Post by ajk on Mar 13, 2023 6:31:47 GMT -5
That whole opening “battle” sequence seemed awkward, didn’t it? Just sort of clumsy and confusing. Wouldn’t say it was bad, just not good by this show’s standards. And it took too long.
Geum-kang: “We were too careless. The throne...is gone.” Naïve would be a better description than careless.
Kyun-hwon’s dream sequence...why? What did that add to the story? There was no need for it at all. “I was begging Wang Guhn for mercy. Pathetic.” Yeah it was. And it just took some of the punch away from what he was going to wake up to in the morning.
Neungae: “There is no time. We must finish this. It will soon be morning.” What’s the hurry? I don’t understand. Kyun-hwon is completely isolated and no one supports him. And he’s just about an invalid from that thing on his back. What’s he going to do?
(click for full size)
Wow, not a good look at all! The wanna-be king taking cover behind his mom. He should have been negotiating surrender to protect her life. And even to the end, no mention of her. It sure is strange how this has all evolved, from what Shin-guhm and Geum-kang used to be to what they are now.
OK now the two other princes are talking, and mentioning concern about the regional lords possible causing trouble about all this. That makes sense and would explain the need for speed in getting it done. This bit of dialogue should have been pushed up earlier in the episode.
“Allow him to die a dignified death, General Sangui.” The montage that accompanied the narrated text about him was very good. The text and the montage were all or nearly all things we had seen and heard before, but it wasn't a problem because Choi was such an important figure to the story and accomplished so many impressive things for his country. A remarkable person, one of the most remarkable in any historical we’ve watched here. Not sure I’ve seen anyone else who was so successful in designing and executing highly intelligent plans. Wang Guhn has so many highly talented and capable people around him, well Bekjae has never really had that but Choi has matched and outperformed them all by himself.
I wish his death had been written a little differently. He was just sort of chuckling and above it all, the inscrutable wise man up until the end. A little more show of emotion would have been better. Not even in the sense of crying or sadness, but a bit more somber tone, regret for things not accomplished, something like that. And when he said Bekjae is doomed, even that didn’t bother him—after spending so many years helping build it. Took away a little bit from the sadness we should be feeling about this exceptional person dying needlessly.
Two other points about his death. One, he dies exactly 1:09 after swallowing the poisoned tea. Way too quickly to be believable, but still better than we’ve seen in other historicals. And two, well this is hardly a surprise but his cup was empty. No liquid residue on his lips after he put down the cup. Even for a liquid-poison death scene, no liquid. Good grief.
At least Neunghwan had the decency to let him die quietly. But displaying his head publicly with Geum-kang’s head, come on that was awful. Choi devised the plan that would have handed Shin-guhm the throne…and even without that, did so many great things for the country. Have to think that it didn’t go over so well with some of the population who saw his head sticking there on a pole.
AGAIN with the dreaming? Seriously? What is the deal? Is it more trying to foreshadow? This series does love doing that. But we know his reign is about to end, there’s no surprise here at all. Maybe this was the writers’ way about involving WG and Koryo in an episode that otherwise was all Bekjae. Still, you could edit those sequences right out and it would make no difference. Kind of a disappointing ending.
Geum-kang: “We were too careless. The throne...is gone.” Naïve would be a better description than careless.
Kyun-hwon’s dream sequence...why? What did that add to the story? There was no need for it at all. “I was begging Wang Guhn for mercy. Pathetic.” Yeah it was. And it just took some of the punch away from what he was going to wake up to in the morning.
Neungae: “There is no time. We must finish this. It will soon be morning.” What’s the hurry? I don’t understand. Kyun-hwon is completely isolated and no one supports him. And he’s just about an invalid from that thing on his back. What’s he going to do?
(click for full size)
Wow, not a good look at all! The wanna-be king taking cover behind his mom. He should have been negotiating surrender to protect her life. And even to the end, no mention of her. It sure is strange how this has all evolved, from what Shin-guhm and Geum-kang used to be to what they are now.
OK now the two other princes are talking, and mentioning concern about the regional lords possible causing trouble about all this. That makes sense and would explain the need for speed in getting it done. This bit of dialogue should have been pushed up earlier in the episode.
“Allow him to die a dignified death, General Sangui.” The montage that accompanied the narrated text about him was very good. The text and the montage were all or nearly all things we had seen and heard before, but it wasn't a problem because Choi was such an important figure to the story and accomplished so many impressive things for his country. A remarkable person, one of the most remarkable in any historical we’ve watched here. Not sure I’ve seen anyone else who was so successful in designing and executing highly intelligent plans. Wang Guhn has so many highly talented and capable people around him, well Bekjae has never really had that but Choi has matched and outperformed them all by himself.
Choi Seung-woo: His ancestral home is Kyung-ju. After three years of studies in Tang China, he entered and served Tang government by passing the state examination for non-natives. Along with Choi Chi-won and Choi Un-eui, he was one of Shilla’s Three Choi Prodigies representing the highest intellects of the state. Upon his return from Tang, he joined Kyun-hwon and played a major role in Later Bekjae’s development. Recognized for exceptional composition, he wrote the essay “Kyun-hwon’s Epistle for the King of Koryo” and is said to have written five volumes of “The Book of Foundation”.
I wish his death had been written a little differently. He was just sort of chuckling and above it all, the inscrutable wise man up until the end. A little more show of emotion would have been better. Not even in the sense of crying or sadness, but a bit more somber tone, regret for things not accomplished, something like that. And when he said Bekjae is doomed, even that didn’t bother him—after spending so many years helping build it. Took away a little bit from the sadness we should be feeling about this exceptional person dying needlessly.
Two other points about his death. One, he dies exactly 1:09 after swallowing the poisoned tea. Way too quickly to be believable, but still better than we’ve seen in other historicals. And two, well this is hardly a surprise but his cup was empty. No liquid residue on his lips after he put down the cup. Even for a liquid-poison death scene, no liquid. Good grief.
At least Neunghwan had the decency to let him die quietly. But displaying his head publicly with Geum-kang’s head, come on that was awful. Choi devised the plan that would have handed Shin-guhm the throne…and even without that, did so many great things for the country. Have to think that it didn’t go over so well with some of the population who saw his head sticking there on a pole.
AGAIN with the dreaming? Seriously? What is the deal? Is it more trying to foreshadow? This series does love doing that. But we know his reign is about to end, there’s no surprise here at all. Maybe this was the writers’ way about involving WG and Koryo in an episode that otherwise was all Bekjae. Still, you could edit those sequences right out and it would make no difference. Kind of a disappointing ending.
