The Moon That Embraces The Sun E6

There is nothing more tragic than two brothers who love each other playing the blame game. On the one hand, M is angry and needs to lash out at someone and it just happens to be his younger brother who had the power to do something (or so M thinks). Then you have Hwon who is in a world of pain of his own at his loss and only wants solace from his hyung. Really hope this scene ends with a comforting hug, but I doubt it. Both guys are feeling too much pain to have any room left for any other emotion. Let the tear fest continue.

This guy had better be worth it cuz we are losing a great cast of youngsters earlier to see him in action. Who am I kidding – only actor his age that is worth his weight in gold is KSH. If anyone can knock his role out of the park, he is the only one my money would be riding on. Just by walking through that doorway, without any words,  you feel his loss from his expression alone. It wouldn’t surprise me if some of my tears tonight are elicited by his stoical silence alone. *Grabbing my box of kleenex to keep it handy. *

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Here is a legend of the abbreviations we’ll be using. It includes photos of most (but not all) the child actors and will grow as the drama progresses:

Lee Hwon – H	Wol – WolHeo Yeon Woo – YW	Yang Myeong Goon – M
Yoon Bo Kyeong – B	Heo Yeom – Y	Woon – Woon
Seol – S	Princess Min Hwa – MW	King Seong Jo
Park Hoe Bin – P	Queen Dowager Yoon	Jang Nok Yeong – N
Hyeong Seong – HS	Minister Heo Yeong Jae	Minister Yoon Dae Hyeong

Since sageuks are confusing, here are some very brief character descriptions. There are more detailed descriptions available, but they could be considered rather spoilery. The names in brackets are the actors’ names (childhood actors are listed second, where applicable):

Lee Hwon (Kim Soo Hyun/Yeo Jin Goo) – The future king.

Heo Yeon Woo (Han Ga In/Kim Yoo Jung) – An intelligent and beautiful girl who was betrothed to Lee Hwon.

Wol (Han Ga In)- A shaman who was adopted by Shaman Jang (she is YW, though she doesn’t know it).

Prince Yang Myeong (Jung Il Woo/Lee Min Ho) – Lee Hwon’s older half-brother from another mother. He is next in line for the throne after Hwon, but is a loyal brother.

Yoon Bo Kyeong (Kim Min Seo/Kim So Hyun) – Hwon’s wife (he doesn’t love her, but had to marry her after YW “died”).

Heo Yeom (Song Jae Hee/Si Wan) – The affectionate and incredibly smart older brother of Yeon Woo. He is married to Min Hwa, which means he can’t be active politically or advise the king.

Woon (Song Jae Rim/Lee Won Geun)- Lee Hwon’s bodyguard, he is the son of a nobleman and a concubine (which gives him a low status despite his intelligence and martial prowess).

Seol (Yoon Seung Ah)- Yeon Woo’s personal maidservant, and Wol’s guard.

Princess Min Hwa (Nam Bo Ra/Jin Ji Hee) – Hwon’s younger sister who inadvertently took part in YW’s demise.

King Seong Jo (Ahn Nae Sang) – Lee Hwon’s father.

Park Hoe Bin (Kim Ye Ryeong) – The king’s consort and mother to Yang Myeong.

Queen Empress/Dowager Yoon (Kim Young Ae) – Lee Hwon’s grandmother. She is a lady of ambition, and will do almost anything to get rid of contenders for power.

Shaman Jang Nok Yeong (Jeon Mi Seon) – Wol’s adoptive mother, and the one who orchestrated YW’s death under the Queen Dowager’s orders.

Hyeong Seon (Jeong Eun Pyo) – Hwon’s male aide.

Minister Heo Yeong Jae (Sun Woo Jae Duk)- Yeom and Yeon Woon’s father.

Minister Yoon Dae Hyeong Kim Eung Soo) – Bo Kyeong’s father, and Dowager Yoon’s right-hand man.

Jansil: the little girl M saved from the men who were using her to trick people for money. Nok Yeong has taken her under her wing.

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I am going to call Jang Nok Young = N from here on. Using her last name initial J is getting too confusing.

Special thanks to Sunny who is 100% fluent and helping me out with all the hard parts. Hope you can keep this going till the end of the drama. 🙂

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E6

After HS tells H how YW passed away in her father’s arms like she was sleeping, H staggers outside and guards stop him.

