Sword and Flower: Episode 20 (Final)

150 September 8, 2013January 24, 2016

by HeadsNo2

I’ve had pretty bad luck with finales lately (in that I’m starting to forget what it feels like to watch a good one), and while the ending for Sword and Flower doesn’t strike like lightning out of a clear blue sky, it does serve as a textbook example of everything that makes viewers wary to start a show without puppies and rainbows built into the premise. It’s everything we hate about bad finales all rolled into one.

So despite its interesting start, strong visual palette, and a few great actors, in the end it all comes down to a show’s ability to weave a coherent narrative. Turns out that’s a necessary prerequisite to gain the indispensable asset that is a viewer’s trust—because without that, this show becomes the very reason why we can’t have nice things. (But a nice drink before diving into this hour might not be a bad idea. Cheers!)

FINAL EPISODE RECAP

After telling Mo-seol about his crazed plans to become king, Nam-saeng goes to the actual king to report that everything’s going according to plan. I’m sure he’s only told Jang half of the actual plan.

Jang is dubious about the whole thing and asks Nam-saeng what would happen if he decided to tell General Yeon everything. “If you betray me, I won’t let it go like father did,” Nam-saeng warns with his usual smirk.

Nam-saeng visits the imprisoned Mu-young to see if she’s any more inclined toward revenge. She blankly asks what she should do, which translates to “Let’s do this!” in Nam-saeng’s world.

He tells her she only needs to prepare her sword while he does the rest, and gives her a cheeky reminder to use one blow to kill General Yeon this time, since everyone knows how the last attempt worked out.

When she asks why he won’t do the deed himself, Nam-saeng chuckles. “How could I kill my father with my own hands? Who will follow a man who has killed his own father?” Whereas people will just see it as revenge if she were to do it.

It’s a win-win for both of them, since Mu-young will become queen and Nam-saeng will become Dae Mangniji. But then he drops the bomb: “And as Dae Mangniji, I will marry you.” He couldn’t be creepier as he grips her shoulders and asks her if they make a good couple—of course, in his mind, why wouldn’t she be chomping at the bit to marry a psychopath?

Mu-young is clearly playing him to get what she wants, since her inner thoughts reveal that she has no intentions of marrying him. Her words say differently as she requests to see Geumhwadan so that they won’t ruin “their” plan. Crazypants McGee actually trusts her enough to let her go.

She convinces Geumhwadan that she’s leaving to start a new life with Choong and that it’s time to leave the past behind. They believe her.

Meanwhile, Choong and Bear Teacher manage to find the shed Nam-saeng hid the princess in during their search. Inside is her portrait necklace and a list of the intelligence agents, but soon Nam-saeng materializes in the doorway: “I knew you hid the princess here!” Huh? Is he trying to frame them?

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: He planted evidence in the shed to prove that Choong is working together with the princess, and that he even worked with Bear Teacher to break her out of prison.

But Bear Teacher speaks up to defend Choong, claiming that he acted alone in helping Mu-young. Choong sends him a look, but Bear Teacher just gives him a reassuring nod—he’s got this. He makes up a feasible excuse for why Choong was seen with him and goes on and on, causing Nam-saeng to start rolling his eyes.

Bear Teacher addresses General Yeon specifically, and the two share a wordless gaze. It’s like they both know that he’s lying to protect Choong, so General Yeon has no choice but to feed into it when he orders Bear Teacher imprisoned.

Nam-saeng is incensed that Choong won’t be getting punished, but there’s nothing he can do. His plan backfired.

Choong visits Bear Teacher in prison to ask why he took the fall for him, and his teacher replies that he did it for General Yeon, whom he’s served for many years. If Choong were in jail instead of him, General Yeon would be without Choong’s protection. Especially since they don’t know Nam-saeng’s plans yet.

“Your eyes are not those of a warrior,” Bear Teacher notes. “How difficult it must have been for you to kill people with such tender eyes. However, there is something you must finish. Please protect your father, General Yeon Gaesomun.”

Nam-saeng dogs his father’s steps to nag him about his unfailing trust in Choong when his better son has never betrayed him like that. He declares that he has no more confidence to serve his father as it stands and asks to be sent to another post outside the capital so he can think on his faults.

But when his father tells him to do just that, Nam-saeng finally breaks down. “You’re not even going to ask me to stay? Just once, can’t you say, ‘You’re also my son, I have faith in you too. Don’t even think about other things and stay by me.’ Can’t you tell me that just once?”

Tears fall from Nam-saeng’s eyes as he asks for what he knows he won’t receive, and it’d be a nice character moment for him had it come before he decided to murder his father. This would’ve even helped to bridge the gap between Nam-saeng seeking his father’s affection and Nam-saeng seeking to, y’know, kill him.

