Recap: “Faith” Episode 9

Softy: I love dramas like this – not just cuz it’s unpredictable, but every word and action keeps you on your toes. When I found out last week this drama was 24 eps, I wondered how they are going to tell this story to keep it interesting week after week and tonight I got my answers in full force. They are going to treat each episode like pieces of puzzles falling into place in an on-going game – one side makes a move and the other counters.  I did not see tonight’s maneuver coming so it was extra satisfying to see KC speechless as the good guys banded together to outsmart someone who thinks he is ahead. Turns out KC had a hidden hand that may undo what young and the king did so now another player has entered the game, but the problem is she doesn’t follow any rules.  Let’s see if this wild card will prove to be an asset to her team or a liability.

Episode 9

Gongmin declares that he will announce a few things today that the ministers will have to go out and relay to the citizens. “First…” The eunuchs change Gongmin’s Yuan robes into Goryeo attire and No-gook enters the court, also dressed in Goryeo attire. Jo Il-shin proudly announces that the king and queen have donned the royal Goryeo attire instead of Yuan clothes. Another minister gets up to complain but Gongmin cuts him down- he’s not done talking yet. He orders the ministers to be quiet.

Gongmin continues, “The second thing- these people completed my order to investigate what has happened in Goryeo over the past ten years while I was not here so I want to reward them properly.  Bring them in.”

Young and his Woodalchi men walk into the court and they all kneel. Young gets up and walks toward Gongmin. Eun-soo also tries to get up but Ki Chul pulls her down. Young announces that he and his men came because Gongmin called and kneels in front of Gongmin.

A minister complains that Young is a traitor who planned a coup with the previous king and also killed him. Gongmin demands that he pick a story- did Young try to overthrow him or did he kill the previous king who tried to overthrow him?

Gongmin declares that Young only followed his orders; Young stopped a coup and found the person responsible. Gongmin raises the official rank of the Woodalchi from fifth to the fourth, which means the Woodalchi solely answers to the king- no one can touch the Woodalchi. “This is a command from me, the Goryeo king.” Young gives Gongmin a small smile, which Gongmin returns (Joonni: Ah, bromance, bromance, bromance!)

One of No-gook’s bodyguards, who is a spy for Ki Chul, reports to him that Gongmin was the one who gave No-gook the Goryeo robes and she wore them without a fuss. Ki Won and Yang-gak are surprised by this- weren’t the king and queen on bad terms?

She also reports that Gongmin issued his decree at dawn- the decree that set Young free. Ki Chul can’t believe what this means. Young escaped and met with Gongmin yesterday evening. Within one night, Gongmin gathered the courage to talk to Young secretly, cast off his Yuan clothing, and call in the Woodalchi.

Yang-gak is worried. How will Ki Chul tell Yuan that its puppet king just threw off his Yuan clothing? Ki Chul reminds Yang-gak that Gongmin only has his hundred Woodalchi men. Ki Chul, on the other hand, has all the statesmen and military on his side, even Eun-soo. He orders Yang-gak to tell the Yuan ambassadors to sit quietly and wait as he still has something he wants to watch unfold.

The Woodalchi are enjoying their freedom while Young is inside changing his hair and outfit. Young remembers Choong-jungs smile and how he had to kill him to. He also remembers how he had to kneel in front of Ki Chul and the way Eun-soo backed away from him, afraid.

Young goes outside and picks up a sword. (Joonni: Right, I remember. Ki Chul has his old one with Bae-hee’s bandana on it.) He tells the Woodalchi that he is going to see the king.

Young tells Gongmin that the palace needs to be cleaned out first. Lady Choi clarifies that there are a lot of talking rats in the palace and Gongmin understands her to mean the people reporting to Jo Il-shin. But Gongmin has a soft spot for Il-shin. Even though he’s noisy, he’s served Gongmin in Yuan for ten years.

Lady Choi informs Gongmin that Il-shin has been bribing the palace guards. While they are Ki Chul’s people, because they aren’t treated very well, it’s been worthwhile for Il-shin to try to win them over from Ki Chul. Young wonders where Il-shin is getting his money. Lady Choi: “That’s why you’re called an ignorant warrior.” Young blows air into his mouth. He doesn’t have anything to say to that. (Joonni: Pfft!) Lady Choi explains that Il-shin is using the palace treasury.