H’s voice says how the king is the sun and the wife the moon so he gave the pin the name: the moon that embraces the sun. he calls out her name

YW’s funeral is going on in the hills with just her family. Her mom tries to hold onto her daughter’s coffin and calls out ” (my) child.” “YW – ya”. Woon is there too.

M rides up just as they are putting dirt over her coffin. M sinks to his knees and cries

B greets her dad. he says B is going into the palace. Her mom asks if that means B is going to be the prince’s wife. B asks her dad aloud: is she dead?  in her head she asks: did you kill her? Her dad says: today she left this world

B goes to her room and takes out the bracelet YW made for H (the one YW dropped the night H led YW away). B remembers her dad’s advice from the night before -did you say you wanted to get the prince’s heart. If you do you have to throw away your guilt and sympathy from this momenton. remember how angry you felt when they took away what was yours.  If you cant prepare to do that then don’t go up to that position. B says aloud: the prince’s wife

H remembers YW’ words not to blame himself and that everything was her fault. it wasnt your fault – whatever happens – dont blame yourself. H is crying when M shows up.

H: hyungnim (brother) how is the teacher now? that kid – her final steps -were you there too.  (meaning “did you watch it too” – if M was there to watch her funeral). M asks why H: why are you curious about that. what did you do to ask about that child’s last steps.( as in what right do you have to ask) H: hyungnim. M: When that child was kicked out of the palace like a criminal -what did you? While that kid was hanging between life and death – what were you doing. H: please stop. M: While she was buried in the cold ground- what were you doing. while that child’s father and brother were faslely accused (I guessed this)- what did you do?  H cries out:hyungnim (brother) M:  Aren’t you the prince who has everything. You have the love of a father and the loyalty of a friend.  Just one thing – Couldn’t just one thing be mine?

H says softly: hyungnim. M: she was the only one to me – she was the only one I really wanted. just one – For my sake couldn’t you give her to me. if it had been be,  I would have protected her – with everything I have – even with my life I would have protected her. But you weren’t able to protect her. M walks away. He says to himself: in the next life she will be mine. In the next life I will protect her no matter what

Dowager says N worked hard cuz she was afraid it would take long so N has more skills than she thought. She offers to make a place for N in the palace. N says she came to ask permission to leave the palace for a short time. she makes up the excuse that making that spell tired out her body cuz it was hard to separate a person with her life. so if N leaves for a while, her heart and body will recover. Dowager says it’s a problem not to have a talented shaman like her around.  She asks if N will come back. N: of course.

At night, under the ground in the box, YW’s eyes start to move – like she is going to blink. Above the ground N tells the man who is digging to hurry cuz YW is about to wake up. YW opens her eyes and starts banging on the coffin. She is having trouble breathing.

Someone else shows up at the gravesite. It’s S who is bloody and barefoot from walking so far. YW calls out in her head: father- mother – brother – prince. They get her out. Memories flash through her head and she hears N’s voice say “come back alive.”

YW opens her eyes and she is in a room during the day. Jansil stares at her. YW asks who she is. Jansil: me? jansil. YW: Jansil? Jansil goes out and calling for N.  S comes running in asking: miss – have you regained consciousness now. N comes to the door. YW asks N: who are you? she asks S: who are you? where is this place? also who am I?

Jansil says to S outside: your poor life – you will live your whole life as her shadow. if snowflower gets close to fireflower    snow flower will melt.  so make sure you dont get close.    (Sunny clarified: Jansil said the prophecy about S & Y. all of the character’s name have meaning in chinese letter. Seol means snow. and Yoem means fire.)

N says that YW is a medium. N tells her she fainted during the divination rite to become a medium for inviting the spirit and just woke up today. She explains her body is serving a big spirit and the trauma of it has led to her memory-loss. from here on, call me Shinoemi (shaman mother)…YW interrupts and asks: where is my family. N says she doesn’t know-that she found YW and performed the rite cuz she saw something in YW’s eyes (to be a shaman).   YW cries and asks did my family throw me away? cuz they knew i had in in me to be a shaman so did my family throw me away? N says how it’s better this way – that YW’s memory loss is what was meant to be for YW to live as a shaman.

*Sunny said about Shinoemi : it is a relationship between a powerful old shaman as a teacher, mother (Shin-oemi)   and freshman shaman as a student, daughter. (Shin-DDal)   in the book, Jansil is a N’s ShinDDal, too.

