, as well as the little Yeon-doo. Wait, that was it? Huh. Guess he wasn’t so invincible after all.

Sejong wonders aloud what we’re all wondering – why is no one even trying to treat Mu-hyul? His sentiments echo that of Jung Ki-joon when he too wondered why no one was treating the Leader as she died. Maybe it’s all over once they’re breathing blood.

To the end, Mu-hyul is worried only for Sejong’s well being. He tells him not to stop with the promulgation, and to return to his seat. Aww. When leaving his friend of countless years doesn’t seem like it’s the first thing on Sejong’s mind, Mu-hyul manages to crack a joke in keeping with their married couple rapport. “Your Majesty, please listen to the Royal Guard Commander a little.” Awwwwww. This is the best death non-speech of the episode, because it has a little humor.

He’s not dead yet, at least, and Sejong sees him carried off on a stretcher before he once again ascends the platform. All the bodies, including Gae Pa-yi’s, have been removed from the grounds. But someone else emerges from the crowd…

It’s Jung Ki-joon, and he’s got a knife. He looks about ready to try the assassination himself, but is stopped when he hears a rush of voices around him. When Chae-yoon was stabbed by Gae Pa-yi in the beginning of the fight, the Haerye So-yi had written down before her death had gone flying into the crowd. Many people have now picked these pieces up, and to Jung Ki-joon’s utter amazement he realizes that they’re… reading. They all know the alphabet!

No one is explicitly having this flashback, as it’s meant only for us as the viewers to understand how it came to be that everyone knows how to read. Back when Chae-yoon and So-yi were first working through the circulation mission, she had asked her orabeoni if he had a better idea than teaching a singing troupe the Hangul Song. I forgot that he did, and now we get to hear it – he mentions a legend from Japan about a book that would kill those who didn’t show it to others. He wants to use that sort of manipulative method to spread the letters, basically making them into a Joseon chain letter. Ha!

The idea sticks, though, and we flash forward (while we’re still in the flashback) to the favor we never heard So-yi ask of Yeon-doo. It turns out to be a huge lie, but one where the ends justify the means – So-yi tells Yeon-doo that knowing the letters will cause abscesses to grow aaall over her body, and if she doesn’t want that to happen, she must teach the letters to three other people. Relieved, Yeon-doo admits that she doesn’t need to worry – she’s already taught her mom, the Sound Man, and her friends. So-yi then replies that she must tell all those people the same thing about the abscesses, so that they can teach three other people, and so on.

Ha, I like it. It was a bit manipulative (okay, very manipulative) but sometimes you just can’t argue with results. It’s a beautiful, cathartic moment as Sejong looks upon all his subjects, all of them reading the alphabet that he created just for them.

Chae-yoon takes it all in, doing it so that So-yi can see her life’s work to completion through his eyes. In voiceover he speaks to her spirit, “Dam… are you watching? The people are reading the letters, Dam.”

He’s barely keeping himself propped up with his spear, but without a proper hold the blade is digging through his hand. When Sejong finally approaches him to ask about So-yi, Chae-yoon replies, “In here. Isn’t she in here?” He means himself, but also the Haerye. Echoing Mu-hyul’s sentiments earlier, Chae-yoon urges Sejong not to waver, and to complete the promulgation. He must, because So-yi is watching. With one foot already in the next world, Chae-yoon is intent on allowing So-yi to see everything through him.

Blood still stains the ground as the pieces of the Haerye are collected from the people and given to the King. He returns to the throne, unfurling his foreword to address the crowd.

The foreword, or what he has written of it, is taken word-for-word from the true historical foreword of the Hunminjeonggeum that King Sejong penned. In it, he explains his motivation for creating the letters, that because their spoken language is different from that of China’s, and so the written words do not match. When he reaches the end of what he’s written, he addresses the crowd from the heart.

While he uses the Haerye to begin the detailed explanation of how each of the letters came to be, we get our requisite load of flashbacks to show how far we’ve come (answer: very far). Jung Ki-joon, defeated, seems to give up. Within the crowd, Jo Mal-saeng seems to finally notice him just as he’s making his exit. Soon the crowd offers a unified cheer, officials and common people alike. Even Lee Shin-juk gets swept up in the rush, and cheers along.

