Recap: “Faith” Episode 5

Is it a confession? Wouldn’t we all like to believe that. In this episode Ki Chul meets his match in the most unlikely person while Choi Young finally returns to us from the land of the frozen.

Episode 5

Ki Chul demands to know who told such ridiculous stories about a divine healer. He points to Eun-soo ordering her to answer if she was the one. Eun-soo tries to leave but Jang Bin whispers that if she runs away now, she will die. Eun-soo wonders if Ki Chul will really kill her and she gets her answer when Ki Chul screams at her once more.

Gongmin gets up, interrupting Ki Chul.  So he’s Ki Chul, the brother of the Queen of Yuan. Queen Ki told him that Ki Chul would take care of Gongmin. She warned him to not be surprised if Ki Chul forgets etiquette and walks right up to the throne; it’s because he is overly eager to serve the king. Gongmin turns to his ministers. See, Ki Chul ran all the here because he was worried about the king. See the loyalty!

Ki Chul is not shaken by Gongmin’s thinly veiled sarcasm. So Gongmin believes that “weird thing” came from heaven?

No-gook answers. “I believe. An assassin wounded me on the way to Goryeo.” No-gook tears off the bandage covering her wound and looks at Eun-soo. “My neck was stitched together by the eui-sun over there.” Is there any doctor in Goryeo who could do the same?

Jang Bin whispers to Eun-soo to show that she is someone from heaven. When Eun-soo asks how, Lady Choi advises her to not cry or shake. Jang Bin adds that Eun-soo should act the same way as she does in heaven.

Ki Chul shakes his head. Oh our poor youthful king and queen! Did Choi Young tell them these fairtyales? That’s what he heard. Is it true? Gongmin does not answer and looks away. Ki Chul demands that they bring the traitorous Choi Young here.

Eun-soo speaks up. That’s impossible. Choi Young is her patient and nobody can move him without her permission. Ki Chul is pissed. How dare this bitch speak to him?

Eun-soo is indignant. Why is Ki Chul using banmal with her and cursing her? How old is he anyway? Eun-soo let him know that she used to be plastic surgeon in Gangnam so she’s dealt with her fair share of crap. She’s not holding back right now because she doesn’t know how to use curse words. It’s because they are in front of the king. (Joonni: *Fist pump in the air*)

Everyone looks at Eun-soo in surprise and Ki Chul is left speechless. His mouth is literally frozen in a big “o.” Changing her tone, Eun-soo turns to Gongmin and asks if she can return to look after her patient. Gongmin happily agrees.

Ki Chul blocks Eun-soo. Does she want to die? Eun-soo turns to Gongmin. Ah! She remembers Ki Chul from her exams! She faces Ki Chul and give him a little history lesson- Yuan is going to fall and Ming will be the next dynasty. Eun-soo also remembers how Ki Chul dies but she’s not going to tell him. Why? Because she doesn’t like him. Wagging her finger into his face, Eun-soo says in English, “Hey You! F- -k. Go. To. Hell!” Eun-soo quickly exists the court, leaving behind a very bewildered audience. What the heck just happened here?

Outside Eun-soo stumbles. She had really been afraid in there, facing Ki Chul. Jang Bin catches her and compliments her. She did well, a little too well.

Back with Choi Young, Eun-soo is more determined than ever to return. She has to save Choi Young since he is the only one who can send her back. She is going to have to reopen the wound and clean out the infection. Jang Bin and Deo-gi prepare a medicine to help clean out the wound.

Choi Young is still in his frozen forest with his father. His father asks, “Is she still in your heart?” Choi Young answers, “Yes. I can’t let her go yet.”

Choi Young practices combat with Bae-hee. She tells him to don’t worry about his back. She will always be there. He tells her to never leave his field of vision so he can protect her. He closes his eyes and leans in for a kiss but when he opens his eyes, Bae-hee is no longer there.

Choi Young runs through the forest looking for Bae-hee. She is at the edge of the forest preparing to hang herself. She throws off her Jeok-wol-dae bandana and, carried by the wind, it lands on Choi Young’s sword. Bae-hee dies and Young falls to his knees in realization.

Bae-hee’s bandana is still wrapped around Young’s sword in present time. Choi Young starts to seize and everyone rushes to his side. Eun-soo runs off to the herb garden, upset. Jang Bin follows her.

