irmar

I agree that they should have told him why they are against him becoming crown prince.
However, he knows that Myeong Yun doesn't like him. That's the crazy part. He knows and still wants to marry her, because supposedly this will help him protect everyone (how?)

Indeed, that was weak writing. Even when his grandfather's life was at stake, while he was being tortured, still he chose not to tell the grand prince the real reason of his behaviour.

Most are not actually defending the drug use, but say he should be treated in a serious way, helped overcome his addiction and not push him too much less he commit suicide like so many other S.Korean celebrities.

From what you say, it seems to me that the management probably instructed them to distance themselves as much as possible from the black sheep to try and salvage their own career, ensuring that the public doesn't turn its back to them. Therefore they made it super-clear that they are not okay with what he did and they are different.

So should he, in your opinion, throw his mother and brother under the bus?
And you say that the FL "whines" about her father? Excuse me??? She just found out something terrible about her father, and that was bad enough, but then she found out something 100 times more terrible. Whatever crying she does is more than justified.
Also, she has been trying to impose her own will, even against the two brothers who wanted her out of the way to protect her.

You are too harsh with the queen (when you are so benevolent towards the grandfather who wants to kill an innocent girl!). The food taster threatened to accuse the queen's son of trying to poison the king. That's when her mother's heart made her go crazy for a moment.
What I love about this drama (which has many faults) is how multi-faceted all characters are. There's no one who is 100% an innocent dove, except the two main leads. Others can be impulsive, can get swayed, can have many sides, just as real-life people. One does not see this often in dramas, especially historical or fusion-historical ones.

Yes, these people married young and princes became kings very young (and had a very short life expectancy, with all the poisoning going on in royal courts). This young prince used to live away from the palace having a good time. He never had all those responsibilities piled upon his shoulders, those extremely difficult dilemmas: his father's life hanging on a string, his mother's safety also in peril, his brother stripped of power, his grandfather trying to manipulate him, the doctor blackmailing him, the woman he loves preferring another. Too much stuff for anyone, let alone a youngster. I think he's quite pitiful, and he's doing the best he can, considering!
And, remember when he told her that, although his feelings haven't changed, he doesn't want to force her to marry him but he will do so only when he can win her heart? And even now, he is not talking about marrying her, just about protecting her.

We still cananot be sure if we don't watch the whole scene. They like to trick viewers. Remember how a certain female character was supposed to be dead and she ended up being alive and well? Many wrong impressions are given for the sake of a cliffhanger.
And also, a character may be swayed for a bit and then come back to his previous stance. I would wait and see.

Didn't you read the article title? It's not her profile page or anything. It is a news article about a drama that interested me, with a male lead whose work I liked in the past, therefore I potentially would like to watch. I wanted to see whether it's final that she will be the female lead or not. Because if she is, I won't watch it. Simple. But I guess some people cannot think that far.

At least the GP could have washed it before delivering it to him. And why deliver it to the CP at all? He should have cleaned it and kept it himself. If someone saw it the GP could say his mom gave it to him to open an envelope or peel fruit or something.

Who could know or alert the guards since it was only the three of them (prince, physician, FL) at the time of the incident? She was speechless with horror and impulsively put herself between them to save the prince (not that her father would stab her). After this, the prince reasoned with him, took the weapon and chose to conceal it nd not make any fuss about the whole happening. So who would or should alert the gards, according to you?.

Have you watched "Misaeng" aka "Incomplete life"? That's another one I adored. With Lee Sangmin, should I say more? And a very young Im Siwan who is killing the role.

I usually give a grace of 1 whole episode at least, more often two. (Although I admit there have been some Chinese dramas of which I couldn't even finish the 1st one)

It's perfectly okay, we don't all have to agree on everything.

I am a Viki volunteer, and I was part of the team for this project, as English Editor. (I also was moderator of the Italian team). Every episode took more than 5 hours to edit.

There are some plot holes and things that defy logic, but otherwise I'm enjoying the refreshing dynamics of the royal family (king, queen, two sons) through the strain and pressure put on them by third people. I am also enjoying a lot the romance between the queen dowager and the royal physician. It's believable and poignant, very beautiful - although they are both flawed characters who did a lot of selfish and wrong things. The two actors are magnificent. I wish I could say the same for the "main leads" who are not really main leads: both about their characterization and their acting.

I loved "Life". It gave me the hardest time as I was English editor and it was a very difficult script, but it was an excellent drama with stellar acting by all (except maybe the "main-lead-who-wasn't-really-a-main-lead).
But this doesn't stop me from enjoying this one.

I don't mind at all. The two leads' romance is insipid. This one is juicy, is passionate, is tragic. And yes, they are flawed characters, multi-faceted and interesting, interpreted by two excellent actors. So I'm all for this.

The son was NOT her lover's. Didn't you watch episode 12?

36:24I am reminded of the day I met you again after ten years, when I became a royal physician.
36:30It was the happiest and saddest day of my life, like today.
36:38It was the day I lost Grand Prince Gwang Chang.

Of course, we could assume that they had conceived the son before she married the king. But we are also told that this, tonight, is their very first night together, eagerly waited for 20 years.
So no, it was a romantic affair so far, not a sexual one, and they didn't have a son together.

What is confusing to you about the plot? Everyone's goals and the motivation for them are stated clearly again and again.