But it’s not that real of a moment after all, since Nam-saeng walks away from his father with a maniacal chuckle. I wish this moment of sincerity had been real. Even just one humanizing scene could do wonders for a character as far gone as him.

While his minion recruits intelligence agents to his side, Nam-saeng visits Mo-seol’s dad and lightly threatens him into handing over a list of all the generals who have pledged allegiance to Nam-saeng, Mo-seol’s dad included.

Mo-seol confronts her dad over his treachery, but he defends himself by claiming that he’s standing on the winning side—and that winner is going to be Nam-saeng.

She’s against this idea, since it means her father will be participating in a dangerous coup. (And we all know what happens if you lose.) That’s why he asks for her help in keeping it a secret. Nam-saeng has half the intelligence agents on his side as well as the king, so they’re sure to win.

Jang thinks on his options as he prepares to write Nam-saeng’s appointment letter promoting him to Dae Mangniji. There’s Nam-saeng claiming to offer him a second chance, and then there’s General Yeon, who’d aptly noted that Jang was afraid of what Goguryeo would be like without him. Which side will he choose?

Mo-seol uses her top spy skills to find Mu-young so that she can ask her if she really plans on killing the father of the man she loves. Mu-young replies that General Yeon is only the man who murdered her father to her, to which Mo-seol replies with almost a shrug—if she kills Choong’s father and becomes his enemy, it’ll only be good for her.

Mu-young’s expression doesn’t change (ever) as she tells Mo-seol to not tell Choong about the plan if she wants that to happen. But Mo-seol instead draws her sword and proclaims that she’s come to kill Mu-young. “Had you died earlier, none of this would have happened!”

She lunges at an unarmed Mu-young, who manages to dodge a few blows before Mo-seol knocks her to the ground. Raising her sword for the killing blow, Mo-seol asks if Mu-young will only stop once she ends up getting Choong killed. Then she brings the blade down…

But before she can kill her, she’s stabbed from behind. It’s Nam-saeng, wearing his usual cheshire grin even as he says that Mo-seol is the only person he’s ever felt bad about killing, and that he couldn’t let her live to tell everyone their plan. (His regretful face is the same as his I’m-so-happy-to-be-murdering-today face, so it’s honestly hard to tell.)

With her last breath, Mo-seol stares at Mu-young: “Stop. You have to stop. You cannot kill Yeon Gaesomun. Don’t make Choong suffer any longer.”

Then Nam-saeng twists the blade and wrenches it free, causing Mo-seol to collapse to the ground.

Nam-saeng acts as though he just killed a fly as he tells Mu-young that they’ll have to move, since Choong is combing the city looking for her.

Nam-saeng: “I told you, didn’t I? Brothers, friends, parents… they don’t matter to me. I will kill anyone that gets in my way.” Yes, Nam-saeng, you told her. But you’re at about a nine right now on the psychometer, and you might want to tone it down to a healthy three if you want this girl to marry you. (We know it’s not going to happen anyway, but he could at least try.)

Choong finds Mo-seol on the brink of death, and she blames him and Mu-young as she chokes back blood—if Mu-young had truly died three years ago, she’s sure she and Choong would have been happily married.

Then she tells Choong that Nam-saeng plans to kill his father on the day of the military parade, and Choong’s first question is to ask where the princess is.

Mo-seol calls him cruel for worrying about the princess first when she’s the one who’s dying, and I love that he’s sorry without actually being sorry—he’s not going to lie to her even on her deathbed about where his heart lies.

Then she dies.

Mu-young finds Choong walking alone (why bother) and leads him to an equally secluded but more scenic area. When he tells her he was worried about her, she replies that he has no reason to be—she’s given up on her revenge. Choong: “Then… can you leave with me?”

“Why should I?” Mu-young asks. “I no longer have feelings for you.” Auuugh. This is not happening right now. Mu-young skipped the noble part and went straight to eediot.

At least Choong sees through her bullshit and knows she’s lying, even when she claims Nam-saeng didn’t threaten her and that she’s made this decision on her own. “Then it’s my decision to protect you,” Choong states matter-of-factly.

He tells her the reality of the situation—He won’t tell her what to do, but he’ll stop her any way he can. He warns her against letting Nam-saeng use her to kill General Yeon because that will sign her death warrant…

Until Nam-saeng’s voice calls from behind: “You’re wrong, Hyung-nim.” He’s standing four feet away with armed guards again, which makes me think that everyone in this show must be terribly hard of hearing. Also, aren’t you people supposed to be spies? Or something?

To make matters worse, it was apparently Mu-young who drew Choong into the trap. Nam-saeng: “You don’t need to protect the princess, because the princess won’t die. How could a husband kill his wife?”