Chae-yoon watches it all, saying in voiceover, “Dam, you’re watching, right? Ddol-bok is watching clearly. You can see too, right, Dam?” But his grip is slipping, maybe because he doesn’t have enough flesh left on his hand to hold that spear with. Blood pools at his feet as he finally collapses, falling to his knees as blood drips from his mouth. Et tu, Chae-yoon?!

Sejong, finally taking notice, descends from the platform to hold Chae-yoon up by his shoulders. Every breath seems like a chore to our hero, as he stands firm to So-yi’s dying wish. “Your Majesty,” he ekes out, “We should watch. With out Dam’s life, with Dam’s eyes, we should watch. See, what did I tell you? The people have always bore their responsibilities through pain. Please smile. Dam… Like Ddol-bok…” He breathes out one line of a song, about what a great day it is, before his body goes lax and he falls into Sejong’s arms.

I’m going to call this one and say it’s a vision Chae-yoon has in his final moments, before he completely shuffles the mortal coil. In it, he lives his ideal life of a humble house with his true love, So-yi, and their children. He teaches them Hangul. Everyone is smiles and laughter. Taking this as the last thing Chae-yoon thinks of before he dies makes it heartbreakingly sad. Or maybe it does. I’m out of tears with which to measure.

With So-yi’s body having been brought by Cho-tak and Park-po, Sejong lovingly lays Chae-yoon down next to her. He places Chae-yoon’s hand together with hers, and looks over their corpses with nothing but sadness.

Jo Mal-saeng has sent his troops after Jung Ki-joon, who’s busy fleeing with Pyung. Jung Ki-joon is bleeding from a wound on his arm, while Pyung is mostly covered in blood that isn’t his. Coming one last time to protect the First Root, Pyung sizes up the number of soldiers and knows that this will be his last battle. A warrior’s thrill enters his eyes as he sets to keeping the soldiers distracted in order for Jung Ki-joon to escape.

One of the soldiers is wise to the plan, and shoots an arrow that lands straight into Jung Ki-joon’s back. I think it’s fitting that it’s his retreating back that was shot while he runs away like a coward.

With Pyung distracted, the nearby soldiers set to cutting him down. He fights on till the end, bloodied and gruesome. He doesn’t make it out alive, but it was a fitting sendoff. Without a redemption (he was too far gone), he still manages to leave a favorable impression.

It’s only later that Sejong hears word that Mu-hyul has died. It breaks him to think of all those who have died, and in a bout of misplaced anger and sorrow he decries them for being so disloyal that they would all dare to die at their own whims. Poor Sejong. He’s literally the last man standing.

Meanwhile, Jo Mal-saeng is made aware that the royal guards have lost Jung Ki-joon. But the exact place where he was lost is one that Jo Mal-saeng remembers as housing a secret passage that leads into the palace. Flabbergasted, Jung In-ji doesn’t understand how Jung Ki-joon would know about a secret kept only within the royal family. But the how, as Jo Mal-saeng explains, is because Jung Ki-joon’s revered uncle and the founder of Hidden Root, Jung Do-jun, designed the freaking palace. (Historically, this is accurate. Jung Do-jun is credited with the design of the freaking palace.)

Unaware of this, Sejong steps into the throne room alone…

…And sees Jung Ki-joon Sitting. On. The. Throne.

Ooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh!! This visual, executed with aplomb, is perfect in so many ways I can’t even describe. It’s the moment of the episode for me.

Upon seeing his nemesis wheezing and bleeding, Sejong can’t help but laugh as he says, “Look at your shabby state, Jung Ki-joon. Thank you. Because of you, I came to love the citizenry.”

I couldn’t imagine a more perfect reaction, and it is funny to see Jung Ki-joon watch as the King reacts that way to his serious and grave manner. After all, he came all this way to sit on that throne. Yet, like all his other ploys, Sejong remains unaffected.

