Recap: Queen In-Hyun’s Man Episode 9

Ah, the episode that everyone has been fearing. I thought I would be bored but this drama manages to keep us in tune with the characters and feel what they feel.

It’s a bright new day at Hee-Jin’s house.

Hee-Jin makes her way up the stairs to wake the sleeping Soo-Kyung who asks “You’re already awake? Aren’t you sleepy after staying up all night?”

Hee-Jin must still be basking in the warm afterglow of Boong-Do’s promise because she couldn’t sleep. She is, instead, going out to buy food.

Soo-Kyung still wants to talk about Boong-Do and his strange character but Hee-Jin replies, “I told you already that he is from 300 years in the past.” Soo-Kyung cries in frustration.

Hee-Jin takes out her new car and reminisces about the past night’s events- Boong-Do’s kiss and his promise to come meet her again. She caresses her lips and smiles with giddiness when, suddenly, her head spins.

The story splits to Boong-Do who is currently back in Joseon time, under attack from Minister Min’s lackeys. Back and forth we go from Boong-Do to Hee-Jin as the amulet is split and both Hee-Jin and Boong-Do grab their heads in dizziness and pain. Hee-Jin’s eyes blur as she comes up to a car stopped at a red light. She panics, swerves, and crashes into a tree. Hee-Jin hits her head on the steering wheel and lies unconscious.

Hee-Jin wakes up at the hospital and a nurse comes in. Hee-Jin asks the nurse, “There was a car accident, right? And I hit the sidewalk?” The nurses confirms saying, “Yes. Thankfully all you had is a concussion and some slight external injuries. After some examination and rest, you’ll be able to leave in a couple of days.”

Hee-Jin is concerned about having to rest a couple of days because she has to film the next day but the nurse tells her that she needs to rest. Hee-Jin asks for Soo-Kyung who is currently filling out admission forms. Hee-Jin worries about causing trouble for the drama again. She calls Soo-Kyung and asks about the car. Soo-Kyung tells her that it is the repair shop and although it will take a week to fix, the car didn’t get wrecked too much. Hee-Jin is relieved.

Hee-Jin: Thank goodness. I’m so sorry.

Soo-Kyung: For what?

Hee-Jin: I’m sorry to the person who bought me the car. Getting into an accident on the first day.

Soo-Kyung: “Bought” you the car?

Hee-Jin asks what happened to her during the accident and Soo-Kyung guesses that she dozed off. Hee-Jin denies dozing off and explains that she suddenly felt dizzy and her vision got blurry. The scene before her eyes started to ripple and then she couldn’t see anything. She thought she was going to die.

Soo-Kyung claims that it is because Hee-Jin is working too hard, filming overnight. Soo-Kyung wants her to take this opportunity to get a complete physical and rest.

Hee-Jin: I’m not in the position to do that right now. People have it out for me already because of the trouble I have already caused.

Soo-Kyung: What trouble?

Hee-Jin: This is already my second hospitalization. What will people think?

Soo-Kyung does not know what Hee-Jin is talking about. She just tells her that it is okay for Hee-Jin to rest. Hee-Jin doesn’t know what Soo-Kyung is talking about. What about the press conference? The plane scandal? Soo-Kyung and Hee-Jin talk across each other as they both fail to understand what the other is saying. Soo-Kyung hangs up in order to file the admission form.

With a knock, Dong-Min’s manager opens the hospital room door. Hee-Jin is surprised and annoyed that Dong-Min came. Dong-Min opens the door dramatically and while Hee-Jin asks why he came, Dong-Min rushes over and grabs Hee-Jin in a tight hug. He yells, “What do you make me worry so much?!”

Hee-Jin pushes out of the hug, saying, “Hold on a second. Hold on a second!” She slaps Dong-Min, who looks at her hurt, surprised, and pouty as Hee-Jin yells at him. “What are you doing? I told you not to do this. People will misunderstand if anyone saw us.” Dong Min asks, “What misunderstanding?” Hee-Jin reminds him that they recently had a three-party talk to stop making rumors and that she has a boyfriend. “We need to stop creating situations that can lead to misunderstandings. Let’s all be cool about this? What happened to the Dong-Min I know?”

