zeroldman

I'm still wondering if Hee Soo is weak and feverish because she is pregnant, what do. you guys think?

An unhinged Lady Dong should be pretty fun to watch.

That was a fun episode, and I'm really enjoying the series but that opening scene was one of the dumbest things I've ever watched. Oops, stabbed the wrong person!

I thought 11 & 12 were pretty good, so I'm cautiously optimistic

It has its problems, but was one of my first kdramas so I will always have some nostalgia for it. Not totally sold on the gender reveal in that one, so let us know what you think when you get that far.

park eun bin had the best performance impersonating a man in king's affection that I have seen. I might end up liking this show more than that one, but her performance was compelling.

That would be quite a plot twist. Most people here love the ML and hate the FL. I think he went against his brother's wish because he intends to find out who poisoned him and then punish them. Once he has avenged his brother, and the grand prince can be surrounded by people who won't take advantage of him, then I think he plans to give up the crown. He talks as if he will need to die to leave the throne, but maybe that just means he will have to fake his own death.

Ep4 is when all hell breaks loose, ep8 is the highpoint so far, ep 9& 10 were very disappointing, ep 11 & 12 have restored hope that their might be a satisfying ending

the king is a lion, so he always has to act like a lion in the presence of all of the hyenas that are trying to subvert him. It's possible that the power has gone to his head, but I don't see him that way. At least not yet...

My favorite part of this show has been the angst in these comments. Maybe the recipe for a good show is to have good characters, have some terrible writing in the middle episodes to piss everyone off, and then tie it all together for a satisfying ending.

boy is he going to be disappointed...

I think SSK is a good actress, so I'm conflicted about criticizing her performance. It's also possible that this is what the director wanted her to give. It would have helped convey her inner conflict if we saw different demeanors from her as she struggled (being confident and assertive, then second guessing, anger, sorrow) Since she always has the same expression, all we have is her words to convey what she is going through inside. The arc of her character should be something like: this is a woman who thought she could use love as just another tool in her strategy, but is realizing she can't bring herself to do it. She also thought she could forfeit her own life in the name of revenge, but she's realizing that wasn't the case. She wants to live, and she wants the king to live, but she must still come to terms with all the events that have brought them here. Her father returning will likely be the culmination of all of this. I'm still not convinced the ending will be a happy one, but we can hope...

now that is how you end an episode!

I have had this hunch that the king has been secretly corresponding with Hang Soon just like he did during his time with the king. When he told FL that the princess was being looked after by the person he trusted the most, I'm assuming it was him.

oohh, I think that would work here...

How can the king leave the throne without getting killed? I'm rooting for the happy ending, I just don't see how.

SSK is obviously beautiful and likable in her own way, but I'm about willing to concede that she was just the wrong actress to play this role. The love story just isn't that believable. JJS is acting his ass off, but she is not adding much to their dynamic. Her character is supposed to be a brilliant strategist, but most of the time she just seems clueless and on the verge of tears.

When the king said he would reign until the end of his days, and that he would likely hurt FL again if she stayed by his side, I think he was foreshadowing his death at the end of the series. I fear we can kiss our happy ending goodbye.

Speaking of translation. Is there a better word for when they use 'captivating'. I assume its the same word ML uses when he quotes the poetry to the prostitute

Agreed that it was a steep drop after ep 8, hopefully they have some tricks left