Bossam Episode 18 Recap is up! I can’t believe the drama ends next week. https://sageukclub.wordpress.com/2021/06/29/bossam-stealing-fate-episode-18-recap/
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    Tagging BOSSAM beanies: @kiara, @mmmmm, @ndlessjoie, @marcusnyc20, @ally-le, @flyingcolours, @jorobertson, @tabitha2, @snowflower, @bbstl, @milena, @yongsital, @sicarius, @jossie4cheryl, @jerrykuvira, @kdramaswimmer, @sparks121, @yulsakura @jk910528 @lindag @hebang @missh @kittymontgomery-mourles @coffeprince4eva @welh @peridot @jillian @irmar @wonhwa @nilsche

    Question of the day: Is Dae-yeop a historical or fictional character? I’m going with fictional for now, but I’m happy to be corrected if someone tells me he is Yi Tae-ung. His possibility of survival is greater that way 😂

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      Since I’ve decided he’s the character most likely to have a tragic (but typical) sageuk ending, I’m going with fictional.

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      @wishfultoki, I always yield to @kiara’s expertise and opinion on the question you raised.
      However, after a cursory search, the one wiki source I could find on Prince Imhae has this under “Consort and their Respective Issue(s): Yi Tae-Ung (1589-1665) (이태웅) – an Iryeon Buddhist (일연스님). Fwiw here is the source:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Imhae

      A couple quick thoughts. Those dates would probably work for our ‘sudden, Prince.
      However, I think I would rather see Dae-yeop go down swinging rather than end up an old (with all due respect) monk. Sorry.

      (O/T. Whoever on the BOSSAM production crew has been responsible for costuming Shin Hyun-soo (our Dae-yeop) after the final episode has to receive some kind of award or notice for their impeccable taste. He has looked outstanding the entire drama! Lol credit has to go to SHS also.)

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        @marcusnyc20,

        I find Dae-yeop pitiful in this corrupted world of bloody politics. Since birth, he has been used by the king and his uncle, so what does he need to go down fighting for?
        I’m pro-life, so if he ends up being a monk and lived a more peaceful life, then good for him.

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          I totally agree that Dae-yeop’s life has been pitiful. He was happiest in his youth being with the Princess. We now know why Uncle put the kibosh to a possible marriage between the two. The reason given the King was rather preposterous.
          I don’t know. Becoming a monk can’t be his only option.

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          If DY has children, do they become pawns in the “Who is the Rightful King?” Game? Just like he is? If so, he really should become a monk.

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      I vote historical, just because I really want him to survive the drama and find a happy(ish?) life.
      Besides, I hate the sageuk trope of killing off the SL to save the FL – Drama, you’re warned! (*waves finger)

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        Me true. It’s boring if he doesn’t make it till the end. Let’s have him becoming a monk. He doesn’t want the throne anyway; his mother’s heart also won’t break.

        There is also a monk that’s been present throughout this story; I think he has a chance of becoming a monk. He will also be able to see/hear about the princess’s happiness for the rest of his life, and he won’t have to marry any other women.

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          This! She was his first and only love, and it’s super romantic that he would become a monk to preserve that.

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          Yes about the head monk serving as a nod to that possibility.

          Last episode, when Da-yeop spoke to Ba-woo about the possibility of being friends in a next life, didn’t the latter (jokingly) find it odd that a very Confucian yangban would be speaking about reincarnation (like a Buddhist)? That could be another nod to the monastic future of our second lead.

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      Thank you so much, Toki!

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      It stressed me out to watch this episode, but reading the (excellent) recap stressed me out all over again. I’m so worried for them all and the potential pain ahead. I’m ok for DY to become a monk. I want BW, the princess and Cha-dol to live a happy rural life, and I want VP Lee to get what’s coming to him. History being such a spoiler, I’m afraid I won’t get my last wishes. Groan.

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        The stress! The headache! *grabs neck like Lady Jeong* I have no idea what will happen next week. I know the bare bones of the history but it will require some massive twists for us to get there.

        Fingers crossed that our characters have a happy rural life, preferably on an island to avoid the future Manchu invasion 😆

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        Is it too much to ask for Dae Yeob to go on a murderous rampage (since I think he’ll die anyway) that includes wiping out VP Lee and sons? That’s the ending I want to see.

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          Lol, you’re so bloodthirsty! 😂 You may get your wish for a murderous rampage though… VP Lee will get what is coming to him if the writers follow history. The question is if he will drag our characters down with him.

          @jorobertson let’s stack up on that calming herbal tea before watching the final episodes.

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            Sipping miso soup too and lying around. Trying hard not to take to hard liquor. It’s cold and raining and we’re in lockdown. Will they get over the wall or not??? I can’t do anything else until I know.

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            Any chance of the 1623 coup by the Western Faction comes along in this drama? Aren’t we at about the right point in history?