He slings an arm around Mu-young’s shoulders and taunts Choong: “You didn’t think that far ahead? I’m going to marry her and make her my queen.”

Choong is dragged off by the agents while Mu-young brushes Nam-saeng’s arm off. “You must keep your promise. You cannot kill him.” Dafaq. Is. Happening.

Geumhwadan hears about Mu-young’s wedding news with worried faces, all of them wondering if she ditched them so she could become queen. Shi-woo and Leader So keep the faith, with the latter thinking that Mu-young is the one using Nam-saeng to attack General Yeon, not the other way around.

But they’re sure she won’t marry Nam-saeng afterward, which prompts Leader So to guess that she plans on committing suicide after she kills Yeon. Wait, IS that her big plan? She’s going to choose revenge in the end and then just give up?

Jang receives a mysterious message while Mu-young polishes her sword, remembering how her father and brother were killed. She cuts her hand in the process and thinks back to her father’s words about the sword protecting the flower. A lot of good it does her.

Jang goes to the market in disguise to meet with Mu-young, who’s looking so shut off that it almost feels like a blessing that she’s speaking in complete sentences. She’s come to bid her cousin goodbye, warn him that Nam-saeng mustn’t inherit his father’s seat after his father is gone, and to leave Goguryeo in his hands. She’s given up on taking his place.

“Do you have to do this? I’m afraid of Goguryeo without Yeon Gaesomun,” Jang admits. “Without him, Goguryeo will not be able to fight off Tang.”

Mu-young turns to him: “You’re the king of Goguryeo. You have to make the right decision.” Her eyes fill with unshed tears, as do Jang’s.

Jang tells General Yeon to cancel the military parade in an effort to save his life, since Nam-saeng is plotting against him. General Yeon isn’t even fazed as he assures the king that nothing will happen, causing Jang to ask in a small voice what it would mean if he was working with Nam-saeng.

“Your Majesty, I believe in you,” General Yeon replies. “If it’s a decision you’ve made for the future of Goguryeo, then I will respect your decision.” So Yeon is basically telling him it’s all right to kill him if that’s what Jang thinks is best? Did I miss the scene where everyone died inside?

Mu-young pays a visit to Choong’s prison shed. “I came to say goodbye. This isn’t about my revenge… I’m going to end this fight once and for all.” Okay, but it is really just about your revenge, isn’t it?

She doesn’t have a good answer for him as to how she plans on not handing Goguryeo over to Nam-saeng other than that it won’t come to pass, because “If there isn’t anyone left to be killed, then no one will be killed.” She says that like it makes sense, except for the small part where it doesn’t.

It dawns on Choong that she’s talking about a world where she and his father won’t exist, so he knows she plans on dying and starts to panic.

“Can’t you leave with me now?” he asks. “Why don’t you ever think about me? Why don’t you think about leaving me behind? Do you know what my life has been like without you? Why would you give me that pain again?” These are all very good questions, and ones that Mu-young doesn’t have the answers to.

Mu-young cries as Choong asks her to remember the meal they shared while his mom was hanging laundry nearby, and how happy that moment was.

“All I ever wanted… was for us to live together,” Choong says though his tears. Mu-young turns around, and they both share a pained look before she forces herself to leave. Not even one word, Mu-young? Really?

Choong struggles to free himself and kills the guards outside in order to follow her. Aww, puppy.

The military sit-and-stare parade is interrupted by Nam-saeng and the legion of agents loyal to his cause. They’re all carrying swords, but when they’re revealed to be made of wood (real weapons aren’t allowed/boring enough), they’re allowed inside.

Geumhwadan sits in the exact same spot as they did for the last military parade, and in the exact same disguises as before. Hahaha. This must be a joke. Even if you banked on the idea that their faces are unknown, Leader So was imprisoned by the agency for three years and had a portrait of his face in circulation. I can’t.

Jang knows something is up when he doesn’t see Choong with Nam-saeng’s legion of agents, and that’s because Choong is currently fighting his way through hordes of other agents loyal to Nam-saeng for reasons us mere mortals couldn’t understand. (Side note: Were there no actual soldiers in Goguryeo? Or citizens?)

General Yeon announces that he’ll be rewarding Nam-saeng for his accomplishments by sending him away, and if this scene looks and sounds exactly like the prelude to General Yeon’s coup, that’s because it is—the powers that be must have figured that we loved that scene so much we’d want to see it twice!