“Yes,” Jung Ki-joon says. “You would do that. However, what about other politicians?” He claims that though he sometimes thought it’d be nice for his dog at home to understand his words, politicians will inevitably regard the people in that same manner. Knowing the letters will only open the people up to more use and abuse by politicians, like the dog that understands human words.

King Sejong: “That is perhaps possible. However they will, in the end, find their paths through their wisdom. And time after time, they will fight and fight again. At times they will win, and at times they will be tricked. And at other times, they may lose as well. Even if they lose yet again, it’s alright. Numerous royal families and hierarchies have suffered annihilation. However, the citizenry, upon this ground they have lived through tens of thousands of years. Since they can just fight again.”

Jung Ki-joon considers him for a moment before he replies, with his last breath, “Now, I can only hope that the King’s words… will come true.”

With that, Jung Ki-joon dies. Sejong approaches his body, saying, “Once in the past, you said this to me. That I don’t love the people. Fine. At the time, I thought maybe that was really true. However, now I know. That is precisely love. That is precisely love! This place…” He indicates his heart. “…hurts so much like this. How can that not be love? Thank you, Jung Ki-joon. Thank you.”

When Sejong leaves the Hangul Room to an engulfing white light, we cut to Shim Jong-soo as he fosters the new recruits of Hidden Root bent on subverting the use of the letters by deeming them lowly. We even get some nice historical tie-ins, as it’s hinted at that Hidden Root played a hand in influencing King Sejong’s second son, Grand Prince Suyang (known later as King Sejo, a king more like his grandfather than his father). As an added twist, we finally hear what Han Ga’s name really is – it’s Han Myeong-hoe (who later became one of King Sejo’s most trusted advisors). On his way out, he bumps into our two scholars Sung Sam-moon and Park Paeng-nyeon, with Sung Sam-moon getting a weird chill down his spine at the contact. (It’s a premonition, as both of them are later executed under Han Myeong-hoe’s advice during Sejo’s reign.)

Later in his life, Sejong reflects on a palace absent of Mu-hyul, Chae-yoon, and So-yi. Now that the proper system for the letters has been created and the seeds have been spread, he no longer gives them the attention he once did. “And now,” he says, “the letters, they belong to the world and they belong to them [the people]. What kind of a world these letters might create, that’s their responsibility.” And so he does what he has to do – continue to work. A scene with him cursing at the fact that ministers are complaining about an upcoming forum harkens back to our first introduction of him. Aww.

As a bookend, we return to the vision where Chae-yoon is teaching his children letters, and where he’s being adorable with So-yi. One of his children is named Suk-sam, after Chae-yoon’s father.

 
COMMENTS

Toward the end of this extended-length finale, I began to feel a little like Count von Count from Sesame Street. For those who were counting along: “That’s seven! Seven dead characters! Ah ah ah ah!”

But really, there was a part of me that knew there existed a chance for such a sageuk-like ending. However, I felt as though we weren’t being set up for the deaths of Chae-yoon and So-yi throughout the series. Truthfully, I was more resigned than upset about their dual deaths until the last bookmark of the episode – this dreamy, cloud-like vision of the perfect life Chae-yoon had imagined with So-yi. I would have felt better had our last images of them been when they were dead, or in flashbacks. But a vision of something that could have very well happened narratively, but for whatever reason did not happen? Thank you for the offer, Tree, but I’ll have to respectfully decline.

I’m left to wonder why they couldn’t have just actually lived, and why that final scene we were shown truly couldn’t have come to pass. Did their deaths really change anything? Were those deaths necessary to propel the story? Not really. The fact that the show gave us fanservice in the form of a dream once the characters were dead and gone seems to negate whatever effect the deaths of So-yi and Chae-yoon were meant to accomplish. Chae-yoon’s transformation through the series was something to behold and admire, so to see him give up on living was heartbreaking, and it effectively lessened the emotional punch of his death because he made it inevitable. My only concern is that our hero and heroine might have been killed just for tragedy’s sake, and if that’s the case, it’s an unfortunate waste. Seeing that final scene with the two of them together only drove home how poignant, cyclical, and meaningful their being alive could have been – if only it had been real.

