Post by ajk on May 15, 2022 1:39:01 GMT -5
This was an odd one, for a couple of reasons. One, it felt like they were stretching it out to fill time. And two, I wasn’t sure how much of this was real history because some of the storyline seemed kind of weird and I wasn’t sure how much of it to accept.
General Bae: “I suggest we move the troops into the fort, then plan a strategy.” Oh yeah, squeeze everybody closer in together, that’ll make the disease go away.
WG, shouting: “The battle is secondary! A lost fort can always be recovered. But death is final!” True...so why don’t you just abandon the fort and go home? For the first half of the episode I couldn’t get past this. The whole thing was basically arranged like a big play date. KH offered and WG accepted. But now WG’s side is sick, and they all seem to know they’ll have a terrible time of things. Why not leave the fort and go home...especially now that WG has said that’s an okay thing to do? Apparently they think it’s a matter of pride, but they can always just come right back again when they’re healthy and have found an answer to the disease. They’re not ducking the fight, they just want to be healthy. I don’t see how anyone would see that as dishonorable...but maybe they did; like I said, it’s not clear right now if this is what really happened.
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Uh-oh...somebody’s got the germ. The very definition of putting a brave face on it.
KH on news of Taepyoung’s death: “This could be artifice. I urge further investigation.” KH later: “This is your problem, Shin-guhm. Under no circumstances should you underestimate the enemy.” We’ve seen this before...the wise KH before a battle. Will he go stupid again when things start heating up?
The other thing that seemed strange is why would Bekjae offer the enemy the cure for the disease? The heck with them! Just wait them out until they’re totally drained, and it’s a walk in the park. I didn’t understand that. Yes it’s better not to fight at all, but if you can wither them down to nothing...again, not sure how true this is.
WG: “This disease will subsite when the weather cools down.” He has no way of knowing that.
General Hong: “Yes we will open the gate. Not to surrender but to behead your king!” Well there ya go! Finally a guy who can trash-talk respectably. Give that guy a promotion!
Then night falls and the armies converge...and we get a conversation for a bit, and then they set up a one-on-one while everybody else watches. Eventually Koryo’s #2 knocks down Bekjae’s #2....and then they top guys decide to go...and everybody else watches. Not exactly a jam-packed episode so far, is it.
“They have been fighting for two hours straight.” No I don’t believe that. Not without somebody slipping up.
“They’ve fought all night and into the morning.” At this point it’s clear that they’re stretching for time. It sort of felt like it in the first half, but now they can’t deny it. We did get some glimpses of terrific sword-fighting, but we’re 41 minutes in and other than a rejected surrender offer and Bok JIkyum getting sick, nothing has happened. I wonder why they’re stretching.
KH: “Send out the drums and call General Shin back. It would be a shame if either one of them gets hurt.” You do have to appreciate the total respect that KH shows for good warriors, whoever they are. Not sure if the real KH was like that, but it’s a nice idea to think he was.
And then they smile at each other, and have a good laugh, and walk away. When KH was talking about “testing the enemy” you figured it meant tactical attack. Weird.
“I’m convinced the Vice Prime Minister was right. We don’t need to waste our blood and sweat fighting the enemy in this heat. Feed the soldiers good food and let them rest in the shade...We are in no hurry. They are dying as we speak.”
KH: “You enjoy war too much, General Yaesul. Now is not the time.”
(click for full size)
That was darned funny. And then he busts his little brother’s chops about being a compassionate king, that was funny too. If you have to stretch for time, at least put in some good moments like we had here.
“King Wang Guhn is ten years my junior. That’s a full decade! Tell him to call me Foster Father...We will let him keep Jomul Fort and go our own way if he kneels before me and calls me Sangbu...and Koryo is never to interfere with Bekjae’s actions again.” Now it’s all about honor, and KH is standing up and getting all hot and bothered. Weird again...but we have to wait and see how this plays out and learn how much is truth and how much is fiction.