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            Am I transforming into @sicarius? 😲😂

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            I guess I’ll be fine with VP Lee meeting a just end… *sulks*

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            It’s all those times I probationally beheaded you @ndlessjoie, they’re rubbing off on you

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            @hebang We are in 1623 so you can bet on it. It might be bloody but at least Muggy will be happy. *sips tea*

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            @wishfultoki So, a coup as a sort of dues ex machine to kill off the baddies, replace the king with incompetent idiots, and our found family goes off to Jeju to live a long and happy life? Hmmm….

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            @hebang That’s history? A deus ex machina comes out of nowhere but we’ve been literally following the struggle between king and ministers all drama. If we consider it a deus ex machina, it’s an evil one for putting incompetent fools in power and ruining Joseon. 🙈

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            Dues ex machine in the sense that while we’ve gotten numerous scenes of VP Lee’s faction scheming away, we really haven’t been shown the western faction putting a coup together. If one didn’t know history, the drama would not have led the viewer to expect a western faction coup taking out VP Lee and his cronies.

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          Omo! That is too much to ask for ofc! I know how upset you’re, but DY lacks love and has been trying to do his best for everyone around. And VP Lee is his own uncle, I don’t think he’ll be able to do anything harmful to him. He leads a complicated and sad life: Having always been a power play pawn.

          At least he should be able to become a monk, so he will be finally peaceful. Can’t he become a monk? 🥺

          *pleading eyes*

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            He’d become a monk and pine for her the rest of his life. I’d rather he exact vengeance.

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            @mmmmm, @ndlessjoie,
            Got to do it in the right order.
            1. Exact bloody vengeance.
            2. Empty one’s self of worldly desires
            3. Become a monk.

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            Noooo! 🥺😱😱 You can’t exact vengeance and become a monk to redeem yourself! It’s not how it’s supposed to be done!

            *cries* 😭

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            If he exacts vengeance, what will he get? The person who killed his father is his own uncle, so he’s gonna kill his uncle and cousins and what? Will he also kill the present king? What will he get in the end? Nothing but the hatred from the Princess.

            Even if you’re bloodthirsty, I can’t see how this will lead to a satisfying ending. The only way for him not becoming anyone’s pawn is to become a monk. Sad, but that’s it.

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            He’ll get the satisfaction of ending his tormentors and I’ll get the satisfaction of watching the end of VP Lee.

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            We really are opposites.

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            @mmmmm
            In Hospital Playlist 2, there is a quotealong the lines of – sometimes bad things happen to good people.

            In Realpolitik, there is a corresponding quote
            Sometimes good people have to bad things.

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            @hebang Why do good people have to bad things? 🥺

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            @mmmmm
            Because there is evil in this world.

            A long time ago at college, I was taking a political science course. As part of the class, we had to review a book from a list. I chose one that had been authored by the professor teaching the course and his colleagues. I had difficulty with the perspective of the book, and said so in my paper – and not gently. Fortunately for me, a TA graded my paper – and told me that the key to understanding the book was to realize some people simply do not believe evil exists. That people like the professor think things like the Holocaust, the massacres of Cambodians by the KhmerRouge, etc. were all ultimately misunderstandings. That school of thought believes that people like me that believe evil exists are the problem. They are very sincere in their belief. Just as sincerely, I disagree with them…

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            I believe that there is evilness in the world, but there are ways to deal with it I think. I really want someone to just kill off VP Lee and the son and his gang, but I don’t want it to be DY because he believes in filial duty (besides that would break his mother’s heart). I believe he knows right from wrong and hopefully he can find a way to accomplish his believe without turning into another person who kills his own kins.

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            I can’t believe I’m only finding the rest of this now~

            Highkey into @hebang‘s version of events actually… I would tweak it slightly however:
            He doesn’t eradicate his enemies out of vengeance, he eradicates them so they can commit no more evil in the world.
            And THEN he becomes a monk… 😉

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            *brings DY to sip tea together somewhere*
            *allows some bloody vengeance to happen led by beautiful and kind and bloodthirsty Beans* *sobs*
            *sulks*
            *sips tea together with DY and the Princess and already clean out-of-the-shower Ba Woo.*

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            But whatever Queen says: I like her rants so I’m cutting her some slack.

            🤣

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            It’s not because Sicarius doesn’t literally mean assassin or anything, it’s not because I don’t have an OC with a story arc similar to the version of events mentioned, albeit with more steps and more complicated (ofc)… it’s definitely not got anything to do with either of those things at all. 😛

            Tbh, I wouldn’t personally pick this arc for Dae Yeop in particular, at least not with how this show and his character is currently written, but I DO like the idea in general… hehehehe

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            If DY character wants to evict the baddies, I won’t be able to do anything about that. But if he wants, we can start packing things and leave the capital together with Ba Woo’s household to a place I will never tell you.

            Ofc, I’ll take BB Kim Seon-ho with me. I wanted to take Queen, too, but at this rate you might poison (some of) us to death.

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            @mmmmm hang round me long enough, you might warm up to the idea of God-fearing assassins and warrior monks eventually ; )

            And no fear of me poisoning you, unless you plan to commit treason, like @ndlessjoie has in the past. : P But look at her now! Absolutely fine, nothing to worry about…

            (also I’m really annoyed that db keeps autoemoji-ing now- HAJIMA)

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            You make me scared, Queen, I’d rather hang around with Toki. 🥺

            Look at what you’ve done to Mugy! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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            whilst I’m waiting patiently for the final two recaps,
            @mmmmm @hebang– I was reminded of your conversation when I saw this quote again today.

