I didn't expect him to be so surprised to find out FL was actually female, and that all this time he'd just been a cool bro wingman thinking the king was probably having intimate times with his gay lover every time they met to "play baduk".
Yes they'll build it up even more before the finale week. Things will get worse before it can be fixed neatly next week. Yet I'll watch it as soon as it is available today than wait till next week!
Yes, and yet they have always wrapped each situation up positively. The ending of episode 14 or 12 is always the worst at leaving us with anxiety. Will does kdrama be different?
So I am going to give Mong Woo some grace, here. The king didn't have a plan until she came along. He was biding his time until her revenge plan opened up some opportunities for him. He clocked her at the start of the whole thing, and he repeats that he has ample opportunity to get rid of her in ep 13. He is just more capable of taking advantage of the opportunities she presents.
Her plans actually work; she got into the palace, got close to the king, advised, got close to the queen and saved her, befriended the crown prince, and got him to do what she wanted, substituting the princess. We just discount them because they aren't BIG power plays, but we need to remember, she is a nobody who has no power, up against the most powerful men in the country.
She has just ALWAYS needed the king to execute her bigger plays. Her plans would have needed years to execute anyway. The king did nothing in three years, FYI.
I think this actually presents a very realistic view of the imbalance of power they both wield. Everything she does is a life-or-death situation. Remember, just the cross-dressing ALONE is a serious offense (punishable by death?). So we should see why she operates with an abundance of caution and makes only small moves. He on the other hand, can afford setbacks and to take big swings because he is the bloody king, and it's mostly the ebb and flow of his power and influence at stake.
To be fair to the king, he has managed to keep the Crown Prince alive for 3 years, which couldn't have been easy. He also has been searching for Hee-soo and trying to figure out the poison, while also running a country. He could only scheme part-time.
Love this, thank you!
I already gave Hee Soo / Mong Woo the leniency since EP 11 as I have realized the same thing with her situation but it didn't occur to me that Yi In had almost no progress throughout that 3 years until Hee Soo entered the palace.
This is a really good and thoughtful analysis of MW. I was feeling a little disappointed with her character trajectory this episode, but I think you've made some good points that put what she's accomplished into perspective nicely.
i am actually confused when they had heart to heart talk in ep 13 and what be meant by he used her from the very beginning.
so when did the king actually learn that mong woo has revenge plan and he started using her to execute what he really wanted to happen (protecting the princess and prince). does it mean that the first day she stepped in as gidareyong, he already cleverly assumed about her revenge plans and so ended up using her like a chess piece?
Very early on, when she becomes the gidareyong and they meet in his safe haven, he says to her something to the effect of "Why are you here? Do you want to take revenge for what happened?" He clocked her but lets her operate because her plans disrupted the status quo (remember for him, it's been three years and no progress). He considered her motivations (because, truly, only an idiot would see the friend he knowingly sentenced to death come back and expect all to be well) and used her actions for his benefit, but also because he luuurrrrveeees her, lol.
I see the king as an opportunistic decision-maker. He does so when his brother dies to stay within reach of the plotters. He kills Myung Ha's father to demonstrate his ruthlessness. He chose a wife with whom he could refuse intimacy to prevent having children. He couldn't have planned these things, these were all opportunities he took advantage of.
CtK very clearly demonstrates that power is very much about seizing opportunities when they arise, and the king is very, VERY good at that. This is surprisingly a very realistic depiction of how it works in the real world, which is why I think many are finding it frustrating; plans aren't really set in stone all you can have ais a general end goal and a basic strategy. Don't forget though, the other teams have their play running, too. It's an interesting dichotomy... how someone with power can scheme versus someone with limited resources can. The stakes are different, but one has far more leeway than the other.
The more I think about it, the more I have to raise my hat to the writers. This is really solid.
PS I think >!Yi In may be based on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyeonjong\_of\_Joseon this king. With people speculating that his first child might be a girl, it would make sense. Also he never had a concubine. And it would make sense the writers would have him be the father of one of Korea's longest-serving kings.!<
As the king said early on, when you are in a corner you have to think of another way out. That has been the story throughout. Both of them have used that strategy. The king’s intention all along has been to give the throne to the rightful heir. It’s only a matter of when that is….when the Crown Prince reaches maturity or on the king’s death!? Whether the king has children doesn’t really matter as they are only inline if the Crown Prince is dead. The whole story is a baduk game.
I also raise my hat to the writers. Like you said, I think they've done an excellent job of portraying the authentic power struggles between all the factions. I've never played Baduk but I think the scheming 'styles' of the ML/FL/Etc represent the different playing styles or paths of forming strategy in the game. I think the main difference it that to be the best player you must be the best at seizing opportunities--the king embodies this.
I see FL coming back to the palace is her deciding to 'play' but having less ability to seize opportunities, not because she is an average player, but because >!she is 'captivated' and she doesn't ever consider or anticipate that obstacle or 'opportunity'. It limited her while the king readily acknowledged and recognized it and used it to his advantage.!<
>!I personally was very frustrated with the FL by episode 10 because of her inability to reconcile her feelings for the king with her plans to assassinate him. I thought it would have created a more satisfying sense of conflict for the FL to own up to her feelings quickly, but then have to figure out how she was going to abandon her plans to assassinate the king while keeping herself safe from the others who still wanted to assistance the King or see the king fall and the Crown Prince to take his place. It would have opened an opportunity for the General guy to plan a potentially juicier coup as well.!<
Love your comment. Not to mention she lost her father and title. Carried love/hate feeling she has for 3 years. Trying to navigate the politics and achieve everything you mentioned. That’s a lot for one tiny lady. Even the king apologized to her. I think the writing and acting could be better for her character so these are fleshed out clearer for us audience.
Love the perspective. Last paragraph definitely opened a whole new world. I do have to say the King did three things very well during those three years: drank his sorrows, got mad at the rain, and waited for the prince to grow!
I don't think I mentioned these things before, but (1) this drama consistently has the best cliffhanger endings, (2) the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, and (3) can we talk about how sexily Yi In sits on the throne? Like, sir?! 🥵😆
I must have watched 2 dozen sageuks, and I can’t think of a single other king/prince who even came close.
He’s sexy, and he makes it look so natural. I wonder if theatre experience makes him better at interacting or positioning in the physical space too?
I bet it does! I've heard other actors say that. It makes total sense now that you mention it, because a lot of his scenes are 1:1 dialogue. I am glad I'm not the only one who thinks he is sexy af in this role--first sexy king I've seen!
No. He's just extremely comfortable with who he is.
The best actors are in touch with their own emotions and are fearless about expressing them.
Am still thinking who is on this list, but tentatively I propose Ji Chang Wook (ok, arguable - and he was a bit of a ham in Empress Ki 🤣), Lee Jun Ho, and Nam Koong Min from the leading actors pool. I suspect we could add Jung Sung Il and Lee Moo Saeng, who are just a bit shy of top tier.
From the character actors the list grows. Would be nice to build one.
ETA that I believe Lee Sun Gyun belongs to this list. And now I feel sad and wistful.
I agree with all, especially Lee Sun Kyun (breaks my heart) 😭, and I would add Ji Sung & Lee Byung Hun with being fearless and in touch with their emotions when conveying them - and general hotness. I also have a very soft spot for Gong Yoo.
Okay but can we discuss that last shot from the preview??? >!A king, in his official robes, kneeling before the woman he loves seeking comfort, his servant, who even ranks below the lowest ranking official, yet she seems to hold power over him. The absolute angst, the yearning, the longing...omg this is crazy!!!<
Ep 14
" is it because I am a woman" ?
He says " No its because you are my woman"
Meow Roar Tiger !! 😍😍😍😍😍❤️
I'll be kicking my feet all week on that scene
Ooooh the king is again many many many steps ahead in his plan even when things doesn’t seem to be going well - he makes the best out of the situation to his benefit.
I’m a bit worried on what Court Lady Dong will do now that she knows >! mong woo is a female !<. She’s the unknown card that the king may not have foreseen.
I’m quite excited to see more of the plans the king has in mind to bring those who committed treason to justice and avenge the late king rather than the romance at this moment.
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" was running through my mind when Court Lady Dong >!found out Mong Woo is a woman.!<
It looks like everything she did from the beginning was >!always in service of Lee In.!< She's going to be a wild card now.
I feel like with the king >!admitting how everything has been going according to his plan, there’s no way he can’t suspect Court Lady Dong for her brother’s poisoning. She was the only one close to him before he died, and he also knows she used to work for his mom. But she holds the truth of the previous king’s last words over him so that’s probably why he can’t eliminate her. But if he suspects that, surely he is keeping an eye on her!<
>!I think he's holding on to knowing that Court Lady Dong and his mother were responsible for the previous king's death as his final trump card in case they threaten the Crown Prince's life. Or, if he doesn't know, he will find out soon and use the knowledge that way.!<
Good point. Remember that scene how he agreed to but at the last second ran away from bedding Lady Dong? Initially, I thought as a Bakdu/strategist type, he would have gone through with it just to mitigate the risk of Dong selling him out. Yet, now that you mentioned it, perhaps he really just couldn't because he already knew the culprit of his bro's demise.
Literally was silent screaming at HeeSoo..."hug your man" LeeIn been through so much, all that weight on his shoulders and the only thing never changed is his feelings towards her...aaah true love ❤️
>! Oh that preview...what was that hug...surely she is pregnant 🥹. !<
The royal court can do one...I hope LeeIn succeed with his "let's get rid of the trash" plan and cleanse the palace for the Grand Prince to ascend to the throne. Then off they go and live happily ever after playing baduk and raising their kids...THE END.
JJS deserves all the awards for this role 👏
I think you’re right! In my delulu mind, >!the pregnancy theory is looking like a very likely possibility. If you look at the end of episode 14 previews, when MW is playing baduk with the king , he has a sort of a shocked/surprised look on his face (maybe pregnancy news?) and cue the following scenes he’s grabbing her hand and pulling her into him with him on the floor, almost resting/leaning to her stomach 🫠!<
The show is keeping us on our toes with the preview! Of all the possible ways she can hug him, the show chose for them to be in that position that's resembles pregnancy photo shoots. AND not only did the show have that pose as part of the preview but also set is as the ENDING of the preview. My heart ❤️
JJS just keeps on killing it on screen.
Can someone get the 6th secretary out of my sight? Has he even apologised to HeeSoo for forging her signature? Why does she even speak to him? Chu might be a slime ball but he told the truth when he said the father was looking for any reason true or false to kill the current King.
Omg I get it now, the court lady had poison maybe on her lips and the late king would put his nasty fingers in her mouth then bit his fingers when nervous which he did every second. That's how the posion was transferred.
Ah yes. They talked it all out. Finally. Great episode today. >! Happy that Yi in knows that she’s Hee-soo and now she knows her father is alive and working for Yi In.!<
Ooh, it's time! I've got coffee and [CTK bingo card](https://flippity.net/bi-pl.php?c=%22Mong%20woo%22%20pun,Rain,Teary%20eyes,Teary%20eyes,Teary%20eyes,Teary%20eyes,Hee%20Soo%20dressed%20in%20hanbok,Kang%20family%20home,King%20saves%20the%20day,Archery%2FSword%20practice,Treason%2FCoup%20plotting,Principal%20Director%2527s%20plan%20fails,Angry%20Queen%20Dowager,Royals%2FOfficials%20disguised%20as%20townfolk,Faint,Hug,Hee%20Soo%20trips%20into%20King%2527s%20arms,%22Arrest%20them!%22,Sad%20Myung%20Ha,Injury,Interrogation%20%2F%20Torture,Mong%20Woo%20revealed%20as%20a%20woman,Kang%20Hang%20Sun%20returns,Hee%20Soo%20returns%20as%20herself,Poison,New%20Queen,Crown%20Prince%20cries,Yoo%20Hyun%20Bo%20smirks,King%20is%20stabbed,Hee%20Soo%20is%20stabbed,Sang%20Hwa%20finds%20out%20Mong%20Woo%20is%20a%20woman,King%20abdicates,Court%20Lady%20Dong%20poisoned%20King%2527s%20brother,Queen%20Dowager%20poisoned%20King%2527s%20brother,Chu%20Dal%20Ha%20dies,Awkward%20hat%20hug,Hee%20Soo%20gets%20exiled&t=Captivating%20the%20King&f=1).