After all, this drama set up Hangul, the process of making it, and the process of promulgating it as a message of hope. A hope not without its risks, of course, but hope all the same.

Thematically, though there was oodles of violence, the violence-free final debate between Jung Ki-joon and Sejong was a treat to watch. Though Jung Ki-joon was already at death’s door, Sejong’s words seemed to actually wound him, harkening back to Sejong’s principles of words being mightier than swords. Here we saw it in a tangible way. However, for a second there I really believed that Jung Ki-joon was feigning his death in order to draw Sejong closer so he could at least attempt to stab the King with that dagger we saw him carrying before. As long as Sejong stayed safe, that would have been a fun twist.

More so than the epilogue, this scene between two enemies eloquently laid out the pros and cons of the theme of the series – empowering the individual. Sejong won that debate, and I was glad to see Jung Ki-joon acknowledge that in his final moments.

Despite the slightly bitter taste in my mouth over the ending, it doesn’t tarnish how much I loved the drama as a whole. For me, Tree With Deep Roots has become the one to beat, and it was as much a tour de force for the mind and senses as it was for the heart. The story moved along at a breakneck pace, balancing all the words the characters spoke with an emotional undercurrent that grabbed hold of me and never let go. It’s a hero story, a love story, a creation story, and an underdog story all wrapped into one beautifully shot, edited, and well-directed package. The team behind this drama and its actors have truly achieved something wonderful, with some of the greatest performances in recent memory helping to create a truly unforgettable viewing experience.

 
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I enjoyed the series, "Tree with Deep Roots" and your play by play review of the series finale was incredible. I agree with you on almost everything except the final scene. One thing I have notice about flashbacks in Korean films is the characters have the exact same memories. For me this contradicts the truth about how two people can recall the same event differently.

Since dead people cannot have dreams. The only person who knew that Ddol Bok wanted three kids with Dam was his best friend, Cho Tak. So the final scene was really his.

Another note:
I notice many fans are disappointed with the deaths of Ddol Bok and Dam. I was also heartbroken by their deaths; however, if they would have obeyed the King Senjong's command to stay away from the palace. Hangul (or Hanguel) would not existed because So Yi was the only one had the "solutions". The probability of Hangul spreading would have been zilch.

Recall the surroundings of the finale scene. It was one house in the middle of a field. The only people there were Ddol Bok, So Yi, Suk Sam (their oldest son), a younger son, and a daughter. Those five people would have been the only ones who knew Hangul (or Hanguel).

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the revelation that the Han guys is Han Myung Hoi is the most shocking thing the whole episode...
liked how Jo Hee Bong potray his character...

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Han Myung Hwe or Hue is a better way to spell his name
Hoi sounds like 호이

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You know, during the scene when Lee Bang-ji was dying, I was already predicting that Kang Chae-yoon would face a similar dilemma on whether to choose So Yi or the king. I think Kang Chae-yoon running to save the king and his death was to contrast with Lee Bang-ji's hesitation to save Jung Do-gwang and Three Pillars. I also thought of Kang Chae-yoon's death as something that allowed him to join So Yi since he would not have been able to live without So Yi. OVerall, I thought TWDR was a great drama. It is the best drama I have seen since Sandglass.

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Argh, another thought came to mind. The whole concept on Milbon influencing history is very intriguing and it would be interesting if a second season would focus on that instead of King Sejong (though honestly, if it was focusing on King Sejo, it would be the bad guys winning). It would be interesting to see these guys' role in the events surrounding the late Joseon Dynasty. I can't see those guys surviving after Japanese annexation though.

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I'm not writing my whole opinion of this episode nor the drama because it will take too much of time to state how awesome I thought this drama was :P Imho, it was the best drama of 2011, and probably one of the bests I've ever watched.

