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Post by ajk on Apr 9, 2022 13:51:42 GMT -5
...is up on Kocowa now, but without subs. The subbed version will presumably show up within the next few hours like it always does.
Remember, it's up for 24 hours to watch without ads before they move it behind their paywall.
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Post by sageuk on Apr 9, 2022 16:06:36 GMT -5
Wait a minute...is that Im Ho?
The previous Jeong Mongju?
Oh the irony
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Post by π°π’ππ«πͺππ π©ππ¦π― on Apr 9, 2022 23:52:07 GMT -5
It was only a matter of time before they started breaking out the 18th century hair...
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Post by ajk on Apr 10, 2022 3:46:53 GMT -5
This was one of the best episodes. The juicing-up was kept to a minimum and we got a lot of excellent scenes giving us the character depth thatβs been the strength of the series. And the guy playing Taejong is absolutely killing itβyou can always just about see the gears grinding away in Taejongβs head, he acts so well without saying anything. Taejong: βYour face gives everything away. So you must try hard to change how you think.β Yes it does and yes he must! That was great...and the way he just sort of smiled at Min, this is a much more self-assured person now. He didnβt get mad. Why was Taejo moaning so loud that half the neighborhood could hear him? I didnβt care for that; it was totally unlike him. Unnecessary drama juice. Finally weβre back to having the king/queen relationship thatβs been so good. We see both of them grow in this one and weβre past the contrived silliness that never should have been written. The scene in the bedroom was excellent; I just wish theyβd have left the music out of it. Too much. The writing and acting were more than good enough. That moment with the new official with the frayed robe, that was great too. Bangwon getting a chuckle out of it, it felt like a real genuine moment in the life of a king. So surprising to see Im Ho of all people to turn up in the final third of a series! Wow that was pretty harsh, what happened to Lee Geoyi...I was shocked that Jo Yeongmu tattled on him. Even more surprising because Jo himself got into huge trouble for exactly the same thing, a momentary venting of frustration. Youβd have thought heβd be a little more sympathetic. Anyway it was an excellent scene, again the Taejong actor doing a great job in front of his officials. But again they over-music-ed it. βYou are all my vassals of merit and my saviors. However, the virtues of being my vassals are honor and dignity. They are not pride and privilege.β Terrific writing, loved that. Taejong to his father: βThis is my punishment. Punish me for many more years.β Excellent scene, and for once it wasnβt over-music-ed. See, it works! click for full size Hwasang was annoying in the beginning but heβs really evolved into an interesting character. His scene in this one was so good I went back and watched it again. It was funny-sincere instead of funny-stupid, thatβs why it worked. Hwasang still talks to his friend with no pretense at all, king or otherwise. And heβs probably the person Taejong trusts more than anyone else in his world, simply because he asks for nothing and has no higher ambition that he wants to lean on Taejong to fulfill. βShe cut the cord with her teeth.β Well we certainly didnβt need to know THAT. But at least we know weβre not watching Call the Midwife. I couldnβt find out anything definitive about the pregnant attendant storyline. Iβm guessing that thereβs some truth to it but itβs been rearranged to push the story alongβthatβs par for the course with this series. At least we have something believable now to stoke the tension between Taejong and the Mins. That I-want-to-be-the-co-ruler stuff never worked and thank goodness we moved past it.
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Post by sageuk on Apr 10, 2022 12:44:48 GMT -5
I mentioned Im Ho was ironic because he previously played Jeong Mongju, who was against Yi Seonggye being king and was killed by Bangwon, while in this role heβs serving under them.
I think the actor has gained weight.
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Post by mugwump on Apr 10, 2022 14:41:32 GMT -5
As in a good theatrical drama, I like the way balance was restored between King and Queen's relationship, but just as the balance is reached, something happens that will derail them again. And Queen is not to blame here. Good writing.
Why did Taejo's eunuch have to be executed along with the other scapegoats?
I'm afraid I don't get the reference to the 18th century hair. Which character?