Dong-Min, eyes wide open and completely confused looks back to his manager and they exchange glances that indicate what they think of Hee-Jin. Dong-Min asks Hee-Jin, “You have a boyfriend?” to which Hee-Jin replies, “We met him together!”

Dong-Min asks again, “We met him together? Your boyfriend? I met him?!” Hee-Jin asks Dong-Min’s manager, “What’s wrong with him?” The manager does not know what she is talking about. Dong-Min looks as his manager and places his index finger next to his temple, so that Hee-Jin can’t see, and proceeds to make circles that eventually explode. The manager understands and proceeds to leave the room, claiming to get some juice. Dong-Min soothes Hee-Jin saying, “Alright. Let’s just have you lie down for now.” The manager is outside, rushing to get the doctor. He bumps into her nurse and asks, “I thought it was a slight concussion. Are you sure it’s not something more serious?”

Dong-Min struggles to get Hee-Jin onto her bed and when she is finally sitting down, Dong-Min asks her if her head hurts. Hee-Jin tells him that she feels fine. She thanks him for coming but doesn’t want another scandal to occur. Dong-Min doesn’t know what “scandal” she is talking about. Hee-Jin explains, “The love triangle!” She is worried about Dong-Min, the “Hallyu Star,” getting involved in a scandal with a newcomer with a boyfriend.

Dong-Min asks cautiously, “So this boyfriend you are talking about? Who is he? What is his name”? Hee-Jin exasperated, exclaims, “Kim Boong-Do!” Dong-Min repeats each syllable slowly, “Kim Booooong Do.” “What does he do?” Dong-Min asks. Hee-Jin replies, “I told you that he is a graduate student.” Dong-Min fakes remembering, “Ah right, a graduate student. So your boyfriend is graduate student, Kim Boooong Do.” Hee-Jin’s doctor comes in but before he can examine Hee-Jiin, Dong-Min pulls him out.

Hee-Jin can only wonder at Dong-Min’s strange behavior as she opens her phone to call Soo-Kyung. On her screen she sees her call record that lists many from a person named, “My Man.” Hee-Jin wonders who “My Man” is and calls, only to hear Dong-Min’s phone ring as he re-enters the room.

On Hee-Jin’s cellphone screen, she see Dong-Min’s picture with the name, “My Man.” Hee-Jin is annoyed that someone played this joke on her phone and thinks that it is Dong-Min who did this while she was sleeping.

Then Hee-Jin suddenly remembers. She and Dong-Min are resting at the set of their drama and Dong-Min is looking at her phone. He sees himself simply listed as “Han Dong-Min” and changes it to “My Man.” Hee-Jin is happily embarrassed. The two proceed to talk in lovers’ play.

Hee-Jin wonders at this memory as Dong-Min and his manager talk to the doctor outside. The doctor tells them that there was nothing wrong on the examinations and that her condition might be just some strange side effects. He will look after her carefully and see if it is anything more serious. Dong-Min looks very concerned. (And I like Han Dong-Min for the first time in this drama.)

Hee-Jin is now pacing the room with her cellphone. Dong-Min enters and asks why she called. As she stares at him in confusion and fear, Dong-Min reaches out for her hand. She coils back, asking for a minute. When he tries to caress her face, Hee-Jin yells, “Don’t touch me! Leave me alone so I can think.” She tries to head out but is blocked by the manager and doctor so she hides instead in the bathroom.

Hee-Jin grabs her head in confusion as Dong-Min and the doctor ask after her. The manager asks Dong-Min what happened and the doctor goes to find someone to open the bathroom door. Hee-Jin keeps scrolling her call log, exclaiming that she couldn’t have talked to Dong-Min that many times when she remembers something again. This time, Soo-Kyung is pestering Hee-Jin about talking to Dong-Min so much. How can she have so much to say when she sees him at the drama set too? Hee-Jin can’t believe this memory. It does not make sense to her.