Eun-soo rants. Why won’t the psycho wake up when they have cleaned out the infection and lowered his fever? Jang Bin informs her that this is not the first time Young has been wounded by his sword. Since he has nae-gong, he has often been able to heal himself without much help from medicine. Eun-soo wants to know then why is he like this now?

Jang Bin quotes a saying. A low level doctor treats an illness but a mid-level doctor treats humans. Eun-soo has treated Young’s wound but she hasn’t treated the person yet.

Eun-soo heard this from her professor. It doesn’t matter how well a doctor treats a wound if the patient has no will to live. But Eun-soo can’t do that treat people. She got her license in cardiothoracic surgery, learning from the best in the country. But she switched from general to plastic surgery because she hated patients. The risk is high for general surgery while the payoff is low.

Jang Bin asks Eun-soo if she has ever killed a patient. No, Eun-soo answers. This isn’t some kind of drama where she is burdened by the guilt of killing a patient.  Jang Bin counters then it must be because she is afraid that a patient will die.  If Choi Young dies, he will be the first patient that she killed.

Choi Young sits alone in his dream, slowly freezing.

Yang-gak, Ki Chul’s henchman, is all riled up because of Eun-soo. It’s not just him but all the other ministers too. Ki Won, Ki Chul’s younger brother, is honestly shocked by the way Eun-soo looked down on Ki Chul. She also stated that she knows when Ki Chul will die. Did Yang-gak hear her cast a spell? Flashback to Eun-soo cursing Ki Chul in English. Everyone is saying that it is a death spell! (Joonni: *Dies laughing*)

Ki Chul comes out from his bath and declares that he will have to see that “weird thing” again. Ki Won has already tried but the Woodalchi blocked him. Ki Chul scolds Ki Won. Didn’t he order Won to bring him Choi Young before? They could have avoided this interference by the Woodalchi.

Yang-gak informs Ki Chul that there is a rumor Choi Young has been cursed by the eui-sun. Right now he is hanging to life by a thread. Ki Won exclaims, “See! She was casting a spell! ” Ki Chul decides he has to meet the king.

This time, Ki Chul actually bows before Gongmin. Instead of addressing Ki Chul immediately, Gongmin lets him sit there for a while. “Ah! I was surprised by your show of respect and let you know bow so long. You can sit comfortably now.”

Ki Chul moves to pull out something from his robes. It is the message left at the site of the twenty-four ministers’ murder. Gongmin had ordered Ki Chul to help Young figure out the message and he has come with the answer. It seems to be a message from the previous king warning that he will die if Gongmin becomes king.

Gongmin pulls out that the original letter stained with blood and remembers Choi Young showing him that the blood on it was not human. Showing Ki Chul the letter, he deduces the point that Ki Chul is trying to make- the minsters that gathered that day were there to protect the previous king. Exactly, Ki Chul answers. Who else would write a message like that except the former king in exile?

Then Gongmin wants to know. Who killed all those ministers? Surprisingly, Ki Chul answers that he is the one who did so- for the king and for Goryeo.

Gongmin eyes his centipedes wondering if he should reveal Ki Chul’s falsehood right now. He asks Ki Chul, “What if this letter was planted after the ministers died?” Ki Chul wonders. Who and for what reason would someone do that?

Gongmin laughs. Yes, who? Gongmin closes the drawer with the centipedes. He thanks Ki Chul and announces that he’s going to have to reward Ki Chul for taking care of this situation so well. Ki Chul pretends humility -can he really ask for a reward? Then here it is. There is someone at his house who has an illness that can only be healed by Hwa-ta. So let him take the eui-sun so she can heal him….If she is who she says she is. If she isn’t,well, like with the ministers, Ki Chul will take care of her for the king.

Gongmin’s face hardens. He asks Ki Chul if he is afraid of Eun-soo. Ki Chul replies that he is afraid of the king, not Eun-soo. Gongmin has had enough of this word play. He wants Ki Chul to answer him straight. What does he really want?

Ki Chul counters that he was never playing. He really does want the king. He plans to get rid of anyone who stands in the way of bringing Gongmin to his side, whether it is the eui-sun or Choi Young.