H greets minister yoon with a smile when Yoon says something sympathetic. H makes a backward threat about how he might have to pull out someone who is already seated in a position. As H walks away, his smile disappears

YW’s dad goes outside. He remembers YW sitting outside and reading. He smiles and walks towards her. she smiles back but he imagined it.

Y comes out and holds the dad’s arm from going to her illusion. Y is crying.

Y’s dad says to Y that he became someone who committed a crime so Y has to do well.(the dad is being exiled for hiding his daughter’s illness) dad tells Y not resent the king. Y: how could I feel something like that- I am just worried about the prince who is alone.  his dad says one day Y might go back to be by H’s side so Y has to endure now. Servant comes in saying the mother did it again

The mom is feeding some stray girl and calls her YW. she gives YW’s favorite side dish. her mom says: where did you wander around leaving your home behind. Her husband tells her to stop by calling out “wife” the girl chokes so Y goes in and asks if she is ok. he says he will pack up food for her to eat and clothes so let’s go outside. the dad shakes her and says wife. she calls out YW-where are you going and not finishing your food. he begs her please stop. our YW is dead. She cries. He hugs her. she calls out YW’s name

N meets some man by a field at the appointed time. (his name is Hye Gak and is a royal astrologer and is on the whole secret it seems).) He said he was worried cuz she was late. She asks what about the children. He calls them over. Jansil, S, and YW head towards the boat. the man says they have to hurry. N tells YW: you have to hurry so please get on the boat. YW turns around. N: what’s wrong? are you still not feeling well. YW: no. my family who threw me away might be here. if i leave, I might not be able to see them  again. N says they have to hurry so get on the boat.

N speaks to the man and tells him where she is going. he says come find him anytime she needs his help. she asks if he is going back to some place. she thanks him. he tells her to be careful cuz if she is with YW, N is in danger. N gets on the boat. The man says to go well and tells YW to be healthy. next time we meet hope to see you smile. YW smiles and waves at him. He says something about YW -since the moon is hidden this country’s darkness will grow deeper.(it means country becomes confused ) but if the moon’s attributes are full (wax), next it will be empty (wane), and when it is empty, next it will be full again. someday she must recover (her place) Please stay healthy until that day.

*Sunny translated everything about him and his lines. 🙂

YW stares at S. S: why are you doing that. YW: who do you keep calling me miss. S: what? cuz….Jansil says to YW: cuz you are the moon. YW: moon? N lies and says everyone calls her that cuz of the big thing YW went through. N remembers the red ribbon at Ari’s grave that said “two, human, and labor” and then “shaman” and asks : was it this Ari? .

S is crying so YW asks why she is crying. S: it’s nothing. YW: don’t cry. She comforts S (S is missing Y probably). N says in her head: whether she gets her place back in the palace or live as a shaman (I’m guessing) now it’s that kid’s destiny.

B is getting her hair and makeup done. She is being dressed for her wedding. Her mom comes in and says how good her daughter looks. She says how B is this country’s prince’s wife now. B: mother. her mom says: even if you forget -make sure you remember this at least. From the start it was your place to be the prince’s wife. You are not subsituting for someone. you are taking the place that was originally yours. No matter what happens do well. B repeats her words. the mom says now no matter who, they cant take your place. B repeats: now no one can take away my place no matter who it is.

The marriage ceremony starts. HS narrates what H needs to do so H starts his part

MW is under her covers and is scared and remembers the dowagers words that what the princess wants is going to happen now

There is a light rain falling. Like mist. so H sort of smiles sadly. M holds out his hand in the rain and remembers how YW did that and how he covered her head with his sleeves when it rained

H looks up at the rain and smiles through his tears. B appears next to him. HS gives the next order to H for the ceremony (to open the cover so she can get in) and B smiles over at H, but H isnt paying attention. He cries and holds out his hand to catch the rain and remembers his conversation with YW about the meaning of her name being soft rain. and how “it could also mean fog mist. it’s a pretty name.” B looks up at the sky too

Years later…

Grown H is holding out his hand to catch the light rain while standing on a bridge. HS comes over and asks if H wants anything to eat or some hot tea. H: as always you talk too much. H orders the ministers to be called outside. HS asks why. H says cuz the weather is good so he wants to play a match since it suits the weather.

H is playing some kind of old golf with a red ball but closer distance than regular golf. Minister compliments H saying the ball made a hole in the sky.