Hee-Jin searches herself on the internet and finds paparazzi photos of her on a date with Dong-Min. Hee-Jin flashes back to that day when Dong-Min proudly proclaimed to the public that Hee-Jin was his girlfriend.

Hee-Jin breaks down in tears as she repeats that this doesn’t make sense. “I’ve never done that but why do I remember it?” Soo-Kyung knocks on the bathroom door as Hee-Jin searches “Kim Boong-Do” but there are no records found. Hee-Jin starts to cry earnestly and wants everyone to just leave her alone.

Soo-Kyung asks Dong-Min and the manager to leave so she can talk to Hee-Jin. Dong-Min is angry at Hee-Jin’s “boyfriend” called “Kim Boong-Do” but Soo-Kyung doesn’t know who he is talking about.

Hee-Jin allows Soo-Kyung in, and she is stunned by Hee-Jin’s appearance. Hee-Jin asks her, “What is wrong? What happened to me? Everything is messed up.” Soo-Kyung asks her what is messed up. Hee-Jin replies, “I’m dating Han Dong-Min? He’s really my boyfriend?” Soo-kyung asks why Hee-Jin is asking this, if she asking because she really doesn’t know. Hee-Jin asks if the pictures on the internet are real to which Soo-Kyung replies, “Of course. Because you dated!”

Hee-Jin asks, “You don’t know Kim Boong-Do too? We met him together at Jeju Island. At the library too. You didn’t like him at first but then you did. You spent all day with him yesterday. You taught him how to drive and you bought a car together.” Soo-Kyung tells Hee-Jin that she bought the car herself with money made from commercials. “You bought the car with me. You can’t remember?

Hee-Jin: I do remember.

Soo-Kyung is relieved but Hee-Jin flashes back to Boong-Do giving her the car keys. (And I cry here.) Hee-Jin cries, “Then what is that? Kim Boong-Do giving me the car keys.” Soo-Kyung is exasperated, “Who the heck is Kim Boong-Do?” Hee-Jin asks once more, “You really don’t know who Kim Boong-Do is? I’m not the only one who saw him. You saw him, Dong-Min saw him, the passengers on the plane saw him, and there were news reports of him being my boyfriend. Every citizen knows he is my boyfriend. But no one remembers him. He’s not on the internet too. Even though there were pictures of us take together on the plane. There’s none.”

Soo-Kyung tries to calm Hee-Jin. “Are you sure you weren’t dreaming while you were here? Hee-Jin replies, “It doesn’t make sense. How could a dream feel so real? I remember every line we spoke. It’s not even just one day but one month. I have over a month’s worth of memories.”

Soo-Kyung reassures Hee-Jin that she was asleep all day today at the hospital. Soo-Kyung breathes in a sigh of relief, as she feared that Hee-Jin was experiencing some kind of amnesia. “Do you know how much everyone is worried? Dong-Min is in agony right now. It was a dream. A dream!”

Back in Joseon time, Minister Min sits in jail. Ja-Soo, under a disguise, visits him to report that Minister Min was right. Boong-Do had escaped from his confinement and that he was being searched for at the time Boong-Do came to Minister Min’s house. He then reappeared suddenly in Jeju after four days. It is certain that Kim Boong-Do had indeed left Jeju Island during that time. But Minister Min can’t understand how Boong-Do went back and forth to the capital and Jeju is such a short amount of time.

Ja-Soo also reports that Boong-Do has lost his memories of the past couple of months. He thought that Boong-Do might be pretending but when Boong-Do was leaving his exile, Boong-Do himself was disbelieving of what his servant was tell him about his adventures. Han-Dong was frustrated and told Boong-Do to ask Yoon-Wol if he couldn’t believe him.