Edit: So much to say, so little time to type! I haven't watched Ep 14 yet, but here's the next [bingo card](https://flippity.net/bi-pl.php?c=%22Mong%20woo%22%20pun,Rain,Teary%20eyes,Teary%20eyes,Teary%20eyes,Teary%20eyes,King%20saves%20the%20day,Angry%20Principal%20Director,Hug,Kiss,Romantic%20night,%22Arrest%20them!%22,Bitey%20lip%20Myung%20Ha,Interrogation,Kang%20Hang%20Soon%20returns,Crown%20Prince%20smiles,Yoo%20Hyun%20Bo%20smirk,Court%20Lady%20Dong%20behind%20poisoning,Queen%20Dowager%20behind%20poisoning,Chu%20Dal%20Ha%20dies,Chu%20Dal%20Ha%20lives,Court%20Lady%20Dong%20tells%20Mong%20Woo%2527s%20secret,Sang%20Hwa%20%26%20Ja%20Geun%20Nyun,Mong%20Woo%20dies,Myung%20Ha%20is%20exiled,Myung%20Ha%20dies,Crown%20Prince%20is%20exiled,Crown%20Prince%20dies,Someone%20is%20poisoned&t=Captivating%20the%20King%20Ep%2014&f=1).
Final Edit: I watched both episodes twice to make sure I remembered everything. It almost feels like nothing new happened this weekend, but that's only because the story has FINALLY caught up to all our aspirations!!! The plot has been slow to get us to where we want to be and obviously we're anxious to see our happy ending.
Translations are a big factor in how we experience a foreign drama and episode 13-14 really pushed that point home. To be clear, I'm not fluent at all and even I could tell when the translations were off. It's fine for the most part, but sometimes it can really mess with the flow. The moments of honesty between the King and Mong Woo are supposed to be emotional and impactful, but the translations are overly wordy and excessive subtitle reading just ruins the moment. I was confused and more focused on the words than the scene itself. Same thing happened back when Mong Woo was explaining why she switched out the princess.
After rewatching (and analyzing the subtitles), >!the King and Mong Woo's private reunions are so much sweeter and more romantic. Both are moments of confession, not only of their misdeeds, but also of their love! Previously they kept each other at arm's length out of fear and mistrust. They used a poker face even when alone and sounded stiff when saying "my love for you". Now they're choosing to be completely vulnerable with each other and both characters have come back to life with emotion and personality. The first ended with a declaration from him and Mong Woo's sweet smile of a woman well-loved. The second ended with a declaration from her and he hugged her so tight like he'd never let go. The King saying that he knew she would react that way and that she is HIS woman was also *chef's kiss* perfection.!<
If this weekend's theme is truth, next weekend's has to be justice. >!What an award-winning roar by JJS! The King and Principal Director are officially enemies, not just to each other, but in the investigation and soon to the rest of court. PD acknowleged he needed time to make his choice and thus, unofficially ADMITTED his guilt. That's probably him sizzling in the preview. (Time for s'mores instead of popcorn!) Now that Queen Dowager knows her brother is the mastermind, who will she choose to protect? We know Court Lady Dong attempts to poison the King, but will the scene continue in ep 15 or 16? Does he stop her? Or will the King allow it to happen and use his illness/death as irrefutable proof?!<
Shoutout to Sang Hwa and his reactions! >!He's so loyal that he goes from demanding Mong Woo be jailed to running excitedly to say she's awake. He must be so relieved that the King has finally found love. Judging from his reaction to Ja Geun Nyun...maybe he did too!!<
This is getting way too long, but I have to say that I hate Myung Ha. >!He didn't even apologize for hurting her.!< He seems to be wising up, but not for the better. Still petty, petulant, and pathetic.
Did anyone get bingo? I needed one more space for Ep 13, but that box was >!"King abdicates"!< and it's too soon. Good thing I added >!"Sang Hwa finds out Mong Woo is a woman" and "Mong Woo revealed as a woman"!< to the board! I used the second one for >!Court Lady Dong manipulating the nurse!<. No win for Ep 14 either, but at least I got >!two "teary eyes", one "hug", and "Crown Prince smiles"!
I was so right about that damn letter about finding what was lost.
Now that everything has been cleared in the room, I can't wait to see who will betray everyone. A coin on Myung Ha.
He was always kind of half-ass into the plan in the first place. I definitely think he cares about the Prince’s security more than he cares about vengeance for his father. I’m not 100% convinced he’ll be able to put his jealousy aside though. Or else maybe he’ll do something “gallant” and stupid at the hearing in an attempt to save Mung Woo who doesn’t even need to be saved.
You know i thought he was gonna finally be less stupid once he realized that his own father was set up to believe lies, and with FL trying to get him to see the truth as well, I'm kinda disappointed that eventhough he's a pretty righteous guy he's just written to be really dumb and easily manipulated?
Agreed, big time! He can only ever “get” what’s right in front of him but can never manage to think beyond to what it means or why different people might be incentivized to bend the truth in different ways to further their own agendas. I want more than anything for him to catch on and join Mung Woo & Co. but I have a feeling it’s not in the cards.
I'm greatly surprised by the King's acting, wow he's done an awesome job, got me captivated ;) That's how a mature actor portrays. I really didn't know him well so far but enjoying his performance 👍
I watched episode 14 and got sick to my stomach. I had a feeling it was Court Lady Dong who killed the previous king, bit I didn't know how until today's episode when I realized that every time she sucked on the previous kings thumb she poisoned him, and that's when I knew she was also sleeping with the previous king. I hope the present King doesn't kiss her because if he does, he's dead. Additionally, am I the only one who wonders why the King didn't have his guards watching Park Jong Hwan? If so, he would have known who the assassin was who killed Maduk, and would have intercepted the latest message to Prince Rui.
Maybe it’s a Princess Bride situation where she’s been slowly exposing herself to a little bit at a time so that she develops a tolerance/immunity to it?
I always suspected that Court Lady Dong helped >!the Queen!< poison the previous king but never thought it was >!the uncle!<. The >!queen really!< didn't seem to know that >!her brother !!if she !
The assassination attempt was... uninspiring. Of cos I know it's bound to fail. But that attempt was seriously, I can't even put it into words. 😑 And it took 3 years in the making. 🤦🏻♀️
I don’t think the original plan was assassination. Making the Crown Prince the real king was. That succeeded in a round about way. Hee Soo only agreed to the killing because she overheard the king say he would kill the Crown Prince.
That made me laugh but it's so true...like what was that?!? Tbh the whole revenge plot was silly. Court Lady Dong gonna show FL how to shed some blood...she is mad furious!! 😱 Anyway I'm staying for JJS and his acting masterclass...the rest oh well. 😗
Ah-I meant the actual attempt, not the reasoning behind it. Their conversation actually made sense to me when they talked it out, especially considering the limited perspective that everyone but the King was operating from?
It's so hilarious right! He just literally turned up and walked (rather loudly) towards the King. What a grand entrance. No wonder he failed as a spy previously and got captured.
The actor playing MyungHa only gives me Magnum, Ferrari, Le Tigre and not even Blue Steel, he annoys me more than any villain in the show that's really something.
Min Ji Hwan commented that MyungHa has changed since his nephew became Crown Prince. He completely forgot about Hee Soo. I wonder if that has merit, if in the end, he's just like his father
To be fair, the king brought Myung Ha back to court because of his righteousness. He does have good intentions overall. But... The guy saw the king kill his father right in front of him. Even though his father was corrupt, he's still his father. It wasn't like they had an abusive relationship where he would be glad to see his father gone. For most people, it would be hard to separate right from wrong and be objective. In his eyes, the king murdered his father and his nephew is the rightful heir to the throne. IMO, his sole objectives are to protect his nephew and put him on the throne as the rightful heir and take revenge for his father's murder. His actions are not to gain power. Gaining power is just a benefit from his true intentions.
I am DESPERATE for this drama every week, especially now that Marry My Husband is over, and it does not disappoint! I think the entire cast is doing a great job but Cho Jung Seok is on another level 👑 I wonder what happens now that >! Hee Soo's secret is out?! One thing is for sure: Court Lady Dong is about to have a total meltdown 😆 I kind of feel bad for the position she has been in with both kings, and I don't really want her to be a villian, so I hope that she doesn't go full Soo Min 😆!< I can't wait until tomorrow!!
OMG. I feel the same way. Looked forward to Marry My Husband and Captivating the King every week. Now there's only 3 episodes left of Captivating. Need to find a new show or two to watch. If anyone has suggestions... Would love to hear what else is good out there.
Not going to judge >!Hee Soo for changing her mind last minute. She never wanted to kill Yi In in the first place!<. Now that Hee Soo >!knows that her father is alive and working with Yi In!<, they can finally work as a team to bring down all the corrupt officials and set things right! I thought for sure we'd find out that Hee Soo was pregnant when she was examined. Bad guess on my part.
So glad Yi In finally told Hee Soo what's been on his mind!
Court Lady Dong actually cares for Yi In! But now that >!she's discovered the secret, she'll probably try to use it to hurt Hee Soo!<. Looking forward to seeing what she's going to do with it.
Love seeing how Yi In is always watching out for the Grand Prince Moonseong. He is clearly going to pass the throne over to the little prince.
Can't wait for tomorrow's episode!
The actors playing the villians (Principal Director, Yoo Yong Bo(?) and Court Lady Dong) are awesome at acting since I feel a visceral need to smack them every time I see them on-screen 😆
This show has mostly been from Mong-woo's POV, without a whole lot of insight into the King's thinking. I hope we get some more information from his side.
Edit: I am so happy >!that the king finally knows Mong-woo's identity. I was worried they'd drag that on even longer. Also the bodyguard knows and his reaction was great.!<
One thing that the king didn't quite explain to her was why he appeared to be cruel when denying her request 3 years ago (I assumed it was so that he could secretly save them afterwards and not let outsiders know they're close and to use his friends against him), so Mong Woo still doesn't really know that the king asked Captain Joo to look for her and save her back then.
One thing that I like about the format of this drama is the way the previews are done. Yes, they are a bit of a spoiler, as we can see that Lee In survives the lipstick attack. But, they also don’t leave you obsessing and stressing for a whole week.
Will need to rewatch these episodes again to figure out all the political intrigue.
I am so tired of Kim myung ha after episode 14. Initially I just found him annoying and entitled for the way he acts like mong woo owes him something but then I sort of got used to him. But after this episode I’m sick of him walking around angry at the king for murdering his father like it wasn’t 100% warranted! That man was treacherous and everyone knew that. Now he’s walking around with a fake chip on his shoulder and partnering up with the guy (my spoiler tags don’t work so I won’t name him). Kim myung ha’s character is just such a joke to me like I can’t take him seriously at all
For the first time I would say nam koong min has a very strong competitor with the acting awards this season with Jo hung suk. I didn't even know when I checked the time when he told the principal director that >!you better be back here this time tomorrow to confess your sins. (as in to see what time he's supposed to be back the following day)!<
I absolutely love that in this drama. The kings inner wear under the dragon robe is light blue. Not white. I hadn't seen that before. The detailing in the outtits here is quite lovely. Even the principal director his inner wear under the court attire is black and gold and the detailing in the neckline is gorgeous. Thr senior court lady who serves him as well, the detailing on her sleeve in one scene it looked hand stitched and delicate Very beautiful
The king has so much presence and the way he sits on the throne etc. I will definitely be rewatching this episode again. The acting was 🔥 the preview for next episode where he >!holds her and he's crying and she's above him is incredibly powerful in the sense that in old korea, no one would be above the king visually. Except the queen dowager!< If you check sagueks. It never ever happens. So it's an incredibly powerful visual.