But I do want to thank you, HeadsNo2, for your wonderful recaps, and to all the people that wrote here in the comments. It was such a cool way to learn about Korean History and about Hangeul... I'm eager to introduce this drama to my Korean teacher and Korean classmates after Christmas holidays ^^

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Regarding the sea of deaths, I think it actually worked thematically for me. Though i didn't like everyone dying within the span of the same episode, they kinda needed to die. the drama was the insight into the life of a successful king, i.e Sejong, (which in this drama was contrasted greatly with his Father, Taejong) So the motif throughout the drama was Sejong having to keep working as a king despite all these setbacks and to prove to his father that though the path he chose to take was in fact, much harder, it was possible. Through the drama, Chae Yoon, Soyi and MuHyul have been the ones helping him through and getting him back up on his feet again. Therefore, this setback (all of their deaths simultaneously) would be even greater for Sejong to handle because the people that kept him going are now the ones who have left. It's truly poetic how this happens at the same time as the promulgation of Hangul. After all that has happened, the king is still standing, and continues to do his work because that's who he is; the king. And their deaths drive this point home.

jun Ki Joon's death on the other hand, I didn't like. Though i thought it was done very well that last scene. i didn't think Sejong's orders would be to kill JKJ rather than arrest him. I'd rather JKJ die of his own twisted misery, or live a long and depressed life.

just my thought.

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MOST AWESOME DRAMA EVER!!!!!!!

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HANDS DOWN one of the most awesome drama ever! This drama kept me hooked till the very end! Overall the drama was amazing and the actors were excellent! At first i thought that the "great cause" that is the "letters" were not such a big deal and i couldnt understand all the fuss. However, this drama did an amazing job of convincing me and potrayed it reallly well. It kept me hooked!!!!

The actors were just amazing!! Seeing So yi and Chae Yoon die was the most painful and teary moments ever! Also, when the prince died and seeing the king cry was the so sad, heavy and really painful! All the actors have done amazing!!!!!! Though the ending was too bloody (seriously 7 major characters died) I loved this drama! The end saddened me a little since the king is left all alone and he sighs how he is in a world which is so unfamiliar as if it never once existed. But yes it was a happy ending which spread hope and wisdom.

I guess this is how history is. People have different beliefs, they fight, majority wins, spread their thinking and it goes on. This was very much emphasized in this drama since it showed that milbon still existed and many people still vowed their life to the beliefs of milbon.

Ahhhhhhhh last comment.. the potrayal of loss and death and the pain of losing someone you love and someone so precious was absolutely phenomenal! that big grief and the big burden and saddeness the person carries once their loved one is lost was perfectly potrayed. Chae Yoon for his father. So Yi for Chae yoon and her father (in start). King for his son. Chae yoon for So-yi. It was just tooo good and just amazing!!

GLAD TO HAVE WATCHED THIS DRAMA!
A MUST WATCH FOR SURE!

THIS DRAMA WAS WORTH EVERY SINGLE MINUTE I SPENT WATCHING IT!!! <3<3<3

Next on my list: Chuno, Queen Seok Dok, Jumong.

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Even though it's already 2012, I cant find but feel elated at a something a drama that was so, I dunno...well, I can't even tell in words. But I'm happy, at how the drama ended. Even if Sejong (literally) became Super Junior "The Last Man Standing"...

And I admire how the historical tie-ins blend perfectly...
...it's just a pity no one even mentioned even a possibility of a "Princess' Man" connection. After all, the main characters were the villains...

Just some more info:
-Yes, Sejo was more Taejong than Sejong...early in life. But history had led us to believe that he became an effective, able, and wise king for the nation. And that was after doing all those numerous acts of atrocity involving assasinations, intrigue, and (what else...) murder
-Yes, Seong Sam-moon (no, Kibum-ah~~~!) & Park Paeng-nyeon were 1/3 of the Sayukshin. It's all because Sejo deposed his nephew Danjong, and the six wanted to reinstate the then boy-king. Actually, they were seven in the group, until one turned traitor and informed someone else. Kinda like the story involving "Gunpowder Plot" & "Guy Fawkes".
-And what's even more creepy, was that one of Sejo's concubines was Park Paeng-nyeon's elder sister. Even going so far as to bear 3 sons to Sejo.