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Post by ajk on Apr 10, 2022 16:52:36 GMT -5
Apparently the queen was very much the jealous type. So even if this situation with the hidden pregnant attendant isn't true (and you have to think it isn't, at least not the way we're getting it), at least we're getting back closer to the real story. So yeah it's good to see.
The eunuch thing is a good question. I seem to remember mentions in other series of officials being executed for treason and their families and servants get it too. At least sometimes. Maybe part of the reason here was that this eunuch was kind of an SOB sometimes! He would show up to deliver Taejo's order someplace, and not just relay the order but be a dick about it, frankly. Probably didn't make many friends that way.
No idea on the hair, Sean will have to help us through that one.
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Post by π°π’ππ«πͺππ π©ππ¦π― on Apr 10, 2022 23:43:14 GMT -5
No idea on the hair, Sean will have to help us through that one. Late in the episode, Queen Wongyeong's former court maid appears with her hair like this: Which I remember only being a thing after Youngjo's wig bans in the mid 18th century. It's not the first time shows have done this, but i thought being the first Daeha in a while they'd try harder to avoid something like this. It gets fixed in the next episode though.
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Post by mugwump on Apr 11, 2022 13:51:57 GMT -5
Well, maybe in the first scene they were still waiting for the Amazon truck to deliver her new wig. Maybe didn't want to pay extra for same day delivery.
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Post by ajk on Apr 12, 2022 5:18:05 GMT -5
lol You think the Amazon trucks are still allowed in the country? Remember, no private armies....
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Post by truth on Apr 21, 2022 7:09:18 GMT -5
Wow that was pretty harsh, what happened to Lee Geoyi...I was shocked that Jo Yeongmu tattled on him. Even more surprising because Jo himself got into huge trouble for exactly the same thing, a momentary venting of frustration. Youβd have thought heβd be a little more sympathetic. Anyway it was an excellent scene, again the Taejong actor doing a great job in front of his officials. But again they over-music-ed it. Difference between the drama and history Drama : Reason for Lee Geoyi's punishment was him saying "The ex-king(Jeongjong) wouldn't have abolished private army" What Jo Yeongmu told Taejong in history : Lee Geoyi said "We'd lose our power if the young prince(Taejong's son) becomes the next king. How about enthroning the ex-king again?" We don't know if Lee Geoyi actually said this. The historical record just says Jo Yeongmu told this to Taejong. He could have framed Lee Geoyi for all we know. He could've been executed for treason if he actually said something like this, but the fact that he was only banished instead of being killed could mean that Taejong didn't completely believe what Jo Yeongmu said and may have banished him just because he was getting too powerful. Drama : Lee Geoyi looks at Jo Yeongmu when Taejong questions him, but doesn't say anything to him. Lee Geoyi in history when Taejong questioned him : "I would never say such a thing. Jo Yeongmu, what do you have against me?" And heβs probably the person Taejong trusts more than anyone else in his world, simply because he asks for nothing and has no higher ambition that he wants to lean on Taejong to fulfill. This part is actually historically inaccurate. Historical Hwasang already got his first job in the court during Taejong's reign. I couldnβt find out anything definitive about the pregnant attendant storyline. Iβm guessing that thereβs some truth to it but itβs been rearranged to push the story alongβthatβs par for the course with this series. At least we have something believable now to stoke the tension between Taejong and the Mins. This part is actually historically accurate. The slave girl in the drama is Lady Hyobin, who becomes Taejong's concubine after bearing his fourth son, Prince Gyeongnyeong. Min brothers did harrass her and her baby just like in the drama, which upset Taejong and is one of the reasons why Taejong's distrust of the Mins worsened. However, Taejong did visit the Mins with Wongyeong despite that happening. Canceling the visit is historically false. During the visit, Taejong called Min Jae "Master", and Min Jae referred to Taejong as "Student Lee" instead of calling him "Your Majesty."
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Post by ajk on Apr 21, 2022 12:43:42 GMT -5
I wondered about that--thank you for the clarification. I've come across references to Lady Hyobin but wasn't sure if that was the person we're seeing here (and there was no subtitled name or notation on her). And it looks like Taejong had kids with a whole bunch of different women so I wasn't sure. I'll note that in the character roster.
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