“The amulet! The amulet must have done something,” Han-Dong exclaimed. Boong-Do remembers the amulet that Yoon-Wol gave him. Han-Dong explains, “Every time you disappeared, you had the amulet. You told me that the amulet was a treasure.” Boong-Do asks where the amulet is now but Han-Dong doesn’t know. It wasn’t in his stuff when they packed.

Ja-Soo and his crony were watching all this and Ja-Soo takes out the split amulet. The other man reports that Boong-Do was definitely holding the amulet when he suddenly appeared in the forest.

Minister Min wonders over all this while Ja-Soo reports that he couldn’t get near Boong-Do all the way to the capital because of all the security. Minister Min knows what he won’t be kept alive for long and rushes Ja-Soo to find out more.

Back in modern time, Soo-Kyung gets a call from Dong-Min. Soo-Kyung reports that Hee-Jin is at the hospital and Dong-Min is annoyed that Hee-Jin is still having a hard time accepting the fact that he is her boyfriend. Soo-Kyung tries to calm Dong-Min. They hang up.

Dong-Min is angry that he has to compete with a man from Hee-Jin’s dream. The manager is able to take Dong-Min’s side on this for the first time in Dong-Min’s long history with women. Dong-Min continues to goes on and one about it.

Hee-Jin has brought a list of her dream events and real life events to the psychiatrist. The doctor asks her if Hee-Jin is now able to differentiate between her dream and real life. Hee-Jin almost can. The doctor confirms, “The moment from which you are having a hard time differentiating is on the day of the press conference, right?” Hee-Jin affirms this, “I thought I met Kim Boong-Do on that day but I definitely went to the press conference and Dong-Min really pushed for me. After that, Dong-Min bugged me everyday at the drama set to start dating again.”

In the flashback, Dong-Min is one his knees apologizing and asking for another chance. “You’re Queen In-Hyun. She took back her husband who had her exiled.” Hee-Jin narrates that because Dong-Min begged her so much, she gradually came to forgive him. She continues, “The drama went along well and because of that, I made a commercial. And I was able to buy a car with my own money. It wasn’t a gift from Kim Boong-Do. And Han Dong-Min continues to be really good to me.  About ten times more than in the past. You’re saying that is reality.”

The doctor confirms, “Yes, and a reality that women all over the country are jealous of.” Hee-Jin sighs, “I couldn’t remember at first but I remember more now. Everything still feels strange, though. But doctor, why does my dream feel more real than reality? The memories you told me are dreams…I remember every word that person said and all the feelings that I experienced then, I still feel them now. They are so real that I can pin them to an exact date. Can this really happen to a person?”

The doctor replies, “I told that that it can happen when you concentrate really hard on something. As you are concentrating on a role, characters from the Joseon era can feel more real that people from contemporary time. It happens often to actors.”

Hee-Jin laughs, “You’re saying that I focused that much on my role as Queen In-Hyun?! That would make me a great actor.”

The doctor stands up. “I’m glad that you are able to differentiate reality from dream now. Don’t work too hard and meet family and friends and try to have some distance from your role.”

Hee-Jin leaves but returns to ask the doctor one more thing. Hee-Jin says cautiously, “Truthfully, I had a dream this morning about making a date promise with the man from my dreams.” She emphasizes the dream part. “Still,” Hee-Jin continues, “ I want to go out to the promised location. Does that mean that I need to continue to come in for sessions with you?” The doctor tells her to go so that she can see for herself that it was a dream. Hee-Jin replies, “So you are telling me to go because you are sure that the man won’t come.” The doctor says, “You said it was a dream.” Hee-Jin looks a little dejected and says, “But why do I think that the man will really come.” The doctor just tells her to go the the meeting place. Hee-Jin says that she won’t go. She doesn’t have the time.