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Thank you for the recap and the work and time put in it.

Despite that being said,

I'd like to express my regret that many guest writer/caper do not put much thought in their "comment" section when analyzing the story and plot.

Or I should say, the comment and insight are not "intelligent".

As if the capper want us to like carrots just because they do. And trying too hard to justify pushing the carrot. Not that it's an absolute wrong, but they need to present proper reasoning and not just blab their mouth.

Mu-hyul death represent a lot of things such as unwavering loyalty and the heavy sacrifices. So do So-yi and Ddok's death. Their deaths have purposes, not mere decoration that's not necessary like the capper conveniently insinuate (you like/dislike carrot, sure. does not mean that carrot does not have vit A that is good for the body).

It is not because Chae-yoon is half-assing the fight like the capper carelessly and stupidly mentioned.

Chae-yoon has been both mentally and physically exhausted from the death of So-yi (not to mention the amount of travel he needs to do to get to the proclamation site... make sense?). He's in "trance" which actually gives him more "power" or strength to fight.

There are more things the capper missed besides what mentioned above (not limited only on the last episode's recap). My point is, you need to STILL give proper reasoning, be more careful when recapping and watching the show so you can produce recap that is coherent, intelligent, and most importantly /truely represent/ what's being recapped.

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I thought this recap/review was very intelligent and I don't see why you feel that the writer of this site expressing their opinion on a drama they watched is wrong.

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Very...very...very good job on the recaps. Thank you. It helps me a lot to understand more about the drama.

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I really enjoyed this series, but the last episode was frustratingly classic "KDrama Style" - all the main characters seem to take an "Idiot Pill" and start to do dumb things that are out of character. No round the clock guards around So Yi and the court maidens -?Whaaaat? Chae-Yoon wandering all night after So-Yi was shot with the arrow - he saw her fall - she couldn't be THAT FAR AWAY...I mean, this guy is a highly trained scout etc. So many more of these kinds of stupid things really ruined a pretty good series. I have seen so many of these series go down a stupid slope in the last few episodes, that it makes me wonder what happens to the screenwriters - do they have to just whip something, anything off and wrap it up? Don't they care about creating a GREAT drama from start to Finish? Too bad. Still a good series about a very interesting period of history, but wraps up poorly.

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HeadsNo2, thank you for the recaps. I have stayed away from them during the airing of the show spoilerphobe that I'm - and this was a good things as far as this show went- but I have read your recaps as right after I have watched the episodes and again thank you. This way I truly appreciated their worth. Great job!

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I feel the same way as most everyone else. I loved this drama right up until the last episode. The ending ruined it for me. It isn't something that I'll ever watch again.

The deaths of Mu Hyl, So Yi and Chae Yoon were gratuitous and added nothing to the story. So much had already been sacrificed. The prince had already been murdered for the letters in this interpretation. We saw plenty of bloodshed throughout, so the price and the sacrifices made by many were already obvious to me.

When So Yi died, I thought okay, this is a Korean drama, I can handle one death. Then watching Chae Yoon die and then Mu Hyl was too much. I was starting to get angry.

And I didn't understand the entire point of the loving relationship between Yeon Do and Karupae when such an ending was planned. I honestly thought Karupae would find out that the Milbon tried to kill Yeon Do and turn on them. Instead, he remained oblivious to the fact and sacrificed his life to someone had betrayed him. And then Yeon Do just watched the whole bloody spectacle. What was the point of that? It was horrible. I thought Yeon Do was somehow going to try to stop him.

I understand horrible deaths when they're historically accurate. I understand killing maybe one of the main characters to bring home the idea of sacrifice, but I honestly found the ending of the Princess's Man much more poignant and powerful than this one. The leads didn't "win" by any means, but they were able to carve out a peaceful and loving life for themselves.

So Yi's sacrifice by itself was powerful enough. I can understand Chae Yoon wanting to follow her, but MuHyl? They didn't need to kill him.