Suddenly H holds his heart like he is in pain but pretends not to be sick and misses his easy shot. He says it’s the other minister’s turn. The man gets his ball in. H compliments him saying the man has skills – he should have been busy with work so how did he get so good. The minister says how this hole compared to the others was a little bigger. H laughs along and asks : then you must know where the biggest hole in the palace is. guy says how could I know that. Suddenly H gets serious and says I have to find that out and walks off quickly

H goes inside and HS and others follow him. H went to the library. He takes out a box he found. He opens it and someone says H shouldn’t. H reads through the scrolls. first one says how certain citizens arent able to properly eat or clothe and are hanging in there. meaning they are freezing to death. Officials trying to bribe their way into government. One of the names is about a minister’s cousin. H keeps reading stuff about the citizens-unfair loans and punishments. Appeals that H should have been told about but ministers kept from him. one guy says they were going to report after they confirmed them. H asks cant you see the dates on these – some are over a month overdue (past the date). another guy makes another excuse that they were going to arbitrarily decide cuz they weren’t important enough to report to H. H gets mad and asks: who said these weren’t important – who ordered you to pass judgment over the citizens sufferings. do you know? this is the biggest hole in the palace. This is the biggest hole that separates the line of communication between the king and his citizens

Ministers gather and talk about H with Yoon. One says H grew up a lot. one says H shouldnt interfere in useless matters and starts to talk about how H is afraid to use the same room with his wife and says it’s surely an illness. but he stops cause of yoon. Another one’s idea is to send H somewhere far away as an excuse to recover his health.cuz he says H isn’t pretending cuz he clutches his heart when he is in pain. the other guy says H took all those scrolls. the other one says this is good chance to take care of something. minister yoon: even a dog you raise, if you hold onto the leash too tight, it will resist the person. often you have to let go of its neck leash for it to listen well to its owner.

Minister yoon meets with the dowager. cuz H is not producing an heir. cuz Yoon says it’s been a long time since H kept avoiding using the same room as his wife. he sort of hints that H is not well and suggests H taking a royal concubine so dowager gets offended saying there is nothing wrong with H’s health and that the heir has to come from the queen (B). he warns about the threat of M hanging around as next in line to take over if H doesn’t have an heir. he says then what is the reason for pushing it off. he tells her to interfere cuz she is the only one in the palace who can manage H’s stubborness

Minister yoon reports to H. H is going through those reports (appeals). Yoon says something about moving palaces for the time being so H says point blank then that would leave Yoon in charge of court matters as the father in law. HS comes and says H is wanted by the dowager. H says to Yoon: I think my grandmother will say something similar to what you just said. What do you think.

H walks over and B comes by. She greets him but he barely looks at her and walks away. She puts a smile on her face anyway and follows him in

H is meeting the dowager with B and his mom the queen. Dowager asks him to go away for a while to recover his health. so please go to the hot-spring and forget about all political matters, take a rest recover his strength. He says work is backed up. she says you can push that back but not producing an heir cant be pushed back anymore. his mom says his health is important. he says his health is not that bad so dont worry. dowager asks why B is still without child (why is producing an heir so late). B sort of cries and apologizes. And blames herself for lack of virtue for not getting H’s attention. queen says it’s not B’s fault that H is not well. B blames herself again. Dowager feels sorry for B and tells H to try. she says how he needs to make an effort and he isnt doing his royal duty. but he rebuts by saying leaving state matters in Yoon’s hands would be negligent. she sort of gets defensive and asks who he is saying that to (directing those words to)* somewhere in this conversation, H says how the pregnancy depends on the sky=god’s will.

Dowager gets mad and says if H wont listen to his grandmother then it cant be helped. she orders that no more food be served to her from today on- if H doesnt know how she feels, what is the point of this old useless woman living anymore. from today one she will stop eating and start counting her days till death. (she is going on a hunger strike till H does what he needs to do to produce an heir) queen and B protest

The queen sort of scolds H for not going along with the dowager. she says how much dowager did for him. H says producing an heir is not a simple problem. she reminds him how the dowager is already fasting so how could H make things worse. HS comes in and says you have to come outside for a bit. H: what’s going on. HS stammers: It’s about the prince’s wife (B)

B is outside on her knees in front of the dowager’s residence saying it’s all her fault that she cant gain H’s attention and not to be angry(playing the victim and blaming herself and crying). H frowns and goes out and tells her to get up cuz the weather is cold. hurry and stand up. She says she wont get up till the dowager takes back her order to fast. He tells her he is going to ask his grandmother for forgiveness and do as she wants  so get up now.