Gongmin wonders how Lady Choi knows so much. Young tells him that if there is Lady Choi inside the palace, outside there is the Suribang- a group that Gongmin needs and Young is going to bring them to him. Lady Choi is not sure that the Suribang will come but Young is determined to bring them, even if he has to beat them up.

Young lays out the chess pieces as he explains. The first thing you need is information and according to it, you will be able to gather people. In order to protect those people, you need soldiers but to gather soldiers, you need money.

Lady Choi states the obvious- Goryeo’s money is with Ki Chul. Gongmin asks rhetorically if Ki Chul will give them money if he asks. Lady Choi has noticed that Young has fallen into his own thoughts at the mention of Ki Chul so she calls his attention- didn’t the king ask a question? Young replies that he doesn’t think Ki Chul will give them the money but to try to take it from him, they are too weak.

Gongmin wants to bring back Eun-soo first so he can face No-gook again. He explains to Young that he and Ki Chul bet on who could win Eun-soo’s heart. Young says he will find out to who Eun-soo’s heart belongs.

Lady Choi keeps giving Young side-glances as they walk outside. She pulls him over to the side, just as roughly as her nephew is with other people. (Joonni: It runs in the family!) Lady Choi warns Young, “Don’t even dream of it.” Young: “About what?!” Lady Choi has already heard how Eun-soo ran to him with all her legs showing and cried in front of him. “She’s not a woman you can have other thoughts about.”

Young wants to know why not. Lady Choi reminds him that Ki Chul wants Eun-soo for himself. Young thinks his aunt is worried about his safety but Lady Choi corrects him- she’s worried about Eun-soo. There is nothing in this world that Ki Chul can’t have. Why? Because he gets rid of things he can’t have. So if Young wants to save Eun-soo, he should not even give Eun-soo a glance, say her name, or think about her.

Young stops her. It’s not like that. She’s just someone he brought here and promised to take back. Lady Choi is assured. Right, he still has that girl from Jeokwoldae in his heart- “That warrior girl that made you sleep for seven years.”

Young walks away annoyed but Lady Choi throws him a badge at his back, which Young expertly catches. (Joonni: I love the Choi family.) She tells him that he will need to that to be led to the Suribang since they move around a lot.

Eun-soo is walking outside Ki Chuls’ courtyard. (Joonni: Can she please take off that ridiculous flower robe?!) She remembers Young walking into the royal court and kneeling. She also remembers that conversation she had with Eum-ja the night before. He had demonstrated his eum-gong to her, explaining that he recently learned how to direct his power to the front only. He also explains that Hwasooin was ordered to go to Young in prison and kill him. Before she goes, though, they were ordered by Ki Chul to ask Eun-soo whether they should keep Young alive or kill him. Eun-soo asks Eum-ja if she said to keep him alive, will they? Eum-ja replies no- it’s the opposite. If she said to keep him alive, they would have killed Young.

Eun-soo barges in to Ki Chul’s room- “Are you playing around?” Is he some kind of judge? Or some kind of circus clown that throws swords and spits water? Ki Chul explains to her that he’s said it over and over- will Eun-soo give him her heart? If she will, the death of someone like Young shouldn’t matter to her. Eun-soo wants to know if he is threatening her. Ki Chul laughs, feigning innocence. He was only asking a question.

Ki Chul points to the while flower robe and tells her he had it prepared for her to wear if she was willing to give him her heart. Eun-soo glares at him. “Listen carefully. Choi Young is the one who kidnapped me here. Whether to kill him or save him- I will do it with my own hands. Don’t you dare touch him. I swear on the heavens, I won’t let you be. This is what we call a threat.” Eun-soo grabs the robe off the hanger and stamps out of the room.

Back to present. Ki Chul walks over to Eun-soo, who is crouching and looking at the yellow flowers. He wants to know what she is thinking about. He heard she was in the garden all afternoon and was worried. Eun-soo asks if she is trapped in this house because when she got near the door, all the men stepped out to block her. Ki Chul wonders where she wants to go. She asks if she can leave but he says no. Eun-soo walks away mumbling, “Heart? What ‘heart’ when you’re just trapping me here?” Ki Chul stops her exit by asking, “Do you like to deal?”