Plus it irritated me that Chae Yoon wasn't around to slay Yoon Pyung.

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My next post was in a response to you HMH, sorry I've misplaced it.

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I can understand your feelings, although I can say that even though I was very disappointed and angry at the last episode when I first watched it, I later came to accept it more peacefully and I think that it's partly because after re-watching this drama (which I greatly enjoyed in the second time too) I've got the feeling that the writers didn’t just ended it that way out of spite or silliness or for the shock value alone, I think they were really having a message here.

Like HeadsNo2, I didn't understand at first what was the point of killing off So yi and Ddol bok (and Mu- Hyul), There were people here who said that to them it made sense that all the 'real' characters stayed alive at the end while all the fictional characters died, that this made the ending more real. But that explanation didn't really satisfy me since I really don't see the problem in letting the fictional characters continue living at the end just like they did through all of the series. The only logical explanation for me at first was that the characters in the book this series is based upon, were killed off too, so the series followed the book, and the questions of why, should be pointed towards the book's writer. But since I haven't read the book and no one I've asked knew anything about what happened in the book either I stayed with the question unanswered for a long time.

A few weeks ago I watched the final episode again, shortly after watching the first ten episodes or so (skipping the middle) and it made me think. And I hope I can manage to explain what I think, since I'm not sure I've fully understood it myself, and it is hard to explain half- baked ideas in a foreign language.

So I don't know if that is what the writers meant for sure, but now I get the feeling that the writers have killed both So yi and Ddol bok as a statement against monarchy. I mean the king in this series is great, he is really thinking about his people through all of the series, and in a way watching this series could give you the feeling that Monarchy can be great under the right leader. I think that what the writers tried to say was that no matter how great the King is, In Monarchy it's the little people that pay the price.

Even if the king's cause is right, even when he is truly trying to better his people lives', it's still not a good way of governing, since the common people are the ones most likely to pay the price for the fights of the power going on. It may sound too simple but I think the writers aimed there since through all of the series it was Ddol- bok who questioned the big goals of the rulers and said that it were always the common people that paid the price, so when he said in this final episode "See, what did I tell you? The people have always bore their responsibilities through pain" shortly before he died, it just felt connected to that all of a sudden (I remember that when I first saw that episode, this line was kind of "why would he say that now" to me, but now I think that in away even though he believed in the cause and fought for it, he did it knowing the people would pay more)

I also think that this series was all about power to people, and the fight between those who believe that the people are capable enough to handle their power responsibly (the king's side) and those who believe that people should be told what to do and be kept out of power because they are not smart or responsible enough to handle themselves (hidden root).

In a world where there is a king, and by his title he is supposed to decide what's goods for others, So yi and Ddol bok can't really live having any power, their happy ending at that time is just a fantasy of where the world should be headed, not where it is already. So I think that's answer HeadNo2 question of why they had to die, and why the show had to have the fantasy sequence in the end.

You've raised two other good questions though, why kill off Mu-huyl and what was the point of the loving relationship between Yeon Do and Karupae when such an ending was planned. I also thought that Karupae would find out that the Milbon tried to kill Yeon Do and turn on them. I really hoped he will, that would have been perfect to me, but after you've raised that question I guess that that was the point, that the world they lived in was not perfect, Karupae was not a bad person, his friendship with this child proved it, but he is a product of his time, of believing someone else knows best and you have to follow his orders and be blindly loyal. And those who are blindly loyal doesn't always get to open their eyes and see who it is they are following, they more often die not knowing they've been used.

Yes the soldiers of both sides have died, but the king's 'soldiers'- Mu-hyul So yi and Ddol bok died with their eyes wide open, they knew what they are fighting for. Ga-ri-on soldiers died with their eyes closed, they didn't really know what they are fighting for, only hardly whom they are fighting for, since they never really knew what he was capable of.