Choong sustains heavy injuries as he fights alone through never-ending swarm of agents as Nam-saeng ascends the steps toward his father. There’s a sense of deja vu as Nam-saeng knocks the scroll out of his father’s hands to flip the table over in slow motion…

…In order to draw the sword hidden in the floor. Oh, they were actually serious about this shot-for-shot remake. So Nam-saeng is repeating his father’s coup down to the letter against his father, the man who did all of this first (and better)? I feel like I’m in The Twilight Zone. What am I watching?!

Nam-saeng orders his father to step down as Choong slowly shuffles toward the palace gates covered in blood. He drops his sword and looks like he’s about to keel over.

“Are you really going to kill me?” General Yeon apathetically asks to the son holding a sword against his neck. Nam-saeng is all, Who, me? Never!

The doors swing open to reveal Mu-young dressed in her princess’ garb. As she walks toward General Yeon, Choong walks toward the assembly. He keeps passing guards and other agents who don’t even spare him a second glance, which I guess means he’s made it to the boss level.

The members of Geumhwadan just gape at Mu-young as Mu-young draws her sword and passes them. Seriously, why are you people even here?

Choong reaches the hall by the time Mu-young reaches his father, and none of the agents try to stop him. Nam-saeng eggs Mu-young on, but seeing Choong causes her to hesitate.

That’s when General Yeon speaks up to say that her father’s rule wasn’t what Goguryeo wanted, even though Mu-young remembers how her father once accused Yeon of acting out of fear—he was always afraid of Tang.

They go back and forth over who’s vision for Goguryeo was right, all while Nam-saeng just urges her to get it over with. It takes one order from Choong for the agents to lower their inexplicably-real swords, which kind of makes the whole agency betrayal moot, doesn’t it? If they’re still loyal enough to follow Choong’s orders, how did things get to this point?

General Yeon: “How is this any different from when I killed your father? You’re not fighting for Goguryeo. You’re fighting for your own personal revenge.” He adds that she’s welcome to kill him if she truly believes she’s right… and if she truly thinks she can protect Goguryeo from Tang.

Mu-young turns around, and Choong slowly shakes his head when their eyes meet. She announces to those gathered that she’s not here to kill General Yeon, nor is she seeking revenge any longer. She asks them to shed no more blood for the sake of Goguryeo so that they can protect their country. “These are my last words as princess of Goguryeo.”

She raises her sword to kill herself, but Choong rushes forward to grab the blade with his bare hands. Choong: “You cannot die before I do.”

Nam-saeng laughs—he knew Mu-young would flake out. He then calls on Jang to finish the job, and when he doesn’t, Nam-saeng invites anyone willing to kill his father.

“I am Dae Mangniji!” Nam-saeng yells as he dramatically unfurls the scroll Jang gave him as part of their agreement (that he’d appoint him to his father’s position). He reads it aloud triumphantly: “The Dae Mangniji of Goguryeo is now… Yeon Gaesomun?” Wamp wamp waaaamp.

So Jang betrayed him after all. I love that General Yeon, acting as Dae Mangniji, simply orders Nam-saeng to not let the door hit him on his way out.

Nam-saeng fixes all his anger and hatred on Mu-young, claiming that it’s all her fault. He raises his sword to stab her…

Suddenly, Choong spins her around so that he can take the sword meant for her. Ughhhh. He couldn’t have just… pulled her in the other direction?

Mu-young looks surprisingly unmoved as Choong sinks to the ground. “I kept my word,” he says with a small smile. “Princess… You must live. I beg this of you.”

“We will die together,” she says instead. She draws her sword and leaves Choong to collapse on the floor alone while she brandishes it at Nam-saeng. It’s cool for a second because you think she’s going to fight him…

But you’d be wrong, because she just gives him an open invitation to stab her through. They even have the audacity to cut to the Geumhwadan gang watching this all happen like it’s not their job to protect the princess.

Mu-young falls next to Choong, and the two stare wordlessly at each other as they die, because they can apparently use telepathy to communicate instead. (No joke.)

Mu-young: “The moment I met you, I thought that I would spend the rest of my life with you.”

Choong: “…Thank you.”

Mu-young: “I thought that you would always be by my side.”

Choong: “Thank you.”

Mu-young: “On the day my father died, I hated you so much I wanted to kill you.”

Choong: “I’m sorry.”

Mu-young: “Your wish for us to stay together for the rest of our lives came true.” Okay, way out of line. Couldn’t you at least let him die thinking you gave a damn?

Choong ekes out a smile as Mu-young’s last breath leaves her. They both pass away.

Cut to: Everyone reacting(?) to what just happened. Slowly, everyone fades away except for Mu-young and Choong. They fade away last, and the dates of General Yeon and Nam-saeng’s death flash on screen along with the date Goguryeo fell: 668 AD.

The end.

COMMENTS

150

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51 Mandakins

September 8, 2013 at 8:14 AM

WHAT????