Ki Chul shows Eun-soo a map. He wants her to show him, since she said that Yuan was going to fall, what country comes next and how big it will be. Eun-soo wonders what he’s going to do with the information. Ki Chul replies that he plans to change the world- he wants to create a good world with the help of someone who knows the future. Eun-soo doesn’t like where this is going so she clarifies that she doesn’t really know Korean or world history very well.

Ki Chul furrows his eyebrows. Didn’t she say before that in the future, citizens pick the king that they want- a king that will work for his citizens? Ki Chul: “I can make it so.” Eun-soo warns Ki Chul that history is not something that should be changed like that. If something is changed now, the future will change too.

Ki Chul wants to know what happens to Goryeo. Eun-soo tells him that it isn’t Goryeo anymore. Ki Chul excitedly asks how big Goryeo will get but Eun-soo tells him that it actually gets smaller and the country is split in two.

Ki Chul is more determined now for Eun-soo to tell him everything. He wants to make Goryeo into a powerful and large country. If she helps him, he will place her in a high position next to him.

Eum-ja meets Young who is waiting outside in Ki Chul’s courtyard. Young tells him that he came to get something. Hwasooin joins the two to get all touchy-feely with Young but Young walks past her. Young to Eum-ja: “Tell him that I came for what’s mine.”

Ki Chul is telling Eun-soo that he thinks it’s better to give Goryeo to Yuan since it’s so weak. But since she said Yuan was going to fall soon, it might be better to give Goryeo to the next kingdom and then try to take over that kingdom.

Eun-soo: “What if I say I’m not from heaven and I don’t know history very well?” Ki Chul implies that her life will be in danger then. Eum-ja comes into the room and announces that Young came with a request. Eun-soo gets up, saying, “I have to meet him” as Ki Chul tells her that he will be disappointed- he’s never met someone as interesting as her before. Eun-soo just replies that she needs to see Young.

Ki Chul comes to Young with Eum-ja and Eun-soo. Young tells him that he came for his sword. Ki Chul signals for Eum-ja to get to the sword and leaves Eun-soo alone with Young. Eun-soo approaches Young in a huff- didn’t he come to see her? He simply replies that he came to get his sword.

Eun-soo has a lot to ask him but Young stops her- Gongmin thinks Eun-soo gave her heart to Ki Chul, after she appeared with him at the royal court. Is he correct?

Eun-soo stares in Young’s eyes before sighing, “If I say that I am trapped here and I want to leave, you’re going to fight again, bleeding.” Eun-soo puts on a brave face and tells him that she is doing well. “Ki Chul can’t mistreat me because he wants something from me.”

Eun-soo holds Young’s sleeve. “I thought you were going to die because everyone gave me that fear. But now that you’re alive…that’s enough.” She lets go of Young. With a bright smile, she lets him know that she put white ramie fabric clothes on Choong-jung because she wasn’t allowed to dress him in silk. She turns around and starts to walk away.

Young asks Eun-soo, “Do they lie in the heavenly world too?” He gets closer to her and quietly asks if she lies well because she will need to.

Dae-man is walking with Young and asks if Eun-soo is okay. Young tells him that she is and seeing that she didn’t mention food, Ki Chul is feeding her well too. Dae-man wonders, then, if Eun-soo likes being there. Young replies that she said she is trapped but he pretended that he didn’t know what she was talking about.

Young wonders to himself: “When did it start? I don’t remember. I don’t remember her face.”

Young and Dae-man wait on the bridge as Young holds out the badge that Lady Choi gave him. A suspicious man walks by and sees it.

Young walks inside an empty house, ordering Dae-man to go back to Choong-suk and tell him that he is going to be late. Young is looking around the house when he is suddenly attacked by some men. He fights them off until an androgynous looking man attacks him. But it’s not really an attack as that strange man basically maneuvers himself into Young’s arm. “I’ve waited so long,” the gay guy says coyly. Young pushes him off, annoyed, and calls out, “Sa-suk, do something about him.”

A man calls out to Young from the rooftop. Another woman sits next to him. He says he heard that Young became a dog for the next king- “Let’s hear you bark.” Young laughs. The woman asks if Young ate yet- she’ll prepare something for him. (Joonni: I think these people are the Suribang people that Young was talking about before.)