Back in Joseon time, Boong-Do is back at the capital making his way to his house. Han-Dong tells Boong-Do that he must not let anyone know that he cut his hair. Boong-Do replies that Han-Dong worries more about the status of a yangban (high-caste group in Joseon times) than Boong-Do does. What’s wrong with a little haircut? Han-Dong is frustrated at Boong-Do’s thoughtlessness. Han-Dong was the one to quickly cover Boong-Do’s hair in Jeju so that no one found that. Boong-Do is not just an ordinary yangban from one from a great family.

Boong-Do is relieved to be back home and looks around his room. He notices that his sword is missing. His servant comes in to ask about food but Boong-Do tells him that he is going to the palace soon.  He then inquires after his sword. The servant tells him that they have locked away the sword. When Boong-Do asks why, the servant tells him that it is because it suddenly disappeared for a while and reappeared again in this room.

Hee-Jin is driving her car. She flashes back to a memory of Boong-Do when he was telling her that he changed history and his fate. He cites the Confucian saying, “Humans might plan but the Heavens decide how things turn out.” Hee-Jin repeats the saying, wondering how she remembers this when she never learned it. How can someone in her dream be more intelligent than her?

Hee-Jin flashes back again to the night in the car when Boong-Do promised to meet again in a month, to come be her boyfriend, to figure out what is the “effect” of their meeting.

Stopped at a red light, Hee-Jin says out loud, “So what if he really does come? What’s going to happen then?”

In a style true to the K-drama world, where the place you wanted to go but didn’t is always a dramatic and tire-screeching U-turn away, Hee-Jin swerves and drives to the promised location. Hee-Jin waits.

Boong-Do is in front of his house, smiling at the rain. Yoon-Wol approaches him, carrying his official clothing to wear to the palace.  Boong-Do tease Yoon-Wol, saying that he couldn’t recognize her out of her gisaeng clothes. Yoon-Wol explains that she stayed at his house because he had ordered her to but wore the servant’s clothes because a gisaeng can’t be seen living at a yangban’s house. Boong-Do tells her to choose, that he will do whatever she wants. She knew the gayageum only every since she was a child so if she wants to stay a gisaeng, she can. But if she is tired now, she can stay at his house. He won’t let her stay, though, as a servant, since she was a well-known gisaeng.

Yoon-Wol asks in surprise, “You mean to keep me as a concubine?” Boong-Do replies that it is one out of several choices. Yoon-Wol replies that she can’t. Boong-Do tells her that there is a lot of things in this world that you shouldn’t do but there is no other better choice. He wants to thank her for all she’s done for him and he wants to protect her life as a woman.

Yoon-Wol exclaims, “You told me there is world where someone like me gets the best treatment, that you wanted to take me there. If there really is someplace like that, send me there.” Boong-Do looks a little confused as Yoon-Wol continues. “I know you think me of as family.” Her voices fades as she says, “To spend my whole life just staring at you, does not fit me.” Her voice gets stronger as she continues, “If I wanted that kind of life, I wouldn’t have become a gisaeng in the first place.”

Boong-Do asks if he hurt her pride. Although Yoon-Wol tells him it’s not like that, Boong-Do apologizes.

Boong-Do continues, “You must have heard that I have lost all my memories. So I don’t know that place you said I spoke of. If I knew, I would send you there immediately.”

Yoon-Wol then says, “So you didn’t meet that woman?” “Woman?” Boong-Do questions. Yoon-Wol explains, “You said that there was a woman to whom you had to return a favor to. That’s why you had to go to that place for a while.” Boong-Do looks confused.

Hee-Jin is waiting by the telephone booth and it’s now thirty minutes past their meeting time. Some time passes when she hears a man’s voice call her attention behind her. She turns around in anticipation and is disappointed to see it is a stranger just asking if she is the actress Choi Hee Jin. Hee-Jin denies this and the man goes away. It starts raining so Hee-Jin rushes into the phone booth instead of her car.

While she stares out into her world, Boong-Do is in his, repeating Yoon-Wol’s words in his head about the woman whom he had to thank.