Gongmin wonders if what Ki Chul really wants is Gongmin to be quietly obedient to him. No, Ki Chul replies. What he desires is Gongmin’s heart. The harder it is to get, the more he wants it. Ki Chul finds joy in gathering hearts.

Gongmin laughs. Hearts? Okay, let’s do this then. Let’s see who gets people’s hearts first. Shall they start with the eui-sun? Will seven days be enough for Ki Chul to try to win her over? Yes, it will be enough, Ki Chul responds. Gongmin allows Ki Chul to take Eun-soo. He warns that if Ki Chul fails, he must return Eun-soo safe and unharmed.

Deo-gi drags Eun-soo, who has been struggling to grind up medicine, to Young. Dae-man is worried- Young’s pulse is weak and his body is cold. Is there anything that he can bring for Eun-soo to use? Eun-soo responds that there is nothing that she can do here without modern medical equipment. When Dae-man complains that Eun-soo should be able to do something since she is the eui-sun, she informs him that they may call her that but it’s not something that she agreed to. Dae-man and Deo-gi leave to find Jang Bin.

Alone with him, Eun-soo talks to the unconscious Choi Young. She heard him talking to Gongmin. She understands why he is like this now; life has been cruel and unfair to him. But he’s not the only one who went through something like that. Others all still live, gritting their teeth and struggling because…

Before Eun-soo can finish her sentence she notices that Young has stopped breathing. She starts to perform CPR on him. Jang Bin comes in and feels Young’s pulse. There is none and he tries to stop Eun-soo but she refuses. She can’t let him die, not after she stabbed him. Young can’t leave her alone here! He promised that he would protect her if she stayed by his side. That’s why she came all the way here! Eun-soo continues the CPR as a tear falls on Young’s face.

Choi Young feels her tear and hears her voice. The ice starts to crack. Back in the real world, Jang Bin listens for Young’s breath. He’s breathing again! Eun-soo tearfully smiles in relief.

No-gook rushes to Gongmin, pushing aside Lady Choi and Gongmin’s eunuch. May she have a word with him? Gongmin asks if she will just go if he says no. Ha! Of course not. No-gook demands to know if Gongmin really allowed Ki Chul to take Eun-soo. Instead of answering her question, he scolds her for referring to Ki Chul by his name instead of his status as “Deok-sung-boo-won-goon” (a title that identifies Ki Chul as related to royalty).

No-gook reminds Gongmin that Eun-soo has to treat Choi Young. Gongmin answers that he knows but No-gook counters that he doesn’t. Gongmin can’t believe what he is hearing? Didn’t No-gook grow up as a princess? Didn’t she learn any manners?

No-gook thinks the king’s manners are more important than hers. How can he hand his people over to the enemy one by one so that he can live? (Joonni: Goodness, I love this girl so much.)

Gongmin sends away his eunuch and speaks to No-gook alone. He glares at her and asks, “Who am I? WHO AM I?” He wants to know if No-gook is naturally this disrespectful or if she is acting this way because she is a Yuan princess and he is only a weak Goryeo king (Joonni: Oh Gongmin, your inferiority complex kills me.)

No-gook asks if Gongmin really does not know. Yes he really doesn’t, Gongmin answers. That’s why he is asking her. No-gook explains. A pheasant hiding in the grass from a hunter thinks that it can’t be seen. Is Gongmin a pheasant? Does he not know who is on his side? Who he needs to protect? Who will be left at his side if he lefts Eun-soo go and Choi Young dies?

Gongmin wonders then if No-gook ran over here because she was worried about him, not Choi Young. He heard that she called Choi Young secretly to her quarters. Was that also for him?

No-gook is surprised that Gongmin had this much interest in her. Gongmin asks if No-gook does not understand the Goryeo language when she finds it difficult to answer. He demands to know for whom she called Choi Young into her quarters for.

No-gook’s voice is strained by the tears rising in her throat as she answers. If Gongmin falls, she falls. If he is stepped on, so is she. Of course she is worried about him. Gongmin’s face softens in surprise. No-gook continues. She ran over here because she couldn’t just stay in her room, worrying. That’s why she spoke without proper etiquette.

Gongmin moves to get closer to No-gook but she cuts him off with her words. “I was wrong to come here and ask. I will never look for you or ask you again. So please forgive me.”