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          I don’t want DY to be a murderer and I’m sulking, too!

          *sulks*

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            I don’t see Dae-yeop becoming a murderer. He’s a good swordsman but he doesn’t actually kill most of his opponents. He disagrees with VP Lee’s modus operandi of killing people to silence them…

            Let’s wait and see what happens in Ep. 19. Maybe we will sulk afterwards or maybe not. 😂

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            @wishfultoki I can always count on Toki to be gentle. *approving nods* In any case, we can be the sulking trio and we’ll still look great.

            But let’s keep DY, he’s cute.

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      Excuse me these people are the slowest, most inefficient, and stupidest ladder climbers I’ve ever seen. It really is the smallest of things that pull me out of a drama.
      Oh yes now is OBVIOUSLY the time to hang around and talk about who goes first, playing a game of Noble Idiocy with a ladder and medium sized wall, when two of you are wanted criminals.
      With such a risky scheme, whose gloriously bright idea was it to not plan the order and execution ahead. Who are you people! You all climb up, fast, in a third of the time that took you. You pull the ladder up and put it down the other side. You climb down. You don’t get caught because nobody is talking and wasting time. It’s really not that hard.
      Oh but wait Sic, we need a cliff hangar and conflict for next episode… Sigh.

      Prettiest Kdrama wedding I’ve ever seen, though.

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        I’m with you on this Sic. They should have sent Court Lady Jo to the temple with Cha Dol. She’s not that young anymore to be climbing medium-sized ladders in a jiffy. She also has a tendency to slow things up by deferring to the Princess (it happened in Ep 7, where she dawdled so much that the slave hunters got them). She can’t really help them so what was the point of bringing her along? 🙄

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        Yes, right? Queen, I had TROUBLE watching that ladder scene I almost wanted the Princess caught. How stupid were they to chat while the guards were all around.

        *kicks the ladder to make it fall down out of anger*

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        Reminds me of Aliens where they did away with most of the Marines by having them do something utterly stupid. My thought was it would have been much more interesting if the Marines had been competent and still were annihilated. But much harder to write.

        Same thing with this scene in Bossam to a lesser degree. I mean, getting caught while sneaking into a heavily guarded palace – how hard is that without making the protagonists utterly dumb?

        And yes, a very pretty wedding!

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          It’s a common problem in a lot of writing- the balance between the intelligence of your protagonists and antagonists, and how to make conflict believable without sacrificing one or the other. I can think of several dramas (TCC, Lookout, Vincenzo, Arthdal lmao to name a few) that had to resort to dumbing down either their hero or their villain, or making someone go OOC, in order for their climax to happen or their story to conclude.
          I also think it’s more interesting if people are competent and the conflict is more balanced and ergo authentic, and this is consistent throughout an entire story, but you are right, it is much harder to write. Or rather, it requires you to ACTUALLY write, and not just be lazy.

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        Yes, yes, yes!

        I like this drama, but I am super critical of such silly scenes.

        I also don’t like when our characters are fighting, but will suddenly stop to speak or look longingly at another character. And everyone else seems to stop fighting as well, even the evil-doers. How respectful of them to give our characters that special time!
        This happens in so many dramas. Ugh!

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        Sic, the wedding scene was lovely. Was the very next scene the following morning where Ba-woo bumps into his mother where she asked him to have breakfast?
        I mean the last time (I think) we saw Ba-woo in bed was with his son.
        We did see two pairs of shoes outside. Maybe the censors were particularly tough that day.

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          Yes, his mum invited him to have breakfast and asked if he had a good dream (“pregnancy dream”). I didn’t have room to add that in the recap. Lady Jeong went really fast from hating daughter-in-law to wanting another grandchild though.

          It has to be a writing or directing decision. I’ve seen both leads in dramas before where they had no problem kissing. I’m fine with it but viewers were pretty upset on MDL: “We waited so long to see shoes!” 😂

          We still have 2 more episodes so maybe there is still hope… Ally is going kill me if the only kiss we get is between Lady Jo and Chun-bae.

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            I’ve appreciated the gradual, more realistic portrayal of their relationship. That being said, I don’t think it’s too much to expect a kiss now. The two pairs of shoes lead me to believe that something did happen, but I wish we would have had a nice kiss scene before the relationship progressed that much. 🙂

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        That always drives me up the wall, bun intended.

        That and two former street rats chasing an old guy who outran them the whole dang time.

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    I’m holding off on watching this episode and watching the last three together. I’ll catch up with you then as well! Thank you for the labor of love!

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    I guess they have some kind of ‘no kissing’ element to their contract 😂 If we didn’t get a kissing scene on such a pretty wedding I don’t think we’ll see it ever! Unless they decide to end the drama with one

    And how frustrating was that ladder scene? Come on people! Speed up! Ugh

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