Boong-Do calls Han-Dong over and tells him that he needs to find the amulet. He sent a letter to Jeju so if they find it, they will let him know. He could have dropped it here too so he commands Han-Dong and everyone else in the household to look for it. He also asks Han-Dong if he every spoke about a woman he had to thank. Han-Dong says no and then quickly asks if Boong-Do has a hidden woman. “Is that why Yoon-Wol is crying.” Boong-Do is surprised to hear the Yoon-Wol is crying and explains that it isn’t because of a hidden woman but because he was short-sighted and did something embarrassing, a “bbul-jit.” (It’s a modern slang word.) Han-Dong picks up on the strange world and asks what it is. It doesn’t seem to be based on Chinese characters. It’s the first time he’s heard it. Boong-Do doesn’t know either. He asks Han-Dong what it means.

Hee-Jin continues to wait and she sees a man covered by an umbrella approach her. Hee-Jin breaks into a smile and the telephone booth door opens.

It is revealed to be Dong-Min and Hee-Jin looks disappointed. Dong-Min yells at her for coming to this place. He called the doctor who told him where Hee-Jin was. Hee-Jin explains that she was going to leave immediately but it suddenly started raining. Dong-Min continues to complain that Hee-Jin is being mean to him. Hee-Jin sheepishly exclaims, “Yeah, I don’t know what I keep doing “bbul-jit” these days. Han Dong-Min extends his hand and Hee-jin hesitates to take it.

Boong-Do repeats “bbul-jit” and reasons that he really must have gone somewhere in order to pick up a word he doesn’t know. He commands Han-Dong to find the amulet before he returns from the palace.

Han-Dong worries about the rain but Boong-Do explains that he needs to quickly meet “In-Hyun Wang Hoo.” Han-Dong doesn’t know who Boong-Do is talking about- you add “Wang Hoo” to a queen who has passed away. Boong-Do also doesn’t understand why he said that. He doesn’t even know who “In-Hyun Wang Hoo” is- it’s not the current queen. (Korean royalty are given a posthumous name and “In-Hyun Wang Hoo” is what we called King Sukjong’s wife now.) Boong-Do says that he must have “lost his taste” (that’s a literal translation but metaphorically meaning that he must have gone crazy).

Once again, Han-Dong doesn’t know what Boong-Do is saying. Boong-Do this time knows that it is an expression used to describe someone who has gone crazy but Han-Dong tells him that it is a phrase he has heard for the first time. Boong-Do can only laugh and tells Han-Dong that he hasn’t really gone crazy but that he must have forgotten something really important.

Hee-Jin finally takes Dong-Min’s hand. Boong-Do puts on his official clothes and repeats, “In-Hyun Wang Woo.” Hee-Jin walks away from the phone booth with Dong-Min.

Comment:

Wow, that was a long recap. I just had to write out a lot of the dialogue because there are clues to each other’s presence in the words that they use. Thanks to that, this one took forever. I hope you guys lasted through the whole recap. I know the subs take long so I tried my best.

It’s interesting how for Boong-Do, his memories are completely gone, while for Hee-Jin, Boong-Do remains as a trace in her dreams. Yet, habits die hard and Boong-Do has picked up several things in the future that remain with him. He uses modern words and his hair remains cut.

It’s strange how in the drama universe, Hee-Jin’s heart still remembers Boong-Do, or remembers her lack of affection for Dong-Min, while her head remembers Dong-Min as her boyfriend.

I was moved by Yoo In Na’s acting in the bathroom scene where you can really feel her confusion as “supposed” reality and dreams collide. I could feel how much she likes Boong-Do in this scene. I knew she liked him in the past but the scene confirms to what degree.

While typing out so much dialogue, I see how well this drama is written. We have time travel and amnesia without histrionics. The characters remain well-within in the range of believability despite the strange world they are caught up in. I really appreciate the normalcy within the drama.

Heehee. So literally, Hee-Jin is “In-Hyun Wang Hoo” because the current queen at Boong-Do’s time is not called “In-Hyun Wang Hoo” yet. Boong-Do is really Hee-Jin’s man.