The gay guy keeps placing food on Young’s spoon as he eats so Young moves away. The old man asks why he came- didn’t he say he was going to leave the palace? Young tells him he came to find people. The woman wonders if Young is looking for a wife. She could introduce him to someone- would a widow be okay? The old man rejects the suggestions. What if the widow’s late husband’s ghost came to haunt Young. The woman counters that if a ghost is going to haunt Young, it would be that girl- the girl he couldn’t forget for seven years.

Young nonchalantly explains that he came to look for people for Gongmin. Gongmin said he wants to be a proper king but he doesn’t have enough people next to him. Young wants the old man to suggest some people to him since he and the woman have all the information about Goryeo and its people.

In her own room, Eun-soo takes off the flowery robe in anger. (Joonni: Finally. I want to rip that thing to shreds.) In another room, Eum-ja says to Ki Chul, “You have to go yourself.”

Eun-soo has changed back into the clothes that Gongmin gave her. She is outside, pushing back the guards, yelling, “Move away. I’m a doctor from heaven. You dare to threaten me? Aren’t you afraid of heaven?”

Ki Chul asks Eun-soo where she is going. Eun-soo is already his. The king gave her to him. Eun-soo retorts that that is between them- “I’m not someone you can just give away. I’m from heaven.” Ki Chul warns her that the guards are holding very sharp swords. Eun-soo fumes- do what ever he wants. He can stab or kill her if he wants to.

Eun-soo tries to walk past him but Ki Chul grabs her wrist and threatens her- does he need to tie her up and imprison her? Eun-soo seethes. Is he going to torture her? But how is he going to know if she is lying or telling the truth about the future? Eun-soo reminds Ki Chul that he has to be nice to her since she is the one who decides to who and when she will tell about the future. Ki Chul replies that his patience is up to here as he lets go of Eun-soo’s wrists. He orders the guards to take Eun-soo inside.

Lady Choi has come to see Ki Chul. She tells him No-gook is ill because the neck injury has become infected. She came to ask him for Eun-soo to come and treat the queen. She’s asking him because she heard the Eun-soo gave her heart to him. Ki Chul cautiously affirms that Eun-soo has. He is worried, though, that the king will not send Eun-soo back if she cannot heal No-gook. Lady Choi replies that the queen asked Ki Chul to come with Eun-soo. She said that she had something to say to him in secret.

Jang Bin is checking on No-gook, who is lying unconscious on her bed. Bin orders his assistant to bring some incense that will wake No-gook up. The spy guard is outside to hear all this.

It seems she reported this to Yang-gak, as Yang-gak tells Ki Chul that it is true that the queen is ill and going in and out of consciousness. Ki Chul enters Eun-soo’s room and tells her that No-gook is ill and the palace asked for her.

Gongmin asks Bin how No-gook is doing. Bin replies not very well. Gongmin asks if he can see her for himself so BIn and the eunuch leave the room. With everyone gone, Gongmin apologizes to No-gook for making her do something this hard. No-gook sits up and tells him that it is not hard. Gongmin starts to say that he didn’t want to make her do this but No-gook interrupts him to say that she wanted to do this. “I wanted to help. So I tried to do something but every time, it would only cause more trouble. That is what is difficult for me.”

Gongmin moves the screen to clearly look at her face. Gongmin: “Because I lacked so much?” No-gook: “That’s what I hated the most to hear.”

Eun-soo walks into the palace with Ki Chul and Eum-ja. Young comes out from around the corner and watches them go in.

Young goes over and hits Deok-man’s head for fighting one of the Suribang guy. The Suribang guy has brought over the information that Young asked for. Deok-man tries to hit him for speaking banmal to Young but Young pulls him away. The Suribang guy tells Young that he was told to get paid. Deok-man starts to fight with the guy again because he continued to speak in banmal, asking, “Was your tongue cut in half?” Young ignores them and walks away.

Lady Choi greets Ki Chul and crew in the hallway and announces that not anyone can get past here. Only Ki Chul and Eun-soo are allowed in further; Eum-ja is blocked by the female guards.

Ki Chul and Eun-soo are led into the royal court, not No-gook’s room as they expected. The Woodalchi stand guard as Gongmin enters the room. Gongmin asks how Eun-soo is doing and she answers, “Not very well.” Eun-soo returns the question, to which Gongmin answers that he was doing well. Ki Chul raises his eyebrows in surprise to hear such a positive answer. Eun-soo asks for No-gook but Gongmin tells her that they can discuss that later.

