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Joseon Attorney: Episodes 9-10

It’s one step forward, two steps back this week. Or in the case of our honorable judge, three steps back. While he grapples with the realization that he’s now playing second fiddle, the secret hanging between our main couple sends them backpedaling into separation angst.

 
EPISODES 9-10

One thing I love about this drama is that it doesn’t just use its reveals as mere fodder for shock value — instead, it follows through, weaving a rich tapestry of fully-formed characters. Building on last week’s shocking reveal of Eun-soo’s whereabouts, we’re given her backstory, and it’s heartbreaking.

Having been kicked out of her in-laws’ home after the disgrace of her family, Eun-soo had been at her wits’ end when Councilor Yoo rescued her. He’d fed her horrid lies about the royal family being responsible for her family’s downfall, shamelessly pretending to be a benevolent savior. Unaware of his true nature, and hellbent on avenging her family, Eun-soo had let Councilor Yoo coerce her into becoming a courtesan in the name of vengeance. Ugh, I thought I couldn’t despise this man any more than I already did, but clearly I was mistaken.

Woo Do-hwan and Bona Joseon Attorney: Episodes 9-10

As our leads grow closer, the stakes climb higher. Judge Choo’s abrupt death is a sobering reminder of how dangerous their undertaking is and how mortal they all are, and it affects Han-soo more than he’d like to admit. When he returns to find the merchant inn completely empty, he works himself into a panic, terrified that the worst has happened to Yeon-joo.

Thankfully everyone is safe — they just took a day off — and Han-soo pulls Yeon-joo into a relieved hug when he finds her. Gifting her a silver dagger, he expresses his wish for her to protect herself even when he’s not around. Then he fires her, fearing for her safety if she continues to go against Councilor Yoo. Naturally, Yeon-joo isn’t happy with this arrangement, but she doesn’t protest; she’s too preoccupied with her worries about her true identity.

It’s beginning to dawn on Han-soo just how formidable of an enemy Councilor Yoo is, which means there’s only one person who can go up against him — the king. Han-soo hatches a plan to find a client with a grievance so great that the only way to solve it is by lodging a complaint to the king, but he ends up thwarting his own plan. See, Han-soo is just too competent, and his brilliant brain simply keeps devising solutions for all his clients’ problems.

Just then, a visitor shows up on Han-soo’s doorstep — and who should it be but the king himself. To Han-soo’s utter shock, Hyul extends an offer of friendship. While Han-soo needs the king’s authority, Hyul also recognizes that he needs the ingenuity of our competent attorney.

In fact, he needs Han-soo’s help right now — the Sarim official KWON MYUNG-WOO (Lee Doo-seok) has been accused of his brother’s murder. It’s an absolute headache for Hyul, who’s been working hard to maintain the tenuous power balance between the Sarim and Hungu factions. He needs Han-soo to investigate and clear Official Kwon’s name.

And so, it’s murder mystery time! There’s the oddly calm wife, whose jealousy seems to outweigh her grief. She can’t stand the sight of the meek serving girl, who had been the apple of her late husband’s eye. Then there’s the simpleton servant and the capable housekeeper, the latter of whom had been out of town on the day of the murder.

At first, it’s difficult to pin down a culprit amongst the various testimonies, but an inspection of all the blades in the house soon reveals bloodstains on the serving girl’s dagger. However, Han-soo realizes something’s amiss — the supposed culprit was caught a bit too easily — and he begins to dig deeper.

The case never really gets elevated beyond a simple whodunnit, but it does give us a little nugget of comedy in the form of a cross-dressing Han-soo. As usual, his cleverly-laid trap catches the culprit in its jaws — this time, it’s a conniving nobleman, who manipulated the housekeeper into killing his belligerent employer. Unfortunately, the nobleman is Lord Choong-won, the king’s uncle. Whoops.

Han-soo quickly realizes that it’s a ploy by Councilor Yoo to besmirch the king’s name, since punishing Lord Choong-won would be a disgrace to the royal family. The housekeeper is executed and Lord Choong-won is sent into exile, but since there’s no law directly prohibiting the instigation of murder, Hyul has no choice but to let Councilor Yoo pressure him into demoting Official Kwon as a neat bookend to the case.