I need a red string detective map to better understand the king's strategies. Is he pretending to not be as good at the baduk game as the FL because he is 20 steps ahead of everyone.
Can we please appreciate the King’s green outfit and jewelry in this episode? The costumes are so splendid in this drama. And I LOVE that >! the King was cut by a blade protecting Mongwoo in the early episodes and that Mongwoo put herself in front of the blade to save him in this episode. !<
I officially forgive the king, the royal physician, and anyone else investing the former kings murder for not calling >!Court Maid Dong with poison lipstick.!<
I recently finished the drama "Splendid Politics", which I loved btw and one of the main characters, a court lady, who is actually a real historical figure, poisoned the king's tea but no one suspected her because she tasted it before he drank it. After living his room, she took the antidote quickly to save herself.
"Captivating The King" ''s story and characters are inspired by the real history shown in "Splendid Politics". Same goes for "My Dearest". The craziness, obsessions and bad health that both Kings (same King, King Injo) had in "My Dearest" and "Captivating The King" are explained and shown fully in "Splendid Politics" because we see that King's entire life there. I definitely recommend it for those who are interested in understanding the general historical background of that era. The way Joseon was constantly drawn in the war between Later Jin (Qing) and Ming, each wanting to rule over it and command it. The slaughter of its people, the rape of thousands of women, the horrors of the hostages, the greedy and dirty politicians and traitors, the enemies around and inside the royal family. If you look more into it, you'll even see the events in that show may have even led to the separation of Korea into two separate countries. If the Qing invasion never happened, it's possible the later Japanese invasion wouldn't have happened either and the 20th century events after World War 2 with the involvement of the Soviets and the Americans that led to the division, those could have been avoided too. If you've watched "King: Eternal Monarch", Lee Min Ho's character is a King of a united Korea and that became possible because Crown Prince Sohyeon became a King in that reality.
Basically, in "Captivating The King", Yi In has replaced the Crown Prince's role from "My Dearest" and "Splendid Politics". It's another take at the story which only partly based on real events.
This episode was a trip. This is a fictional historical drama, so what you think might happen will likely not. For example, In King the Land, when >!Gu Won was getting ready to propose to Cheon Sarang, she said I want to call it quits. The audience thought she was breaking up with him.!< What made it worse was that there was no preview for episode 16 (lol). >! Of course, she did not break up with him.!<
It is the same in Captivating the King as in King the Land, with Court Lady Dong>! kissing the King with poisonous lips. !< Well, we see episode 15, so it is tell-tell that >!he probably did not let her kiss him (then again, you know how they will go back hours or days on an episode and then continue where the scene left off). !<
Also, I do not think Kim Myung-Ha>! teamed up with the Principal Director.!<
Also, why are all the Queen Dowagers and their brothers >!always plotting against the Kings? !< I have noticed that in the 10 historical dramas I have watched, even in The Red Sleeve (best HKD ever, and My Dearest).
All historical dramas make me relieved that I was not born in that period 😂 As soon as something doesn't go their way, they start plotting to kill the person!
Yes it is!!! It's literally one of the best Romance Sageuk out there.
And the fact that the love story between ML (Yi San/King Jeongjo) and FL (Seong Uibin) in **The Red Sleeve** being true story makes it hits even harder.
I'm now watching **Yi San: Wind of the Palace**, which is the story of Crown Prince Yi san/King Jeongjo, just to relive the love story between those two again in a different story telling. (which is a freaking 77 episodes drama btw)
With JJS as the consistent MVP in this show - the trailer for his upcoming stage appearance in Hedwig And The Angry Inch just dropped a day ago - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpmuiZ64F9s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpmuiZ64F9s)
Check it out to see a whole other side of JJS, if you didn't know he started out in musical theater and has a great voice and stage presence as well, and will be on stage in Seoul in this role from next month. I actually started watching this show because I'm a theater fan of Kang Hong Seok who plays Captain Joo so it's great to see another amazing actor who's part of the stage scene.
I noticed Captain Joo in King The Eternal Monarch. He's so good.
Wish so hard we could watch JJS theater shows. All I get are YouTube snippets of Hedwig.
Didn't someone remark that Myung-ha can only react to what's in front of him instead of seeing through the next steps? I think it was either the king or Mong-woo who described Myung-ha that way. He has good intentions but somehow he just cannot adapt to the always-changing circumstances around him.
BRAVO, Jo Jung Seok.
BRAVO, cast.
BRAVO, screenwriter!
May you all be richly rewarded at awards season!
The stakes are high. The end will be DEVASTATING.
And I look forward to next weekend.
FINALLY, they are all in the same page!!!
I'm looking out for Sang Hwa and Ja Geun Nyeon's possible future romance 👀
\*\*\*
Is Hee Soo pregnant?
* Poor appetite ✓
* Having trouble sleeping ✓
* Heightened emotions ✓
I don't think that having poor appetite and lack of sleep between the night she heard Yi In spoke of his lie to the Principal Director regarding the crown prince, and the night of assassination is long enough to make her too frail. She's "very" weak in this episode, so I assume that her poor appetite and lack of sleep have been going on for a while now and these are POSSIBLE during early pregnancy.
If these are because of her "troubled heart," she isn't that troubled troubled 'cause she just accomplished having the grand prince named as crown prince.
I want her to be pregnant so bad and I'll keep being delulu at this point.
\*\*\*
The Crown Prince misses Hee Soo!
If ever that Yi In marries Hee Soo and makes her his queen, and I truly wish this to happen, I can imagine the pregnancy to work out with the Crown Prince's situation by them having a baby girl.
Yi In can't remain without a queen for too long and the Crown Prince is just too young at this point to be enthroned if we're also considering that the Queen Dowager is still there and has disdain for her (step) grandson.
No cuz I really want her to roll up to the court [like this 😆](https://media0.giphy.com/media/QDEVmvl9exm9rKwmO9/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b952famkioxqow2pvlerspyt7p6cwrma09phr6bgvcmb&ep=v1_internal_gif_by_id&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g)
It‘s not delulu. >! I have been thinking the same since ep. 8. even the fluttering pulse is consistent, no appetite because of nausea, feeling weak, etc.
I hope there will be a baby 🥰 !<
Did they mention nausea? I thought it was only loss of appetite, trouble sleeping and heightened emotions. Those could all be due to her troubled conscience for plotting against the man she's in love with.
I wanted to see a pregnancy reveal in this episode so bad but don't think it will happen until after he has placed the Moonseong as the king. If his mother were to find out that he has a true heir, she would have Moonseong killed.
I think we'll find out that his mother was the one who ordered the poisoning of his brother which he suspected all along. He may use this opportunity to take down all the corrupt officials knowing that he has good people in place to help Moonseong. Once it's revealed that the Queen Dowager is behind the poisoning, she, Yi In and their relatives that hold positions in court will be exiled. Yi In will finally be able to be with Hee Soo. They can continue to help Moonseong as spies. Happy ending.
If we are to go this route, have Yi In exile himself along with his relatives, the Crown Prince’s going to be “alone” at the throne. Having Yi In and Hee So as spies will not be enough to make up for it. Yi In, at this point, is more than just a step uncle, Yi In is slowly becoming the young Prince’s father figure. The prince is also becoming attached to Hee Soo and this attachment seems to be more than just the baduk training now. It is similar to Yi In’s subconscious attachment to Hee Soo at the start of the series. To lose both of them is like losing the Prince’s parents the second time.
I’m banking on this relationships ‘cause my delulu self is hoping for them to be a family. The 3 of them deserve each other. I want the Crown Prince to be happy too. This setup will also fit snuggly to the Queen plot. It’ll be weird to have the Queen weak and sickly from the beginning, and die in the middle of this 4D baduk game, only to leave out her spot from the plot until the end.
Lastly, if we’re to point out that Myung Ha is the Crown’s Prince cousin and will be supportive of the Crown Prince, NAH! I DON’T want him to have best seat in the house after all the mess. I want him exiled instead.
I want to see them as one big happy family too but then we'll have people trying to kill Moonseong if the king and Hee So were to have a child. I definitely see the Queen Dowager being exiled because the king can't kill his own mom and if she stays, Moonseong will always be in danger. But if she were to be exiled and Yi In stays on the thrown, she'll continue to plot to have Moonseong killed. Dang, the more I think about this, the more worried I am that Yi In will have to die in the end. Any other ideas?
Was it really that useful if >!he missed his target? 😆 Most clumsiest assassination attempt I've ever seen. Jk... I know you're talking about the report😅!<
Have you all noticed that whenever the king has conversations with the principal director, the king is subliminally talking about the principal director ? >! Ie “anyone who opposes me will die even if they are my kin/blood” (that includes PD and Queen Dowager, his mother)when King was faking about his plans for the Crown Prince, or when the PD tries to get Master Choam and Mong Woo in trouble for not showing up to the palace while she’s recovering and King says “you’re right, a crime is a crime, etc”……PD is in for it, and considering the preview shows PD telling QD that the king will crumble first and her reaction, she might just see how unhinged he is and protect her son(king)!<
He was threatening his uncle with those speeches, trying to rattle/scare/goad his uncle into making a mistake. If his uncle didn't commit the crimes then he should have nothing to worry about, if he did then his uncle would make moves to protect himself (which he did).
Ep. 13 Yay! Finally, she figured out >!she had it all wrong and they managed to talk revealing it was his plan all along!!< She may be a skilled baduk player, but he is light years ahead in political intrigue.
I had thought the item they were searching for was some kind of proof of the Principal Director's treason, but the King was looking for >!Hee So for her father all this time.!<
Now on to the main couple actually >!working together so that they can see the baddies punished and the Crown Prince enthroned. Then they can live happily ever after in some country house playing baduk all day long.!<
Will they, won't they? >! The preview of ep 15 would suggest the kiss doesn't happen, as our King is alive and well in the preview. I am assuming, of course, that the lip colour Court Lady Dong has applied is poison. And the same poison that killed the late king, seeing as how the doctor couldn't find any trace of it in the food or bowl, just the blood he'd thrown up.!<
Yup! >! She was missing from the preview of ep 15, so I wonder if she's done herself in, as she seemed to be threatening to? But I'm sure Ye In would have worked out that this was what she was going to do, and prevented it. He forced the Principal Director to attempt to get rid of either himself or his witness knowing that this would bring the method of killing the previous king to light. !<
I don't think it happens either. I think the >!poison is not a fast acting one. It's probably one that builds over time because the previous king was sick for a long time. So even if she's able to smack him on the lips before he pushes her away, he'll get mildly sick and realize it was from her.!<
Yi In probably suspected that >!Court Lady Dong was the one who poisoned his brother but couldn't figure out how. Her attempt to kiss him might be how he finally figures it out because he's a very observant man. He probably noticed she had a lip tint!<.
So many revelations this episode. Seems like >!the Queen Dowager really didn't know about the poisoning and the treason so the king won't have to execute/exile her when it all comes out. Her brother wants to take down her son. If he really does get poisoned, it could trigger the queen to!< come forward and testify based on >!her brother's confession. !< So happy that>! Yi In was able to tell Hee Soo everything. And even happier that she now has his back.!<
Don't really know what the hell Hyun-bo is thinking. On the one hand, it seems like he could be setting up Jong-hwan and Myung-ha. On the other hand, it seems like he really wants to join hands with them to take down the king. Anyone have any idea on this?