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52 laraffinee

September 8, 2013 at 8:37 AM

Great recaps, Heads!

I think every film student should study this drama and Learn WHAT NOT TO DO if they want to create a good drama.

Despite some excellent actors and a great cinematographer, this drama unraveled because of an insanely stupid script - seriously, high school students could have written a better script - and a totally awful director. Then add totally miscast No Min Woo to the mix and make him the "star" of the second half of the story and VOILA- you get this wretchedly awful mess.

Viewers of a drama willingly suspend disbelief IF they are given a good enough storyline and characters they care about. If you are constantly jolted with scenes and plot lines that are so stupid and are constantly saying "Whaaaa...t" ?????? it has failed. The writers, the actors and the director have to give us something to hold on to and not keep pulling us out of the story with scenes so stupid that we just give up.

This was a sad mess. The first scenes seem to have been written by a different writer and really caught my interest. It seems as though that writer was fired and a bunch of cheap writing chumps were brought in.

I just hope that Uhm Tae Woong and Choi Min Soo team up again in some really, really good drama - perhaps that story about Admiral Lee Shoo Shin - and then I can forget about what could have been in this drama and the actual nonsense that was produced.

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53 Peridot

September 8, 2013 at 8:40 AM

Okay, before reading the recap and the other comments, I need to express all of the thoughts that have been rushing through my mind.

I think that the death of the lovers/penultimate scene was poorly written and poorly directed. What the heck was everyone doing, standing there still as statues? What was the whole purpose of the princess's death? I've read comments from people on other sites lamenting that those who have problems with the ending do not understand Korean dramas, many of which (I guess in the historical and melodrama genres) do not end happily. Please, that is not a good excuse. And piles of bodies (or death purely for the sake of having death scenes) do not equal a good tragedy. One could argue that there was just no room for happiness in this story. I would argue that even in the most miserable of circumstances, some measure of happiness can be found. No one is saying that the show had to end with unicorns and rainbows.
I will say, however, that (at least according to my interpretation) Choong felt more passion and love for the princess than the other way around. He always placed her before his family. Muyoung, however, placed her family above all else. I think that general Yeon was correct in his assessment that she was acting out of revenge and not purely out of a desire to do what was right for Goguryeo. I never saw her acting out of real passion, desire, and concern for the nation. I think that her 'suicide' (she didn't really put up a fight against Namsaeng) provided her with the means to put her revenge quest to an end, which she was not otherwise willing to do. She wouldn't have--indeed, she couldn't have--not even for Choong.
Her death--and the way that the whole scene was written and directed--had me shaking my head. I just didn't want to care at that point. I felt no emotional connection to the scene. I was also shaking my head at how stupidly the scene was written and directed. "What a cop out," I thought. It reminded me of *spoiler for those who haven't watched "the Moon Embracing the Sun*Prince Yangymyung's death, or suicide-by-spear- thrower-who-can-hardly-stand-on-his-own-two-feet-and-takes-forever-to-cause-the-fatal-blow-while-everyone-else-who-is-armed-stands-around-with-shocked-faces-doing-nothing. According to Yangmyung's reckoning, by dying he would no longer be a potential threat to his brother's reign. And, later, as a spirit, he said that he felt truly happy. That show never really made us feel that he was ever truly a threat to his brother. He could have lived and found happiness in the world of the living. I thought that his death merely served as a convenient plot device. I know that this show was based on a novel, but since it diverged a lot from the original source, it could have handled the conclusion of Yangmyung's story differently. *End of spoiler for "the Moon Embracing the Sun." *

The similar disappointment I felt with Muyoung's death left me feeling no emotional connection to our main couple's story. I just felt that my time had been wasted. The potential of this show's first half was thrown to the wolves. Not to mention the careless dropping (such as Shihoo, although he later returned, and Guwon) and adding (*cough* Namsaeng *cough*) of characters. Not to mention the foolish secret organization whose members seem to have been lobotomized at the show's halfway point, and the silly government agency. At least the forces on both sides were equally foolish and useless! Oops! I wrote a novella! Sorry all :)

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darcyM

September 8, 2013 at 9:11 AM

Interesting theory about Mu-Young's suicide: that she knew she had to die before being able to give up her revenge. I have been struggling to understand her motivations, and this does kinda make sense.

And I definitely agree that Choong loved her more than she did him. I guess it probably had a lot to do with the way she was raised. Loyalty to family, country etc. before self and others. Either that or just poor writing. But Choong was loyal and selfless and he at least deserved a happy ending.

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CaroleMcDonnell

September 8, 2013 at 10:41 AM

I DID fiond myself wonderinf about the Princess. What is her personality at the end? Is she so consumed by revenge that she cannot find love anymore? Is she a tragic figure because of love or because she couldn't make the right choice? And what's with Choong's last lines? If those weren't symbolic of a weird dynamic between the tow, I don't know.