Cha Hak-yeon and Bona Joseon Attorney: Episodes 9-10

On the romance front, we have several significant developments this week. Having figured out that Ji-sun has been her benefactor all along, Yeon-joo gently but resolutely requests that he put a stop to it. She’s grateful for his generosity in funding the merchant inn, but she doesn’t have the capacity to spend any more time being distracted by other matters. It’s clearly an indirect rejection of his feelings for her, and Ji-sun recognizes it for what it is.

After Yeon-joo leaves, Ji-sun burns the letters he wrote to her, then changes his mind at the last second and pulls the letters out of the fire with his bare hand. Eun-soo witnesses this, and she rushes to wrap his burn with her handkerchief. A series of flashbacks imply that she developed feelings for Ji-sun while living in Councilor Yoo’s household, and she offers him comfort in the present. However, Ji-sun is too crestfallen to accept.

Cha Hak-yeon in Joseon Attorney: Episodes 9-10

Devoted to a fault, Ji-sun chases after Yeon-joo. Entreating her to use him for her agenda, Ji-sun offers himself as a shield and a trump card against his father — he just wants to do whatever he can to help her by her side. Eyes red-rimmed with tears, he declares that he’s willing to be a nameless wildflower, as long as she’s the one who plucks it. Oh, Ji-sun…

Ji-sun has been respectful of Yeon-joo’s boundaries all this while, which makes it all the more alarming when he decides to deal with his rejection by asking his father to reinstate his betrothal to Yeon-joo. The late king had planned their engagement to keep Councilor Yoo’s power in check, since a royal son-in-law would not be permitted to become a government official. It may have been a political maneuver, but Ji-sun’s feelings for Yeon-joo were — and still are — genuine.

Given that Ji-sun hasn’t been all that subtle with his disdain for his father’s unscrupulous methods, it’s the first time that he’s leveraging on Councilor Yoo’s power to get his way, and it’s obviously uncharacteristic of him. Were it any other person, I’d accept that perhaps his emotions clouded his judgment, but Ji-sun? I hope there’s a tactic behind this move.

Woo Do-hwan and Bona Joseon Attorney: Episodes 9-10

Ji-sun isn’t the only one feeling the sting of jealousy, since Han-soo is also starting to feel threatened by the proximity between Yeon-joo and his rival in love. When Yeon-joo reassures Han-soo that there’s nothing going on between her and Ji-sun, Han-soo’s relieved grin practically lights up the night sky.

Growing serious, Han-soo entreats Yeon-joo to prioritize her safety, reminding her that she’s already in Councilor Yoo’s crosshairs. In response, Yeon-joo muses that Han-soo has changed; he’s no longer as reckless as before, since he now has someone precious to protect. She’s glad for that, because it means he has a tomorrow to live for.

The more Han-soo expresses his love, though, the heavier Yeon-joo’s secret weighs on heart. In a private moment with Lady Hong, Yeon-joo finally breaks down, sobbing that she wants nothing more than to shed her princess title and live as So-won.

Woo Do-hwan and Bona Joseon Attorney: Episodes 9-10

Though he’s still smarting from the rejection, Ji-sun keeps to his word and arranges a meeting between Han-soo and the princess, as per Yeon-joo’s wishes. However, an unexpected interception ends with Han-soo waking up in the middle of the forest, and when he finally gets back to the city, he finds himself arrested for the murder of Judge Choo. Someone — presumably Master Jo — planted the murder weapon in Han-soo’s boat.

Yeon-joo comes to his defense, but the guards don’t hesitate to roughhouse her, thinking her a mere commoner. Lady Hong and the rest of our motley crew can barely defuse the situation, until our reputable judge arrives. In an effort to stop the conflict from escalating, Ji-sun announces her identity as the nation’s princess — revealing her secret in front of everyone in the worst possible way.