In another corner of the palace, Ki Won and his guards demand for Eun-soo. The Woodalchi block him but Won informs them that the king gave permission. The Woodalchi don’t believe him and draw their sword. So do Ki Won’s guards. Jang Bin demands Won produce a royal token to prove his word. Won gets angry at Bin’s audacity and orders his men to attack. The Woodalchi and Jang Bin fight back.

Eun-soo, hearing the commotion outside, opens to door and exclaims at the fighting. She sees a wounded guard and tries to approach him but Jang Bin blocks her. Eun-soo calls for a time-out and declares that she is going to take care of the injured person. She reminds Won that she is a doctor and you don’t kill doctors even during war. She makes a cross symbol with her fingers and declares “Red Cross.” This scares Ki Won and his men. Ha! They think she is casting a spell on them.

Eun-soo and Jang Bill kneel by the wounded soldier and Ki Won takes this opportunity to point his sword at Bin’s neck. He demands that Eun-soo go with him or Jang Bin dies. At that moment Choong-suk enters and orders the Woodalchi to let Eun-soo go; it was the king’s order. Ki Won and his men drag Eun-soo away.

Inside the room, Choi Young’s fingers move.

The next day, Lady Choi reports to No-gook that Eun-soo was dragged away last night. No-gook notes Choi’s use of words- not escorted by dragged away. She wonders if Ki Chul will kill Eun-soo. Lady Choi thinks that if Ki Chul finds Eun-soo useful, he may let her live for a while. No-gook then wonders if Ki Chul will kill Eun-soo if he does not. If he kills her, then Choi Young might also die.

In Gongmin’s quarters, Jo Il-shin asks for a royal order. He will risk all to bring back the eui-sun. Gongmin paces the room and he sees his reflection. It is hazy and twisted.

Dae-man rushes to Choi Young’s side as he wakes up. Young weakly complains that it is too bright and the puppy promptly stands in front of the window to shield Young. The puppy smiles in happiness to see Young awake.

Dae-man notifies Jang Bin that Young is awake. He also asked about Eun-soo so he told him everything.

Jang Bin tells Young that if it wasn’t for Eun-soo, Young would not be alive right now. When Young gets up, Jang Bin warns him that his pulse is still weak and he needs to rest. Young ignores him and asks if he just let them take Eun-soo away. Even if it was a royal order, Bin should have made her faint and claimed that she couldn’t be moved.

Young picks up his police shield so Jang Bin asks if Young, as a Woodalchi who protects the king, will defy the king’s order. Young asks Bin to move. He already lacks strength. Don’t make him waste it.

Jang Bin hands Young a pocket. It contains three pills of a medicine that will help Young maintain his energy for a day. But, Jang Bin warns, Young should not use his nae-gong. He might not be able to use it again if he does. Young sarcastically remarks that Bin is a doctor who speaks words of strength.

Jang Bin explains to Young that Ki Chul is trying to frame Eun-soo as a fraud and Young as the one who conceived the deceit.  Does Young have a plan? Young answers that he will face Ki Chul head on- a full frontal attack. (Joonni: Seems that this is Young’s favorite type of solution. He said the same thing in episode one when Eun-soo asked him if he has a plan to face the police waiting for him in episode.) Young rides to Ki Chul with Dae-man secretly tailing him. (Joonni: Aw, the puppy!)

Ki Chul is surprised to hear that Choi Young is alive. Didn’t Yang-gak say that he was hanging by a thread? Yang-gak replies that he heard Eun-soo saved Young. Ki Chul wonders if everything is true- that she is a disciple of Hwa-ta and came down from heaven.

Ki Chul: “Will there be another person in Goryeo who will look me straight in the eye and ask, ‘How old are you.? I know when you will die.’ Will there be another girl who can talk to me like that? Will there be another person in Goryeo who will look me straight in the eye and demand that I get on my knees and bow? Those two people are in my house right now.”

Yang-gak asks if he should bring Young here or imprison him. Ki Chul asks why they should do that. It wouldn’t be fun then. He smiles and Cheon Eum-ja looks at Ki Chul knowingly.

Back at the lalace, the eunuch informs Gongmin that Choi Young went to see Ki Chul. According to Jang Bin, it is unbelievable that Young is walking on his own two feet right now and when he asked if Young had a plan, he just answered that he will face Ki Chul head on.