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54 ladyhahn

September 8, 2013 at 8:43 AM

that .gif says it all.ha!

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55 gennizhu

September 8, 2013 at 8:43 AM

Thank you, Heads, for the recaps. Though I didn't watch the series, I read every recap as it was posted. And as terrible as the ending was, the recap made me laugh out loud multiple times. "Wamp wamp waaaamp." Pffft. >_<

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56 Johanna

September 8, 2013 at 8:54 AM

WTF, what a waste. I'm officially starting my own personal blacklist with this writer. I've been watching K-drama for 6 months now & this is certainly the biggest let down, because we had a glimpse of what it could have been earlier on.
Like sb said I can take a sad ending or the show going somewhere I don't want it to go as long as it's well written, but this level of mediocrity, laziness, disrespect towards the actors & the last handful of viewers... Arrgghhh

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57 whimsyful

September 8, 2013 at 9:07 AM

Thank you so much Headsno2 for recapping this series to it's bitter end! May the Drama Gods give you better dramas in the future.

UGH. This will teach me not to be lulled into a drama because of the actors and director alone. Writing is king. Seriously, how do you take such good actors and an excellent director and then completely muck up the script?!

On the downside, I think I'm now allergic to No Min-woo.

On the bright side, this drama did make me a new fan of Kim Ok-bin and Choi Min-soo (I was already a fan of Uhmforce). The OST is lovely, and I'm really hoping they release the instrumental tracks.

PD Kim Yong-soo, you are one of the most talented directors I know and I still love you, but please pick a better script next time.

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58 Uto

September 8, 2013 at 9:16 AM

Thank God I haven't started watching. So disappointing

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59 raindrops1

September 8, 2013 at 9:19 AM

Oh Heads your comments (GIF) is just so completely on point. Sad but true. I watched the last ep and thought: WTH, no actually I thought WTF is this. Heads, my respects for sticking with this show till the end. You deserve a drink, maybe 10 for making it to the end.

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60 Mikey

September 8, 2013 at 10:20 AM

Can we start a list of banned writers? What a waste of 20 episodes. Terrible ending

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61 MsB

September 8, 2013 at 11:44 AM

Now I don't feel like I have to watch it. What an ending!

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62 Fayt890

September 8, 2013 at 12:28 PM

What... What just happened.... It MAKES NO SENSE!! SHOW WHY!?

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63 Annie

September 8, 2013 at 1:14 PM

I'm on episode four. Are you all saying, I shouldn't continue?

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darcyM

September 8, 2013 at 1:52 PM

Watch through till episode 10 and then make up your own ending from there. That's pretty much where the writer started taking crazy pills.

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Kiara

September 8, 2013 at 7:49 PM

Agreed, the first half was worth it.

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64 Missy

September 8, 2013 at 2:00 PM

Best .gif usage ever. Thanks for the recaps Heads - I will forever mourn what could have been with this drama.

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65 Luine

September 8, 2013 at 2:09 PM

HEADS thank You for everything!!!

I have an idea: let's create our own perfect ending!!!

Who knows about video editing?

Please I don't want this drama has gone to waste!!!!!!!

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66 laraffinee

September 8, 2013 at 2:43 PM

I made comments earlier, but I have been wondering if I have missed something - did Mo Seol's father not realize that his daughter had been murdered by Nam Saeng?

...and to the No Min Woo fans who think that some of us have confused our dislike for the character of Nam Saeng with No Min Woo - Nope....he's a lousy actor and that's all.

Most viewers did not "like" the character of Mi Shil in "Queen Seon Duk" but most of us were in awe of the actress
Go Hyun Jung and her incredibly wonderful portrayal of her.

No so here.......

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67 Cheryl

September 8, 2013 at 2:53 PM

Horrible ending. Depressing ending. Sucky ending. Disappointing ending. Seriously, writers? BOOOOOO! >:( The show had such promise starting out, but totally failed to deliver in a major way. Nam-saeng was a total joke. General Yun should have killed him and done the world a favor.

What the heck gave with MY having no freaking expression for most of the series? So annoying. I kept hoping that would change.

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68 kngdrama

September 8, 2013 at 5:15 PM

Heads, thank you for your dedication. You don't give up and persevere, making recaps more enjoyable than sucky dramas.

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69 Noelle

September 8, 2013 at 5:51 PM

What in the fuck was that!? Seriously.