B gets up and pretends to be weak and sort of leans on him so that he has to catch her and hold her. H smiles and says this quietly then later whispers into her ear: inside you move grandmother but outside you move the prime minister (her father) Must be nice for you to have such solid backing.  Do you remember what I told you when we got married. if you forgot I will tell you again. you might get everything you want,  but don’t expect my heart too cuz you will never have it. He walks away from her. she stands there crying.

B says in her head to H when she is alone: is it possible that you still haven’t forgotten her – that kid is already dead. do you know that? Her aid says the princess is here to see her. B tells her to come in.

MW asks if B had been well. B welcomes her and asks what brings her here. MW says she came to meet her mom and her mom told her to cheer B up. MW says she heard about the problem. B says she lacks virtue so getting pregnant is late. MW thinks it over and says it might be cuz there is lack of affection from H.  and that it probably means her brother has no affection for B. B doesnt like hearing the truth from the mouths of babes and asks why MW is here. MW whispers about how the date for her to spend the night with her husband came out. And says she has to run off cuz her husband doesnt like it when he cant see her. B looks like she wants to strangle MW.

MW is taken by carriage to see Y. she gets out but goes back inside and tells the aid to close the door again. Aid asks if MW left something inside. MW: in your eyes do I look like someone who is always leaving things behind. Aid: yes you do. MW is rewriting the letter to Y. and counts days with her fingers. (it looks like kindergarten handwriting)

(*It looks to me like she is writing something like “12th months, 20th day, 12th month, 31st day, etc.” I’m not sure what it’s for, although it must have something to do with Y. Maybe she’s writing down when she can “spend the night” with him, based on astrology or some other factor?  -Fand).

MW calls from outside the door. husband it’s your wife. why arent you answering I am going to go inside. Aid tries to stop her but she goes in anyway. a man is sleeping with his back to her. she asks what he is doing sleeping with his clothes on. how did you know i was coming to already lay out the blankets. She tells him how she received the date for them to spend the night together

aid is outside and Y shows up. he asks why she is so surprised. she asks what he is doing here. he says he went to go get some books. She wonders then who is the princess talking with.

MW shows him the letter saying: as you can see, today is the day and the blankets are already laid out. she inches closer to him. a voice corrects what she says cuz she said it wrong. She asks who are you?. M sits up and says: your brother. He snatches her letter and she asks for it back.

(The way M whipped around out of bed cracked me up. It was so….Jung Il Wooish. As are his hammy faces. -F)

M points out she added more dates. MW wonders how he knew. he says unless someone was dumb they would know.  Y comes in and asks if they two of them are fighting. M says how could he fight with her.  MW snatches her letter back and says she hates her brother. MW goes outside.

MW takes M’s shoes and throws them in the air onto the rooftop.

Y says how M is always tormenting the princess everytime M comes. M says it’s cuz he is annoyed by her. Y asks how could he could be annoyed her. M says cuz she made Y into her husband and cut off Y’s wings and hid something good from Y so he wouldnt do that instead. Y says for M not to talk like that about MW cuz she saved his household – meaning after everything happened with his sister cuz he was able to avoid punishment like death cuz of her influence. M mutters that she messed up Y’s dreams and stuff

They come outside and M’s shoes are gone. M says a cute “robber” cat took my shoes. Y offers his shoes. But M has an extra pair from his travels so Y asks if M came back from traveling again. M says cuz there are annoying flies in front of his home.

M looks back at the wall (where YW used to be) so Y tells him to stop. M: aren’t you curious? Y: about what? M: if she was alive – what would she be like. For you and I the years are passing by but in my memories your sister is always 13.

M walks and young imaginary YW asks what are you thinking about. M: I was thinkg about you. she asks if he isnt going to the palace. M: did Y ask you to say that. YW: no it’s just cuz I thought he might be waiting. M: who would be waiting for me. she says H. M: When I behaved that badly towards him – would he wait for me? YW: he is waiting. M: you always talk about him. She says how H doesnt have anyone he can talk with in the palace (as in confide in)-how lonely he must be. M: he has Woon by his side. She asks him to protect H’s side. please protect him. Then she is gone.