Woo Do-hwan Joseon Attorney: Episodes 9-10

I’ll admit, I was a little less invested in this week’s episodes — the tension didn’t feel as taut as previous weeks, and the case wasn’t as complex or compelling as it initially seemed. Given all the lingering shots of the accused Official Kwon, I kept expecting a major twist along the lines of brotherly betrayal or the like. Instead, the case wrapped up relatively predictably, and I thought it fell flat in the wake of last week’s case. Han-soo’s method of tricking the culprit into revealing his true colors was already done to better effect last week, so it didn’t feel particularly impactful this time around.

Furthermore, the drama dipped its toes into tropey territory this week, with Ji-sun stepping into the shoes of a typical second lead. It wasn’t badly executed by any means, and I certainly felt for his heartbreak, but it does feel like a pity to relegate him to unrequited pining. Perhaps this is just the calm before the storm, since all our major players are moving their chess pieces one by one. Hyul’s playing the long game by subtly instilling the idea that Councilor Yoo is not infallible, and I suspect Ji-sun has something up his sleeve too. Still, I’m already itching to get back to Joseon Attorney’s delightful brand of cat-and-mouse chases and tongue-in-cheek trope subversion.

Woo Do-hwan and Cha Hak-yeon Joseon Attorney: Episodes 9-10

 
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Furthermore, ... with Ji-sun stepping into the shoes of a typical second lead. It wasn’t badly executed by any means, and I certainly felt for his heartbreak, but it does feel like a pity to relegate him to unrequited pining.

You don't say @solstices . It's not cool at all. Not when Ji-sun has been an honorable gentleman who understood boundaries to the t.
Can he just see Eun-soo as quickly as possible? That's a better comeuppance to throw at his father's face. Plus, the lady loves you already.

I love mystery identities. And I love identity reveals, especially one of the magnitude of Yeon-joo's. It has this thrill. I just wished she had announced her identity herself right there and there or her bodyguard did, and then Ji-sun backs it up. Or showed an insignia or something.

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Ji-sun deserves better than his dad's working girl.

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No....no he does not.

He is ready to turn into his father because he was rejected.

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Well, we do not know yet. Also, I have a hunch that Eun-soo is not going to survive the final episode.

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I tried my best, but I cannot warm to this drama: the overly self-confident antics of the ML, the constant grimacing and shouting of his sidekick, the FL turning into a subservient dummy and now the only decent guy in the drama becoming a typical second lead - if at all, I will stick to the (much better) recaps in the future.

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I agree with your observations and feelings wholeheartedly @solstices - I too was very much less interested (and to my own credit I did TRY to pay attention this time) in the case and the tension just wasn't there. And also, yes Ji-sun stepping into the shoes of the stereotypical SL is painful to watch - the only thing worse than a nameless wildflower SL is one that outwardly acknowledges that he is a nameless wildflower and then promptly asks the FL to use him as a door mat. Although he doesn't always get much screen time, Ji-sun's character was one that really intrigued me given who is father is, and like you, I'm hoping that the out of character 'reinstate the betrothal' move is a tactic because else that's just character assassination in my eyes.

I was also really wanting this drama to buck the usual trend and have Yeon-joo reveal her secret herself but alas. I do understand her hesitation though and honestly I shouldn't be throwing stones because I've done the EXACT same thing multiple times - not lying about my identity as a princess (I wish) but keeping secrets from those closest to me out of fear - but still, I was basically screaming at the screen for her to tell Han-soo when they had their hand holding moment on under the stars.

I'm kind of not sure how the plot is going to finish up but we're over the half way point and I've just decided to give up on expecting a lot out of the writing because if my lack of remembering exactly what is going on indicates anything, clearly it's that the general plot line isn't really fully sticking it's landing for me personally. Still enjoying the ride overall though!

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Thanks @solstices for the recap. Agree with you (and other Beanies) in pretty much everything, especially Jisun becoming a typical second lead. It just doesn't make sense for him to stop respecting Yeonjoo and start manipulating her via the backdoor of his dad. Agree, too, that these episodes were less engaging - which is a shame. The murdered brother story had a lot going for it.

Where my opinion differs is in the identity reveal. I actually liked this. Yeonjoo had so many chances to tell Hansoo but kept delaying and delaying. Every time he got deeper into the relationship, the truth was going to hurt him more as there (technically) is no future for a royal and a commoner (although I know there'll be a way round it in the end). I kind of liked the fact that the truth was blurted out and she now has to deal with the consequences - a sharp lesson to her. What I would love is for her to deal with it well: have that conversation early, bear her soul to him, as he has done to her, explain how she envisages their future, and ask him to walk with her into it. What I think we're going to get (alas!) is angsty separation trope for an episode or two, grrrr....