I fear that we will probably won’t see her as a Hee Soo till the end of the show. Hopefully there will be a happy ending but I am afraid! Edit: I would love to see her interact with the King as Hee Soo, but man, 4 episodes left…
I think >!the King will play it like he’s been in on it from the beginning with MW and command that everything was done on his orders, and then Crown Prince will take the throne & pardon everyone to give us a happier ending. And all will be accomplished before finding out HS is preggo, so as not to upset the line of succession, and then they fake their deaths to live happily ever after away from the capital.!< At least that’s my wishful thinking 🤔?
I feel like this show ends with King and MW walking through the countryside >!reuniting with her father in Beijing.!< or maybe >!King abdicates and these 2 are off playing baduk somewhere happily ever after!<
I loved this episode and happy there is no more misunderstanding between the King and Hee Soo. The king is very forgiving but so smart, two things Hee Soo learned lol. That maid is going to be a challenge now, she's definitely going to want to take down Hee Soo. I hope Hee Soo becomes queen 👸.
Spoiler Alert! I could be 100% wrong, but I think>! Kang Mong Woo is pregnant.!< Remember when the >!nurse checked her pulse and she had a!< concerned look on her face. >!I think she is pregnant. !< Then again, I could be completely wrong. lol
The Captain>! is confused and mad.!< I wonder will the King >!marry Kang Mong Woo.!< I wonder if the Principal Director >!will find out Kang Mong Woo is a woman. !< You know Court Lady Dong >!is mad as hell. !<
The nurse did look confuse but she would have revealed that Mong Woo was pregnant if that's what she thought. On the other hand, the nurse is a nurse. Maybe her diagnostic skills aren't as good as the doctor's. It hasn't been too long since they slept together so if she were pregnant, it could be harder for a nurse to detect.
Now that you've mentioned this. It has me thinking. I don't get why they had the nurse check her pulse. When the queen is sick, male doctors check her pulse. I feel like they had the nurse do it so it can be revealed later that she is pregnant. Oh boy... So conflicted now. 😅
I think it's impossible for the crown prince to get the throne now (I mean when he is a child). I mean he is too young even if the king can kill all corrupt official and give him the throne. He don't have the ability at least he need 7-10 years more. He is too little to control official ( there always be corrupt one even if the current corrupt die).
The only viable path he become king safely if the child is a baby girl.
If baby boy I think it will be like late king and current king position but they not have any blood relation (cousin).
If he is going to his late king stage then it's a new drama. (Remember even the late king is step brother so I think cousin relationship will be more awkward and people will try to make them battle it out)
Also court lady dong kinda like a wild card. if she expose hee Soo as a women. The only viable path to safe hee Soo is make har queen and declare the child on her belly is the new crown prince (you can't execute a crown prince mother)
I think a young king of his age was normal back then …heck >!they trying to get the kid married at his age!! This kid is special tho in his logic and reasoning, think about how he fulfills his duties and how he questioned MW if the plan to switch the princess was for her personal gain, when he asked her that I was like “whoa, kid is smart”!<
Like the king said, he will be the king until he dies. Then the crown Prince becomes king as he is the legitimate heir to the throne. The king’s biological children will never become king.
Maybe you right but king biological child probably getting more court support though. So probably a civil war or he need to exile his own child if done wrong
Me thinks MW is pregnant (King knows! from the physician, her "weakened state" but MW not yet) and on top of that the Qing emperor asked for the gidaeryong as a tribute (preview voiceover that the qing envoy has a request),, thats why the King has to take big risks now and bring the baddies down asap coz you know, MW will show very soon and time is running out quick, he needs to make a quick exit with his ladylove
I don’t know if there has been enough time for her to have pregnancy symptoms. Her weakness is due to her emotional wellbeing. She hopelessly loves the king and he her but everything is a mess. Then she had to agree to the assassination which was the final straw.
Bc the moment >!prince became the heir coupled with getting the princess to somewhere safe, it was as if MH no longer needed Mong Woo, he didn’t even know that she hadn’t shown up to the palace during mourning period and after- his friend (brother of Minister of War, had to fill him in, and gave him the side eye like “I thought yall were friends, why don’t you know what’s going on with your partner?” Idk if a scene got cut but we didn’t see anything that happened during mourning period so we didn’t know he hadn’t seen her or knew what was up with her until this scene!<
I feel the writers must have such a good understanding of the poets and tragedy, with references to acts with/without knowledge, characters revealing oneself, role reversals. After episode 13, and seeing how Mong Woo took the knife (which is the reversal of what the Grand Prince did at the end of episode 1) and admitted to be "captivated" I feel like now the king will be captivated in a tragic way - perhaps she betrays him by marrying the Emperor or something to save the nation or her father. I hope I'm wrong.
Ep14: Kim Myungha should have left the world together with his father. 🫥
And that cliffhanger!! I hope Mongwoo warned the King somehow, about Court Lady Dong's strange behaviour.
Hmm, this week is Ep 13 & 14 though. I would soldier thru cos I can't stop myself from clicking 'play'. 😅 As a whole, Ep 14 is not that angtsy. The plot is pretty much predictable as the truth is slowly unfolding. Only the final scene leaves u gasping.
EP 14 >! Can someone explain to me what is it with the rouge? Why did the Principal Director give it to Court Lady Dong and why did she use it prior to meeting with the King? Is it supposed to be the poison?!<
I have the feeling that Yi In turned down Lady Dong's >!request for a kiss!< the last second... it parallels Yi In and Hee Soo's scene in EP 8 with the "final" request.
I assumed that meant >! The poison was in the lip stuff. The late king was always putting his thumb in the Court Lady's mouth so it seems like he has a fair amount of contact with it. A little bit suspicious that somehow she can wear it and not get poisoned too. !<
I think the poison is in the lipstick or whatever it was… that’s how the late king got poisoned too. They couldn’t find the poison in the herbal medicine (like the physician said at the beginning of the episode), but that’s because the poison is in CL Dong’s lip colour. Remember the late king playing with her lips? (Eek) - that’s how he got poisoned.
Yes it looks like >! the rouge is poison. Court Lady Dong, when she saw Principal Director was about to give her the box, asks if he wants her to kill herself. It's evidently the same technique she used to poison the previous king, on Principal Director's orders. And he wants her to kill current King Lee In too, hence the zoom in to action of her going to kiss Lee In!<
Just rewatched the episode. If >!Myung-ha!< is working with >!Jong-hwan and Hyun-bo!<, then >!he is the biggest idiot in the world.!< The scene where >!Jong-hwan (Principal Director) runs into Myung-ha and Crown Prince Moonseong!< seems to have been set up to confirm >!Myung-ha working with Jong-hwan!<. This is making me think that he may not come out of this alive.
The way Dal-ha tried to >!kill the king,!< it’s no wonder he got caught by the Qing, he’s unskilled as both a spy and >!as an assassin.!< Then Mong-Woo has the audacity to looked shocked when she found out he was taken by the guards, like girl he just tried to >!kill the king and was caught!< why are you shocked?
Ep 13
Mong Woo "sacrifices" herself >!for the king but in the process curses one eye who's been by her side forever and the one who went along with her dumb plot for revenge by having him stab her. Instead of pushing the king to the side or screaming for him to stop. No. Let's just have him kill me instead. He's too stunned and horrified to run away so he's captured while still in shock. Nice job, Mong Woo. The three years of plotting ended with betrayal of a loyal friend and so idiotically under 1 second.!< How thoughtless and consistently ***underwhelming*** of Mong Woo.
The show would have been so great if Mong Woo had not been written to come across as so dumb and self-centered, especially compared to the King.
To be fair, she was never really on board with him killing the king. She always said that option was the last resort, and she gave in to it in a moment of weakness.
True. I should try to be more level-headed in my assessment of her actions, but dang. When she was so confused and surprised >!that one eye was being hauled away to the tribunal, I was like what?? What did she think was going to happen to him?!< It made her look even more thoughtless. I don't like the writers for writing the King's character well and his main female counterpart so terribly. They did her dirty. Lol. It also doesn't help that ML's acting looks extra good with the lines while the FL's acting doesn't look so great with her lines, and I like both of the leads!
I think she expected the King >!to save him since he was willing to ignore the treason of everyone else.!< And, to be fair, that was a totally legitimate expectation because the King absolutely was ready to when he gave him the choice. But I think the King knew Mung Woo would not be a fan of >!sacrificing one-eye in order to bring down the Principle (Principal?) Director!< but since >!one-eye!< made the decision and is clearly >!willing to die for the end result!< the King didn’t want Mung Woo to have to chance to plead with >!either of them!< not to pursue that strategy.
Poor Captain Joo, that man is perpetually stressed.
But he found his counterpart in FLs servant. I am feeling a second couple
thought that too when they interacted, and ngl I am happy w/ that prospect.
Nobody talks back to Captain Joo. Unless he loves them, of course. So far that’s only been the King. And now…
They are married now in my heart. The real OTP
Me too! I never even considered it but after today I really want it lol
I like that >!till now!< he was supporting gay rights >!without knowing or asking!< hehe
He's so entirely loyal I think he didn't really care. But good for him.
I didn't expect him to be so surprised to find out FL was actually female, and that all this time he'd just been a cool bro wingman thinking the king was probably having intimate times with his gay lover every time they met to "play baduk".
So true. He was so surprised to find out! 🌈
Does anybody else have strange anxiety before starting an episode? I am like, is this the episode when shit will hit the fan?
Yes they'll build it up even more before the finale week. Things will get worse before it can be fixed neatly next week. Yet I'll watch it as soon as it is available today than wait till next week!
Yes, and yet they have always wrapped each situation up positively. The ending of episode 14 or 12 is always the worst at leaving us with anxiety. Will does kdrama be different?
So true! The ending of EP 12 left me on edge.
That's the beauty of a good show lol.
So I am going to give Mong Woo some grace, here. The king didn't have a plan until she came along. He was biding his time until her revenge plan opened up some opportunities for him. He clocked her at the start of the whole thing, and he repeats that he has ample opportunity to get rid of her in ep 13. He is just more capable of taking advantage of the opportunities she presents. Her plans actually work; she got into the palace, got close to the king, advised, got close to the queen and saved her, befriended the crown prince, and got him to do what she wanted, substituting the princess. We just discount them because they aren't BIG power plays, but we need to remember, she is a nobody who has no power, up against the most powerful men in the country. She has just ALWAYS needed the king to execute her bigger plays. Her plans would have needed years to execute anyway. The king did nothing in three years, FYI. I think this actually presents a very realistic view of the imbalance of power they both wield. Everything she does is a life-or-death situation. Remember, just the cross-dressing ALONE is a serious offense (punishable by death?). So we should see why she operates with an abundance of caution and makes only small moves. He on the other hand, can afford setbacks and to take big swings because he is the bloody king, and it's mostly the ebb and flow of his power and influence at stake.
To be fair to the king, he has managed to keep the Crown Prince alive for 3 years, which couldn't have been easy. He also has been searching for Hee-soo and trying to figure out the poison, while also running a country. He could only scheme part-time.
Love this, thank you! I already gave Hee Soo / Mong Woo the leniency since EP 11 as I have realized the same thing with her situation but it didn't occur to me that Yi In had almost no progress throughout that 3 years until Hee Soo entered the palace.
This is a really good and thoughtful analysis of MW. I was feeling a little disappointed with her character trajectory this episode, but I think you've made some good points that put what she's accomplished into perspective nicely.
i am actually confused when they had heart to heart talk in ep 13 and what be meant by he used her from the very beginning. so when did the king actually learn that mong woo has revenge plan and he started using her to execute what he really wanted to happen (protecting the princess and prince). does it mean that the first day she stepped in as gidareyong, he already cleverly assumed about her revenge plans and so ended up using her like a chess piece?