Young enters the room and tells Gongmin that the interrogation is ready. Gongmin orders him to start. Ki Chul is surprised to hear this- what interrogation?

Young faces Eun-soo and calls her by her “heaven” name- Yoo Eun-soo. He starts to describe her crimes- she went to the former king and kidnapped him to take him to heaven. Young declares that the person who planned all this was the Gwanghwa governor, Ahn, and that Ahn tried to negotiate with him, while hiding Eun-soo and Choong-jung in his house.

The Woodalchi brings in a beaten Ahn into the court. Outside, Choong-jung and others surround Eum-ja and demand that Eum-ja hand over his weapon, per order of the king.

Ahn grovels on his knees that he doesn’t know what this is all about. He asks Ki Chul for help by grasping at the end of his robes but when Gongmin asks if he knows Ahn, Ki Chul shakes him off. Ki Chul just asks Young, “The doctor who became mine – what did you say she did?”

Young speaks directly to Eun-soo. “Who was the one who ordered you to go to Choong-jung?” Eun-soo is flabbergasted and starts to say that Young was next to her to hear it, when Young interrupts her, shaking his head. “Was it Governor Ahn who ordered you to treat Choong-jung?”

Eun-soo remembers what Young asked her before about people in heaven lying. She sees Young moves his eyes down to Ahn so instead of pointing to Ki Chul, she points to Ahn. It was he who ordered her.

Young turns to Gongmin to declare that Ahn is the one who asked Eun-soo to cure Choong-jung and helped him escape.  Young also adds that Ahn had asked Young this question- “What would you do if the former king wanted to be king again and asked for your help?”

Ki Chul interrupts to say that he has something to ask. Gongmin wonders what Ki Chul can possibly want to know more about- didn’t he say that Young came to get Eun-soo from his house? Young points out- with what power could he have gone alone to his house and stolen a person? “Unless you gave me the doctor and sent us to go cure the former king’s illness.” Gongmin asks Ki Chul, “You didn’t do that, right?”

Ki Chul can only fake a smile as he replies, “How could I have done that?” Gongmin strips Ahn of his title and takes away all his wealth. Young hands the notebook that the Suribang kid gave him to Gongmin- it is Ahn’s account book. Gongmin notices that most of Ahn’s income is handed over to one of Ki Chul’s accounts. He asks Ki Chul, “Then, is this money yours?” Ki Chul growls no. (Softy: that means the king now has the money he needed; Joonni: Yay, this is so awesome!)

Gongmin declares the Ahn will be punished for his crimes. He also adds that Eun-soo also has to pay for her crime. Eun-soo tries to protest but Gongmin just turns to Ki Chul to ask him to understand. Even though Eun-soo is his person, she must be punished according to law. Eun-soo is dragged away by the guards, leaving her bag behind. She looks back at Young as he watches her.

Ahn asks Young, “Why are you doing this to me?” Young bends down close. “Your three rules to maintain power- they’re problematic. Ahn says he was wrong and begs for his life but Young just says, “Sorry but I am the type to hold a grudge for a long time.”

Eun-soo is kicking and screaming all the way down the hallways until she is greeted by Lady Choi in front of No-gook’s room.

Ki Chul and Eum-ja leave the palaces as Young watches them go. He bows to them but smirks as soon as they turn around.

No-gook asks Eun-soo if she is okay. Eun-soo cries that she lied as she was told by Young but she is being charged with treason. Lady Choi explains to Eun-soo that they had make Ahn take the blame because Ki Chul is too powerful. She also reassures Eun-soo by letting her know that she will “pay” for her crimes by becoming No-gook’s doctor and living in the palace medical wing.

Young is waiting outside for Eun-soo to come out. Lady Choi sees him get up rapidly when Eun-soo steps out so she gives him look. But Young’s eyes are fixed on Eun-soo as she walks past him in anger. Eun-soo is too upset to just walk away, however, so she turns around and demands to know if he remembers that he is the one that kidnapped her. Young does. Eun-soo spills out her grievances as she kicks him. Young grabs his legs in pain. She tries to kick him again but this time he moves, causing her to lose her balance. He catches her but Eun-soo immediately casts him off. “I told you not to touch me. Don’t come close to me. How could I have been caught by a guy like this?” Eun-soo storms off in anger.