Wouldn't be a comment if I didn't gush over WDH's acting, so here it is: facial acting when the truth about Yeonjoo's identity was revealed. Masterclass in transitioning from disbelief to slow realisation of the truth, with pain breaking through. He makes you feel.

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I like your angle of thinking about the reveal! I too hope though that she deals with it well, but I'm also resigned to the fact that we'll likely get the typical two episode separation trope and they might throw in some kind of danger element to help our couple overcome their hurt and realise how precious they are to each other.

Also about your last point - yes, yes, yes!! I replayed that scene about ten times over purely to watch the emotions unfold across WDH's face. The transitions in micro-expressions, as you pointed out, is masterclass. And added to that, the icing on the cake was him looking around at others as he was trying process what was going - he made it look so natural, I could FEEL the disbelief through the screen.

That's got to be one of my favourite 'reaction to big reveal' scenes because I feel like 98% of the time in dramas we just get the frozen 😯 look with zero dynamics. What an ace actor he is!!

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thanks for the recap @solstices but i have to disagree on one point that this weeks case was better than last week's cause last week i found it way too simple and predictable while this week.. the case was much layered than just simple one.
HS concluding maid's silver knife is linked to be a gift was only after he gave the knife to So won as a safety measure.. and then him working his way to Princess's uncle wasnt a simple way as well... so i kind felt better case wise for this week.

But at same time i felt agree abt Ji Sin being typical second lead trying to offer his love and himself for So Won to use... he has no fighting spirit (i cant understand why) he knows So Won is Princess, he also knows she has feelings for HS and its not a easy way for them to be together... so he could have been lil firm abt his feelings while offering her his support.

lastly the reveal... i am sad, shattered, heartbroken with HS but at same time the reveal felt lil luke warm... like the way this show is so high on emotion so far the reveal could have been, i dont know how to put, bit more grand or more loud knowing who HS is... it felt like a Card castle you are working so hard to make and it could have taken 2 more rows to almost top before an unwanted wind tumbles it but here it was just allowed to tumble before we had that high intense, breath holding moment to witness.
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Also I love this drama's first half.. like so so much.. but 2ns half is going lil underwhelming for me.. not sure why.. may be cause all the cards and tricks and emotions were shown in first half and now we are just inching towards the well known climax.... it could have been more intense.. or may be its just a dip before final 2 weeks when HS comes face to face with real culprit and his sister...

oh yes.. i forgot to add... i absolutely love how this show uses past flashback to drive the narrative and enhance the conflict of present.. rather than just simply to let us know something happened in past. HSs sister story is so intriguing and heartbreaking at same time.. and i am wondering how it will impact HS and his revenge knowing that man not just hurt his parents but used that incident to hurt or ill say manipulate his sister too.

This man gonna go berserk to kill Yoo Je-Se as mercilessly as he can.

thanks for the recap.

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I completely agree about the reveal. I expected higher tension, and more dramatics. WDH's acting was definitely great, but something about the scene felt lacking, and I can't pinpoint what contributed to that. I hope the way it plays out in the beginning of the next episode makes up for it!

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glad i am noy alone in feeling that "the big moment of reveal" was lacking same i cant pinpoint but it wasnt on same level as i wanted it to be... clearly lacked on my expectations.. and just with you am hoping next episode starts way better and compensates the lack here at the ending...
🤞🤞🤞🤞

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I think Ji-Sun has a plan. I have faith in him. All will be revealed.

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Ji sun is an embarrassment at this point and I wouldn't trust or want his help.

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The issue with this drama is its pace... It's quite slow. The cases are not so interesting and I was pretty bored by the investigation. I had no interest in the victim or the suspects.

I think Ji-Sun changed his way to fight against his father because until now they lost against him.