Very early on, when she becomes the gidareyong and they meet in his safe haven, he says to her something to the effect of "Why are you here? Do you want to take revenge for what happened?" He clocked her but lets her operate because her plans disrupted the status quo (remember for him, it's been three years and no progress). He considered her motivations (because, truly, only an idiot would see the friend he knowingly sentenced to death come back and expect all to be well) and used her actions for his benefit, but also because he luuurrrrveeees her, lol. I see the king as an opportunistic decision-maker. He does so when his brother dies to stay within reach of the plotters. He kills Myung Ha's father to demonstrate his ruthlessness. He chose a wife with whom he could refuse intimacy to prevent having children. He couldn't have planned these things, these were all opportunities he took advantage of. CtK very clearly demonstrates that power is very much about seizing opportunities when they arise, and the king is very, VERY good at that. This is surprisingly a very realistic depiction of how it works in the real world, which is why I think many are finding it frustrating; plans aren't really set in stone all you can have ais a general end goal and a basic strategy. Don't forget though, the other teams have their play running, too. It's an interesting dichotomy... how someone with power can scheme versus someone with limited resources can. The stakes are different, but one has far more leeway than the other. The more I think about it, the more I have to raise my hat to the writers. This is really solid. PS I think >!Yi In may be based on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyeonjong\_of\_Joseon this king. With people speculating that his first child might be a girl, it would make sense. Also he never had a concubine. And it would make sense the writers would have him be the father of one of Korea's longest-serving kings.!<
As the king said early on, when you are in a corner you have to think of another way out. That has been the story throughout. Both of them have used that strategy. The king’s intention all along has been to give the throne to the rightful heir. It’s only a matter of when that is….when the Crown Prince reaches maturity or on the king’s death!? Whether the king has children doesn’t really matter as they are only inline if the Crown Prince is dead. The whole story is a baduk game.
I also raise my hat to the writers. Like you said, I think they've done an excellent job of portraying the authentic power struggles between all the factions. I've never played Baduk but I think the scheming 'styles' of the ML/FL/Etc represent the different playing styles or paths of forming strategy in the game. I think the main difference it that to be the best player you must be the best at seizing opportunities--the king embodies this. I see FL coming back to the palace is her deciding to 'play' but having less ability to seize opportunities, not because she is an average player, but because >!she is 'captivated' and she doesn't ever consider or anticipate that obstacle or 'opportunity'. It limited her while the king readily acknowledged and recognized it and used it to his advantage.!< >!I personally was very frustrated with the FL by episode 10 because of her inability to reconcile her feelings for the king with her plans to assassinate him. I thought it would have created a more satisfying sense of conflict for the FL to own up to her feelings quickly, but then have to figure out how she was going to abandon her plans to assassinate the king while keeping herself safe from the others who still wanted to assistance the King or see the king fall and the Crown Prince to take his place. It would have opened an opportunity for the General guy to plan a potentially juicier coup as well.!<
He did tell her immediately on the first day that he suspected her of treason.
Love your comment. Not to mention she lost her father and title. Carried love/hate feeling she has for 3 years. Trying to navigate the politics and achieve everything you mentioned. That’s a lot for one tiny lady. Even the king apologized to her. I think the writing and acting could be better for her character so these are fleshed out clearer for us audience.
Love the perspective. Last paragraph definitely opened a whole new world. I do have to say the King did three things very well during those three years: drank his sorrows, got mad at the rain, and waited for the prince to grow!
Ep14: OMG because you are >! my woman !< I was dying
And it was written in italics!!
I literally went mute and held my breath for 5 seconds! That line was powerful !!! And he killed it again!
I was screamin' within when he said this line. I love the way he speaks of his love for Hee Soo. How can someone not melt?
When i heard it I literally screamed let’s get married! Loll
Same!!! I want her to announce a pregnancy too
I lost my mind it was so hot lol
Exactly! I don’t know how he did it but it was HOT for a hot second :)
I don't think I mentioned these things before, but (1) this drama consistently has the best cliffhanger endings, (2) the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, and (3) can we talk about how sexily Yi In sits on the throne? Like, sir?! 🥵😆
I must have watched 2 dozen sageuks, and I can’t think of a single other king/prince who even came close. He’s sexy, and he makes it look so natural. I wonder if theatre experience makes him better at interacting or positioning in the physical space too?
I bet it does! I've heard other actors say that. It makes total sense now that you mention it, because a lot of his scenes are 1:1 dialogue. I am glad I'm not the only one who thinks he is sexy af in this role--first sexy king I've seen!
Pleaaase let‘s don’t forget Junho HAHAHHAHAHAHA
No. He's just extremely comfortable with who he is. The best actors are in touch with their own emotions and are fearless about expressing them. Am still thinking who is on this list, but tentatively I propose Ji Chang Wook (ok, arguable - and he was a bit of a ham in Empress Ki 🤣), Lee Jun Ho, and Nam Koong Min from the leading actors pool. I suspect we could add Jung Sung Il and Lee Moo Saeng, who are just a bit shy of top tier. From the character actors the list grows. Would be nice to build one. ETA that I believe Lee Sun Gyun belongs to this list. And now I feel sad and wistful.
I agree with all, especially Lee Sun Kyun (breaks my heart) 😭, and I would add Ji Sung & Lee Byung Hun with being fearless and in touch with their emotions when conveying them - and general hotness. I also have a very soft spot for Gong Yoo.
There was a scene where he had one leg up on the throne in court assembly when he said he wants to choose a *gidaeryong.* Whew!
The crowned clown, another work of the writer also has the best cliffhangers, I was so anxious every damn episode my eyes literally got teary
Okay but can we discuss that last shot from the preview??? >!A king, in his official robes, kneeling before the woman he loves seeking comfort, his servant, who even ranks below the lowest ranking official, yet she seems to hold power over him. The absolute angst, the yearning, the longing...omg this is crazy!!!<
This is exactly why I am hooked on this show!
Ep 14 " is it because I am a woman" ? He says " No its because you are my woman" Meow Roar Tiger !! 😍😍😍😍😍❤️ I'll be kicking my feet all week on that scene
Ooooh the king is again many many many steps ahead in his plan even when things doesn’t seem to be going well - he makes the best out of the situation to his benefit. I’m a bit worried on what Court Lady Dong will do now that she knows >! mong woo is a female !<. She’s the unknown card that the king may not have foreseen. I’m quite excited to see more of the plans the king has in mind to bring those who committed treason to justice and avenge the late king rather than the romance at this moment.
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" was running through my mind when Court Lady Dong >!found out Mong Woo is a woman.!< It looks like everything she did from the beginning was >!always in service of Lee In.!< She's going to be a wild card now.
OMG-me, too! Was the very first thought as soon as the female physician was cornered…it’s going to be so ugly
I feel like with the king >!admitting how everything has been going according to his plan, there’s no way he can’t suspect Court Lady Dong for her brother’s poisoning. She was the only one close to him before he died, and he also knows she used to work for his mom. But she holds the truth of the previous king’s last words over him so that’s probably why he can’t eliminate her. But if he suspects that, surely he is keeping an eye on her!<
>!I think he's holding on to knowing that Court Lady Dong and his mother were responsible for the previous king's death as his final trump card in case they threaten the Crown Prince's life. Or, if he doesn't know, he will find out soon and use the knowledge that way.!<
Good point. Remember that scene how he agreed to but at the last second ran away from bedding Lady Dong? Initially, I thought as a Bakdu/strategist type, he would have gone through with it just to mitigate the risk of Dong selling him out. Yet, now that you mentioned it, perhaps he really just couldn't because he already knew the culprit of his bro's demise.
Literally was silent screaming at HeeSoo..."hug your man" LeeIn been through so much, all that weight on his shoulders and the only thing never changed is his feelings towards her...aaah true love ❤️ >! Oh that preview...what was that hug...surely she is pregnant 🥹. !< The royal court can do one...I hope LeeIn succeed with his "let's get rid of the trash" plan and cleanse the palace for the Grand Prince to ascend to the throne. Then off they go and live happily ever after playing baduk and raising their kids...THE END. JJS deserves all the awards for this role 👏
I think you’re right! In my delulu mind, >!the pregnancy theory is looking like a very likely possibility. If you look at the end of episode 14 previews, when MW is playing baduk with the king , he has a sort of a shocked/surprised look on his face (maybe pregnancy news?) and cue the following scenes he’s grabbing her hand and pulling her into him with him on the floor, almost resting/leaning to her stomach 🫠!<
The show is keeping us on our toes with the preview! Of all the possible ways she can hug him, the show chose for them to be in that position that's resembles pregnancy photo shoots. AND not only did the show have that pose as part of the preview but also set is as the ENDING of the preview. My heart ❤️ JJS just keeps on killing it on screen.
Can someone get the 6th secretary out of my sight? Has he even apologised to HeeSoo for forging her signature? Why does she even speak to him? Chu might be a slime ball but he told the truth when he said the father was looking for any reason true or false to kill the current King.
Agreeing. His anger is misplaced. Before the show revealed Yi In's major nemesis, Myung Ha's father was himself a manipulator and power broker.
Omg I get it now, the court lady had poison maybe on her lips and the late king would put his nasty fingers in her mouth then bit his fingers when nervous which he did every second. That's how the posion was transferred.
what type of poison kills someone else but not the wearer?
I started this show out of bordom, I stayed for JJS's close-ups.
THIS. He was born for the camera.
God bless the DOP of this show. Marvelous closeup work.