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70 Nina

September 8, 2013 at 7:43 PM

I think the only other worthwhile self-explanatory image to Tyra's spot on rant is this one: [http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/74/b1/17/74b1179ce8865ba42f16531605d1bece.jpg] because truly....this ending....it has scarred me for real, dude! o_O

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71 windparis

September 8, 2013 at 8:17 PM

wkwkwkwkwk
glad i just watch the first episode

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72 mary

September 8, 2013 at 9:58 PM

Thank you for the recaps, Heads. The drama was shit, but your writing was hilarious. :)

I really hope you get more lucky with your next drama.

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73 Beng

September 9, 2013 at 12:11 AM

hahaha, love the comment cap =)

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74 Jinnie

September 9, 2013 at 12:15 AM

Hah! HeadsNo2, you are epic. That gif at the end was so spot on that I spluttered my drink and cannot help laughing. You're the best.

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75 kanz

September 9, 2013 at 1:05 AM

Although I didn't watch the drama, I occasionally read your recaps, Heads.. I really feel for you for the bad runs of bad endings/dramas like Dr.Jin and Shark and now Sword and Flower. Keep your head up!

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76 Aimei

September 9, 2013 at 2:13 AM

What.the.heck. I'm so glad I only read the recaps and didn't invest my time in watching. I would be so mad at the drama for such a weak sauce ending.

Thank you for saving me from wasting my time on this.

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77 biankoy

September 9, 2013 at 2:54 AM

ohmaygaaad the Tyra Meltdown had me in stitches. If we could just deliver this picture to the writers just to give them a piece of our mind. Damn. Just damn writers. damn

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78 thursdaynexxt

September 9, 2013 at 3:45 AM

Exactly what Mu-young needed to get her through the show - just a teensy fraction of Tyra's rage!!

Huge thanks, Heads, for recapping this non-Show until the very end!

You're a warrior, princess and general all rolled into one! Hip hip hurrah!! :D

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79 sunnyl

September 9, 2013 at 4:23 AM

I can't even.....................................................!

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80 ruzi mano

September 9, 2013 at 9:26 AM

HeadsNo2...thank u for the recaps
I waited for the finale and oh my.... waste my positive energy. V pitiful of Uhmforce to be the lead. He deserved faaaaar better projects. With 2d1n not doing well, this is really a blow to actors like him. KBS must really look into such poor ratings. V underserving for actors and viewers.

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81 madman999

September 9, 2013 at 1:29 PM

ugh....the final 10 episodes was something straight out of fashion king where the story line became non stop being captured and tortured by one faction, being set free, escaping or rescued only to exchange places once again....that must have happened atleast 5-6 times.

plus no less than 3 instances where the princess could have simply killed the general and ended everything.

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82 anna

September 9, 2013 at 2:53 PM

Aw Heads, if I could somehow give you TOP even if it's just one night, I would!

Seriously.. DAFUQ was the only word I could come up with watching this ending. Perfect gif is perfect.

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83 marine_maiden

September 9, 2013 at 8:37 PM

Oh seriously, this gotta be the best recap that caused me laughing all the time. I never intended to watch this show, the recap every week somehow amused me though - with all those loophole in plot, lack of character reasoning and OMG the FADE OUT TO BLACK part was really really the best ROFLOL

*gasping for breath* You know, they kill the character like that just to get done with it. Cause they really couldn't mess it up any worse. Really *mwahahahahaha*

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84 asdqwe

September 10, 2013 at 8:15 AM

WTF, i couldn't sleep on that last episode night....too broken heart. I didn't watch the last episode yet but i know the ending from spoiler on forum.Until now, still don't have gut to watch it...

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85 Luine

September 10, 2013 at 2:03 PM

When I calmed down, I thought: it was probably because of the low rankings that sponsors have withdrawn and writer (at the last moment) had to change the script and get lost.

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86 Kdrop

September 12, 2013 at 7:50 PM

the motherf------ing!!!

ajsdpoighaewpoifnvadWORDS SO MANY WORDSARGHWHY.

Thank goodness I stopped watching half way through, because if just reading the recaps after that pissed me off this much..

YOu know what? I'm not even properly mad. I'm really confused why they thought what became of the plot was even a tiny bit good or logical. You could have at least recycled some other shows' plot or been unoriginal or something but wth was any of that???

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87 Tharindi Ariyasinghe

September 12, 2013 at 10:34 PM

I LOVE THIS DRAMA....I'LL ALWAYS LOVE IT...♥

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88 Gasenadi

September 17, 2013 at 4:35 PM

First, thanks Heads, for a hilarious recap of the finale. It helped dry my tears instantaneously!