At least there were snippets of very good music in this one. Somebody had some great ideas on the scoring, especially has the Koryo side got deeper and deeper into their mess. The music sure has come a long way since the early episodes.
General Bae: “I suggest we move the troops into the fort, then plan a strategy.” Oh yeah, squeeze everybody closer in together, that’ll make the disease go away.
WG, shouting: “The battle is secondary! A lost fort can always be recovered. But death is final!” True...so why don’t you just abandon the fort and go home? For the first half of the episode I couldn’t get past this. The whole thing was basically arranged like a big play date. KH offered and WG accepted. But now WG’s side is sick, and they all seem to know they’ll have a terrible time of things. Why not leave the fort and go home...especially now that WG has said that’s an okay thing to do? Apparently they think it’s a matter of pride, but they can always just come right back again when they’re healthy and have found an answer to the disease. They’re not ducking the fight, they just want to be healthy. I don’t see how anyone would see that as dishonorable...but maybe they did; like I said, it’s not clear right now if this is what really happened.
(click for full size)
Uh-oh...somebody’s got the germ. The very definition of putting a brave face on it.
KH on news of Taepyoung’s death: “This could be artifice. I urge further investigation.” KH later: “This is your problem, Shin-guhm. Under no circumstances should you underestimate the enemy.” We’ve seen this before...the wise KH before a battle. Will he go stupid again when things start heating up?
The other thing that seemed strange is why would Bekjae offer the enemy the cure for the disease? The heck with them! Just wait them out until they’re totally drained, and it’s a walk in the park. I didn’t understand that. Yes it’s better not to fight at all, but if you can wither them down to nothing...again, not sure how true this is.
WG: “This disease will subsite when the weather cools down.” He has no way of knowing that.
General Hong: “Yes we will open the gate. Not to surrender but to behead your king!” Well there ya go! Finally a guy who can trash-talk respectably. Give that guy a promotion!
Then night falls and the armies converge...and we get a conversation for a bit, and then they set up a one-on-one while everybody else watches. Eventually Koryo’s #2 knocks down Bekjae’s #2....and then they top guys decide to go...and everybody else watches. Not exactly a jam-packed episode so far, is it.
“They have been fighting for two hours straight.” No I don’t believe that. Not without somebody slipping up.
“They’ve fought all night and into the morning.” At this point it’s clear that they’re stretching for time. It sort of felt like it in the first half, but now they can’t deny it. We did get some glimpses of terrific sword-fighting, but we’re 41 minutes in and other than a rejected surrender offer and Bok JIkyum getting sick, nothing has happened. I wonder why they’re stretching.
KH: “Send out the drums and call General Shin back. It would be a shame if either one of them gets hurt.” You do have to appreciate the total respect that KH shows for good warriors, whoever they are. Not sure if the real KH was like that, but it’s a nice idea to think he was.
And then they smile at each other, and have a good laugh, and walk away. When KH was talking about “testing the enemy” you figured it meant tactical attack. Weird.
“I’m convinced the Vice Prime Minister was right. We don’t need to waste our blood and sweat fighting the enemy in this heat. Feed the soldiers good food and let them rest in the shade...We are in no hurry. They are dying as we speak.”
KH: “You enjoy war too much, General Yaesul. Now is not the time.”
(click for full size)
That was darned funny. And then he busts his little brother’s chops about being a compassionate king, that was funny too. If you have to stretch for time, at least put in some good moments like we had here.
“King Wang Guhn is ten years my junior. That’s a full decade! Tell him to call me Foster Father...We will let him keep Jomul Fort and go our own way if he kneels before me and calls me Sangbu...and Koryo is never to interfere with Bekjae’s actions again.” Now it’s all about honor, and KH is standing up and getting all hot and bothered. Weird again...but we have to wait and see how this plays out and learn how much is truth and how much is fiction.
At least there were snippets of very good music in this one. Somebody had some great ideas on the scoring, especially has the Koryo side got deeper and deeper into their mess. The music sure has come a long way since the early episodes.