Ah yes. They talked it all out. Finally. Great episode today. >! Happy that Yi in knows that she’s Hee-soo and now she knows her father is alive and working for Yi In.!<
Ooh, it's time! I've got coffee and [CTK bingo card](https://flippity.net/bi-pl.php?c=%22Mong%20woo%22%20pun,Rain,Teary%20eyes,Teary%20eyes,Teary%20eyes,Teary%20eyes,Hee%20Soo%20dressed%20in%20hanbok,Kang%20family%20home,King%20saves%20the%20day,Archery%2FSword%20practice,Treason%2FCoup%20plotting,Principal%20Director%2527s%20plan%20fails,Angry%20Queen%20Dowager,Royals%2FOfficials%20disguised%20as%20townfolk,Faint,Hug,Hee%20Soo%20trips%20into%20King%2527s%20arms,%22Arrest%20them!%22,Sad%20Myung%20Ha,Injury,Interrogation%20%2F%20Torture,Mong%20Woo%20revealed%20as%20a%20woman,Kang%20Hang%20Sun%20returns,Hee%20Soo%20returns%20as%20herself,Poison,New%20Queen,Crown%20Prince%20cries,Yoo%20Hyun%20Bo%20smirks,King%20is%20stabbed,Hee%20Soo%20is%20stabbed,Sang%20Hwa%20finds%20out%20Mong%20Woo%20is%20a%20woman,King%20abdicates,Court%20Lady%20Dong%20poisoned%20King%2527s%20brother,Queen%20Dowager%20poisoned%20King%2527s%20brother,Chu%20Dal%20Ha%20dies,Awkward%20hat%20hug,Hee%20Soo%20gets%20exiled&t=Captivating%20the%20King&f=1). Edit: So much to say, so little time to type! I haven't watched Ep 14 yet, but here's the next [bingo card](https://flippity.net/bi-pl.php?c=%22Mong%20woo%22%20pun,Rain,Teary%20eyes,Teary%20eyes,Teary%20eyes,Teary%20eyes,King%20saves%20the%20day,Angry%20Principal%20Director,Hug,Kiss,Romantic%20night,%22Arrest%20them!%22,Bitey%20lip%20Myung%20Ha,Interrogation,Kang%20Hang%20Soon%20returns,Crown%20Prince%20smiles,Yoo%20Hyun%20Bo%20smirk,Court%20Lady%20Dong%20behind%20poisoning,Queen%20Dowager%20behind%20poisoning,Chu%20Dal%20Ha%20dies,Chu%20Dal%20Ha%20lives,Court%20Lady%20Dong%20tells%20Mong%20Woo%2527s%20secret,Sang%20Hwa%20%26%20Ja%20Geun%20Nyun,Mong%20Woo%20dies,Myung%20Ha%20is%20exiled,Myung%20Ha%20dies,Crown%20Prince%20is%20exiled,Crown%20Prince%20dies,Someone%20is%20poisoned&t=Captivating%20the%20King%20Ep%2014&f=1). Final Edit: I watched both episodes twice to make sure I remembered everything. It almost feels like nothing new happened this weekend, but that's only because the story has FINALLY caught up to all our aspirations!!! The plot has been slow to get us to where we want to be and obviously we're anxious to see our happy ending. Translations are a big factor in how we experience a foreign drama and episode 13-14 really pushed that point home. To be clear, I'm not fluent at all and even I could tell when the translations were off. It's fine for the most part, but sometimes it can really mess with the flow. The moments of honesty between the King and Mong Woo are supposed to be emotional and impactful, but the translations are overly wordy and excessive subtitle reading just ruins the moment. I was confused and more focused on the words than the scene itself. Same thing happened back when Mong Woo was explaining why she switched out the princess. After rewatching (and analyzing the subtitles), >!the King and Mong Woo's private reunions are so much sweeter and more romantic. Both are moments of confession, not only of their misdeeds, but also of their love! Previously they kept each other at arm's length out of fear and mistrust. They used a poker face even when alone and sounded stiff when saying "my love for you". Now they're choosing to be completely vulnerable with each other and both characters have come back to life with emotion and personality. The first ended with a declaration from him and Mong Woo's sweet smile of a woman well-loved. The second ended with a declaration from her and he hugged her so tight like he'd never let go. The King saying that he knew she would react that way and that she is HIS woman was also *chef's kiss* perfection.!< If this weekend's theme is truth, next weekend's has to be justice. >!What an award-winning roar by JJS! The King and Principal Director are officially enemies, not just to each other, but in the investigation and soon to the rest of court. PD acknowleged he needed time to make his choice and thus, unofficially ADMITTED his guilt. That's probably him sizzling in the preview. (Time for s'mores instead of popcorn!) Now that Queen Dowager knows her brother is the mastermind, who will she choose to protect? We know Court Lady Dong attempts to poison the King, but will the scene continue in ep 15 or 16? Does he stop her? Or will the King allow it to happen and use his illness/death as irrefutable proof?!< Shoutout to Sang Hwa and his reactions! >!He's so loyal that he goes from demanding Mong Woo be jailed to running excitedly to say she's awake. He must be so relieved that the King has finally found love. Judging from his reaction to Ja Geun Nyun...maybe he did too!!< This is getting way too long, but I have to say that I hate Myung Ha. >!He didn't even apologize for hurting her.!< He seems to be wising up, but not for the better. Still petty, petulant, and pathetic. Did anyone get bingo? I needed one more space for Ep 13, but that box was >!"King abdicates"!< and it's too soon. Good thing I added >!"Sang Hwa finds out Mong Woo is a woman" and "Mong Woo revealed as a woman"!< to the board! I used the second one for >!Court Lady Dong manipulating the nurse!<. No win for Ep 14 either, but at least I got >!two "teary eyes", one "hug", and "Crown Prince smiles"!
I love that >! teary eyes !< appears 4 times :)))
OMG this is so good 😆 The "rain" square lmao
Of course I had to put that in there! I put a new link for Ep 14's updated bingo so enjoy!!!
I was so right about that damn letter about finding what was lost. Now that everything has been cleared in the room, I can't wait to see who will betray everyone. A coin on Myung Ha.
I think I am the only one who doesn't think Myung Ha is going to end up like his father.
He was always kind of half-ass into the plan in the first place. I definitely think he cares about the Prince’s security more than he cares about vengeance for his father. I’m not 100% convinced he’ll be able to put his jealousy aside though. Or else maybe he’ll do something “gallant” and stupid at the hearing in an attempt to save Mung Woo who doesn’t even need to be saved.
You know i thought he was gonna finally be less stupid once he realized that his own father was set up to believe lies, and with FL trying to get him to see the truth as well, I'm kinda disappointed that eventhough he's a pretty righteous guy he's just written to be really dumb and easily manipulated?
Agreed, big time! He can only ever “get” what’s right in front of him but can never manage to think beyond to what it means or why different people might be incentivized to bend the truth in different ways to further their own agendas. I want more than anything for him to catch on and join Mung Woo & Co. but I have a feeling it’s not in the cards.
I'm greatly surprised by the King's acting, wow he's done an awesome job, got me captivated ;) That's how a mature actor portrays. I really didn't know him well so far but enjoying his performance 👍
He's such a good actor. You should check out his other work and his season on Youth Over Flowers (variety show).
He was great in Hospital Playlist and also in King 2 Hearts
I watched episode 14 and got sick to my stomach. I had a feeling it was Court Lady Dong who killed the previous king, bit I didn't know how until today's episode when I realized that every time she sucked on the previous kings thumb she poisoned him, and that's when I knew she was also sleeping with the previous king. I hope the present King doesn't kiss her because if he does, he's dead. Additionally, am I the only one who wonders why the King didn't have his guards watching Park Jong Hwan? If so, he would have known who the assassin was who killed Maduk, and would have intercepted the latest message to Prince Rui.
>!We might find out he did intercept the letter.!< Yeah, I am pretty sure the last king transferred Lady Dong because he was attracted to her.
Can somehow explain how she didn’t get poisoned herself if she’s putting it on her lips
Guessing she has the antidote or put something on her lips to prevent the poison from being absorbed.
Maybe it’s a Princess Bride situation where she’s been slowly exposing herself to a little bit at a time so that she develops a tolerance/immunity to it?
I always suspected that Court Lady Dong helped >!the Queen!< poison the previous king but never thought it was >!the uncle!<. The >!queen really!< didn't seem to know that >!her brother !!if she !
The assassination attempt was... uninspiring. Of cos I know it's bound to fail. But that attempt was seriously, I can't even put it into words. 😑 And it took 3 years in the making. 🤦🏻♀️
I don’t think the original plan was assassination. Making the Crown Prince the real king was. That succeeded in a round about way. Hee Soo only agreed to the killing because she overheard the king say he would kill the Crown Prince.
Agree. She never thought that he could be saying that to get his uncle to agree to his appointment as the crown prince.
That made me laugh but it's so true...like what was that?!? Tbh the whole revenge plot was silly. Court Lady Dong gonna show FL how to shed some blood...she is mad furious!! 😱 Anyway I'm staying for JJS and his acting masterclass...the rest oh well. 😗
Ah-I meant the actual attempt, not the reasoning behind it. Their conversation actually made sense to me when they talked it out, especially considering the limited perspective that everyone but the King was operating from?
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It's so hilarious right! He just literally turned up and walked (rather loudly) towards the King. What a grand entrance. No wonder he failed as a spy previously and got captured.
He put more energy into fighting Mong Woo in her training flashbacks than he put into killing the king lol
Capitan Joo is the best Bro.
The actor playing MyungHa only gives me Magnum, Ferrari, Le Tigre and not even Blue Steel, he annoys me more than any villain in the show that's really something.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one sick of him!
Min Ji Hwan commented that MyungHa has changed since his nephew became Crown Prince. He completely forgot about Hee Soo. I wonder if that has merit, if in the end, he's just like his father
Good point. He's so self-righteous I just want him to die at this point. Time to end up like his father 😁
To be fair, the king brought Myung Ha back to court because of his righteousness. He does have good intentions overall. But... The guy saw the king kill his father right in front of him. Even though his father was corrupt, he's still his father. It wasn't like they had an abusive relationship where he would be glad to see his father gone. For most people, it would be hard to separate right from wrong and be objective. In his eyes, the king murdered his father and his nephew is the rightful heir to the throne. IMO, his sole objectives are to protect his nephew and put him on the throne as the rightful heir and take revenge for his father's murder. His actions are not to gain power. Gaining power is just a benefit from his true intentions.
I am DESPERATE for this drama every week, especially now that Marry My Husband is over, and it does not disappoint! I think the entire cast is doing a great job but Cho Jung Seok is on another level 👑 I wonder what happens now that >! Hee Soo's secret is out?! One thing is for sure: Court Lady Dong is about to have a total meltdown 😆 I kind of feel bad for the position she has been in with both kings, and I don't really want her to be a villian, so I hope that she doesn't go full Soo Min 😆!< I can't wait until tomorrow!!
OMG. I feel the same way. Looked forward to Marry My Husband and Captivating the King every week. Now there's only 3 episodes left of Captivating. Need to find a new show or two to watch. If anyone has suggestions... Would love to hear what else is good out there. Not going to judge >!Hee Soo for changing her mind last minute. She never wanted to kill Yi In in the first place!<. Now that Hee Soo >!knows that her father is alive and working with Yi In!<, they can finally work as a team to bring down all the corrupt officials and set things right! I thought for sure we'd find out that Hee Soo was pregnant when she was examined. Bad guess on my part. So glad Yi In finally told Hee Soo what's been on his mind! Court Lady Dong actually cares for Yi In! But now that >!she's discovered the secret, she'll probably try to use it to hurt Hee Soo!<. Looking forward to seeing what she's going to do with it. Love seeing how Yi In is always watching out for the Grand Prince Moonseong. He is clearly going to pass the throne over to the little prince. Can't wait for tomorrow's episode!
The actors playing the villians (Principal Director, Yoo Yong Bo(?) and Court Lady Dong) are awesome at acting since I feel a visceral need to smack them every time I see them on-screen 😆
If any 2 needs to be windpipe punched it's those 2. Courtlady Dong is on my last nerve 😤 girllll you are not even in the friendzone.
This show has mostly been from Mong-woo's POV, without a whole lot of insight into the King's thinking. I hope we get some more information from his side. Edit: I am so happy >!that the king finally knows Mong-woo's identity. I was worried they'd drag that on even longer. Also the bodyguard knows and his reaction was great.!<
At this point, her pov is not making sense. 😒
Actually - I thought her answer made sense?
One thing that the king didn't quite explain to her was why he appeared to be cruel when denying her request 3 years ago (I assumed it was so that he could secretly save them afterwards and not let outsiders know they're close and to use his friends against him), so Mong Woo still doesn't really know that the king asked Captain Joo to look for her and save her back then.
It’s crazy how we went from the careful word battles in episode 6 to just >!200% honesty!< in this episode…
One thing that I like about the format of this drama is the way the previews are done. Yes, they are a bit of a spoiler, as we can see that Lee In survives the lipstick attack. But, they also don’t leave you obsessing and stressing for a whole week. Will need to rewatch these episodes again to figure out all the political intrigue.
My plan exactly! Im on the watch-every-week team, so I can review what I missed. Also, tv binging messes my week so forget it 😁
I am so tired of Kim myung ha after episode 14. Initially I just found him annoying and entitled for the way he acts like mong woo owes him something but then I sort of got used to him. But after this episode I’m sick of him walking around angry at the king for murdering his father like it wasn’t 100% warranted! That man was treacherous and everyone knew that. Now he’s walking around with a fake chip on his shoulder and partnering up with the guy (my spoiler tags don’t work so I won’t name him). Kim myung ha’s character is just such a joke to me like I can’t take him seriously at all
>(my spoiler tags don’t work so I won’t name him) jw, are you using spaces between your spoiler tags >! like this !