Flashback of all their past moments together. (Joonni: *scratches head* Do we really need this?)

Eun-soo walks into the medicinal garden. When she sees Jang Bin, she hugs him and cries. She doesn’t want to live here. “This world is too awful.” Jang Bin sees Young watching them from a distance. Eun-soo is oblivious to this as she continues to cry that she misses her parents. “I can’t do this anymore.”

Bin takes her inside and gives her tea to calm her. As he covers her shoulders with a blanket, he tells her that he was surprised before because she was always so cheerful. Eun-soo tells him that she was surprised too since she doesn’t cry easily. It hurts her pride to cry. Jang Bin reassures her that Young will keep his promise. He starts to say that Young has a lot to do right now but if she waits…

Eun-soo interrupts him. “I am not someone from here. This is not my place. But I live here so do you know what I mean when I say this isn’t my place?  There is nothing I can do. When that young king was dying, that person asked me – isn’t there some way? Don’t you know? What are you?”

Jang Bin tells her that he heard about Choong-jung so Eun-soo asks him what he would have done if he was in her position. Jang tells her there is no way to treat the burning poison. It’s just a matter of finding a way to make a person comfortable without feeling pain as he dies and that’s all.

Eun-soo, desperate for reassurance, asks Bin, “You couldn’t have saved him either, right? He didn’t die because I was lacking, right?” Jang Bin replies that if he were there, he would not have let it come to the point where Young had to use his sword. Eun-soo doesn’t understand what he means so he explains. Young is a warrior who protects his lord but he had to kill the lord he protected with his own hands.

Eun-soo: “That’s right. He killed that child. I saw it with his own eyes!” Jang Bin shakes his head- Young didn’t kill the king. He killed his own heart. Eun-soo asks what he means by that. Bin explains that Young gave up on leaving the palace after that happened. For Young, leaving the palace and was his only hope in living- to be rid of the palace and live a free life.

Yang-gak reads over to Ki Chul how much from Gwanghwa is now going into the king’s hands. He also adds that the new Gwanghwa governor is not someone they can buy either. But this is not the problem on Ki Chul’s mind. He suddenly stops his pacing and rushes over to a drawer and pulls out a wrapped bundle. “With this, I can find out for certain.” Ki Chul is sure that Eun-soo is not completely on Gongmin’s side yet. He asks Eum-ja where she is and when Eum-ja tells him, Gongmin declares that he will go himself.

Ki Chul suddenly feels something in his hand so Yang-gak rushes over to ask if he should get the medicine. Ki Chul replies that he doesn’t need it. Looking at his trembling hand, Ki Chuls says, “There is so much in this world to have…There is no time.”  Ki Chul rushes off.

Ki Chul and Eum-ja are back at the palace in the medicine wing. Deo-gi and Bin block them from getting closer to Eun-soo but he calls out to her that he has something to show her. Eun-soo replies that she doesn’t want to see him and she isn’t very curious. But Ki Chul adds that he wants to show her the second thing of Hwata’s belongings. He wants to show her in secret.

Eun-soo takes Ki Chul to another room. Ki Chul takes out the bundle from his robes and explains that it seems to be a notebook. He’s figured out the some of the things written in it are Arabic numbers but the others are indecipherable.

Eun-soo unwraps the bundle and her eyes grow wide in surprise when she sees a violet diary in front of her. “Did you say this one of Hwata’s belongings?” Ki Chul affirms. Eun-soo: “Then this is from hundreds of years ago?” Ki Chul corrects her that it is from a thousand years ago.

Eun-soo slowly opens the diary and turns the pages. The pages are brown and faded but she can read the words. Ki Chul asks in anticipation, “Do you recognize it?” Eun-soo slowly nods as she continues to turn the pages. She gets to the last one, which on the bottom she sees a familiar name- “Eun-soo.”

Preview for episode 10

Jang Bin stops Eun-soo from attacking desperately grasping at Ki Chul. ES asks KC for the diary – give it to me and I will find out about it for you. But KC won’t give it to her saying: If I give you this precious book-what if you suddenly go back to the heavenly world-then what will I do?

Young says to KC: it means now you believe I went and came back from the heavenly world. KC: you went to the heavenly world and just followed a king’s order? (as in that’s all you did there)

Young: What are you saying you will handle on your own. ES: There is something he wants from me. If I can deal with him then I can find my diary. Young: What is it that he wants?