I haven't seen yet the ending of the Princess' Man, (I'm at the 20'th episode) but since those two series have different paths and different ideas they want to emphasize I think it's not really fair to compare their ending. What I do think is that the key to understand the main idea of this episode which although very sad is a very hopeful ending, is the scene of the king watching the flower that he hasn't noticed before and doesn't know the name of. Throughout the series the question of who is the root and who is the flower rose many times, and I'm not sure that I understand completely the flower metaphor in the final episode, but I think that if the king is the flower then what they wanted to say in this scene is that he is as stubborn as this flower who continue blossom even if he is alone and it's all trash around him, but what this king managed to really do is to plant the root (the Hangul) that will one day far in the future would really give fruit.

So yes sure I wanted for all the characters that I loved to end up living happily ever after, but I came to think that there was a point in killing them off, other than letting the audience feel sad, and I think that those ideas wouldn't hold having a different end.

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babis: I enjoyed your reply.

Funny you mention it, now that the initial shock over the carnage in the last episode has worn off, I've forgiven this drama for the way it ended and I rank it pretty high. :) If it did anything, it made me feel deeply.

I still feel like Karupae was short changed and taken for a fool though.

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I get the feeling that the scene at the end where So Yi and Ddol bok
are married with three children, teaching them Hangul and eating together is symbolic or metaphorical. "Greater love has no man than that he lay down his life for his friends". This is the kind of love So Yi
and Ddol bok had for King Sejong, for each other, and for the poor Korean lower classes of people. Thus they had a kind of spiritual marriage, and the unprivileged people who learned to read and write their own language were their spiritual children. I think this is what this last scene is saying. Very few people who think death ends everything will feel content sacrificing real married love and real children in this way. Such sacrifice is only meaningful if the cause is properly aligned with one who has the power to make it meaningful.

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Overall, it is a nice series. I like the part on the debate between King Sejong and Milbon Jung Ki-joon - should masses be "stupid" so that the top can control them easily or should masses be "empowered" so that blame can be attributed to them?

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Death for a cause is something to be cherished and admired. For it has brought something that physical death can't even resist. However, in TV series such as this, it should be IMO be justified and not blatantly used just to stir the ruckus of the watcher's emotion. At the end of the day, we watch these productions to be inspired if not just for entertainment. The actors, though i'm not familiar with their names except for So Yi who was also part of Fashion King(which is also a tragic ending with the highest nonsense fitting), are commendable. I usually watch series straight-on and obviously it will be attached to me for a couple of days. It's a relief to have read your comments because you guys saved me from the grief I'm sure will torture my mind if I've had watch those scenes of tragic deaths. Yes, we have different tastes of endings and my cut of the pie prefers a happy ending. We are already living in a world where inevitable sorrows and tragedies are shooting our way. Why should I add a TV series to a reality I dream of not having? It won't makes sense to me. I should have just watch the news and the dying beggar in the emergency room.

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If not because of the ending i'll rate this 11/10. The history of Hanguel, I wish my native language has. I'm not a linguist but this writing system is highly praised by today's scholars. Not to mention the fact that its promulgation has killed people and brought such a heartache to the King Sejong. To stand even the waves are crushing you into pieces is easier said than done. And for that I really admire this form of writing, the people behind its creation and the ones who fought numerous heartbreaks and tremendous sorrows for the sake of a future they themselves aren't sure of.

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I am glad I lost track of the show 2 years ago when I saw the first episode but forgot to take the name.

I am not a fan of tragic endings

Loved that Song Joong-ki played the young king though lol
I knew I had seen him somewhere apart from Nice Guy lol

Saw only one episode of this 2 years ago and glad I stopped there. lol

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Ooh why did all the Jang Hyuk dramas I watch he got to die? I was spoiled about Chuno's ending before I watched so it wasn't a big surprise. But didn't expect him to die here too!! So sad..

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Ahhh.. Because I'm so hyped with Six Flying Dragons (only to realize how much it lacked Jang PD), I went here to read recaps again. I literally spent a whole day in the process. HAHA. One of the best dramas ever to grace television!

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I'm going voting crazy!

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An unsatisfactory ending/ I would have preferred So Yi became a concubine, moved up the social ladder.

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