Post by ajk on Feb 26, 2022 18:36:25 GMT -5
I really liked that we got so much of this Shin Guhm/Byukjin Fort story. The series could have skipped it, or just barely referred to it, but it was a good change of pace from the Koryo stuff and the main Bekjae stuff. And you really didn’t know what was going to happen. Especially with Yi Chongon coming up with an idea but not telling us so we had to watch it unfold without knowing. So it was fun to watch. Had enough of an underdog vibe to it that you wouldn’t have been surprised if the underdog had pulled it off somehow. The only problem was the ending....
Wow the old man Neunghwan sure did recover quickly from that arrow to the chest, didn’t he? Gotta love TV....Whatever, he shouldn’t have tried to throw Choi Seung Woo under the bus like that. Blaming Choi for not being able to calm KH down, he knows how KH gets himself worked up over this kind of thing and there’s no talking to him.
Shin Geum: “They won’t use the same strategy twice, so there won’t be an ambush.” Says who? You gonna bet the whole thing on THAT? Didn’t care for that at all. Even if we’re only talking about an outside-of-the-fortress ambush, this should have been written differently because of course they might have used the same strategy twice. Have the prince hand-pick and send out a team of better scouts to confirm there’s no ambush out there—that would have been a better way.
Aside from the usual overdose of flaming arrows it was another terrific battle sequence, and more great work from the stunt guys. And perfectly staged. Watching it, you could just barely tell that it all looked a little too easy for the attackers. A lot of defenders on top of the wall and yet they weren’t really giving it their all. And the big net right in the middle was great! I wonder if there’s any reference to that in the historical record. Worked like a charm.
KH: “They saved their necks but let everyone else die?” And that was the problem. One minute we see the four of them leading the charge, trapped in front of the traffic-jamming net that dropped down and cut off their retreat. And in the next sequence the four of them are headed back home without a scratch on them besides the prince’s arm wound and without a single other soldier with them. How was that even possible? Here was a serious flaw in the storytelling, very uncharacteristic for this series.
KH: “Those who have given up out of fear will always think about giving up when faced with a threatening situation. But those who have fought through fear will always seek was to fight through every time.” The recorded history says that KH was tough on his kids and they’ve found good ways to write that into the series. Nice piece of writing here.
(click for full size)
KH: “What is this? They were defeated again?” You were surprised? Really?
KH: “I would have disemboweled myself on the spot!” What a great line...except more than once he’s blown it himself and gotten defeated, and I don’t recall seeing any exposed bowels. Talk is cheap, dude.
WG: “I will take up this matter in due time. Now is too soon. Let us drink our tea.” The proper decision on the succession issue...but they can’t follow his order because their CUPS ARE EMPTY again! Is this just me? Isn’t it obvious that they’re faking it and doesn’t it look silly? What a simple thing to not turn into a problem. Ugh.
But it was another good episode. The series is finding ways to stay engaging even without Goongyae, at least so far. They still have Kyun-hwon and he’s just as interesting when he gets the spotlight.
Wow the old man Neunghwan sure did recover quickly from that arrow to the chest, didn’t he? Gotta love TV....Whatever, he shouldn’t have tried to throw Choi Seung Woo under the bus like that. Blaming Choi for not being able to calm KH down, he knows how KH gets himself worked up over this kind of thing and there’s no talking to him.
Shin Geum: “They won’t use the same strategy twice, so there won’t be an ambush.” Says who? You gonna bet the whole thing on THAT? Didn’t care for that at all. Even if we’re only talking about an outside-of-the-fortress ambush, this should have been written differently because of course they might have used the same strategy twice. Have the prince hand-pick and send out a team of better scouts to confirm there’s no ambush out there—that would have been a better way.
Aside from the usual overdose of flaming arrows it was another terrific battle sequence, and more great work from the stunt guys. And perfectly staged. Watching it, you could just barely tell that it all looked a little too easy for the attackers. A lot of defenders on top of the wall and yet they weren’t really giving it their all. And the big net right in the middle was great! I wonder if there’s any reference to that in the historical record. Worked like a charm.
KH: “They saved their necks but let everyone else die?” And that was the problem. One minute we see the four of them leading the charge, trapped in front of the traffic-jamming net that dropped down and cut off their retreat. And in the next sequence the four of them are headed back home without a scratch on them besides the prince’s arm wound and without a single other soldier with them. How was that even possible? Here was a serious flaw in the storytelling, very uncharacteristic for this series.
KH: “Those who have given up out of fear will always think about giving up when faced with a threatening situation. But those who have fought through fear will always seek was to fight through every time.” The recorded history says that KH was tough on his kids and they’ve found good ways to write that into the series. Nice piece of writing here.
(click for full size)
■ Byukjin Fort and its lord Lee Chong-on...Byukjin is modern-day Sungju in North Kyungsang Province. It was a point of tremendous strategic importance with Dalsung and Chilgok to its southeast, Kimchun to its north and Daeya Fort to its south. Lord Lee Chongon, a leader of high public favor, protected this land and provided an important shield for Koryo against Bekjae. For this, he would be recorded as one of Koryo’s merit subjects and becomes progenitor of the Lee Clan of Byukjin. He would show unchanging loyalty to Wang Guhn until his death at age 81 [in] the 21st year of Wang Guhn’s reign.
KH: “What is this? They were defeated again?” You were surprised? Really?
KH: “I would have disemboweled myself on the spot!” What a great line...except more than once he’s blown it himself and gotten defeated, and I don’t recall seeing any exposed bowels. Talk is cheap, dude.
WG: “I will take up this matter in due time. Now is too soon. Let us drink our tea.” The proper decision on the succession issue...but they can’t follow his order because their CUPS ARE EMPTY again! Is this just me? Isn’t it obvious that they’re faking it and doesn’t it look silly? What a simple thing to not turn into a problem. Ugh.
But it was another good episode. The series is finding ways to stay engaging even without Goongyae, at least so far. They still have Kyun-hwon and he’s just as interesting when he gets the spotlight.