King says to Young: KC said he lives to gather people’s hearts so I want to gather them too- people’s hearts. Young smiles and looks pleased.

Softy’s comments:

You know what I really love about this drama. Normally we see love stories unfolding so clearly from start to finish, but for Young – even he doesn’t know as it happens. He actually has to wonder aloud when it started – when he forgot about his former love and how he can’t even remember her face anymore. Seven years is a long time to hold onto a love that is gone. I can’t wait till he gets his answers to his question- “When did it start?” He just has to listen to the way he describes ES. He remembered every conversation they ever had. He knows her habits and tastes. He gets her and accepts her the way she is and even appreciates her peculiarities.  “when did it start?” From the first moment he was amused by what she said and how she said it. On almost each episode they talk about giving and receiving hearts. Young and ES will never have to cuz they have been making sacrifices for each other all along. They have been showing through their actions how they feel about each other. Last week we realized through his dream that she unfroze his icy world. Tonight, it dawned on me that ES didn’t just give him a purpose for living – she gave him the will to live it well.

I don’t know why, but I get the sense that Eum Ja respects Young or just envies him. Cuz young can control his powers and can channel it to good use most times whereas Eum Ja still doesn’t know how to kill only his targets and ends up killing anyone within hearing distance. Plus Young dictates when he wants to use his powers and does it of his own volition, but Eum Ja is ordered to by KC every time. I bet Eum Ja is starting to see how he got the short end of the stick when it comes to utitilizing his ability. *ok tonight we learn he can send the sound forward. whoopee – that’s still not much control -what happens if he has bad aim.

How adorable does he look here…I was wondering how they made him move out of the frame so quickly and now we know.

About this new hair style – I am slowly but surely getting there. Pics like this are helping, but I am still going to mourn the old one for quite some time. I keep thinking the last time I wore a ponytail this high I was five years old.  What would look ridiculous on most men, on a face like this, he makes it work for him – not against him. Kudos to his bone structure for making that happen.

I don’t care if KHS is a happily married woman with a good looking husband – when reality sunk in that she would be doing a drama with LMH as her love interest, the woman did a happy dance. Trust me – no one saw her and she probably just did it in her head, but she was jumping with joy. Why? Cuz most women her age would get paired with an actor like the one who plays KC. I can’t even do a handstand properly, but I would be doing summersaults to be paired with someone like LMH. If I was a supporting actress in this drama, I wonder if they would think it was unprofessional to ask for some drool time in between takes cuz even when LMH is just sitting around staring at the floor, the camera loves him so much that he makes every frame a keeper.

Joonni’s comments:

I think the full potential of this drama is being held down by lazy directing and editing, and a divergence between the writing and the directing. The strength of this story lies in the minute details of the political maneuvering and the larger conflict between Gongmin-Young and Ki Chul but the directing is reaching very far to try to create a romantic tone and sleek action. The political story asks us to care about the little moments, slight chances in facial expression, and the hidden layers underneath all the words. But every time we switch to the Eun-soo/Young love story, the tone tries to go all dramatic and epic, shoving the emotions in our faces with the slow-motion and dramatic music instead of trusting the viewer to understand the complicated relationship between Eun-soo and Young. I think the directing is flattening out Eun-soo and Young’s love story with over-dramatics. Their relationship is not a linear, black and white progression, but the directing is trying to make it so. Argh! Their relationship cannot be visualized in awkwardly transitioned, slow montages!

Ki Chul is turning out to be one of my favorite villains ever. Instead of simply being extraordinarily evil, Ki Chul is decidedly human. Ki Chul and his entourage have supernatural powers but Ki Chul feels more human than Hwasooin and Eum-ja because he relies on his natural intelligence to manipulate and maneuver. (And we are getting the hint that Ki Chul might be losing his supernatural power.) This makes Ki Chul very real and very interesting to me. He’s fascination and obsession with Eun-soo is slowly turning into his undoing and I’m going to love watching it happen. Ki Chul has basically bet his all on Eun-soo, which raises the stakes of the story and keeps me coming back.

Speaking of coming back…what an awesome twist. How and why was Eun-soo’s diary with Hwata a thousand years ago? Gotta love a drama that keeps you on your feet.