There are people standing around in front of his home and a man calls out M’s name.these are the supporters who want to back M for him to take the throne. M runs from them and hides while they search for him.

When M comes out of hiding he says to himself in answer to her: now are you satisfied. This is how I protect H. (meaning he won’t endanger H’s position)

H is sleeping and has a nightmare. He remembers YW saying everything is my fault – it’s not your fault. no matter what happens don’t blame yourself. he remembers the dowager saying: it’s all your fault. Then M’s voice: When that kid was buried in the cold ground – what did you do. dowager says it’s all your fault. M:if it had been me, I would have protected her – even if i had to put everything i have on the line-  even with my life I would have protected her.

H opens his eyes. He remembers M saying: you didn’t protect her. Woon is sitting in the room and asks: did you have the same dream again. H: is it you Woon? Woon: yes. H: Woon let’s go outside – I need some air. Woon follows him out

H: Woon. Do you know why this place is called “silver moon.” Woon gives an answer about how the hidden word for silver was added to the word moon so isnt it why it is “hidden moon”. H says it’s similar but not all of it is correct.  woon: is there a hidden meaning? H says when my father first woke up and named this place, the reflected moonlight was so beautiful so he wanted to keep it forever. even on nights when there was no moon, he wanted to bring it out anytime. so that is why he name this place silver moon. hiding away the moon reflected in the water and taking it out on nights when there was no moon. that is the exact meaning. a long time ago, I hid a moon here too. When I miss her so I can take her out anytime. look. even though you cant put the sun and moon in one sky together, at least in this pond, arent we together.

Woon looks in the reflection and the moon’s reflection is next to H.

N is doing some spell when the candles flicker out. (this is giving me gumiho vibes again.)

Jansil comes running over with a note from the royal astrologer. Hye gak dosa says: it’s time. the secrets of the universe (God’s plan) is changing. I will go where you are so let’s meet for a short while.

N, Jansil, S, and YW are walking to the docks together and YW’s face is covered. They are escorting N off. N tells Agi (YW) to go back in now. YW removes that cover and her face is shown for the first time.

End

no preview: Old scenes from E1-4

B holds the bracelet and says: As long as you are not here – as long as you are not here in this world.

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** am I the only one that sort of laughed that B pretended to be weak and fell into H’s arms after kneeling for what – all of ten mins?

I love H’s scene with Woon and that reflection with the moon.

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Fanderay’s Comments:

Goodbye sweet kiddies, and thank you for making the first six episodes so great! And thank you for already showing up in flashbacks; it gives us hope that you’re not completely gone 🙂

As expected, that scene between the young brothers followed the theme of yesterday (crushing our already shattered hearts) and ended without the brotherly reconciliation I had hoped for (no matter how unlikely it was). Poor H never even knew that M liked YW, and even though he was just lashing out due to grief, M’s words were sure to leave a scar. At least YW had the foresight to tell H that none of it was his fault, because I think that memory is the only thing stopping H from completely hating himself. The dowager’s words were enough to make H question himself, but his brother’s ultimatum must have struck him to the core (especially since H has been so desperate for M’s comfort all this time). We know that M is genuinely a kind person, so I’m sure that saying such harsh things will haunt him too.

When H threatened Yoon, I sort of enjoyed seeing that dark side to him, even though it seemed born of bitterness.  It’s sad to think that a kid having a cold side could be a good thing, but I think H is going to need it if he wants to survive the political warfare of his adulthood.

She may be despicable, but it’s impressive how adeptly the Queen Dowager grasps every opportunity presented to her. When she first told MW that she would now get everything she wanted, I didn’t immediately comprehend that she intended to oust the entire Heo family. I hope that as an adult Y secretly fights her power, even if he has to risk his life to do so. He’s in incredibly knowledgeable, so it would be a shame if he fought off every desire to advise H and M. He seems like the kind of guy to follow the letter of the law however, so it will probably have to be a dangerous situation that pushes him to help.

I’m still not sure what MW  knows exactly. How much did she see? During the spell she wouldn’t have seen where the smoke went regardless, and I’m not confident that she’s quick to put 2 and 2 together. She does seem suspicious of the truth, but maybe too afraid to admit it. I’m also not sure if she was actually part of the spell, or if the the dowager just had her there to make her feel responsible for YW’s death (which would give the dowager something to blackmail her with down the road).