Gongmin feels disrespected. Choi Young must be laughing at a king who is racking his brain trying to do things in roundabout ways. The eunuch reminds Gongmin that it was a royal order to send Eun-soo to Ki Chul. Choi Young is disobeying a royal order by going to Ki Chul to bring Eun-soo back.

Gongmin is hurt. While he trusts Young, Young does not trust him back. The princess ran over here yesterday and criticized him because she didn’t believe in him. Choi Young went by himself to Ki Chul risking his life because he didn’t believe in him either. Young didn’t even consult him. Gongmin wallows in self-pity. Nobody expects a weak and pathetic king like him to have anything planned. Gongmin asks: “This position. This position as king. If there is no one who believes in and counts on me then what do I need to hang in here for?”

Eum-ja escorts Young into the inner courtyard of Ki Chul’s house. Young searches for Eun-soo and when he sees a woman dressed in her clothes, he dashes toward her, fighting off the guards. Unfortunately, it is only Hwasoonin in disguise and she attacks him with a weaponized teacup, which Young blocks.

Hwasoonin flirtatiously laments that Young won’t fall for her tricks. But didn’t he think that she and the girl that he is looking forward looked similar? Choi Young smiles and replies that the person that he knows is not someone who will wait so quietly.

The guards surround Young and they attack. Young fights them off, expertly using the police shield. Hwasooin and Eum-ja also attack Young but he escapes their attack.

Ki Chul watches from above. Didn’t Yang-gak say that Choi Young uses nae-gong? But look, he is only using his sword. He orders Yang-gak to order Eum-ja to use his eum-gong. But Yang-gak worries- Eum-ja has not learned to single out people for his attack. His sound affects everyone near him. Ignoring Yang-gak’s warning, Ki Chul grabs Yang-gak’s fan and hits the wall to signal to Eum-ja.

Eum-ja proceeds to play his flute. The guards all fall in pain, blood dripping from their ears. Ki Chul hardens his ears to protect himself. Young falls in pain, blood dripping from his mouth and ears. He stands up and gathers his nae-gong. Ki Chul watches in pleasure. So Choi Young DOES have the ability of nae-gong!

Young pushes forward and Eum-ja is surprised. He plays harder but Young throws back the sound waves toward Eum-ja, forcing him to stop playing. Choi Young hears a whistle. It is Dae-man, signaling to him that he has located Eun-soo.

The Wooldachi all kneel in front of Gongmin. Choongsuk pleads for the king to allow at least twelve men to go aide their dae-jang. But Gongmin refuses so Choongsuk continues to beg. He has served Young for seven years. During those seven year, Young has always risked his life to protect the king. Does the king not recognize Young’s loyalty?

Gongmin still refuses so Choongsuk explains. There must be a reason why Young disobeyed a royal command. Young has to be alive in order for Gongmin to hear his reason.

This all seems to fall on deaf ears as Gongmin declares that Choi Young cannot disobey his order. When the Woodalchi continue to beg, Gongmin loses his temper. Are they able to think? He allowed Eun-soo to go on a royal order. The Woodalchi were there to hear it. How can they go now to rescue her? It would mean that the Woodalchi are disobeying the king and they would have to be punished by death. The only way they can save their dae-jang is to pretend that Young did not know the king’s order and they spoke to Young after he woke.

Dae-man leads Young to the room where Eun-soo is being held captive. Before breaking open the door, Young stops and wipes the blood his mouth (Joooni: Aw, he doesn’t want her to worry! It’s like a guy cleaning himself up before he meets his date!) Young breaks the lock and walks through the door. Eun-soo gets up in surprise and exclaims, “Psycho!” Choi Young apologizes for being late.

Eun-soo rushes over to Young. “You’re alive!” He asks if she is okay. She grabs his face and checks his fever. It’s down! He came back. She saved him! Eun-soo lets him know that she is trapped here. Choi Young replies that he knows.

Outside in the hallway, Dae-man draws his sword at the approaching group of Ki Chul and his posse.  Choi Young steps up and bows his head in greeting. When Ki Chul addresses Eun-soo as “you,” Young warnS Ki Chul Eun-soo has been titled an eui-sun by the king. She should be properly addressed as so.

Ki Chul remembers that Young talked about proper etiquette before to. He asks Young if he is someone who thinks manners are more important than his life. Young smiles. Of course not. He’s just trying to buy time with all this talk of etiquette.