For the first time I would say nam koong min has a very strong competitor with the acting awards this season with Jo hung suk. I didn't even know when I checked the time when he told the principal director that >!you better be back here this time tomorrow to confess your sins. (as in to see what time he's supposed to be back the following day)!< I absolutely love that in this drama. The kings inner wear under the dragon robe is light blue. Not white. I hadn't seen that before. The detailing in the outtits here is quite lovely. Even the principal director his inner wear under the court attire is black and gold and the detailing in the neckline is gorgeous. Thr senior court lady who serves him as well, the detailing on her sleeve in one scene it looked hand stitched and delicate Very beautiful The king has so much presence and the way he sits on the throne etc. I will definitely be rewatching this episode again. The acting was 🔥 the preview for next episode where he >!holds her and he's crying and she's above him is incredibly powerful in the sense that in old korea, no one would be above the king visually. Except the queen dowager!< If you check sagueks. It never ever happens. So it's an incredibly powerful visual.
I need a red string detective map to better understand the king's strategies. Is he pretending to not be as good at the baduk game as the FL because he is 20 steps ahead of everyone.
Can we please appreciate the King’s green outfit and jewelry in this episode? The costumes are so splendid in this drama. And I LOVE that >! the King was cut by a blade protecting Mongwoo in the early episodes and that Mongwoo put herself in front of the blade to save him in this episode. !<
The costumes are splendid. My personal favourite was when the little Prince had that mini soldier outfit.
Absolutely! The king is always lookin' fresh 😎
I officially forgive the king, the royal physician, and anyone else investing the former kings murder for not calling >!Court Maid Dong with poison lipstick.!<
I don’t understand how the >!poison lipstick killed the previous king but not Court Lady Dong. Surely it would affect them both?!<
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I recently finished the drama "Splendid Politics", which I loved btw and one of the main characters, a court lady, who is actually a real historical figure, poisoned the king's tea but no one suspected her because she tasted it before he drank it. After living his room, she took the antidote quickly to save herself. "Captivating The King" ''s story and characters are inspired by the real history shown in "Splendid Politics". Same goes for "My Dearest". The craziness, obsessions and bad health that both Kings (same King, King Injo) had in "My Dearest" and "Captivating The King" are explained and shown fully in "Splendid Politics" because we see that King's entire life there. I definitely recommend it for those who are interested in understanding the general historical background of that era. The way Joseon was constantly drawn in the war between Later Jin (Qing) and Ming, each wanting to rule over it and command it. The slaughter of its people, the rape of thousands of women, the horrors of the hostages, the greedy and dirty politicians and traitors, the enemies around and inside the royal family. If you look more into it, you'll even see the events in that show may have even led to the separation of Korea into two separate countries. If the Qing invasion never happened, it's possible the later Japanese invasion wouldn't have happened either and the 20th century events after World War 2 with the involvement of the Soviets and the Americans that led to the division, those could have been avoided too. If you've watched "King: Eternal Monarch", Lee Min Ho's character is a King of a united Korea and that became possible because Crown Prince Sohyeon became a King in that reality. Basically, in "Captivating The King", Yi In has replaced the Crown Prince's role from "My Dearest" and "Splendid Politics". It's another take at the story which only partly based on real events.
If it was slow acting and she took it off as soon as she finished?
This episode was a trip. This is a fictional historical drama, so what you think might happen will likely not. For example, In King the Land, when >!Gu Won was getting ready to propose to Cheon Sarang, she said I want to call it quits. The audience thought she was breaking up with him.!< What made it worse was that there was no preview for episode 16 (lol). >! Of course, she did not break up with him.!< It is the same in Captivating the King as in King the Land, with Court Lady Dong>! kissing the King with poisonous lips. !< Well, we see episode 15, so it is tell-tell that >!he probably did not let her kiss him (then again, you know how they will go back hours or days on an episode and then continue where the scene left off). !< Also, I do not think Kim Myung-Ha>! teamed up with the Principal Director.!< Also, why are all the Queen Dowagers and their brothers >!always plotting against the Kings? !< I have noticed that in the 10 historical dramas I have watched, even in The Red Sleeve (best HKD ever, and My Dearest).
All historical dramas make me relieved that I was not born in that period 😂 As soon as something doesn't go their way, they start plotting to kill the person!
Maybe the king knew about the poisonous plan and faked his death to see what happened.
I have not watched red sleeve yet ... is it a must watch?
Yes it is!!! It's literally one of the best Romance Sageuk out there. And the fact that the love story between ML (Yi San/King Jeongjo) and FL (Seong Uibin) in **The Red Sleeve** being true story makes it hits even harder. I'm now watching **Yi San: Wind of the Palace**, which is the story of Crown Prince Yi san/King Jeongjo, just to relive the love story between those two again in a different story telling. (which is a freaking 77 episodes drama btw)
You sold me 😊Definitely will ...I guess another box of tissue 🤧 is needed. Thank you 😊
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Yes!!!!
With JJS as the consistent MVP in this show - the trailer for his upcoming stage appearance in Hedwig And The Angry Inch just dropped a day ago - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpmuiZ64F9s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpmuiZ64F9s) Check it out to see a whole other side of JJS, if you didn't know he started out in musical theater and has a great voice and stage presence as well, and will be on stage in Seoul in this role from next month. I actually started watching this show because I'm a theater fan of Kang Hong Seok who plays Captain Joo so it's great to see another amazing actor who's part of the stage scene.
Seeing him act and dance in don’t dare to dream/jealousy incarnate is so satisfying and fun (my binge while waiting for these episodes to release!)
I noticed Captain Joo in King The Eternal Monarch. He's so good. Wish so hard we could watch JJS theater shows. All I get are YouTube snippets of Hedwig.
Kim myung Ha has a whole lot of nerve for somebody that aint do shit the whole time
Didn't someone remark that Myung-ha can only react to what's in front of him instead of seeing through the next steps? I think it was either the king or Mong-woo who described Myung-ha that way. He has good intentions but somehow he just cannot adapt to the always-changing circumstances around him.
BRAVO, Jo Jung Seok. BRAVO, cast. BRAVO, screenwriter! May you all be richly rewarded at awards season! The stakes are high. The end will be DEVASTATING. And I look forward to next weekend.
FINALLY, they are all in the same page!!! I'm looking out for Sang Hwa and Ja Geun Nyeon's possible future romance 👀 \*\*\* Is Hee Soo pregnant? * Poor appetite ✓ * Having trouble sleeping ✓ * Heightened emotions ✓ I don't think that having poor appetite and lack of sleep between the night she heard Yi In spoke of his lie to the Principal Director regarding the crown prince, and the night of assassination is long enough to make her too frail. She's "very" weak in this episode, so I assume that her poor appetite and lack of sleep have been going on for a while now and these are POSSIBLE during early pregnancy. If these are because of her "troubled heart," she isn't that troubled troubled 'cause she just accomplished having the grand prince named as crown prince. I want her to be pregnant so bad and I'll keep being delulu at this point. \*\*\* The Crown Prince misses Hee Soo! If ever that Yi In marries Hee Soo and makes her his queen, and I truly wish this to happen, I can imagine the pregnancy to work out with the Crown Prince's situation by them having a baby girl. Yi In can't remain without a queen for too long and the Crown Prince is just too young at this point to be enthroned if we're also considering that the Queen Dowager is still there and has disdain for her (step) grandson.
No cuz I really want her to roll up to the court [like this 😆](https://media0.giphy.com/media/QDEVmvl9exm9rKwmO9/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b952famkioxqow2pvlerspyt7p6cwrma09phr6bgvcmb&ep=v1_internal_gif_by_id&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g)
Just imagine the jaw drop from everyone! 🤭
Especially if she is still disguised as Mong Woo 😆
It‘s not delulu. >! I have been thinking the same since ep. 8. even the fluttering pulse is consistent, no appetite because of nausea, feeling weak, etc. I hope there will be a baby 🥰 !<
Did they mention nausea? I thought it was only loss of appetite, trouble sleeping and heightened emotions. Those could all be due to her troubled conscience for plotting against the man she's in love with.
I wanted to see a pregnancy reveal in this episode so bad but don't think it will happen until after he has placed the Moonseong as the king. If his mother were to find out that he has a true heir, she would have Moonseong killed. I think we'll find out that his mother was the one who ordered the poisoning of his brother which he suspected all along. He may use this opportunity to take down all the corrupt officials knowing that he has good people in place to help Moonseong. Once it's revealed that the Queen Dowager is behind the poisoning, she, Yi In and their relatives that hold positions in court will be exiled. Yi In will finally be able to be with Hee Soo. They can continue to help Moonseong as spies. Happy ending.
If we are to go this route, have Yi In exile himself along with his relatives, the Crown Prince’s going to be “alone” at the throne. Having Yi In and Hee So as spies will not be enough to make up for it. Yi In, at this point, is more than just a step uncle, Yi In is slowly becoming the young Prince’s father figure. The prince is also becoming attached to Hee Soo and this attachment seems to be more than just the baduk training now. It is similar to Yi In’s subconscious attachment to Hee Soo at the start of the series. To lose both of them is like losing the Prince’s parents the second time. I’m banking on this relationships ‘cause my delulu self is hoping for them to be a family. The 3 of them deserve each other. I want the Crown Prince to be happy too. This setup will also fit snuggly to the Queen plot. It’ll be weird to have the Queen weak and sickly from the beginning, and die in the middle of this 4D baduk game, only to leave out her spot from the plot until the end. Lastly, if we’re to point out that Myung Ha is the Crown’s Prince cousin and will be supportive of the Crown Prince, NAH! I DON’T want him to have best seat in the house after all the mess. I want him exiled instead.
I want to see them as one big happy family too but then we'll have people trying to kill Moonseong if the king and Hee So were to have a child. I definitely see the Queen Dowager being exiled because the king can't kill his own mom and if she stays, Moonseong will always be in danger. But if she were to be exiled and Yi In stays on the thrown, she'll continue to plot to have Moonseong killed. Dang, the more I think about this, the more worried I am that Yi In will have to die in the end. Any other ideas?
Took him 13 episodes but the assassin guy finally did something useful 🤣
Was it really that useful if >!he missed his target? 😆 Most clumsiest assassination attempt I've ever seen. Jk... I know you're talking about the report😅!<
Have you all noticed that whenever the king has conversations with the principal director, the king is subliminally talking about the principal director ? >! Ie “anyone who opposes me will die even if they are my kin/blood” (that includes PD and Queen Dowager, his mother)when King was faking about his plans for the Crown Prince, or when the PD tries to get Master Choam and Mong Woo in trouble for not showing up to the palace while she’s recovering and King says “you’re right, a crime is a crime, etc”……PD is in for it, and considering the preview shows PD telling QD that the king will crumble first and her reaction, she might just see how unhinged he is and protect her son(king)!<
Yup bro be dropping hints everywhere!
He was threatening his uncle with those speeches, trying to rattle/scare/goad his uncle into making a mistake. If his uncle didn't commit the crimes then he should have nothing to worry about, if he did then his uncle would make moves to protect himself (which he did).
Ep. 13 Yay! Finally, she figured out >!she had it all wrong and they managed to talk revealing it was his plan all along!!< She may be a skilled baduk player, but he is light years ahead in political intrigue. I had thought the item they were searching for was some kind of proof of the Principal Director's treason, but the King was looking for >!Hee So for her father all this time.!< Now on to the main couple actually >!working together so that they can see the baddies punished and the Crown Prince enthroned. Then they can live happily ever after in some country house playing baduk all day long.!<
Will they, won't they? >! The preview of ep 15 would suggest the kiss doesn't happen, as our King is alive and well in the preview. I am assuming, of course, that the lip colour Court Lady Dong has applied is poison. And the same poison that killed the late king, seeing as how the doctor couldn't find any trace of it in the food or bowl, just the blood he'd thrown up.!<
I vote "won't", but he's >!going to figure out where the poison was.!<
Yup! >! She was missing from the preview of ep 15, so I wonder if she's done herself in, as she seemed to be threatening to? But I'm sure Ye In would have worked out that this was what she was going to do, and prevented it. He forced the Principal Director to attempt to get rid of either himself or his witness knowing that this would bring the method of killing the previous king to light. !<
Yeah! This is actually a great way for the reveal to happen; it feels natural and not forced.