The last scene was not very powerful. I would have prefered to see So-Woon proclaming she was the Princess and put the soldat in his place. She had a lot of occasions to tell the truth, so it's was her fault, I'm happy Ji-Sun told it because it was very complicated to fight against the villains with this secret.

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Honestly, it was a struggle to get through these episodes. The angsty/guilty/jealous feelings from the love triangle were not fun to watch. The angst will probably be worse when we see Han Soo's reaction to the truth. Where is Yeon Joo's spunk from the early episodes? She's been a bland character ever since she learned of his identity.

The mystery of the week could have been better. I liked the idea of the multiple possible suspects. I knew someone was going to pretend to be the maid! I was bracing myself to see Dong Chi's face lol.

At least they did a pretty decent job of including Eun Soo's backstory. I hope her reunion with Han Soo will be good and not too little, too late.

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unfortunately this week did not do it for me.

the sister romance with jisun was soooooo ill-edited and paced. i dont mind the side romance but the way they just shoved it all in there was so poorly done and in the middle of his love line for so-won?

so-won and ji-sun aren't giving? i wish they'd have done more with these characters' relationship? had them be friends or like on good terms? the reason why he likes her is weak. i don't really feel anything for them and that sucks, what a waste of some potential gut wrenching content.

also the vibes between han-su and so-won were a little bit boring? they're like in love but not together and their relationship is a bit dry here. i liked it better when there was a bit more bickering.

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I'm so late to this party.

Although this show may not be a work of art, I enjoy drawing connections between the events in the drama and historical events. It gives me another reason to keep watching.
All of the cases thus far have been founded on the nation's code of law, with the writers constructing their cases around it.

This week's case against the king and the princess's uncle Prince Changwon was recorded in the Annals. Prince Changwon was King Sejo's 4th son by a concubine. The current king's biological father Crown Prince Uigyeong was the oldest.
In the article, he's referred to as Changwongun. In the drama, he is Lord Changwon. Both imply that he was stripped of his prince title.

"Another controversial murder case reflects the omnipotent political power getting in the way of the fair enforcement of legal procedure. On Jan. 11, 1478, a dead body bearing numerous knife wounds was found in Seoul. The investigation looked into the case, with no visible success.
The king issued a public announcement promising a reward for those who provided a clue to the case.
Late in the month, the investigation institutions received an anonymous letter suggesting a person named “Kawoe” knew the dead woman. Kawoe was immediately called upon and questioned by interrogators. He confessed that the murdered woman was a former slave of Changwongun, a son by a concubine of late King Sejo (reign: 1455-1468).
The investigation also found that Changwongun had tried to rape the murdered woman. To prove the case against the royal family member, the investigators asked Changwongun to turn in the entire list of slaves he owned, which he strongly refused.
Facing the controversial case involving the royalty, the Choson administration was on high alert. Reported on Changwongun’s refusal to comply with the investigation, King Songjong ordered the list of slaves to be brought to the court.
Finally, the investigators secured the confession from Changwongun’s three slaves, confirming the suspicion that the royalty had masterminded the murder.
For all the evidence and confession, Changwongun denied the charge vehemently. He said, “This incident is fabricated by my servants fearing torture. I did not commit such a crime.”
Even with strong evidence, including blood being found in Changwongun’s house, the prosecution hesitated in formally indicting a member of the royal family.
An article dated Feb. 28 shows that King Songjong delayed the imprisonment of the royalty: “Changwongun told me he was wrongly accused. I found the investigation report has no hard evidence. If the woman was killed by a knife, it should be somewhere. Send people to search for the knife.”
On March 11, the investigation concluded that Changwongun was the murderer and asked for the king to deliver a sentence. Under strong pressure, the king ordered the disgraced royal member to be punished.
But two days later, the king mitigated the penalty, asking the officials to consider...

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Changwongun’s royal status.
Eventually, no punishment was placed on the convicted murderer despite the strong opposition of officials, calling for the fair and universal application of law."

https://sungjinyang.com/1998/04/07/ups-and-downs-of-choson-legal-system/

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GREAT background for this murder mystery. Added to the interest factor. Not surprised Changwongun sliped out of the penalty, but chargine and indicting him was at least a step forward. That's usually how justice progress...baby steps. Thanks for that.

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