Ki Chul asks time for what. Young replies, “Time. I plan to run away with that person behind me.” Ki Chul snorts. Does Young really think that he can fight all of Ki Chul and his men with Eun-soo tagging along? Does he have his Woodalchi men hidden somewhere?

Young replies that he came by himself for his own personal reason. The Woodalchi does not move without the king’s order. Ki Chul wonders why Young came by himself. Young asks him if he does not know what “personal” means. Young came because he personally loves Eun-soo. Everyone looks at Young in surprise, especially Eun-soo. (Joonni: Really? Did he just say that? *blush and giggle*)

Ki Chul: “What did you say?”

Young: “What man would not come to the rescue of the person he loves imprisoned in a strange place? That’s why I came here. Can you just let us go so that more people don’t get hurt?”

Episode 6 Preview:

Gongming: Are you saying you don’t know anything about the the eui-sun and Choi Young- their whereabouts or what’s happening to them? Whether they are alive or dead?

No-gook to Lady Choi and Jang Bin: You two keep waiting. I don’t know how to do that.

Jo Il-shin reports to Gongmin that No-gook left the palace. Gongming: What? Jo Il-shin: She said she was going to Ki Chul’s house.

Gongmin orders Choong-suk: Go yourself and bring her back safely alive no matter what.

Eun-soo says to Choi Young: When did you start loving me? Young: There’s a reason why I said that so. ES: OK. I will act like I didn’t hear but what to do? I already heard. She taps him playfully and runs off.

She asks Young if he knows her name and tells him her name is Yoo Eun Soo. (Softy: If you type it out it’s “YES”)

Softy’s comments:

This show is so much fun I had no idea I could ever enjoy it this much. I swear the mood shifts every time Young and ES are in the same room. What I love the most about this drama is you never know what these characters will say or do. They take you by surprise with just a sentence or word. I was grinning near the end so much my cheeks ached. Some were complaining about the cliffhangers for this drama – well worry no more, they finally got their act together. Tonight’s is a keeper.

Written before it aired: I just realized something today. KHS is the comic relief in this drama cuz she cracks me up every time she opens her mouth. If you saw the preview for tonight, you know that ES talks back to KC and not in the manner he is accustomed to either. She comes off sounding condescending, impudent, and flagrantly disrespectful and puts KC in his place. Note the amused look on the king’s face as she does that. ES starts by saying to KC in an accusing way: how old are you? since the King is present I am holding it in so let’s just end it quickly and just do up to here. You could tell that actor who played KC had a really hard time keeping a straight face cuz she sounds funny talking like that.
Wonder why ES and Young are going on a long trip. According to the BTS explanation they are practicing riding horses cuz ES didn’t know how. I can tell her from experience all you really need is a sweet tempered horse and a lot of padding for your butt. With the handsome view next to her, I bet she won’t even feel any pain. (Joonni: Look the horses are nuzzling each other!)

Joonni’s comments:

Has the director lost the art of subtlety and nuance? What happened to him? *Weeps* I admit it wasn’t always his strong point but he knew how to direct poignant moments much better than this before. The flashback with Bae-hee did nothing for me and the scene in which Young nearly dies didn’t move me as much as it should have. Maybe I’m just a cold and heartless. I’ve been trying to make a fanvid for this drama and it’s been hard for an amateur like me because the director’s frames are pretty bland and boring. It made me realize just how beautifully and tight Queen In-hyun’s Man was directed.

That being said, I still love our main characters oh so much. Our two heroines continue to rock with their straightforwardness, practicality, and courage. Ryu Deok Hwan brings such nuance to the Gongmin character that I want a whole drama just on him. Choi Young is starting to come alive and this makes me happy. We really need more energy in this drama and I’m happy to see it going there. We can’t have wounded and listless warrior for our hero forever.

Also, Ki Chul is so fun to hate especially since he gets his comeuppance in the form of Eun-soo. He’s cunning and snide but it only works with people who are like that in return. That’s why Eun-soo, Choi Young, and No-gook frustrate him so. Of course, you can’t always deal with people like Ki Chul head on so I’m glad Gongmin is there is to add a bit of strategy.

And now with the romance starting up, I’m even more excited. Can’t wait for the next episode!