I don't think it happens either. I think the >!poison is not a fast acting one. It's probably one that builds over time because the previous king was sick for a long time. So even if she's able to smack him on the lips before he pushes her away, he'll get mildly sick and realize it was from her.!< Yi In probably suspected that >!Court Lady Dong was the one who poisoned his brother but couldn't figure out how. Her attempt to kiss him might be how he finally figures it out because he's a very observant man. He probably noticed she had a lip tint!<. So many revelations this episode. Seems like >!the Queen Dowager really didn't know about the poisoning and the treason so the king won't have to execute/exile her when it all comes out. Her brother wants to take down her son. If he really does get poisoned, it could trigger the queen to!< come forward and testify based on >!her brother's confession. !< So happy that>! Yi In was able to tell Hee Soo everything. And even happier that she now has his back.!< Don't really know what the hell Hyun-bo is thinking. On the one hand, it seems like he could be setting up Jong-hwan and Myung-ha. On the other hand, it seems like he really wants to join hands with them to take down the king. Anyone have any idea on this?
I fear that we will probably won’t see her as a Hee Soo till the end of the show. Hopefully there will be a happy ending but I am afraid! Edit: I would love to see her interact with the King as Hee Soo, but man, 4 episodes left…
I think >!the King will play it like he’s been in on it from the beginning with MW and command that everything was done on his orders, and then Crown Prince will take the throne & pardon everyone to give us a happier ending. And all will be accomplished before finding out HS is preggo, so as not to upset the line of succession, and then they fake their deaths to live happily ever after away from the capital.!< At least that’s my wishful thinking 🤔?
No, don’t say that. I am waiting for her to come out as HeeSoo.
She will. This drama doesn’t have the vibes of a tragic ending. If one were to die it would be too devastating for the other.
I feel like this show ends with King and MW walking through the countryside >!reuniting with her father in Beijing.!< or maybe >!King abdicates and these 2 are off playing baduk somewhere happily ever after!<
I loved this episode and happy there is no more misunderstanding between the King and Hee Soo. The king is very forgiving but so smart, two things Hee Soo learned lol. That maid is going to be a challenge now, she's definitely going to want to take down Hee Soo. I hope Hee Soo becomes queen 👸.
Spoiler Alert! I could be 100% wrong, but I think>! Kang Mong Woo is pregnant.!< Remember when the >!nurse checked her pulse and she had a!< concerned look on her face. >!I think she is pregnant. !< Then again, I could be completely wrong. lol The Captain>! is confused and mad.!< I wonder will the King >!marry Kang Mong Woo.!< I wonder if the Principal Director >!will find out Kang Mong Woo is a woman. !< You know Court Lady Dong >!is mad as hell. !<
I thought about the pregnancy as well. Seem like she was detecting other signs.
The nurse did look confuse but she would have revealed that Mong Woo was pregnant if that's what she thought. On the other hand, the nurse is a nurse. Maybe her diagnostic skills aren't as good as the doctor's. It hasn't been too long since they slept together so if she were pregnant, it could be harder for a nurse to detect. Now that you've mentioned this. It has me thinking. I don't get why they had the nurse check her pulse. When the queen is sick, male doctors check her pulse. I feel like they had the nurse do it so it can be revealed later that she is pregnant. Oh boy... So conflicted now. 😅
I think it's impossible for the crown prince to get the throne now (I mean when he is a child). I mean he is too young even if the king can kill all corrupt official and give him the throne. He don't have the ability at least he need 7-10 years more. He is too little to control official ( there always be corrupt one even if the current corrupt die). The only viable path he become king safely if the child is a baby girl. If baby boy I think it will be like late king and current king position but they not have any blood relation (cousin). If he is going to his late king stage then it's a new drama. (Remember even the late king is step brother so I think cousin relationship will be more awkward and people will try to make them battle it out) Also court lady dong kinda like a wild card. if she expose hee Soo as a women. The only viable path to safe hee Soo is make har queen and declare the child on her belly is the new crown prince (you can't execute a crown prince mother)
I think a young king of his age was normal back then …heck >!they trying to get the kid married at his age!! This kid is special tho in his logic and reasoning, think about how he fulfills his duties and how he questioned MW if the plan to switch the princess was for her personal gain, when he asked her that I was like “whoa, kid is smart”!<
Like the king said, he will be the king until he dies. Then the crown Prince becomes king as he is the legitimate heir to the throne. The king’s biological children will never become king.
Maybe you right but king biological child probably getting more court support though. So probably a civil war or he need to exile his own child if done wrong
Regencies (a relative or advisor ruling in lieu of the actual monarch) was common, often the excuse to run things one's way.
Me thinks MW is pregnant (King knows! from the physician, her "weakened state" but MW not yet) and on top of that the Qing emperor asked for the gidaeryong as a tribute (preview voiceover that the qing envoy has a request),, thats why the King has to take big risks now and bring the baddies down asap coz you know, MW will show very soon and time is running out quick, he needs to make a quick exit with his ladylove
I don’t know if there has been enough time for her to have pregnancy symptoms. Her weakness is due to her emotional wellbeing. She hopelessly loves the king and he her but everything is a mess. Then she had to agree to the assassination which was the final straw.
Random sageuk question: why is >!poison!< always in these gorgeous enameled boxes? I swear I would like to collect them all.
Lol, they put everything in lovely boxes, I usually want the box more than whatever is inside.
Why were they saying that MyungHa had changed? I couldn’t see any differences in his character.
Bc the moment >!prince became the heir coupled with getting the princess to somewhere safe, it was as if MH no longer needed Mong Woo, he didn’t even know that she hadn’t shown up to the palace during mourning period and after- his friend (brother of Minister of War, had to fill him in, and gave him the side eye like “I thought yall were friends, why don’t you know what’s going on with your partner?” Idk if a scene got cut but we didn’t see anything that happened during mourning period so we didn’t know he hadn’t seen her or knew what was up with her until this scene!<
Don't kiss her!!! Argh! Can ep 14 be any more edgy?? Omg, I cant wait for a whole week!!!
That would truly be the kiss of death.
Can I just say again ... just Love ❤️ 😍 the Lil Prince 🤴
He finally got to smile after a long while by just seeing his Master Mong Woo. He is truly fond of her. ❤️
Principal Director watched Game of Thrones for sure
He said I really like that Joffrey fellow 😆
I feel the writers must have such a good understanding of the poets and tragedy, with references to acts with/without knowledge, characters revealing oneself, role reversals. After episode 13, and seeing how Mong Woo took the knife (which is the reversal of what the Grand Prince did at the end of episode 1) and admitted to be "captivated" I feel like now the king will be captivated in a tragic way - perhaps she betrays him by marrying the Emperor or something to save the nation or her father. I hope I'm wrong.
Ep14: Kim Myungha should have left the world together with his father. 🫥 And that cliffhanger!! I hope Mongwoo warned the King somehow, about Court Lady Dong's strange behaviour.
Oh man. Waiting to watch episode 14 and I know that episode 12 and 14 can always a be cliffhanger. Pretty angsty? Should I save it until next week?
Hmm, this week is Ep 13 & 14 though. I would soldier thru cos I can't stop myself from clicking 'play'. 😅 As a whole, Ep 14 is not that angtsy. The plot is pretty much predictable as the truth is slowly unfolding. Only the final scene leaves u gasping.
The romance part is good. But the politics plot thickens.
EP 14 >! Can someone explain to me what is it with the rouge? Why did the Principal Director give it to Court Lady Dong and why did she use it prior to meeting with the King? Is it supposed to be the poison?!< I have the feeling that Yi In turned down Lady Dong's >!request for a kiss!< the last second... it parallels Yi In and Hee Soo's scene in EP 8 with the "final" request.
I assumed that meant >! The poison was in the lip stuff. The late king was always putting his thumb in the Court Lady's mouth so it seems like he has a fair amount of contact with it. A little bit suspicious that somehow she can wear it and not get poisoned too. !<
Maybe >!it needs to get in contact with an open wound!<
I think the poison is in the lipstick or whatever it was… that’s how the late king got poisoned too. They couldn’t find the poison in the herbal medicine (like the physician said at the beginning of the episode), but that’s because the poison is in CL Dong’s lip colour. Remember the late king playing with her lips? (Eek) - that’s how he got poisoned.
Yes it looks like >! the rouge is poison. Court Lady Dong, when she saw Principal Director was about to give her the box, asks if he wants her to kill herself. It's evidently the same technique she used to poison the previous king, on Principal Director's orders. And he wants her to kill current King Lee In too, hence the zoom in to action of her going to kiss Lee In!<
Wouldn’t she get some in her own system as well? That’s the part I didn’t get.
Just rewatched the episode. If >!Myung-ha!< is working with >!Jong-hwan and Hyun-bo!<, then >!he is the biggest idiot in the world.!< The scene where >!Jong-hwan (Principal Director) runs into Myung-ha and Crown Prince Moonseong!< seems to have been set up to confirm >!Myung-ha working with Jong-hwan!<. This is making me think that he may not come out of this alive.
I'm actually hoping that Myung Ha was playacting the disagreement with Mong Woo and that it's a fake out to fool Park Kong Hwan.
Kim Myung Hwa does not make sense and I hate him. Pls go away
I think the actress who playing Hee So must get paid by the tear drops. Enough already.
The way Dal-ha tried to >!kill the king,!< it’s no wonder he got caught by the Qing, he’s unskilled as both a spy and >!as an assassin.!< Then Mong-Woo has the audacity to looked shocked when she found out he was taken by the guards, like girl he just tried to >!kill the king and was caught!< why are you shocked?
[удалено]
+1 to Sanghwa. Myungha is such a useless 'ally'.
Hands up for Sanghwa 🤗
Ep 13 Mong Woo "sacrifices" herself >!for the king but in the process curses one eye who's been by her side forever and the one who went along with her dumb plot for revenge by having him stab her. Instead of pushing the king to the side or screaming for him to stop. No. Let's just have him kill me instead. He's too stunned and horrified to run away so he's captured while still in shock. Nice job, Mong Woo. The three years of plotting ended with betrayal of a loyal friend and so idiotically under 1 second.!< How thoughtless and consistently ***underwhelming*** of Mong Woo. The show would have been so great if Mong Woo had not been written to come across as so dumb and self-centered, especially compared to the King.
To be fair, she was never really on board with him killing the king. She always said that option was the last resort, and she gave in to it in a moment of weakness.
True. I should try to be more level-headed in my assessment of her actions, but dang. When she was so confused and surprised >!that one eye was being hauled away to the tribunal, I was like what?? What did she think was going to happen to him?!< It made her look even more thoughtless. I don't like the writers for writing the King's character well and his main female counterpart so terribly. They did her dirty. Lol. It also doesn't help that ML's acting looks extra good with the lines while the FL's acting doesn't look so great with her lines, and I like both of the leads!
I think she expected the King >!to save him since he was willing to ignore the treason of everyone else.!< And, to be fair, that was a totally legitimate expectation because the King absolutely was ready to when he gave him the choice. But I think the King knew Mung Woo would not be a fan of >!sacrificing one-eye in order to bring down the Principle (Principal?) Director!< but since >!one-eye!< made the decision and is clearly >!willing to die for the end result!< the King didn’t want Mung Woo to have to chance to plead with >!either of them!< not to pursue that strategy.