The prospect of being buried alive pretty much tops the list of things that terrify me, so I was horrified on YW’s behalf throughout that coffin scene. Jang really went all out to make her deception complete, and I had never expected that they wouldn’t just bury an empty coffin.  It may be a long while before anyone suspects anything.

I think we were all right to cry for YW, even though we knew she would live. Jang wasn’t lying when she said that YW had to give up her life. If her family and her memories are gone, can she still be considered to be the same person? Although S gets to stay with her, I think that she still grieves the loss of her master and best friend.

Jansil sure is cute, and if I’m not mistaken, she’s the kid that M saved in the first episode, right? I had forgotten that Jang helped, and I guess she ended up taking Jansil under her wing (as if she didn’t have enough on her plate!).

I am a bit worried about than random man who is in on the secret (is he just some guy, or someone important like a minister?). He seems like a potential weak link down the road. I have no doubts that the Dowager would torture information out of him if necessary, and he does seem rather expendable. Or maybe I’ve just watched too many sageuks lately, and I’m suspicious that anything could be a weak link.

I wonder what the significance of that bracelet is going to end up being (because these things always have significance). Will B keep it? It gave me hope that she may end up having a moment of redemption down the road (waaay down the road). It seems possible that she could find herself at a crossroads, and while looking at the bracelet decide to do the right thing (it’s possible I’m being overly optimistic since I like the adult actress who plays her).

Thank goodness we didn’t have to watch the rest of that wedding though. After all the tragedy, I’m not sure if I could have watched the Yoon family marry their way to more power. Instead, KSH’s face was the perfect cheer-up!

No matter how much I’ve gushed over the kids, and no matter how much I’ll miss them, I have to admit that I am extremely stoked about the adult cast. I can’t think of more perfect actors for these roles (although I’m unsure about Han Ga In since I’ve never seen her act) and I feel confident that they will all propel this drama forward into reaching its ultimate potential.  They’ve all only had the briefest moments on camera so far, but they’ve already captivated me and have me desperately for more.

My only gripe with the adults so far is Woon’s hair. What’s with the flowing locks? It’s not even a proper manly mane-of-glory! It’s some weird girly cut that even covers his eyes (which doesn’t seem ideal for swordplay). Can’t he tie it back in a sageuk-y ponytail or something? I’m happy to refer him to plenty of dramas that perfectly illustrate how it’s done. Even Kim Beom in Padam Padam is rocking his hair better than Woon, and you know you’re in trouble if Mr. Cutey-Pie-Dimples has manlier long hair than you. This is most definitely an issue that needs to be addressed, but I digress…

Even though I probably feel more sympathy for B than most, I practically cheered when H whispered that she’ll never have his heart. Even though he obviously hasn’t taken much power for himself (yet!) I’m relieved that he hasn’t been letting those Yoons trample him either. It’s too bad that the Queen Dowager isn’t actually going to starve herself to death though…that sure would make things a lot simpler.

It seems like B does love H and genuinely yearns for his affections, but I’m not sure how to gauge the sincerity of her actions. When she cried for the dowager not to fast and tried to put blame on herself, I wondered if those tears were real, or if she was just trying to get H’s sympathy by playing a martyr. She seems to want H’s heart more than she’s ever wanted power, but her family upbringing would suggest that she believes deception to just be a means to an end. H sees through her of course, but perhaps his bias causes him to “see through her” even when her behavior is honest? I guess time will tell.

After seeing MW and M together, I was sorry that we didn’t get to see them together as kids. I forgot that there was another cute brother/sister relationship to enjoy! MW may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but I still giggle at her antics, and she must have grown up a little because she was at least devious enough to throw M’s shoes on the roof before storming off (nicely played MW!).

I was a bit worried by that scene where M wondered if H would want to see him after his past behavior. Does that mean that they haven’t talked since YW died? If that’s the case, then there better be a tear-jerking scene of reconciliation asap, because I want me some bromance! I also don’t want to see either of them suffering alone with their guilt any longer than they have to…I need a mini-break from all the tragedy, and bromance seems like the perfect cure for all tragedy-born illness.

I may need to start wearing a bib because the wait for next week has me practically salivating. From here on in, it seems like almost everything will be unknown. Even when I knew what was coming I adored this drama, so I’m essentially ready to burst with anticipation and excitement. Hopefully MBC will release lots of images and BTS videos to make the wait a little less painful 🙂