IMO, despite whatever obstacles director, writer, editor faced during the final episodes, the finale stayed true to the question posed (3 times!) by the Princess at the beginning - What caused Koguryeo's fall? To me, throughout the drama, MY remained true to her position as Koguryeo's PRINCESS. It reminds me of QSD's decision to forsake romantic entanglements (of course, until Bidam) while she dedicated herself to the kingdom. While MY's father lived, the young princess had leeway to be more carefree - there were others in charge. But once the coup had taken place, every part of her was dedicated to her mission - which she voiced every chance she got. And it wasn't "just" revenge (as military dictator Yeon so conveniently, for him, alleges). She, perhaps deluded, wanted to return the "rightful" heir to the throne; she wanted restoration for Koguryeo. So much so, that she was willing to abandon "revenge" to stop the bloodshed and madness. But, by then, it was too late. (I'm not thinking of the OTP, I'm thinking of MY as symbolic of Koguryeo)

Even if BaP didn't adhere strictly to historical facts, those first three questions MY posed at the start made me believe this drama was as much about what happened to Koguryeo in its final years, as it was about an ill-fated romance.

Similarly, I'd like to give the pd staff the benefit of the doubt even during that "military sit-and-stare parade" (ROTFL!!). As Koguryeo unraveled under tyrannical rule, bickering factions, famine and perpetual war - people sat, watched and did nothing, for different reasons.

However clumsily executed, MY represented Koguryeo destroyed by its last ruler, who just happened to be the bloodthirsty, psychopathic son of a tyrannical, military despot.

OK, just my two cents.

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89 Laura

September 20, 2013 at 9:42 PM

I was really hoping for a kiss scene, because the leads, in my opinion, did have chemistry and there was such emotional buildup, I thought they'd break down once. I figured they'd both die in the end, but c'mon-they were stoic throughout the whole show!

This show really emphasizes the importance of good writing. I thought the opening scene in ep 1 was gorgeous and really drew me in, but visuals can only go so far.

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90 amareally

October 4, 2013 at 5:22 AM

hahahhahaha the recap, the GIF, the comments are hilarious!! you guys are awesome hahahahahahahahah

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91 reisha

November 5, 2013 at 8:43 AM

What a waste of time. Worst ending ever.

Point to note : although the drama was bad, it show how good an actor UHM Tae woong is... UHM force! Fighting !

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92 stargenx

November 8, 2013 at 10:45 AM

The ending was almost as shitty as City Hunter's ending (which still holds the trophy for having the worst ending in kdrama history) but overall, it was still one heck of an entertaining drama.
Bringing No Minwoo in as Yeon Namsaeng wasn't that bad of an idea; obviously Choi Minsoo is the star but NMW stood out in his own way throughout the second half of this show. I feel that the cast made the drama worth watching despite its many plotholes and whatnot.

As for the finale, it was quite frustrating to watch everyone sit and literally do nothing when Namsaeng swung his sword at Chung and the Princess. (even Geumhwadan members for crying out loud!) I completely agree that the last scene is poorly written and directed.
Having said that, it was sort of expected, I suppose. The direction of the drama pointed to a tragic ending so I predicted something similar would unravel. Still, it could've been better, much better.

Isn't it funny how the last scene could have been avoided had the princess taken Yeon Gaesomun's offer to release her on the promise that she would never return to the palace? Chung also gave her a chance to run away with him but she never listened to his warning. In the end, her quest for revenge only resulted in bloodshed.

I don't think B&P is worthy of its low ratings. There are worse dramas out there which fared better. (like Jang Ok Jung, which i still regret watching.)

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93 Shinubi Wang

February 15, 2016 at 5:23 PM

Definitely one of the worst 'sageuk' I have ever watched. The only consolation was that it had some of my favourite actors in it.

The ending was just plain stupid. Okay, we know what happened in history so the facts cannot be changed and the King and the general will be around for sometime yet but to end the drama with both dead and the way they died was just way to much. Them riding off into the sunset to new life might be more acceptable.

I regretted wasting a chunk of my life watching this drama.

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94 merrym

July 9, 2016 at 11:06 PM

Though I was sad about the ending, this remains in one of my top 10 sageuk of all time.

I think I understood the Princess and why she had to do what she did. She really couldn't picture herself living in when her father and brother had died. Where is the honor in that. She couldn't even claim her lover's heart because he's also linked to what happened to her and her family. So it was catch-22.

This was really a great story with awesome main leads. Utterly memorable? Yes and for the right reasons.

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95 MinaBoom

September 29, 2016 at 4:27 AM

Reading this in 2016 and laughing till I teared ?

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mary

October 2, 2016 at 2:51 PM

Me too XD

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96 Paige Rzoska-Simms

July 4, 2017 at 7:18 AM

I am so glad I read this. I'm most of the way through the series, but I was starting to get a bad feeling. I like happy endings you see. So thanks for breaking the bad news to me gently.