Reviews

This was a perfect first episode, 10/10.

A good first episode, it starts already engaging the viewer showing us the action as it is occuring.My first impression was how beautiful the historical clothing worn by the characters were, with particular emphasis on the hairstyles. I hope they maintain the quality of the costumes and vary the outfits throughout the series.Li Yi Tong is stunning as Fu Rou, and her cool attitude is really charming, which contrasts a lot with Chu Mo's playful and mischievous nature (which I also like), I hope this more perverted side of his isn't explored too much, because personally, I would easily feel uncomfortable with that type of character.I loved the family dynamic so far too, with Fu Roo's mother's sweet attitude, the second madam's light rivalry, and the good relationship between siblings.The ending is a cliffhanger which makes me want to watch the next episode right away!

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When Pure Logic Blinds a Genius Profiler

This episode is a masterclass in frustration. Seeing Han Sun-mi suspect Dong Baek—who has sacrificed everything for his victims—feels like a betrayal of his heroism. However, her suspicion is perfectly in character. As a cold, trauma-driven profiler, she relies on logic over emotion. Since Dong Baek is the only known person with memory powers, he is the most logical suspect for a crime involving memory manipulation. Ultimately, this conflict works. By pitting the two allies against each other, the show heightens the stakes and prepares the audience for a much more sinister threat. It’s a gripping hour of TV that trades immediate satisfaction for a deeper, more complex mystery.

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Episode of surprises

I was shocked that the murderer turned out to be Yinlou’s father! I definitely didn’t see that coming. And the Empress just stabbed herself in the heart with a hairpin simply because Xiao Duo didn’t believe her?! She is so dramatic! Good riddance, lady! You won't be missed. Also, seeing Eunuch Sun become more and more uneasy around the Emperor is such a rewarding sight. He contributed a lot to turning the Emperor into the monster he is now, so if anything happens, he only has himself to thank. And the best moment of this episode? Definitely, Tongyun and Cao Chun'ang's "forced" marriage, and her confession of her feelings!

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moving out of the capital!!!

the way we're moving out of the capital just as the political stuff gets interesting... i think the drama is on more solid footing after these seven episodes, especially with the onslaught of information and events they bombard you with in the beginning. better to find their footing later rather than never tbh. but i am looking forward to chu zhao when she's away from the court. i think her clever mind shines most when she's not restricted by court machinations, so i'd like to see how she does when she's out on her own in yunzhong and with xie yanlai. i think chu zhao's strongest trait is her desire to survive at all costs, so I'm curious to see how it will be tested in a different setting/environment.her father is clearly her most important emotional anchor so it'd be good to have her see him again too. we've seen chu zhao desperate, afraid, ambitious, motherly, and cunning. she's been vulnerable with xie yanlai for a few brief moments, but i'd like to see her let her guard down completely around her father.

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must say i kinda get why Ryo's college…

must say i kinda get why Ryo's college roommate doesn't like Zen, dude was mean cause he was jealous that there was someone closer to Ryo then himself. & he loves to be petty so he kept acting like a spoilt brat & ironically Ryo's college roommate also is jealous of how close Ryo is to Zen & wants to push him out & take his place in Ryo's life. ironic really. but i didn't get Zen coming to Ryo's house when he didn't hear from him. he saw the pic of the two college roommate's drinking together, i aint a drinker but i would assume catching up they would spend till late together. either way i wouldn't show-up at someone's house - when i was having a secret relationship with them. not without getting the all clear. but i guess Zen is sure the world revolves around his ass & he almost put his foot in it.

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Pleasantly surprised by the characterization

From the trailers, it seemed that Barth would be rebellious, but I assumed (and maybe this was my fault) that he was someone trying not to conform and not someone who’s hurt by the system that he only knows to respond in anger as a way to protect himself. This episode made me realize that he was like a cornered animal that learned the only way it can protect itself is by fighting first. That’s why he holds eye contact uncomfortably long, to intimidate the other person from even attempting to hurt him, preparing himself for the worst. At the end of the episode, when he realizes that Tanrak is trying to help him and he seems too naive to have an ulterior motive, he finally relaxes, and you can see the tension seep out of him in the pool. The trailer focused a lot more on Tanrak’s conflict with religion and sexuality as it’s the main conflict to their romance, but I didn’t once think that Barth would be someone who was also once like Tanrak. This adds another layer to their conflict because Barth is at a different point in his journey and has chosen to no longer believe in God, so what will Tanrak do? That’s why Barth more than anyone understands Tanrak, yet will still choose to love and fight for their love which will make their journey all the more painful as Tanrak conflicts between his love for Barth and his “Ticket to Heaven.” I also did not expect that Tanrak would already be questioning his faith. He asks Kongdech, “Are the people from your village all Catholic?” Meaning if they’re all such good-natured people, who help Kongdech’s mom, is it *because* they are Catholic? Do you need to be religious to be a good person? Don’t good people deserve to go to heaven regardless? You can sense his resignation as he then says that this is his best option as well. Kongdech doesn’t have a choice because his family is so poor; for Tanrak, he was orphaned at such a young age and was taken in by the church. Another surprise is that Tanrak is already aware of his sexuality. The scene where the young student was being bullied and getting called homophobic slurs by Kongkit, Tanrak did not intervene, knowing that Kongkit followed his lead as the Head Scholarship student. It seemed as if he felt this fear, that if he intervened, the others would automatically be able to tell that he was gay. That final scene cemented it for me because both he and Barth were panicking as if the fact that they slept next to each other would immediately show everyone their sexuality. They’re both paranoid of being discovered and also hyper-aware of the interest toward the other.

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